Shloka 34

कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

नन्दं च दीनम् अत्यर्थं न्यस्तदृष्टिं सुतानने मूर्च्छाकुलां यशोदां च कृष्णमाहात्म्यसंज्ञया

Transliteration

nandaṃ ca dīnam atyarthaṃ nyastadṛṣṭiṃ sutānane mūrcchākulāṃ yaśodāṃ ca kṛṣṇamāhātmyasaṃjñayā

Translation

They saw Nanda—utterly dejected, his gaze fixed only on his son’s face—and Yaśodā too, wavering as if in a faint; both were seized by the dawning recognition of Kṛṣṇa’s majesty, that the Supreme had appeared as their child.

Word by Word

• नन्दम्: Nanda
• नन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दीनम्: wretched/distressed
• दीनम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular qualifying नन्दम्

• अत्यर्थम्: exceedingly
• अत्यर्थम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यर्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• न्यस्तदृष्टिम्: with downcast eyes
• न्यस्तदृष्टिम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√अस्/√न्यस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय-भाव: 'न्यस्ता दृष्टिः यस्य'—but as accusative adjective here); स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समासान्त? व्यवहारतः पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन qualifying नन्दम्; 'with lowered gaze'

• सुतानने: on (his) son's face
• सुतानने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: 'सुतस्य आनने'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Locative singular

• मूर्च्छाकुलाम्: overwhelmed by fainting
• मूर्च्छाकुलाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्च्छा + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया/हेतु: 'मूर्च्छया आकुला'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन qualifying यशोदाम्

• यशोदाम्: Yaśodā
• यशोदाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशोदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृष्णमाहात्म्यसंज्ञया: by (the) awareness of Kṛṣṇa's greatness
• कृष्णमाहात्म्यसंज्ञया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + माहात्म्य + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: 'कृष्णस्य माहात्म्यस्य संज्ञा' / 'knowledge/awareness of Kṛṣṇa's greatness'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To allow devotees to experience the Supreme as their own child and protector, transforming worldly attachment into liberating bhakti.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Revelation of the Lord’s majesty within intimacy (aiśvarya within mādhurya), stabilizing faith and surrender

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme (Para-Brahman) can be recognized even within intimate human relationships, where devotion ripens through the shock of divine majesty revealed in crisis.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In moments of fear or loss, turn the mind from panic to remembrance of the Lord’s greatness and nearness, letting love become surrender rather than despair.

Vishishtadvaita: Vishnu is both transcendent Supreme and personally accessible, permitting real relational devotion without denying his cosmic sovereignty.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Nanda
• Yashoda
• Krishna

FAQs

What is the significance of recognizing Krishna’s māhātmya in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse shows the moment when ordinary parental affection is shaken by the realization that the child Krishna is not merely human but the Supreme Lord, revealing the Purana’s theme that the avatāra is both intimate and transcendent.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the emotional state of Nanda and Yaśodā here?

Parāśara portrays Nanda’s intense despair and fixed attention on Krishna, and Yaśodā’s swoon-like overwhelm, as reactions produced by the sudden cognition of Krishna’s divine greatness rather than by mundane fear alone.

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

Krishna’s ‘māhātmya’ indicates divine sovereignty within the avatāra: Vishnu remains the Supreme Reality even while appearing as a dependent child, a key Vaishnava teaching emphasized throughout the Vishnu Purana.