Shloka 28

The Greatness of Hari’s Janmāṣṭamī (Jayantī) Vow

Devanagari script

देवकीजठरे जन्म लेभे तत्र गदाधरः । यशोदाकुक्षिमध्यास्ते शर्वाणी मृगलोचना

Transliteration

devakījaṭhare janma lebhe tatra gadādharaḥ | yaśodākukṣimadhyāste śarvāṇī mṛgalocanā

Translation

അവിടെ ഗദാധരൻ ദേവകിയുടെ ഗർഭത്തിൽ ജന്മം നേടി; മൃഗലോചനയായ ശർവാണി യശോദയുടെ ഗർഭത്തിൽ വസിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• देवकी-जठरे: in Devakī’s womb
• देवकी-जठरे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवकी (प्रातिपदिक) + जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; समस्तपदम् नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; ‘देवक्याः जठरे’ (in Devakī’s womb)

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• लेभे: obtained/received
• लेभे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गदा-धरः: Gadādhara (the mace-bearer)
• गदा-धरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘गदां धरति’); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• यशोदा-कुक्षि-मध्य-आस्ते: dwells/abides in the middle of Yaśodā’s womb
• यशोदा-कुक्षि-मध्य-आस्ते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यशोदा (प्रातिपदिक) + कुक्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आस् (धातु)
• Form: पूर्वपदसमासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘यशोदायाः कुक्षेः मध्ये’); आस्ते = आस् धातोः लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्

• शर्वाणी: Śarvāṇī (Pārvatī)
• शर्वाणी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• मृग-लोचना: doe-eyed
• मृग-लोचना: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (‘मृगस्य इव लोचने यस्याः’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifier of शर्वाणी)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (Purāṇic narration within Brahma-khaṇḍa context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: city

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: देवकीजठरे = देवकी-जठरे (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); यशोदाकुक्षिमध्यास्ते = यशोदा-कुक्षि-मध्य-आस्ते; मृगलोचना = मृग-लोचना.

Characters & Entities

• Devakī
• Gadādhara (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu)
• Yaśodā
• Śarvāṇī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

Who is “Gadādhara” in this verse?

“Gadādhara” means “bearer of the mace” and is a common epithet of Viṣṇu; in this context it refers to Kṛṣṇa taking birth in Devakī’s womb.

Why is Śarvāṇī mentioned with Yaśodā?

Śarvāṇī is a name of Pārvatī (consort of Śiva). The verse states she “dwelt” in Yaśodā’s womb, indicating a concurrent divine embodiment associated with the Kṛṣṇa-birth narrative.

What theological theme does this śloka support within the Padma Purāṇa?

It reinforces Purāṇic incarnation theology: the coordinated descent of divine figures (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa and a form of the Goddess) to accomplish cosmic purposes, a motif common in Vaiṣṇava narrative framing.