Gopalacampu 1.17

Now begins the eighteenth chapter,

The Crushing of the Pride of the Mountain-Splitter [Indra] and the Increasing of the Honor of the Mountain Govardhana.

Then, in the morning, in the assembly of the lord of Vraja, / as the rows [of guests] shone with great splendor, / Snigdhakaṇṭha, filled with joy, felt his throat fill with tears, / and began to speak: ||

Now, at the end of the month of Āśvina, in a region outside Vraja that had gained special distinction and taken on an appearance fit for sacrifice, all the people together with their subjects, led by the lord of Vraja—as if they were herds of thick joy because of the festival—moving about with mostly bewildered minds, undertaking the preparation for the sacrifice to Surendra, directing those who were preparing the ground and the rest, left their own residences and dwelt outside.

At that time, once at dusk, having arrived from the cow-pasturing grounds, having obtained delight through companionship with Saṅkarṣaṇa, and having an eager curiosity, Śrī Kṛṣṇa observed their conduct. And born of the intention of abundant curiosity, he stayed right there.

Even so, although it had been seen in previous years and was therefore not unseen before, nonetheless, now, out of the manifestation of maturity, causing anger toward Śatamanyu [Indra] and displaying feigned loving indignation toward his father and others, he inquired as if out of ignorance: “Even though the wielder of the hundred-jointed thunderbolt [Indra] is proud in this way—'Who are these wretched cowherds? Dakṣa and the other foremost lords of creatures, kings of the earth beginning with the rulers of their own Manvantaras, and the foremost sages whose first birth was from the lotus-born [Brahmā] shine forth as sacrificers of me, the protector of the guardians of all worlds'—yet these men, headed by my father, are offering excessive devotion to him!”

Then, clearly manifesting an excellence of respect, touched by inner distress, he asked:

"Father, please tell us: what is this agitation that has arisen? / If it is for a sacrifice, who is the deity? What is the scriptural authority, and what is the fruit?"

When the lord of Vraja, however, recognizing from the knowledgeable question his intention, mostly understood it and did not immediately reply, [Kṛṣṇa] spoke again as if yielding to helplessness, out of childhood suitable for pampering:

"Just as you have the desire to perform it, so we have the desire to hear; / for between both of us there is the status of a special refuge."

Then, as his revered father hesitated, thinking, “Should we openly speak of this sacrifice to the mountain-splitter [Indra], or will this child understand?”, he wished to make it a little more evident. As if indicating, “Father, we, the sons of you who are skilled and knowledgeable in all matters, are not after all of an intellect confined solely to grazing cows, but rather we also understand a little of the principles of knowledge and the conduct of dharma”, he spoke charmingly by suggestion:

"The one Supreme Self is the knower of all fields; / in Him the individual souls are not entirely distinct. / Good people who understand this are worthy of worship by the wise; / therefore, concealing anything from them is not at all proper."

If this is the view of the yogins, then consider worldly ethics as well: / an indifferent person, like an enemy, should be shunned, whereas a true friend is considered one's very self.
Even if this is the path of dharma, it cannot stand without critical inquiry, / in that success belongs to the wise, never anywhere to the ignorant.
Dharma is seen to be Vedic, while in some sacrifices it is seen to be customary; / which of the two do you consider to be of superior importance?

[8] Thus, observing His own son's unabated pride of knowing every doctrine, which was manifest in order to crush the pride of the lord of the gods, considering it extraordinary, and thereby seeing the need to defend his own side, the master of Vraja proposed:

"Even though this duty may be customary, dear son, nevertheless, because it is reasonable and also from sacred tradition, it is accepted as if born of sacred tradition. / Indra, who is the deity here, is all-knowing Parjanya; his worship, come down through the family, is considered our celebration."

[9] Hearing that answer of his, which described that rite with karma as supreme, Kṛṣṇa, wishing to humble Indra, followed the doctrine of those who consider themselves scholars of the ritual portion [of the Veda] and refuted the deity:

"If an individual receives [results] of himself by the force of karma alone following upon karma, and if the Lord follows karma, what deity is there at all? / Whatever is offered to an entity dependent on another is all offered into ashes; but that which nourishes oneself and one's own people is offered into the Gārhapatya fire. / Therefore, because we are Ābhīras and Vaiśyas, our proper duty is service to the cows. If a deity is to be acknowledged, it must be acknowledged as dependent on them."

