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Shloka 15

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

Brahma-vimohana-līlā

अम्भोजन्मजनिस्तदन्तरगतो मायार्भकस्येशितु- र्द्रष्टुं मञ्जु महित्वमन्यदपि तद्वत्सानितो वत्सपान् । नीत्वान्यत्र कुरूद्वहान्तरदधात् खेऽवस्थितो य: पुरा द‍ृष्ट्वाघासुरमोक्षणं प्रभवत: प्राप्त: परं विस्मयम् ॥ १५ ॥

ambhojanma-janis tad-antara-gato māyārbhakasyeśitur draṣṭuṁ mañju mahitvam anyad api tad-vatsān ito vatsapān nītvānyatra kurūdvahāntaradadhāt khe ’vasthito yaḥ purā dṛṣṭvāghāsura-mokṣaṇaṁ prabhavataḥ prāptaḥ paraṁ vismayam

噢,帕利克希特大王,居于天界高处、莲花出生的梵天,曾目睹最有威能的室利·奎师那诛灭并解脱阿迦苏罗,因而极其惊异。如今他想显露些许自身神力,并观见那位在童年戏游中如同牧童般行事的主之甜美威德;于是趁奎师那不在,梵天把牧童与小牛带到别处藏起。然而不久他将亲见奎师那的无上威力而自陷纠缠。

ambho-janma-janiḥthe lotus-born (Brahmā)
ambho-janma-janiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootambhoja (अम्भोज) + janin (जनिन्)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष्य (subject: Brahmā)
tat-antara-gataḥhaving entered within that (scene)
tat-antara-gataḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Roottat (तद्) + antara (अन्तर) + gata (गत, गम् धातु क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘gata’; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ambho-janma-janiḥ)
māyā-arbhakasyaof the wondrous child
māyā-arbhakasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootmāyā (माया) + arbhaka (अर्भक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)
īśituḥof the Lord
īśituḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootīśitṛ (ईशितृ प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध
draṣṭumto see
draṣṭum:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
TypeVerb
Rootdṛś (दृश् धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); प्रयोजन (purpose)
mañjucharming, delightful
mañju:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmañju (मञ्जु अव्यय/विशेषणप्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत् प्रयुक्तं विशेषणम् (indeclinable-like adjective)
mahitvamgreatness, majesty
mahitvam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootmahitva (महित्व प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (object of draṣṭum)
anyatother, extraordinary
anyat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootanya (अन्य प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of mahitvam)
apialso, even
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (also/even)
tat-vatsānthose calves
tat-vatsān:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottat (तद्) + vatsa (वत्स)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्म
itaḥfrom here
itaḥ:
Apadana (अपादान)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootitaḥ (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अपादानार्थ/दिशा (from here)
vatsapānthe cowherd boys (calf-herders)
vatsapān:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvatsapa (वत्सप)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्म
nītvāhaving taken
nītvā:
Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootnī (नी धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having led/taken’
anyatraelsewhere
anyatra:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootanyatra (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; देशवाचक (elsewhere)
kurūdvaha-antara-dadhātplaced (them) within the cave/inside (a hiding place)
kurūdvaha-antara-dadhāt:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootkurūdvaha (कुरूद्वह) + antara (अन्तर) + √dhā (धा धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: अन्तर्-; धातु: धा (to place/put)
khein the sky
khe:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootkha (ख प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (in the sky)
avasthitaḥsituated, stationed
avasthitaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootava + √sthā (स्था धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ambho-janma-janiḥ)
yaḥwho
yaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (यद् सर्वनाम)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)
purāformerly
purā:
Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpurā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly)
dṛṣṭvāhaving seen
dṛṣṭvā:
Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootdṛś (दृश् धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive); ‘having seen’
aghāsura-mokṣaṇamthe liberation of Aghāsura
aghāsura-mokṣaṇam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootaghāsura (अघासुर) + mokṣaṇa (मोक्षण)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म
prabhavataḥof the all-powerful (Lord)
prabhavataḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootprabhavat (प्रभवत् प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of the Almighty/Powerful one)
prāptaḥattained
prāptaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootpra + √āp (आप् धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; (he) attained/reached
paramsupreme, great
param:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (पर प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of vismayam)
vismayamastonishment
vismayam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvismaya (विस्मय प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (object of prāptaḥ)

When Aghāsura was being killed by Kṛṣṇa, who was accompanied by His associates, Brahmā was astonished, but when he saw that Kṛṣṇa was very much enjoying His pastimes of lunch, he was even more astonished and wanted to test whether Kṛṣṇa was actually there. Thus he became entangled in Kṛṣṇa’s māyā. After all, Brahmā was born materially. As mentioned here, ambhojanma janiḥ: he was born of ambhoja, a lotus flower. It does not matter that he was born of a lotus and not of any man, animal or material father. A lotus is also material, and anyone born through the material energy must be subject to the four material deficiencies: bhrama (the tendency to commit mistakes), pramāda (the tendency to be illusioned), vipralipsā (the tendency to cheat) and karaṇāpāṭava (imperfect senses). Thus Brahmā also became entangled.

B
Brahmā
K
Kṛṣṇa
P
Parīkṣit Mahārāja
A
Aghāsura
V
Vatsas (calves)
V
Vatsapāḥ (cowherd boys)

FAQs

Brahmā wanted to test and witness another enchanting display of Kṛṣṇa’s divine greatness, so he removed the calves and boys and hid them, watching unseen from the sky.

It highlights that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme controller, yet by His own māyā He appears like an ordinary child—without losing His full divinity or power.

Cultivate reverent wonder and humility: even the greatest beings are amazed by the Lord, so a devotee should rely on bhakti rather than pride in knowledge or status.