Shloka 36

शरद्वर्णनं, योगोपमा, तथा गोवर्धन-यज्ञप्रवर्तनम्

Devanagari script

गिरियज्ञस् त्व् अयं तस्माद् गोयज्ञश् च प्रवर्त्यताम् किम् अस्माकं महेन्द्रेण गावः शैलाश् च देवताः

Transliteration

giriyajñas tv ayaṃ tasmād goyajñaś ca pravartyatām kim asmākaṃ mahendreṇa gāvaḥ śailāś ca devatāḥ

Translation

Darum sei dies ein Opfer für den Berg, und auch das Opfer zu Ehren der Kühe werde in Gang gesetzt. Was brauchen wir Mahendra (Indra)? Kühe und Berge selbst sind unsere Gottheiten.

Word by Word

• गिरियज्ञः: mountain-sacrifice
• गिरियज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (गिरौ/गिरेः यज्ञः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तु: but, rather
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् (ablative used adverbially: therefore/from that)

• गोयज्ञः: cow-sacrifice (sacrifice for cows)
• गोयज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (गवां यज्ञः/गोभिः यज्ञः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• प्रवर्त्यताम्: let it be undertaken/started
• प्रवर्त्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वृत् (धातु) → प्रवर्तय (णिच्)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग/आज्ञार्थे, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘प्रवर्त्यताम्’ = let it be set in motion/let it be undertaken

• किम्: what (use is)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• अस्माकम्: for us/of us
• अस्माकम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• महेन्द्रेण: with Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् इन्द्रः), पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; साधन/सहायक-भावे

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• शैलाः: mountains
• शैलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• देवताः: deities, divine powers
• देवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sri Krishna (speaking to Nanda and the Vraja community)

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Indra (Mahendra)
• Govardhana (mountain)
• Cows (Go)

FAQs

What is the significance of Govardhana (giri-yajña) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames Govardhana worship as a dharmic, community-rooted yajña that shifts dependence away from Indra and toward Krishna’s higher sovereignty expressed through nature and right conduct.

How does Krishna explain the purpose of redirecting worship from Indra to cows and the mountain?

He argues that for the people of Vraja, cows and mountains are the immediate supports of life and livelihood; honoring them is appropriate, and it also reveals that Devas like Indra are not ultimate—worship is to be aligned with true dependence and higher divinity.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu/Krishna over Indra in this context?

Indra is shown as a limited cosmic administrator, while Krishna (Vishnu) stands as the Supreme Reality who can reorder the focus of yajña, demonstrating that all deities and powers ultimately rest in him.