Shloka 27

गोवर्धनोत्तरविस्मयः, रासलीलाप्रसङ्गः, तथा सर्वव्याप्तिवेदान्तोपदेशः

Devanagari script

अन्या ब्रवीति भो गोपा निःशङ्कैः स्थीयताम् इह अलं वृष्टिभयेनात्र धृतो गोवर्धनो मया

Transliteration

anyā bravīti bho gopā niḥśaṅkaiḥ sthīyatām iha alaṃ vṛṣṭibhayenātra dhṛto govardhano mayā

Translation

Another gopī spoke: “O cowherds, stay here without fear. Enough of dreading the rain—here I have held Govardhana aloft.”

Word by Word

• anyā: another (woman)
• anyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• bravīti: says
• bravīti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• bho: O!
• bho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bho (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle/interjection)

• gopāḥ: cowherds
• gopāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• niḥśaṅkaiḥ: fearlessly, without doubt
• niḥśaṅkaiḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niḥśaṅka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifier)

• sthīyatām: let (it/you all) stay/stand
• sthīyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; आज्ञार्थ (injunctive/command)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• alam: enough (of)
• alam: Kriya-visheshana (Sentence particle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/पर्याप्ति-अव्यय (particle: enough/stop)

• vṛṣṭi-bhayena: by/with fear of rain
• vṛṣṭi-bhayena: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive-determinative): 'वृष्टेः भयम्'

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• dhṛtaḥ: held/lifted
• dhṛtaḥ: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• govardhanaḥ: Govardhana (mountain)
• govardhanaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: govardhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrative voice reporting the speech of another gopī (within Parāśara’s narration to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Krishna’s Vraja-līlās and the protection of the cowherds during Indra’s rain

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Krishna protects Vraja by lifting Govardhana to shelter the cowherds and humble Indra’s pride.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Protection of bhakti-centered yajña (Govardhana-pūjā) and safeguarding the innocent community of Vraja

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Fear dissolves when one takes shelter of Bhagavān’s protection, which surpasses even the powers of the devas.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In crisis, cultivate śaraṇāgati—turn anxiety into trust through remembrance and service.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhagavān’s saulabhya (easy accessibility) in Vraja shows the transcendent Lord acting immanently for devotees’ welfare.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Madhurya

Characters & Entities

• Govardhana
• Gopis (cowherd women)
• Indra (implied by the storm narrative)
• Krishna (implied as the lifter of Govardhana)

FAQs

What is the significance of Govardhana being held up in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals divine refuge: the Lord’s power over rain and storm protects Vraja, teaching devotees to remain fearless under His shelter.

How does Sage Parāśara explain protection during cosmic or natural upheaval?

Through narrative exemplars like Govardhana-dharana, Parāśara shows that fear subsides when one abides in the Lord’s protection, which governs even the elements.

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

Krishna’s act demonstrates Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty: the same ultimate Reality who sustains the cosmos also personally shelters His devotees, grounding bhakti in divine lordship.