[10] Then, suspecting that Śatamanyu [Indra] might also be their refuge in the form of Parjanya [the rain-cloud], He refuted [him] according to the doctrine of the wise Sāṅkhyas:

"The provider of pasture and grass is the dust-borne [mountain]; therefore Indra is not the shelter of cows, / but it is rather this mountain known as Govardhana. / Cows by being their livelihood, and the brāhmaṇas by lineage, / are visible to the senses as our support—these heaven-dwellers are not."

[11] There He refutes the other doctrine by the doctrine of scholars of refutation [Cārvākas]:
"The word of an authority and inference are understood only through direct perception; / therefore direct perception alone is the means of knowledge that crushes all others. / Therefore let the festival of the cows, the brāhmaṇas, and the mountain be begun; / let this triple service be performed with the collections of offerings meant for Indra. / If a fire offering is to be made, let it be offered intending fire, / for he is experienced as the manifest shelter of all. / Moreover, the brāhmaṇas should be pleased by giving cows along with priestly fees; / this is your intrinsic nature, not servitude to injunctions."

"Having given food down to brāhmaṇas and outcastes, / and even to dogs here, and grass to the cows, / let a mountain of food be presented to the king of the earth [Govardhana], / by reason of which this [festival] also may bear the name 'mountain of food' [Annakūṭa]."

[12] Thus, intending that food should be given down to dog-eaters and dogs, but not to the chastiser of Pāka [Indra], having rendered everyone silent and engaging each one [in action], He said:

"Having eaten and taken clothes, unguents, and ornaments, / circumambulate the brāhmaṇa, the fire, the cows, and the mountain. / Nor is walking by foot mandatory in this; / out of free will, a vehicle is also directed for this [purpose]."

"Or whatever people partake of this sacrifice here, let those people here / be like the gods—well-jointed, benevolent, and ageless!"

Moreover:
"The lore known as the worship of sacred Govardhana shines forth, / making one rich, making one charming, and likewise making one dear! / But disregard of the sacrifice to Mount Govardhana and worship of the splitter of mountains [Indra] / makes one blind, makes one grey-haired, and also makes one naked!"

[13] Thus, having looked at His elder brother's face and smiled gently, He spoke again with respect:

"Thus this was understood by My childish intellect, / desired by the cows, brāhmaṇas, and others, and beneficial to Me. / If it pleases you, then it should be done quickly; / there would be an obstacle if a divergence enters in."

"All that is accomplished by persons like you, / whether mental, vocal, or physical, / is ever seen to be done for My sake; / therefore, because it is beneficial to Me, this must be performed."

"A person of sound mind naturally knows all that is beneficial to himself, father. / If he does not know, he does not speak; if he speaks, he certainly knows."

[14] Hearing this speech, which, even though deceptive, was endowed with unhindered eloquence, and looking at His face, that very [course of action] was settled upon by all those of the same caste and different castes who had arrived for the festival. For:

"Whatever the dearest one speaks certainly enters the conviction / and liking of all; / if that is even slightly beneficial, what more need be said? / Therefore they too indeed approved it. / [15] Having understood this, Madhukaṇṭha reflected in a loud voice: Even though this non-theistic doctrine, exceeding the Veda and perishable by sound inquiry, was employed by Him merely as a vessel for the sport of overcoming Indra whose wheel of malice was turned, and not as an object opposed to righteous conduct; nevertheless, it was not improper in relation to those kings of Vraja, whose essential nature was the crest-jewel of the entire multitude of human goals, entrusted to the Vedic path through the extraordinary wonder of their friendship [with Kṛṣṇa]. For even those venerable for their knowledge of the Lord consider that very state [of friendship] as superior to all. As it has been said:

"Oh, how fortunate, oh, how fortunate are Nanda the cowherd and the inhabitants of Vraja, / whose friend is the supreme bliss, the complete and eternal Brahman!" [BhP 10.14.32] and so on.

[16] 'Therefore, even what he considers as if playfully turns out to be of the highest reality. Ah, such is this moon born in the lineage of the lord of the land of Vraja, whose very nature bears supreme splendor and wondrous rays!'

[17] Then he clearly asked, 'What happened next? What happened next?'

[18] Snigdhakaṇṭha said: 'And then, following the new moon day called Dīpāvalī, having engaged in the festive offerings of the row of lights, on the morning of the first lunar day, these [inhabitants of Vraja], taking supreme shelter with full trust, performed everything just as he had instructed.

