Gopal Champu

[25] Taking their lunch packets from the trees, they boys began to move about erratically. They arrived at a forest with a fragrant lake full of water in the middle. A huge area in the distance became suddenly smaller.

[26] Arriving there, lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, with a smile on his face, revealed his intentions:

O friends! Look, there is a lake like a pure mind. The beauty of the lotuses in the pond is revealed by the touch of the sunlight. Their beauty increases by the bees. ||18||

The forest and lake nourish each other’s qualities continually. The forest increases with the fragrance of hundreds of flowers and the lake increases with various sweet tastes. ||19||

The bank whose earth is covered by flowers, fruit, and forest and dūrva grass shines with soft piles of sand. It stands at the end of the pure water. It is a place for animals to rest and a dwelling place for millions of trees. ||20||

atra bhoktavyam asmābhir divārūḍhaṁ kṣudhārditāḥ |

vatsāḥ samīpe ’paḥ pītvā carantu śanakais tṛṇam ||

I think we should take our lunch here, since we are already hungry because the time is very late. Here the calves may drink water and go slowly here and there and eat the grass. SB 10.13.6

[27] Placing the food on level ground, the friends first dunked in water and then gathered together.

Having Kṛṣṇa in the center, the boys forgot all suffering. As a cakora bird desires to drink the nectar coming from the moon, the boys stood there desiring to drink his Kṛṣṇa’s beauty. ||21||

[28] Eager to protect the calves, Kṛṣṇa with great care distributed the food to his friends. The forest then took on new beauty.

When all the boys of attractive young age surrounded him, Kṛṣṇa faced each one and played like an astonishing dancer who moves about gracefully. ||22||

With his flute tucked in his waist cloth and his stick and horn under his arm, he placed some soft food in his left hand. He made his friends laugh by placing various preparations between his fingers. ||23||

[29] While the boys were absorbed in bliss, the calves left the bank and came to a covered place with lots of grass.

[30] When the calves disappeared, the boys lost their bliss in eating. Comforting the boys, Kṛṣṇa took his horn and stick and looked for the calves in all the inaccessible, unclear paths in the hills which were spread with dense forest. Returning and feeling very disturbed at not seeing his friends, he searched with fear for both the calves and boys. He wondered, “What has happened?”

“Oh! The boys are dearer to their mothers than their own life airs. They were sitting here as cowherd boys with the calves. They are dearer to me than my life. Where have these boys gone, for whom I entered the stomach of the poisonous Agha?” ||24||

[31] Though Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all good qualities, is it not astonishing that he became so inattentive?

[32] Depending on a particular pastime of joy, he knew what to do, but appeared not to know. Immediately he did the needful: “I remember–this is Brahmā’s action. Being so absorbed in the friends gathered around me, I have lost awareness. Thus I cannot find them. Brahmā has not done this with bad intentions. Acting for the benefit of Vraja, he has fixed prema for me. He has done this in order to see my special powers. He has placed them all in another place by his illusory powers. Bringing me to the forest and then to the river bank, he has hidden the boys and calves. His intelligence is not offensive. He knows that I, though sleeping, am continually awake with my intelligence and strength. I will show my skills to him. Yogamāyā, knowing the intentions of the devatās, will assist me. If I take her assistance, I can take the forms of all the boys and calves. Among my well-wishers, none are equal to these boys.”

[33] “By this the inhabitants of Vraja and Brahmā can attain sweet bliss.” He began thinking of the grief of the boys, “Oh! How will they survive without me, and how will I survive without them?”

Lamenting and thinking, he then became the forms of all the boys and calves with their qualities. ||25||

[34] Solving the problem in this way, taking the forms of all the boys and calves, he played with those boys as on other days and then entered into each house, offering respects to the many mothers.

[35] The mothers became even more attracted to their sons.

