Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

ते वाहयन्तस् त्व् अन्योन्यं भाण्डीरस्कन्धम् एत्य वै पुनर् निववृतुः सर्वे ये ये तत्र पराजिताः

Transliteration

te vāhayantas tv anyonyaṃ bhāṇḍīraskandham etya vai punar nivavṛtuḥ sarve ye ye tatra parājitāḥ

Translation

Bearing one another in turn, they reached the lofty trunk of Bhāṇḍīra; and all who had been defeated there withdrew again.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वाहयन्तः: carrying, bearing
• वाहयन्तः: Kriya (Concomitant action/अनुक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु) + णिच् (प्रयोजक) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; णिजन्त ‘वाहयति’ (to cause to carry/drive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘carrying/causing to be carried’

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) — contrast/emphasis

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually
• अन्योन्यम्: Manner adjunct (रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘mutually/one another’ (accusative used adverbially)

• भाण्डीरस्कन्धम्: to Bhāṇḍīra hill/peak
• भाण्डीरस्कन्धम्: Karma/Goal (Object/Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाण्डीर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘भाण्डीरस्य स्कन्धः’ (place-name)

• एत्य: having gone
• एत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इ (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष) — ‘having gone/after going’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात — emphasis/assurance

• पुनः: again, back
• पुनः: Manner/Temporal adjunct (पुनरावृत्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण — ‘again/back’

• निववृतुः: returned
• निववृतुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘returned’

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• ये: who (all those who)
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति — ‘whoever’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण — ‘there’

• पराजिताः: defeated
• पराजिताः: Kriya (Predicate within relative clause/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पराजि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘defeated’ (predicative)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa’s Vraja-līlā trains the cowherds in humility and joy while keeping the community protected.

Leela: Bala

Dharma Restored: Social harmony and humility among companions through sportive testing of strength.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even in play, victory and defeat can refine ego into humility and restore harmony among companions.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat competition as a discipline of character—accept loss without resentment and return to community with softened pride.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s līlā becomes a gentle means (upāya) shaping the jīva’s dispositions within worldly relations.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Sakhya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Cowherd boys (Gopas)
• Bhāṇḍīra tree (Bhāṇḍīravaṭa)

FAQs

What is the significance of Bhāṇḍīravaṭa (the Bhāṇḍīra tree) in the Vishnu Purana?

It functions as a recognizable Vraja landmark where Krishna’s pastoral games unfold, grounding divine lila in a specific sacred geography and emphasizing that the Supreme’s play sanctifies ordinary places.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the meaning of victory and defeat in Krishna’s games?

By narrating that the defeated simply turn back after reaching the goal, the episode frames competition as regulated play—where ego is checked and social harmony is restored under Krishna’s unseen sovereignty.

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

Krishna’s lila shows the Supreme Reality present within simple village life: even playful contests become instruments of order, humility, and devotion when centered on Vishnu’s incarnation.