Shloka 23

गोवर्धनोत्तरविस्मयः, रासलीलाप्रसङ्गः, तथा सर्वव्याप्तिवेदान्तोपदेशः

Devanagari script

गोपीपरिवृतो रात्रिं शरच्चन्द्रमनोरमाम् मानयाम् आस गोविन्दो रासारम्भरसोत्सुकः

Transliteration

gopīparivṛto rātriṃ śaraccandramanoramām mānayām āsa govindo rāsārambharasotsukaḥ

Translation

Encircled by the Gopīs, Govinda—eager for the bliss of commencing the Rāsa—spent that night, made enchanting by the autumn moon, as though honoring it with His presence and play.

Word by Word

• गोपीपरिवृतः: surrounded by the gopīs
• गोपीपरिवृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपी + परि + वृ (धातु)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (परिवृत); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘गोविन्दः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• रात्रिम्: the night
• रात्रिम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; काल-अधिकरणार्थे (accusative of time)

• शरत्: of autumn
• शरत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘चन्द्र’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः (genitive)

• चन्द्र: of the moon
• चन्द्र: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘मनोरमाम्’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः (genitive)

• मनोरमाम्: charming, delightful
• मनोरमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘रात्रिम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मानयाम्: (he) honored/celebrated
• मानयाम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मानय् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/लङ्-सम्भाव्यपाठभेदे; अत्र ‘मानयाम् आस’ इति परिप्रयोगः—लिट्-आदेशेन/आमन्त्रणे 1st person singular (उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन) ‘I honored/celebrated’; परस्मैपदम्

• आस: did/was (auxiliary)
• आस: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; सहायकक्रिया (periphrastic perfect with preceding verb)

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

• रासारम्भरसोत्सुकः: eager for the delight of beginning the rāsa
• रासारम्भरसोत्सुकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रास + आरम्भ + रस + उत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (रासस्य आरम्भस्य रसः तस्मिन् उत्सुकः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘गोविन्दः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sage Parasara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He manifests in Vraja to relish and bestow prema through the Rāsa, drawing the gopīs into exclusive devotion.

Leela: Bala

Dharma Restored: Affirms the supremacy of loving devotion (prema-bhakti) as the heart of dharma beyond mere ritualism.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Madhurya

Characters & Entities

• Govinda (Krishna)
• Autumn moon (śarad-candra)
• Rasa (Rāsa-līlā)

FAQs

What is the significance of the autumn moonlit night in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the śarad-moon night as an auspicious, heightened setting for divine līlā—Krishna ‘honors’ the night by making it the stage for Rāsa, emphasizing sacred time transformed by the Lord’s presence.

How does Sage Parasara explain the beginning of the Rasa-lila in this passage?

Parasara presents it narratively as Krishna’s deliberate commencement of Rāsa—He is ‘rasa-utsuka’ (eager for that divine relish) and is already amidst the Gopīs, indicating intentional orchestration rather than ordinary festivity.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu (as Krishna/Govinda) in this context?

Govinda’s intimacy with the Gopīs is depicted as līlā of the Supreme—His sovereignty is not diminished by closeness; rather, the verse highlights divine bliss (rasa) as a mode through which the Absolute draws devotees into loving union.