Shloka 22

श्रीकृष्ण-जन्म, वसुदेव-यमुनातरण, बालिका-उत्क्षेपः, देवी-प्रादुर्भावः

Devanagari script

ददृशे च प्रबुद्धा सा यशोदा जातम् आत्मजम् नीलोत्पलदलश्यामं ततो ऽत्यर्थं मुदं ययौ

Transliteration

dadṛśe ca prabuddhā sā yaśodā jātam ātmajam nīlotpaladalaśyāmaṃ tato 'tyarthaṃ mudaṃ yayau

Translation

When Yaśodā awoke, she beheld her newborn child—dark-hued like the petals of a blue lotus—and at that sight her heart overflowed with surpassing joy.

Word by Word

• ददृशे: saw
• ददृशे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• प्रबुद्धा: awakened
• प्रबुद्धा: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√बुध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; agrees with सा/यशोदा

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; nominative

• यशोदा: Yaśodā
• यशोदा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशोदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; nominative (apposition to सा)

• जातम्: born
• जातम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; agrees with आत्मजम्

• आत्मजम्: her own son
• आत्मजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आत्मनः जः = own son)

• नीलोत्पलदलश्यामम्: dark like a blue-lotus petal
• नीलोत्पलदलश्यामम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्पल (प्रातिपदिक) + दल (प्रातिपदिक) + श्याम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय-प्रधान बहुपदसमासः—नीलोत्पलदलवत् श्यामः; agrees with आत्मजम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अत्यर्थम्: exceedingly
• अत्यर्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यर्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier adverb)

• मुदम्: joy
• मुदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; accusative

• ययौ: went/attained
• ययौ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To manifest in Vraja for sweet līlā and to later remove burdens of the earth, beginning with being accepted as Yaśodā’s son.

Leela: Bala

Dharma Restored: Establishing the protected setting for divine līlā and future dharma-restoration.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme becomes approachable through sweetness (mādhurya) and accepts the devotee’s maternal love, revealing bhakti as a direct mode of communion.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Relate to the Divine with intimacy and steadiness—simple loving attention can become profound sādhana.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhagavān’s saulabhya (easy accessibility) and saushīlya (condescending grace) allow finite selves to love Him personally without denying His supremacy.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Yaśodā
• Krishna (as the newborn child)
• Nanda (implied household context)

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna being described as ‘dark like a blue lotus petal’ in the Vishnu Purana?

It marks the child as divinely auspicious and visually identifies him with Hari’s transcendent form, using poetic imagery that signals sacred beauty rather than ordinary complexion.

How does Sage Parāśara present devotion (bhakti) through Yaśodā in this verse?

By focusing on her immediate, overflowing maternal joy on seeing the child, the text frames bhakti as intimate love—where the Supreme is approached through tender relationship.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this domestic scene?

The verse shows Vishnu’s avatāra-līlā: the Supreme Lord appears within ordinary family life, concealing cosmic sovereignty behind accessible, love-inviting human presence.