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Shloka 33

Govardhana-pūjā: Kṛṣṇa Redirects Indra-yajña to Worship of Govardhana, Cows, and Brāhmaṇas

तथा च व्यदधु: सर्वं यथाह मधुसूदन: । वाचयित्वा स्वस्त्ययनं तद्‌‌द्रव्येण गिरिद्विजान् ॥ ३२ ॥ उपहृत्य बलीन् सम्यगाद‍ृता यवसं गवाम् । गोधनानि पुरस्कृत्य गिरिं चक्रु: प्रदक्षिणम् ॥ ३३ ॥

tathā ca vyadadhuḥ sarvaṁ yathāha madhusūdanaḥ vācayitvā svasty-ayanaṁ tad-dravyeṇa giri-dvijān

Daraufhin tat die Hirten­gemeinschaft alles, wie es Madhusūdana, der Herr Kṛṣṇa, geraten hatte. Sie ließen die Brāhmaṇas die glückverheißenden vedischen Mantras rezitieren und brachten mit den für Indras Opfer bestimmten Utensilien ehrfürchtig reichliche Opfergaben dem Girirāja Govardhana und den Brāhmaṇas dar. Sie gaben den Kühen Gras und umschritten, Kühe, Stiere und Kälber voranführend, den Govardhana in pradakṣiṇā.

tathāthus
tathā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (indeclinable adverb)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (conjunction/समुच्चयबोधक)
vyadadhuḥthey arranged/performed
vyadadhuḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvi-√dhā (धा धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)
sarvameverything
sarvam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsarva (सर्व प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन
yathāas
yathā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उपमान-प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (comparative/relative adverb)
āhasaid
āha:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√ah (अह् धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
madhusūdanaḥMadhusūdana (Krishna)
madhusūdanaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootmadhu + sūdana (मधु प्रातिपदिक + सूदन प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (madhu-sūdana = slayer of Madhu)
vācayitvāhaving had (them) recite
vācayitvā:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√vac (वच् धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), णिच् (causative) प्रयोग: vācayitvā = having caused to recite
svasti-ayanamthe auspicious benediction/rite
svasti-ayanam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsvasti + ayana (स्वस्ति प्रातिपदिक + अयन प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावार्थ: svasty-ayana = auspicious rite/benediction
tat-dravyeṇawith those materials
tat-dravyeṇa:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Roottat + dravya (तत् सर्वनाम + द्रव्य प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: with that material/with those items
giri-dvijānthe Brahmins (of the hill)
giri-dvijān:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootgiri + dvija (गिरि प्रातिपदिक + द्विज प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: giri-dvija = mountain-born twice-born (Brahmins associated with the hill)
upahṛtyahaving offered
upahṛtya:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootupa-√hṛ (हृ धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): having offered/brought near
balīnofferings
balīn:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootbali (बलि प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन
samyakproperly
samyak:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsamyak (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (adverb)
ādṛtāḥ(they) being reverent
ādṛtāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootā-√dṛ (दृ धातु)
Formकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अर्थ: respected/with reverence
yavasamfodder/grass
yavasam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyavasa (यवस प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
gavāmof the cows
gavām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootgo (गो प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन
godhanānicattle/wealth of cows
godhanāni:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootgo + dhana (गो प्रातिपदिक + धन प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: wealth in cows/cattle
puraskṛtyahaving put in front
puraskṛtya:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpuras-√kṛ (कृ धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): having placed in front/having led forth
girimthe mountain (Govardhana)
girim:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootgiri (गिरि प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
cakruḥthey did/made
cakruḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√kṛ (कृ धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
pradakṣiṇamcircumambulation
pradakṣiṇam:
Karma (कर्म/प्रकार)
TypeNoun
Rootpradakṣiṇa (प्रदक्षिण प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative of manner)

The residents of Vṛndāvana were simply devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa; that was the sum and substance of their existence. Being the Lord’s eternal associates, they were ultimately not concerned with Lord Indra or ritualistic sacrifice, and they were certainly not interested in the mechanistic philosophy that Kṛṣṇa had just spoken to them. They simply loved Kṛṣṇa, and out of intense affection they did exactly what He had requested.

Ś
Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana)
V
Vraja-vāsīs (cowherd community)
B
Brāhmaṇas
C
Cows
G
Govardhana Hill

FAQs

In Canto 10, Chapter 24, the Vraja community places the cows and their bovine wealth in front and performs pradakṣiṇā of Govardhana Hill as part of devoted worship carried out according to Kṛṣṇa’s instruction.

After arranging the worship as Kṛṣṇa directed, they had auspicious benedictions recited and then satisfied the brāhmaṇas with the very offerings prepared—showing that devotion includes proper respect, charity, and dharmic hospitality.

Offer your worship with sincerity and order, honor sādhus/teachers, and include compassion in practice—especially through care for animals and gratitude for nature’s gifts.