FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.12.14

द‍ृष्ट्वार्भकान् कृष्णमुखानघासुर: कंसानुशिष्ट: स बकीबकानुज: । अयं तु मे सोदरनाशकृत्तयो- र्द्वयोर्ममैनं सबलं हनिष्ये ॥ १४ ॥
dṛṣṭvārbhakān kṛṣṇa-mukhān aghāsuraḥ
[drishtvaarbhakaan krishna-mukhaan aghaasurah]
kaṁsānuśiṣṭaḥ sa bakī-bakānujaḥ
[kamsaanushishtah sa bakee-bakaanujah]
ayaṁ tu me sodara-nāśa-kṛt tayor
[ayam tu me sodara-naasha-krit tayor]
dvayor mamainaṁ sa-balaṁ haniṣye
[dvayor mamainam sa-balam hanishye]
dṛṣṭvā — after seeing arbhakān — all the cowherd boys kṛṣṇa - mukhān — headed by Kṛṣṇa aghāsuraḥ — the demon by the name Aghāsura kaṁsa - anuśiṣṭaḥ — sent by Kaṁsa saḥ — he (Aghāsura) bakī - baka - anujaḥ — the younger brother of Pūtanā and Bakāsura ayam — this Kṛṣṇa tu — indeed me — my sodara - nāśa - kṛt — the killer of my brother and sister tayoḥ — for my brother and sister dvayoḥ — for those two mama — my enam — Kṛṣṇa sa - balam — along with His assistants, the cowherd boys haniṣye — I shall kill .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dṛṣṭvārbhakān kṛṣṇa-mukhān aghāsuraḥ
dṛṣṭvā
after seeing
arbhakān
all the cowherd boys
kṛṣṇa - mukhān
headed by Kṛṣṇa
aghāsuraḥ
the demon by the name Aghāsura
kaṁsānuśiṣṭaḥ sa bakī-bakānujaḥ
kaṁsa - anuśiṣṭaḥ
sent by Kaṁsa
saḥ
he (Aghāsura)
bakī - baka - anujaḥ
the younger brother of Pūtanā and Bakāsura
ayaṁ tu me sodara-nāśa-kṛt tayor
ayam
this Kṛṣṇa
tu
indeed
me
my
sodara - nāśa - kṛt
the killer of my brother and sister
tayoḥ
for my brother and sister
dvayor mamainaṁ sa-balaṁ haniṣye
dvayoḥ
for those two
mama
my
enam
Kṛṣṇa
sa - balam
along with His assistants, the cowherd boys
haniṣye
I shall kill .
  • kaṁsa-anuśiṣṭaḥ — instructed by Kaṁsa
    Compound: Kaṁsa (the demoniac king) + anuśiṣṭa (instructed). The Vraja-līlā has a political subplot — Kaṁsa is the cause of every demon attack. Gauḍīyas note: Kaṁsa's enmity functions as inverted bhakti (vairānubandha); he attains liberation by death at Kṛṣṇa's hands.
  • bakī-baka-anujaḥ — younger brother of Pūtanā and Baka
    Compound: bakī (the female demon, i.e. Pūtanā) + baka (the heron demon) + anuja (younger brother). The three asuras are siblings — Pūtanā 10.6, Bakāsura 10.11, Aghāsura 10.12. Vraja-līlā has a family of demons being progressively absorbed.
  • sodara-nāśa-kṛt — killer of my siblings
    Compound: sodara (uterine sibling) + nāśa (destruction) + kṛt (doer). Demoniac logic: my family is killed, therefore the killer must be killed. The very logic that brings him to Kṛṣṇa is what consumes him.
  • haniṣye — I shall kill
    Future of han- (to strike, kill). The same root as in Bhagavad-gītā 2.19's na hanti na hanyate — 'one neither kills nor is killed.' Aghāsura's intent to kill the Unkillable becomes the comedy of the chapter.
Aghāsura, who had been sent by Kaṁsa, was the younger brother of Pūtanā and Bakāsura. Therefore when he came and saw Kṛṣṇa at the head of all the cowherd boys, he thought, “This Kṛṣṇa has killed my sister and brother, Pūtanā and Bakāsura. Therefore, in order to please them both, I shall kill this Kṛṣṇa, along with His assistants, the other cowherd boys.”
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Aghāsura, who had been sent by Kaṁsa, was the younger brother of Pūtanā and Bakāsura. Therefore when he came and saw Kṛṣṇa at the head of all the cowherd boys, he thought, "This Kṛṣṇa has killed my sister and brother, Pūtanā and Bakāsura. Therefore, in order to please them both, I shall kill this Kṛṣṇa, along with His assistants, the other cowherd boys."
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Because they killed my brother and sister, I will kill them. Instead of mama sometimes atha is seen. The version with mama is accepted by all including Citsukha. Using atha avoids repeating the word “my” twice (me and mama). Kṛṣṇa was the killer of my brother and sister, of those two. Therefore I will kill him. Or, Kṛṣṇa was the killer of my brother and sister. To show enmity on their behalf (tayoḥ dvayoḥ) I will kill him.

Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Santosha (Contentment)Dhriti (Resilience / Steadfastness / Fortitude)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)Titiksha (Forbearance / Endurance)Discriminative WisdomDhairya (Composure / Courage)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva
Aghāsura is sent on a personal grudge — sister and brother avenging mission. Envy that disguises itself as loyalty to one's own people is still envy of the Lord.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I carrying a grievance against a devotee or a teaching in the name of loyalty to someone close to me?
  • Have I confused 'standing up for my own' with quietly opposing Kṛṣṇa's arrangements?

Picture a younger brother sworn to avenge two older siblings already killed in battle — except the 'older siblings' are the witch Pūtanā and the heron Bakāsura, and the boy he means to kill is the Supreme Person Himself. Vendetta misunderstood as strategy: Aghāsura thinks he is the third arrow; he is actually the third gift.

Pūtanā receiving the place of a nurse

Pūtanā came to murder the infant Kṛṣṇa by poisoning her own breasts (SB 10.6). Yet because she had put on a mother's form and offered her breast — even with murderous intent — Kṛṣṇa accepted her as a nursemaid and gave her a position in His eternal līlā (SB 10.6.35).

Gauḍīyas read this as the principle that operates again here for Agha: contact with Kṛṣṇa, even hostile contact, purifies. Aghāsura comes to kill his sister's killer, and ends as the Lord's associate in verse 38.

📝 My note

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