Shloka 12
स यदा यौवनाभोगभूषितो ऽभून् महामुने साभिलाषा तदा सा तु बभूव गजगामिनी
sa yadā yauvanābhogabhūṣito 'bhūn mahāmune sābhilāṣā tadā sā tu babhūva gajagāminī
O great sage, when he became adorned with the enjoyments and splendor of youth, then she too—filled with longing—became a woman of majestic, elephant-like gait.
Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya
Speaker: Parasara
Teaching: Historical
Quality: descriptive
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: To manifest divine līlā through the Yādavas and uphold dharma by vanquishing hostile forces.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Continuation of divine lineage and the eventual defeat of the asura who disrupted it.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Madhurya
Vyuha Form: Pradyumna
FAQs
It is a classical Sanskrit poetic descriptor meaning “elephant-gaited,” used to convey dignified, graceful movement and mature feminine allure within a narrative scene.
He depicts desire as arising naturally alongside youth and its enjoyments, using vivid bodily imagery to show an inner change mirrored outwardly in demeanor and movement.
Even in genealogical and romantic episodes, the Vishnu Purana situates human experiences within the larger order upheld by Vishnu—where worldly change unfolds under a sovereign cosmic framework.