Gopal Champu

Chapter Six - Breaking the cart and other pastimes

[1] The next day at the splendid assembly, Snigdhakaṇṭha in joy began speaking:

O Madhukaṇṭha with sweet throat! Please hear.

[2] Day by day Kṛṣṇa revealed his beauty and gave joy to his devotees. This is summarized as follows:

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven or eight people, alone or in pairs, in groups or many groups, infants, youths, elders or middle-aged persons entered the house to see the child. Playing with him, they made the child laugh and they laughed. ||1||

Relatives from the mother’s and father’s side came in excitement to see the child with lotus navel, whose eyes were dark as lamp black. Daily their eyes were filled with delight on lifting up the attractive cover and touching him while smiling. ||2||

He had disheveled locks of hair and eyes fickle like the khaṣjana bird. He had a smile playing on his face, with shining tilaka of rocana and kuṁkuma. The dark-complexioned child appeared splendid when three months old. ||3||

The child looked about affectionately, smiling gently. He would move his legs and make small sounds and desired to be held. If he was not held he would cry and if held he would laugh. Drinking milk, he would sleep and then awaken joyfully. ||4||

[3] After three months according to the constellations, when the moon was in Rohiṇī constellation, Yaśodā held the bathing festival for the child.

At that time an attractive bed studded with gems was arranged in the house with a little perfumed pillow and fine sheets. The child shone like a sapphire on that bed. It appeared that a blue lotus was floating on the Gaṅgā or Nārāyaṇa was resting on the milk ocean. ||5||

The child, lying on his back, giving fame to his mother and joy to his father, full of strength and most attractive, turned over on the morning when the moon entered Rohiṇī constellation. ||6||

[4] Seeing that the child was sleeping with his side pressing the bed down, the nurse informed Yaśodā. Filled with bliss and desiring auspiciousness of the child, at the order of Nanda, she called the women and arranged from a huge festival which would give happiness.

[5] During the festival there were women assigned to protect the house. Those who were called to protect the place were ordered as follows:

The child’s birth constellation has arrived and there will be a celebration of the child’s turning over. Many have come for this festival. You should remain here to protect the house. Repeatedly she said this. What thief resided in Vraja? If there is a thief, the child will steal his heart. ||7||

[6] The rites were performed with colorful music, auspicious songs and chanting of Vedic mantras by the best brāhmaṇas. Then the child was bathed, clothed in yellow cloth and ornamented. He was protected with mantras and glances. To manifest the highest joy, women came from everywhere and all were engaged in activities. They made the child lie in bed in the lower part of a cart as huge as a house which was standing in the yard, and placed young boys of five years age around it. The bed was like a swing in the midst of four supporting pillars.

The swing had coral feet and an emerald slab at the base. It was covered with red silk ribbons and an even mattress of cotton. The baby was situated on top of this gently swinging bed. ||8||

From the top various colorful pieces of cloth hung down. Touching these with his hands the child made sounds and laughed. ||9||

[7] After the worship as performed by the brāhmaṇas, gifts were offered. This lasted for one- and-half praharas[1] without cessation.

[8] Another demon sent by Kaṁsa to find newly born children was in the sky thinking, “This child who has killed Pūtanā is in the lower part of the huge car. It seems no one can harm the child. Pūtanā died on taking a disguised form. I will not take another form but will do activities to fulfill my goal.” He then entered the cart unseen by others.

[9] When the demon entered the cart, the wheels sank into the earth and the axel became tilted. At that time the child wanted to drink milk, but could not get any. Disturbed, he kicked up his foot, tender as a new lotus petal. In doing this, the cart, without wings, flew up in the air like a demon bird out of eagerness and then fell to the earth.

[10] Arjuna describes this in Viṣṇu-dharma:

tālocchritāgraṁ guru-bhāra-sāram āyāma-vistāravad adya jātaḥ |

pādāgra-vikṣepa-vibhinna-bhāṇḍaṁ cikṣepa ko ’nyaḥ śakaṭaṁ yathā tvam? ||

Kṛṣṇa broke the cart with the tip of his foot even though the cart was tall as a palm tree and very heavy, long and wide. Who except you could do this?

[11] This demon did not have a form and thus Kṛṣṇa destroyed him just by his appearance in the sky. It is amazing that it happened simultaneously, like the tāla fruit falling and the crow landing on the branch. Kṛṣṇa absorbed in this demon is known as śakaṭāsura-bhaṣjana in the hundred and eight names of Kṛṣṇa mentioned in the Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa.

[12] At this time the devatās spoke about Kṛṣṇa in poetic language:

The cart was standing in one part of my house. You entered this cart and because of the cart you went upwards. I cried incessantly. If you died, it is not my fault. ||10||

When the cart made groaning noises, people in fear ran in all directions saying, “What is that?” When the cart fell and they saw the child, they became completely bewildered and wept. ||11||

Out of control, Yaśodā, ignoring the onlookers like a woman possessed, quickly grabbed her child. When her limbs became afflicted with trembling many women quickly came and held her up. ||12||

[13] When the cart fell, there was a rumbling sound like clouds:

What is that? What is making that sound? It is the cart. What happened to that cart?

