Gopalacampu 1.12.5

1.12.5

[2] dhenu-cāraṇārambha-lambhaka-dine dhenukālambhaḥ khalu śrī-bādarāyaṇinā tadīya-cāraṇāvasara-sāmyānusāriṇā pūrvam eva varṇitaḥ | vastutas tu paugaṇḍa-prānta eva paṇḍayā nirṇītaḥ, tad-divasāvasāne veśma-praveśe kaiśorāṃśāveśa-varṇanāt | ataḥ śrī-parāśareṇāpi kāliya-damanānantar-āvasara eva so' yaṃ sāvasaraḥ kṛtaḥ | śrī-hari-vaṃśe ca spaṣṭam eva, damite sarparāje tu kṛṣṇena yamunā-hrade [2.13.1] ity uktvā dhenuka-vadhaḥ samārabdhaḥ | tad eva yuktyāpi vyaktī-bhavati | kārtika-vartamāna-śuklāṣṭamyāṃ gocāraṇārambha-sambhava-dinatayā pādme spaṣṭatayoktir dṛṣṭā | pakva-tāla-phala-kālo bhādra eva, tatra ca dhenuka-nirdhūnana-prasiddhiḥ | tasmāt kāliya-damanam eva prathamaṃ prathayiṣyāmaḥ iti |

[2] “Indeed, the destruction of Dhenuka on the day marking the commencement of pasturing the cows was described earlier by Śrī Bādarāyaṇi merely out of similarity with the occasion of herding them. In reality, however, it has been determined by wisdom to have occurred at the end of the boyhood age (paugaṇḍa), since an entering of early youth (kaiśora) is described when he entered the house at the end of that day. Hence, by Śrī Parāśara too, this event was placed precisely after the subjugation of Kāliya. And in the Śrī Harivaṃśa, it is explicitly stated: ‘When the king of serpents was subdued by Kṛṣṇa in the pool of the Yamunā,’ having said which, the slaying of Dhenuka was commenced. The same is also made evident by logic. In the Padma Purāṇa, it is clearly seen stated that the commencement of cow-herding occurs on the eighth day of the bright fortnight of Kārtika. The season of ripe palmyra fruit is indeed Bhādrapada, and there the shaking of Dhenuka is renowned. Therefore, we will first narrate the subjugation of Kāliya.”