# कंस (kaṃsa)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/kamsa

कंस (kaṃsa) is a Sanskrit word meaning a metal vessel, drinking vessel, cup, or goblet, a particular measure equal to two Adhakas, a metal, tutanag, white copper, brass, or bell-metal, name of a king of Mathura and enemy of Krishna, the name of a place, the name of a sister of Kamsa. Its 21 recorded definitions are grouped into 8 contexts, among them King Kaṃsa of Mathurā, Metallic Vessel / Cup, Geographical Place Name.

- **Root:** कम् (kam)
- **SLP1:** `kaMsa`  **IAST:** kaṃsa  **Devanagari:** कंस
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamsa
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/kamsa/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** कांस (kāṃsa), कंसा (kaṃsā), कुंस (kuṃsa)

## Meanings by context

### King Kaṃsa of Mathurā (8 definitions)
- Name of a king of Mathura and enemy of Krishna  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) ( अस् (as) ), m. N. of a king of Mathurā (son of Ugra-sena and cousin of the Devakī who was mother of Kṛṣṇa [Ugra-sena being brother of Devaka, who was father of Devakī]; he is usually called the uncle, but was really a cousin of Kṛṣṇa, and became his implacable enemy because it had been prophesied to Kaṃsa that he would be killed by a child of Devakī; as the foe of the deity he is identified with the Asura Kālanemi; and, as he was ultimately slain by Kṛṣṇa, the latter receives epithets like कंस (kaṃsa)- जित् (kaṃsa-jit), conqueror of Kaṃsa, &c.), Mahābhārata (Title); Viṣṇu-purāṇa (Title); Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) &c. [ ID=41374 ]
- 1. The king of Mathura, an Asura and uncle and enemy of Krishna. 2. A goblet or drinking vessel. 3. White copper, tutanag, or bell metal. 4. A measure.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) [Printed book page 177 ] कंस (kaṃsa) m. ( - सः (saḥ) (-saḥ) ) A proper name; KAṂSA king of Mathura the uncle and enemy of KṚṢṆA, by whom he was slain; as the foe of the deity, he is considered an Asura or demon. mn. ( - सः (saḥ) (-saḥ)- सं (-saḥ-saṃ) ) 1 A goblet, a drinking vessel; also कंश (kaṃśa) and कांस्य (kāṃsya). 2 A metal, tutanag or white copper; also bell metal. 3 A measure. E. कमु (kamu) to desire, सः (saḥ) Uṇādi aff. [ ID=8455 ]
- 1. Krishna's maternal uncle. 2. Tutanag, an alloy of tin and copper. 3. A measure.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) [Printed book page 147-b ] कंस (kaṃsa) ( सः ) ((saḥ)) 1. m. Idem. Krishna's uncle; tutanag, an alloy of tin and copper; a measure. [ ID=7881 ]
- Name of a king of Mathura  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) (II) m. Name of a king of Mathurā. (See App. II.) [ ID=7753 ]
- 1. A proper name for the king of Mathura and uncle of Krishna. 2. A goblet or drinking vessel. 3. Bell metal or white copper. 4. A measure.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कंस (sa) (kaṃsa) [Printed book page 145-b ] कंस (sa) (kaṃsa) m. ( - स (sa) ः (-saḥ) ) A proper name; KANSA king of Mathura the uncle and enemy of KṚṢṆA, by whom he was slain; as the foe of the deity, he is considered an Asura or demon. mn. ( - स (sa) ः (-saḥ)- स (sa) ं (-saḥ-saṃ) ) 1. A goblet, a drinking vessel; also कंश (kaṃśa) and कांस (sa) ्य (kāṃsya). 2. A metal, tutanag or white copper; also bell metal. 3. A measure. E. कमु (kamu) to desire, स (sa) Unadi aff. [ ID=8451 ]
- 1. A proper name. 2. Bell metal.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) [Printed book page 0148-b ] कंस (kaṃsa) kaṃsa, I. m. A proper name, MBh. 1, 357. II. f. sā, A proper name, Hariv. 2029. III. m. n. Bell metal. [ ID=2756 ]
- Son of Ugrasena, king of Mathura, and enemy of Krishna.  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) [Printed book page 379-2 ] Kaṃsa, son of Ugrasena, king of Mathurā, enemy of Kṛṣṇa. § 10 (Anukram.): I, 2, 357 ( °vadhaḥ, related in Harivaṃśa). —§ 130 (Aṃśāvat.): I, 67, 2703 ( Ugrasenasutaḥ, incarnation of the Asura Kālanemi).—§ 273 (Rājasūyārambhap.): II, 14, 594 (married Asti and Prāpti, the daughters of Jarā- sandha), 598 (Kaṃsa and [his brother] Sunāman were slain by Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma), 610 ( °bhāryā, the widow of K. urged Jarāsandha to attack Mathurā).—§ 275 (do.): II, 19, 761 ( nihate Vāsudevena tadā K°e ).—§ 276 (do.): II, 20, 768 ( hataḥ ).—§ 290 (Śiśupālavadhap.): II, 41, 1443 ( yasya cānena —i.e. by Kṛṣṇa— dharmajña bhuktam annaṃ balīyasaḥ sa cānena hataḥ K°ḥ ).—§ 298 (Dyūtap.): II, 62, 2100 (the Andhakas, the Yādavas, and the Bhojas abandoned K., who was then slain by Kṛṣṇa).—§ 549 f (Durgā): IV, 6, 180 ( °vidrāvaṇakarīṃ, sc. Durgā).—§ 561 (Yānasandhip.): V, 68 ζζ, 2526 (all. to his slaughter).—§ 567 (Bhagavadyānap.): V, 128, 4296 ( Ugrasenasutaḥ K°ḥ parityaktaḥ svabāndhavaih Page380-a+ 63 …mayā —i.e. by Kṛṣṇa— hataḥ ), 4298; 130 ξ, 4411 ( nihataḥ ).—§ 571 (Ulūkadūtāgamanap.): V, 160, 5470 ( °bhṛtye, sc. Kṛṣṇa).—§ 580 (Bhīṣmavadhap.): VI, 59, †2609 ( tyaktas tu K°o Yadubhiḥ ).—§ 589 (Droṇābhiṣekap.): VII, 11, 387 ( Jarāsandhena pālitaḥ…Kṛṣṇena pātitaḥ ), 388 ( Sunāmā…bhrātā K°sya ).—§ 615 (Gadāyuddhap.): IX, 61, 3414 ( °dāsadāyāda, sc. Kṛṣṇa).—§ 717 b (Nārā- yaṇīya): XII, 340, 12954 (Nārāyaṇa will be incarnate as Kṛṣṇa in order to slay K.).—§ 768 (Ānuśāsanik.): XIII, 148, 6926 ( kadanaṃ cakāra K°sya…Puṇḍarīkākṣaḥ, i.e. Kṛṣṇa).—§ 785 (Anugītāp.): XIV, 69, 2031 ( nihato mayā, i.e. by Kṛṣṇa).—§ 793 (Mausalap.): XVI, 6 κ, 158 ( °ñ ca vikramya, sc. Kṛṣṇa).—§ 795 (Svargārohaṇap.): XVIII, 5 μ, 163 (among those who after death entered the deities). Cf. Bhojarāja, Ugrasenasuta. [ ID=5277 ]
