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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.37.3

స తం నిశామ్యాభిముఖో ముఖేన ఖం పిబన్నివాభ్యద్రవదత్యమర్షణ: । జఘాన పద్‌భ్యామరవిన్దలోచనం దురాసదశ్చణ్డజవో దురత్యయ: ॥ ౩ ॥
sa taṁ niśāmyābhimukho makhena khaṁ
[sa tam nishaamyaabhimukho makhena kham]
pibann ivābhyadravad aty-amarṣaṇaḥ
[pibann ivaabhyadravad aty-amarshanah]
jaghāna padbhyām aravinda-locanaṁ
[jaghaana padbhyaam aravinda-lochanam]
durāsadaś caṇḍa-javo duratyayaḥ
[duraasadash chanda-javo duratyayah]
Word-for-word
saḥ — he, Keśī tam — Him, Kṛṣṇa niśāmya — seeing abhimukhaḥ — in front of himself mukhena — with his mouth kham — the sky piban — drinking up iva — as if abhyadravat — ran forward ati - amarṣaṇaḥ — very angry jaghāna — he attacked padbhyām — with his two legs aravinda - locanam — the lotus-eyed Lord durāsadaḥ — unapproachable caṇḍa — fierce javaḥ — whose speed duratyayaḥ — unconquerable .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa taṁ niśāmyābhimukho makhena khaṁ
saḥ
he, Keśī
tam
Him, Kṛṣṇa
niśāmya
seeing
abhimukhaḥ
in front of himself
mukhena
with his mouth
kham
the sky
pibann ivābhyadravad aty-amarṣaṇaḥ
piban
drinking up
iva
as if
abhyadravat
ran forward
ati - amarṣaṇaḥ
very angry
jaghāna padbhyām aravinda-locanaṁ
jaghāna
he attacked
padbhyām
with his two legs
aravinda - locanam
the lotus-eyed Lord
durāsadaś caṇḍa-javo duratyayaḥ
durāsadaḥ
unapproachable
caṇḍa
fierce
javaḥ
whose speed
duratyayaḥ
unconquerable .
Important Words
  • aravinda-locanam — the lotus-eyed Lord
    Aravinda (lotus) + locana (eye). Mid-combat, Śuka does not call Him 'the warrior' or 'the fighter' — he calls Him lotus-eyed. The epithet keeps mādhurya present inside a fight scene; Gauḍīyas treasure this juxtaposition as Kṛṣṇa's signature.
  • durāsadaḥ — unapproachable, unassailable
    Said of Keśī — no one could come near him. The word is normally reserved for the Lord (cf. Nṛsiṁha's durāsada form); Śuka is letting the demon borrow it for one verse so the contrast in the next verse cuts deeper.
  • abhimukhaḥ — facing toward
    Abhi (toward) + mukha (face). Kṛṣṇa never turns away. The whole pastime is built on this orientation: the demon comes, the Lord faces him.
  • kham — the sky
    Keśī tries to drink up the sky with his open mouth — a gesture of cosmic appetite. Gauḍīyas read the demon's hunger as the inverse of the gopīs' hunger: both reach for Kṛṣṇa, but one wants to devour and one wants to be devoured by His glance.
Seeing the Lord standing before him, Keśī ran toward Him in extreme rage, his mouth gaping as if to swallow up the sky. Rushing with furious speed, the unconquerable and unapproachable horse demon tried to strike the lotus-eyed Lord with his two front legs.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Seeing the Lord standing before him, Keśī ran toward Him in extreme rage, his mouth gaping as if to swallow up the sky. Rushing with furious speed, the unconquerable and unapproachable horse demon tried to strike the lotus-eyed Lord with his two front legs.
Commentary

Seeing Krsna, Kesi, whom others could not approach (durasadam), what to speak of defeating him (duratyayah), charged at Krsna.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Keśī tried to kill Kṛṣṇa who had lotus eyes. With eyes blossoming like lotuses, Kṛṣṇa glanced at the demon in disrespect. Or Śukadeva criticizes Keśī, since he did not change his evil nature on seeing the young beauty of Kṛṣṇa. The demon, looking at Kṛṣṇa, ran towards him. The horse was difficult to grab (durāsadaḥ) since he moved quickly. Thus he was difficult to defeat.

Related values & verses
Concepts
Jiva
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Analogy

Keśī charges with his mouth gaping wide enough to swallow the sky — and Kṛṣṇa stands like a lotus on still water. The demon's whole strategy is volume and velocity; Kṛṣṇa's whole strategy is to be where the strike lands and not move.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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