Shloka 21
Vasudeva Meets Nanda; Pūtanā’s Fall; Viṣṇu-Rakṣā (Protective Hymn) in Gokula
त्वां पातु दिक्षु वैकुण्ठो विदिक्षु मधुसूदनः हृषीकेशो ऽम्बरे भूमौ रक्षतु त्वां महीधरः
tvāṃ pātu dikṣu vaikuṇṭho vidikṣu madhusūdanaḥ hṛṣīkeśo 'mbare bhūmau rakṣatu tvāṃ mahīdharaḥ
愿毗昆陀在诸方护佑你；愿摩杜苏丹在诸隅守护你。于空中愿赫利希凯沙照看你；在大地上愿摩希陀罗保你安稳。
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; a protective formula embedded in the narrative stream of Ansha 5)
FAQs
This verse frames Viṣṇu—not separate guardians—as the all-encompassing protector of every direction, intermediate quarter, sky, and earth, emphasizing a single supreme sovereignty governing cosmic order.
By invoking distinct epithets (Vaikuṇṭha, Madhusūdana, Hṛṣīkeśa, Mahīdhara), Parāśara presents one Lord active in multiple cosmic functions—abode, victory over evil, mastery of inner faculties, and support of the world.
Viṣṇu is portrayed as the Supreme Reality whose protection is not partial or local but total—spanning space itself—supporting a bhakti-centered vision where refuge in Viṣṇu secures both worldly order and spiritual assurance.