Mahabharata · 2.13.32–33
॥
Devanāgarī
ज्ञातित्राणम् अभीप्सद्भिर् अस्मत्संभावना कृता ॥
दत्त्वाक्रूराय सुतनुं ताम् आहुकसुतां तदा ॥
संकर्षणद्वितीयेन ज्ञातिकार्यं मया कृतम् ॥
हतौ कंससुनामानौ मया रामेण चाप्य् उत ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
jñātitrāṇam abhīpsadbhir asmatsaṃbhāvanā kṛtā ||
dattvākrūrāya sutanuṃ tām āhukasutāṃ tadā ||
saṃkarṣaṇadvitīyena jñātikāryaṃ mayā kṛtam ||
hatau kaṃsasunāmānau mayā rāmeṇa cāpy uta ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ज्ञाति-त्राणम् अभीप्सद्भिःjñāti-trāṇam abhīpsadbhiḥseeking to protect their kin,
अस्मत्-संभावना कृताasmat-saṃbhāvanā kṛtāan appeal [entreaty] was made to us;
दत्त्वा अक्रूराय सुतनुम्dattvā akrūrāya sutanumhaving given Sutanu to Akrura,
ताम् आहुक-सुताम् तदाtām āhuka-sutām tadāthat daughter of Ahuka, then,
संकर्षण-द्वितीयेनsaṃkarṣaṇa-dvitīyenawith Sankarshana [Balarama] as my second [companion]
ज्ञाति-कार्यम् मया कृतम्jñāti-kāryam mayā kṛtamI accomplished the task of kinsmen:
हतौ कंस-सुनामानौhatau kaṃsa-sunāmānauKamsa and Sunaman were slain
मया रामेण च अपि उतmayā rāmeṇa ca api utaby me and by Rama;
ज्ञातित्राणम्jñātitrāṇamoriginal form "jñātitrāṇam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अभीप्सद्भिर्abhīpsadbhiroriginal form "abhīpsadbhir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अस्मत्संभावनाasmatsaṃbhāvanāoriginal form "asmatsaṃbhāvanā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दत्त्वाक्रूरायdattvākrūrāyaoriginal form "dattvākrūrāya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुतनुंsutanuṃoriginal form "sutanuṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आहुकसुतांāhukasutāṃoriginal form "āhukasutāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संकर्षणद्वितीयेनsaṃkarṣaṇadvitīyenaoriginal form "saṃkarṣaṇadvitīyena", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ज्ञातिकार्यंjñātikāryaṃoriginal form "jñātikāryaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कंससुनामानौkaṃsasunāmānauoriginal form "kaṃsasunāmānau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चाप्य्cāpyoriginal form "cāpy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"By those seeking to protect their kin, an appeal was made to us; and having given Sutanu, that daughter of Ahuka, to Akrura, I, with Sankarshana [Balarama] as my second, accomplished the task of kinsmen: Kamsa and Sunaman were slain by me and by Rama."
Version
9cf6066d278e · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the Lord reveals why He descends: at the plea of the oppressed He crushes the wicked. It is telling that Krishna speaks of killing Kamsa as a "task of kinsmen" — the defense of the persecuted: the Lord's strength turns to the rescue of the weak. Thus scripture shows Krishna's descent as the protection of dharma; and what follows tells of a new threat.