Vishnu Purana — Amsha 5 - Krishna Avatara, Shloka 18

श्रीकृष्ण-जन्म, वसुदेव-यमुनातरण, बालिका-उत्क्षेपः, देवी-प्रादुर्भावः

Devanagari script

यमुनां चातिगम्भीरां नानावर्तशताकुलाम् वसुदेवो वहन् विष्णुं जानुमात्रवहां ययौ

Transliteration

yamunāṃ cātigambhīrāṃ nānāvartaśatākulām vasudevo vahan viṣṇuṃ jānumātravahāṃ yayau

Translation

ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଗଭୀର ଏବଂ ଶତଶତ ଘୂର୍ଣ୍ଣିରେ ଆକୁଳ ଯମୁନାରେ ବସୁଦେବ ବିଷ୍ଣୁଙ୍କୁ ବହନ କରି ପ୍ରବେଶ କଲେ; ସେ ନଦୀ ତାଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ କେବଳ ଜାନୁମାତ୍ର ହୋଇଗଲା, ତେଣୁ ସେ ପାର ହେଲେ।

Word by Word

• यमुनाम्: the Yamunā (river)
• यमुनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अति-गम्भीराम्: very deep
• अति-गम्भीराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्भीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; ‘यमुनाम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्; अति-उपसर्गपूर्वक

• नाना-वर्त-शत-आकुलाम्: crowded with hundreds of various whirlpools
• नाना-वर्त-शत-आकुलाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + वर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; समासः (वर्तानां शतानि तैः आकुला) बहुपद-तत्पुरुषप्रायः; ‘यमुनाम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• वसुदेवः: Vasudeva
• वसुदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• वहन्: carrying
• वहन्: Karta (Agentive participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; कर्तरि; ‘वसुदेवः’ इति विशेषणवत्

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu (the child)
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• जानु-मात्र-वहाम्: having water up to the knees
• जानु-मात्र-वहाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जानु (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + वह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; समासः (जानु-मात्रं वहति इति/यावत् जानु-प्रमाणं वहा) ‘यमुनाम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The miracle of the Yamunā becoming knee-deep for Vasudeva

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: reverent

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To reach Vraja and begin His pastoral līlā while remaining protected from Kaṃsa, the Lord makes the Yamunā yield and become fordable for His bearer.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Safe establishment of Kṛṣṇa among the cowherds, enabling future restoration of dharma through His līlās

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nature (the Yamunā) becomes obedient to Bhagavān and to those carrying His purpose, revealing divine immanence governing the elements.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Let devotion express as steady duty: carry what is sacred (values, vows, service) through adversity, trusting that the path opens.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord is both transcendent and the inner ruler of prakṛti; the elements remain real yet are directed by His will.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Yamuna
• Vasudeva
• Vishnu (as infant Krishna)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Yamuna becoming knee-deep in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals nature’s obedience to Vishnu’s presence: the river’s perilous depth and whirlpools yield, enabling Vasudeva to safely carry the Lord to Gokula.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine protection in this episode?

Through narrative causality: while Vasudeva acts with devotion and resolve, the environment itself transforms—showing that Vishnu’s will upholds and safeguards the course of dharma.

What is the theological importance of calling the infant “Vishnu” here?

The verse affirms that Krishna is not merely a heroic child but Vishnu Himself—the supreme, all-pervading reality—whose presence commands cosmic order even within a human birth-story.