Sri Krishna In Brindavan

Part I

Exile of Sri Krishna in Brindavan

Krishna and companions (Pahari miniature)

The Vrajavāsīs arrive in Vrndāvana*

Gradually, the caravan of Vrajavāsīs arrived at the beautiful forest of Vrndāvana. They built their residences over a vast area, for the benefit of the cows. The bullock carts were kept so as to make a boundary wall around the entire area, giving it the shape of a half moon. The length of that tract of land was about sixteen miles, and the breadth was eight miles. The newly established village of Vrndāvana was well protected by thorny bushes, branches of trees, and other thorny plants and trees.

All the cowherd men and women began to engage themselves in various household chores. Some of them churned milk or yogurt into butter, some of them pulled ropes to move the churning rod, some of them washed pots and pitchers, making a rumbling noise, some drove pegs into the ground, some tied ropes on these pegs, some erected pillars, some of them were selling bullock carts, some were adjusting the churning rods and tying them with ropes, some were getting ready to build cottages with thatched roofs, some were gathering materials for building cottages, some were engaged in building nests or resting places for birds, some were clearing places for building cow sheds, some were keeping the grinding mortars in order, some were washing them while facing east, some were igniting a fire, some were unloading their belongings from their carts, some of the gopīs were taking the pitchers from their heads and setting them onto the floor, some of them simply enjoyed the beauty of the forest, and some of the gopīs walked around, pulling the branches of the trees. In this way, everyone, including the young and the old, were busy with different activities. some of them were cutting wood with axes. Because the people were engaged in all these activities, Vrndāvana looked exceedingly

* Adapted from Harivamśa Purāna.

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enchanting. The entire forest of Vrndāvana was filled with fruit, roots, and fresh water.

All the cows, which gave an abundance of milk, happily entered the forest of Vrndāvana, which vibrated with the sweet sounds of birds, and which resembled the famous Nandana-kānana forest. An abundance of green grass was available. Lord Krsna, who is very fond of the cows, always thinking about their welfare, carefully studied all the facilities that were available for the cows. It appeared as if the rain-god, Indra, had sent heavy showers to this place. Where Lord Madhūsudana, the benefactor of everyone, is present, the cows, calves, and human beings cannot face any difficulty. In this way, all the cows and inhabitants of Vraja, along with Balarāma, began to reside in the abode of Vrndāvana with great delight...

*37. By their boyish pranks and sweet speech, Rāma and Śrī Krsna delighted all. Gradually as they grew up they began to tend small calves. 38. In the company of other boys, they took the calves to pasture in places not far from the Vraja, carrying with them numerous playthings to engage themselves in sports. 39-40. Sometimes they played on their flutes; sometimes they flung stones with their catapults; sometimes they kicked balls sounding the mini-bells on their anklets; sometimes they put on the masks of bulls and engaged themselves in mock fight, bellowing like bulls; sometimes they mimicked the sounds of different types of animals. Thus they played about like ordinary boys.

*Adapted from Srimad Bhagavata.

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Krishna and his brother Balarama are shown in two different poses, resting by a river as their companions run and play (Basohli miniature)

The destruction of Vatsāsura and Bakāsura

Attack by Vatsāsura (41-14)

One day, while Rāma and Śrī Krsna were grazing the calves with the other boys, an Asura came there with the idea of killing them. 42. Detecting him among the calves in the disguise of a calf, Śrī Hari pointed him out to Rāma, and then went near him as if innocently. 43. He caught hold of his hind legs and tail together, and whirling him round and round, hurled him dead to the top of a Kapittha tree. His huge carcass fell down from the tree, bringing large numbers of Kapittha fruits with it. 44. The boys, astounded to see his huge dead body loudly acclaimed the feat of Śrī Krsna, while the Devas rained flowers in joy.

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Attack of Bakāsura (45 - 59)

45. Rāma and Śrī Krsna, who were really the Guardians of the worlds, now went about as the guardians of small calves. Starting from home in the early morning with food packets in their kit, they moved about grazing the calves in pasture grounds. One day they went to a lake to water the calves. After doing so, they quenched their own thirst with that water. 47. The boys were now terribly frightened to see nearby a monstrous creature like one of those fabled mountains whose wings were cut off by Indra. 48. That creature was the powerful Asura Baka, come in the shape of a crane with sharp beaks. The monster now rushed towards Śrī Krsna and swallowed him. 49. Rāma and other boys became completely paralyzed to see Śrī Krsna being swallowed by the monstrous crane. Their condition was like that of the senses when the Prāna has escaped — more dead than alive. 50. But the crane immediately vomited that cowherd boy, the master even of Brahmā, as that creature felt him hot and burning like a ball of fire. Finding the child absolutely unhurt, the monster now ran at him to attack and kill him with his beak. 51. As the boys looked on and the celestials watched with excitement, Śrī Krsna killed the attacking monster-crane, an ally of Karhsa, by tearing it asunder by its two beaks. For him it was as easy as splitting a blade of grass. 52. Thereupon the celestials began to rain jasmine flowers collected from the heavenly garden of Nandana, and also sang hymns in his praise to the accompaniment of musical instruments like conch and drums. The Gopa boys watched all this in utmost wonder. 53. Just as all the senses cling to the Prāna on its restoration, so did all the Gopa boys embrace Śrī Krsna on his getting back to their midst. Then they returned home, herding all the calves, and reported the events of the day to the elders. 54. The Gopas and Gopīs were wonderstruck on hearing it. With their hearts melting in the intensity of their affection, and eyes unsatisfied by his sight, they gazed on him intently, considering him as one restored to life from the jaws of death.

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55. They began to say: Alas! This boy has met death several times. But lo! death in the end overtook only those who came to destroy him. Perhaps these killers had done much evil in the past, and it is the cumulative effect that has destroyed them. 56. Though all these attackers are terrible in appearance, they have not been able to do any harm to the boy. Though they came to kill him, they perished as moths in fire...

The deliverance of Aghāsura

The Scene in the Woods (l-ll)

Śrī Śuka said: 1. One day, Śrī Krsna decided that he would have his lunch in the woodlands and not at home. So getting up very early in the morning, he woke up all his companions with the charming sound of his horn. In their company he started for the woods, with the calves herded in front. 2. With him started merrily a very large number of Gopa boys with their equipment consisting of slings, sticks, horns and flutes and pots of curd-rice, and they marched ahead. 3. Mixing their calves with the very large number of Śrī Krsna's calves, they engaged themselves in various boyish games, as the calves grazed. 4. Though their mothers had decorated them with ornaments of Kācha, red beads, precious stones, gold etc., they regaled themselves with additional decorations of fruits, tender leaves, bunches of flower, flower buds, peacock feathers and mineral powders. 5. Some of them would in play thieve the slings and equipment of others, and when found out, throw them away to some others at a distance, who in turn would throw them still further. When the owners felt teased, they laughed, and restored them to their owners. 6. If Śrī Krsna happened to go to some distance drawn by the beauty of the forest scenery, the boys would run in competition to be near him and touch him. 7. Some of them sounded their flutes, some blew their horns; still

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others hummed in tune with the bees; and some more cooed with the cuckoos (the Kokilas) — thus did they engage themselves in play. 8. Some ran pursuing the shadows of flying birds; some walked with swans imitating their elegant tread; some mimicked the pose of cranes; some danced with the peacocks—thus did they engage themselves in play. 9. Some of them pulled monkeys by the tail; some climbed trees after them; some imitated their grimaces and contortions; some jumped from one branch of a tree to another—thus did they engage themselves in play. 10. Some jumped into streams and chased the frogs right to the other bank; some conversed mockingly at their own images in water; some scolded the echoes of their own voices from caverns — thus did they engage themselves in play. 11. Possessed of a rich store of merit earned by them in the past, they sported thus with Śrī Krsna — who combines in himself absolute existence, unmixed bliss and pure consciousness in the eyes of the wise — the supreme deity in the eyes of his devotees, and as a mere human child in the eyes of those in the grip of Māyā. 12. Ah! How can one describe the good fortune of the inhabitants of Vraja before whose physical sight stood He, the dust of whose feet the Yogis fail to attain even through austerities practiced in life after life, with their minds indrawn and concentrated on Him!

Appearance of the Demon Agha (13-24)

13. At this time a mighty Asura named Agha, unable to bear the sight of the delightful sports of these children, made his appearance there with a view to destroy them. This Asura was a terror even to the Devas who, though they had drunk the elixir of immortality, still felt it necessary to safeguard their lives against him. 14. This Aghāsura, who had been sent by Kamsa, was the brother of Pūtana and Baka who had met with their death at Śrī Krsna's hands. Seeing Śrī Krsna and the boys, he thought within himself: "This boy is the killer of my sister and brother. I shall kill him along with Bala to give satisfaction to my

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two dead dear ones. 15. If I give these boys as funeral offerings to my dead brother and sister, then all the inhabitants of Vraja are as good as dead. For they are like their Prāna to people; if they perish, the whole community perishes in the next generation. So if the Prāna of the community, their children, are killed, there is nothing to fear from them afterwards, as one need not concern oneself with a body whose Prāna has left it." 16. Having thus resolved, that evil-minded demon assumed the form of a huge python, and with its mountain-like body a Yojana long and its mouth wide-open like a huge cave, lay in wait on the way to devour the children. 17. His lower lip touched the earth and the upper one the clouds in the sky. The corners of his mouth were like caverns while his molars resembled mountain peaks. In the cavity of his mouth, where pitch darkness reigned, his tongue lay like a broad road. His breath came out like a piercing wind, and his eyes shone like the flames of a forest fire. 18. The boys, all in a sportive mood, on seeing Aghāsura of the above description, took him to be another wonderful feature of the scenery of Vrndāvana. They admired and praised its striking resemblance to a python.

They said: 19. Look here, friends! What is it that we see before us — is it a living creature or not? Can you say whether it is a real python lying there waiting to swallow us, or a mere feature of the mountainside? 20. See, the cloud slightly reddened by the sun's rays looks like the upper part of the jaw, and the ground below, which reflects a little of that redness, looks like the lower jaw. 21. The caves on the left and right of the mountain feature look like the corners of a python's lips. The series of lofty peaks look like its molars. 22. This broad and long path is very much like a tongue. The darkness in this gorge between these two peaks resembles the darkness within the mouth of the giant creature. 23. The hot wind caused by the forest fire is like its breath, and the smell of burnt flesh coming from that fire is the foul smell emitted by the rotten flesh in the python's stomach. 24. If we get into this mouth, would the creature swallow

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us? If he does so, he will also follow the footsteps of Baka at the hands of Śrī Krsna. Saying so, they looked at the bewitching face of the destroyer of Baka, and laughed, clapping their hands.

Agha swallowing the Party; and his Death (25-39)

25-26. Hearing the conversation between these ignorant boys oblivious of the real state of affairs, the Lord, who is present in the hearts of all, understood that it was a real serpent and the boys had ignorantly taken fact for fancy. Anxious to save them, he wanted to stop them from proceeding further. Before he could do so, however, the boys and the calves entered into the monster's mouth. But instead of swallowing them immediately, the python kept his mouth open for the destroyer of Baka to enter, so that he could avenge the death of two of his most dear ones. 27-28. Śrī Krsna, the protector of the whole universe, was overcome with pity and wonder at the tragic fate of the boys and the calves, who had none except he as protector, but had slipped out of his hands even into the flaming fire of death. He thought within himself how he could save the good boys and destroy the wicked monster at one stroke. Having arrived at a plan, the all-seeing Śrī Hari entered into the python's mouth. 29. The Devas, standing behind the clouds, cried out, expressing their apprehension, while monstrous beings and the friends and allies of Kamsa felt jubilant.

30. Hearing the wailings of the Devas, Śrī Krsna, the deathless one, began to grow in size within the throat of that monster that wanted to pulverize all of them — Śrī Krsna, the boys and the calves at one stroke. 31. That gigantic monster, having his air passage thus obstructed by the enlarging body of the Lord, began to roll hither and thither with his eyes protruding. As the breath could not come out through any passage, it burst his head and came out. 32. When the monster's life force had entirely left his body, Śrī Krsna, the supreme Self, revived all the calves and friends by his look, and came out with them all

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through the mouth of the dead monster. 33. Now there came out from the body of the huge serpent a radiance that illuminated all the quarters. It lingered in the sky for a moment for Sri Krsna to come out of the serpent's body, and then entered into him, as all the Devas looked on with wonder...

Description of Śrī Krsna's beauty,

the Yamunā and Kāliya lake*

Vaiśampāyana said: 0 Janamejaya, one day, most attractive Śrī Krsna, who can assume any form he desires, went for a walk in the forest of Vrndāvana without his brother, Balarāma. He tucked a bunch of peacock feathers in his curly hair. His eyes were broad, resembling lotus petals. His complexion was blackish and his beauty was extraordinary. His chest was decorated with the mark of Śrīvatsa. In this way, he appeared like a brightly shining moon. His arms were adorned with armlets and his palms looked like fully blossomed lotus flowers. His legs were very beautiful and tender.

When he walked, he looked most enchanting. He was dressed in two pieces of fine yellow cloth. His personality constantly increased the happiness of everyone who saw Him. When the blackish personality, Śrī Krsna, would dress in this way, he would appear like a dark cloud beautified by the golden effulgence of twilight. His two arms were attractive, round, and worshiped by the demigods. He used these hands to take care of the cows, to tie bells around the necks of the calves, and to tie the calves with rope. With his beautiful arms, Śrī Krsna looked very attractive.

As Śrī Krsna gradually surpassed the stage of childhood and

* Adapted from Harivarhśa Purāna.

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entered the age of youth, his face became as beautiful as a lotus flower and a sweet aroma, similar to that of a lotus flower, emanated from his body. His lotus-like face, which was adorned with dots of tilaka, looked very beautiful, like a lotus flower surrounded by a swarm of bees. His head was decorated with a garland of arjuna and kadamba flowers. This garland also had flowers from a nīpa tree and some fresh twigs. As Śrī Krsna walked, his bodily effulgence brightened the entire forest, so that he appeared like a moon shining in the sky. He was adorned with another garland made of forest flowers. In this way, dark-complexioned Śrī Krsna, the almighty Lord, looked like the personified month of Bhādra, when the sky is filled with dark clouds. He wore a chain around his neck that had a peacock feather hanging from it. When Sri Krsna walked, this peacock feather would swing, to and fro, enhancing his great beauty. Sometimes Śrī Krsna would sing, sometimes he would play, sometimes he would wander about here and there, and sometimes he would play on a flute made of green leaves that gave pleasure to everyone. Sometimes Śrī Krsna would go to the forest and, to give happiness to the cows, he would joyfully play his flute in an enchanting manner. The sound of Śrī Krsna's flute was the most beloved experience for the cowherd boys and girls of Vrndavana.

This way, the brightly shining Supreme Lord, Śrī Krsna, whose complexion was just like a dark cloud, wandered about in and around Gokula, as well as within the beautiful forests and gardens. The entire forest of Vrndāvana was filled with the singing of peacocks. The pathways of the forest were covered by grass. In some places, there were tadpoles and mushrooms, appearing like the ornaments of the forest. There were many newly sprouting plants and twigs from which drops of moisture dripped.

Appearing to be intoxicated by the sweet aroma of flowers, the entire land of Vrndavana seemed to repeatedly take deep breaths, out of excitement, just like a young woman. Śrī Krsna enjoyed the cool breezes emanating from the trees and plants of Vrndāvana. He took great pleasure in wandering about within the beautiful forests.

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One day, while tending the cows in the forest of Vrndāvana, Śrī Krsna suddenly saw a tree that was extremely tall. The tree had such big and thick leaves that it looked like a personified cloud on the earth. With its great height, the tree covered half of the entire sky. From a distance, it looked like a huge mountain. There were many peacocks having blue necks and colorful feathers in that tree. With its coral-like red fruit, the tree appeared like a rainbow within the clouds. The tree was so large that each of its branches looked like a big house. It was adorned with many creepers and flowers. Its roots spread out for a long distance. This tree was a source of air and rain. It appeared that this tree was the king of all the other trees in the area. It was very beneficial for everyone because it gave protection from rain and sunshine. The name of this tree was Bhāndīra-vata. As soon as Śrī Krsna saw this beautiful tree, He decided to reside there.

O sinless Janamejaya, Śrī Krsna enjoyed performing pastimes in the association of his cowherd boy friends under this tree. He would play under this tree the entire day, and feel the same happiness he felt when he was at home. When Śrī Krsna resided at Bhāndīravan and enjoyed many childhood pastimes, his cowherd boy friends would satisfy him by offering him gifts obtained from the forest. Some of his friends would sing in a sweet voice to please him. Some would glorify Śrī Krsna's wonderful pastimes, especially those that were very pleasing to him. When the cowherd boys would sing, powerful Śrī Krsna would sometimes play his flute, made of green leaves. Sometimes he would play the tambura, and sometimes he would play a stringed instrument.

One day, Śrī Krsna whose eyes were as broad as those of the cows and bulls, went to the bank of the Yamunā while tending the cows. There were many trees on the bank of the Yamunā that were decorated with creepers and flowers. Śrī Krsna became very pleased to see the beautiful Yamunā, which released cooling and pleasing breezes, and which was decorated

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with many fully blossomed lotus flowers and water lilies. There were beautiful bathing ghats and pathways leading to the Yamunā. The water of the Yamunā was most sanctified and tasty. There were many kundas within that river and its water flowed with great force. The air that arose from the currents of the water had bent the trees on the bank.

The atmosphere by the side of the Yamunā was always filled with the sounds of swans, kārandavas, and cranes. Male and female cakravākas happily enjoyed intimate association in the water of the Yamunā. The Yamunā was the residence of many aquatics that increased the beauty of the river. The lotus flowers and other flowers enhanced the Yamunā's beauty. The water of the Yamunā appeared greenish.... She looked charming because of her enchanting effulgence. There were many hermitages on the banks of the Yamunā. While observing the beauty of the Yamunā, who is the queen of the ocean, Śrī Krsna freely wandered about in the four directions. While wandering in this way on the bank of the Yamunā, the best of all rivers, Śrī Krsna came upon a huge lake, eight miles long. It was difficult even for the demigods to cross it. It was very deep and without a ripple, being a vast body of water.

Even aquatics, such as crocodiles, avoided that lake. There were no water birds present in or around it. It looked unfathomable, like the sky covered by clouds. There were many holes on the banks of that lake wherein lived many poisonous snakes. For this reason, it was difficult for the residents of Vrndāvana to approach it. Indeed, the entire lake was filled with the fire and smoke that emanated from the snakes' poison. Because of this, the water of the lake within the Yamunā was unfit for drinking, both for animals and human beings. Even the demigods, who bathe three times daily, gave up using that water because it was polluted. Even the birds were unable to fly over that lake. If a blade of dry straw fell into the water, it was immediately burnt to ashes. Even the demigods found it hard to walk within eight miles of either side of the lake. At that place, there were no

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trees on both banks of the Yamunā because they had been burnt to ashes by the formidable poison.

There was a two-mile stretch of land on the northern side of the Yamunā that was unaffected by the poison, however. When Śrī Krsna saw that unfathomable lake, which was very attractive, He thought, "Whom does this lake belong to? Actually, this lake is the residence of the poisonous serpent, Kāliya, the king of the snakes, whose body is black, like black ointment, and who is very fierce. I had heard that, long ago, Kaliyā had left his residence in the ocean out of fear of Garuda, the king of birds, and took shelter of this lake. It is Kaliyā who has poisoned the water of the river Yamunā, which flows to the sea. Out of fear of him, no one dares live nearby. That is why this otherwise beautiful forest has become a dangerous place. Actually, Kaliyā and his sinful ministers rule this part of the forest, which is thick with trees, plants, creepers, and bushes. For this reason, the forest here has become empty, like the sky. The water of this lake has become deadly, like food mixed with poison. This entire area is well protected by Kāliya's guards.

