Shloka 29

Brahmā’s Bewilderment and Kṛṣṇa Becoming the Calves and Cowherd Boys

Brahma-vimohana-līlā

Devanagari script

ततो विदूराच्चरतो गावो वत्सानुपव्रजम् । गोवर्धनाद्रिशिरसि चरन्त्यो दद‍ृशुस्तृणम् ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

tato vidūrāc carato gāvo vatsān upavrajam govardhanādri-śirasi carantyo dadṛśus tṛṇam

Translation

Pagkaraan, habang nanginginain sa tuktok ng Burol Govardhana, tumingin mula sa malayo ang mga baka sa ibaba upang hanapin ang luntiang damo at nakita ang kanilang mga guya na nanginginain malapit sa Vraja, hindi kalayuan.

Synonyms

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya); तस्मात्/ततः = ‘thereupon/then’ (ablatival adverb)

• vidūrāt: from far away
• vidūrāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverbial use of Ablative); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक ‘far’; पञ्चमी एकवचन (Ablative sg) used adverbially = ‘from far away’

• carataḥ: moving/going
• carataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (चर् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle) शतृ-प्रत्यय; प्रथमा/द्वितीया द्विवचन? actually षष्ठी/सप्तमी? here agreeing with implied ‘(they) moving’; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग?—context: ‘while moving/going’; प्रथमा बहुवचन-भावे अव्ययीभाववत् (participial adverbial)

• gāvaḥ: the cows
• gāvaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (गो प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचन

• vatsān: the calves
• vatsān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (वत्स प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) बहुवचन

• upavrajam: toward the cowherd-settlement (Vraja vicinity)
• upavrajam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upavraja (उपव्रज प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative) एकवचन; गमन-लक्ष्य (goal of motion)

• govardhana-adri-śirasi: on the summit of Govardhana hill
• govardhana-adri-śirasi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: govardhana (गोवर्धन प्रातिपदिक) + adri (अद्रि प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (शिरस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘Govardhana-mountain’s summit’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (śiras); सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचन

• carantyaḥ: grazing/moving about
• carantyaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (चर् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle) शतृ; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘while grazing/moving’ (agreeing with gāvaḥ)

• dadṛśuḥ: they saw
• dadṛśuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person) बहुवचन

• tṛṇam: grass
• tṛṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛṇa (तृण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative) एकवचन

Characters & Entities

• Govardhana Hill
• cows
• calves

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Govardhana Hill in Krishna’s pastimes?

This verse places the Vraja cows and calves on Govardhana’s summit, showing Govardhana as an active setting of Krishna-līlā where the Lord’s daily pastoral life unfolds in intimate, natural simplicity.

Why are the cows and calves described as moving together in Canto 10 Chapter 13?

The chapter’s context centers on the calves and cowherd boys; describing the cows moving with their calves sets the pastoral scene that becomes crucial to the unfolding līlā when Brahmā intervenes.

Practical application: what can a devotee learn from this simple scene of grazing on Govardhana?

It teaches attentive appreciation of Krishna’s presence in ordinary duties—devotion grows by remembering the Lord in simple, daily life, not only in dramatic moments.