Shloka 21

इन्द्रक्रोधः, संवर्तक-वर्षणम्, गोवर्धनधारण-लीला

Devanagari script

गोपगोपीजनैर् हृष्टैः प्रीतिविस्तारितेक्षणैः संस्तूयमानचरितः कृष्णः शैलम् अधारयत्

Transliteration

gopagopījanair hṛṣṭaiḥ prītivistāritekṣaṇaiḥ saṃstūyamānacaritaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ śailam adhārayat

Translation

As the delighted cowherds and cowherd-women gazed on him with eyes widened by love, praising the glory of his deeds, Krishna held aloft the mountain.

Word by Word

• गोप-गोपी-जनैः: by the people—cowherds and gopīs
• गोप-गोपी-जनैः: Kartri (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक) + गोपी (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (गोपाश्च गोप्यश्च) + जन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देशः

• हृष्टैः: delighted
• हृष्टैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; हृष् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् गोपगोपीजनैः

• प्रीति-विस्तारित-ईक्षणैः: with eyes widened by affection
• प्रीति-विस्तारित-ईक्षणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक) + विस्तारित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि + स्तृ/स्तॄ + णिच्? ‘to expand’ + क्त) + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘with glances widened by affection’); विशेषणम् गोपगोपीजनैः

• संस्तूयमान-चरितः: whose deeds were being praised
• संस्तूयमान-चरितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्तु (धातु) + यमान (शानच्/मान-प्रत्यय, वर्तमानकर्मणि/कर्मणि) + चरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘whose deeds are being praised’); विशेषणम् कृष्णः

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• शैलम्: the mountain
• शैलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अधारयत्: held up/supported
• अधारयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + धृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः—आ

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Krishna sustains the lifted mountain while receiving the loving praises of Vraja, revealing his supremacy through protective miracle.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Confirmation that devotion to Krishna is the true refuge and rightful axis of worship.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s deeds are not mere marvels but revelations that deepen loving devotion and surrender.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Transform gratitude into stuti (praise) and steady contemplation; let ‘remembered deeds’ become daily worship.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhakti is nourished by the Lord’s saulabhya (easy accessibility) and saushīlya (gracious condescension), key Viśiṣṭādvaita emphases.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Govardhana (the mountain)

FAQs

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

It presents Krishna’s protective sovereignty: by lifting the mountain he shelters Vraja and demonstrates that divine refuge is superior to fear and ritual dependence.

How does Sage Parāśara frame the response of the gopas and gopis here?

He emphasizes devotional perception—eyes widened by love—and communal praise of Krishna’s deeds, showing bhakti as an immediate recognition of the Lord’s greatness.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Krishna’s act is not merely heroic; it signals the Supreme Reality (Vishnu) acting within the world to uphold order and grant refuge to devotees.