Shloka 25

कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

गोप्यस् त्व् अन्या रुदन्त्यश् च ददृशुः शोककातराः प्रोचुश् च केशवं प्रीत्या भयकातर्यगद्गदम्

Transliteration

gopyas tv anyā rudantyaś ca dadṛśuḥ śokakātarāḥ procuś ca keśavaṃ prītyā bhayakātaryagadgadam

Translation

But the other gopīs, weeping and shaken with grief, spoke to Keśava with love—yet their voices trembled, broken by fear.

Word by Word

• गोप्यः: the gopīs
• गोप्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Discourse particle (विरोध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (adversative particle)

• अन्याः: others
• अन्याः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (गोप्यः)

• रुदन्त्यः: weeping
• रुदन्त्यः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद् (धातु) → रुदन्ती (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: रुद्-धातोः शतृ (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• ददृशुः: saw
• ददृशुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• शोककातराः: distressed with grief
• शोककातराः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + कातर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—शोकेन कातराः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रोचुः: said/spoke
• प्रोचुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• केशवम्: Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• केशवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रीत्या: with affection
• प्रीत्या: Hetu/Instrumental (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• भयकातर्यगद्गदम्: in a stammering voice from fear
• भयकातर्यगद्गदम्: Adverbial (रीति/भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + कातर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गद्गद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—भयेन कातर्यम् (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष) + तेन गद्गदम् (तत्पुरुष); क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative of manner)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: empathetic, emotionally precise

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To accept the gopīs’ love-laden appeals and then vanquish the serpent threat, revealing that bhakti moves the Lord to protection.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Fearlessness born of refuge in Keśava; protection of devotees and purification of the river-region.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even when fear shakes the voice, loving address to Keśava is efficacious devotion, turning grief into surrender and prayer.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: When overwhelmed, speak to God directly (nāma, stotra, simple prayer); let emotion become an offering rather than a barrier.

Vishishtadvaita: Personal devotion (prīti) to the Supreme Person is a real relation; the Lord responds to the devotee’s cry while remaining the inner ruler beyond fear.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Madhurya

Characters & Entities

• Keshava (Krishna)
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of the gopīs’ fear and trembling speech in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights bhakti as an all-consuming state where love for Krishna persists even amid grief and fear, showing devotion as both intimate and overwhelming.

How does Sage Parāśara frame this episode for Maitreya?

Parāśara narrates the scene as a devotional moment within Krishna’s līlā, emphasizing the gopīs’ emotional reality while keeping Krishna’s divine identity (Keśava/Vishnu) central.

What is the theological importance of addressing Krishna as Keśava here?

Calling him Keśava signals that the beloved of Vraja is not merely a heroic figure but Vishnu himself—the Supreme Reality—who draws souls through love as well as awe.