Shloka 57
ववन्द आत्मानमनन्तमच्युतो जिष्णुश्च तद्दर्शनजातसाध्वस: । तावाह भूमा परमेष्ठिनां प्रभु- र्बद्धाञ्जली सस्मितमूर्जया गिरा ॥ ५७ ॥
vavanda ātmānam anantam acyuto jiṣṇuś ca tad-darśana-jāta-sādhvasaḥ tāv āha bhūmā parameṣṭhināṁ prabhur beddhāñjalī sa-smitam ūrjayā girā
In that boundless form, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa offered homage to His own Self, and Arjuna, awestruck by the darśana of Mahā-Viṣṇu, bowed down as well. Then, as they stood before Him with joined palms, the almighty Mahā-Viṣṇu—supreme Lord of all the rulers of the universe—smiled and spoke in a grave voice of sacred authority.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī makes the following observations on this verse: Just as Lord Kṛṣṇa offered obeisances to His own Deity during the worship of Govardhana Hill, so now also He paid homage to His Viṣṇu expansion for the purpose of playing out His pastimes. The Lord is ananta, possessed of countless manifestations, and this eight-armed form is among them. He is acyuta, “never falling from His position,” in the sense that He never stops engaging in His humanlike pastimes as a cowherd boy of Vṛndāvana. Thus to safeguard the special sanctity of His humanlike pastimes as Kṛṣṇa, He offered obeisances to His own plenary expansion.
FAQs
This verse shows that even exalted devotees like Kṛṣṇa’s companion Arjuna experience reverent awe upon divine darśana, and their natural response is humble obeisance.
In the narrative, they behold the limitless Supreme Lord (bhūmā) and, recognizing His supreme position—even above Brahmā—both bow down, illustrating the Lord’s transcendental supremacy and the devotee’s humility.
Approach worship, scripture study, and temple darśana with humility and attentiveness—offering respect with folded hands and letting remembrance of God’s greatness deepen devotion and sincerity.