The river is full of moss and its banks are crowded with bushes, creepers and lotus flowers. I will have to find a way to reach the heart of this lake. I must destroy this king of serpents, Kāliya, somehow or other, so that this lake, which supplies water to the residents of Vrndāvana, can again become their shelter. If I chastise this serpent then the water of the Yamunā will again be useful for the inhabitants of Vrndāvana. People will be able to wander about freely within this area once again and this river will again be accepted as sacred and the abode of happiness."

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Śrī Krsna chastises Kāliya

Vaiśampāyana said: 0 Janamejaya, realizing the necessity of driving away the serpent, Kaliyā, from the Yamunā, vivacious Śrī Krsna slowly approached the bank of river. He tightened his cloth and climbed onto a branch of the kadarnba tree. Śrī Krsna., whose complexion was like the color of a dark cloud, and whose eyes were like lotus petals, made a loud noise before jumping into the lake within the Yamunā where Kāliya had taken up residence. As soon as Śrī Krsna jumped into the water, the lake became disturbed. The waves spilled over onto the banks, inundating the nearby land. It appeared as if the clouds had fallen onto the earth. The loud sound disturbed the king of the serpents. To find out the cause, Kaliya slowly emerged from the water and

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came to the surface. His eyes were red with anger.

Kāliya, the king of the serpents, was as black as a dark cloud. He was furious so that the corners of his eyes were blood red. Kāliya had five hoods and he breathed fire. His tongue was restless and his mouth was filled with fire. His five heads were enormous and terrifying. In fact, he almost covered the entire lake with his powerful and fiery body. He was trembling with anger and his body was burning with rage. Because of the fiery poison emanating from Kāliya's mouth, the whole lake was disturbed and the course of the river Yamunā was altered. It appeared as if the river ran in retreat, out of fear.

When Kāliya saw Śrī Krsna playing with his cowherd boy friends within the lake, he became ablaze with anger. He exhaled fiery balls accompanied by smoke from his mouth. With his fire of anger, the serpent, Kāliya, who was as dangerous as the time of devastation, began to burn to ashes the trees and plants that grew around the lake. His wives, son, servants and other poisonous snakes, which were all very powerful, supported him. They also began to release fiery poison from their mouths. Being led by Kāliya, all of them forcefully attacked Śrī Krsna. Kāliya and the other snakes captured Śrī Krsna within their coils. Within a short while, Śrī Krsna's hands, legs, and other limbs were rendered motionless. He appeared just like an immovable mountain. The poison released by those snakes already contaminated the water of the Yamunā. Then, they began to bite Śrī Krsna with their sharp teeth. However, Śrī Krsna was so powerful that they could not harm him. Meanwhile, all the cowherd boys became mortified to see Śrī Krsna captured by Kāliya. They went home crying and informed everyone of the situation with choked voices.

The cowherd boys said: "Listen everyone, our Śrī Krsna has become unconscious due to being submerged in the Kāliya lake. The king of snakes, Kāliya, is about to swallow him. Therefore, come quickly do not delay. Somebody should immediately go to the house of Nanda Mahārāja and tell him that his Śrī Krsna is being dragged by the serpent, Kāliya, within his

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lake." In no time, this news reached Nanda Mahārāja, who became overwhelmed with fear and grief. Indeed, this harsh news struck him like a thunderbolt. With great difficulty, he somehow managed to approach the Kāliya lake. Many cowherd men, women, and young boys followed Nanda Mahārāja. Balarāma, the son of Rohinī, also arrived on the shore of the Kāliya lake.

Everyone gathered to view the situation. Nanda and the other cowherd inhabitants of Vrndāvana cried profusely. Tears incessantly fell from their eyes as they approached the Kāliya lake and stood before it. They felt impotent and ashamed because they were unable to help Śrī Krsna. They were amazed to see Śrī Krsna's heroic posture but they were overwhelmed by fear for Śrī Krsna's well being. They said, "Alas! O my son! Shame on our lives!" Some of the cowherds became very distressed and lamented, "Alas! We are finished." In this way, they cried out loudly. The women of Vraja looked at Yaśodā and agonized, "Alas! O, Yaśodā your life is finished although you are still alive because today, you are seeing your beloved child within the grip of Kāliya. Alas! Your child, Śrī Krsna, is completely in the clutches of the serpent, awaiting death."

"O Yaśodā, it appears that your heart is made of hardened steel. Even after finding your beloved son in such a condition, why has your heart not broken into pieces? Alas! We can see Nanda Mahārāja standing on the shore of the Kāliya lake in an extremely painful condition, looking at Śrī Krsna's face without blinking his eyes. We will enter Kāliya lake, which is the residence of the king of serpents, keeping Yaśodā in front. It is our resolve that we will not return to Vrndavana without Sri Krsna. Where is the question of day if there is no sun? How can there be night without the moon? How can there be cows without bulls? How can there be Vrndāvana without Śrī Krsna? We will not return home without Śrī Krsna, just as cows do not return home without their calves."

When Balarāma, who knew the glories of Śrī Krsna and who was undifferentiated from Śrī Krsna, heard these lamentations

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of the cowherd men and women, headed by Nanda Mahārāja and mother Yaśodā, He became very angry at Kāliya and gave the following advice to his younger brother, Śrī Krsna: "O Krsna! O mighty-armed Krsna! You always enhance the pleasure of the cowherd residents of Vraja. Quickly destroy this king of serpents, Kāliya, whose only weapon is his poison. O most dear one! O master of all, our relatives and friends consider You to be an ordinary human being and so they are lamenting and crying most pathetically."

When Śrī Krsna heard these words of Śahkarsana, the son of Rohinī, He immediately freed himself from the clutches of Kāliya and, displaying his supreme prowess, began to challenge him. Thereafter, Śrī Krsna repeatedly pushed Kāliya's heads down, kicking them with his lotus feet. Then, with his lotus-like hands, Śrī Krsna grabbed one of Kāliya's heads. Suddenly, Śrī Krsna jumped onto the broad heads of Kāliya and began to dance. At that time, Śrī Krsna looked very beautiful, his arms being adorned with armlets.

After Śrī Krsna had kicked and chastised Kāliya sufficiently by his dancing, the serpent's pride having been smashed, he spoke as blood issued forth from his mouth. "O beautiful Śrī Krsna, with a most charming face, out of foolishness I displayed my anger before You. You have rightly chastised me. Now, my pride and poison have been vanquished and so, I surrender unto You. Kindly give me permission so that, along with my sons, relatives, and friends, I can always serve You. Please spare my life because I am taking shelter of You."

When the Supreme Lord, Śrī Krsna, whose flag is decorated with the image of Garuda, saw Kāliya offering him obeisance with his five hoods, he spoke to him. "O serpent, Kāliya, I cannot allow you to remain here in this lake of the Yamunā. Along with your wives, brothers, and friends, you must immediately leave and go reside in the ocean. If I ever find a snake within the water of the Yamunā, even if he is your servant or son, I will kill him without a doubt. I desire that the water become purified so that it

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will be beneficial for all the inhabitants of Vrndāvana. Therefore, you must go away and take up residence in the ocean. If you disobey my order, your life will not be spared. O serpent, as you continue to reside in the ocean, the marks of my lotus feet will be clearly visible on your five hoods. Because of this, Garuda, who is your natural enemy, will never harm you."

Thereafter, the great serpent, Kāliya, offered his respectful obeisance unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, Krsna. Before the eyes of all the residents of Vraja, Kāliya departed from that lake. When Kāliya thus accepted defeat and left the Yamunā, and when Śrī Krsna came out of the water onto the shore, all the cowherd men and women were certainly astonished. While glorifying Śrī Krsna, they happily circumambulated Him.

All the cowherd men, who are residents of the forest, were extremely joyful. They said to Nanda Mahārāja, "O king of the cowherds, your life is glorious because you have been greatly favored by the Supreme Lord, who has given you such a wonderful son. O sinless Nanda, from today onwards, all of us men and women of Vraja will take shelter of the Supreme Lord, the lotus-eyed Śrī Krsna, for our protection. It is our great fortune that the water of the Yamunā, which is worshiped by all the sages, had become pure and auspicious for everyone. Now, our cows and calves can drink the water to their full satisfaction. We are village people who live in the forest and yet, the exalted Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Krsna, is present among us, just as fire may remain within ashes. Still, we cannot properly understand his supremacy and greatness." In this way, being struck with wonder, all the inhabitants of Vrndāvana offered prayers to the indestructible Supreme Lord, Krsna, and then returned home, just as the demigods return home after visiting the Caitraratha forest.

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Balarāma kills Dhenukāsura

Vaiśampāyana said: O Janamejaya, after He had subdued the king of the serpents, Kāliya, who lived within a lake of the Yamuna, Śrī Krsna and Balarama often wandered about that area together.

One day, the two sons of Vasudeva took the cows and entered a beautiful forest situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill. There, the two great heroes saw that to the north of Govardhana Hill, by the side of the Yamunā, there was a vast and beautiful forest of palm trees. That forest was most enchanting and full of various kinds of trees, especially palm trees. The two brothers joyfully played in that forest, just like two calves.

The entire forest was cool and the paths were always moist and slippery because there was no clay or small stones on them. The whole tract of land was covered with kuśa and durbā grass. The color of the soil in that forest was black. The palm trees of that forest were tall and broad, and they were black and full of ripe fruit. By looking at these tall palm trees, it appeared as if many elephants were standing while raising their trunks upwards.

Upon seeing this wonderful Talavana forest, Śrī Krsna, who is the crest jewel among eloquent speakers, said to his brother, Balarāma, "My dear brother, this forest is intoxicating, due to the sweet fragrance of the ripe palm fruit. I am sure that these black aromatic palm fruit are tasty and juicy. We should quickly go and relish them. Just imagine — if the fragrance of the fruit is satisfying our sense of smell then I am sure that they will be as palatable as nectar."

Upon hearing these words of Damodara, Balarāma, the son of Rohinī, began to smile. Thereafter, they went to the Tālavana forest and Balarāma began to shake the palm trees vigorously. The inhabitants of Vrndāvana had been unable to relish these palm fruits. It was difficult for them to even enter the forest.

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Even though it was extremely pleasant, it was devoid of human habitation, like the residences of the demons. A terrible demon named Dhenukāsura, whose form was like that of an ass, and who had a gigantic body, lived in that forest. This demon, was always surrounded by many female asses.

This demon, Dhenukāsura, always guarded the forest from all sides. He was a very foolish creature because he would not allow anyone, not even birds or animals, to pass through this forest. When Balarāma shook the palm trees, it made a tumultuous sound. The demon could not tolerate this, just as an elephant cannot tolerate the sound of a challenge, and so he became extremely angry. Dhenukāsura went in the direction from where the noise was coming. In an angry mood, and filled with pride, the demon hurried along the path while raising his tail and moving his head. His eyes were red with rage. In an angry mood, he tore apart the surface of the earth with his hooves. His bodily hair stood on end and his appearance was terrible. As soon as he came near the palm trees, he saw Balarāma, the son of Rohinī, standing there.

On seeing the son of Rohinī, Balarāma, who is the indestructible Lord, standing under the palm trees, the wicked demon, using his teeth as a weapon, tried to bite Balarāma. Dhenukāsura, the king of the demons, then turned his back on the son of Rohinī and violently kicked His chest with his hind legs. At this, Balarāma deftly caught hold of the demon's hind legs, wheeled him around and around, and then threw him into the treetops. As a result, the demon's thighs, waist, back, and neck were all broken. With his body thus deformed, the demon fell from the treetop, along with many palm fruits. When Dhenukāsura was thus lying dead on the ground, the demon's associates attacked Balarāma. He also grabbed their hind legs and threw them into the treetops.

The entire forest thus became covered with dead asses and ripe palm fruits. It appeared like the sky covered with dark clouds. When the ass-demon, Dhenukāsura, was thus killed,

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Sri Krishna lifting the Govardhana mountain (Krishangarh painting,detail)

along with his servants, the Tālavana forest resumed its naturally enchanting and pleasant appearance. All fear of going to Tālavana was thus dispelled. Thereafter, the inhabitants of Vrndāvana were free to wander there and the cows of Vraja could enjoy the green grass. Following this incident, being freed from all fear, the cowherd boys cheerfully entered the Tālavana forest. As the cows and calves began to joyfully graze in that forest, Śrī Krsna and Balarāma, who appeared like two kings of elephants, blissfully sat down there on asanas made of beautiful green leaves...

*

* *

Balarama slays Pralamba*

Śrī Śuka began again: ...2. Rāma and Śrī Krsna were thus sporting in the assumed form of Gopas, during the summer season. 3. But while Keśava, the Supreme Lord, stayed in Vrndāvana with Rāma, the delightful features of the place made the summer resemble the spring. 4. There, in the summer, the sound of waterfalls drowned even the shrill and piercing sound of crickets, while sprays of water splashed from them, always moistening the leaves of the trees and adding beauty to the place. 5. Owing to the luxuriant growth of grass and the breeze blowing through the rippling surfaces of rivers and lakes and waterfalls conveying the pollen of sweet-smelling water-born flowers like Kahlāra, lotus and Utpala, the inhabitants of Vrndāvana knew not the sufferings from the intense heat of the sun and the forest fire characteristic of summer. 6. The constant waves of the waters of the rivers there, overflowing the sandy banks, spread the alluvium all over extensively, so much so the poison-like burning rays of the summer sun were not able to make the land dry or prevent the vigorous growth of grass

*Adapted from Srimad Bhagavata.

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there. 7. The trees of the forest were full of flowers and looked bright and lustrous. A variety of animals and birds inhabited the place. The peacock and the honeybees were everywhere and the songs of Kokilas and Sarasas filled the air.

Śrī Krsna s Sport in the Forest (8-16)

8. One day Śrī Krsna with Balarāma went to the forest for the pastime of cow keeping, surrounded by the cows and the Gopas blowing their flutes very loudly. 9. Bedecked with leaf sprouts, peacock feathers, flower buds, garlands and metallic paints of different hues, the Gopas including Rāma and Śrī Krsna danced, fought and sang. 10. As Śrī Krsna danced, some sang for him, some provided accompaniments and kept time with flutes, horns and hands. Some others extolled the dance. 11. O King! Just as the actors in a drama praise their protagonist, so the celestials, born in the cowherd community and now in the form of Gopas, praised Rāma and Śrī Krsna for their performance. 12. Sometimes with their uncut locks hanging down, they played at contests like whirling, leaping, hurling, pulling, clapping arms, etc. 13. Sometimes, while others danced, Rāma and Śrī Krsna would provide the instrumental accompaniments and music and also shout appreciative and encouraging remarks. 14. They sometimes played throwing Vilva fruits at one another, sometimes fruits of Kumbha or of Āmalaka, and sometimes they fisted one another. Sometimes they played at blind man's buff, sometimes at mimicking the cries of birds and beasts. 15. Sometimes they played at leapfrog, sometimes at holding king's durbar and sometimes at swinging on the boughs of trees. At other times they also cracked jokes among themselves. 16. In this way the pair moved amidst rivers, hills, valleys and bowery groves, playing at various kinds of boyish sports in vogue.

Pralamba s Attack and Destruction (17-32)

17. While Rāma and Śrī Krsna were thus tending cattle in that forest, an Asura named Pralamba, disguised as a Gopa,

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came there with a view to abduct them. 18. Śrī Krsna from whose observation nothing could escape noticed the Asura in the group of cowherd boys. Devising a strategy to kill him, he approached the Asura and cultivated his friendship. 19. Śrī Krsna, who knew many games, called the cowherd boys all together and asked them to prepare themselves for a game, dividing themselves into two opposing teams equal in age and strength. 20. They made Rāma and Śrī Krsna the two team leaders and the rest joined the side of the one or the other. 21. They arranged for various games in which a defeated person would have to carry on his shoulders his victorious counterpart. 22. Sometimes Śrī Krsna's party carrying the others, and at other times vice versa, they progressed, tending the cattle side by side, until they came to the foot of the banyan tree known as Bhandiraka. 23. There the party of Rāma, with the boys Śridāma and Vrshabha as its members, was successful and, according to the original agreement, Śrī Krsna and the others took them on their shoulders and walked. 24. Being defeated, Śrī Krsna carried Śridāma on his shoulder. Bhadrasena carried Vrshabha, and Pralamba (the demon in disguise) carried Balarama. 25. Knowing that Śrī Krsna was irresistible, the Asura Pralamba wanted to be away from his sight and therefore ran with Balarāma on his shoulder beyond the spot where he was to drop him. 26. Carrying Balarāma, who was weighty like a mountain, the Asura's speed slackened and he resumed his hidden Asura form. With the numerous golden ornaments on his body and the fair-complexioned Rāma on his shoulder, the Asura looked like a cloud adorned with streaks of lightning and carrying the moon. 27. Balarāma also felt a little nervous when he found the Asura travelling fast in the air, his eyes burning, his fierce fangs projecting from the brows, his hair flaming, and his body decorated with ornaments like bracelets, ear-rings and a diadem. 28. Then, as the memory of his own divinity was restored, Balarāma again became fearless, and like Indra hurling the thunderbolt on a mountain, delivered punches with his fist

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on the head of the Asura who was lifting him far away from his group. 29. The Asura's brain being thus blown out, he fell down dead like the mountain struck by Indra, giving out a horrible yell and bleeding profusely from the head.

30. Seeing the dead body of Pralamba slain by the powerful Balarama, the Gopas were all astonished and exclaimed: "Well done, Bravo!" 31. They blessed him and praised him, who was praiseworthy. Like one who had come back from the hands of death, they clasped him in their loving embrace. 32. When the sinful Pralamba was killed the Devas were filled with joy and they rained flower garlands on Balarama exclaiming, "Well done, well done!"....

Autumn in Vrndāvan (32-45)

32. While Balarāma and Śrī Krsna thus dwelt in Vraja, the autumn season characterized by a clear sky, crystal waters and gentle breezes set in. 33. Announced by the appearance of lotus flowers, the advent of Śarat restored water everywhere from turbidity to its original state of purity, just as the minds of fallen Yogis are purified by resorting to Yogic practice once again. 34. Śarat cleared the sky of clouds, the vegetation of its congestion, the land of mud and mire, and water of turbidity, just as devotion to Śrī Krsna eradicates sins of persons in all the four Āshramas. 35. Rid of all their wealth of waters, the clouds now shone in their white radiance, like holy men who have abandoned the three Eshanasor longings (for wealth, son and heavenly felicities), and free from sins, are established in peace. 36. The mountains released pure streams of water in some places and not in others, just as men of illumination give out their nectar-like wisdom at certain times while at others they do not.... 42. The moon alleviated the sufferings of people from the heat of the autumn sun, just as spiritual awakening puts an end to

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the miseries of identification with the body, or as Śrī Krsna relieved the sorrows of the Gopīs. 43. The cloudless sky looked charming at night revealing the autumnal stars in all their clarity, just as the pure Sattvika mind reveals the meaning of the Vedas. 44. The full moon shone in the sky surrounded by the stars, just as Śrī Krsna would shine as the Lord of the Yadus amidst his Yadava clansmen. 45. Embracing the gentle temperate breeze coming from the woods in full blossom, loaded with fragrant pollen, people got relief from their anguish caused by heat, but not the Gopīs whose hearts had been stolen away by Śrī Krsna.

