Shloka 79
कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्
गते सर्पे परिष्वज्य मृतं पुनर् इवागतम् गोपा मूर्धनि गोविन्दं सिषिचुर् नेत्रजैर् जलैः
gate sarpe pariṣvajya mṛtaṃ punar ivāgatam gopā mūrdhani govindaṃ siṣicur netrajair jalaiḥ
When the serpent had gone, the cowherds embraced Govinda, returned as though from death itself, and bathed his head with the water born of their eyes—their tears.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Kṛṣṇa returns safely from peril, reaffirming divine protection and inspiring loving devotion among the cowherds.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Faith in Bhagavān’s protection and the communal bond of Vraja centered on Kṛṣṇa.
Concept: The devotee’s love expresses itself as spontaneous, embodied devotion—embrace and tears—when the Lord’s protection is realized.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Let devotion be sincere and lived (gratitude, tenderness, community care), not merely conceptual.
Vishishtadvaita: Personal relationship (śeṣa-śeṣi-bhāva) with the Lord is central: the jīva’s love and dependence find fulfillment in Bhagavān’s saving presence.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Vatsalya
FAQs
Their tears function like a devotional abhiṣeka (ritual bathing), showing bhakti so intense that emotion itself becomes sacred offering to Govinda.
Parāśara describes him as ‘returned as if from death,’ emphasizing the narrative shock of the danger and Krishna’s divine mastery over life-threatening संकट.
Govinda appears as the Supreme sustaining power who protects devotees and overrules mortality—supporting Vaishnava theology where the Lord’s grace restores safety and order.