- The eldest son of Ugrasena, brother of Devaki, and tyrant king of the Bhoja family who imprisoned his father and attempted to kill Krishna and Balarama before being slain by Krishna.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) [Printed book page 1-292 ] Kaṃsa (I) — the eldest son of Ugrasena 1 and brother (cousin- Vā. P. ) of Devakī. Took part in the festivities con- nected with the marriage of Devakī and Vasudeva, when he heard a voice from air that her eighth son would kill him. He at once drew his sword to slay Devakī when Vasudeva entreated him to spare her life promising to give him all her sons. To this he agreed. He did not take notice even of the first boy. Subsequently Nārada confirmed what he heard from the welkin. So he killed all her sons and put her and Vasudeva in jail. He waited for the seventh and was particularly afraid of the eighth. Being informed of the birth of a girl, and without listening to his sister's appeal to spare the baby, he dashed it against a stone. It flew heavenwards and said that the baby born to vanquish him Page1-293+ 43 was safe. Disheartened, Kaṃsa let Vasudeva and Devakī free. Consulted his ministers who advised him to kill all infants in the kingdom, and to hurt all Brāhmaṇas and cows, the root cause of Hari's dharma. Messengers were sent out on this mission. 2 An incarnation of Kālanemi. Threw his father Ugra- sena in prison and assumed regal administration. 3 Encouraged by his Asura friends such as Pralamba and Baka, as also by the Māgadhan king, he tyrannized the Yadus who left the land for other countries like Kuru, Pāñ- cāla and others. The Brāhmaṇas were afraid of him. 4 Heard from Nārada that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were Vasudeva's sons; when he went to slay Vasudeva, Nārada prevented him from it. He then threw Vasudeva and his wife in prison. He summoned his councillors and asked the Mallas, Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika to get ready for a wrestling match with Kṛṣṇa and Rāma; ordered his mahout to station the State Elephant at the gate of the enclosure (Raṅga) and get Kṛṣṇa and Rāma trampled under its feet; when he was asked why he was out to kill those two boys, he narrated the story of his mother once going in the garden thinking of her husband Ugrasena. Then a Gandharva Drumila per- sonated Ugrasena. Discovering that he was not her hus- band, she asked him in wrath who he was. He tried to console her saying that she would give birth to a heroic son. The chaste lady retorted that he would be cruel and un- righteous. Such being his birth, he hated his kith and kin. Then he commanded to commence the Dhanuryāga. Akrūra was sent for and ordered to take his chariot and bring Kṛṣṇa and Rāma to the Dhanuryāga with all gopas. He proposed to kill all of them and rule the kingdoms with the help of friends like Jarāsandha. Thanked by Akrūra for an opportunity to visit Kṛṣṇa and Rāma; Akrūra reached the Vraja and was welcomed by the brothers and Nanda. Informed of their arrival by Akrūra. Much concerned to know of the breaking of his bow by Kṛṣṇa and further the killing of his guards. He had no sleep all night and had bad dreams, all in fear of Kṛṣṇa. Next morning he drove Page1-294+ 36 to the wrestling ground and occupied the royal seat with his ministers; was perturbed to learn of the death of Kuva- layāpīḍa and its guards. Became furious at the death of his five mallas and the running away of others. Ordered the banishment of the two brothers, robbing the gopas of their belongings, and imprisonment of Nanda, killing of Ugrasena and Vasudeva. Kṛṣṇa attacked him direct, pull- ed him down from his throne and killed him. His eight brothers who offered fight were slain by Rāma. 5 Death welcomed by Gopis and Akrūra. 6 Prevented Vasudeva go- ing to Karavīrapura. His oppression. 7 His queens were Asti and Prāpti, daughters of Jarā- sandha. 8 His death recalled by Kṛṣṇa to Mucukunda; by Kṛtavarman to Yudhiṣṭhira; by Kuntī. 9 Attained Hari through fear. 10 Of the Bhoja family. Funeral rites done by Ugrasena. 11 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. IX. 24. 24; Br. I. 1. 125; III. 71. 132; Vā. 1. 148; 96. 131, 173, 216; Vi. IV. 14. 20; M. 44. 74; 46. 13.] [ Footnote: 2) Bhā. X. chap. 1-4; Br. III. 71. 175-235; 73. 99; Vā. 98. 100; Vi. IV. 15. 26-7; V. 1. 6-11, 67-69; 3. 2; chap. 4.] [ Footnote: 3) Bhā. X. 1. 68-69.] [ Footnote: 4) Ib. X. 2. 1-4; 23. 52.] [ Footnote: 5) Ib. X. chap. 36-44; M. 47. 4, 6; 69. 8; Vi. V. 12. 21; 15. 2-4; 20. 26, 82-90.] [ Footnote: 6) Bhā. X. 47. 39; 48. 17.] [ Footnote: 7) Ib. X. 57. 23; 66. 9; 82. 22; 85. 28, 33.] [ Footnote: 8) Ib. X. 50. 1;] [ Footnote: 9) Ib. X. 51. 42; 52. [56 (V) 6]; 57. 13; I. 8. 23; II. 7. 34; Vi. V. 29. 5.] [ Footnote: 10) Bhā. VII. 1. 30.] [ Footnote: 11) Vi. V. 21. 7-10; 29. 5.] [ ID=2328 ]

