Shloka 3

गोवर्धनोत्तरविस्मयः, रासलीलाप्रसङ्गः, तथा सर्वव्याप्तिवेदान्तोपदेशः

Devanagari script

बालक्रीडेयम् अतुला गोपालत्वं जुगुप्सितम् दिव्यं च कर्म भवतः किम् एतत् तात कथ्यताम्

Transliteration

bālakrīḍeyam atulā gopālatvaṃ jugupsitam divyaṃ ca karma bhavataḥ kim etat tāta kathyatām

Translation

These incomparable childlike pastimes, this seemingly lowly guise of a cowherd, and yet the divine deeds that are yours—what is the meaning of all this, dear one? Tell me, O child.

Word by Word

• बालक्रीडा: child’s play
• बालक्रीडा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: समास: बाल-क्रीडा (तत्पुरुष), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अतुला: incomparable
• अतुला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (adjective), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• गोपालत्वम्: the state of being a cowherd
• गोपालत्वम्: Karta/Predicate (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपाल + त्व (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त (भाववाचक) ‘त्व’ प्रत्यय, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• जुगुप्सितम्: despised/mean
• जुगुप्सितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जुगुप्सित (कृदन्त; √गुप्/गोप् ‘to despise/guard’ with desiderative nuance)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• कर्म: deed
• कर्म: Karta/Predicate (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवतः: of you/your
• भवतः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्द (honorific pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Prashna/Predicate (प्रश्न/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तात: dear one/son
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-शब्द (term of address), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथ्यताम्: let it be told / please explain
• कथ्यताम्: Vidhi (Injunctive/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

A questioning elder in the Krishna narrative (addressing the child Krishna as 'tāta')

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Kṛṣṇa’s humanlike childhood play coexists with divine omnipotence

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He appears as a child-cowherd to enchant Vraja and reveal divinity through intimate līlā while protecting dharma.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Establishing the supremacy of Bhagavān’s grace over social estimations of ‘lowly’ forms

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhagavān’s ‘ordinary’ guise is a deliberate veil enabling intimate devotion while his divinity remains intact.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Do not judge spiritual greatness by external status; seek the divine meaning within humble service and simple devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: The Supreme is both transcendent and personally accessible, taking a real embodied form without diminishing supremacy.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Gopala (cowherd role)

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna appearing as a humble cowherd in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse highlights the deliberate contrast: the Supreme performs divine acts while adopting a socially modest role, drawing beings toward devotion through intimacy and līlā rather than worldly grandeur.

How does the Vishnu Purana frame the paradox of “childish play” and “divine deeds”?

The question in the verse itself sets the theological frame: Krishna’s bāla-līlā is not mere play but a purposeful manifestation of the Divine within human-like conduct, inviting recognition beyond appearances.

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

Vishnu’s sovereignty is shown through effortless divinity within humility—affirming that the Supreme Reality can be fully present even when concealed in ordinary forms, a key Vaishnava insight supporting bhakti-centered reading.