Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

रुदता दृष्टम् अस्माभिः पादविक्षेपताडितम् शकटं परिवृत्तं वै नैतद् अन्यस्य चेष्टितम्

Transliteration

rudatā dṛṣṭam asmābhiḥ pādavikṣepatāḍitam śakaṭaṃ parivṛttaṃ vai naitad anyasya ceṣṭitam

Translation

We ourselves saw it: while the child was crying, the cart was struck merely by the flinging movement of his little feet—and at once the cart overturned. This could not have been the doing of anyone else.

Word by Word

• रुदता: by/with (him) crying
• रुदता: Karana (Accompanying circumstance/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुद् (धातु) + रुदत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; 'while crying'

• दृष्टम्: was seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), कर्मणि; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'seen'

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• पादविक्षेपताडितम्: struck by the flinging of the foot
• पादविक्षेपताडितम्: Karma (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाद + विक्षेप + ताडित (ताड् धातु, क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पादस्य विक्षेपेण ताडितम्); भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of 'शकटम्')

• शकटम्: the cart
• शकटम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• परिवृत्तम्: was overturned
• परिवृत्तम्: Kriya (Result state/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), कर्मणि; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'turned over'

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle: 'indeed')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अन्यस्य: of another (person)
• अन्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• चेष्टितम्: deed, act
• चेष्टितम्: Pratishedhya (Negated predicate/निषेध्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्ट् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) रूपेण भाववाचक-नपुंसक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'act/deed'

Speaker

Cowherd women (Gopīs) reporting the event; narrated within Sage Parāśara’s discourse to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Eyewitness confirmation of Krishna’s miraculous act

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He protects the Vraja household by effortlessly destroying the asura concealed in the cart, while remaining an infant to deepen vatsalya devotion.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Security of the devotees and the triumph of divine protection over hidden adharma

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Direct experience and sincere testimony can stabilize devotion: the Lord’s protection is evident even when His power is playfully concealed.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Anchor faith in repeated remembrance of lived ‘proofs’ of grace—protection, guidance, inner steadiness—rather than in speculation alone.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s saving action (rakṣaṇa) is personal and responsive to His devotees, aligning with prapatti/bhakti-centered liberation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Gopis (cowherd women)
• Shakata (cart)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Shakata-bhanga (overturning of the cart) in the Vishnu Purana?

It marks an early revelation that the child Krishna is no ordinary infant: with effortless motion he overturns what no human could, signaling divine protection and supremacy in Vraja.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the divine nature of Krishna through such events?

By narrating eyewitness testimony—“we saw it ourselves”—the text frames the miracle as undeniable, leading listeners to infer the Lord’s presence behind apparently simple childhood actions.

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

Krishna’s effortless act embodies Vishnu’s supreme lordship: the Absolute is not distant, but freely manifests in compassionate play (lila) to protect devotees and establish dharma.