[19] And there, to prepare the principal rite, having adorned the circle of peaks of Śrī Govardhana, the enhancer of all happiness, with diverse colourful canopies, banners, and the like, and having worshipped him according to rule with choice ingredients such as water for washing feet that was charming with excellent scents procured with great effort, they brought near and offered from close by abundant heaps of food: having torrents of streams of clarified butter like extensive foot-hills, displaying the coloration of mineral pigments indicated by condiments of various colours, bordered by rivers of milk, and joined by ponds of yogurt. Because of their former presence, the very places have also long been known by names of heaps of abundant sweetmeats, such as Āpūpika and Śāṣkulika.
Rich with various musical instruments and the clamour of the people, / that sacrificial festival thoroughly reached heaven; / because of which the two Aśvins, physicians to the king of the gods, / diagnosed the cause of the earache. ||1.18.28

When the mountain's food heaps were prepared, a vast form / resembling Kṛṣṇa appeared, / wherein the slightest sense of difference alone / became the cause [for wonder] in Kṛṣṇa. ||1.18.29

[20] And the onlookers, beholding him whose rising, radiant height was steadily increasing from the rocks of that mountain, conjectured:

'Is that yellow and dark radiance? Is it a cloud with lightning? / Or does a mountain shining with mineral pigments shine forth? / Rising up properly, does this host of forms of the conqueror of Bakī / spread forth its manifestation here?' ||1.18.30

'His body largely surpasses a mountain of collyrium; his garments possess the widespread lustre of the clouds of twilight; / his decorative jewels have a radiance that outshines the sun and other luminaries; / his crests are thousands of strong branches heavy with excellent flowers—ah, / this mountain deity makes our eyes filled with wonder!' ||1.18.31

[21] Then he—expert at moving the cleverness of the four-faced Brahmā, sweet through his name Kṛṣṇa—humbly asked: 'Lord, who are you?'

[22] The deity, however, producing the illusion of a thundercloud with a deep, rumbling voice, yet removing that illusion with his words, uttered this speech: 'O you who have completed this grand festival! I am this very mountain!'

[23] Comprehending this, the enemy of the gods' enemies and friend of Śrīdāman and the others, stretching out his two arms, restrained the crowd of cowherds whose unhindered clamour was bursting forth, and spoke these magnificent words to everyone: 'Indeed, he is to be bowed down to, because, eager to reveal his complete form within that great awakening form out of eagerness for compassion, that very deity has revealed a visible demonstration!'

[24] And having spoken thus, when his elder brother with a gentle smile bowed down like a straight staff, all of them, astonished in mind, did the same towards the mountain. And when they stood in rows with hands folded in reverence, that Govardhana, the enhancer of all joy, spoke again:

'Unlike other gods, / we do not see any difference from you. / Therefore, behold: what is given, / we consume directly before your eyes!' ||1.18.32

[25] And having said this—

Taking the food prepared from crores of āḍhaka-measures of rice and its condiments, / he consumed the food of each heap as if it were a single morsel; / and repeatedly drawing near water between mouthfuls, drinking as he went, / he swiftly made pools, basins, lakes, and even rivers dry up on every side. ||1.18.33

Whenever he stretched out his hand forward for a morsel, / all [the birds] scattered in every direction like sparrows. ||1.18.34
Making the food heap surrounded by condiments into / mouthful after mouthful with his right hand, / and pointing with the index finger of his left hand towards / Śakra, he laughed with a rolling glance from the corner of his eyes. ||1.18.35

As his arm stretched out and retracted to take exceedingly large morsels, / covering the directions and catching their gaze, / in the wondrous gathering of the eyes of the people of Vraja, the wonder was / that not a single grain was overlooked, nor did even one grain remain anywhere. ||1.18.36

The more that king of mountains hungered for morsels, / the more he grew robust and towered immensely high. ||1.18.37

And there—
The children felt fear; those whose minds were maddened with youth felt laughter; / the elders felt wonder; but the worthy ones felt devotion; / and to all of them, whatever state they attained, the deity / gave pure satisfaction out of his playful nature. ||1.18.38

Continually taking floods of water from afar and washing / his mouth, the mountain deity / spat high out over his back in all directions, / producing a rainfall accompanied by a flash of lightning. ||1.18.39

Between mouthfuls of water, picking out with bamboo sticks / the lumps of food lodged between his teeth, / the presiding deity of the mountain, his form rising up, / created fulfillment for all living beings. ||1.18.40

Chewing hundreds of trillions of betel leaf preparations / piled high, swollen with pride, / he made his face resemble the morning sun / whose disk is surrounded by an aura of color at its edge. ||1.18.41

The moment for the waving of lamps arrived, and everyone was bewildered:
‘How can this be done when he is so exceedingly tall?’ Their minds were troubled by varied thoughts;
but Kṛṣṇa laughed softly and devised a remedy by an ingenious contrivance
in which a thousand lamps shone, being moved below and above.