The magic of Śrī Krsna's flute

1. At the advent of Śarat as described before, Śrī Krsna with his cowherd boys and cows entered the forest of Vrndāvana, which was fanned by the gentle breeze blowing over the surface of its clear lotus lakes. 2. The woods of Vrndāvana were full of rows

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of flowering trees, and the lakes, streams and hills there were resonant with the humming of bees maddened with flower-nectar and with the sweet warbling of many kinds of birds. Pasturing the cows, the Lord entered this forest accompanied by Balarāma and the cowherd boys and sounded his flute. 3. Some women of Vraja, hearing the entrancing notes of the Lord's flute from a distance, proceeded to celebrate it in song before their other companions, all out of his sight. 4. But, 0 King, recalling the Lord's gestures, as they began to describe the music, love welled up overpoweringly in their hearts, making it impossible for them to speak.

5. Beholding in their mind's eye, an exquisite form with the appearance of a dancer on the stage, adorned with a crest of peacock feathers and ear ornaments of Karnikāra flowers, wearing a yellow cloth of golden radiance, wearing a garland of Vaijayanti flowers, filling the holes of the flute with the nectar of his lips, extolled by the Gopas in various songs, the Lord (they felt) entered Vrndavana, which he had rendered charming, with his footprints found everywhere. 6. Hearing, O king, the music of his flute, captivating to the mind of all living beings, and celebrating it in the following strain, all the women of Vraja mentally embraced the Lord.

The Gopīs' Song Inspired by Śrī Krsna's Flute (7-20)

The Gopīs said: 7. The supreme fulfillment of having eyes is this and nothing else — to drink with one's eyes the face of Śrī Krsna and Rāma as they, at the start of their trek with the cows and their friends the cowherds, cast loving glances around while sounding the flute. 8. Singing at times amidst a circle of Gopas, like two great actors on a stage, adorned with blue and yellow clothes and decorated with tender mango leaves, peacock feathers and bunches of flowers tucked in their curly locks. Lilies fastened to their ears, a garland of blue lotuses on the neck, and play-lotuses in the hand. 9. O Gopīs! What meritorious act has this flute performed, to have the privilege of imbibing the

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pure essence of the nectar flowing from Śrī Krsna's lips without any restriction — a boon denied even to Lakśmi who has to be content with drinking what is left over by the flute! The lakes that nourish the trees are expressing their rapture with blooming lotuses on their surface, while these bamboo trees, participating in the good fortune of the flute, as worthy relatives, are shedding tears of joy in the shape of nectar from their flowers even as the elders of a family are delighted to find their child enjoying the grace of the Lord. 10. O sister! This Vrndāvana augments the reputation of the earth because of the grace that the tread of Śrī Krsna's auspicious feet have conferred on it. It has become a region where the mountain valleys are filled with creatures, all standing still, absorbed at the sight of the dances of peacocks enraptured with the music of Śrī Krsna's flute. 11. Fortunate indeed are these does, though unintelligent by nature. For, on hearing the music of Śrī Krsna's flute they, along with their mates, receive the gloriously bedecked Śrī Krsna, offering him their love-soaked glances in worship. 12. Seeing Śrī Krsna possessing a form and demeanour that delight the minds of women, and hearing the unique melodies that he brings forth from his flute, the celestial damsels traveling in the skies in their aerial cars, are bewitched, so much so that they stand dazed with their garments loosened and flowers fallen from their disarrayed tresses, 13. Look at these cows! With uplifted ears like drinking cups, they are imbibing the nectar of the flute-music flowing from Śrī Krsna's mouth. And lo! these calves, still retaining the milk unswallowed and grass in their mouths, stand pinned to the spot shedding tears of joy and looking steadfastly at the Lord, as if they are drinking him through the eyes and embracing him in their hearts. 14. O mother! Most of these birds in this forest must be sages in disguise! For, see how they have perched themselves on the branches of these trees with sprouting leaves to get a full view of Śrī Krsna and how, with eyes unblinking and voices still, they are listening to the enthralling strains of his flute, all other sounds having altogether ceased for

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them. 15. It looks that the flow of the river is slackening by the formation of whirlpools of amorous sentiment formed in her by the strains of Śrī Krsna's flute. With the offerings of lotus flowers brought in her wavy hands, she seems to cover the Lord's feet and hold them to her breast in embrace. 16. Seeing Śrī Krsna with Rāma grazing cattle in the hot sun and playing on their flutes, a cloud recognizing him as a friend because of their common mission of relieving the sufferings of the world appears above them as an umbrella and sends down a shower of flowers in the form of a mild drizzle out of its abounding love for him. 17. Fortunate indeed are these tribal women of the forest who, on seeing Śrī Krsna's saffron-colored foot marks on the grass, have love kindled in their hearts, and who satisfy the same by rubbing on their faces and breasts that saffron powder that has fallen from his feet, on which it had stuck in the course of his amorous sports with his dear ones. 18. Surely, my friends, this Govardhana mountain is the greatest of the Lord's servants! For it has the privilege of enjoying the supreme bliss of the contact of the feet of Rāma and Śrī Krsna, and of honouring them, along with their cows and cowherd boys, with all the requisites like the fresh and pure water of its cascades, excellent pasture, caves providing shelter, tubers, roots and fruits. 19. O friends! How wonderful is this! Accompanied by cow-herd boys and equipped with ropes of various sizes used by cowherds, Rāma and Śrī Krsna are leading the cows from one forest to another, releasing ravishing strains from their flutes, hearing which mobile creatures become motionless through absorption, and immobile ones like trees show signs of motion, thrilling with joy. 20. Describing thus the sports of the Lord who moved about in Vrndāvana, the Gopīs had their minds absorbed in him.

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The stealing of the Gopīs' clothes

Gopīs' Worship of Goddess Kātyāyani (1-4)

Śrī Śuka said: I. At the beginning of the Hemanta (winter) season the maidens of Vraja observed the vows connected with the worship of Kātyāyani subsisting only on sacrificial food. 2-3. O King! Bathing in the river at sunrise, they installed a sand image of the Devi on the bank of the Kālindī and worshipped Her with sandal paste, fragrant flowers, incense, lighted lamps, tender leaves, fruits, cereals, and food offerings of various kinds. 4. "O Devi Kātyāyani! Thou mighty cosmic power and mistress of all! Deign to make Śrī Krsna, the darling of Nanda, my husband. My salutations to Thee!" Repeating this Mantra, these maidens of Vraja worshipped the Devi.

Śrī Krsna whisking away their Clothes: The Gopīs put to the Test (5-12)

5. For a month they worshipped the Devi in this way with their minds and hearts set on Śrī Krsna, praying that they might get him as their husband. 6. Every day they would wake up at dawn, group themselves, and march to the Kālindī hand in hand, singing aloud songs on Śrī Krsna. 7. One day as usual they deposited their clothes on the riverbank and began to sport joyously in the water singing songs glorifying Śrī Krsna. 8. Śrī Krsna, the worshipful Lord and the Master of all Yoga, on knowing about the worship that these maidens were performing, went to the spot that day surrounded by his comrades in order to bestow on the girls the fruits of their rites. 9. Collecting all their clothes, he quickly went up a Kadamba tree nearby, and laughing with the boys, said to the maidens mockingly: 10. "Girls! You may come here and each, take her own raiment. I am not joking. I want to help you, who have been weakened so much by your fasts and other observances. 11.1 have never spoken an

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untruth; these my friends will bear witness. Come singly or in groups and receive the clothes." 12. Hearing these jesting words of the Lord, the Gopīs, were overwhelmed with love, looked smiling bashfully at one another but did not come out of the water.

Restoration of the Clothes (13-28)

13. Taken aback by these shockingly jocular words of Govinda, the Gopīs who were shivering in neck-deep water pleaded: 14. "O respected one! Pray do no wrong by us. Such behaviour does not befit one who is a son of Nanda, our chief, one who is so deeply loved and held in such high esteem in Vraja. We are shivering with cold. Please give back the clothes. 15. O dark-complexioned one! O paragon of beauty! We are your handmaids, ready to do your bidding. But give us our clothes, O, knower of Dharma. Or else we shall complain to our chieftain, your father!"

The Lord said: 16. "If you are my handmaids and if you will do my bidding, then do as I say. Come up here smiling, and each receive her garment." 17. Then all these girls, weakened by fast and shivering with cold, came out of the water covering their private parts with their palms. 18. The worshipful Lord pleased with the pure heart of these young maidens, put the clothes on his shoulder and said smiling: 19. "You are observing a vow and yet you are bathing in the river without any garment. This is a transgression against the deities. To atone for this you have to place both your hands in salutation on the crown of your head and then make full prostration on the ground. After that you will receive your clothes." 20. Learning from the Lord's words that it is a violation of the vow to bathe nude in the holy river, they, in order to correct their mistake and complete the vow, made prostrations before him who is the be-stower of the fruits of all vows, observances and rites. For, he is the antidote to all sins and imperfections. 21. Seeing them thus prostrating, the all-merciful Lord, the son of Devakī, was highly

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The stealing of the garments of the Gopīs (Pahari School)

gracious to them for their act of absolute self-surrender and gave them their clothes. 22. Their clothes were stolen; they were deceived by being told that it was against the rules of the vow to bathe nude in the river; they were stripped of all shame when they were asked to receive their clothes; they were mocked at when they were asked to accept a joke as truth; they were treated like toys in being asked to hold their hands in salutation and to prostrate. In spite of all this they did not feel the least resentment because it gave them the bliss of communion with their Lord. 23. Having put on their clothes they did not move on from the place. They only stood there stealing bashful glances at the Lord, their minds being enthralled and captivated by his proximity. 24. Knowing that the object of these girls in observing the vows and worship was to be blessed with a place at his feet, the worshipful Lord, (who had once allowed himself

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to be tied with a cord by his mother and thus demonstrated his love for his devotees), said to them as follows: 25. "O virtuous girls! I have understood that the object you have in mind is to serve me. It has my approval and it will therefore materialise soon. 26. Desire for sensual enjoyment directed towards me with complete absorption in me will not end in sensual enjoyment. Just as grain boiled or fried loses its capacity for germination, association with me destroys the sensuous nature of passion. 27. O you paragons of virtue! You go back to Vraja now. The object with which you observed this worship of the Goddess will before long be fulfilled. You will soon sport with me on moonlit autumnal nights."

Śrī Śuka said: 28. Having attained their object, these young girls, as directed by the Lord, returned to Vraja with great difficulty, having their minds absorbed in the contemplation of the Lord.

29. One day Śrī Krsna accompanied by other Gopas and along with Balarāma happened to go a considerable distance away from Vrndāvana while pasturing the cows. 30. Perceiving the trees holding an umbrella as it were with their tops to protect him from the scorching sun, Śrī Krsna said to the Gopas: 31-32. "O StokaKrsna! O Amśu! O Śrīdāmā! O Subala, Arjuna! O powerful Viśāla, Rsabha! O Tejasvī, O Devaprastha! O Varūthapa! Look at these noble beings the trees that live solely for the sake of others, bearing wind, rain, heat, snow, etc. themselves, but protecting us from them. 33. Lo! How enviable is a birth like that of these trees providing sustenance to all creatures in every way. No one seeking sustenance from them has to go away disappointed, just like the needy seeking help from good men. 34. They fulfill the wants of men and other creatures with their leaves, flowers, fruits, shadow, roots, bark, timber, sweet-smelling sap, ashes, wood and tender shoots. 35. Man's life in this world is meaningful and fruitful to the extent that his energies, wealth, intelligence and speech are utilised for the good of others." 36. Speaking thus, Śrī Krsna with the cowherds

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walked to the Yamunā through groves of trees whose branches were bending with their load of clusters of young leaves, blossoms and fruits. 37. O King! They then led the cows to drink of the pure, cool and healthy waters of the Yamunā and themselves drank to their heart's content. 38. Pasturing the cows at will in the grove on the bank of the Yamunā, until they themselves became quite weary and hungry. The Gopas then spoke to Rāma and Śrī Krsna as follows.

The redemption of some Brāhmana women

The Ritualistic Brāhmanas (1-12)

The Gopās said: 1. 0 Rāma the powerful! 0 Śrī Krsna the exterminator of the wicked! We are overpowered by hunger. Do something to relieve it.

Śrī Śuka said: 2. Thus requested by the gopas, Śrī Krsna who sought to shower his Grace on certain Brāhmana women devoted to him, replied as follows: 3. "Here there are some Brāhmanas devoted to the Vedas, who are engaged in a long-drawn sacrifice called Āngirasa with a view to attain heaven. 4. O Gopas! As despatched by us, arrive there and beg food of them, in the names of my venerable brother and myself."

5. As directed by the Lord, they fell in prostration before the Brāhmanas joining their hands in salutation, and begged of them as follows: 6. "O holy Brāhmanas! We wish you all prosperity and happiness. Know us to be Gopas, come to you as directed by Śrī Krsna and Rāma. 7-9. Those two are standing there, not far away from this place, grazing cows. As they are very hungry, they require some food from you. You are knowers of Dharma. If you have respect and regard for them and also sufficient quantity of food, please be good enough to give some...." Though those Brāhmanas heard this request of the Lord conveyed to them, they preferred to pretend that they did not hear it; for they were confirmed ritualists aspiring

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for short-lived heavenly enjoyments 10-11.These foolish Brāhmanas, could see nothing but an ordinary man in Śrī Krsna who in reality was the Supreme Brahman, and the worshipful Lord Mahāvisnu incarnated. He alone has manifested as sacrifice with all its parts — the time, place, sacrificial offerings, Mantras, practices, sacrificing priests, sacrificial fire, deities, master of sacrifice and fruits of the sacrifice. 12. As they neither assented nor refused but only kept quiet, as If they had not heard, the Gopas returned disappointed informed Rāma and Śrī Krsna accordingly.

The Joyful Response of the Wives of the Brāhmanas (13-23)

13. Śrī Krsna, the Lord of the universe, laughed at this, and in order to demonstrate the worldly wisdom of persistence even when their prayer had been turned down once, said to them: 14. "Go and inform the wives of those Brāhmanas that I and my brother have arrived near their place. They have got great love for me and they really live in me though physically they are in their homes. They will give you whatever rice you need." 15. So the Gopas went again to the women's quarter in the sacrificial campus where they saw the wives of the sacrificing Brāhmanas sitting well dressed and well adorned. Saluting them with humility they said to them as follows: 16. "Salutations to you, the wives of the Brāhmanas! Please listen to us. Śrī Krsna who is pasturing cattle nearby has sent us here. 17. While pasturing along with Rāma and the Gopas, he has come far away from home. He and his party are very hungry. He requests you to give them some food."

18. Hearing of Śrī Krsna having come so near, the Brāhmana women — who had been ever anxious to have a look at him, their mind having been lured by his stories — were seized with a flurry. 19-20. Their minds being firmly fixed on the Lord through hearing from early days about his deeds and excellences, these women, though obstructed by their husbands, brothers, sons and other relatives, rushed to meet their beloved

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Lord (as the rivers rush to the ocean), carrying with them the four types of food well-cooked and flavoured. 21. The women saw Śrī Krsna with his brother surrounded by Gopa boys, sauntering in a grove on the bank of the Yamunā abounding in Aśoka trees with tender leaves. 22. They saw him —dark in complexion; wearing golden-coloured silk around his loins; adorned in the fashion of a dancer with a garland of wild flowers, peacock feathers, tender leaves and mineral paints; resting one hand on the shoulder of a friend by the side, with the other twirling a play lotus; with blue lilies on his ears, and frontal locks dangling about his smiling cheeks. 23. Now seeing him in front of them — for long had they been hearing about the excellences of the Lord and deriving the highest satisfaction and absorption of mind in him — they drew him through their eyes into the chambers of their hearts and shook off the pain of separation by a spiritual embrace of him, even as men with an egoistic turn of mind are rid of their anguish on embracing an enlightened soul, O king!

Śrī Krsna's Advice to the Women (24-36)

24. Recognising them as spiritual aspirants of the highest order come to see him renouncing every other desire, Śrī Krsna the Supreme Witness of all individual witnessing centres of consciousness (i.e. the Jīvas), said to them with a smiling face: 25. "O fortunate ladies! You are welcome. Please take your seats. What shall we do for you? That you have come to see us befits your state of mind. 26. People of sound understanding, who perceive what constitutes their real good, cultivate unmotivated and unflagging devotion to me who am the dearest Self of all. 27. Who is there dearer than he by whose association one's Prāna, mind, relatives, body, wife, children, wealth etc., become dear? 28. Being already endowed with devotion, you may now go back to the sacrificial campus, so that your husbands, the house-bound Brāhmanas engaged in sacrifice, may complete their rites, for which your presence is needed."

The women said: 29. "O All-pervading One! Do not be so

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merciless to us who, overcoming all the obstructions placed before us by relatives, have rushed to you in order that we may wait at thy feet to bear on our heads all the Tulasi garlands that are set aside by thy feet, as they fall at them in heaps. Deign to fulfill thy own promise of accepting all devotees who make absolute surrender at thy feet. 30. There is no chance of any of our relatives — husbands, parents, sons, brothers and others — taking us back under their care, as we have mortally offended them in coming over here. It behoves thee therefore to deal with us, who have offered ourselves body, mind and soul at thy feet, in such a manner that we shall not have any other way of life than thy service in future."

The Lord said: 31. "You will not be blamed by your husbands, parents, brothers, sons or the world at large for coming to me, and even the Devas will praise you. 32. Physical contact is not needed for the growth and fulfillment of spiritual love. You keep your mind fixed on me always, and you will attain to me before long." Śrī Śuka said. 33. Being thus instructed, the wives of those Brahmanas returned to the sacrificial campus. Their husbands showed them no ill will, but helped by them, completed the sacrifice. 34. There was, however, one woman who had been sternly debarred by her husband from going to Sri Krsna. She, through meditation on him, clasped the Lord in her heart in the form she had pictured him therein from what she had heard of him and, in the process, abandoned her body, which is but a product of Karma.

35. The worshipful Lord then distributed that cooked rice of four kinds brought by the wives of the Brāhmanas among his cowherd friends and he too partook of it. 36. Thus, the Lord who had taken a human body for his divine play delighted the cows, Gopas and Gopīs by His personal charm, speech and deeds.

The Conversion of the Brāhmanas (37-52)

37. Those sacrificing Brāhmanas too, on reflection, realised

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that they did a great mistake in rejecting the request of these great ones who were none but the Lord taken human forms, and they fell into a mood of repentance. 38. Seeing their wives so full of the highest form of unworldly devotion to Śrī Krsna and themselves without the least of it, they began to condemn themselves thus: 39. "Vain is our high birth with eligibility for the threefold sacrament; vain, our learning, austerities, vast knowledge of the Śastras and our skill in rituals. For, with all these, we have no devotion to the Lord! 40. The Lord's Māyā infatuates even the Yogis. See how we, Brāhmanas, who are expected to teach others, have no awareness of what is good for ourselves. 41. Look at the boundless devotion of our womenfolk to Śrī Krsna, the world teacher, by virtue of which they have been able to cut asunder Death's stranglehold called attachment to home! 42. These, our women-folk, are unlike us, without any of those purificatory rites and ceremonies of the twice-born ones such as Upanayana. They have not stayed at the Guru's house for education. They have no observance of ceremonial purity. They have performed none of the auspicious Vedic rites. 43. Still they are possessed of unswerving devotion to Śrī Krsna, the destroyer of Avidya and the master of all Yogis, whereas we, with all our education and sacramental qualifications, are without it. 44. Oh, how wonderful to contemplate that the Lord, the goal and support of the holy, should have sent a reminder and warning to us through the Gopas to us who, without knowing our real interest, are immersed in domestic life! 45. Otherwise, what reason can there be for Him — the self-fulfilled, the bestower of Moksha, the Lord of all — to come to us, insignificant creatures, with this request for food? 46. He, for serving whom Śrī Devi, the goddess of fortune and beauty and auspiciousness, gave up all other Divinities and abandoned also her own habit of fickleness — that He had to beg for a little food will surprise everyone, unless one understands that He did all that to bless us. 47-48. He constitutes all the parts of Yajna — its location, time, materials for offering,

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Mantra, Tantra, sacrificial priests, sacrificial fires, deities, master of sacrifice, the whole sacrifice and the fruits of sacrifice. He is verily Visnu Himself, the master of all Yogis, born in the clan of the Yadus. We have heard all this, but the dull-witted creatures that we are, we could not recognise Him. 49. But in another sense, we too are indeed fortunate in having as wives women of this calibre; because on account of their devotion, we too have developed firm devotion to Śrī Hari. 50. He by whose Māyā we are caught up in, and overpowered by, adherence to ritualistic disciplines — to that Śrī Krsna, the unfading light of Consciousness and the centre of all divine excellences, our salutations! 51. It behoves the Lord, the cause of all causes and the controller of Māyā, to pardon the improper acts of persons like us who are under the infatuation of His Māyā and could not therefore know His prowess." 52. But these Brāhmanas, though repentant of their disrespectful conduct towards Śrī Krsna and though eager to behold Him, did not stir out, afraid as they were of Karhsa.

