Shloka 48

शरद्वर्णनं, योगोपमा, तथा गोवर्धन-यज्ञप्रवर्तनम्

Devanagari script

तेनैव कृष्णो रूपेण गोपैः सह गिरेः शिरः अधिरुह्यार्चयाम् आस द्वितीयाम् आत्मनस् तनुम्

Transliteration

tenaiva kṛṣṇo rūpeṇa gopaiḥ saha gireḥ śiraḥ adhiruhyārcayām āsa dvitīyām ātmanas tanum

Translation

Then Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in that very form, ascended the mountain’s summit together with the cowherds, and there performed worship, as though adoring a second embodiment of His own Self.

Word by Word

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

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

• रूपेण: in/with (that) form
• रूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• गोपैः: with the cowherds
• गोपैः: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-योगे अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• गिरेः: of the mountain
• गिरेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• शिरः: the head/top
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अधिरुह्य: having climbed/ascended
• अधिरुह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधि-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having ascended)

• अर्चयाम्: worshipped
• अर्चयाम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; आसा-योगे परिप्रयोगः (periphrastic perfect sense)

• आस: did/was (auxiliary)
• आस: Kriya (Auxiliary/सहायकक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; सहायक-क्रिया (auxiliary with अर्चयाम्)

• द्वितीयाम्: second
• द्वितीयाम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तनुम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• आत्मनः: of himself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• तनुम्: body, form
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To demonstrate that worship offered to Govardhana is in truth worship of Himself, thereby establishing exclusive devotion beyond fear of Indra.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Right orientation of yajña toward the Supreme and the sanctity of devotional worship (pūjā)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhagavān can appear in multiple embodiments without division of His supremacy, allowing devotion to be offered through a localized, worshipable manifestation.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Practice worship with the understanding that sacred forms are genuine divine accommodations, not mere symbols, and cultivate steadiness in devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: Qualified non-dualism: the Lord remains one yet expresses real modes/forms for devotees; difference serves relationship without compromising unity.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Govardhana (the mountain)

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna worshipping a “second body of his own Self” in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights Bhagavān’s sovereignty: the Lord can manifest and relate to manifestation without duality—showing that worship ultimately returns to the Supreme Self (Vishnu/Krishna) even when directed to a sacred form.

How does Sage Parāśara frame this act within the dialogue to Maitreya?

Parāśara narrates it as a deliberate līlā within the Govardhana context—Krishna leads the community’s devotion, redirecting ritual focus toward dharma grounded in the Lord rather than fear-based appeasement.

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

Krishna is presented as the Supreme Reality who both guides worship and is its ultimate object—affirming Vaishnava doctrine that all sacred power and protection arise from Vishnu alone.