Shloka 56

गोवर्धनोत्तरविस्मयः, रासलीलाप्रसङ्गः, तथा सर्वव्याप्तिवेदान्तोपदेशः

Devanagari script

गते ऽनुगमनं चक्रुर् वलने संमुखं ययुः प्रतिलोमानुलोमेन भेजुर् गोपाङ्गना हरिम्

Transliteration

gate 'nugamanaṃ cakrur valane saṃmukhaṃ yayuḥ pratilomānulomena bhejur gopāṅganā harim

Translation

When He moved, they followed; when He turned, they came to face Him. Thus, alternately against and with the circling flow, the cowherd maidens continually embraced Hari—Viṣṇu himself appearing as Kṛṣṇa.

Word by Word

• गते: when (he) had gone
• गते: सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle) ‘गत’; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; Locative absolute sense: “when (he) had gone”

• अनुगमनम्: following
• अनुगमनम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनु-गमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; “following”

• चक्रुः: did
• चक्रुः: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; “did/made”

• वलने: at the turning
• वलने: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वलन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; “in turning/at the turn”

• संमुखम्: towards (him), face-to-face
• संमुखम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Direction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण); “face to face, towards (him)”

• ययुः: went
• ययुः: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; “went”

• प्रतिलोम: reverse order
• प्रतिलोम: सम्बन्ध (Relation within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिलोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (compound-member); “against the grain, reverse”

• अनुलोमेन: by reverse and direct (movements)
• अनुलोमेन: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुलोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः: ‘प्रतिलोमं च अनुलोमं च’ → प्रतिलोमानुलोम; Instrumental: “by reverse and direct (ways)”

• भेजुः: embraced/resorted to
• भेजुः: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; “resorted to/embraced/served”

• गोपाङ्गनाः: the gopī women
• गोपाङ्गनाः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप-अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘गोपानाम् अङ्गनाः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; “the cowherd women”

• हरिम्: Hari (Kṛṣṇa)
• हरिम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; “Hari”

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the Lord leads and devotees follow in synchronized bhakti (rāsa as paradigm)

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To govern and harmonize the devotees’ movements in rāsa-līlā, revealing himself as Hari who orders even devotional rhythm and grants consummation in love.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Right orientation of desire—following the Lord’s lead—so that devotion becomes harmonious, disciplined, and God-centered

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: True devotion is dynamic alignment with Hari’s movement—following, facing, and adjusting—so that even apparent ‘counterflow’ becomes a mode of intimate union.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In changing life-circumstances, keep the Lord as the fixed reference: adapt actions while maintaining inward orientation through prayer and steady practice.

Vishishtadvaita: Antaryāmin governance is expressed not only cosmically but relationally: the Lord guides devotees’ inner rhythms while they retain loving agency within dependence (śeṣatva).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Madhurya

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Krishna
• Gopis (Gopāṅganāḥ)

FAQs

What is the significance of pratiloma and anuloma in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It describes the Gopis moving alternately against and with the circling flow of the dance, symbolizing how all opposites and rhythms are reconciled when centered on Hari.

How does Sage Parāśara present Krishna’s role in the Rasa-lila here?

Krishna is portrayed as the axis of the dance—when he moves, they follow; when he turns, they meet him—showing the Lord as the sovereign guide of devotion and experience.

What is the theological importance of calling Krishna 'Hari' in this context?

It identifies Krishna with Vishnu, affirming that the intimate lila is not merely pastoral romance but an encounter with the Supreme Lord who draws souls to himself.