Whatever love Yaśodā had for Kṛṣṇa previously became double in those mothers in relation to their sons. They thought, “He is the friend of Kṛṣṇa.” The affection for their sons continued perfectly as before. ||26||

Though the calves and boys were one with Kṛṣṇa they were also not Kṛṣṇa’s own form. It is said that the calves and boys took shelter of Kṛṣṇa’s form, qualities and unlimited pastimes and from this arose the astonishing situation. ||27||

[36] When a year minus five or six days had passed, seeing the great affection for Kṛṣṇa which had arisen in himself and others, Balarāma became astonished and finally understood the situation of the boys. Out of sorrow due to separation from the real boys, and angry at Kṛṣṇa, he did not go to the forest with him for five or six days.

But when Brahmā secretly came to the forest, Kṛṣṇa understood his presence.

“He is coming and going, glancing in front, behind and on the side. He is hiding himself, being fearful, and wandering about. The greedy man sees with some doubt in his mind all the boys and calves who were like his stolen treasure. Now I understand that Brahmā is the thief.” ||28||

[37] Seeing both the original and the new forms of the boys which were identical, Brahmā became astonished. Coming to the new forms he saw that they were endowed with superior natures.

[38] When Brahmā saw the friends such as Śrīdāma, Kṛṣṇa desired to bring all his friends. The desire to search for them arose in him automatically, for his svarūpa-śakti was operating.

[39] Experiencing various powers of Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā became repentant and embarrassed. He became humble and this transformed into offering respects.

He attempted to offer respects with all his heads, but in offering respects with one, the other heads faced up. Thus he could not perfectly offer respects. ||29||

He was not happy in offering respects with some heads upwards but he attained bliss because those heads could see the face of Kṛṣṇa. ||30||

[40] Intelligent Brahmā, understanding his low nature and seeing no other way, worshiped Kṛṣṇa by offering prayers like a bouquet of flowers. Though in a high position, through his four mouths, he expressed his desire to follow after the inhabitants of Vraja.

tad bhūri bhāgyam iha janma kimapy aṭavyāṁ

yad gokule ’pi katamāṅghri-rajo-’bhiṣekam |

yaj-jīvitaṁ tu nikhilaṁ bhagavān mukundas

tv adyāpi yat-pada-rajaḥ śruti-mṛgyam eva ||

My greatest possible good fortune would be to take any birth whatever in this forest of Gokula and have my head bathed by the dust falling from the lotus feet of any of its residents. Their entire life and soul is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mukunda, the dust of whose lotus feet is still being searched for in the Vedic mantras. SB 10.14.34

[41] Melting with the moon-like touch of the glorification of Vraja, we cannot come to the conclusion. What more can be said?

[42] Snigdhakaṇṭha said, “What did Kṛṣṇa then say?”

[43] Madhukaṇṭha said with a smile:

“He said nothing, but while Brahmā was speaking, he smiled on seeing him offer prayers. He saw something amazing: When one mouth spoke, four mouths made sounds. This was bewildering.” ||31||

[44] After Brahmā had finished speaking, Kṛṣṇa smiled but did not speak. He seemed to say, “We are cowherds and know the truth. You, Brahmā, do not know the truth. What should we say to you?” ||32||

[45] Snigdhakaṇṭha said, “When Brahmā departed, what did Kṛṣṇa say?”

[46] Madhukaṇṭha said, “After the praise, Kṛṣṇa did not derive satisfaction from the cowherd boys who were actually perfect since they were his own forms. When fortunate, unconquerable Kṛṣṇa, controlled by his devotees’ prema, desired to bring back his friends, Brahmā, folding his hands, exhibiting dependence on Kṛṣṇa, begged permission from Kṛṣṇa to bring them. When he prayed in this manner, Kṛṣṇa smiled and permitted him. Kṛṣṇa said, “If I had known about your order to bring them back, I would have brought back the boys previously.”

[47] Showing himself to be one who performed action but who was acted upon, humbled and silent because of his misbehavior, Brahmā, his hairs standing on end because of genuine devotion and full of pain due to his offense, circled Kṛṣṇa three times, offered many respects and left for his abode.

