Shloka 1

कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

एकदा तु विना रामं कृष्णो वृन्दावनं ययौ विचचार वृतो गोपैर् वन्यपुष्पस्रगुज्ज्वलः

Transliteration

ekadā tu vinā rāmaṃ kṛṣṇo vṛndāvanaṃ yayau vicacāra vṛto gopair vanyapuṣpasragujjvalaḥ

Translation

Once, without Rāma (Balarāma), Śrī Kṛṣṇa went to Vṛndāvana; surrounded by the cowherd boys and radiant with garlands of forest-flowers, he wandered in divine play through the woodland.

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'once')

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-प्रयोगः; वियोगार्थक-अव्यय (preposition 'without', governs accusative)

• रामम्: Rāma (Balarāma)
• रामम्: Apadana (Separation/अपादान; with विना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (masc., acc. sg.)

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc., nom. sg.)

• वृन्दावनम्: Vṛndāvana
• वृन्दावनम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म; destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृन्दावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neut., acc. sg.; गन्तव्य-देशः)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd sg. perfect)

• विचचार: wandered/roamed
• विचचार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd sg. perfect)

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Karta (Predicate adjective to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत (कृदन्त; √वृ 'to cover/surround')
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (past passive participle: 'surrounded')

• गोपैः: by/with cowherds
• गोपैः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive accompaniment/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masc., instr. pl.)

• वन्यपुष्पस्रगुज्ज्वलः: bright with a garland of wild flowers
• वन्यपुष्पस्रगुज्ज्वलः: Karta (Attribute of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + स्रज्/स्रग् (प्रातिपदिक) + उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; 'वन्यपुष्पस्रजा उज्ज्वलः'—instrumental/means implied), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: narrative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To protect Vraja and restore dharma by subduing destructive powers that threaten the Yamunā region.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Safety and harmony of Vraja’s pastoral order under divine protection.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord who sports among the gopas is also the antaryāmin, inwardly ruling his own creation while remaining intimately accessible.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Practice remembrance (smaraṇa) of Kṛṣṇa in daily life, seeing the divine presence within ordinary places and friendships.

Vishishtadvaita: Immanence without loss of transcendence: the same Supreme is both indwelling controller and lovable personal Kṛṣṇa.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Sakhya

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Balarama (Rama)
• Vrindavana

FAQs

What is the significance of Kṛṣṇa going to Vṛndāvana without Balarāma in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights a distinct moment of Kṛṣṇa’s independent līlā—his free, self-willed movement among devotees—while keeping the focus on his intimate bond with the gopas and Vṛndāvana.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Kṛṣṇa’s presence among the cowherds?

Through simple narrative description: Parāśara depicts Kṛṣṇa as surrounded by gopas and adorned with forest garlands, a pastoral scene that conveys divine accessibility while the broader Purāṇic frame preserves his supreme status.

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

Kṛṣṇa is presented as Vishnu’s avatāra whose ‘play’ in the world is not limitation but lordly sport—suggesting the Supreme Reality can be both transcendent and intimately present with devotees.