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Sri Krishna holding Mount Govardhan, by the artist Nihal Chand

(Kishangarh, about 1755)

The worship and lifting of mount Govardhana*

... At this season, when the heavens were clear and bright with stars, Śrī Krsna, once repairing to Vraja, saw the inhabitants engaged in the celebration of a sacrifice in honour of Śakra.

Beholding all the cowherds busily and anxiously engaged in making preparation, Śrī Krsna, gifted with high intellect, as if out of curiosity, asked the elders, saying, "What festival of Śakra is this, in which you are taking so much delight?" To him thus asking, the cowherd thus lovingly said — "Śatakratu, the king of the celestials, is the lord of the clouds and waters; ordered by him clouds pour down water on earth, by which the grain is produced, on which we and other embodied beings live and by which we please the gods. By this too these cows bear calves and give milk and are happy and well nourished. Wherever the clouds pour waters, the earth is neither barren of corn, nor bare of verdure, nor is man stricken with hunger. Having drunk the milk of the earth by means of the rays of the sun, Indra, the giver of water, pours it again on earth for the sustenance of all the worlds. For this reason all sovereign princes offer, with delight, sacrifices to Indra at the end of the rainy reason, and so also do we, and so do the other people.

Parāśara said: — Having heard the words of the cow-herd Nanda regarding the worship of Śakra, Dāmodara...said, "We, father, are neither cultivators of the soil, nor merchants — we are sojourners in the forests and cows are our gods. There are four divisions of knowledge logical, spiritual, practical, and political. Hear from me, what is the practical science. Agriculture, commerce and tending of cattle — the knowledge of these three professions, O noble Sire, is the practical science. Agriculture is

*Adapted from Visnu Mahāpurānam.

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the means of subsistence to the cultivators, buying and selling to the traders, and tending of cattle is our subsistence. The practical science has thus been divided into three branches. The object that is cultivated by anyone should be to him, his chief deity — he must worship that, for that is his benefactor. O father, the man who worships another's deity, receiving the fruit from his own, does not obtain a prosperous situation either in this world or in the next.

Where the land is no longer cultivated there are limits assigned, beyond which begins the forest; the forests are bounded by the hills and so far do our limits extend. We are not confined within doors or walls, we have neither fields nor homes; we wander about happily wherever we like in our wagons. ...We are thus bound to worship the mountains and offer sacrifices to cattle. Cattle and mountains are our gods, Brāhmanas offer worship with prayer; cultivators of the earth worship their land-marks; but we, who tend our cattle in the forests and mountains, should worship them and our kine.

Let prayer and offerings be then made to the mountain Govardhana... Let milk be collected from all stations and let us feed Brāhmanas and all others who wish to partake of it — without discriminating. When the oblations have been presented and the Brāhmanas have been fed let the cowherds circumambulate the cows decorated with garlands of autumnal flowers. If the cow-herds pay attention to these suggestions, they will secure the favour of the mountain, of the cattle and also mine."

When Nanda and other cowherds heard the speech of Śrī Krsna, their faces were brilliant with joy and they said that he had spoken well. "You have judged alright, child," exclaimed they "we will do exactly as you have said and offer worship to the mountain."

Accordingly the inhabitants of Vraja worshiped the mountain presenting to it curds and milk and other things; and they fed hundreds and thousands of Brāhmanas and many other guests who came to the ceremony even as Śrī Krsna had directed; and

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when they had made their offerings they circumambulated the cows and the bulls that cried as loud as roaring clouds.

Upon the summit of Govardhana, Śrī Krsna, in a new gigantic form, stood and said, "I am the mountain" and partook of the food presented by the cow-herds; whilst in his own form as Śrī Krsna, he ascended the hill with other cow-herds and worshipped his other self. Having promised them many blessings the mountain-person of Śrī Krsna disappeared, and the ceremony being finished the cowherds returned to their homes...

Soon, however, — in the words of Śrī Śuka*— ...clouds started tormenting Nanda's Vraja with great violence, by their sharp driving showers. (8) Shining brightly with flashes of lightning and roaring with rolling thunder and driven by tempestuous winds, they showered hailstones. (9) While the clouds were incessantly pouring forth torrents thick as columns, the earth flooded by volumes of flowing water could not be seen with its distinction of high and low lands. (10) Seized with a shiver through excessive driving showers and tempestuous gales and afflicted with cold, the cowherds and the cowherdesses sought Sri Krsna, the Protector of cows as their refuge. (11) Oppressed with the torrential downpour and fully covering their heads and their children with their trunks, they sought shivering, the soles of the feet of the Lord and prayed as follows: (12) "O Śrī Krsna, O Enchanter of souls, O highly blessed Lord, be pleased to protect the bovine race — which has its protector in You alone — as well as ourselves, O Lover of Your devotees!" (13) Perceiving the animals being beaten by severe hailstorm and getting benumbed, Śrī Hari said to Himself, "...this most terrible hailstorm accompanied by a tempestuous gale is out of season and will cause our destruction. (15) I shall employ an effective remedy against this...and shall accordingly by my own divine power protect Vraja, which has sought shelter in me, looks upon me as its Protector, nay, which constitutes my own family! This is my firm resolve." (18)

* Adapted from Srīmad Bhāgvata Mahāpurāna.

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Having observed thus, and uprooting with one hand Mount Govardhana even as a child would pull out a mushroom, Śrī Krsna sport fully lifted it up. (19) Then the Lord said to the cowherds, "O mother, father, the people of Vraja, comfortably take shelter in the cavity beneath the mountain along with your cattle-wealth. (20) Do not fear that the mountain will fall from my hand on this spot. Away with the fear of storm and rain, since your protection against them has already been ensured." (21) Their mind having been reassured in that way by Śrī Krsna, they entered the cavity and made themselves comfortable there, according to the space available along with their cattle-wealth, ring of bullock-carts and dependants (viz., servants, priests and so on). (22) Under the astonished and delighted gaze of the aforesaid inhabitants of Vraja, who stood disregarding the pangs of hunger and thirst as well as the need for personal comfort, Śrī Krsna held up the mountain for seven days and did not stir from his position. (23) Soon the clouds stopped pouring down their incessant showers. (24) Seeing the sky clear of clouds, the sun risen and the violent downpour and tempest stopped, Śrī Krsna the Bearer of Govardhana, spoke to the Gopas as follows: (25) "Dismiss all fear and go out, O cowherds, along with your womenfolk, wealth and children. The storm and rain have ceased and the rivers are almost emptied of their water." (26) Each taking his cattle-wealth, the aforesaid cowherds as well as the womenfolk, children and the aged thereupon gradually issued forth, their goods loaded on their carts. (27) The almighty Lord too sport fully set down the mountain as before in its own place, all the creatures looking on with wonder. (28)

Overflowing with an up rush of love, the people of Vraja approached Him with embraces and other loving gestures and the Gopīs joyously exhibited their loving regard for Him by sprinkling Him with curds and unbroken rice and showered their choice blessings on Him. (29) Overpowered with affection, Yaśodā, Rohinī, Nanda and Balarāma, the foremost of the powerful,

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hugged Śrī Krsna and pronounced their blessings on Him, (30) Highly gratified, hosts of gods, the Sādhyas as well as the Siddhas, Gandharvas and Cāranas in heaven glorified Him and showered volleys of flowers on Him, O ruler of the earth! (31) Prompted by the gods conchs and kettledrums sounded in the heavens; while Gandharva chiefs — the foremost of whom was Tumburu—sang, O protector of men! (32) Surrounded by loving cowherds and accompanied by Balarama, O king, the said Śrī Hah went back from that place to Vraja. Full of delight the cowherd women too, returned to their respective homes, celebrating such exploits as the uplifting of Govardhana of Śrī Krsna, who had captivated their heart. (33)

*

* *

Nanda speaks to the cowherds about Srī Krsna's divinity.

Śrī Śuka began again: Much astonished to witness such superhuman feats of Śri Krsna, the aforesaid Gopās, who were ignorant of his power, gathered together and talked as follows: (1) Since these exploits are most wonderful indeed on the part of a mere boy, how could he deserve a birth among rustics, which is so unworthy of himself? (2) A boy of seven, how could he keep on holding for a week with one hand a big mountain as sport fully as a lordly elephant would hold a lotus? (3) By him as a mere babe with its eyes half closed was sucked the breast of the mighty Pūtana along with her life, even as the lifespan of a living organism is gradually swallowed up by Time! (4) Struck by the fore part of his feet even as he — only three months old — lay underneath a cart kicking up his feet and crying, the cart fell topsy-turvy! (5) Being carried away through the sky by a demon while squatting on the floor as an infant of one year, he

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killed the demon, Trnāvarta, who was feeling oppressed on account of his being caught by the neck! (6) Tied by the mother to a mortar on the grounds of theft of butter on one occasion, and crawling on all fours between the two Arjuna trees he caused them to fall down! (7) Duly pasturing calves in the forest, accompanied by Balarama and surrounded by other boys, he tore asunder by the bill, with his arms, his enemy in the form of a heron that sought to kill him. (8) Having killed another demon, who, in the guise of a calf had found his way into his herd of calves with intent to kill him, he sport fully caused with the carcass a number of Kapittha trees to fall by dashing it against the Kapittha trees! (9) Slaying the demon Dhenuka, disguised as a donkey, and his kinsfolk while accompanied by Balarama, he rendered safe the forest of palm trees (the home of Dhenuka); which was rich with ripe fruits. (10) Getting the terrible demon Pralamba slain by the powerful Balarāma, he rescued the cattle of Vraja as well as the cowherds from a forest fire. (11) Having subdued the most venomous Kāliya, a ruler of serpents, and rid it of haughtiness, he forcibly expelled it from the pool inhabited by it and made the waters of the Yamunā free from poison! (12) The love of us all, which have our abode in Vraja, for this boy of yours, O Nanda, is such as cannot be easily given up and his love for us too is quite natural. How is it? (13) A boy of seven years lifting up a big mountain — how inconceivable is this! It is for this reason that our suspicion is aroused, 0 ruler of Vraja, with regard to your son being God Himself. (14)

Nanda replied: Pray hear my statement, O Gopas, which is what the sage Garga told me concerning this boy; and let your suspicion about the child melt away. (15) Garga said: Taking diverse forms indeed in each Yuga, this boy has manifested in his body three different colours, viz., white, red and yellow; this time he has assumed a dark complexion. (16) Some time in the past this son of yours was born in the house of Vasudeva; hence the wise who know this truth will duly designate him as the glorious Vāsudeva (son of Vasudeva). (17) There are numerous

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names and forms of your son, conforming to his excellences and actions. I alone know them. (18) The delight of the cowherds, nay, of the entire Gokula, this boy will bring you happiness. By his help you will easily surmount all difficulties. (19) Being protected and strengthened by him during a period of anarchy in former times, O lord of Vraja, pious souls, tormented by robbers, eventually conquered them. (20) Enemies cannot overpower those highly blessed men who offer love to this boy, any more than demons can prevail over those whose cause has been espoused by Lord Visnu. (21) Therefore, this son of yours, O Nanda, is a compeer of Lord Nārayāna in point of excellences, splendour, fame and glory, so that there is nothing to be wondered at his exploits. (22) Ever since, having directly exhorted me thus, Garga returned to his abode, I have recognized Śrī Krsna, who has ever rid us of affliction, to be no other than a part manifestation of Lord Nārāyana. (23) Having heard the aforesaid statement of Nanda recapitulating the words of Garga, the inhabitants of Vraja, who had already witnessed and heard of the glory of Śrī Krsna, possessed as he was of infinite energy, felt rejoiced and worshipped Nanda as well as Śrī Krsna, now that their astonishment was gone. (24) May Śrī Krsna the Ruler of cows be gracious to us — Śrī Krsna, who, when Indra, sent down heavy showers accompanied by strokes of lightning, hailstorms and tempestuous winds, was moved with pity to see the whole of Vraja with its cowherds, cattle and womenfolk in distress and depending solely on Himself and, smilingly uprooting with one hand mount Govardhana, even as a child would pull up a mushroom, held it up and thus protected Vraja....

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Rāsalīlā

The Rāsalīlā: the Gopīs meeting the Lord*

The Call of the Flute (1-11)

Śrī Śuka said: 1. Noting the advent of the Śarat season whose nights are fragrant with the Mallikā flowers in bloom, Śrī Krsna too, assuming his Yogāmayā, decided to enact his long-promised play with the Gopīs. 2. The moon rose giving relief to people from heat and gently painting the face of the eastern horizon crimson with his rays, as a lover long-separated from his beloved would sprinkle her face with Kumkum (vermilion) dust. 3. Seeing the crimson disc of the moon, full like the fresh Kum-kum-dusted face of Ramā herself, and the wood of Vrndāvana beautified by the pleasant rays of that moon, Śrī Krsna sounded his flute, ravishing the hearts of all women. 4. Hearing those love-inspiring notes, the minds of the women of Vraja flew to Śrī Krsna. With their earrings dangling in their agitation, they hurried to the tryst with their lover, but no single one among them knew the movements of the others because of their total absorption in Śrī Krsna. 5. (In their haste and in the forgetfulness of absorption, the Gopis left the duties on hand and hurried towards Śrī Krsna.) Some engaged in milking put down the milking pail and ran; some kept the milk on the hearth for warming, but forgot to take it down; and others did not remember to remove the pot of porridge on the stove. 6. Those engaged in serving food, those feeding infants at their breast, those attending to the personal needs of their husbands, those taking their food — all gave up their chores and hurried to Krsna's presence. 7. Some were anointing themselves, some bathing, some applying collyrium to the eyes, some dressing up and decorating themselves in a wrong order — all stopped their engagements on hand and hurried to Krsna's presence. 8. Though obstructed by husbands, parents, brothers and other relatives, they could not be stopped

* Adapted from Srimad Bhagavata.

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as their minds had been snatched away by Govinda and were completely absorbed in him: 9. Those who were shut up in their homes and could not come out closed their eyes, with their minds absorbed in Śrī Krsna through meditation. 10-11. With all their sins burnt up by the unbearable heat of separation from the Beloved, and with the mind pacified and purified by embracing the Beloved in meditation, they attained to the Paramātman, though they looked upon Him as a lover. Their Karmas being exhausted, they gave up their physical bodies then and there.

The king Parīksit said: 12. O holy one! They knew Śrī Krsna only as their lover, not as Brahman. How was the cessation of the cycle of embodied existences possible in the case of the Gopīs, whose mind was swayed by the three Gunas?

Śrī Śuka said: 13. I have answered this question of yours earlier (in the 7th Skandha) how Śiśupāla, the king of the Che-dis, attained liberation though he opposed Śrī Krsna. If an enemy of Śrī Krsna can be thus blessed, why not his lovers? 14. The Supreme Being changeless, immeasurable, unseen, transcending matter but regulating its course, adopts an individuality only to bestow salvation on Jivas. 15. All those who constantly cherish Śrī Hari through any sentiment — sexual passion, anger, fear, affection, sense of unity, or devotion (Bhakti) — they all attain oneness with Him. 16. Do not think that this is impossible to the Bhagavan Krsna, the Unborn, the Supreme Being and the master of all powers. For, it is He that gives salvation to all beings.

The Lord dissuading the Gopīs (17-30)

17. Seeing all those women of Vraja assembled near him, the Lord, the master of speech that he was, bewitched them by His elegant expressions. The Bhagavān said: 18."Welcome to you, good ladies! In what way can I oblige you? I hope everything is well in Vraja. What is it that brings you all together here? 19. O fair ones! Night is naturally awe-inspiring. It is a time when dangerous animals move about. So return to your homes in Vraja soon. It is

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not befitting that women linger in a place like this. 20. Not finding you at home, your parents, sons, brothers and husbands, will be searching for you everywhere. It is not proper for you to give trouble to your relatives. 21. You have now seen this blossoming forest, illumined with the rays of the full moon and adorned with the tender leaves of trees waving before the sport of breezes from the Yamunā. 22. So now, you please hurry back to Vraja. You are devoted wives having husbands at home to attend to. Besides, your babies and the calves may be crying out of hunger. They have to be fed. 23. If, however, you have come here out of attraction inspired by love of me, it is not much to be wondered at. For all creatures find delight in me. 24. You good ladies! Don't you know that the highest duty of women consists in attending to their husbands or their parents and in looking after the children? 25. A husband should not be abandoned by women aspiring for higher regions be he depraved, unlucky, decrepit, dull-witted, ailing or poverty-stricken, unless of course he is a reprobate. 26. "0 devoted wives! To have relation with a paramour is a bar to heaven and a stain on one's reputation. It is worthless, dangerous, and fearful. 27. The devotional discipline of hearing about me, singing about me, etc., will generate genuine spiritual love in you better than by being by my side. So please go home."

Śrī Śuka said: 28. Hearing these words of Govinda, contrary to their desire, the Gopīs became sorrow-stricken and extremely despondent. 29. In dead silence they stood heavy with sorrow, their faces bent down, their red berry-like lips dried by long hot breaths, their toes listlessly drawing lines on the ground, and their eyes shedding collyrium-tinged tears which were washing away the saffron dust on their breasts. 30. When these Gopīs, who had abandoned all else for the sake of the Lord, heard from their him their most beloved One, words of indifference unsympathetic to their attitude of love, they, moved by passionate love of him, spoke in reply words choked with sobs generated by despair and anger, after rubbing off the tears that welled up in their eyes.