[48] Not considering his offense at all, Kṛṣṇa showed forgiveness. He then met the boys who had remained exactly as they had been previously, with calves, ornaments, clothing and actions.

[49] Brahmā produced faultless knowledge for increasing happiness so that the boys were not of difference in time and place. Thus it is said:

tato ’nujṣāpya bhagavān sva-bhuvaṁ prāg-avasthitān |

vatsān pulinam āninye yathā pūrva-sakhaṁ svakam ||

After granting Brahmā permission to leave, the Supreme Personality of Godhead took the calves, who were still where they had been a year earlier, and brought them to the riverbank, where he had been taking his meal and where his cowherd boyfriends remained just as before. SB 10.14.42

[50] The cowherd boyfriends said to Lord Kṛṣṇa: You have returned so quickly! We have eaten even one morsel in your absence. Please come here and take your meal without distraction.

Then Kṛṣṇa, smiling, finished his lunch in the company of his cowherd friends. While they were returning from the forest to their homes in Vraja, Kṛṣṇa showed the cowherd boys the skin of the dead serpent Aghāsura. SB 10.14.45-46

[51] It should be understood that Yogamāyā kept the snake’s skin hidden for all that time.

[52] Because separation from the calves and cowherd boys had ended after a year, Kṛṣṇa felt great bliss. With them he entered wealthy Vraja. Ordering others to bring the wandering calves, he produced a festival more extraordinary than anything previously experienced. It is said:

barha-prasūna-vana-dhātu-vicitritāṅgaḥ proddāma-veṇu-dala-śṛṅga-ravotsavāḍhyaḥ |

vatsān gṛṇann anuga-gīta-pavitra-kīrtir gopī-dṛg-utsava-dṛśiḥ praviveśa goṣṭham ||

Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental body was decorated with peacock feathers and flowers and painted with forest minerals, and his bamboo flute loudly and festively resounded. As he called out to his calves by name, his cowherd boyfriends purified the whole world by chanting his glories. Thus Kṛṣṇa entered the cow pasture of his father, Nanda Mahārāja, and the sight of his beauty at once produced a great festival for the eyes of all the cowherd women. SB 10.14.47

[53] Nanda’s relatives called him the son of Nanda, and Yaśodā’s relatives called him the son of Yaśodā. They sang about his previous exploits.

Today Nanda’s child killed a snake and saved us from death.

Today Yaśodā’s child killed a snake and saved us from death.

The snake’s lips were like cloud banks. Its teeth were mountain peaks.

Its breathing was like the wind from a forest fire. Its tongues were like highways.

Kṛṣṇa rescued those who compared the snake’s limbs in this way, those who laughed among themselves,

Those who, seeing the snake, imagined its mood,

Those who entered the snake, thinking it to be a mountain,

Those who fainted when Kṛṣṇa entered the mountain,

Those who were filled with affection, and who came to life by his sweet glances.

Bringing them out, he showed them all the objects in the forest.

May Kṛṣṇa, more precious than life, deliver us and maintain our life airs. ||33||

[54] Hearing this, the inhabitants of Vraja began to think, “Can the desires of sinful persons who desire to kill devotees ever be fulfilled?”

[55] When they met together in full happiness in the morning, Kṛṣṇa approached Balarāma and pacified his affectionate anger. He brought the boys together while giving them astonishment and showing friendship to Balarāma in a separate place, and began herding the calves as previously.

[56] Concluding the talk, Madhukaṇṭha speakes with astonishment:

“O leader of the cowherds! You have given birth to a son in front of whom the most prominent person Brahmā is an employee.” ||34||

[57] In this way the two speakers, relating the stories, gave the assembly direct experience of the pastimes and then remained standing with folded hands. As on previous days, everyone returned to their homes and engaged in their duties but became completely absorbed in the pastimes.