Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 18

Aghāsura-vadha: The Killing and Deliverance of Aghāsura

Devanagari script

द‍ृष्ट्वा तं ताद‍ृशं सर्वे मत्वा वृन्दावनश्रियम् । व्यात्ताजगरतुण्डेन ह्युत्प्रेक्षन्ते स्म लीलया ॥ १८ ॥

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā taṁ tādṛśaṁ sarve matvā vṛndāvana-śriyam vyāttājagara-tuṇḍena hy utprekṣante sma līlayā

Translation

众牧童见那魔怪形貌奇异，宛如巨蟒，便以为是弗林达文的胜景与光华。继而又把那张大口想作巨蟒之口；他们毫不畏惧，只当是供嬉戏的蟒形塑像。

Synonyms

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), from √दृश्; ‘having seen’

• तम्: him/that one
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• तादृशम्: such, of that kind
• तादृशम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; adjective qualifying ‘तम्’

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), from √मन्; ‘having thought/considered’

• वृन्दावन-श्रियम्: the splendor of Vṛndāvana
• वृन्दावन-श्रियम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृन्दावन + श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘वृन्दावनस्य श्रीः’

• व्यात्त-अजगर-तुण्डेन: with a gaping python-like mouth
• व्यात्त-अजगर-तुण्डेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यात्त (√यम्/या?; ‘to open’ as past passive participle used adjectivally) + अजगर + तुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; compound: ‘व्यात्तं अजगरस्य तुण्डम्’ → ‘with (its) gaping python-mouth’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Avyaya (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphatic/causal ‘indeed/for’

• उत्प्रेक्षन्ते: they imagine
• उत्प्रेक्षन्ते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-प्रेक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), आत्मनेपद; ‘they imagine/they fancy’

• स्म: (narrative particle)
• स्म: Kriyā-sahakārī (क्रियासहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) indicating past narrative/continuative sense with present tense

• लीलया: playfully
• लीलया: Hetu/Prakāra (प्रकार/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; adverbial-instrumental ‘playfully’

Purport

Some of the boys, upon seeing this wonderful phenomenon, thought that it was in fact a python, and they were fleeing from the spot. But others said, “Why are you fleeing? It is not possible that a python like this is staying here. This is a spot of beauty for sporting.” This is what they imagined.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Vraja-gopa-bālāḥ (cowherd boys)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes being beyond fear?

This verse shows the cowherd boys treating a potentially deadly sight as mere play, because in Vṛndāvana under Kṛṣṇa’s presence even danger is transformed into līlā.

Why did the cowherd boys think the demon looked like a python with an open mouth?

They saw an extraordinary form and, assuming it was part of Vṛndāvana’s wondrous scenery, imagined it as a gaping-mouthed serpent—an innocent, playful misreading of a hidden threat.

How can this shloka be applied in modern life for spiritual practice?

It teaches cultivating trust in Bhagavān’s protection: with steady bhakti, fear lessens and challenges are met with composure rather than panic.