Shloka 17

शरद्वर्णनं, योगोपमा, तथा गोवर्धन-यज्ञप्रवर्तनम्

Devanagari script

कृष्णस् तान् उत्सुकान् दृष्ट्वा गोपान् उत्सवलालसान् कौतूहलाद् इदं वाक्यं प्राह वृद्धान् महामतिः

Transliteration

kṛṣṇas tān utsukān dṛṣṭvā gopān utsavalālasān kautūhalād idaṃ vākyaṃ prāha vṛddhān mahāmatiḥ

Translation

Seeing the cowherds, eager and yearning for the festival, the great-souled Śrī Kṛṣṇa, with playful curiosity, spoke these words to the elders.

Word by Word

• कृष्णः: Krishna
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तान्: those (them)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• उत्सुकान्: eager, curious
• उत्सुकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तान्/गोपान्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• गोपान्: cowherds
• गोपान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• उत्सव-लालसान्: desirous of a festival
• उत्सव-लालसान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक) + लालस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उत्सवस्य लालसाः = eager for a festival)

• कौतूहलात्: out of curiosity
• कौतूहलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वाक्यम्)

• वाक्यम्: speech, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्राह: said, spoke
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु; परस्मैपद)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वृद्धान्: the elders
• वृद्धान्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; संबोधित-समूह (addressed persons)

• महामतिः: the great-minded one
• महामतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महती मतिः यस्य/महामतिः)

Speaker

Sage Parasara (narrating); within the story, Krishna is about to speak to the elders

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Krishna’s Vraja-līlā and the cowherds’ Indra-festival context preceding Govardhana worship.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: narrative-revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To protect Vraja and reorient the cowherds’ ritual dependence away from Indra toward dharma grounded in direct devotion and right livelihood.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Proper understanding of worship and dependence—placing ultimate reliance on Bhagavān rather than subordinate devas.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Elders of Vraja

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna addressing the elders in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It highlights dharmic social order in Vraja—Krishna engages the community through its elders, while his divine authority remains gently concealed within familiar village etiquette.

How does Sage Parasara frame Krishna’s mood in this scene?

Parasara presents Krishna as “mahāmatiḥ” (great-souled) acting from “kautūhala” (curiosity/playful interest), a narrative style that blends human-like charm with an underlying sense of divinity.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu (as Krishna) in this context?

The verse shows the Supreme Lord participating intimately in communal life—his lila draws hearts toward devotion, suggesting that the transcendent Vishnu is also immanently present among devotees.