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Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 42

Akrūra’s Journey to Vraja and His Devotional Vision of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma

Devanagari script

योऽवधीत्स्वस्वसुस्तोकान्क्रोशन्त्या असुतृप्खल: । किं नु स्वित्तत्प्रजानां व: कुशलं विमृशामहे ॥ ४२ ॥

Transliteration

yo ’vadhīt sva-svasus tokān krośantyā asu-tṛp khalaḥ kiṁ nu svit tat-prajānāṁ vaḥ kuśalaṁ vimṛśāmahe

Translation

那个残忍自私的坎萨（Kamsa）竟然当着他亲妹妹的面，在她痛苦哭泣时杀害了她的婴儿。既然如此，我们又何必还要询问作为他臣民的你们是否安好呢？

Synonyms
यःwho (he)
यः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम
अवधीत्killed
अवधीत्:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअव-धा (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: अव-; धातु: धा (to strike/kill in this usage)
स्वस्वसुःof his own sister
स्वस्वसुः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootस्व + स्वसृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: स्वस्य स्वसुः ‘of his own sister’
तोकान्infants/children
तोकान्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतोक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
क्रोशन्त्याःof the crying (mother)
क्रोशन्त्याः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootक्रोशन्ती (प्रातिपदिक; √क्रुश्)
Formशतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle used as noun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of (her) who was crying’
असुतृप्insatiate (for lives)
असुतृप्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootअसु + तृप् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: असून् तृप्यति इति/असु-तृप् ‘not satisfied with lives/breaths’; विशेषण (qualifying ‘खलः’)
खलःthe wicked one
खलः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootखल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
किम्what?/whether
किम्:
Prashna (प्रश्न)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formप्रश्नवाचक अव्ययप्रयोग (interrogative particle: what?/whether?)
नुindeed/then
नु:
Prashna (प्रश्न)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनु (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्न/अनुनयार्थक निपात (interrogative/emphatic particle)
स्वित्perhaps
स्वित्:
Prashna (प्रश्न)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस्वित् (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नवाचक निपात (interrogative particle: perhaps?)
तत्प्रजानाम्of his subjects
तत्प्रजानाम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootतत् + प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: तस्य प्रजाः ‘his subjects/people’
वःof you (all)
वः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन; here षष्ठी ‘of you’
कुशलम्welfare/well-being
कुशलम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here as object of inquiry (accusative sense)
विमृशामहेwe consider/inquire
विमृशामहे:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवि-मृश् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; उपसर्ग: वि-; धातु: मृश् (to consider/inquire)
Characters & Entities
K
Kaṁsa
D
Devakī
A
Akrūra

FAQs

This verse implies that when a ruler is driven by cruelty and insatiable greed, the subjects’ welfare (kuśala) cannot truly exist—adharma at the top spreads suffering throughout the kingdom.

Kṛṣṇa highlights Kaṁsa’s extreme adharma—killing his sister’s infants—to show the depth of tyranny in Mathurā and to frame the urgency and righteousness of confronting Kaṁsa.

It teaches discernment: when leadership—personal, social, or institutional—lacks compassion and restraint, harm spreads. Choose and cultivate dharmic leadership marked by protection, empathy, and responsibility.

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