Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
एवमुक्ता तदा कृष्ण माता मे सुतवत्सला । मूर्थन्याप्राय गोविन्द सबाष्पाकुललोचना
evam uktā tadā kṛṣṇa mātā me sutavatsalā | mūrdhny āprāya govinda sabāṣpākulalocanā ||
Setelah aku berkata demikian, ibuku—lembut dalam kasih seorang ibu—tenggelam dalam linangan air mata. Wahai Govinda, beliau mendekat, menekan wajahnya ke kepalaku seolah-olah menghirup baunya; matanya kabur oleh tangis, dan tangannya mengusap anggota tubuhku dengan penuh sayang. Lalu, dalam nada yang rendah dan pilu, beliau pun berkata.
वासुदेव उवाच
The verse highlights the moral and emotional dimension of dharma: even when duty and larger purposes are at stake, human bonds—especially a mother’s protective love—remain powerful and ethically significant. It frames righteousness not as cold abstraction but as something lived amid grief, tenderness, and restraint.
After Kṛṣṇa speaks, his mother is overcome with emotion. She approaches him, touches and caresses him with tear-filled eyes, and then begins to speak sorrowfully—signaling maternal concern and the gravity of the situation surrounding him.