Shloka 4

केशीवधः तथा ‘केशव’ नामप्रसिद्धिः

Devanagari script

त्राहि त्राहीति गोविन्दः श्रुत्वा तेषां तदा वचः सतोयजलदध्वानगम्भीरम् इदम् उक्तवान्

Transliteration

trāhi trāhīti govindaḥ śrutvā teṣāṃ tadā vacaḥ satoyajaladadhvānagambhīram idam uktavān

Translation

Entendant leur cri — « Sauve-nous, sauve-nous ! » — Govinda prononça ces paroles d’une voix profonde, sonore comme le grondement d’un nuage lourd de pluie.

Word by Word

• त्राहि: protect!
• त्राहि: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Addressed command/आह्वान)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन — protect!

• त्राहि: protect!
• त्राहि: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Addressed command/आह्वान)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन — protect! (repeated)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vakyopanyasa (Quotation marker/इत्यादि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यपरिसमाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय — quotative particle (“thus”)

• गोविन्दः: Govinda
• गोविन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/ल्यप्-प्रत्यय, gerund) — having heard

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive plural (of them)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय — temporal adverb (then)

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular (also nominative singular possible; here object of श्रुत्वा)

• सतोयजलदध्वानगम्भीरम्: deep like the rumbling of a rain-cloud
• सतोयजलदध्वानगम्भीरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + जलद (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वान (प्रातिपदिक) + गम्भीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular agreeing with इदम्/वचः; समासः बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (सतोयः जलदः = water-laden cloud; तस्य ध्वानः; तेन गम्भीरम्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• उक्तवान्: said/spoke
• उक्तवान्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (Perfect participle/भूतपूर्वकृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — ‘having spoken/said’ used as finite (he said)

Speaker

Sage Parasara (narrating to Maitreya); within the verse, Govinda is the one who speaks next

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To reassure and safeguard the Vraja community, confronting the demonic assault with divine steadiness.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Confidence in divine protection and the moral order where the Lord answers devotees’ cries.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord hears the devotees’ cry and responds—divine grace is relational and immediate.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In crisis, articulate prayer simply and directly; then listen inwardly for steadiness and guidance.

Vishishtadvaita: God’s personal attributes (kalyāṇa-guṇas) are not abstractions—his compassionate responsiveness manifests within the world.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Govinda (Krishna)
• The distressed devotees/cowherd community (implicit)

FAQs

What is the significance of the cry “trāhi trāhi” in the Vishnu Purana?

It functions as a literary marker of śaraṇāgati—complete taking of refuge—prompting Govinda’s protective intervention and highlighting divine grace as immediate and responsive.

How does Sage Parasara frame Krishna’s role in moments of crisis?

Through vivid imagery and narrative pacing: the community’s helpless appeal is followed by Govinda’s authoritative response, presenting him as the sustaining, order-restoring Supreme Lord within the story.

What is the theological importance of Govinda’s “cloud-deep” voice here?

The rain-cloud metaphor suggests power that is both sovereign and life-giving—Krishna’s words are not merely consoling but carry the force to protect, restore dharma, and sustain the world.