### Metallic Vessel / Cup (7 definitions)
- A metal vessel, drinking vessel, cup, or goblet.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 241,1] कंस (kaṃsa) अस् (as), अम् (am), m. n. (√ कम् (kam), Uṇādi-sūtra (Title) iii, 62 ), a vessel made of metal, drinking vessel, cup, goblet, Atharva-veda (Title) x, 10, 5; Aitareya-brāhmaṇa (Title); Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title) &c. [ ID=41370 ]
- 1. A goblet. 2. Brass. 3. The name of a king slain by Krishna.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) [Printed book page 060-a3 ] कंस (kaṃsa) kaṃsá, m. goblet; m. n. brass; m. N. of a king slain by Kṛṣṇa; -kṛṣ, -śatru, -niṣūdana, -ari, m. ep. of Kṛṣṇa. [ ID=5311 ]
- 1. A drinking vessel or cup. 2. A particular measure known as adhaka. 3. Bell metal.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) [Printed book page 158-26 ] कंस (kaṃsa) (I) m.n. 1. A drinking-vessel, a cup; 2. a particular measure known as आढक (āḍhaka); 3. bell-metal. [ ID=7752 ]
- 1. A metal vessel, metal, or brass. 2. Name of a mythical king slain by Krishna.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) [Printed book page 105 ] कंस (kaṃsa) m. a vessel made of metal; metal, brass (also n. ); N. of a myth. king slain by Kṛṣṇa. [ ID=6812 ]
- A metal vessel or, collectively, metal implements.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) [Printed book page 138-b ] kaṃsá, m. metallic vessel; as collective, metallic implements. [ ID=995 ]
- 1. A metal vessel, cup, or goblet. 2. A particular measure. 3. White copper, brass, or bell-metal. 4. The name of a king of Mathura and enemy of Krishna.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) [Printed book page 0193-a ] कंस (kaṃsa) kaṃsa, as, am, m. n. (said to be fr. rt. 2. kam; according to others fr. the last), a vessel made of metal, a drinking vessel, a cup, a goblet (a noun ending in as followed by kaṃsa in a compound does not change its final, e. g. ayas-kaṃsa, payas- Page0193-b+ 75 kaṃsa, &c.); a particular measure; a metal, tutanag or white copper, brass, bell-metal; cf. kaṃsāsthi and kāṃsya; (as), m., N. of a king of Mathurā, son of Ugra-sena and cousin of the Devakī who was mother of Kṛṣṇa, (Ugra-sena being brother of Devaka, who was father of Devakī.) He is usually called the uncle, but was really a cousin of Kṛṣṇa, and became his implacable enemy because it had been prophesied to him that he would be killed by a child of Devakī (Vish. Pur. p. 493); as the foe of the deity he is identified with the Asura Kālanemi; and, as he was ultimately slain by Kṛṣṇa, the latter receives epithets like Kaṃsa-jit, the conqueror of Kaṃsa, &c. ( ā ), f. N. of a daughter of Ugra-sena and sister of Kaṃsa. —Kaṃsa-kāra, as, ī, m. f. a worker in pewter or white brass, a bell-founder, considered as an inter- mediate caste. —Kaṃsa-jit, t, m. an epithet of Kṛṣṇa, the conqueror of Kaṃsa. —Kaṃsa-baṇij, k, m. a brazier or seller of brass vessels. —Kaṃsa- badha, as, m. the slaying of Kṛṣṇa; title of a comedy of Śeṣa-Kṛṣṇa. —Kaṃsa-mākṣika, am, n. a metallic substance in large grains, a sort of pyrites. —Kaṃsa-yajña, as, m. a particular sacrifice. —Kaṃsa-vatī, f., N. of a daughter of Ugra-sena and sister of Kaṃsa and Kaṃsā. —Kaṃsa-han, ā, m. an epithet of Kṛṣṇa, the destroyer of Kaṃsa. —Kaṃsa- hanana, am, n. the slaying of Kaṃsa. —Kaṃsārāti (°sa-ar°), is, or kaṃsāri (°sa-ari), is, m. epithet of Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of Kaṃsa. —Kaṃsāsthi (°sa- as°), i, n. tutanag, white copper, any alloy of tin and copper. —Kaṃsodbhavā (°sa-ud°), f. a fragrant earth. [ ID=13251 ]
- A metal pot or vessel  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > कंस (kaṃsa) [Printed book page 1-130 ] Kaṃsa, a word denoting a ‘pot or vessel of metal,’ occurs in the Atharvaveda and elsewhere. 1 [ Footnote: 1) Av. x. 10, 5; Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, viii. 10; Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, vi. 3, 1, etc.; Nirukta, vii. 23; Śāṅkhā- yana Āraṇyaka, xii. 8.] [ ID=492 ]

