Shloka 31

कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

Devanagari script

मृगमध्ये यथा सिम्हौ गर्वलीलावलोकिनौ प्रविष्टौ सुमहारङ्गं बलभद्रजनार्दनौ

Transliteration

mṛgamadhye yathā simhau garvalīlāvalokinau praviṣṭau sumahāraṅgaṃ balabhadrajanārdanau

Translation

Like two lions amid a herd of deer, casting proud and playful glances, Balarāma and Janārdana entered the vast royal arena, fearless and unshaken.

Word by Word

• मृगमध्ये: in the midst of the animals (deer)
• मृगमध्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्ये/मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समासः (मृगाणां मध्ये)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• सिंहौ: two lions
• सिंहौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन

• गर्वलीलावलोकिनौ: looking with proud playfulness
• गर्वलीलावलोकिनौ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लीला (प्रातिपदिक) + अवलोकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (गर्व-लीला-युक्तम् अवलोकनं यस्य)

• प्रविष्टौ: having entered
• प्रविष्टौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु) → प्रविष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्—‘having entered’

• सुमहारङ्गम्: the very great arena
• सुमहारङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + रङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (सुमहान् रङ्गः)

• बलभद्रजनार्दनौ: Balabhadra and Janārdana
• बलभद्रजनार्दनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलभद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To lighten the earth’s burden by destroying oppressive kings and asuras and to re-establish dharma through divine līlā.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Protection of the righteous and the rightful moral order in Mathurā

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Balarama (Balabhadra)
• Krishna (Janardana)

FAQs

What is the significance of the ‘lion among deer’ metaphor in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights the effortless supremacy and fearlessness of Balarama and Krishna: the arena is full of anxious onlookers and hostile power, yet they move with natural sovereignty, like lions among timid deer.

How does Sage Parāśara convey Krishna’s divine nature here?

By pairing Krishna’s name ‘Janārdana’ (remover of affliction) with the imagery of majestic, playful glances, Parāśara frames the scene as līlā—divine play—where the Lord remains in full command even within human political conflict.

What is the theological importance of calling Krishna ‘Janārdana’ in this context?

It signals that Krishna is not merely a heroic prince: he is Vishnu present in the world to dispel oppression and restore dharma, entering the arena as the decisive power behind cosmic order.