Shloka 49

शरद्वर्णनं, योगोपमा, तथा गोवर्धन-यज्ञप्रवर्तनम्

Devanagari script

अन्तर्धानं गते तस्मिन् गोपा लब्ध्वा ततो वरान् कृत्वा गिरिमहं गोष्ठं निजम् अभ्याययुः पुनः

Transliteration

antardhānaṃ gate tasmin gopā labdhvā tato varān kṛtvā girimahaṃ goṣṭhaṃ nijam abhyāyayuḥ punaḥ

Translation

When He vanished from their sight, the cowherds—having obtained boons—took that great mountain as their refuge and returned once more to their own settlement.

Word by Word

• अन्तर्धानम्: disappearance
• अन्तर्धानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर्धान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• गते: when (it) had occurred
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (gone/occurred)

• तस्मिन्: in that (time/instance)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध

• गोपाः: the cowherds
• गोपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having obtained)

• ततः: thereupon, from that
• ततः: Apadana/Sequence (Source/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (from there/thereupon)

• वरान्: boons
• वरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having made/done)

• गिरिमहम्: (the) great mountain
• गिरिमहम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + मह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् गिरिः = great mountain), गोष्ठम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गोष्ठम्: cow-pen, settlement
• गोष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• निजम्: their own
• निजम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; गोष्ठम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अभ्याययुः: returned, went back
• अभ्याययुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-आ-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kala/Prakara (Adverbial/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: narrative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To bless the Vraja community after accepting their worship, reaffirming His protection and granting boons that stabilize their life in Vraja.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Security of the devotee-community and the continuity of dharmic pastoral life under divine shelter

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Divine presence may withdraw from sight (antardhāna) without withdrawing grace; boons and protection remain for steadfast devotees.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Do not equate spiritual ‘dryness’ with absence of grace; continue practice and community dharma, trusting the Lord’s unseen support.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s accessibility is relational: He may become unmanifest to the senses yet remains the inner protector and benefactor of the surrendered.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Govardhana (the great mountain)

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna’s antardhāna (disappearance) in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights Krishna’s transcendence—He is not bound to ordinary presence—while deepening the devotees’ dependence on Him and underscoring that His grace (boons) remains even when unseen.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the community’s return to the goṣṭha after taking refuge in the mountain?

Parāśara narrates a restoration of order: after divine intervention and the receipt of boons, the cowherds re-establish normal life, showing that Krishna’s protection enables dharmic stability in the world.

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

Krishna functions as the Supreme Lord who governs nature and fate; the boons and safe return portray Vishnu’s sovereign care for devotees, a key Vaishnava theme in the Purana.