[26] Then, reflecting, ‘Ah, accepting, seeking, and taking everything, this mountain makes a mountain of it all!’, while all remained standing with folded hands placed upon their heads, that supremely beneficent one granted the best of boons in every quarter and disappeared unexpectedly; whereupon everyone remained for two or three moments as if depicted in a painting, preceded by complete full-length prostrations.

[27] And when their attention turned outward again, the blessed Hari said to all who had assembled for the festival of the mountain:

‘Ah, behold! Out of compassion the mountain, assuming an immense form
and manifesting its presence, has consumed everything!
It is suspected that he will destroy afflictions caused by disrespect;
likewise, taking the offering due to Purandara, he is deemed exceedingly powerful.’

[28] And thereupon, entirely reassured, everyone began the honoring of the cows, who are the objects of supreme love; for indeed—

The cowherds are mutually dear at every step to the cows, especially those dwelling in Nanda's Vraja;
there King Nanda himself is the prime example, and there too his son.
If this be so, then during the festival of Govardhana, in worshiping him, how are those cows and calves
to be described? But upon close inspection, they attain the status of the supreme object of knowledge.
And likewise:
Having received worship, their bodies variegated with beautiful adornments, having obtained sets of food offerings,
united with their calves, the cows truly felt the greatest joy;
nevertheless, it was only when they were encompassed by joy at the sight of glorious Kṛṣṇa, and not otherwise—
just as some people enjoy seasoned delicacies, etc., properly prepared, only when free from an absence of sweetness.
[29] And nourished by his glance—

Beautiful with horns fashioned of gold,
their hooves covered in silver, wearing necklaces,
accompanied by the tinkling of many little bells,
the herds of excellent cows displayed great splendour.

[30] There, perceiving the wondrous nature of the worship of Gopāla, headed by glorious Gopāla, and following the ritual, the cowherds approached the calves with bodies covered in variegated, exceedingly charming garments resembling spotted leopards; playfully agitated the cows; paused after the uproar of laughter caused by that; gave them rest by offering mouthfuls of grass; circumambulated them; bowed down; performed the selection of the priest; served the fire with a spread of awnings; made it turn clockwise as it curled to the right; and also completed the honoring of the family priests and others who were honored with heaps of ornaments.

[31] There, the worship of glorious Gopāla was as follows:

The marvelous bath-cosmetics, garments, decorative markings, fragrant garlands, earrings, and the like—
without ever being satisfied, through their repeated changes;
thus in worshiping Kṛṣṇa after worshiping the cowherds as part of the Govardhana-worship,
his father, mother, and other kin did not reach an end for a long time.

As was Kṛṣṇa, so was Rāma; as was Rāma, so was he.
In the eyes of the two sovereigns of Vraja and in the eyes of their friends as well, there was no difference here.

[32] The agitating of the cows was as follows:

When Hari joyfully went out of the sight
of the cows, they became agitated because their calves were being pulled away;
when he came into view,
they then identified with him.

[33] The uproar of laughter was as follows:

When the herd of calves was dragged away with shrill cries, and their mothers, lowing loudly,
ran all around in distress to wound the pullers with their teeth;
and while everyone raised an uproar of laughter, let the lotus-face of Kṛṣṇa be victorious,
which showered in every direction the intoxicating honey that was the liquid of his radiant smile!

[34] The offering of mouthfuls of grass to the cows was as follows:

The cowherds said: ‘O Kṛṣṇa, please touch lightly with your lotus hand
this mouthful of grass for the cows;
having caught the fragrance of its scent,
the cows relish it with supreme delight.’

[35] The calming of the cows was as follows:

At the festival of Govardhana Hill, the herds of ten thousand cows
the cowherds were not able to restrain;
which the flute of Murāri, by its playful whistling artistry,
fully accomplished, as if possessing millions of virtues.

