Shloka 48

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

Devanagari script

गायताम् अन्यगोपानां प्रशंसापरमौ क्वचित् मयूरकेकानुगतौ गोपवेणुप्रवादकौ

Transliteration

gāyatām anyagopānāṃ praśaṃsāparamau kvacit mayūrakekānugatau gopaveṇupravādakau

Translation

At times, while other cowherds sang, the two were foremost in praise; at times, keeping pace with the peacock’s call, those two cowherds played upon the flute—moving in harmony with the music of the forest itself.

Word by Word

• गायताम्: they sing
• गायताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम् (3rd person plural, present)

• अन्य-गोपानाम्: of the other cowherds
• अन्य-गोपानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (अन्ये गोपाः) (masc. genitive plural)

• प्रशंसा-परमौ: delighting in praise
• प्रशंसा-परमौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रशंसा (प्रातिपदिक) + परम्/परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (प्रशंसायां परमौ/प्रशंसापरायणौ) (masc. nominative dual)

• क्वचित्: sometimes
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कदाचित् (indeclinable adverb)

• मयूर-केका-अनुगतौ: following the peacocks' calls
• मयूर-केका-अनुगतौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मयूर (प्रातिपदिक) + केका (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुगत (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मयूरस्य केका) + तत्पुरुषः (केकानुगत = केकां अनुगतः) (masc. nominative dual)

• गोप-वेणु-प्रवादकौ: playing the cowherd flute
• गोप-वेणु-प्रवादकौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक) + वेणु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवादक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गोपस्य वेणुः) + तत्पुरुषः (वेणु-प्रवादक = वेणुं प्रवादयति) (masc. nominative dual)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Krishna descends to enchant beings through divine music, drawing hearts into loving remembrance and harmony with nature.

Leela: Bala

Dharma Restored: Restoring harmony in creation through nāda (sacred sound) that elevates minds toward devotion.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Praise and sacred music refine the heart, aligning it with the divine presence manifest in the world.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use kīrtana, japa, or mindful listening to uplift attention and make daily environments supportive of devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord is approachable through embodied, sensory devotion; worldly sound and nature can become modes of communion with the personal Brahman.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Sakhya

Characters & Entities

• Cowherds (Gopas)
• Peacock (Mayūra)
• Flute (Veṇu)

FAQs

What is the significance of song and praise in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse presents communal singing and excellence in praise as a natural expression of devotion, where glorification becomes the primary mode of participating in the divine presence.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the devotional mood in this scene?

Through vivid pastoral details—cowherds singing, praise taking precedence, and flute music echoing nature—Parāśara frames devotion as spontaneous, beautiful, and harmonized with the world.

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

Even without naming Vishnu explicitly in this line, the depiction aligns with Vaishnava theology: the Supreme Reality’s presence draws praise and brings the environment into rhythmic concord, revealing sovereignty through līlā.