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Rāsamandala

The Gopīs'Plea (31-41)

The GopTs said: 31. "O Lord! It behoves thee not to speak so mercilessly. We have abandoned our all to serve thy feet. Accept us as the Supreme Being accepts all who go to Him seeking liberation. Abandon us not, O thou of mysterious ways! 32. Thou, O worshipful one, who art the source of all codes of right conduct, hast reminded us that the natural duty of women consists in the service of their husbands, children and relatives. Let such service be done to you, the almighty Lord, the central theme of all teachings, for thou art the most beloved friend, the dearest object of love, the very Self of all embodied souls. 33. They who are really wise surely find delight in you alone, their own eternally beloved Self; what purpose could be gained through a husband, children and others, who are sources of agony? Therefore be gracious to us, O Supreme Lord; pray do not

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frustrate our hopes centred in you for long, O lotus-eyed One. 34. Thy blissful self has stolen away our minds that used to find delight in home life, and has put restraints on our hands and feet that occupied themselves with household work. When our feet refuse to move even an inch from thee, how can we return to Vraja? 35. 0 dear one! Quench with the flood of nectar flowing from your lips the fire of passion kindled in our breast by your bewitching smiles, loving glances and melodious music. If not, the fire of separation will consume our bodies, and we shall attain to thy feet through force of meditation. 36. The moment from which thou, the beloved of us forest dwellers, permitted us to touch thy feet — the feet which even Ramā could serve only occasionally — from that time it has become impossible for us to stand before any other man. 37. Śrī, the goddess of prosperity and good fortune, whose favour even Devas like Brahmā long for and who has been given by thee an exalted place on thy chest, none the less seeks, along with Tulasi, the contact of the dust at thy feet — even in that dust do we take refuge. 38. 0 redeemer of all from the life of sin! Be gracious unto us who have come to thee abandoning our hearth and home, and who are intent on thy service, we whose mind is tormented with intense longing awakened by thy charming smile and piercing glances. Make us thy servitors, 0 jewel among men! 39. Seeing thy face surrounded by thy frontal locks, thy cheeks reflecting the brilliance of thy ear-rings, thy lips dripping honey, thy glances accompanied by thy sweet smile, thy powerful arms that give relief from fear to all suppliants, and thy chest that provides the sole sporting ground for Śrī attracted by all these have we become thy handmaids. 40. Seeing this form that bewitches all the three worlds and creates a thrill of joy even in birds, cows and other animals, and hearing this enthralling melody of thy flute with its ascending and descending notes, who is the woman in all the three worlds that would not be charmed and drawn away from the path of virtue? 41. It is clear that thou hast taken birth in Vraja to give protection to its inhabitants from fear

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and sorrow, even as Visnu protects the celestials. Therefore, O friend of the afflicted, stroke with thy cool lotus-like palm the burning breasts and heads of these servitors of thine.

Śrī Krsna's Disappearance (42-48)

Śri Śuka said: 42. Hearing this pitiful prayer of the Gopīs, Śrī Krsna, the Master Yogi, smiled, and out of compassion for them proceeded to delight them, in spite of his being absorbed in His own Self all the while. 43. Amidst this assembly of women — all with faces like flowers before the loving glances of the beloved Śrī Krsna, with his charming movements and still more charming smile revealing the beauty of his jasmine-like teeth, shone in the manner of the moon amidst the stars. 44. He moved about in that woodland as the leader and protector of that concourse of more than a hundred women, praised by them in songs, himself sounding the flute at a high pitch, wearing the Vaijayanti garland made of wild flowers, sauntered about gracing the forest with his bewitching presence. 45. With the Gopīs he went to the snow-like sands of the river and sported with them enjoying the breeze coming across the river carrying the cool water particles and the fragrance of water lilies. 46. By love sports like pulling them near to him and embracing, handling the frontal locks, breasts, thighs and wearing cloth, by impressing nail marks on their bodies, and by his looks and laughter, he inflamed the amorous sentiments of these beauties of Vraja and delighted them thereby. 47. When they found themselves entertained in this way by no less an individual than Śrī Krsna, a great personage and possessor of all divine powers, pride entered into the minds of these women and they thought themselves to be the most superior of their kind. 48. Seeing that pride of beauty and a sense of self-importance were developing in them, Śrī Krsna, who was till then in their midst, suddenly disappeared, with a view to purify them through suffering and make them worthy of his grace.

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" Krsna has vanished!": Gopīs in distress (Pahari)

The Gopīs' quest for Śri Krsna during Rāsalīlā

The Gopīs' Search in the Forest (1-13)

Śrī Śuka said: 1. The Gopīs, on noticing that Śrī Krsna had suddenly vanished from their midst, became distressed as the cow-elephants in a herd would be when their leading tusker is gone. 2. These women, their minds being captivated by and fully absorbed in, the varied features and activities of the Lord — his gait, his love, his smile, his movements, his looks, his attractive conversation, and his various sportive activities — felt a sense of identification with him and imitated His various pastimes. 3. Those beloved ladies of Śrī Krsna felt so attracted by his gait, laughter, looks and conversations that they felt themselves to be one with him and imitated his sportive ways and declared they were Śrī Krsna. 4. Singing loudly, they moved

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from forest to forest in a body in search of Śrī Krsna, like demented persons. They enquired of forest trees the whereabouts of that All-pervading Being, who is within and without all entities like the Ākāāa: 5-6. 'O Aśwattha! O Plaksa! O Nyagrodha! O Kurabaka! O Aśoka! O Nāga! O Punnāga! O Campaka! Did you see the son of Nanda going this way, having stolen our hearts by his smiles and glances of love? Did Śrī Krsna, the brother of Rāma, whose smile can steal away the self-possession of even the proudest of women, pass this way? 7. O Auspicious Tulasi! Did you see Śrī Krsna, the one dearest to you — the one who carries you in his floral garland along with the honeybees who settle on you by the attraction of your fragrance? 8. O Mālatī! O Mallikā! O Jasmine! Have you seen Mādhava going by, enrapturing you with a casual stroke of his hand? 9. O Cūta! O Pri-yāla! O Panasa! O Asana! O Kovidāra! O Jambu! O Arka! O Vilva! O Bakula! O Āmra! O Kadamba! O Nīpa! O all ye other trees standing on the banks of the Yamunā for the good of others! Can you tell us about the whereabouts of Śrī Krsna — to us who are half-dead, on account of him? 10. O Mother Earth! What great austerity had you performed to deserve this great good fortune? For this horripilation all over your body in the shape of a heavy growth of grass must surely be due to the contact of his feet. Did this contact take place just now as he passed this way? Or is it because of the impress of his feet made in his incarnation as Vāmana when he measured the whole universe with three strides, or is it because of his embracing you in his incarnation as the Cosmic Boar when he lifted you (the earth) up from the nether worlds? 11. O my friend doe, wife of the deer! Did Śrī Krsna in the company of his ladylove come here giving the blissful experience of the sight of his face to you? For here we get the sweet smell of the garland of Kunda flowers that our Lord wears, mixed with the fragrance of the saffron powder from its contact with his lady's breasts. 12. O tree! Did Śrī Krsna pass this way with one of his hands resting on the shoulder of his ladylove and the other holding a lotus,

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followed by a host of honey-bees maddened with the fragrance of his Tulasi garland? Did he care to return your greetings by your low-bending boughs with a loving look at least? Or did he fail in this even, due to his engrossment with his lady? 13. These creepers though they are embracing their husbands, the trees, must surely have been pressed by Śrī Krsna with his fingernails as he passed by them; for, as is evident from the fact that they exhibit a thrill of joy in the shape of this abundance of tender leaf-sprouts. Ah! Look at their good fortune! Let us ask them about the whereabouts of Śrī Krsna.

The Gopīs in frenzy imitate Śrī Krsna. (14-23)

4. Speaking thus in the fashion of demented persons and engaged in an exhausting search for Śrī Krsna, the Gopīs got so much identified in consciousness with him that they began to enact the various sportive performances of his infancy. 15. One woman acted as Pūtana, while another taking the role of Śrī Krsna sucked at her breasts. Another impersonating the crying infant Śrī Krsna kicked at one who played the part of the cart. 16. Identifying her self with the wind demon, one Gopī carried away another standing for Śrī Krsna. Still another began to move about like baby Krsna on knees and hands, filling the place with the murmur of mini-bells on girdles and anklets. 17. Two of them impersonated Rāma and Śrī Krsna, and some others, the cowherd boys and calves. Enacting the sports of Śrī Krsna, one got 'killed' as Vatsasura and another as Bakāsura. 18. One impersonating Śrī Krsna called back from a distance another impersonating the cattle that had strayed away to a distance. One played on the flute and frolicked, while others watched the play and cried out in appreciation. 19. In complete identification with Śrī Krsna one put her hand on the shoulder of another and walked about saying: "I am Krsna. See my charming gait!" 20. "Do not have any fear of wind and rain. I give you protection from it!" — so saying, one woman lifted up her upper garment with great effort, as if she were holding aloft the

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The Gopīs re-enact the divine sports of the Lord (Pahari)

Govardhana mountain. 21. O King! Another, in identification with the Kāliya episode, got on the head of another and said: "O evil one! Go away from here. I am born to punish the wicked." 22. Another declared: "O Gopās! See this terrible forest fire. Close your eyes. I shall give you relief immediately." 23. One woman tied another to an imaginary mortar with a garland, while the latter pretending fear hid her face.

Śrī Krsna with a particular Lady (24 -34)

24. As they wandered in this way, making enquiries regarding Śrī Krsna of the trees and creepers of Vrndāvana, they came across the clear imprints of the feet of Śrī Krsna, the Supreme Being, at a place. 25. "These foot-prints are surely of that great one, the son of Nanda. For, in the foot impressions can be seen the distinctive marks of flag, lotus, thunderbolt, hook, grain etc.", they said. 26. As the Gopis were tracing the

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track of Śrī Krsna step by step, they found them interspersed with those of a woman. Very much concerned at this, they began to say: 27. "Who is the woman that, like a cow-elephant led by the leader of the herd, had the good fortune to be led by Śrī Krsna, with his hands on her shoulder? 28. Surely she worshipped the Lord very devoutly. [Anayā ārādhitah is the expression in the original. It is supposed to refer to Rādhā, who has no place in the text otherwise.] For, deserting us all, Śrī Krsna, the most distinguished one of Gokula, has gone with her into solitude as a special mark of favour to her. 29. O Friends! The dust of Śrī Krsna's feet that you find here is very holy, indeed. For Brahma, Śiva and Rāma apply it to their heads for the efface-ment of all sins! 30. But these footprints of the woman cause great agitation in our minds. For she has stolen away what is the common property of all of us Gopīs — the nectar of Śrī Krsna's lips and is enjoying it alone in solitude. 31. But mark, here at this place the woman's footprints are not to be seen. Surely the lover must at this place have lifted up the beloved on his shoulders, as the sprouts of grass must have injured her

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tender feet. 32. O Gopīs! Look here at these deep impressions made by Śrī Krsna's feet. It is surely due to the weight of the woman carried on his shoulder by the love-stricken Śrī Krsna. 33. Here Śrī Krsna, the great one, must have lowered his handsome ladylove from his shoulder in order to pluck flowers for her. In proof of it you see how the mark of the toes and of the forepart of the feet have gone deep into the sand while there is no mark of the heel. To reach the flower high on the branch, he must have reached up standing on the toes. 34. Surely the lover must have dressed the hair of the beloved here. This must be the place where he sat, decorating her locks with the flowers he had gathered."

Śrī Krsna abandoning that Gopī (35-45)

Śrī Śuka said: 35. Ever established in the Self, ever revelling in the bliss within him, Śrī Krsna's poise in the Spirit was not in the least broken in the course of this involvement with women. Then, why did he do it? It was perhaps to show the misery of enslavement that sexuality brings to lovers and the limits to which the perversity of women can descend in their love-sports. 36-37. While the Gopis thus moved about wailing like demented people, the particular woman, taking whom Śrī Krsna had deserted the others, also became subject to inordinate pride. She thought: "I am the pick among women. For among all these women who have ascended Cupid's chariot, our dear one has selected me for his special favour." 38. After walking a little distance in the forest with him, that woman moved by self-conceit said to Śrī Krsna, "I cannot walk any longer. You may carry me to whichever place you want to go." 39. Śrī Krsna then asked his beloved to climb his shoulder. Simultaneously he disappeared, whereupon the woman became repentant. 40. She began to cry aloud: "O my lord! O my dear one! O one with powerful arms! O the most beloved one! Where have you gone! Reveal your whereabouts, O friend, to me your handmaid, disconsolate and heart-broken as I am!"

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41. Now the other Gopis, searching for Śrī Krsna nearby, came across this woman distracted by the disappearance of the beloved. 42. Hearing all that had happened — how Krsna had honoured her, and how out of her perversity she behaved insultingly to him — they were all lost in astonishment. 43. They extended their search to the limits up to which moonlight penetrated the woods but finding it all dark beyond in that thickly wooded forest, they retreated from their quest. 44. With mind merged in him, ever engaged in talks about him, often imitating his acts and movements, merging themselves in spirit with him, and always singing about his praises, they forgot all about their home and its affairs. 45. Coming back to the sandy banks of the Yamunā, thinking of that Enchanter of souls alone, and seized with a longing for His return, began to sing in chorus the excellences of Śrī Krsna, eagerly expecting his re-appearance.

The song of the Gopīs during the Rāsa play

The Gopīs in Anguish (1-19)

The Gopīs said: 1. "O Dear One! By Thy birth, all-round prosperity reigns in Vraja. For Lakśmi, the goddess of plenty and prosperity, dwells here always to be in attendance on Thee. The entire world is glad; only we, Thy Gopīs, whose life is a pawn unto Thee, are in anguish, searching for Thee everywhere.

2.O Lord of Cupid's realm! O Boon giver! Is it not slaughter on Thy part to strike us —Thy gratuitous servitors— by the shaft of Thy looks whose glory puts to shame the soft comeliness of Autumn's lotus bloom?

3.O Great Leader! From death by Kāliya's poison, from the grip of the python-shaped demon, from the destruction wrought by torrential rain, wind and lightning, from dangerous demons like Agha and Vyoma — from all such fears Thou didst protect us.

4.O Friend! Thou art not merely the Gopika's son, but the

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" Meeting stealthily in the rains" ( Pahari School)

" Tossing a flower" (Kangra paintings of the Bihari Sat Sai)

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witness of the inner essence of all embodied beings. Prayed to by Brahmā, 0 comrade, Thou hast dawned like the sun in the clan of the Yadus for the protection of the worlds.

5.O the greatest of Yadu's clan! O charmer of our hearts! Place that comely hand of Thine on our head — the hand that offers protection from Samsāra to those that seek refuge at Thy feet, which grants all boons to devotees and which held in wedlock the hand of Śrī .

6.O Destroyer of Vraja's woes! O hero! Thou art the beloved one who by a mere smile of Thine effaces the pride of Thy own people. Accept us, Thy hand maids, and reveal to us Thy most handsome lotus-face.

7.Thy feet verily destroy the sins of all who prostrate before them — the feet that pursue the footsteps of grazing cows, the feet that provide her home for Śrī, the feet that graced the head of Kāliya. O Lord, place those blessed feet on our breasts and soothe the pangs of love pent up in our heart.

8.O Lotus-eyed one! By Thy sweet speech couched in charming words, enjoyable even to the wise, we, Thy serving maids, have been deprived of our senses. Revive us by the nectar of Thy lips.

9.The nectar of Thy excellences revives the scorched spirit of man. It purifies the sinner, while holy men live on it. To hear it is itself auspicious and peace generating. They are the real gift-makers who spread Thy name far and wide.

10.O Dear One! O Deceptive Lover! Thy sweet smiles, Thy loving looks, Thy meditation-worthy pastimes, and Thy enchanting love-talk in privacy — all these agitate our minds in the extreme.

11.Will not stones and sharp thorns injure Thy lotus-like feet when Thou dost go away from Vraja to pasture cattle? Our minds are extremely worried over this, O sweet Lover and Master of our hearts!

12.O Thou our heroic lover! You kindle love in our hearts again and again at even tide, as we see Thee return, Thy lotus-

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like face smeared with dust raised by the cows, and surrounded by Thy dark locks.

13.O Healer of woes! Place on our breasts those lotus-feet of Thine which are bounteous to worshippers, which the lotus-born Brahmā adores, which are an ornament to the world, which form the one object to be meditated upon in times of danger, and which offer instant peace to those who contact them.

14.O Hero of the realm of love! Give the draught of Thy honeyed lips, which enhances the delight of amorous indulgences, which effaces all sorrows, which is firmly kissed by the resounding flute, and which erases every other form of longing from the heart of man.

15.When Thou art moving about in the forest of Vrndāvana during daytime, a moment seems to be like an age to us who do not see Thee then. A fool indeed is the Creator who fitted these eyelids to our eyes that are anxiously looking for the sight of Thy charming face framed in curly locks.

16.Without caring for our husbands, sons, brothers and other relatives, we have come to Thee, O Imperishable Lord, drawn by the music of Thy flute with which Thou didst call us. Who else but Thou, O Rogue, would abandon such women as ourselves at this dead of night!

17.When we think of Thy secret amorous conversations, Thy face lit with a comely smile which kindles love in our hearts, Thy glances scattering love, and Thy broad chest which is the abode of Śrī our mind is bewitched again and again filled with intense longing.

18.O Dear Lover! Thy assumption of a form is verily for the erasing of the miseries of all the inhabitants of this Gokula and of Vrndāvana in particular, and generally to bring about the good of the world as a whole. How then art Thou so miserly in administering that medicine, held in such abundance by Thee, to cure the heart's ailment of us, who are Thy own?

19.O Dearest One! We shall hold Thy tender feet only very gently and cautiously to our hard breasts. We are in extreme

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anguish; we who live only for Thy sake; to think that those feet, to be thus held and protected, are being painfully lacerated by walking over stones and thorns in the forest."

The Lord comforts the Gopīs

Śrī Śuka continued: I. Thus, O King, did the Gopīs wail at the top of their voice, singing and raving in their intense longing to meet Śrī Krsna. 2. And in their midst Śrī Krsna now reappeared suddenly with a smiling face. He was dressed in a yellow cloth and wore a garland round his neck, while exhibiting a beauty of form that would have caused agitation in the mind of Cupid even. 3. Just as a swooning man's body would revive in all its parts when the Prāna returns, so did all these women rise up in a body, with eyes dilated from the joy of seeing their dear one. 4. One of them went up to Śrī Krsna and held his right palm with both her hands. Another lifted his left hand soft and fragrant like sandalwood, and put it on her own right shoulder. 5. One received in her joined palms chewed betel rolls from his mouth while another held his feet and applied them to her bosom in order to get relief from the heat of separation. 6. In a fit of anger caused by a sense of unrequited love, one bit her lips and cast murderous glances, arching her brows. 7. Another drank again and again with her eyes the lotus-face of the Lord, which she had looked at several times before, with unblinking eyes, and yet had not attained the limit of satisfaction, even like devotees serving His feet. 8. Someone drew him into her heart through the orifice of her eyes, and embracing him there, entered into ecstasy like a Yogi, her joy overflowing as it were in the form of horripilations all over. 9. The whole lot of them was recompensed by the riotous joy of having his vision, and the sorrow of separation from which they were suffering subsided, like the worries of men in deep sleep.

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The Response of the Gopīs (10-14)

10. Surrounded by them with their sorrow dispelled, Śrī Krsna of supreme excellence and imperishable puissance shone like the Supreme Being Himself haloed by Śaktīs — His powers, cosmic and transcendental. 11-12. Leading them all in a body, Śrī Krsna, the all-pervading Being, now stepped on to the delightful banks of the Kālindī and gleamed there where the air was charged with the fragrance of blooming jasmine and Mandāra flowers and with the sound of buzzing honey-bees attracted by that fragrance; where the river-deity Kālindī had with her wavy arms arranged delightful sand dunes with excellent sands for Śrī Krsna to sit on; where the clear moonlight had ousted the dark forms of night, rendering the place safe to stay and attractive to see. 13. The ache of their heart being cured by the joy of his vision, the Gopis passed the bounds of thought, just like the illumined ones who go beyond the mind with the help of the Vedic revelation. To seat the one dearest to their heart they now made a throne with a heap of their upper clothes besmeared with the saffron powder from their breasts. 14. Śrī Krsna the worshipful lord of all excellences, the master of the worlds, who is usually supposed to have his seat in the hearts of Yogis, now sat on that seat made by the Gopīs, to be honoured and worshipped by them with all offerings of love. There he sat, bearing a form that seemed to be the centre of all the beauty that has been revealed anywhere in the three worlds.