[36] The circumambulation of the cows was commanded by glorious Kṛṣṇa thus:

‘Alas, a circumambulation of so very many cows cannot be done all at once;
therefore let it be performed for a single individual, because the universal is present in all.’
There, a single aged, prime bull was to be circumambulated;
for worshiping the root is considered by the wise to be worshiping all.

[37] But the devotion consisting of bowing down to the cows cannot be approached for description, since—

The cowherds were indeed naturally devoted [to cows],
and the people of glorious Nanda were even more so toward them.
Then, in the context of this Govardhana sacrifice,
their devotion was known as the bowing down to the Lord of Yoga and Durgā.

[38] The characteristic of selecting the priest was also extraordinary there; since—

The priest was chosen spontaneously there, not solicited as nowadays;
where the heart of the sacrificer was completely pure, there alone was his [heart] as well.

[39] And in the oblation:

In that great sacrifice of Govardhana, under the guise of the fire,
it was the very majesty of Hari, scorching Śakra, that blazed up.
When the fire in the sacrifice was seen to turn to the right,
every person performed a circumambulation turning to the right.

When the sacrificial session was performed, the master of Vraja gave clothes, tilaka, fragrant paste, and all these very finest of various bodily ornaments to the twice-born according to their every desire, repeatedly saying with joy to his followers: "Give, give without restraint!"

When the collection of divine gifts was arranged by the king of Vraja, / the examiners there merely became the test-stones of that [generosity].

[40] After which all living beings were delighted. For instance, the bards praised:

"From Nanda, who milks wealth for the cows, / and wealth for those who always ask, / who could be more generous, generous, and generous than this?"

[41] But there was this special wonder here:

"From the food, men were satisfied up to their throats at the sacrifice for Mount Govardhana; / even so, the heart of all living beings was not filled in the least! / In which the entire host of gods was affectionate, yet even then, / look, what a wonder! Alas, Saṅkrandana [Indra] withered in dry jealousy!"

[45] Then indeed, having thus performed sacrifices and the like through the brāhmaṇas, accompanied by the beneficial presence of the family priest, honored by the glorious prince-regent of Vraja, that assembly of wise men, placing the king of Vraja at their head, partook of the food left over from that sacrifice, which was supremely unexcelled; put on special attire; and tasting, laughing, breathing easy, and shining with deep faith toward the deeds of Hari composed in songs, walked in circumambulation all around Govardhana.

[43] And as is famed in the glorious Viṣṇu Purāṇa [5.10.45]:

"And they fed brāhmaṇas by hundreds and by thousands; / then the cows, having been worshiped, circumambulated the mountain."

[44] There the order of precedence was as follows:
The cows, Hari and Bala and the others, the brāhmaṇas, / the masters, the attendants, the elder women, / hundreds of youthful girls, the maidservants, / and the foremost people of the guilds walked in procession.

In order to draw the eye-fish from every direction here, / the actors and others, like fishermen displaying musical instruments and the like, / spreading the net of songs about Kṛṣṇa's renowned host of virtues, / attained again the nature of fishermen [full of sharp intellect].

[45] And there was the singing of the cowherd women, as follows—wherein half [of each verse] was a question by one, and the other [half] the answer by many:

"By whom was this mountain-worship performed?" "By Him by whom the position of Śakra was made fearless." / "By whom was this mountain-worship performed?" "By Him by whom that wicked Pūtanā was slain."

"By whom was this mountain-worship performed?" "By Him by whom the body of Tṛṇāvarta was torn to pieces." / "By whom was this mountain-worship performed?" "By Him by whom the twin Arjuna trees were uprooted."

"By whom was this mountain-worship performed?" "By Him by whom Vatsāsura and Bakāsura were killed." / "By whom was this mountain-worship performed?" "By Him by whom the death of Vyomāsura and Aghāsura was brought about."

"By whom was this mountain-worship performed?" "By Him by whom the subduing of Kāliya was accomplished." / "By whom was this mountain-worship performed?" "By Him by whom the ass-demon and Pralamba were silenced."

"By whom was this mountain-worship performed?" "By Him by whom the two forest fires were drunk up completely." / "By whom was this mountain-worship performed?" "By Him on account of whom Kaṃsa continually trembles." / But— / Only then did the virtues and various amusements of the virtuous men, alas, / bring captivity to the minds of the inhabitants of Vraja on all sides, / except at that time when their bodies became frozen / by the radiance of the cool moon-like charm of the sweet flute of the enemy of Agha.