It turned over. How? Suddenly it happened. Was that good? It was the mercy of Vāsudeva. With such discussion, the leaders of Vraja entered the area and saw the broken cart. Biting their lips they stood there in astonishment for some time. ||13||

[14-15] Seeing Nanda quickly coming from outside to the inner area, all came and stood on both sides at a distance, giving him a place to proceed. Understanding what happened with the cart from the shouting of the people, he touched the child held by his mother to his forehead and gazed at his limbs.

[16] They became peaceful and then asked the boys who were around the cart. They pointed their forefingers at one boy. That boy spoke when the others stopped speaking. Stuttering, the boy spoke, “Hear from me. When he raised his foot and touched the cart, the cart went upwards like a bird.”

[17] All the other boys, imitating him, began to laugh. The affectionate elders then dismissed the talk of the boys. But they had some doubt because they knew that Pūtanā had been killed.

[18] After creating auspiciousness for the child by invoking good fortune, bathing the child, satisfying the brāhmaṇas and getting the blessings of all present, Nanda returned the child to Yaśodā’s lap. Busy with caring for the child, she placed him on a bed in the middle of the house. The people then restored the huge cart to its previous position.

[19] Madhukaṇṭha then said, “O child! It is impossible for a small child to upset the huge cart. Please consider and say what does this incident mean?”

[20] Snigdhakaṇṭha said, “O respectable brother! This is not so surprising, since Yogamāyā has made the impossible possible. Do not ask about this again.”

[21] Madhukaṇṭha said with a smile, “Then what happened?”

[22] Snigdhakaṇṭha said:

Nanda consulted with his older and younger brothers: “These two boys should live together because their mothers are fond of caring for both. They are attached to both and they both are eager to do the right household duties. It is difficult to protect them separately. I am waiting only for a favorable day. It is said by the learned that one should do as one desires. Tell this to the brāhmaṇas and when they determine the proper time, arrange that the two boys stay together quickly with music, chanting mantras and prayers.”

Gazing at each other, stunned from a long time, on the pretext of tears, the two boy’s hearts melted. From childhood the two boys had attachment as brothers. When they saw each other, their attachment spread joy through the universe. ||14||

From the beginning of childhood Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa were together. They were the white rays and blackness of the moon. ||15||

[23] On all the festive days, the two, whose qualities could not be counted, met with other young boys.

[24] Telling the story in the proper order, the story will be in a different order from what is narrated in Bhāgavatam.

Skillful poets put the pastimes in proper order for taste, though Śukadeva spoke from intoxication of prema without following the proper order. ||16||

Killing Tranavarta

Chapter Seven - Infant Pastimes

[1] As on previous days, after the dawn in the glorious assembly, Madhukaṇṭha said:

O Snigdhakaṇṭha, absorb your mind in other pastimes.

[2] After one year, the birthday of Kṛṣṇa in Bhādra month, endowed with all wealth, arrived. Taking shelter of the instructions of Garga, the worship on his birthday was completed. Nanda conducted an astonishing festival with the best chanting.

The birthday was celebrated by Nanda with Vedic chanting, songs, the best dancing, abhiṣeka with mantras, gifts given in charity, sounds of joy, mantras chanted by persons knowledgeable of sacrifice, performance of six acts using sesame,[1] touching objects with earth, aguru rice and dūrva and releasing a fish.[2] ||1||

As Kṛṣṇa’s age increased, the festival increased, since there was no difference between him and the festival. ||2||

All the food and clothes that Kṛṣṇa received were given away in his name in Vraja. ||3||

[3] When one year passed with joy, one day when various old men and women were engaged in work, Yaśodā was caring for Kṛṣṇa outside in the yard.

She placed her face on Kṛṣṇa’s and kissed him. She spoke to him, laughed and made him laugh. Then Yaśodā became moist with showers of happiness. ||4||

[4] Thwarted by Kṛṣṇa’s killing Pūtanā and Śakatāsura, Kaṁsa sent Tṛnāvarta, who was extremely opposed to the devatās. Situated in the sky, from far-off he saw the child and considered.

[5] “The dark-complexioned child is on his mother’s lap in the yard of the huge house. Making everyone tremble, I will bring the mother with the child into the sky. Pūtanā took a different form and Śakaṭa became invisible in the cart to cheat them. I will take a form different from both of those*—*the form of the wind—and enter Vraja.”

[6] Yogamāyā, looking for opportunities for pastimes, entered into Kṛṣṇa’s body and manifested her power in order to separate Kṛṣṇa from his mother. By her power, Yaśodā could not bear carrying Kṛṣṇa’s weight, even though he was still as tender as a blue lotus. Astonished, she suddenly placed him on the earth, thinking, “No one else can bear this weight.” She began to meditate on the antaryāmī of the universe. Being afraid, she was anxious to worship the Lord to avoid any disaster.

