Shloka 37

Śakaṭa-bhañjana, Naming by Garga, Dāmodara and Yamala-arjuna, and the Move to Vṛndāvana

Devanagari script

प्ररूढनवशष्पाढ्या शक्रगोपास्तृता मही तदा मारकतेवासीत् पद्मरागविभूषिता

Transliteration

prarūḍhanavaśaṣpāḍhyā śakragopāstṛtā mahī tadā mārakatevāsīt padmarāgavibhūṣitā

Translation

Then the earth, rich with freshly sprouted tender grass and carpeted with śakragopas, appeared like an emerald—adorned, as it were, with rubies.

Word by Word

• प्ररूढनवशष्पाढ्या: rich with newly sprouted grass
• प्ररूढनवशष्पाढ्या: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्ररूढ (कृदन्त; √रुह् धातु) + नव (प्रातिपदिक) + शष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (प्ररूढेन नवशष्पेण आढ्या)

• शक्रगोपास्तृता: covered with śakragopa insects (red beetles)
• शक्रगोपास्तृता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्रगोप (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्तृत (कृदन्त; √स्तृ धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शक्रगोपैः आस्तृता = covered with śakragopa insects)

• मही: the earth
• मही: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• मारकतेव: like an emerald
• मारकतेव: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मारकत (प्रातिपदिक) + इव (अव्यय)
• Form: इव-युक्त उपमानप्रयोगः; पदच्छेदः: मारकते + इव

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• पद्मरागविभूषिता: adorned with rubies
• पद्मरागविभूषिता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्मराग (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषित (कृदन्त; √भूष् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पद्मरागेण विभूषिता)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: poetic-descriptive

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To manifest sweetness (mādhurya) and protect beings while drawing hearts to bhakti through pastoral līlā.

Leela: Bala

Dharma Restored: Harmony of life and devotion in Vraja’s sacred order.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Characters & Entities

• Earth (Mahī)

FAQs

What is the significance of the jewel imagery (emerald and ruby) in the Vishnu Purana?

It portrays the earth as a divinely ordered, aesthetically perfected realm—nature itself appearing as sacred ornamentation rather than mere matter.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the world’s appearance in this passage?

Through vivid cosmographic description: the earth is shown flourishing with fresh grass and covered with red śakragopas, creating the effect of an emerald surface studded with ruby hues.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇic worldview assumes the cosmos’ harmony and splendor as sustained by the Supreme—Vishnu as the underlying sovereign principle of order and manifestation.