Gopīs pose a Question to Śrī Krsna (15-22)

15. Fondling him, the inspirer of love, by gently stroking his hands and legs reposing in their lap, and honouring him by words of praise and admiration, the Gopīs spoke to him in a tone with a touch of anger born of frustrated love, while looking archly with quivering brows. The Gopīs said: 16. "Some love others according as they are loved in return. In contrast to this, some love even those who have no love for them. There are still others who have no love for any — neither for those who love them, nor for

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those who do not. Please say who is the most virtuous among these three." Śrī Bhagavan said: 17. "In the case of mutual love, that is, where love is something returned for something got, the motive on both sides is only self-interest. There is no real love or altruism. 18. But, O pretty girls, those who love others even if they do not requite it, are of two kinds — men who are by nature kind and loving, and the men who are loving like parents. 19. Those who do not love anyone, whether the others love them or not, are of three kinds — Ātmārāmas, or those who are absorbed in the Self: for whom everyone is included in the Self; Apta-kāmas, or those who have no wants of any kind and so need not have dealings with anyone; and the brute man who has no gratitude or respect for elders. 20. O Friends! I, however, do not belong to any of these categories, being supremely compassionate and friendly, inasmuch as I do not visibly reciprocate the love (and remain out of sight for some time) of even those who love Me, in order that they could ever think of Me in the same way as a penniless person would, on a treasure found by him being lost, remain engrossed in the thought of that wealth alone to the exclusion of all other thoughts. 21. O Gopis! It was only to strengthen the longing for me in you, who have left your name, prospects and position in this world — left what the Vedas promise as reward in the hereafter for following their dictates, and left also your home and relatives for my sake — that I disappeared from your vision. It was only to serve you invisibly by hearing your prayer and seeing your actions. O dear ones! Do not make it a ground of complaint against me, who am all love for you. 22. Even by service for countless divine years I cannot pay back to you anything equal to your glorious act of self-surrender, prompted by love untarnished by any blemish of selfishness, and breaking the ever-powerful chain of attachment for home and worldly concerns. As I cannot pay back the debt, may your generous act be its own reward.

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A description of the Rāsa play

The Description of the Dance (1-19)

Śrī Śuka said: 1. 0 dear one! Hearing these bewitching words of the Lord the Gopīs' cast off the pangs of separation, their desire having been fulfilled through the thrilling touch of his divine personality (the embodiment of bliss). 2. Now Govinda, the embodiment of the teachings of the Upanishads, started the collective dance known as Rāsa, participated in by that large number of beautiful women who were fully devoted and joyous at heart, and who arrayed themselves with hands linked. 3. In a manner that gave to each Gopī the impression that he, Śrī Krsna, was by her side, the Lord, by his Yogic power stood between each pair of them, embracing them by their neck. Arraying all these bands of Gopīs in a circular formation, Śrī Krsna started the great festive dance of Rāsa. 4. Soon the sky was full of the aerial cars of celestials that along with their wives gathered with great eagerness to witness the Rāsa dance. 5. Then

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kettledrums began to sound and showers of flowers to fall from the heavens. The master musicians of the Gandharvas began to sing with their womenfolk, songs dealing with the sanctifying excellences of Śrī Krsna. 6. The sound of clanging bangles, of anklets, and of mini-bells on the waist-girdles of those women in unison with the jingling of their dear one's ornaments, filled the atmosphere of that field of Rāsa dance. 7. Just like an emerald between two golden beads, Śrī Krsna shone exceedingly bright between the Gopīs on both his sides. 8. With measured treads of the feet and motions of the hands: with gentle smiles and movements of their brows; with their middle region so slender as if it would break; with their clothes over their breasts quivering; with ear-rings moving against the background of their perspiring cheeks; with their wearing apparels and locks dangling loose — these ladies beloved of Śrī Krsna, who sang loudly about his glories, looked like flashes of lightning amidst a mass of dark clouds. 9. Dancing and singing loudly various tunes and delighted with the touch of Śrī Krsna, the Gopīs whose voice was sweetened with love, nay whose sole delight was loving devotion to Śrī Krsna, filled the air with their songs. 10. Singing in chorus with Śrī Krsna, one of them produced the pure tones unmixed, at an octave higher than his. Pleased with this, Śrī Krsna cried out words of approbation, whereupon she produced the same tune according to the time sequence known as the Dhruvatāla, drawing still more cheers from him. 11. Another, exhausted by the dance, the bracelets on her arms and the flower-wreaths in her braids loosened, supported herself by clinging to the neck of Śrī Krsna. 12. Another thrilled with joy had her hair stand on end, as she smelt and kissed the hands of Śrī Krsna, sandal-smeared and fragrant like lotus, resting on her shoulder. 13. One of them, whose cheeks were reflecting the brilliance of her ear-pendants rocking by the movements of the dance, closely pressed a cheek of hers to Śrī Krsna's, and received from him a roll of betel crushed in his mouth. 14. Another woman who was vigorously dancing to the accompaniment

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of her own song and the delightful sound produced by her anklets and the mini-bells in her girdle, now felt tired, and for relief, pressed the lotus-like palms of nearby Krsna to her breasts.

15. Having got as their husband Him, the Imperishable Being who is the object of Śrī Devis exclusive love, and being embraced by him with his arms around their neck, the Gopīs sported in great joy singing songs on him. 16. As the Gopis danced with the Lord, their faces shone with the blue lilies in their ears, with their curls adorning the cheeks, and with the profuse perspiration born of exertion. As the flower wreaths in their braids kept falling, the buzzing honeybees thereon provided the music for the dance, while an instrumental, accompaniment was provided by their own clanging bangles, anklets and the mini-bells on their waist-girdle. 17. In this way the Lord played with the Gopīs as a child would do with his own image in a mirror, embracing them, touching them with his hands, casting loving looks at them, kissing them, and smiling lovingly at them. 18. 0 great leader of the Kurus! Thrilled by the bliss of contact with the Lord's body, the Gopīs were unaware that their flower garlands and ornaments had slipped away, and were incapable even to attend to their loosened locks and the slipping garments. 19. Seeing these love-sports of Śrī Krsna, the celestial women observing from above were smitten with love, and the moon shining amidst the stars stood still in amazement (thus prolonging the duration of the night).

Sporting in Water (20-26)

20. Though ever poised in the bliss of the Ātman, the all-powerful Lord sported with the Gopīs, assuming as many replicas of his form as there were Gopīs. 21. Śrī Krsna now showed his extreme compassion for them by wiping with his own blissful hands the sweating faces of those women, who were extremely tired by the exertion of the dance. 22. The Gopīs, who-were stimulated by the contact of his fingernails, and whose cheeks shone with their own lustre mixed with those of their golden

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ear-ornaments and their braided hair, honoured their Lord by their glances graced with their nectarine smiles, and by singing about his sanctifying deeds. 23. Together with the Gopīs, the flower garlands on whose bodies were all crushed by now and whose bodies were tinged all over with the saffron powder spread from their breasts in the course of repeated embraces, the Lord, who had broken all bounds set by convention, now walked like an elephant amidst his cows, towards the flowing stream to relieve the exhaustion of himself and the Gopīs through water sports.24. Profusely sprinkled all over from every side by these young women — who were heartily laughing — in the water, casting loving looks at them and praised and worshipped with showers of flowers from above by celestials stationed in their aerial cars, he sported in the water like an elephant, while remaining unperturbed in his inherent blissful nature. 25. Then, in the lightly wooded regions of the Yamunā banks, rendered fragrant by the pleasant breeze wafting the scent of flowers across land and water, Śrī Krsna moved about with this bevy of Gopīs pursued by swarms of honeybees, like an elephant in rut amidst its cows. 26. Thus, during the nights of the Śarat season, replete with all the enthralling beauties extolled in poems, Śrī Krsna, whose will is truth, sported in the assemblage of Gopīs, but so fully was he established in the At-man that his virility was restrained within himself.

The king said: 27. Prayed to by Brahmā, the worshipful Lord (Bhagavān), in order to establish Dharma and eradicate it's opposite (unrighteousness), incarnated as Śrī Krsna, along with his part manifestation (Balarāma). 28. O holy one! He is the maker of the moral codes, their protector as well as their teacher. How did he then commit this most atrocious sin of indulgence in sensual relationship with other people's wives? 29. Śrī Krsna the Lord of the Yadus, is a spiritually awakened person without any unfulfilled desire in him. How did he then indulge in this most heinous sin? O holy one! Please clear this doubt of mine.

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Śrī Śuka said: 30. The mighty have been found to transgress the moral code and indulge in aggressive actions. But just like fire, which can consume anything, be it dirt or poison, and yet can remain pure and unaffected, these powerful ones cannot be contaminated by any evil. 31. But insignificant man should not imitate them in this respect even mentally. If he behaves like that stupidly, it would be like one who is without the power of Rudra but drinks poison, following Rudra's example. Death is the sure consequence that would befall him. 32. The teachings of great ones are true and fit to be followed by all. This is so in regard to some of their actions too. The intelligent man should follow only such of their actions as are consistent with their teachings. 33. For these supermen, who are without the egoistic impulse, there is no self-interest — there is nothing to gain by right actions, and nothing to suffer from by the contrary. 34. That being the case even with such exalted men, it is needless to say that no good or evil can bind that ego less one, the Supreme Being, who is the ruler of all Devās, men and brute creations. 35. By the service of His lotus feet, devotees are established in joy and in freedom from bondage. So too are the knowing ones. When such spiritual personages are, through service of Him, seen to go about free from attachment and bondage, how can these accrue to Him who is the Supreme Lord, who has assumed a form out of His own free will for the good of the world? 36. The one Spirit that pervades the souls of these Gopīs, their husbands and all other beings — that universal Witness has assumed the form of Śrī Krsna for the sake of sport. For the all-pervading Being, where is the distinction between oneself and another, and how can any good or evil therefore accrue to Him? 37. In order to shower His grace on created beings (and attract solely towards Him), He assumes a human body and indulges in sports like the Rasa play, hearing accounts of which man may get exclusively devoted to Him.

38. Owing to Śrī Krsna's mysterious power, the Gopas felt that their women were with them all the while, and had no

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ground to feel any ill will to Śrī Krsna. 39. Towards early morning when the Brahma-muhūrta had begun, the Gopīs, persuaded by Śrī Krsna their beloved, and congratulated by him, went hack home unwillingly. 40. Whoever hears or recites again and again the account of Śrī Krsna's amorous dalliances with the Gopīs with deep faith in the Divinity of Śrī Krsna — the faith that He is Mahāvisnu the Supreme Being — attains to the highest devotion to the Lord, and in the course of the development of devotion, he quickly overcomes lust, the universal malady of mankind.

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The Lord slays Śarikhacūda

Salvation of Sudarśana (1-19)

Sri Suka said: 1. Once during a festive season, the Gopas went with great enthusiasm to a place of pilgrimage known as Ambikāvana in their chariots drawn by oxen. 2. O King! There, after bathing in the Saraswati, they offered devout worship to Sri Parameswara and Pārvati with ingredients like flower, sandal paste and food offerings. 3. Full of reverence they gave as presents to holy men, cows, gold, cloth and sweetened rice and honey, so that the Supreme Being might be gracious to them. 4. Revered persons like Nanda and Sunanda spent that night on the banks of the Saraswati, observing sacred vows and fasting for the day, taking in nothing but water. 5. While Nanda was sleeping there at night, a python under the grip of terrific hunger happened to come that way by the will of providence and got hold of him. 6. Nanda thereupon cried aloud: "O Krsna! O Krsna! A huge serpent is devouring me. O dear one! Save me who has taken shelter in you." 7. His cries roused the Gopas from the sleep and they were shocked to see Nanda in the grip of the python. They began to scourge it with firebrands to get him released. 8. In spite of being scorched that way, the serpent would not release Nanda. Now the Lord arrived at the spot and touched the serpent with his feet.

9. All his evil karma having been wiped out by the contact of the Lord's glorious foot, the serpent abandoned the reptile body and assumed the form of a Vidyādhara, which by its beauty drew the admiration and divine adoration of all celestials of that group. 10. The Vidyādhara, bedecked with golden necklaces and endowed with beauty, now stood before Śrī Krsna after making due prostrations. 11. Śrī Krsna asked him: "Who are you possessed of such great beauty and brilliance? How was this detestable snake-body imposed upon you?" The erstwhile serpent said: 12. "I was a Vidyādhara named Sudarśana, noted

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for my wealth and beauty, and I could travel anywhere I pleased in my aerial car. 13. Proud of my beauty, I once ridiculed some deformed sages, born in the line of the sage Ahgirās. My evil nature called forth from those Rishis a curse by which I was condemned to have this form of a snake. 14. The curse of these merciful sages has proved a real blessing to me. For, it was that which brought me the blessing of contact with Thy feet, the teacher of the worlds, and which has erased my sins. 15. Of Thee, who affordest protection from the fear of Samsara to all those who seek refuge at Thy feet, I now beseech leave to return to my heavenly abode.

16. O Master-Yogin! O Supreme Being! O protector of devotees! I seek refuge in Thee. Give Thy permission for me to depart. 17. O Imperishable Being! By seeing Thee I have been freed from the curse of the holy men. By uttering Thy name only, a man purifies himself and those who hear the utterance of it. What wonder is there then in the contact with Thy feet purifying me?" 18. Being permitted by Śrī Krsna and after circumambulating him, Sudarśana went to his heavenly abode, and Nanda was saved from a perilous situation. 19. With their minds struck with wonder to witness such glory of Śrī Krsna and completing the observance of their vows at that holy spot, O King, the people of Vraja returned home, speaking again and again with reverence, among themselves, about the astonishing events of the day.

Śahkhacūda carrying away the Gopīs (20-32)

20. On a certain occasion later on, Śrī Krsna along with Rama was sporting in the forest with the Gopīs. 21-23. In the early part of the night, surrounded by a host of singing Gopīs — who had fastened their love on Them — well-dressed, well-adorned, and amidst surroundings characterised by the light of the rising moon and stars, by the hovering of black bees intoxicated by the fragrance of jasmines and by the cool breeze laden with the fragrance of lotus-flowers — they both sang, going

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through the scale of musical notes, to the delight of the mind and ears of all created beings. 24. Hearing their song the Gopis fell in a trance, and did not notice that their clothes were loosening and the flower wreaths in their braids were falling.

25. When they were thus singing and sporting with the intoxication of joy, a prominent officer of Kubera, known as Śankhacūda, happened to go that way. 26 Undaunted, Śankhacūda, in the very presence of Rāma and Śrī Krsna, drove the screaming women who had Them as their protector, in a northerly direction. 27. Hearing their dear ones wailing like a cow in the grasp of a tiger, both Rāma and Śrī Krsna ran after Śankhacūda, 28. The two nimble-footed brothers, responding to the wailing women through shouts offering protection, and armed with Sala trees, soon overtook the fast running Guhyaka. 29. Thereupon the stupid Śankhacūda, seeing them both approaching close upon his heels, like the all-consuming spirit of Time and Death, abandoned the women and fled for his own life. 30. Wherever he ran, Śrī Krsna followed him intent on taking off his crest jewel, while Balarāma stood at the spot to protect the women. 31. Śrī Krsna approached him as though he was not very far off, and severed the evil Śankhacūda's head along with the crest jewel on it, with a stroke of His fist. 32. After destroying Śahkha-cūda in this way, he lovingly presented the crest jewel to his own brother Rāma in the presence of all the Gopīs, who stood looking on.

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Gopīkā Yugala-Gītam

Gopīs singing of Śrī Krsna during daytime (1-26)

Śrī Śuka said: 1. Whenever Śrī Krsna went to the forest during the day to pasture cattle, the Gopīs spent their time in anguish, singing about his pastimes.

The Gopīs said: 2-3. 0 Gopīs! When Śrī Krsna sounds his flute, applying his lips to it, with his left cheek resting on his left shoulder, with his comely fingers moving along its seven sound-regulating holes, and with his eye-brows dancing — then do the wives of the Siddhas, who hear the music while going with their husbands in aerial cars, feel astounded, and though bashful, become so overwhelmed with amorous sentiment as to forget that their clothes are slipping down.

4-5. Hear of this strange phenomenon, O girls! When Śrī

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Krsna, the son of Nanda, — on whose chest smiling with pearl necklaces shines Goddess Laksmi like a streak of lightning — sounds his flute, bringing delight to the afflicted people, herds of bulls in Vraja, the deer and cows in the forest, stand absolutely still with ears erect and mouths holding half-chewed grass, as if they are asleep or painted, their mind captivated by the music of the flute heard from a distance.

6-7 O friend! When Śrī Krsna, along with Rāma, puts on a wrestler's garb consisting of peacock plumes, mineral paints and garlands of tender leaves, and stands amidst the Gopas and calls the cows by their names, through the notes of his flute — then the river, slackens her speed and stands as if with her wavy arms as if to fold the Lord in their embrace, and yearning for the contact of the dust of his feet blown about by the breeze, incapable of going away even like us unfortunate folk, till she finally comes to an absolute stand-still.

8-9. When Śrī Krsna, surrounded by followers singing panegyrics in praise of him, and revealing his immortal splendour like that of the Supreme Being, moves in the forest calling the cows that are grazing on the slopes of Govardhana, by their names, with the help of his flute — then the forest trees and creepers laden with flowers and fruits, are seen bending their heads, as if in salutation and with their frames thrilled with love, shed streams of flower-nectar, as though manifesting the all pervading Lord Visnu (dwelling in them in the form of rapture).

10-11. When Śrī Krsna adorned by the charming Tilaka, applies the flute to His lips, admiring the high-pitched, agreeable humming of swarms of black bees inebriated with the nectar of the Tulasi flowers of his garland — then do the water birds like Sārasa, Hamsa and the like gather, their heart captivated by the dulcet music of the flute, and flock by his side like self-controlled sages, silent, with eyes closed, as if contemplating on the Lord.

12-13. O beauties of Vraja! When Śrī Krsna accompanied by Balarāma, gracefully adorned with floral earrings, and standing

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on the top of the mountain (Govardhana) fills the universe with the sound of his flute, enrapturing all and filled with delight himself— then the cloud rumbles in gentle tones, keeping time with his tune, and afraid at heart (as it were) of showing disrespect to the Great One, and covers his Friend with a shower of flowers (in the form of spray), spreading over him an umbrella with his shadow.

14-15. O mother Yaśodā! When your son Śrī Krsna, master of various physical feats common among the Gopas, and a self-taught expert at flute, applies his lips to the flute and produces varied original tunes — then hearing that music even leading celestials like Indra, Parameswara and Brahma bend their heads in humility and in astonishment at the exquisiteness of that music.

16-17. When playing on his flute, Śrī Krsna moves about in Vraja, removing the distress of its soil, arising from the impact of the hooves of cows, by himself treading over it with his feet, bearing the auspicious marks of the flag, thunderbolt, lotus and hook, then we — in whom the fire of love is kindled by his amorous glances and who are then reduced to standing still like trees — being bewitched, are no longer conscious of our loosening braids or even our clothes.

18-19. When Śrī Krsna, bedecked with his favourite garland of fragrant Tulasi leaves, sounds his flute while counting the herds of cows with beads, resting one of his hands on the shoulder of a Gopa boy — then the does, the wives of the black deer, carried away by the music of his flute, approach him who is the centre of abounding virtues and remain there, like the Gopikas themselves, abandoning all hopes of returning to their homes.

