Shloka 1

तालवन-उद्धारः: धेनुकासुरवधः, फल-समृद्धिः, गो-क्षेमः

Devanagari script

गाः पालयन्तौ च पुनः सहितौ बलकेशवौ भ्रममाणौ वने तस्मिन् रम्यं तालवनं गतौ

Transliteration

gāḥ pālayantau ca punaḥ sahitau balakeśavau bhramamāṇau vane tasmin ramyaṃ tālavanaṃ gatau

Translation

Once again Balarāma and Keśava, together, tended the cows; and as they wandered through that forest, they came to the delightful Tālavana, the grove of palm trees.

Word by Word

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• पालयन्तौ: tending
• पालयन्तौ: Karta (Subject-participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु) → पालयन्त् (शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), द्विवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; 'while tending'

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

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सहितौ: together
• सहितौ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), द्विवचन; विशेषण (बलकेशवौ)

• बलकेशवौ: Bala and Keshava
• बलकेशवौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल + केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (बलः च केशवः च)

• भ्रममाणौ: wandering
• भ्रममाणौ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) → भ्रममाण (शानच्)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (ātmanepada participle); प्रथमा, द्विवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषण (वने)

• रम्यम्: delightful
• रम्यम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (तालवनम्)

• तालवनम्: the palm-grove (Tālavana)
• तालवनम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: 'तालानां वनम्'

• गतौ: went / having gone
• गतौ: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), द्विवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; 'having gone' (predicate participle for बलकेशवौ)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa continues his Vraja-līlā of protecting and delighting the community, moving with Balarāma into new forest arenas where threats will be removed.

Leela: Bala

Dharma Restored: Pastoral order of Vraja—safe tending of cattle and harmonious life under divine guardianship.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Sakhya

Characters & Entities

• Balarama
• Krishna (Kesava)
• Cows
• Talavana (Tala forest)

FAQs

What is the significance of Tālavana in the Vishnu Purana?

Tālavana is introduced as a distinct sacred grove in Vraja where Krishna and Balarama’s movement through the landscape sets up later events; it marks how divine līlā unfolds in specific holy geographies.

How does Sage Parāśara frame Krishna’s activity here—ordinary or theological?

Parāśara presents Krishna and Balarāma as cowherds in action, yet the narrative implies divinity-in-immanence: the Supreme’s presence is shown through protective, orderly, and auspicious movement within the world.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu (Krishna) in this context?

Krishna, as Keśava, embodies the Supreme who both sustains dharma (through protection and guidance) and reveals accessible intimacy through pastoral līlā—an emphasis central to later Vaishnava theological readings.