Shloka 17

इन्द्रक्रोधः, संवर्तक-वर्षणम्, गोवर्धनधारण-लीला

Devanagari script

गोपांश् चाह जगन्नाथः समुत्पाटितभूधरः विशध्वम् अत्र सहिताः कृतं वर्षनिवारणम्

Transliteration

gopāṃś cāha jagannāthaḥ samutpāṭitabhūdharaḥ viśadhvam atra sahitāḥ kṛtaṃ varṣanivāraṇam

Translation

Then the Lord of the universe, having raised the mountain, addressed the gopas: “Enter here together, all of you; the rain has been held back.”

Word by Word

• गोपान्: the cowherds
• गोपान्: Karma (Addressee as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — ‘he said’

• जगन्नाथः: Jagannātha (Lord of the world)
• जगन्नाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — तत्पुरुष-समास; ‘lord of the world’

• समुत्पाटित-भूधरः: (he) who has uprooted the mountain
• समुत्पाटित-भूधरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उत् + पट्/पाट् (धातु) + भूधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — बहुव्रीहि-समास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘समुत्पाटित’ (uprooted) + ‘भूधर’ (mountain): ‘he whose mountain has been uprooted / who has uprooted the mountain’ (contextually: who has uprooted the mountain) qualifying जगन्नाथः

• विशध्वम्: enter
• विशध्वम्: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), बहुवचन — ‘enter!’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• सहिताः: together; accompanied
• सहिताः: Karta (Subject of imperative/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — adjective used predicatively with implied ‘यूयम्’

• कृतम्: has been done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘done/made’ (predicate)

• वर्ष-निवारणम्: the warding off of rain
• वर्ष-निवारणम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + निवारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — तत्पुरुष-समास; ‘prevention of rain’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya); within the narrated scene, Sri Krishna (Jagannātha) speaks to the Gopas

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He gathers all Vraja under Govardhana to save them from the storm and to establish His role as the immediate refuge of His devotees.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Communal protection under divine shelter and confirmation of bhagavad-eka-śaraṇatā

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord not only performs protection but instructs the devotees to enter and remain together in His shelter.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In adversity, seek spiritual shelter through satsanga and shared devotion; follow the Lord’s guidance with trust rather than isolation.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord as jagannātha personally directs and safeguards the community—grace (śeṣin’s rakṣaṇa) received by the dependent (śeṣa).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Krishna
• Jagannatha
• Govardhana (mountain)

FAQs

What is the significance of Govardhana-līlā in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse highlights Krishna as Jagannatha who subdues destructive rains and provides refuge, teaching that divine protection, not fear of celestial forces, is the true shelter for devotees.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine protection in this episode?

Through the narrative voice, Parāśara presents Krishna’s act as an accomplished ‘varṣa-nivāraṇa’—a completed safeguarding—showing Bhagavan’s immediate sovereignty over nature on behalf of those who take shelter.

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

Krishna is portrayed as the Supreme Lord who commands cosmic functions; the invitation to ‘enter here together’ emphasizes śaraṇāgati—refuge in Vishnu as the highest, personal source of order and protection.