FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.44.35

तमाविशन्तमालोक्य मृत्युमात्मन आसनात् । मनस्वी सहसोत्थाय जगृहे सोऽसिचर्मणी ॥ ३५ ॥
tam āviśantam ālokya
[tam aavishantam aalokya]
mṛtyum ātmana āsanāt
[mrityum aatmana aasanaat]
manasvī sahasotthāya
[manasvee sahasotthaaya]
jagṛhe so ’si-carmaṇī
[jagrihe so ’si-charmanee]
Word-for-word
tam — Him, Kṛṣṇa āviśantam — entering (into his private sitting area) ālokya — seeing mṛtyum — death ātmanaḥ — his own āsanāt — from his seat manasvī — the intelligent sahasā — immediately utthāya — standing up jagṛhe — took up saḥ — he asi — his sword carmaṇī — and his shield .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tam āviśantam ālokya
tam
Him, Kṛṣṇa
āviśantam
entering (into his private sitting area)
ālokya
seeing
mṛtyum ātmana āsanāt
mṛtyum
death
ātmanaḥ
his own
āsanāt
from his seat
manasvī sahasotthāya
manasvī
the intelligent
sahasā
immediately
utthāya
standing up
jagṛhe so ’si-carmaṇī
jagṛhe
took up
saḥ
he
asi
his sword
carmaṇī
and his shield .
Important Words
  • mṛtyum — death personified
    Accusative of mṛtyu. Kaṁsa correctly identifies what is approaching — the Bhāgavatam credits him with one moment of accurate vision. Cf. BG 10.34 (mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham). The vision is right; the response is too late.
  • manasvī — quick-witted
    From manas — possessing presence-of-mind. The Bhāgavatam will not deny Kaṁsa his cleverness; demons in this Purāṇa are often acute. What they lack is not intellect but surrender.
  • asi - carmaṇī — sword and shield
    Compound dual: asi (sword) + carman (shield, hide). The kṣatriya's pair. Kaṁsa dies armed. The Bhāgavatam shows him taking up the right equipment for the wrong purpose.
  • ālokya — seeing
    Gerund of ā + √lok. The act of seeing — the very faculty Kaṁsa has cultivated through fear (cf. verse 39). His whole life has been ālokana of the future-Kṛṣṇa; in this moment, the seen becomes the present.
Seeing Lord Kṛṣṇa approaching like death personified, the quick-witted Kaṁsa instantly rose from his seat and took up his sword and shield.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Seeing Lord Kṛṣṇa approaching like death personified, the quick-witted Kaṁsa instantly rose from his seat and took up his sword and shield.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Seeing Kṛṣṇa quickly enter the royal pavilion, seeing him as his own death, out of great fear, fearful Kaṁsa (manasvī -having a bad mind) rose from his seat and, not having a weapon, grabbed his sword and shield. bhūma-nindā-praśaṁsāsu nitya-yoge’tiśāyane | saṁsarge’sti vivakṣāyāṁ bhavanti matub-ādayaḥ || iti | Words ending in mat or other suffixes express abundance, criticism, praise, constant connection, excess, or combination. Thus manasvin can mean “having abundance” of mental anguish or fear.

Related values & verses
Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)
Related verses
BG 15.9 BG 12.13 BG 18.64 BG 2.62 BG 3.11 BG 12.3 SB 4.29.2 BG 9.11 BG 7.8 BG 10.3 BG 13.1 BG 5.18 BG 6.5 BG 1.1 BG 16.4
Personal Guidance
Seeing Kṛṣṇa approach like death personified, quick-witted Kaṁsa rises and takes up sword and shield. Even the wicked have reflexes; the question is whether reflex without dharma can save anyone.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do you mistake quick-witted self-protection for actual security?
  • What sword and shield is your inner Kaṁsa still confidently reaching for?
Analogy

Kaṁsa sees the Lord approaching like Death itself (mṛtyu) and instantly rises — sword and shield in hand. The Bhāgavatam grants him the last competence of a kṣatriya: he dies with weapons drawn, not hiding. Even the demon's death has a kind of dignity that bhakti respects.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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