In front, cows and others adorned with gold and jewel-tipped horns on all sides, / having arranged rows of cowherds around them, Hari together with His elder brother and friends, / His bodily splendor radiating from His gleaming garments colored like heavenly gold, / His back shining with marks of saffron-stained palms of maidens, resplendent in attire—

His body dusted with fine fragrant red powder and yellow orpiment, tossing He His staff into the sky / and catching it, running and turning back the white cows that went astray, / laughing, playing, holding hands with one another, holding concordant conversation, and playing music, / circumambulated Govardhana surrounded by the sound of charming flutes. / Whenever and wherever Hari walked gracefully, / slowly or quickly at His own will, / then the eyes of everyone reached that state, / as if controlled by strings.

[46] Thus moving on and on with intense delight, these cowherd chiefs, arriving at that very delightful sacrificial ground, from supreme bliss rested through the night, which was rich with dancing, instrumental music, and singing performed by professional dancing women and others. And in the morning, on the second lunar day, out of reverence upon hearing the glory of the daughter of the sun [the Yamunā], having performed their bath in her, they returned right to their homes.

[47] And on that Bhrātṛdvitīyā, thinking that brothers should be fed by the auspicious hand of a sister, Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, invited by the supremely blessed daughters of Upananda and others meeting together, bound by affection and eager, took delight in the feast along with their crowd of companions who joined in the eating.

[48] When this incident had thus taken place, Śakra, guessing, "This is an obstruction of my sacrifice caused by the insolent trickery of Kṛṣṇa," flew into a rage with tortuous malice. [49] As if to make manifest how that state of folly surmised by Kṛṣṇa, though hidden, could remain connected [to him] otherwise, he, out of envy, after reviling the glorious Nanda and others who were honored by the universe along with Him, dispatched the Saṃvartaka clouds to destroy Vraja. And then—

At first in the northern quarter there arose a chilling wind, a darkness, a trace of cloud,
touching repeated flashes of lightning and thunderclaps; and so, when the herd of cattle was quickly led into the cowherd settlement,
the cowherds and others, observing the multitude of evil omens, gathered around Kṛṣṇa,
and by his direction they instantly encircled that mountain and stood gazing upward. ||
[50] His instruction was as follows:
“If Indra unleashes a great downpour that destroys creation,
then the king of mountains, who accepted our offering, will show mercy completely.” ||

[51] Going to the foothills, when the cowherd settlement had taken up its station, making the mountain their shelter to render that obstacle powerless, and while the son of the king of the cowherd settlement was biding his time—

By the collisions of dense masses of clouds rumbling with a 'ghaḍad-ghaḍad' roar,
and stunned by ferocious, cutting, whirling gales,
when the people abandoned all thought of courtyard, cottage, paved floor, ditch, riverbank, and the like,
that renowned fury of a violent downpour swept forth manifestly. ||

The torrents of rain took on the form of arrows released from Indra's bow; the hailstones,
alas, became thunderbolts; and the multitudes of falling lightning-bolts simulated the falling of the sun!
When the cowherd settlement, distressed in this way, went to Hari as their refuge, he held Govardhana
in his hand so [effortlessly] that no one could even slightly fathom how it was possible. ||

[52] Thus, when Purandara became a producer of clouds, terrifying with downpours of dense water and causing anguish, that Murāri, the bringer of welfare, previously reflected in this manner:

“Indra is proud by his own will, disrespectful toward me and toward those devoted to me, and therefore
puffed up with pride from within; hence, following this, he must be subjected by me to the shattering of his arrogance.
All of this cowherd settlement has me as its sole refuge, is devoted to me, and brings me supreme joy;
it remains foremost in my heart; therefore, it must now be preserved by me as my very life-breath.” ||
Through the bewilderment caused by the lifting of the mountain, no spoken exchange occurred between Hari and Halin;
yet even so, their mutual affection, like knowledge, brought about an understanding in him. ||

[53] Lifting up that mountain, beholding all his own limbs as if covered with a multitude of needles due to thrilling horripilation, and reducing to nothing all the arrogance of Indra's thunderous roar through his invitations—deep, sweet-toned, and resounding to distant regions, characteristic of the naturally fearless Mathurā cowherd race—he spoke distinctly, bringing joy to them: