SB 10.42.28-31 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.42.28-31

अदर्शनं स्वशिरस: प्रतिरूपे च सत्यपि । असत्यपि द्वितीये च द्वैरूप्यं ज्योतिषां तथा ॥ २८ ॥ छिद्रप्रतीतिश्छायायां प्राणघोषानुपश्रुति: । स्वर्णप्रतीतिर्वृक्षेषु स्वपदानामदर्शनम् ॥ २९ ॥ स्वप्ने प्रेतपरिष्वङ्ग: खरयानं विषादनम् । यायान्नलदमाल्येकस्तैलाभ्यक्तो दिगम्बर: ॥ ३० ॥ अन्यानि चेत्थं भूतानि स्वप्नजागरितानि च । पश्यन् मरणसन्त्रस्तो निद्रां लेभे न चिन्तया ॥ ३१ ॥

adarśanaṁ sva-śirasaḥ

[adarshanam sva-shirasah]

pratirūpe ca saty api

[pratiroope cha saty api]

asaty api dvitīye ca

[asaty api dviteeye cha]

dvai-rūpyaṁ jyotiṣāṁ tathā

[dvai-roopyam jyotishaam tathaa]

chidra-pratītiś chāyāyāṁ

[chidra-prateetish chaayaayaam]

prāṇa-ghoṣānupaśrutiḥ

[praana-ghoshaanupashrutih]

svarṇa-pratītir vṛkṣeṣu

[svarna-prateetir vriksheshu]

sva-padānām adarśanam

[sva-padaanaam adarshanam]

svapne preta-pariṣvaṅgaḥ

[svapne preta-parishvangah]

khara-yānaṁ viṣādanam

[khara-yaanam vishaadanam]

yāyān nalada-māly ekas

[yaayaan nalada-maaly ekas]

tailābhyakto dig-ambaraḥ

[tailaabhyakto dig-ambarah]

anyāni cetthaṁ-bhūtāni

[anyaani chettham-bhootaani]

svapna-jāgaritāni ca

[svapna-jaagaritaani cha]

paśyan maraṇa-santrasto

[pashyan marana-santrasto]

nidrāṁ lebhe na cintayā

[nidraam lebhe na chintayaa]

Word-for-word

adarśanam — the invisibility sva — of his own śirasaḥ — head pratirūpe — his reflection ca — and sati — being present api — even asati — there not being api — even dvitīye — a cause for duplication ca — and dvai - rūpyam — double image jyotiṣām — of the heavenly bodies tathā — also chidra — of a hole pratītiḥ — the seeing chāyāyām — in his shadow prāṇa — of his life air ghoṣa — of the reverberation anupaśrutiḥ — the failure to hear svarṇa — of a golden color pratītiḥ — the perception vṛkṣeṣu — on trees sva — his own padānām — footprints adarśanam — not seeing svapne — while asleep preta — by ghostly spirits pariṣvaṅgaḥ — being embraced khara — upon a donkey yānam — traveling viṣa — poison adanam — swallowing yāyāt — was going about nalada — of spikenards, rose-purple flowers native to India mālī — wearing a garland ekaḥ — someone taila — with oil abhyaktaḥ — smeared dik - ambaraḥ — naked anyāni — other (omens) ca — and ittham - bhūtāni — like these svapna — while asleep jāgaritāni — while awake ca — also paśyan — seeing maraṇa — of death santrastaḥ — terrified nidrām — sleep lebhe — he could achieve na — not cintayā — because of his anxiety .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

adarśanaṁ sva-śirasaḥ

adarśanam

the invisibility

sva

of his own

śirasaḥ

head

pratirūpe ca saty api

pratirūpe

his reflection

and

sati

being present

api

even

asaty api dvitīye ca

asati

there not being

api

even

dvitīye

a cause for duplication

and

dvai-rūpyaṁ jyotiṣāṁ tathā

dvai - rūpyam

double image

jyotiṣām

of the heavenly bodies

tathā

also

chidra-pratītiś chāyāyāṁ

chidra

of a hole

pratītiḥ

the seeing

chāyāyām

in his shadow

prāṇa-ghoṣānupaśrutiḥ

prāṇa

of his life air

ghoṣa

of the reverberation

anupaśrutiḥ

the failure to hear

svarṇa-pratītir vṛkṣeṣu

svarṇa

of a golden color

pratītiḥ

the perception

vṛkṣeṣu

on trees

sva-padānām adarśanam

sva

his own

padānām

footprints

adarśanam

not seeing

svapne preta-pariṣvaṅgaḥ

svapne

while asleep

preta

by ghostly spirits

pariṣvaṅgaḥ

being embraced

khara-yānaṁ viṣādanam

khara

upon a donkey

yānam

traveling

viṣa

poison

adanam

swallowing

yāyān nalada-māly ekas

yāyāt

was going about

nalada

of spikenards, rose-purple flowers native to India

mālī

wearing a garland

ekaḥ

someone

tailābhyakto dig-ambaraḥ

taila

with oil

abhyaktaḥ

smeared

dik - ambaraḥ

naked

anyāni cetthaṁ-bhūtāni

anyāni

other (omens)

svapna-jāgaritāni ca

and

ittham - bhūtāni

like these

svapna

while asleep

jāgaritāni

while awake

also

paśyan maraṇa-santrasto

paśyan

seeing

maraṇa

of death

santrastaḥ

terrified

nidrāṁ lebhe na cintayā

nidrām

sleep

lebhe

he could achieve

not

cintayā

because of his anxiety .

