Shloka 4

गोवर्धनोत्तरविस्मयः, रासलीलाप्रसङ्गः, तथा सर्वव्याप्तिवेदान्तोपदेशः

Devanagari script

कालियो दमितस् तोये प्रलम्बो विनिपातितः धृतो गोवर्धनश् चायं शङ्कितानि मनांसि नः

Transliteration

kāliyo damitas toye pralambo vinipātitaḥ dhṛto govardhanaś cāyaṃ śaṅkitāni manāṃsi naḥ

Translation

Kāliya has been subdued in the waters; Pralamba has been struck down; and this Govardhana has been held aloft—yet our hearts still tremble with foreboding.

Word by Word

• कालियः: Kāliya (the serpent)
• कालियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दमितः: subdued
• दमितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दमित (कृदन्त; √दम् (धातु) ‘to subdue’)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तोये: in the water
• तोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रलम्बः: Pralamba (demon)
• प्रलम्बः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• विनिपातितः: struck down
• विनिपातितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनिपातित (कृदन्त; √पत् (धातु) with नि-वि- उपसर्ग)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• धृतः: held up
• धृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृत (कृदन्त; √धृ (धातु) ‘to hold’)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• गोवर्धनः: Govardhana (mountain)
• गोवर्धनः: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोवर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: गो + वर्धन (तत्पुरुष), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• शङ्कितानि: made anxious / filled with doubt
• शङ्कितानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्कित (कृदन्त; √शङ्क् (धातु) ‘to doubt/fear’)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मनांसि: minds
• मनांसि: Karta/Predicate (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नः: of us/our
• नः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

The cowherds of Vraja (Vrajavāsīs/Gopas), as narrated by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Kṛṣṇa’s protection of Vraja through slaying/subduing demons

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He descends to protect Vraja by subduing asuric threats and demonstrating supreme lordship through successive feats.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Safety of devotees and restoration of order in Vraja’s natural and social life

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even after divine deliverance, residual fear persists until faith matures into steady trust (niṣṭhā).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Notice lingering anxieties after setbacks; strengthen devotion through remembrance and satsanga to stabilize the heart.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhagavān’s grace acts in history to protect embodied souls, yet inner transformation unfolds progressively.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Kaliya
• Pralamba
• Govardhana
• Vraja cowherds (Gopas)

FAQs

What is the significance of Kāliya being subdued in the Vishnu Purana?

It signifies Kṛṣṇa’s restoration of order by taming a poisonous force that disrupts life and dharma, showing divine sovereignty even within nature’s realm.

How does Sage Parāśara frame the Vraja community’s fear despite Kṛṣṇa’s miracles?

He presents it as a realistic devotional psychology: even after repeated deliverance, the mind can remain anxious, and remembrance of the Lord’s deeds becomes the remedy that matures faith.

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

Kṛṣṇa is shown as the Supreme Protector whose acts—taming Kāliya, slaying Pralamba, and lifting Govardhana—reveal the Lord’s transcendent power expressed as intimate, saving grace for devotees.