Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 31
Bhagavān’s Avatāras, Their Protections (Poṣaṇa), and the Limits of Knowing Him
नन्दं च मोक्ष्यति भयाद् वरुणस्य पाशाद् गोपान् बिलेषु पिहितान् मयसूनुना च । अह्न्यापृतं निशि शयानमतिश्रमेण लोकं विकुण्ठमुपनेष्यति गोकुलं स्म ॥ ३१ ॥
nandaṁ ca mokṣyati bhayād varuṇasya pāśād gopān bileṣu pihitān maya-sūnunā ca ahny āpṛtaṁ niśi śayānam atiśrameṇa lokaṁ vikuṇṭham upaneṣyati gokulaṁ sma
भगवान श्रीकृष्ण वरुणाच्या पाशभयातून नंद महाराजांना सोडवतील, तसेच मयाच्या पुत्राने गुहांत बंद केलेल्या गोपबालांना मुक्त करतील. जे व्रजवासी दिवसा कष्ट करून रात्री अतिश्रमाने गाढ झोपत, त्यांना ते वैकुंठलोकाची प्राप्ती देतील—ही सर्व त्यांच्या पारलौकिक दिव्य कृत्ये आहेत.
Nanda Mahārāja, the foster father of Lord Kṛṣṇa, went to take his bath in the river Yamunā in the dead of night, mistakenly thinking that the night was already over; thus the demigod Varuṇa took him to the Varuṇa planet just to have a look at the Personality of Godhead Lord Kṛṣṇa, who appeared there to release His father. Actually there was no arrest of Nanda Mahārāja by Varuṇa because the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana were always engaged in thinking of Kṛṣṇa, in constant meditation on the Personality of Godhead in a particular form of samādhi, or trance of bhakti-yoga. They had no fear of the miseries of material existence. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed that to be in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead by full surrender in transcendental love frees one from the miseries inflicted by the laws of material nature. Here it is clearly mentioned that the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana were extensively busy in the hard labor of their day’s work, and due to the day’s hard labor they were engaged in sound sleep at night. So practically they had very little time to devote to meditation or to the other paraphernalia of spiritual activities. But factually they were engaged in the highest spiritual activities only. Everything done by them was spiritualized because everything was dovetailed in their relationship with Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The central point of activities was Kṛṣṇa, and as such, the so-called activities in the material world were saturated with spiritual potency. That is the advantage of the way of bhakti-yoga. One should discharge one’s duty on Lord Kṛṣṇa’s behalf, and all one’s actions will be saturated with Kṛṣṇa thought, the highest pattern of trance in spiritual realization.
FAQs
This verse states that Kṛṣṇa will free Nanda Mahārāja from Varuṇa’s noose and rescue the gopas from being trapped, showing that the Lord personally removes fear and bondage for His devotees.
Śukadeva is summarizing upcoming Kṛṣṇa-līlās: Kṛṣṇa’s release of Nanda from Varuṇa’s captivity and His saving of the cowherds imprisoned in caves by a demon described as Maya’s son—both highlighting divine protection.
The verse teaches that sincere devotion grants higher vision: even ordinary people burdened by daily work can be lifted by Kṛṣṇa’s grace toward remembrance of the spiritual world through bhakti practices like hearing, chanting, and serving.