Shloka 2

कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

Devanagari script

ताम् आह ललितं कृष्णः कस्येदम् अनुलेपनम् भवत्या नीयते सत्यं वदेन्दीवरलोचने

Transliteration

tām āha lalitaṃ kṛṣṇaḥ kasyedam anulepanam bhavatyā nīyate satyaṃ vadendīvaralocane

Translation

Then Kṛṣṇa, speaking with playful tenderness, said: “For whom do you carry this fragrant unguent? Speak the truth, O lotus-eyed one.”

Word by Word

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु; ‘to say’)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ललितम्: gently
• ललितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ललित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे द्वितीया (accusative used adverbially); क्रियाविशेषण = ‘gently/pleasantly’

• कृष्णः: Krishna
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कस्य: of whom
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (object)

• अनुलेपनम्: ointment
• अनुलेपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (predicate-noun) वा द्वितीया (object) — ‘this ointment’

• भवत्या: by you
• भवत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; honorific ‘you’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (by you)

• नीयते: is being carried
• नीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सत्यम्: truly
• सत्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/निपात = ‘truly/in truth’

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• इन्दीवरलोचने: O lotus-eyed one
• इन्दीवरलोचने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्दीवर (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; इन्दीवर-सदृशे लोचने यस्याः (addressing her)

Speaker

Sri Krishna (as narrated by Sage Parashara to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He draws beings toward Himself through sweetness of speech, turning a worldly service into an opening for grace and devotion.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Awakening of devotion and truthfulness through direct divine encounter

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: God’s approachable sweetness (saulabhya) invites truthful self-disclosure and begins the soul’s turning toward Him.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Meet daily encounters with honesty and openness; treat sincere dialogue as a doorway to inner devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: The Supreme is personally accessible and relational, drawing the jīva through gracious interaction rather than abstraction.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Madhurya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna asking about the anointment (anulepana) in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights Krishna’s lila—his playful, intimate engagement with devotees—where ordinary acts like carrying cosmetics become expressions of affection and devotion.

How does Sage Parashara present Krishna’s divinity in such a seemingly simple dialogue?

By narrating Krishna’s sweetness and charm alongside his identity as Vishnu, Parashara shows that the Supreme Reality is not only cosmic ruler but also personally accessible through loving relationship (bhakti).

What is the theological importance of calling someone “lotus-eyed” (indīvaralocane) here?

The epithet elevates the scene into devotional aesthetics: beauty and purity become vehicles for bhakti, reinforcing Vaishnava themes where the Divine and devotees relate through sacred love and reverent intimacy.