Shloka 12

Kaṃsa’s Council of Asuras and the Strategy Against the ‘Powerful Child’

Devanagari script

उत्पन्नश् चापि मृत्युर् मे भूतपूर्वश् च मे किल इत्य् एतद् बालिका प्राह देवकीगर्भसंभवा

Transliteration

utpannaś cāpi mṛtyur me bhūtapūrvaś ca me kila ity etad bālikā prāha devakīgarbhasaṃbhavā

Translation

“我的死已然诞生——而且它确曾先前就已存在。”那位出自提婆姬胎中的少女如是宣告，道出了宿命的真言。

Word by Word

• उत्पन्नः: born/arisen
• उत्पन्नः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत् + पद् (धातु) → उत्पन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि/भावे—‘उत्पन्नः’ (arisen/born)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्भावना/अपि-समुच्चय) (particle: also/even)

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचनम्; एन्क्लिटिक-रूपम् (genitive: my)

• भूतपूर्वः: former/previous
• भूतपूर्वः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः—‘भूतः पूर्वः’ = ‘पूर्वं भूतः’ (former/previous)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचनम्; एन्क्लिटिक-रूपम्

• किल: indeed, it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (खलु/इति-प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक-निपातः) (particle: indeed/it is said)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-सूचकः) (quotative)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; ‘this’ (object of speech)

• बालिका: the girl
• बालिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• देवकीगर्भसंभवा: born from Devakī’s womb
• देवकीगर्भसंभवा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवकी (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; समासः—(देवक्याः गर्भः) ततः सम्भवः; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (born from Devakī’s womb)

Speaker

Devakī’s daughter (the newborn/young maiden, traditionally identified with Yogamāyā/Ekanāṁśā in Krishna narratives)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To incarnate in the Yadu line to destroy Kaṃsa and relieve the earth and gods from asuric tyranny.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Protection of the righteous and reestablishment of deva-friendly rule and dharma

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s avatāra operates through destiny: the destroyer of adharma is ‘already’ present even as events unfold in time.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Hold steady in crises: oppressive power is not ultimate; dharma-restoring forces may be unseen yet already operative.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhagavān’s descent is a real, purposeful intervention in history while remaining transcendent—immanence without loss of supremacy.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Vyuha Form: Vasudeva

Characters & Entities

• Devaki
• Kamsa
• Yogamaya (Ekanamsa)

FAQs

What is the significance of this prophecy about Kamsa’s death in the Vishnu Purana?

It establishes that Kamsa’s downfall is not accidental but divinely ordained—his “death” is already born, signaling the inevitable triumph of dharma through Vishnu’s avatāra.

How does the narrative frame fate and divine will in this verse?

The line “born, and yet already existing before” suggests that the agent of Kamsa’s destruction is both newly manifested in the world and eternally grounded in Vishnu’s transcendent order.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when not named directly, the verse points to Vishnu’s avatāra principle: the Supreme Reality manifests within history to protect devotees and restore cosmic and moral order.