Shloka 17

Nanda’s Captivity by Varuṇa and the Revelation of the Spiritual World

Brahma-hrada

Devanagari script

नन्दादयस्तु तं द‍ृष्ट्वा परमानन्दनिवृता: । कृष्णं च तत्रच्छन्दोभि: स्तूयमानं सुविस्मिता: ॥ १७ ॥

Transliteration

nandādayas tu taṁ dṛṣṭvā paramānanda-nivṛtāḥ kṛṣṇaṁ ca tatra cchandobhiḥ stūyamānaṁ su-vismitāḥ

Translation

Nanda and the other cowherd men, seeing that transcendental abode, were filled with supreme bliss; and they were astonished to see Kṛṣṇa there, praised by the personified Vedas.

Synonyms

• नन्दादयः: Nanda and others
• नन्दादयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्द+आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन); समासः: तत्पुरुष (आदि-समास/‘Nanda and others’)

• तु: then/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात)

• तम्: him/that (realm)
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), from √दृश्; ‘having seen’

• परमानन्दनिवृताः: filled with supreme bliss
• परमानन्दनिवृताः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम+आनन्द+निवृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन); compound adjective: तत्पुरुष (परम-आनन्देन निवृता/परमानन्देन पूर्णा इति भावः)

• कृष्णम्: Krishna
• कृष्णम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb of place (देशवाचक)

• छन्दोभिः: with Vedic hymns/metres
• छन्दोभिः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन)

• स्तूयमानम्: being praised
• स्तूयमानम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Present passive participle (शानच्/मान), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग); qualifying ‘कृष्णम्’

• सुविस्मिताः: greatly astonished
• सुविस्मिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु+विस्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन); समासः: कर्मधारय (सु-विस्मिताः)

Purport

Although the residents of Vṛndāvana considered themselves ordinary persons, Lord Kṛṣṇa wanted them to know of their extraordinary good fortune. Thus, within a lake in the Yamunā River the Lord showed them His personal abode. The cowherd men were amazed to see that the kingdom of God had exactly the same spiritual atmosphere as their own earthly Vṛndāvana and that, just as in their Vṛndāvana Lord Kṛṣṇa was personally present, in their unique vision He was present as the Lord of the spiritual world.

Characters & Entities

• Nanda Mahārāja
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about the Vedas glorifying Krishna?

This verse states that Kṛṣṇa is praised by the chandas—Vedic hymns/metres—showing Him as the ultimate object of Vedic glorification, witnessed directly by Nanda and the Vraja elders.

Why were Nanda and the Vrajavasis astonished in Canto 10 Chapter 28?

They unexpectedly saw a divine realm and beheld Kṛṣṇa being worshiped by the Vedas themselves, revealing His supreme position beyond their familiar, intimate Vraja relationship.

Practical application: what can a devotee learn from this shloka?

Even simple-hearted devotion is honored by God; and remembering that Kṛṣṇa is the goal of all sacred knowledge can deepen one’s faith, humility, and steadiness in bhakti.