Gopalacampu 1.13

Obeisance to the beloved of the cowherd women.

Now begins the youth-līlā.

Now begins the fourteenth chapter:

The Crushing of the Ass-Demon.

O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, accompanied by Sanātana and Rūpa! / O Gopāla, attained by Raghunātha, O beloved of Vraja, protect me!

Thus, in the Goloka-vilāsa, Śrī Goloka, the eternal realm of the cowherds protected by Śrī Gopāla, was narrated. And there, in the court of the king of cowherds, the perception of an extraordinary, previously unseen pair of tender young prince-poets was revealed. After that, in the Bālya-vilāsa, the narration of Kṛṣṇa's childhood pastimes, ending with the pastime of subduing Kāliya, was performed by that pair. Now, that celebrated story of his youth is told. It is as follows:

Then, on another day, inside the court of the king of Vraja just as before, one of the two, Snigdhakaṇṭha, eagerly said this to himself: 'Now the youth must be described. But it is proper that embarrassment not arise in this assembly, which might forcefully ravish the confidential rasa. And if ever we are questioned in secret by Hari—who fills his belly being hungry for his own sweetness—as something bringing him personal pleasure, then we shall perform what is appropriate and enriched by that.'

Then he explained clearly: 'And then, when the sixth year had clearly arrived, at the time of his birthday filled with overflowing delight, on the festival of the increase of years that bestows an abundance of joy, youth, which steals the minds of everyone, dawned upon that son of the glorious king of Vraja, who brings about the highest good and rescues all. To explain—'

Having fully obtained dominion over Kṛṣṇa's body, which is composed of the splendour of the three worlds,
and having quickly spent its time in play, troubled by its [own] generosity,
paugaṇḍa childhood disappeared, after giving over its domain to early youth,
which had arrived on its own as a worthy recipient, a home of virtues, and an expert in the good.

And then—
By means of conciliation effected through the grace of his glances,
by gifts of radiant beams, by splitting minds through constantly stealing them away,
and by punishment in the form of sentiments born of absorption in other matters,
early youth brought everything belonging to Hari under its control.

And in this regard:
Fullness and radiance in his face, length and reddish lustre in the pair of eyes,
elevation and breadth in his chest, but slimness in his waist—
from the moment this beauty manifested even slightly,
from that moment the eyes of the world were drawn by it to Hari.

Thus, in this same manner, his elder brother too was described.

And then, at the time of the ripening of the palm fruits during the course of the rainy season, Hari, Rāma, and the others were once happily pasturing the cows in the south-eastern direction from Mount Govardhana, which increases all happiness. And then, catching the heavy fragrance of the cluster of ripe palm fruits—a fragrance carrying a homologous abundance brought from a great distance by an easterly wind, exceeding any previous experience—those celebrated companions of theirs among the residents of Vraja, whose minds had already been captivated by the fame of those fruits and who were capable of enduring all things and worthy of being desired, desired in their hearts: 'Accompanied by Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, setting out from here, we are filled with new curiosity to behold the palm grove, which is a royal palace dazzling with donkeys, as well as its guardians of like kind. Therefore, on the pretext of our amusement manifested through emaciation from hunger, let us urge these two on.'

And they, variegated by Śrīdāman, Subala, Stokakṛṣṇa, and others, possessing equal strength with Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa, knowing their inner secrets, and of similar nature, for that very reason shone forth constantly in full friendship. It is indeed said of them that their valour was equal, and so forth. Therefore, since the course of their understanding constantly advanced along with the prowess of those two, with an extraordinary affection free from all hesitation and on the pretext of hunger, they made a request of Balabhadra, the strength of his brother, for that purpose, as follows:

'Here is a forest of palm trees bearing ripe fruit, from which a diffusing, abundant
fragrance, alas, travels far; yet this is fruitless without enjoyment!
Indeed, donkeys that eat human flesh are heard to be its masters.
Therefore, O long-armed Śrī Rāma, and likewise O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, dispeller of the wicked, grant this!'
And by the phrase 'long-armed pair', this was implied:

'Because of your mighty arms, O Rāma, you are deemed valiant;
nowhere were you seen as such [before], but now you are to be seen [in action]!'

