Shloka 18

गोवर्धनोत्तरविस्मयः, रासलीलाप्रसङ्गः, तथा सर्वव्याप्तिवेदान्तोपदेशः

Devanagari script

शनैः शनैर् जगौ गोपी काचित् तस्य लयानुगम् दत्तावधाना काचिच् च तम् एव मनसास्मरत्

Transliteration

śanaiḥ śanair jagau gopī kācit tasya layānugam dattāvadhānā kācic ca tam eva manasāsmarat

Translation

ഒരു ഗോപിക പതുക്കെ പതുക്കെ അവന്റെ രാഗലയം പിന്തുടർന്ന് പാടിത്തുടങ്ങി; മറ്റൊരാൾ പൂർണ്ണ ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ മനസ്സിൽ അവനെയേ സ്മരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• शनैः: slowly
• शनैः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb: slowly)

• शनैः: very slowly, little by little
• शनैः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-अव्यय (emphatic repetition)

• जगौ: sang
• जगौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• गोपी: a gopī
• गोपी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• काचित्: some (one)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• लयानुगम्: following the melody/rhythm
• लयानुगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लय-अनुग (प्रातिपदिक; लय + अनुग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (लयम् अनुगच्छति इति)

• दत्तावधाना: attentive, with attention fixed
• दत्तावधाना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त-अवधान (प्रातिपदिक; दत्त + अवधान)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दत्तम् अवधानम् यस्याः/या)

• काचित्: another (one)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• अस्मरत्: remembered
• अस्मरत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; नकारार्थे न (here affirmative)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He draws the minds of the gopīs into ekāgratā (single-pointedness) through melody, turning their inner life into continuous remembrance.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Establishing smaraṇa and kīrtana as direct modes of communion with Bhagavān.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhakti matures as the mind harmonizes with the Lord’s ‘laya’—outer song becomes inner smaraṇa.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Use japa/kīrtana with steady rhythm to cultivate uninterrupted remembrance through the day.

Vishishtadvaita: Antaryāmin-bhāva is implied: the Lord becomes the sole inner object of attention, not an impersonal void but a personal indweller.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Madhurya

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Krishna

FAQs

What is the significance of the gopīs singing in Krishna’s rhythm in the Vishnu Purana?

It shows devotion becoming attuned to the Lord’s own “measure”—the heart begins to move with his divine cadence, turning ordinary song into worshipful absorption.

How does Sage Parāśara explain single-pointed remembrance here?

By contrasting responses: one gopī expresses devotion outwardly through song, while another internalizes it as uninterrupted mental recollection—both centered exclusively on Krishna.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu (Krishna) in this context?

Krishna is portrayed as the supreme object of mind and devotion: the soul’s attention naturally gathers to him alone, indicating his sovereignty over thought, emotion, and spiritual fulfillment.