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Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 42

Jarāsandha’s Siege of Mathurā, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma’s Victory, and the Founding of Dvārakā amid Kālayavana’s Threat

अक्षिण्वंस्तद्ब‍लं सर्वं वृष्णय: कृष्णतेजसा । हतेषु स्वेष्वनीकेषु त्यक्तोऽगादरिभिर्नृप: ॥ ४२ ॥

akṣiṇvaṁs tad-balaṁ sarvaṁ vṛṣṇayaḥ kṛṣṇa-tejasā hateṣu sveṣv anīkeṣu tyakto ’gād aribhir nṛpaḥ

Nhờ uy lực rực sáng của Đức Kṛṣṇa, các Vṛṣṇi luôn tiêu diệt toàn bộ quân Jarāsandha; và khi binh lính của ông ta bị giết sạch, nhà vua ấy—được kẻ thù thả ra—lại rút lui lần nữa.

akṣiṇvandestroying / consuming
akṣiṇvan:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootakṣi (धातु)
Formवर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (present participle: increasing/destroying—contextually ‘destroying/consuming’)
tat-balamthat army
tat-balam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-समास/तत्पुरुष (that force)
sarvamentire
sarvam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootsarva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (qualifying tat-balam)
vṛṣṇayaḥthe Vṛṣṇis
vṛṣṇayaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvṛṣṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन
kṛṣṇa-tejasāby Krishna’s splendor/power
kṛṣṇa-tejasā:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kṛṣṇasya tejasā)
hateṣuwhen (they) were slain
hateṣu:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Roothan (धातु)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; (locative absolute with anīkeṣu)
sveṣuhis own
sveṣu:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; (qualifying anīkeṣu)
anīkeṣuin the divisions/units (of the army)
anīkeṣu:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootanīka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन
tyaktaḥabandoned / deserted
tyaktaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Roottyaj (धातु)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (predicate of nṛpaḥ)
agātwent away
agāt:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootgam (धातु)
Formलुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
aribhiḥby enemies
aribhiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootari (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन
nṛpaḥthe king
nṛpaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootnṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
Ś
Śrī Kṛṣṇa
V
Vṛṣṇis
K
Kālayavana

FAQs

This verse states that the Vṛṣṇis were able to annihilate the opposing army specifically by Kṛṣṇa’s tejas (divine potency), showing that success comes from His empowerment.

After his forces were destroyed and his own divisions were slain, he was left without support and thus fled, pursued by enemies—setting up the next events of Kṛṣṇa leading him onward.

Rely on divine guidance rather than ego or numbers: when one acts with devotion and alignment to dharma, strength and clarity arise; when one depends only on allies and power, support can vanish suddenly.