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Shloka 20

Vasudeva and Devakī Glorify Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; The Recovery of Devakī’s Six Sons from Sutala

सूतीगृहे ननु जगाद भवानजो नौ सञ्जज्ञ इत्यनुयुगं निजधर्मगुप्‍त्‍यै । नानातनूर्गगनवद् विदधज्जहासि को वेद भूम्न उरुगाय विभूतिमायाम् ॥ २० ॥

sūtī-gṛhe nanu jagāda bhavān ajo nau sañjajña ity anu-yugaṁ nija-dharma-guptyai nānā-tanūr gagana-vad vidadhaj jahāsi ko veda bhūmna uru-gāya vibhūti-māyām

Mesmo no quarto de parto, Tu nos disseste que Tu, o Senhor não nascido, já havias nascido muitas vezes como nosso filho em eras passadas. Para proteger os Teus próprios princípios de dharma, manifestaste diversos corpos transcendentais e depois os tornaste não manifestos, aparecendo e desaparecendo como uma nuvem. Ó Senhor onipenetrante, celebrado em vastos cânticos, quem pode compreender o poder místico e velador da Tua opulenta expansão?

sūtī-gṛhein the lying-in chamber
sūtī-gṛhe:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootsūtī (प्रातिपदिक) + gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘सूत्याः गृहे’ = in the maternity room
nanuindeed, surely
nanu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootnanu (अव्यय)
FormParticle (सम्भावना/स्मरण/प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय)
jagādasaid
jagāda:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootgad (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular
bhavānyou (honored)
bhavān:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootbhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; honorific pronoun
ajaḥunborn one
ajaḥ:
Visheshya (विशेष्य)
TypeNoun
Rootaja (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
nauof us (two)
nau:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormGenitive (6th/षष्ठी) / Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Dual (द्विवचन); enclitic ‘of us two / to us two’ (context: of us)
sañjajñewas born/appeared
sañjajñe:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootjan (धातु) + sam-
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada
itithus
iti:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
FormQuotative particle (इति-प्रयोग)
anu-yugamage after age
anu-yugam:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootanu (अव्यय) + yuga (प्रातिपदिक)
FormAvyayībhāva: ‘युगं युगं प्रति’ = in every age; functioning adverbially
nija-dharma-guptyaifor the protection of your own dharma
nija-dharma-guptyai:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
TypeNoun
Rootnija (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + gupti (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘निजधर्मस्य गुप्तिः’
nānā-tanūḥmanifold forms
nānā-tanūḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootnānā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + tanū (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; कर्मधारय: ‘नानाविधा तनूः’ = manifold form(s)
gagana-vatlike the sky
gagana-vat:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootgagana (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (वत्-प्रत्यय)
FormAdverbial comparative (वत्) = ‘like the sky’
vidadhanmanifesting, arranging
vidadhan:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootdhā (धातु) + vi- + śatṛ (शतृ) → vidadhat (कृदन्त)
FormPresent active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with bhavān
jahāsiyou abandoned/left (behind)
jahāsi:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Roothās (धातु) + ja- (reduplication)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular, Parasmaipada
kaḥwho
kaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; interrogative pronoun
vedaknows
veda:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvid (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular
bhūmnaḥof the Infinite Lord
bhūmnaḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootbhūman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; address/epithet ‘of the Infinite’
uru-gāyaO widely praised one
uru-gāya:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rooturu (प्रातिपदिक) + gāya (गै/गा धातु से, कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; कर्मधारय: ‘उरु (महान्) गेयः’ = greatly sung
vibhūti-māyāmyour majestic māyā
vibhūti-māyām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvibhūti (प्रातिपदिक) + māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘विभूतेः माया’ = power of opulence/manifestation

Lord Kṛṣṇa was first born to Vasudeva and Devakī in their previous lives as Sutapā and Pṛśni. Later they again became His parents as Kaśyapa and Aditi. This, then, was the third time He had appeared as their son.

K
Kṛṣṇa
V
Vasudeva
D
Devakī

FAQs

This verse states that Kṛṣṇa is aja (unborn), yet He declares “I have taken birth,” showing His appearance is a divine manifestation, not forced by karma.

Vasudeva is offering reverent praise, recalling Kṛṣṇa’s words at His birth and acknowledging that the Lord appears in every age to protect dharma through His inconceivable potency.

It encourages humility and faith: rather than trying to reduce the Divine to ordinary logic, one can focus on dharma, devotion, and gratitude for the Lord’s guidance across changing times.