### Geographical Place Name (1 definition)
- the name of a place  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a place g. तक्षशिला (takṣaśilā) दि (di), Pāṇini (Author) iv, 3, 93 [ ID=41375 ]

### Grammatical Rule for 'कंस' (1 definition)
- A grammatical rule stating that a noun ending in -as does not change its final sound when preceding this word in a compound.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (a noun ending in अस् (as) followed by कंस (kaṃsa) in a compound does not change its final, cf. अयस् - कंस (kaṃsa) (ayas-kaṃsa), &c., Pāṇini (Author) viii, 3, 46 ) [ ID=41371 ]

### Kaṃsa (a Dānava King) (1 definition)
- a danava king  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [Printed book page 1-294 ] Kaṃsa (II) — a dānava king; with the sun for two months — Madhu and Mādhava. Br. II. 23. 3; IV. 29. 123. [ ID=2329 ]

### Kaṃsā (Sister of King Kaṃsa) (1 definition)
- the name of a sister of Kamsa  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 241,1] कंसा (kaṃsā) ( आ (ā) ), f. N. of a sister of Kaṃsa, Harivaṃśa (Title); Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title); Viṣṇu-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=41375.01 ]

### Type of Metal / Alloy (1 definition)
- a metal, tutanag, white copper, brass, or bell-metal  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a metal, tutanag or white copper, brass, bell-metal [ ID=41373 ]

### Unit of Measure (1 definition)
- a particular measure equal to two Adhakas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a particular measure (= two Āḍhakas, Carakasaṃhitā (Title); = one Āḍhaka, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) ) [ ID=41372 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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