Shloka 2

गोवर्धनोत्तरविस्मयः, रासलीलाप्रसङ्गः, तथा सर्वव्याप्तिवेदान्तोपदेशः

Devanagari script

वयम् अस्मान् महाभाग भवता महतो भयात् गावश् च भवता त्राता गिरिधारणकर्मणा

Transliteration

vayam asmān mahābhāga bhavatā mahato bhayāt gāvaś ca bhavatā trātā giridhāraṇakarmaṇā

Translation

O greatly fortunate one, by your deed of holding aloft the mountain you have rescued us—and the cows as well—from a great terror.

Word by Word

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (common), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अस्मान्: us
• अस्मान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: महा + भाग (कर्मधारय), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्द (honorific pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• महतः: from great
• महतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग (agreeing with भयात्), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भयात्: from fear
• भयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• गावः: the cows
• गावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्द (honorific pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्राता: (as) protector/savior
• त्राता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• गिरिधारणकर्मणा: by the act of holding the mountain
• गिरिधारणकर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + धारण + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: समास: गिरि-धारण-कर्म (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-प्राय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

The Vraja people (cowherds of Gokula/Vrindavana) addressing Sri Krishna

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Kṛṣṇa’s Vraja līlās and their divine significance

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He manifests in Vraja to protect devotees and uphold dharma by subduing divine threats like Indra’s storm.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Protection of vraja-dharma and refuge (śaraṇāgati) in Bhagavān over fear of other devas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When fear arises, refuge in Bhagavān—not propitiation of lesser powers—becomes the highest protection.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In crises, cultivate śaraṇāgati: remember the Lord, act rightly, and rely on divine guardianship rather than panic.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhagavān’s accessible personal form protects embodied souls in the world while remaining supreme over devas.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Cows (Gāvaḥ)
• Govardhana (implied by 'giri')
• Vraja/Gokula residents (implied)

FAQs

What is the significance of Govardhana-dhāraṇa (lifting the mountain) in the Vishnu Purana?

It presents Krishna’s supreme protective power: by a single divine act he shelters the community and their cattle, revealing the Lord as the refuge beyond worldly fear.

How does Sage Parāśara frame this event within the Vishnu Purana’s theology?

As a līlā where the Supreme (Vishnu as Krishna) safeguards devotees, demonstrating that divine sovereignty, not ritual appeasement of lesser powers, is the ultimate protection.

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

Krishna is shown as the Supreme Reality acting as savior—fear is overcome through dependence on the Lord, a core Vaishnava teaching emphasized throughout the Purana.