Shloka 23

अक्रूरस्य यमुनादर्शनम्, मथुराप्रवेशः, रजकवधः, माल्यजीवकवरदानम्

Devanagari script

पुनः पुनः प्रणम्यासौ मालाकारो नरोत्तमौ ददौ पुष्पाणि चारूणि गन्धवन्त्य् अमलानि च

Transliteration

punaḥ punaḥ praṇamyāsau mālākāro narottamau dadau puṣpāṇi cārūṇi gandhavanty amalāni ca

Translation

Again and again the garland-maker bowed in reverence, offering to the two best of men flowers—lovely, fragrant, and pure.

Word by Word

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारः—पुनरुक्त्यर्थक (again)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारः—पुनरुक्त्यर्थक (again)

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (धातु) + pra- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having bowed’

• asau: that (man)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mālākāraḥ: the garland-maker
• mālākāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālā (प्रातिपदिक) + kāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मालां करोति)

• narottamau: the two best of men
• narottamau: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् उत्तमौ)

• dadau: gave
• dadau: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• puṣpāṇi: flowers
• puṣpāṇi: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• cārūṇi: beautiful
• cārūṇi: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cāru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; ‘puṣpāṇi’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• gandhavanti: fragrant
• gandhavanti: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; ‘puṣpāṇi’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• amalāni: pure/spotless
• amalāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; ‘puṣpāṇi’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारः—समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Śrī Kṛṣṇa accepts repeated acts of surrender, showing that perseverance in devotion—again and again—draws the Lord’s favor.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Confirming the dharma of śuddha-dāna and śuddha-pūjā: pure, fragrant offerings made with repeated reverence.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: External purity (amala, gandhavat) mirrors inner purity; repeated reverence expresses unwavering śaraṇāgati.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Make devotion habitual: daily, repeated small offerings (prayer, service, ethical restraint) with inner cleanliness rather than occasional grand gestures.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhakti is a real relation between jīva and Īśvara; repeated acts strengthen the dependence (śeṣatva) of the soul upon the Lord.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Balarama
• Garland-maker (Mālākāra)

FAQs

What is the significance of the garland-maker offering flowers in the Vishnu Purana?

It portrays bhakti expressed through simple seva: the devotee recognizes sacred greatness and responds with repeated reverence and a pure, fragrant offering.

How does Sage Parāśara frame devotion in this episode?

Through narrative detail—repeated praṇāma and the purity of the gift—Parāśara highlights devotion as an intuitive recognition of the Lord’s supremacy, even when He appears in human form.

What is the theological importance of Krishna and Balarama being called “narottamau” here?

The phrase honors them as the highest among men while implicitly pointing to their divine stature—Vishnu’s presence within the human narrative, receiving worship through humble offerings.