20-21. O holy lady Yasoda! When your son Śrī Krsna, decorated beautifully with garlands of Kunda flowers and surrounded by cows and Gopa boys, sports on the banks of the Yamunā giving great delight to his devotees — then the gentle breeze serves the Lord by its cool and fragrant touch like sandal paste,

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and hosts of demigods, playing the part of his panegyrists, adore him with music, both vocal and instrumental, flowers and other offerings.

22-23. Here comes at eventide the Devaki-born moon of a Krsna, having collected all the cattle of Vraja, to whom he is dear because of his protecting them from rain by holding up the mountain. Wearing garlands covered with the dust of the

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hooves of cattle he delights the eyes of the onlookers even by the splendour of his fatigued person. His feet being adored on the way by Brahmā and others, his glory being sung by his followers, he comes to fulfill the prayers of his devotees.

24-25. With a bright look, sporting a floral garland and gladdening his friends, here comes Śrī Krsna, the leader of the Yadu clan, like a moon relieving the daylong heat (of separation of the inhabitants of Vraja) — his eyes rolling in a slight intoxication of bliss, his face flushed like a Badara fruit, his cheeks shining with the lustre of his golden ear-rings, and his gait resembling that of a lordly elephant.

Śrī Suka said: 26. O King! In this way, even in the daytime the noble-souled Gopis rejoiced, celebrating in song Śrī Krsna's glorious pastimes, with their minds absorbed in him and in the bliss produced thereby.

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Kamsa despatches Akrura to Vraja

to bring Śrī Krsna to Mathura

Destruction of Arista (1-15)

Śrī Śuka said: 1. Now there came into Gokula an Ox-demon called Arista with a huge hump and a very big body, causing tremors on the earth that was riven by the furrows formed by his hooves. 2-4. Wildly bellowing, scouring the earth with his legs, lifting his tail, removing chunks of earth from hillsides with his horns, the demon Arista, excreting urine and dung a little here and a little there, and gazing with fixed eyes, arrived. Frightened by his fierce bellows, pregnant cows and women had abortions and premature deliveries. Clouds rested on his humps, mistaking it for a mountain. 5. Seeing his fierce and sharp horns, the Gopas and the Gopīs trembled in fear, while the cattle got scared and fled away from the cow-pens. 6-9.

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Calling aloud Krsna, they all took shelter in him. And the Lord, seeing all the people running helter-shelter out of fear, called out to them to be at peace. He challenged the Ox-demon for a fight, and said: "O fool! Sinful one! Of what avail is your frightening the Gopas and the cows? Here am I to put down the pride and power of evil ones like you." Saying so, Śrī Hari (Śrī Krsna) provoked the demon with a clap of arms, and stood there with one hand resting on the shoulder of a friend. Roused to anger thereby, Arista rushed at Śrī Krsna, tearing the earth with his hooves and stirring the clouds by his uplifted tail. 10. Like In-dra's Vajra weapon, the Asura charged, lifting forward his hooves and casting a downward look at the Lord with his un-moving and bloodshot eyes. 11. Like an elephant confronting another elephant, the Lord caught hold of the Ox-demon by his horns, and with one push sent him eighteen feet back. 12. Knocked down by the Lord, the bull quickly rose again and, filled with fury, rushed forward sweating all over and breathing hard. 13. The Lord caught the charging demon by the horns, and throwing him on the ground, squeezed him with his feet like a wet cloth. Then pulling out his horn, he struck him with it till he fell prostrate. 14. Vomiting blood, evacuating, kicking his legs and gazing with unsteady eyes, the demon departed to Death's abode in great agony. At this the Devas showered flowers and sang the praise of Hari, the destroyer of the troubles and tribulations of devotees. 15. Destroying the Ox-demon thus, the Lord entered the settlement of cowherds along with Bala, praised by the Gopas and providing a feast to the eyes of the Gopis.

Kamsa's final resolution to destroy Śrī Krsna (16-26)

16. After the destruction of Arista by Śrī Krsna of astounding deeds, the Devarshi Nārada one day said as follows to Karhsa: 17-18. "Know that the girl popularly known as the eighth child of Devaki is really the daughter of Yaśodā, and that Krsna who passes for Yaśodā's son is really Devakīs son. And Rīma,

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generally taken as Nanda's son, is really the son of Rohinī by Vasudeva. They have only been entrusted to Nanda, for fear of you. It is they who have killed so many of your men."

19-22. Hearing this, Karhsa became furious with rage. He took up his sword to kill Vasudeva, but was restrained by Na-rada. Knowing that the son of Vasudeva would be the cause of his death, Karhsa, after the departure of the Devarshi, had Vasudeva and his wife chained with iron fetters. Then he called Kesi and commissioned him to go and kill Śrī Krsna and Rāma. After that, he called together his advisers like Mustika, Cānūra, Śala, Tośalaka and others, as also the masters of his elephant stable, and said: "Now, O valiant wrestlers, Chānūra, Mustika and others! Hear this news. 23. I understand that in the cowherd settlement of Nanda, the two sons of Vasudeva named Rāma and Śrī Krsna are dwelling, and that I shall be meeting my death at their hands. 24. We shall get this Rāma and Śrī Krsna here, and kill them in a wrestling match with you. In the amphitheatre for wrestling matches, order galleries to be set up. Let all the inhabitants of the city and the villages have the benefit of enjoying the wrestling match. 25. O my dear chief of the elephant stables! You station the elephant Kuvala-yāpīda at the gate of the theatre, and induce the elephant to destroy my enemies. 26. Let a bow-worship be ceremonially inaugurated on the fourteenth lunar day sacred to Śiva, and let animals be sacrificed in honour of Pasupati, the ready bestower of boons.

Kamsa commissioning Akrūra (27-40)

27. Karhsa, well versed in the methods of achieving his personal ends, next called Akrura, a leader of the Yadu clan, and clasping his hand said to him as follows: 28. "O Akrūra dear! You have to do for me something, which only a close friend can do. I do not find among the Bhojas and Vrsnis anyone to match you in true humility and generosity. 29. O gentle one! Just as Indra, the Lord of the worlds achieved his ends by depending on Visnu, so I depend on you for a great achievement. 30.

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Please go to the cowherd settle-ment of Nanda's Vraja where Rāma and Krsna, the sons of Vasudeva, are staying. You have to bring them here in this chariot without delay. 31. With the support of Mahāvisnu the Devas have devised a plan for my death through the agency of Rāma and Krsna. You are to bring these two here along with Nanda and the Gopas carrying their tributes to me. 32. When they arrive here, I shall have them killed by my elephant Kuvalayāpīda, who is as good as Death himself. If they escape from the elephant, I shall arrange wrestlers, fierce like thunderbolts to kill them. 33. After they are killed, it is easy to destroy their afflicted friends and relatives — all the important Yādavas and Vrsnis like Vasudeva and the rest. 34. I shall then easily kill Ugrasena, my father, who though old is anxious to regain his sovereignity, as also his brother Devaka and others who are opposed to me.

35. My friend! If this is done, this land will be rid of all its thorns, Jarāsandha (my father-in-law) is as good as my father; while Dvivida is my beloved friend. 36. Besides, Sambara, Na-raka, Bāna and several others have entered into alliance with me. With their help I will destroy all the kings who are on the side of the Devas, and shall rule over this earth. 37. You now understand the situation. You have therefore to go soon and fetch the boys Rāma and Krsna to participate in the Dhanurya-jna (worship of the bow) to be held soon and to behold the splendour of the city of Mathura." Akrūra replied: 38. "O King! Your resolution to save yourself from death is certainly in order. But you have to be even-minded in success and failure. For it is the unseen divine agency that awards the fruits of all actions. 39. Men often plan without taking the divine will into consideration. When the results are favourable they rejoice, and they are sorrow-stricken when they are unfavourable. Yet I shall carry out your command." Śrī Suka said: AO. Having ordered Akrūra and his other advisers thus, Kamsa left for his palace. Akrūra too went home.

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The destruction of Kesi and Vyomasura

Keśī the Horse-Demon (1-9)

Śrī Śuka said: 1. Then came Keśī, an envoy of Karhsa, in the form of a huge and very fast horse, furrowing the earth with his hooves, shattering the clouds by his mane and terrifying everyone by his fierce neighing. 2. With his eyes wide open, mouth resembling a capacious cave, neck massive, resembling a large dark cloud, and mind full of evil, the Asura, intent on pleasing Karhsa, approached, sending the cow-herd settlement of Nanda into shivers. 3. The Asura, who was thus frightening all in Go-kula with his roar, driving away the clouds by the waving of his tail, and searching everywhere for his enemy, was now confronted by the Lord who appeared before him and beckoned him. The Asura retorted with a wild challenging neigh. 4. Seeing the Lord in front, he charged at Śrī Krsna with his huge mouth so wide open that it looked as if he was going to swallow the skies. Angry and formidable, he powerfully kicked the Lord with his two hind legs. 5. Evading his kick, the Lord, roused to anger, caught hold of him by his raised legs and whirling him round and round, threw him contemptu-ously a hundred yards away, as Garuda does with a serpent, and waited. 6. Regaining his consciousness, the Asura charged at Śrī Krsna again, with his mouth wide open. With a smiling face, the Lord thereupon thrust his left arm into his mouth fearlessly, as a snake thrusts itself into its hole. 7. Keśīs teeth, with which he tried to bite the Lord's arm, fell out as on contact with red-hot iron. The arm of the Lord that was thrust into him now grew in size like a neglected disease. 8. Keśī was choked to death by that swelling arm of Śrī Krsna. Suffocated thus, he writhed, striking the ground with his legs, and fell down, perspiring, evacuating, with his eyes popping out. 9. Drawing out his arm from the dead As-ura's mouth split like a Karkatika fruit, Śrī Krsna stood there without the least pride in having killed the demon with suchease.

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The astonished celestials rained flowers from above....

Destruction of Vyomāsura (26-34)

Śrī Śuka said: ...26. The Lord continued to tend the cattle along with the Gopas who were highly jubilant over the destruction of Keśī in a fight. 27. Once Śrī Krsna with the Gopa boys, while pasturing cattle on the mountain slope, organised a hide-and-seek game in which some acted as cow-keepers and others as cattle-lifters. 28. O King! Some impersonated as keepers, some as animals and still others as thieves. 29. An Asura named Vyoma, the son of Maya, who had great magical powers, came there assuming the form of a Gopa and stole away many Gopa boys who were playing the part of goats and other animals. 30. The Asura took them one by one and shut them up in mountain caves. Only five or six Gopas were left outside. 31. Coming to know of his mis-deed, Śrī Krsna, the shelter of the pious, caught hold of the Asura in the act of taking away the Gopas, as a lion would do a jackal. 32. The powerful Asura now resumed his real form as huge as a mountain, and tried his best to get out of the clutches of Śrī Krsna but could not. 33. Sri Krsna threw him on the ground and, witnessed by the Devas killed him by suffocating him. 34. He then released the Gopas by breaking open the seal of the caves and, amidst the praise of the Devas and the Gopas, returned to his home in Nanda's settlement

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Akrūra's arrival in Gokula

Akrūras Reveries on the Way (1-23)

Śrī Śuka said: 1. Commissioned by Karhsa, Akrūra spent that night at Mathurā in great expectation and started for Nanda's Gokula in the early morning. 2. The high-souled Akrūra, while on the way, had a great upsurge of devotion to the supreme lotus-eyed Lord, and thought thus: 3. What pious works must I have performed, what Tapas must I have done, what great charity to deserving persons must I have made that I shall be having the good fortune of seeing Keśava today! 4. Just as a man of low culture is not fit to utter the Veda, so to me, a worldly-minded man, the sight of the Lord is impossible. 5. But no, no! Even a degenerate fellow like me is going to have a view of him today. Among the large number of people flowing down the stream of Time, some fortunate ones may be able to go across the current to the other shore through some unexpected help. Like that, the grace of the Lord makes even the impossible possible. 6. Today all my sins have been dispelled and my birth in this world has attained its fulfillment. For, I shall soon be prostrating actually at the lotus-feet of the Lord, on which great Yogis can only meditate upon. 7. Today, even Kamsa, unknown to generosity, has done me a very great good. For, it is due to being commissioned by him that I shall be getting an opportunity to prostrate at the feet of Śrī Hari incarnate, by the light of whose toe nails great men in the past have transcended the darkness of ignorance in their hearts. 8. Those holy feet have been worshipped by divinities like Brahma and Maheswara as also by the divine Śrī Devi, the great sages and all devotees. With those very feet, marked with the saffron from the breasts of the Gopīs, he is now treading the forest of Vrndāvana along with companions pasturing the cattle. 9. Soon I shall see today the face of Śrī Krsna overhung by curly locks,

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and possessed of handsome cheeks, nose, smiling looks and eyes resembling red lotuses. There are deer circumambulating me, a sure sign of the good that shall befall me. 10. Indeed, my eyes shall not fail to attain their fulfillment even now, if they will be able to see that human form of Visnu, the centre of abounding beauty, adopted at His own will for the mitigation of the burdens that the earth has been bearing. 11. He who, being without any egoistic sense, is but the uninvolved witness of this universe of cause and effect, and who by His own light of knowledge has dispelled the darkness of ignorance and its attendant experience of duality — even He has by His will brought into existence in His being an embodied form that looks human, and is seen in arbours and in the houses of the Gopikās of Vrndāvana. 12. Words and works devoted to the description of His sanctifying and auspicious excellences and sportive activities in His Incarnations enlighten, purify and energise the whole world. All literature devoid of them is like decorations on a corpse. 13. He is now born in the clan of the Satvatas for furthering the cause of the Devas, whom He has appointed to administer the laws He has laid down for the good of the world. He stays now in the cowherd settlement with the Gopas, performing deeds that enhance his glory, and the Devas are even now singing about that glory of his. 14. The fact that I nowadays see auspicious sights at dawn, indicates that I shall today see Him who is the one joy-giver and enlightener of the universe, the one wrothy of seeing for all endowed with eyes, the one centre of all the aspira-tions of Śrī Devi, and the one person who is the refuge and teacher of all holy men. 15. Immediately at the sight of Rāma and Śrī Krsna, I shal jump down from the chariot and prostrate in truth and in reality at their feet, which Yogis can only meditate upon in their mind. I shall also bow down before their pastoral comrades. 16. Would not the Infinite One place on my head, lying prostrate at His feet, those blessed hands that give refuge to all those who run to Him out of fear of the speed with which the serpent of Time is approaching them? 17. By placing some little

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offering in those hands, Indra and also Mahābali attained to the lordship of all the three worlds. And the Gopīs of Vrndāvana felt free from weariness and attained to the highest bliss by those blessed hands, fragrant like the Sau-gandhika flower, being placed on their bodies at the time of the Rāsa dance. 18. Though I am a messenger sent by Karhsa, the Lord who is all-seeing will not certainly consider me with an inimical eye. For He, who is the indweller in all, by His penetrative insight sees everything within or without. 19. I shall certainly attain to supreme bliss if He but casts His smiling looks at me, showering a rain of ambrosia on me lying flat at his feet. All my sins being thus dispelled, I shall be free from all doubts and be established in a state of perpetual joy. 20. My body will become a centre of holiness and my bondage of Karma will be destroyed when His powerful arms bind me in embrace, his dearest friend, kinsman and whole-hearted devotee. 21. My birth as a human being would become worthwhile and significant on his addressing me, saying 'O Akrūra', when I stand before Him humbly bowing down and saluting, after He has thus embraced me. 22. To none is he particularly dear and friendly nor is anyone the object of his enmity or cold indifference. But still He blesses devotees appropriate to the manner in which they worship Him, just as the heavenly Kalpaka tree yields all their wants to those who rest under it. 23. Balarāma too would smilingly embrace me, and taking my hands held in salutation, he would lead me into the house and entertain me, and ask what Karhsa was planning and plotting against his clansmen.

Akrūra's Reactions on arriving at Vraja (24-27)

Śrī Śuka said: 24. Lost in such reveries about Śrī Krsna, Akrūra, the son of Śvaphalka, travelled and found himself when the sun was about to set in the precincts of that cowherd settlement, and now began to see here and there, the footprints of the holy feet of Śrī Krsna — the feet that receive the obeisance of the crowned heads of all divinities and are distinguished by

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the holy marks of lotus, grain and hook. 26. Highly excited at the sight of these footprints, all the hair on his body stood on end, and tears flowed in torrents from his eyes, as an outburst of devotional feeling. He jumped out of his chariot, exclaiming; "Here is the foot-dust of my Lord! Here is the foot-dust of my Lord!" and began to roll in that holy dust. 27. What happened thus to Akrūra in the course of his conveying the message of Kamsa, namely, the attainment of that divine state of devotional inebriation at the very sight of the Lord's holy emblems, or the hearing of his divine names to the utter effacement of all insincerity, fear, and sorrow — that, indeed, is the highest attainment for any human being.

Akrūras Vision of Śrī Krsna (28-33)

28. He saw Rama and Śrī Krsna standing at the milking yard, wearing blue and yellow clothes and having eyes that were as attractive as the yellow clothes and having eyes that were as attractive as the petals of a lotus in the Śarat (autumn) season. 29-33, Akrūra saw Śrī Krsna and Rāma still boyish in age, dark and fair in complexion respectively, the abode of Śrī possessing beauty, and charged with the combative spirit of young elephants. He saw Rāma and Śrī krsna, whose footprints with the marks of flag, thunderbolt, hook, lotus and the like added to the splendour of Vraja, who were magnanimous in spiritit, and whose looks and smile scattered love and sympathy all round. Decorated with jewelled necklacas and floral garlands, and dressed in fresh clothes and besmeared with fra grentsandal paste after there evening bath, he found them sublime and attractive in there playful movements. he saw Rāma and Śrī krsna as the incarnate Lord-the embodiment of pradhāna and purusha, the Original Being, the cause and the master of all-, come for the good of the world. He saw them, O king, as two mountains of emerald and silver lined with gold, illumining the quarters with there divine effulgence.

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Śrī Krsna's Reception of Akrūra (34-43)

34-35. On seeing them, Akrūra jumped down from his chariot owing to the upsurge of devotion and threw himself prostrate at the feet of Rāma and Śrī Krsna, with eyes blinded by tears of joy, and hair standing on end through love. Choked with emotion he could not even announce his own name. 36. The Lord, the lover of his devotees, who understood the cause of Akrūra's visit, drew him towards him, and embraced him with his arms that bore the marks made by his discus Sudarśana. 37. Balarāma also embraced the prostrating Akrūra, and holding him by hand, led him along with his brother into their house. 38. Extending him a warm welcome, they seated him on an elevated seat, washed his feet with due ceremony, and offered him Madhuparka, made of honey, clarified butter and curds. 39. A cow was presented to the guest, whose weary limbs were massaged by the Lord. Next he was served with food consisting of many savoury items. 40. After he was refreshed, Rāma who was an expert in rules of conduct and hospitality, pleased him immensely by offering him betel leaves, sandal paste and wreaths of sweet-smelling flowers. 41. When he had thus been shown the customary hospitality, Nanda addressed him thus: "O distinguished member of the Yadu clan! As long as cruel Karhsa is there, how do you Yadavas get on? Your life must necessarily be like that of sheep under the protection of a butcher. 42. What enquiry shall I make of the welfare of the subjects of a cruel king like Kamsa whose pleasure consists in killing others and who mercilessly slaughtered the infants of his own weeping sister!" 43. Being welcomed with pleasing words by Nanda, Akrūra felt much relieved from the fatigue of the journey.

