Shloka 3

Śakaṭa-bhañjana, Naming by Garga, Dāmodara and Yamala-arjuna, and the Move to Vṛndāvana

Devanagari script

ततो हाहाकृतः सर्वो गोपगोपीजनो द्विज आजगामाथ ददृशे बालम् उत्तानशायिनम्

Transliteration

tato hāhākṛtaḥ sarvo gopagopījano dvija ājagāmātha dadṛśe bālam uttānaśāyinam

Translation

তখন, হে দ্বিজ, হাহাকার করতে করতে সকল গোপ-গোপী ছুটে এল। তারা দেখল শিশুটি চিৎ হয়ে, মুখ ঊর্ধ্বে করে শুয়ে আছে।

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

हाहाकृतःhaving cried 'hā hā' (alarmed)

सर्वःall

गोपगोपीजनःthe community of cowherds and cowherd-women

द्विजO twice-born (sage)

आजगामcame

अथthen

ददृशेsaw

बालम्the child

उत्तानशायिनम्lying on his back (supine)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The cowherd community’s reaction to Krishna’s miracles

Teaching: Historical

Quality: narrative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He remains among the cowherds, drawing them into devotion while neutralizing dangers that threaten the community.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Communal security and the devotees’ protective care for the divine child

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

Gopīs (cowherd-women)

Bāla (the divine child, Krishna)

FAQs

What is the significance of the cowherds’ alarm in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It highlights the human, communal response to perceived danger, setting the stage for Krishna’s divine protection to be revealed through ordinary pastoral life.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the scene to Maitreya here?

Parāśara narrates in a straightforward, eyewitness-like sequence—panic, rushing to the spot, and the discovery of the child—typical of the Purana’s dialogue-based storytelling.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu (as Krishna) in this context?

The verse frames Vishnu’s sovereignty through līlā: the Supreme appears as an infant, inviting devotion, while the narrative implies that divine power operates even when the Lord seems most vulnerable.