FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.2.32

अयाजयद्गोसवेन गोपराजं द्विजोत्तमै: । वित्तस्य चोरुभारस्य चिकीर्षन् सद्वय‍यं विभु: ॥ ३२ ॥
ayājayad go-savena
[ayaajayad go-savena]
gopa-rājaṁ dvijottamaiḥ
[gopa-raajam dvijottamaih]
vittasya coru-bhārasya
[vittasya choru-bhaarasya]
cikīrṣan sad-vyayaṁ vibhuḥ
[chikeershan sad-vyayam vibhuh]
ayājayat — made to perform go-savena — by worship of the cows gopa-rājam — the king of the cowherds dvija-uttamaiḥ — by the learned brāhmaṇas vittasya — of the wealth ca — also uru-bhārasya — great opulence cikīrṣan — desiring to act sat-vyayam — proper utilization vibhuḥ — the great.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ayājayad go-savena
ayājayat
made to perform
go-savena
by worship of the cows
gopa-rājaṁ dvijottamaiḥ
gopa-rājam
the king of the cowherds
dvija-uttamaiḥ
by the learned brāhmaṇas
vittasya coru-bhārasya
vittasya
of the wealth
ca
also
uru-bhārasya
great opulence
cikīrṣan sad-vyayaṁ vibhuḥ
cikīrṣan
desiring to act
sat-vyayam
proper utilization
vibhuḥ
the great.
The Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, desired to utilize the opulent financial strength of Mahārāja Nanda for worship of the cows, and also He wanted to give a lesson to Indra, the King of heaven. Thus He advised His father to perform worship of go, or the pasturing land and the cows, with the help of learned brāhmaṇas.

Since He is the teacher of everyone, the Lord also taught His father, Nanda Mahārāja. Nanda Mahārāja was a well-to-do landholder and owner of many cows, and, as was the custom, he used to perform yearly worship of Indra, the King of heaven, with great opulence. This worship of demigods by the general populace is also advised in the Vedic literature just so people can accept the superior power of the Lord. The demigods are servants of the Lord deputed to look after the management of various activities of universal affairs. Therefore it is advised in the Vedic scriptures that one should perform yajñas to appease the demigods. But one who is devoted to the Supreme Lord has no need to appease the demigods. Worship of the demigods by common people is an arrangement for acknowledging the supremacy of the Supreme Lord, but it is not necessary. Such appeasement is generally recommended for material gains only. As we have already discussed in the Second Canto of this literature, one who admits the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not need to worship the secondary demigods. Sometimes, being worshiped and adored by less intelligent living beings, the demigods become puffed up with power and forget the supremacy of the Lord. This happened when Lord Kṛṣṇa was present in the universe, and thus the Lord wanted to give a lesson to the King of heaven, Indra. He therefore asked Mahārāja Nanda to stop the sacrifice offered to Indra and to use the money properly by performing a ceremony worshiping the cows and the pasturing ground on the hill of Govardhana. By this act Lord Kṛṣṇa taught human society, as He has instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā also, that one should worship the Supreme Lord by all acts and by all their results. That will bring about the desired success. The vaiśyas are specifically advised to give protection to the cows and their pasturing ground or agricultural land instead of squandering their hard-earned money. That will satisfy the Lord. The perfection of one’s occupational duty, whether in the sphere of duty to oneself, one’s community or one’s nation, is judged by the degree to which the Lord is satisfied.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Lord had Nanda perform sacrifice by worshipping the cows using brāhmaṇas, desiring to make proper use of abundant wealth. Go-savena means worship of the cows in place of sacrifice to Indra. The word ca indicates that not only did Kṛṣṇa desire to use the accumulated (uru-bhārasya) wealth properly, but he desired also to break the pride of Indra.
Krsna redirected worship from a puffed-up demigod to the cows, the hill, and the brahmanas. Use your resources to honor what actually sustains life, not what merely demands sacrifice.
Reflection Questions
  • Where are your time and money worshipping a 'demigod' rather than what truly nourishes you?
  • What 'Govardhana' in your life deserves your attention but has been overlooked?
📝 My note

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