Shloka 40
गोवर्धनोत्तरविस्मयः, रासलीलाप्रसङ्गः, तथा सर्वव्याप्तिवेदान्तोपदेशः
प्रविष्टो गहनं कृष्णः पदम् अत्र न लक्ष्यते निवर्तध्वं शशाङ्कस्य नैतद् दीधितिगोचरे
praviṣṭo gahanaṃ kṛṣṇaḥ padam atra na lakṣyate nivartadhvaṃ śaśāṅkasya naitad dīdhitigocare
Kṛṣṇa has entered a deep, impenetrable darkness—no trace of his path can be discerned here. Turn back; this is not within the range of the Moon’s rays, nor within the reach of its light.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya; the immediate in-scene speaker is not explicitly named in the provided line)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Kṛṣṇa’s disappearance and the limits of perception in the gopīs’ search.
Teaching: Devotional
Quality: revealing
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Kṛṣṇa withdraws into impenetrable darkness to deepen viraha and reveal his transcendence beyond ordinary perception.
Leela: Madhurya
Dharma Restored: Recognition that the Lord is not an object of mere sensory light; devotion must go beyond external seeing.
Concept: The Lord is not confined to the ‘moonlight’ of sense-knowledge; he is apprehended by inner devotion and grace.
Vedantic Theme: Brahman
Application: When clarity is absent, continue practice without demanding immediate experiential ‘light’; deepen inner recollection and humility.
Vishishtadvaita: Transcendence and immanence: the Lord is present yet not graspable by pratyakṣa alone, requiring bhakti as the qualifying means.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
It marks a boundary of ordinary perception: even lunar light cannot penetrate it, symbolizing a realm where tracking, inference, and sensory knowledge fail—often used to highlight the Lord’s inscrutable movement and higher sovereignty.
By narrating that the ‘track is not discerned,’ the text emphasizes that divine action is not always legible through worldly signs; the story pushes the listener (Maitreya) toward reverence for a reality that exceeds visible proof.
Kṛṣṇa is presented as one whose course cannot be constrained by natural illumination or ordinary pursuit—supporting a Purāṇic theology where the Supreme (Vishnu/Kṛṣṇa) transcends the limits of cosmic lights and human grasp.