Shloka 22
Śakaṭa-bhañjana, Naming by Garga, Dāmodara and Yamala-arjuna, and the Move to Vṛndāvana
स्थानेनेह न नः कार्यं व्रजामो ऽन्यन् महावनम् उत्पाता बहवो ह्य् अत्र दृश्यन्ते नाशहेतवः
sthāneneha na naḥ kāryaṃ vrajāmo 'nyan mahāvanam utpātā bahavo hy atra dṛśyante nāśahetavaḥ
This place is of no use to us now; let us depart to another great forest. For here many ominous portents are seen—signs that foretell ruin.
A character within the royal-lineage narrative (as recounted by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya); specific speaker not identifiable from this single verse alone
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Why the Vrajavāsins decide to abandon their place and move to a safer forest.
Teaching: Historical
Quality: revealing
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: To safeguard the Vraja community by guiding them away from danger while continuing His protective childhood līlā.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Preservation of the community of devotees and continuity of Vraja’s dhārmic life.
Concept: When signs of harm arise, wise householders act decisively to protect dependents rather than clinging to place.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Respond to credible risks with timely, collective planning—protecting family and community is a dhārmic duty.
Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is lived as service to Bhagavān through protection of His devotees; prudence supports devotion rather than opposing it.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Vatsalya
FAQs
Utpātas function as narrative signals that disorder has arisen and that destruction or reversal is imminent; they mark moments when characters must act prudently in alignment with dharma.
Within the dialogue framework, Parāśara presents such decisions as dharma-informed prudence—when signs indicate ruin, relocation becomes a rational response within the larger moral-cosmic order.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purāṇa frames history as governed by a higher order: omens and outcomes ultimately unfold within the sovereign cosmic law sustained by Vishnu.