Shloka 1

भाण्डीरवट-क्रीडा: प्रलम्बासुरवधः, मानुष्यलीला, एक-कारण-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

तस्मिन् रासभदैतेये सानुगे विनिपातिते सेव्यं गोगोपगोपीनां रम्यं तालवनं बभौ

Transliteration

tasmin rāsabhadaiteye sānuge vinipātite sevyaṃ gogopagopīnāṃ ramyaṃ tālavanaṃ babhau

Translation

When that ass-like Daitya had been struck down together with his followers, the lovely forest of Tālavana became a place safe and fit to be freely enjoyed by the cowherds, their cattle, and the gopīs.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (situation/time)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular (when/in that)

• रासभदैतेये: in/when the ass-demon
• रासभदैतेये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रासभ + दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular masculine; कर्मधारय (रासभः दैत्यः)

• सानुगे: together with (his) followers
• सानुगे: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अनुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular masculine; सह-तत्पुरुष (अनुगैः सह) “with his followers”

• विनिपातिते: having been felled
• विनिपातिते: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + पत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि — Past passive participle, locative singular masculine (having been struck down)

• सेव्यम्: fit to be enjoyed/visited
• सेव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त भाव्य/योग्य — Gerundive (to be enjoyed/fit to be frequented)

• गोगोपगोपीनाम्: of the cows, cowherds, and cowherd-women
• गोगोपगोपीनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + गोप + गोपी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive plural; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (गवः च गोपाः च गोप्यः च)

• रम्यम्: delightful
• रम्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular neuter (delightful)

• तालवनम्: the palm-grove
• तालवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular neuter; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तालानां वनम्)

• बभौ: became; shone forth as
• बभौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person singular, active

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa descends to make Vraja a secure dhāma by eliminating the asuric obstacle that prevented free movement and enjoyment of the forests.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Free access to the forest for gopas, cows, and gopīs; restoration of communal life and sacred landscape.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: A place becomes truly ‘sevya’ (fit for loving resort) when protected by Bhagavān and aligned with dharma—sacredness is both moral and devotional.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate spaces (home, community) that support devotion and safety; remove causes of fear to enable shared spiritual life.

Vishishtadvaita: The dhāma and its inhabitants are real modes (prakāra) of the Lord’s domain; divine protection sanctifies embodied communal life.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Madhurya

Characters & Entities

• Dhenukāsura (Rāsabha-daitya)
• Cows of Vraja
• Tālavana

FAQs

What is the significance of Tālavana becoming 'sevya' (fit to be enjoyed) in the Vishnu Purana?

It marks the restoration of rightful access and safety: once the demon and his band are removed, the forest becomes a legitimate, harmonious space for the Vraja community—an image of dharma returning through divine protection.

How does Sage Parāśara frame the purpose of demon-slaying in this context?

Parāśara presents it as the removal of obstructive adharma: the demon’s fall is immediately linked to the welfare of cattle, cowherds, and gopīs, showing that divine power operates to secure the devotee-community and its sacred landscape.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this episode’s implication?

Though Krishna is not named in this single verse, the outcome reflects Vishnu’s sovereignty: the Supreme Reality safeguards devotees and reorders the world so that dharmic life can flourish—an emphasis consistent with Vaishnava theology.