Important Words

adarśanam — the not-seeing, invisibility
Compound: a (not) + darśana (seeing). The same word that in verse 6 named Kubjā's vision of Kṛṣṇa (darśana) now names Kaṁsa's vision-failure. Gauḍīya: bhakta sees Kṛṣṇa, asura sees his own disappearance — symmetrical inversion.
pratirūpe — in his reflection
Locative of pratirūpa — the counter-form, mirror image. The Bhāgavata's omens are mirror-omens: the self begins to disappear from its own image. Gauḍīya note: the asura's outer success masks an inner non-being already revealed in the mirror.
dvai-rūpyam — double image
From dvi (two) + rūpa (form). The moon and stars double. The Bhāgavata catalogues classical death-omens. Gauḍīya commentary (Sanātana): unity is the sign of being; doubling is the sign of dissolution about to begin.
preta-pariṣvaṅgaḥ — being embraced by ghostly spirits
Compound: preta (departed spirit) + pariṣvaṅga (embrace). In dream the asura is embraced by ghosts. Gauḍīya: bhakta is embraced by Kṛṣṇa, asura by pretas. The contrast structures the canto.
khara-yānam — traveling on a donkey
Compound: khara (donkey) + yāna (vehicle). One of the canonical death-omens. Bhāgavata's catalogue is the same as the Dharmaśāstra omen-lists — the verse is doing technical śāstra inside narrative.
viṣa-adanam — swallowing poison
Compound: viṣa (poison) + adana (eating). In dream he swallows poison. Gauḍīya note: the asura, having spent his life giving poison (cf. Pūtanā), now consumes it in dream — the karma-cycle visible in night-time symbol.

When he looked at his reflection he could not see his head; for no reason the moon and stars appeared double; he saw a hole in his shadow; he could not hear the sound of his life air; trees seemed covered with a golden hue; and he could not see his footprints. He dreamt that he was being embraced by ghosts, riding a donkey and drinking poison, and also that a naked man smeared with oil was passing by wearing a garland of nalada flowers. Seeing these and other such omens both while dreaming and while awake, Kaṁsa was terrified by the prospect of death, and out of anxiety he could not sleep.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Commentary

The inauspicious omens are explained in three verses. Though he saw his reflection in the mirror, the reflection had no head. The moon and other planets appeared double without objects intervening which could cause that phenomena. There were holes in his shadow. He could not hear his heart beat when he covered his ears. Trees appeared golden in color. He could not see his footprints in the earth and dust. These were omens perceived in waking state. The omens in his dreams were: being embraced by ghosts, riding a donkey, drinking poison, seeing a naked man covered in oil, wearing a garland of java flowers, passing by. In this way he saw many astonishing things both in waking and sleeping states.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Three verses describe what he saw. He saw double moons and stars in the absence of any obstruction to the eye (such as a finger). Such an omen occurred during the waking state, foreboding death. The word ādi indicates other causes such as eye disease. The word ca is used twice to indicate that he did not see some things and saw other things. This occurred for the other things he saw as well. He saw his shadow with a hole in it. These he saw while awake. Though he stayed awake a long time, sometimes after great worries he would become exhausted and then see dreams. Other things he saw while awake and while dreaming.

Related values & verses

Related values

Dana (Charity / Generosity)Prema (Divine Love)Apaishunam (Non-slander)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Nyaya (Justice / Righteous Judgment)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)

Concepts

JivaSatya

Related lectures

UM SB 10-42-28-31 - Omens - 2023-02-23 Hillsborough
Her Grace Urmila Mataji· 2023-02-23· English
06 - RGS SB 10-42-31 10-43-13 - Mathura Lila-06 - 2008 Haridwar
His Holiness Radha Govinda Swami· English

Personal Guidance

Kaṁsa sees his reflection without a head; moon and stars double; a hole in his shadow; cannot hear his life airs; trees golden; no footprints; dreams of riding a donkey south. Inner reality breaks symbolically when outward power is about to fail.

Reflection Questions

What symbolic disturbances in your inner life might be diagnostic, not random?
How do you respond when the body of denial starts visibly to crack?

Analogy

A glass that knows it will break tonight sees its own reflection without a top, hears no echo of its own ring. Kaṁsa's world is being annotated by its coming end — every mirror, shadow, footprint, and tree has been recruited into the chorus of his impending exit. Bhagavān does not need to send messengers; reality itself becomes the messenger.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io