Shloka 45

Devanagari script

काचिद् आलोक्य गोविन्दं निमीलितविलोचना तस्यैव रूपं ध्यायन्ती योगारूढेव चाबभौ

Transliteration

kācid ālokya govindaṃ nimīlitavilocanā tasyaiva rūpaṃ dhyāyantī yogārūḍheva cābabhau

Translation

One maiden, having beheld Govinda, gently closed her eyes; meditating only on his form, she appeared as though absorbed in yoga.

Word by Word

• काचित्: a certain (gopī)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आलोक्य: having looked at
• आलोक्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-लोक् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund) — 'having looked at'

• गोविन्दम्: Govinda
• गोविन्दम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निमीलित-विलोचना: with eyes closed
• निमीलित-विलोचना: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निमीलित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + विलोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; कर्मधारय-सदृश) — निमीलिते विलोचने यस्याः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (काचित् विशेषयति)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक-सम्बन्धे, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण) — emphatic particle

• रूपम्: form, beauty
• रूपम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ध्यायन्ती: meditating upon
• ध्यायन्ती: Karta (Agent as participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि; काचित् विशेषयति)

• योग-आरूढा-इव: as if mounted in yoga (in deep absorption)
• योग-आरूढा-इव: Upamana (Simile)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-प्रयोगः — 'योगारूढा' (स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन) + 'इव' (अव्यय, upamā)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आबभौ: she appeared, shone
• आबभौ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-भा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Bhakti manifesting as yogic absorption upon seeing Govinda

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To grant the devotee a yoga-like absorption through sheer contemplation of his form, revealing that bhakti culminates in samādhi on Bhagavān.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Affirmation of inner contemplation (dhyāna) on the Lord’s form as a liberating dharma.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: True contemplation of Govinda’s form can produce a state akin to yogic samādhi, showing bhakti and yoga converging in single-pointed dhyāna.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Use form-based meditation (mūrti-dhyāna) with gentle sense-withdrawal—close the eyes, hold one divine image steadily, and return to it whenever distracted.

Vishishtadvaita: Liberating absorption is on the personal Lord’s auspicious form (saguṇa-brahman), affirming that the Absolute is qualified by real attributes and approachable.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Govinda (Krishna)
• Gopis (cowherd maidens)

FAQs

What is the significance of yogic absorption in the Vishnu Purana's Krishna narrative?

This verse portrays devotion to Govinda becoming indistinguishable from yoga: the mind withdraws from the senses and rests solely on Vishnu’s form, showing bhakti as a direct means to inner union.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the transformation of emotion into spiritual realization?

Through narrative imagery: a simple act—seeing Govinda—turns into inward contemplation (dhyāna), indicating that divine encounter can elevate ordinary feeling into concentrated spiritual absorption.

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

Govinda is presented as the supreme focus of consciousness: even a moment of vision leads to single-pointed meditation, implying Vishnu’s sovereignty over the heart and the final refuge of the mind.