Shloka 36

Rāsa-līlā Begins; Divine Multiplication; Moral Doubt and Its Resolution

Devanagari script

अनुग्रहाय भक्तानां मानुषं देहमास्थित: । भजते ताद‍ृशी: क्रीडा या: श्रुत्वा तत्परो भवेत् ॥ ३६ ॥

Transliteration

anugrahāya bhaktānāṁ mānuṣaṁ deham āsthitaḥ bhajate tādṛśīḥ krīḍa yāḥ śrutvā tat-paro bhavet

Translation

เพื่อประทานพระกรุณาแก่ผู้ภักดี พระผู้เป็นเจ้าทรงรับกายดุจมนุษย์ และทรงประกอบลีลาที่เมื่อผู้คนได้ยินแล้วจะถูกดึงให้มุ่งมั่นอุทิศตนแด่พระองค์.

Synonyms

• anugrahāya: for grace/favor
• anugrahāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anugraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; purpose

• bhaktānām: of devotees
• bhaktānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √bhaj भज्)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• mānuṣam: human
• mānuṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānuṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifies deham

• deham: body
• deham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• āsthitaḥ: having assumed
• āsthitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√sthā (धातु) + ta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; past participle: "having assumed/entered"; qualifies implied subject (Bhagavān)

• bhajate: engages in/performs
• bhajate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhaj (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), Ātmanepada, 3rd Person, Singular

• tādṛśīḥ: such
• tādṛśīḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tādṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; qualifies krīḍāḥ

• krīḍāḥ: sports/pastimes
• krīḍāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krīḍā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; object of bhajate

• yāḥ: which
• yāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; relative pronoun referring to krīḍāḥ

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा): "having heard"

• tat: that (him)
• tat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, (in compound)

• paraḥ: devoted
• paraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; tat-paraḥ (तत्पुरुष): "devoted to him/that"

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Liṅ (लिङ्, Optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

Purport

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains in this connection that when Lord Kṛṣṇa descends to this world in His original two-handed form, out of kindness He manifests that form in a way His devotees conditioned in human society can perceive and understand. Thus here it is stated, mānuṣaṁ deham āsthitaḥ: “He assumes a humanlike body.” Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura glorifies the Lord’s conjugal pastimes, stating that these romantic affairs have an inconceivable spiritual potency to attract the polluted heart of conditioned souls. It is an undeniable fact that any pure- or simple-hearted person who hears narrations of the loving affairs of Kṛṣṇa will be attracted to the lotus feet of the Lord and gradually become His devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about hearing Krishna’s pastimes (Krishna-līlā)?

This verse says the Lord performs such pastimes out of mercy, and simply hearing them can make a listener become fully devoted to Him (tat-paro bhavet).

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe Krishna’s human-like form and pastimes in the Rāsa-līlā chapter?

He clarifies that Krishna’s seemingly human activities are not ordinary; they are divine acts of compassion meant to uplift devotees through hearing and remembrance.

Practical application of this verse in modern life?

Regularly hear or study Krishna’s pastimes with a devotional attitude—this practice nurtures absorption in the Lord and strengthens steady bhakti amid daily life.