Śrī Rāma, however, smilingly said: 'Ho, friends, though full of longing, you consider yourselves equal to us! For, O simple ones, when you set out facing wrestling, full of the delight of pride indicated by the knitting of your brows and exercising power, sometimes even the two of us suffer defeat. Why, then, are only the two of us being begged?'

And they replied: 'You two, being far superior in every virtue, are truly our precious princes! And this is the way of royal conduct: that the royal house alone is chosen and honoured. Just as when hunting, a beast is struck [by the king], another does not make himself foremost. If that family is filled with supreme prowess, what more need be said? And there, because of your eldership, your primacy is never surpassed. Therefore, if your desire concurs with the fulfilling of our desire, let nothing else be approved!'

When Kṛṣṇa's elder brother, white as the moon, had smiled together with them in this manner, Dāmodara and the others, letting out a lion's roar in Vraja as he himself stood at the front, gladly set out in that very state for that forest, leaping along as his followers. But they made the cows remain in their own place. And having set out, to Rāma,

his friends spoke as if with reproach, and right after that, about his arms;
whereupon, his heart as if filled with emulation, he quickly went to that row of palm trees,
and shaking and clashing them all at once with his two arms,
he caused the fruits that fell together to be crushed like earth-elephants.

Perceiving that, donkeys, bearing faces with teardrops, rushed up howling from all around;
seeing them, the cowherds, accompanied by Mādhava and Bala, stood constantly laughing.
With his two hind hooves, as if with thunderbolts, Dhenuka struck Bala, who was negligent due to being overcome with laughter,
and he did not even notice it.

Since he did not even feel that blow,
and because of that, his conduct devoid of discernment from an excess of fury,
roaring again with his rear turned and throwing out a kick,
he named Dhenuka was thereupon seized by him like a calf.

Then, by the rod-like arm of Bala striking violently—even more fiercely than the spear of the fierce lord of Caṇḍī, which is adorned with fury enough to shatter even the cosmic egg—the enemy of Indra was whirled around like a potter's wheel upon the head of the lord of the circle of palm trees. And by that, the momentum imparted successively to the higher and lower palm trees, which resembled the irresistible hurricane born at the cosmic dissolution, rocked them and, hurling each upper half as if fired from a catapult, shattered that entire forest within a mere twinkling of an eye into dwarfs of not-small palm trees. Whereupon Balabhadra thought: 'Even though these may be called "kings of grass" [trees], nevertheless they are merely grass.'

[16] Then his followers, other donkeys vying with the gods, braying harshly, attacking repeatedly, suddenly blocking the path, and fighting alongside [him], arrived; regarded like mere grass by Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa, the abodes of supreme bliss, who were laughing and sporting, they were rendered insignificant just like rats clinging to life; seized by their tails and legs, as if to facilitate their eating of the palmyra palms, they were hurled swiftly onto the kings of grasses standing in the midst; their lives ended, they fell to the ground together with the round palmyra fruits, and like meteors struck by Rāhus, they terrified the partisans of Kaṃsa for several days.

"How much valor can there be in subduing donkeys?"
Let it not be disparaged thus;
for even then, the host of heaven-dwellers
honored the two with instrumental music, singing, and flowers. ||14.10

[17] Then, laughing, that [assembly of gods] headed by Indra mocked Dhenuka, conforming to the intention of Kṛṣṇa, the vanquisher of Agha, as follows:

"Even Aghāsura, and Kāliya born of Kadrū,
could not endure our [Lord's] prowess.
O crusher of mares, alas, donkey!
How did you attain such audacity?" ||14.11

[18] Then, those palmyra fruits touched by the corpses of donkeys dwelling in that palmyra grove—which had instantly turned into a playground of the cemetery—were not touched by them, nor were the cows made to graze upon its grass; but abandoned by them, certain other men and cows, free from danger along the path, relished them thoroughly for a long time.