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Departure of Śrī Krsna to Mathurā

Kamsa's Order (1-12)

Śrī Śuka said: 1. Being thus greatly honoured by Rāma and Śrī Krsna and seated comfortably on a couch, Akrūra felt that all his reveries on the way had now come true. 2. What is there unattainable to one on whom the Lord, the abode of Śrī, is gracious? But, O King, devotees crave for no benefits. 3. After supper, the Lord conversed with Akrūra on the condition of his clansmen, the Yadavas, under Kamsa, and about other matters concerning his mission.

The Lord said: 4. O dear friend! I hope your journey was pleasant. Are all our kinsmen doing well? 5. When our reputed uncle, Kamsa, the canker of our family, is there, what point is there in asking about the welfare of persons who are his subjects and relatives? 6. Alas! Because of us, our respected parents have had to stand a great many trials. They had to witness the death of their children, and also suffer imprisonment. 7. O dear one! It is indeed fortunate that my long-cherished desire of meeting you, my kinsman, has been fulfilled. I would now like to hear what exactly it is that brings you here now.

Śrī Śuka said: 8. Thus questioned by the Lord, Akrūra, a scion of Madhu's family, narrated all, about Kamsa's antagonism towards the Yadus and of his attempt to kill Vasudeva. 9. He informed Śrī Krsna all about the object with which Karhsa had sent him on this mission, as also of Nārada's informing Karhsa that he (Śrī Krsna) was really the son of Vasudeva and not of Nanda. 10. Hearing Akrūra's words, Rāma and Śrī Krsna, the dauntless destroyers of all foemen, laughed and informed their father of the order of the king that they should all attend the bow festival at his palace. 11. Nanda duly instructed the Gopas as follows: "Let all the yield of the cows (milk, curds and clarified butter) be collected, also other objects of presentation for the king, and harness the carts for the journey. 12. We shall

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start tomorrow for the city of Mathurā. We shall present to the king all the delicious substances and witness the great sacrificial festival of bow worship. It seems it will be attended by the whole kingdom." Nanda caused this information to be announced all over his cowherd settlement by the watchman by beat of drums.

The Wailing of the Gopīs (13-30)

13. The Gopīs, to whom Śrī Krsna was the very life-breath, were overwhelmed with grief to hear that Akrūra had come to take Rama and Śrī Krsna to Mathurā. 14. Pale with grief, some of them sighed while some others knew not that their braids, clothes and bracelets were falling. 15. Others fell into such deep meditation on him that all the movements of their senses and mind became still, and they forgot their very bodies, like sages intuiting the Ātman in Samādhi.

16. Others fainted, as they recalled the talks of Śrī Hari that had touched the very chords of their hearts, with wonderful expressions, uttered with intense love and accompanied by his sweet smiles. 17-18. Those Gopikās, whose minds were absorbed in Śrī Krsna, became frightened and sorrow-stricken at the thought of impending separation from him on whose charming gait, loving smile, captivating looks, consoling humour and extraordinary deeds they ruminated over and over again. They gathered together, and with tears in their eyes, began to speak as follows:

The Gopīs said: 19. Alas! O Creator! Hast Thou not got even an atom of mercy that Thou forgest bonds of friendship and love between living beings, and then separates them before they have enjoyed the fruits of that friendship and love? Thy actions look like infantile play, without any purpose. 20. Having shown us the face of Śrī Krsna, endowed with handsome cheeks and a high nose, framed by dark curly locks and beautified by a smile that dispels all grief bringing joy and courage to all, you are withdrawing it from our vision by separating him

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from us. This act of yours is far from good. 21. Thou, cruel one, hast come in the guise of a man named Akrūra (literally 'not cruel'), and art, alas! — as if unknowingly — depriving us of the eye that Thou Thyself hast given us, with which we witnessed the entirety of beauty that Thy creative skill is capable of, in a single limb of Śrī Krsna. 22. It is a thousand pities that Śrī Krsna, the son of Nanda, does not see how afflicted we are by this, his act of neglect — we who have been enslaved by the spell cast by him and have abandoned our homes, relatives, sons and husbands to become his handmaids in truth and in reality! Surely his affections are short-lived, and he must be after novelty in love! 23. The wishes of the women of the city of Mathura are going to be fulfilled, and this night shall be the herald of a really happy dawn for them. For tomorrow they will fondly gaze on the countenance of the Lord of Vraja, with his nectarous smiles enhanced by his sidelong glances, even as he fearlessly enters their city. 24. Krsna may be a person of great nobility of mind and may have great affection for his parents, but these in themselves will not be able to bring him back to Gokula, much less to us, mere country-bred girls. For Śrī Krsna's mind will be stolen away and held captive by the sweet, honey-dripping utterances of the city-bred women of Mathura as also by their bashful looks and amorous movements. 25. Surely, tomorrow shall witness a great festival for the eyes of the different clans of the Yādavas of Mathurā as also for the passers-by who shall be seeing the face of Śrī Krsna, the son of Devaki and the consort of Śrī. 26. How is it that such a name as Akrūra (not cruel) is given to this man who has no trace of kindness in him! For, he has no hesitation to do so heinous an act as taking away Śrī Krsna, the one dearer to us than life, to a distant place without even a word of consolation or hope to us who are drowned in grief and despair.

27. Now Śrī Krsna, the hard-hearted, has got into the chariot. Following him, these arrogant Gopas too are urging Akrura to make haste. The elders of the clan are watching unconcerned.

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This is a bad time for us, and even God seems to have turned against us. 28. Let us go and supplicate Śrī Krsna and stop him. What harm can the elders of our families do to us who stand deprived by Providence of Śrī Krsna's company — which is difficult for us to forego even for a minute — and are so distressed in mind? 29. How shall we overcome the anguish of separation from him in whose company we lost the sense of time to such an extent, as to experience as an instant the many nights we spent in Śrī Krsna's company in the Rāsa assembly, enlivened by his winsome smiles, charming whispers, playful glances and warm embraces, all of which were inspired by his love? 30. How can we really survive without him who — when he enters Vraja at sunset, surrounded by his brother and Gopa companions and playing on his flute, his curly locks and flower wreaths all bathed in dust raised by the hooves of cows — used to captivate our minds by his sidelong glances full of smiles?

Behaviour of the Gopīs at Śrī Krsna's Departure (31-37)

Śrī Suka said: 31. Thus the women of Vraja, suffering from excruciating pangs of the prospective separation from Śrī Krsna and having their minds absorbed in him, lost all hesitation arising from modesty and began to cry aloud, saying, "O our Go-vinda! O our Damodara! O our Mādhaval' and so on. 32. The night passed, with the women of Vraja crying like this. When it was daybreak, Akrūra, after his morning prayers, started his chariot with Śrī Krsna and Rāma seated within. 33. Nanda and his Gopas in carts laden with pitchers full of milk products and other objects for presentation followed them. 34. The Gopīs, who followed their dear Śrī Krsna, felt a little consoled and encouraged when Śrī Krsna turned to look at them and smiled. They stopped the chariot and waited for a message from him. 35. Seeing the Gopīs disconsolate at his departure, Śrī Krsna comforted them telling them very lovingly that he would return soon. 36. They remained where they were, motionless like pictures drawn on canvas, viewing the departing Śrī Krsna, and

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mentally absorbed in pursuing his chariot, until the flag of the chariot disappeared from sight and the dust raised by it was no longer visible. 37. Now giving up all hopes of Śrī Krsna's immediate return, they went back home. Singing about the pastimes of their beloved Śrī Krsna, they spent days and nights, their sorrow assuaged a little by absorption in his thought.

Revelation given to Akrūra (38-57)

38. O King! The Lord, with Rāma and Akrūra traveling in his chariot swift as the wind, soon reached the banks of the sacred Kalindi (Yamuna), the destroyer of the sins of those who bathe in it. 39. There, washing hands and feet, they quenched their thirst drinking the pure crystalline waters of the river green as an emerald. Then Rama and Śrī Krsna came back and seated themselves in the chariot that was parked in a shady grove. 40. Akrura, after escorting Rāma and Śrī Krsna to the chariot, went with their permission to have a ceremonial bath at the sacred bathing-ghat on the Yamunā. 41. As Akrūra submerged himself in the water and began repeating the Gāyatri Mantra, he saw Rama and Śrī Krsna within the water (although he had seen them only just before, seated in the chariot). 42. "How could these sons of Vasudeva, who are seated in the chariot, appear in the water of the Kālindi? Have they then left the chariot?"

Thinking thus, he surfaced from the water, and looked at the chariot for corroboration. 43. But, he found them seated in the chariot as before. Now thinking that what he saw in the water was illusory, he submerged himself in it once again. 44. There he saw again the divine vision of the Lord. He saw the great serpent Ādīsesa being glorified and prayed to, with bowed heads by hosts of various celestials and divinities. 45. He saw that divine serpent having a thousand heads and a thousand diademed hoods, wearing a blue cloth, white like the filament within the lotus stalk, and resembling Mount Kāilasa with its many peaks. 46. He beheld on the coils of the serpent the supreme Person Mahāvisnu, dark in complexion, wearing a yellow

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Krishna revealing his divinity to Akrura: "He saw Rāma and Śrī Krsna within the water".

silk garment and having four arms and eyes crimson like a lotus flower — a very picture of serenity. 47. He saw Him with a face calm and bewitchingly attractive by its sweet smile and looks, by its expressive brows and high nose, and by its comely ears, cheeks, and lips. 48. He had arms long and stout; shoulders high; chest illumined by Sri; neck shapely like a conch; navel wide and deep; and abdomen marked by three folds and thin like a leaf. 49. His waist and hips were massive; His thighs were thick and tapering like an elephant's trunk; and His knees and ankles were well formed and handsome. 50. His lotus-feet with their petals of shapely toes were illumined by the sheen of their red-tinged nails and raised anklets. 51-52. His ornaments consisted of a diadem, armlets, and bracelets, all studded with sparkling precious gems, besides the sacred thread and the shining necklace, anklets, and earrings. In one of his hands, he held the play-lotus while in the others he sported the conch, discus, and mace. His chest illumined by the auspicious mark Śrī-vatsa, the brilliant neck-jewel Kaustubha, and a floral garland. 53-54. He was being glorified through praises expressive of divergent sentiments by attendants, the foremost of whom were Sunanda and Nanda; by Sanaka and other sages; by Divinities like Brahmā and Rudra; and by the nine Brāhmana sages (Marīci, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrigu, Va-sishtha and Daksha); and by great Bhāgavatottamas like Prah-lada, Nārada, Vasu and others. 55. He was being adored by deities like Śrī, Pusti, Saraswatī, Sānti, Kīrti, Tusti, Bhu, Ūrjā, and by His Mayāśakti consisting of Vidyā and Avidya that cause liberation and bondage. 56-57. Seeing the Lord in this setting, Akrura was filled with the highest delight and devotion. All his hairs stood on end, his eyes shed copious tears and he stretched himself down in prostration. Recovering a little from the overpowering effect of devotion, he, with a concentrated mind and with joined palms held in salutation, praised Śrī Krsna in a trembling voice charged with excessive devotion.

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Akrūra's eulogy

The Primordial Being Nārāyana (1-3)

Akrūra said: 1. I prostrate before Thee, the ultimate cause of all, beyond the cause-and-effect relationship. I prostrate before Narayana, the primordial and imperishable Person, from whose navel came the cosmic lotus, in which was seated Brahmā who created all the worlds. 2. All categories of evolution like the earth, water, fire, air, sky, their cause Mahāttattva (cosmic intelligence), Prakriti, the Purusha its cause, the mind, senses, objects of the senses, Devas — all these, though considered as causes, are but parts of Thy being. 3. Prakriti and all the above-men-tioned categories being material and gras-ed only as objects of consciousness, they and their combinations (the embodied beings) are not able to know Thee who art Pure Spirit, and therefore the Pure Subject. Even Brahmā cannot grasp Thee, the Transcendent Spirit, as he is bound by the modes of material Prakriti.

All Paths lead to Thee (4-10)

4. Persons who have developed the highest spiritual insight worship Thee directly (without the help of any substitute or symbol) through intuition, as the one Lord and Universal Being. Other devotees who require the use of symbols, worship Thee as dwelling in the body, or as dwelling in Nature, or as dwelling in the Devas. 5. Persons devoted to the ritualistic type of Karma Yoga worship Thee according to the Vedic Karma-kānda through various Yajnas, invoking Thee under the many forms and names of deities known to the sacrificial cult. 6. There are some who, on attaining knowledge, abandon all Karmas and adore Thee, the embodiment of knowledge, through the performance of knowledge-sacrifice (Jnāna-yajna). 7. There are others who follow the path of devotion prescribed by Thee in Pāncharātra and other devotional texts and attain to spiritual

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perfection, by meditating on Thee as the manifold form of the four Vyuhas (Vāsudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Anirud-dha), and as Mahānārāyana, the one Universal Being. 8. O Lord! Owing to the prevalence of different spiritual traditions based on the teachings of a variety of teachers, there are still others who, following the cult of Saivism, worship Thee as Siva. 9. Even those who worship Deities other than Thee, and follow a different faith, worship only Thee, whose embodiment all Divinities are. 10. O Lord! Just as all rivers, originating from different mountains and fed by rain, finally enter the ocean, so also all paths of worship lead ultimately to Thee.

Divine Manifestations (11-15)

11. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are the three aspects constituting Thy Prakrti. All beings, from Brahma down to inert substances, have come out of these Gunas of Prakrti and are sustained by them even as the beads of a necklace are by its thread. 12. Salutations to Thee who art all this, but yet art not attached to anything and art only their witness. This cosmic manifestation is the work of Thy Māyāśakti. It affects beings of various types like Devas, men and animals involved in it, but not Thee who art its master. 13-14. The fire is Thy face; the earth, Thy feet; the sun, Thy eyesight; the sky, Thy navel; the quarters, Thy hearing; the celestials, Thy arms; the ocean, Thy abdomen; the air, Thy vital energy; the trees and plants, Thy hair; the clouds, Thy locks; the mountains, Thy bones and nails; the night and day, Thy winking; the Prajāpati, Thy reproductive organ; and the rain, Thy semen. Such is the conception given for meditation on Thee. 15. Conceived in Thee O Perfect and Imperishable One!, who can only be hinted at by the mind, the numberless universes, — teeming with innumerable Jivas — with their protecting deities, float in Thy numerous dimensions like the eggs of aquatic creatures of minute sizes or like microbes in the fig fruit.

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Refuge in the Lord (16-30)

16. Whatever forms Thou hast assumed for Thy sportive activities — about them, persons who have been rid of their sins and sorrows sing in glorification with great delight. 17. Salutations to Thee the Causal Fish traversing the waters of the deluge! Salutations to Thee the Horse necked one (Hayagrīva) who destroyed Madhu and Kaitabha! 18. Salutations to Thee the great Tortoise who supported the Mandara mountain at the churning of the ocean! Salutations to Thee who incarnated as the Cosmic Boar to lift up the earth as in play and establish it in the proper place! 19. Salutations to Thee who didst assume the form of the wondrous Man-Lion in order to protect Thy devotees from fears and dangers! Salutations to Thee who as Vāmana (the Holy Dwarf) measured the whole universe with three strides! 20. Salutations to Thee! Rāma with the axe, the leader of the Bhrgus, who decimated the tribe of proud and insolent Ksatriyas! Salutations to Thee, Rāma the leader of the Raghus, who destroyed Rāvana and his followers! 21. Salutations to Thee manifested for the protection of the devotees as the four Vyūhas — Vāsudeva, Sahkarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha! 22. Salutation to Thee as the Buddha, the pure one, who would bring confusion among the Daityas and Dānavas! Salutations to Thee as Kalki who would bring the destruction of kings and other ruling authorities that have degenerated into the state of barbarism! 23. O worshipful Lord! The world of living creatures overpowered by Thy Māya goes round and round the wheel of Samsāra, infatuated by the false sense of 'I and mine'. 24. O All-pervading One! I too am subject to the infatuation of holding as permanent such fleeting and dream-like objectives as body, children, houses, wife, sense enjoyments, relatives and other things. 25. I am debarred from knowing Thee, the one source of disinterested love and bliss, because of my misplaced and contrary way of under-standing what is the permanent as distinguished from the impermanent, what is the spirit as distinguished from the body, and what leads to joy as distinguished

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from what leads to suffering. Because of the oscillation of the mind between such extremes, it is merged in ignorance. 26. Just as a stupid man in search of water leaves a tank because its water is covered over by growths from within like water-weeds, and goes after a mirage, which contains no water, so am I, unmindful of Thee under Māyā's cover, seeking happiness in bodily concerns. 27. Pitiably weak-willed as I am, I find it impossible to control my mind, plagued by desires and the works they prompt one to undertake, and drawn hither and thither by the exciting senses. 28. I, who am thus under the bondage of the senses, nonetheless seek as my refuge Thy feet, which people with impure and uncontrolled minds cannot usually do. O Lord! It is only by Thy grace that I am enabled to do this, in spite of my unworthiness. The contact with holy men is what is generally supposed to turn men's minds towards Thee. But, O Lotus-navelled One, it is only when, by Thy grace, the time to be free from Samsāra has come, that one gets holy company and through that, the mental inclination to practice devotion. 29. Salutations to Thee who art Pure Consciousness, who art the source of consciousness everywhere, who art the infinite power of Brahman controlling the three factors of Time, Karma and Nature that determine the destiny of Jīvas! 30. Salutations to Thee Vāsudeva, the soul of all souls; to Thee Sankārsana, the support of Aharikara; to Thee Pradyumna and Aniruddha, the controllers of the mind and the senses! Protect me who am fallen at Thy feet, O Lord!

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Entry into the city of Mathura

Śrī Krsna's Query about the Vision (1-5)

Śrī Śuka said: 1.Thus Lord Krsna show to Akrūra, submerged in water, his divine from, which he soon withdrew, just as a dancer drope his poes. 2. Akrūra, notiching that Śrī Krsna had disappeared, emerged from the water, preformed his noon-day rites in haste, and went back to the chariot in utter astonishment. 3. Śrī krsna now asked him: ''Yoo appear to have witnessed something very unusual. What wonder did you see just now on earth, in the heavens or the water? Signs indicate it. What could it be?''

Akrūra said: 4. "Whatever wonders there are on this earth, in the firmament or in the water exist in Thee alone, who ensoul the universe. When I see Thee, that Existence before me, what wonderful phenomena can be excluded from my sight? It is therefore impossible for me to distinguish and say what I have seen and what I have not. 5. When I am gazing on Thyself, in whom all marvels exist, O infinite Lord, what miracle could have been seen by me elsewhere — on this earth, in the sky or in water?"

Observing thus, Akrūra drove his chariot, and arrived at Mathura with Rama and Śrī Krsna at the decline of day.

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With the arrival at Mathura Sri Krishna's exile to Brindavan came to an end. A new chapter of glory began. The major event that occurred in that chapter was Sri Krishna's killing of Kamsa and the liberation of Vasudeva and Devaki from prison. The chapters of Sri Krishna's life are numerous, but they should be read in the Puranas and in the great story of the Mahabharata. How can that great story of the life of Sri Krishna be contained in this small monograph, the purpose of which is only to depict Sri Krishna's exile to Brindavan? That episode of Sri Krishna's life gave birth to the Path of Divine Love. That Path has stirred millions to seek in their hearts, the unutterable love of the gopis and of Radha, and to strive to hear the flute of Sri Krishna, to allow its music and its divine call to drench their hearts and limbs with the nectar that flows from the Ocean of Delight, that had incarnated on the earth, and continues to pour streams and floods on all whose hearts yearn for union with that incarnated Being. To learn more of Sri Krishna, much can be done, but the minimum that we can do is to invite the readers to turn to that Celestial Song, which is known as the Bhagavadgita, and which is accessible to all who care to enter into the heart of the Message of Sri Krishna.

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Radha hiding Krishna ' s flute

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