Shloka 3

Govardhana-dhāraṇa: Kṛṣṇa Lifts Govardhana and Humbles Indra

Devanagari script

अहो श्रीमदमाहात्म्यं गोपानां काननौकसाम् । कृष्णं मर्त्यमुपाश्रित्य ये चक्रुर्देवहेलनम् ॥ ३ ॥

Transliteration

aho śrī-mada-māhātmyaṁ gopānāṁ kānanaukasām kṛṣṇaṁ martyam upāśritya ye cakrur deva-helanam

Translation

[Indra sprach:] Seht nur, wie sehr der Wohlstand diese im Wald lebenden Gopas berauscht hat! Sie haben bei dem sterblichen Kṛṣṇa Zuflucht gesucht und dadurch die Götter beleidigt.

Synonyms

• aho: alas!/oh!
• aho: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (exclamation/interjection)

• śrī-mada-māhātmyam: the mighty power of pride from prosperity
• śrī-mada-māhātmyam: Karma (कर्म; exclamatory object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + mada (प्रातिपदिक) + māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (‘श्रियः मदस्य माहात्म्यम्’ = the greatness of pride of prosperity)

• gopānām: of the cowherds
• gopānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• kānana-okasām: of the forest-dwellers
• kānana-okasām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी; gopānām विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kānana (प्रातिपदिक) + okas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘कानने ओकः येषाम्’ = forest-dwellers)

• kṛṣṇam: Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇam: Karma (कर्म; आश्रय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• martyam: a mortal
• martyam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (kṛṣṇam)

• upāśritya: having taken shelter of
• upāśritya: Kriya (क्रिया; पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√śri (धातु) + -ya (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having taken refuge in/depending on’

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• cakruḥ: did/committed
• cakruḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• deva-helanam: contempt/insult of the gods
• deva-helanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + helana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘देवानां हेलनम्’ = contempt of the gods)

Purport

Of course, Indra was really saying that the cowherd men had offended him, Indra, by taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, whom Indra considered to be martya, a mortal. This was certainly a gross miscalculation on Indra’s part.

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Gopas (cowherd men)
• Devas (demigods)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about disregarding the demigods in Krishna bhakti?

This verse praises the Vraja cowherds for taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa so fully that they could set aside fear of the devas—showing that wholehearted dependence on Kṛṣṇa is supreme.

Why did Śukadeva Gosvāmī glorify the gopas for ‘deva-helanam’?

In the Govardhana episode, the Vrajavāsīs followed Kṛṣṇa’s instruction and stopped Indra’s worship; Śukadeva highlights their extraordinary faith in Kṛṣṇa, who appeared like a human yet acted as their sole protector.

Practical application of taking shelter of Krishna in modern life?

Prioritize sincere devotion and ethical duty over fear-based appeasement—trusting that steady remembrance of Kṛṣṇa and doing one’s dharma with faith brings protection and clarity.