Shloka 38

शरद्वर्णनं, योगोपमा, तथा गोवर्धन-यज्ञप्रवर्तनम्

Devanagari script

तस्माद् गोवर्धनः शैलो भवद्भिर् विविधार्हणैः अर्च्यतां पूज्यतां मेध्यं पशुं हत्वा विधानतः

Transliteration

tasmād govardhanaḥ śailo bhavadbhir vividhārhaṇaiḥ arcyatāṃ pūjyatāṃ medhyaṃ paśuṃ hatvā vidhānataḥ

Translation

Therefore, honor Govardhana mountain with offerings of many kinds; worship and revere it; and, according to rule, ritually offer a pure and fit animal as ordained.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः/निपातवत्; अपादानार्थे (ablatival adverb)

• गोवर्धनः: Govardhana
• गोवर्धनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गवां वर्धनः)

• शैलः: the mountain
• शैलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; गोवर्धनस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• भवद्भिः: by you (all)
• भवद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• विविधार्हणैः: with various offerings/honours
• विविधार्हणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्हण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (विविधानि अर्हणानि)

• अर्च्यताम्: let (it) be worshipped
• अर्च्यताम्: Vidhi (Injunctive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive): ‘let it be worshipped’

• पूज्यताम्: let (it) be honoured
• पूज्यताम्: Vidhi (Injunctive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive): ‘let it be honoured’

• मेध्यम्: fit for sacrifice
• मेध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (पशुम्)

• पशुम्: an animal
• पशुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having slain’

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed procedure
• विधानतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘according to rule’

Speaker

Sri Krishna (as recounted by Sage Parasara to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To institute Govardhana worship in place of Indra-yajña, curbing Indra’s pride and safeguarding Vraja’s livelihood.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Rightly directed communal worship and protection of agrarian-pastoral economy (cows, land, rain as grace not entitlement)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sacredness is recognized in the Lord’s chosen locus of grace; worship offered with right intent sanctifies communal life.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Center devotion on what truly sustains life—gratitude, stewardship of nature, and offering food/wealth for dharmic ends.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord can be worshiped through His manifest supports (śeṣa-bhūta prakṛti), without denying His transcendence beyond them.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Govardhana (mountain)
• Indra (implied context)

FAQs

What is the significance of Govardhana worship in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Krishna’s instruction to honor Govardhana with diverse offerings, marking a pivotal shift of devotion and ritual focus away from fear-driven propitiation toward a dharma-ordered, Krishna-guided act of worship.

How does Sage Parasara explain proper ritual action (vidhi) in this episode?

Through Krishna’s directive—“vidhānataḥ”—the narrative frames worship as disciplined and rule-governed, showing that dharma is upheld when rites are performed with correct injunctions under the guidance of the Supreme.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu (Krishna) here?

Krishna’s command establishes divine sovereignty: the Supreme directs whom and how to worship, demonstrating that cosmic authority and dharma ultimately rest with Vishnu rather than subordinate deities.