Shloka 23

Nārada Sees Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Yoga-māyā in the Palaces of the Queens

Dvāra-kā-līlā

Devanagari script

तत्राप्यचष्ट गोविन्दं लालयन्तं सुतान् शिशून् । ततोऽन्यस्मिन् गृहेऽपश्यन्मज्जनाय कृतोद्यमम् ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

tatrāpy acaṣṭa govindaṁ lālayantaṁ sutān śiśūn tato ’nyasmin gṛhe ’paśyan majjanāya kṛtodyamam

Translation

Cette fois, il vit Govinda, tel un père plein de tendresse, cajoler ses tout petits enfants. Puis il entra dans un autre palais et vit Śrī Kṛṣṇa se préparer pour son bain.

Synonyms

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• अपि: also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), निपात/समुच्चयार्थक (particle, also/indeed)

• अचष्ट: he saw
• अचष्ट: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• गोविन्दम्: Govinda
• गोविन्दम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• लालयन्तम्: caressing
• लालयन्तम्: कर्मविशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लालयत् (कृदन्त, √लल्/लल्-पालने धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण गोविन्दम् प्रति

• सुतान्: sons
• सुतान्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• शिशून्: infants/children
• शिशून्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative), बहुवचन (plural); सुतान् इति विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• ततः: then
• ततः: अपादान/क्रम (Ablative/Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादानार्थक/क्रमवाचक (ablatival adverb: then/from there)

• अन्यस्मिन्: in another
• अन्यस्मिन्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (masc./neut. as per गृहे), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन; गृहे इति विशेषण

• गृहे: in a house
• गृहे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन

• अपश्यत्: he saw
• अपश्यत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• मज्जनाय: for bathing
• मज्जनाय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Purpose-Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मज्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), चतुर्थी (dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• कृतोद्यमम्: prepared/ready (having made preparations)
• कृतोद्यमम्: कर्मविशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-उद्यम (प्रातिपदिक; कृत (कृदन्त, √कृ) + उद्यम (प्रातिपदिक))
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (कृतः उद्यमः यस्य/कृत उद्यमः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गोविन्दम् इति विशेषण

Purport

This translation is from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Characters & Entities

• Govinda
• Nārada Muni
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna’s family life in Dvārakā?

This verse shows Kṛṣṇa as Govinda tenderly caring for His infant children and performing ordinary royal-household routines, revealing His sweet humanlike pastimes while remaining the Supreme Lord.

Why is Nārada seeing Kṛṣṇa in different houses in Canto 10 Chapter 69?

In this Dvārakā episode, Nārada witnesses Kṛṣṇa simultaneously engaged in varied activities across many palaces, demonstrating the Lord’s inconceivable potency and His intimate reciprocation with each queen and household.

How can devotees apply this shloka in modern life?

It teaches that devotion includes sanctifying daily duties—caring for family and maintaining cleanliness—by remembering Kṛṣṇa and offering one’s ordinary routines as service.