[7] Tṛṇāvarta, taking the form of a whirlwind, took the child as if putting a noose around his neck and attacked Vraja with a shower of hard stones, almost destroying it. All of Vraja’s moving and non-moving entities became frightened.

When the whirlwind arrived, intense darkness covered not only every object, but also the hearts of all the people. ||5||

[8] When this evil demon began afflicting the people, in fear they began to speak to each other.

When the wind began to blow it raised pieces of broken pots and made a noise like thunder. It broke the trees, shortening their lives, and smashed the houses and cow sheds: “Ah! Misfortune! What is happening here? The tender boy with the hue of a blue lotus petal is here.” ||6||

At Nanda’s house, at this time of danger, Yaśodā did not see Kṛṣṇa at the place where she had put him down. Having more affection for her child than a cow has for its calf, she lost her sense of judgment and became like the earth, losing consciousness. ||7||

When the wind died down, Yaśodā could not see her son. She became agitated like a cow which, on losing its new calf, is unaware of what people speak. ||8||

[9] Starting with Yaśodā, all people on all sides began to cry. The whole of Gokula became filled with the sound of wailing.

[10] Unaware of the disaster around them, they came running, and all drowned in an ocean of grief.

When Tṛṇāvarta stole Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā’s body became a burden, and all others’ bodies became similar. It seemed their bodies would be destroyed. ||9||

[11] All the women were weeping. Yaśodā thought, “O Rohiṇī! Since you are preventing me from dying, what shall I do? Not seeing my child, shall I not die? How can I show my face to the king of Vraja?” If one thinks of the Yaśodā’s death-like state as she lamented, one’s ghee-like heart would melt. How can this scene be described? What more can be said? Madhukaṇṭha, worrying that all would lose self-control, immediately began speaking.

[12] When Kṛṣṇa, who gives happiness, was taken in the sky, his relatives, who were plunged into an intolerable ocean of grief, approached the favorable shore very quickly.

Clutching the neck of the demon like a frightened child, Kṛṣṇa began afflicting the demon. He became like the snake noose of Varuṇa around his neck. ||10||

As he tightened his grip on the demon’s neck, his weight became heavier. The demon could no longer carry Kṛṣṇa, nor could he give him up. He could not stop Kṛṣṇa at all. ||11||

Kṛṣṇa, whose garland should not be removed, took the burden of weight from the demon and the demon’s life as well. ||12||

As a man who thinks a snake is a garland is captured by the snake and as a man who think a bear is a blanket is captured by the bear, Kṛṣṇa surrounded the demon by his feet, hands and other limbs. How could the wind-demon give him up? ||13||

When the demon’s throat became choked, his breath and life airs stopped. Did his breath and life air leave? Did he die? ||14||

[13] The demon’s body fell from the sky with a deafening roar into the yard spread with stones. Though his body had been very strong, all his joints became loose.

“What is this? Where did it fall from?” Surrounding the corpse they began to speak. Then on the chest of the demon they saw Kṛṣṇa whom they were seeking. ||15||

They saw the demon with his eyes popping out, and the child on his chest looking around and making the place auspicious. Quickly they took him and gave him to his mother. ||16||

[14] The women revived Yaśodā using words as if they were mantras.

They said, “O Yaśodā, affectionate to your son! Death (the demon) has died. He who was taken by death is alive. Please take him!” Using these words as the mantra and Kṛṣṇa as the medicine, they brought Yaśodā back to life. ||17||

As the indragopa insect gains life from water in the spring season, Yaśodā gained life on attaining her child taken by the demon. ||18||

Nanda and others with him quickly came to the place in amazement and fear. They did not think of going to their houses, since they were all concerned about Kṛṣṇa. ||19||

Not seeing Kṛṣṇa and seeing the demon, they had come to that place to see Kṛṣṇa, since they were controlled by love of Kṛṣṇa. ||20||

Nanda, the child’s protector, touched Kṛṣṇa with his trembling hand and looked at him with tearful eyes. He took him from the lap of his mother. ||21||

[15] They feared he had been injured by the demon.

The women inspected his body and Nanda also looked with extreme possessiveness as if he were their very selves. Thus each one wanted to inspect him personally. ||22||

[16] Some who were interested in everyone’s welfare and had become disturbed came and spoke to each other in front of Nanda:

What is the strong, flesh-eating demon who has been killed? What is this boy who has escaped his mouth? The sinner is destroyed by his sin and the sinless person is saved from fear by his good qualities. ||23||

[17] Thus it is proper that we have had good fortune.

Though he was taken by the demon, he came back on his own to please his relatives. What austerities, unlimited prema or charities we must have accomplished in past lives to satisfy the Lord! ||24||