Shloka 28

केशीवधः तथा ‘केशव’ नामप्रसिद्धिः

Devanagari script

नारदे तु गते कृष्णः सह गोपैर् अविस्मितः विवेश गोकुलं गोपीनेत्रपानैकभाजनम्

Transliteration

nārade tu gate kṛṣṇaḥ saha gopair avismitaḥ viveśa gokulaṃ gopīnetrapānaikabhājanam

Translation

When Nārada had departed, Kṛṣṇa—unshaken and serene—entered Gokula along with the cowherd boys, becoming once again the single vessel for the drinking-feast of the gopīs’ eyes.

Word by Word

• नारदे: when Nārada (was)
• नारदे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन (singular)

• तु: then; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• गते: having gone; departed
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन (singular)

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• सह: together with
• सह: Saha (Association marker/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपपद (preposition-like indeclinable governing instrumental)

• गोपैः: with the cowherds
• गोपैः: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन (plural)

• अविस्मितः: unastonished; unperturbed
• अविस्मितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + विस्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular); नञ्-समास/नकार-प्रत्यय (negated adjective)

• विवेश: entered
• विवेश: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• गोकुलम्: Gokula
• गोकुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• गोपीनेत्रपानैकभाजनम्: the sole vessel/receptacle for the drinking (feast) of the gopīs’ eyes
• गोपीनेत्रपानैकभाजनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपी + नेत्र + पान + एक + भाजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन (singular); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (gopīnāṃ netra-pānam—tasya ekaṃ bhājanam) विशेषणम् गोकुलस्य

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He descends to delight and protect Vraja, drawing the hearts of the gopīs and sustaining devotion through His sweet presence.

Leela: Bala

Dharma Restored: Nourishment of bhakti in Vraja through the Lord’s accessible, intimate līlā

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord becomes the sole ‘object of sight’ for devoted hearts—bhakti gathers the senses into single-pointed absorption in Kṛṣṇa.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Practice ekāgratā in devotion (japa, kīrtana, darśana): let the mind ‘drink’ the Lord’s presence rather than scatter across distractions.

Vishishtadvaita: Personal intimacy with the Supreme: the transcendent Lord is accessible in concrete form, inviting loving contemplation without dissolving personhood.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Madhurya

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Krishna
• Gokula

FAQs

What is the significance of the gopīs ‘drinking’ Kṛṣṇa with their eyes in the Vishnu Purana?

It portrays darśana as a devotional act: the gopīs’ gaze becomes a mode of bhakti where Kṛṣṇa is the sole focus and sustaining joy of the heart.

How does Sage Parāśara frame Nārada’s departure and Kṛṣṇa’s composure here?

Parāśara emphasizes Kṛṣṇa’s avismita (unperturbed) nature to suggest divine sovereignty—events move around him, yet he remains inwardly steady as the Lord.

What is the theological importance of Kṛṣṇa in this context?

Kṛṣṇa is presented not merely as a charming cowherd but as Vishnu’s supreme presence in līlā—drawing beings through love and contemplation toward the highest reality.