[19] Thus, having arranged for him and his horde to be devoured by men, even up to their subtle bodies consumed by rage, the glorious Kṛṣṇa—accompanied by his elder brother and the assembly of companions, keeping the cows in front, playing the flute as he walked—returned to Vraja. As it is said:
With wide, restless eyes like lotus petals,
his wondrous, pure fame sung by his companions,
the son of Vraja's king entered Vraja with Balarāma,
playing sweet, soft melodies upon his flute. ||14.12

His hair, sprinkled with the dust of cows, bound with garlands
and adorned with a peacock feather; his pure eyes and charming smile;
his flute bringing delight, his holy glory praised by his followers—
the cowherd women, their eyes full of longing, gathered around him. ||12a

[20] Having related this news up to this point, joyful within, Snigdhakaṇṭha—recalling the greatness of the ocean of passion surging with waves of eyebrow-arches born of delight at seeing his moon-like face, belonging to the young girls who steal Kṛṣṇa's heart—forgot all functions of his senses, his throat choked with tears, and remained in that assembly for two muhūrtas in a state like an inanimate statue. [21] But the glorious king of Vraja and others, aware of his sentiment, out of compassion became attentive to soothe him, performing various measures, and all became overwhelmed with anxiety.

[22] When their various remedies proved unceasingly ineffective, Madhukaṇṭha alone, with arising eagerness, consoled them, and to pacify his brother's numbness of all senses, sang of the queen of Vraja's constant pampering of him at that time, as follows:

By Hari along with the plow-wielder [Balarāma], the crusher of enemies,
at the beginning of night, such fondling by his mother was experienced—by him who has conquered the Kali age. [Refrain]

The performing of the waving of lamps, the cleansing, and looking upon his face;
after massaging, bathing, and dressing in fine clothes, applying the forehead tilaka;

serving a meal composed of manifold delicacies, tasting fragrant water,
anointing with aloe-wood paste, tasting betel nut, speaking words of delight;

going to sleep after permitting the virtuous folk to arrange his bed;
after keeping company with dear friends and after the attendants followed him, an overflow of joys. ||14.13|| Thus.

[23] Thus, that description of Hari's deeds, completely attended upon, entering the hollow of his ear fully saturated with sweet melody, awakened him even as he had fallen into a swoon, just as [hearing] one's name awakens one who has lost consciousness in sleep.

[24] Then, having regained his composure, free from numbness, and honored for such virtues, Snigdhakaṇṭha said with a tearful throat:

"O king of the cowherds, this son of yours is merciless;
by his spontaneous play he enchants one who is already enchanted, like me." ||14.14

[25] When this was over and all the people of Vraja had returned home, the son of the great lord of Vraja, as usual, took the two sons of the king of sūtas along with him. Having led them and being the third himself, he asked them privately during the conversation: "Tell me, why and from what did such an onset of swoon come upon you, like a distress?"

[26] The two, however, said falteringly: "What can we say? You yourself experience everything."

[27] And Kṛṣṇa said eagerly: "Not only do we know it, but at that time we ourselves thoroughly experience it; nevertheless, we desire to hear its description. For:

Even that which has been performed extensively by oneself, if it touches the heart, is always worthy of being heard;
just as you two youths listen to each other's poetry composed by yourselves. ||14.15

[28] Therefore, first of all, sitting in the midst of the company of bimba-lipped maidens headed by Rādhikā, who is superior to all beloveds, let this most clever arrangement of aesthetic rasa be unfolded."

[29] Both of them, looking at each other with tears in their eyes, said:

"Whatever is within someone, all of that is known by the one desired by him;
if that very one dwells within, who else can truly know him?" ||14.16

And Kṛṣṇa joyfully said: “Then this faultless knowledge should be recited this very night!” Taking both of them by the arm, he led them along to the assembly of his companions, and with actions surrounded by abundant curiosity he spent the day until the time of the sun's setting.

Thus ends the fourteenth chapter, named “The Slaying of the Ass-Demon,” in the glorious Gopālacampū. ||14