Gopalacampu 1.26

Now the twenty-eighth chapter:

Arrangements for the Journey to Ambikā-vana

[1] Then, when the assembly was shining at dawn as on every day, Snigdhakaṇṭha, finding his opportunity, said eagerly: "O Madhukaṇṭha, let the subsequent deeds of Hari be heard!"

[2] Then, during Hari's ninth year, which showered all happiness—a year in which, with even greater effort than the previous year, the supreme Giri-yajña had been performed comprehensively and with great expansion—when a few months had passed, the night of Śiva, marked by exceptional auspices, gathered a very vast multitude of people. But mostly people go every year with joy to Ambikāraṇya, together with Yaśodā and others, to worship the consort of Ambikā, because of the common celebration; and they offer various kinds of wealth, not to mention in that year which was unequaled due to a special conjunction. There, the cowherds had their hearts captivated by Śrī Gopāla, who was sporting among the waves of the river of playful curiosity and observation. What more need be said? Even the feet of the protector of the cowherds and king became the receptacles of the desire for that journey.

[3] And they set out after a long time with an extensive caravan to transport the heavy loads of their grand preparations. Driving wagons with unblemished draft-bullocks carrying various provisions, the people experienced a delightful uproar.

[4] Whereupon the queen of the land of Vraja, the spotless vessel of the fragrance of love for her son, having become like a festival-sacrifice of happiness for the wives of the various cowherds, made the pilgrimage journey with them. What more need be said? Except for Upananda, Abhinanda, and others who stayed behind to protect the cattle and Gokula, everyone moved out before the festival. There, in their role as ones to be protected, Sannanda and Nandana followed their elder brother, and in their role as protectors, they followed him who was born from him.
[5] Furthermore, in particular:

With wagtail-like dancing eyes shining on their lotus faces,
with patterns drawn on golden jar-like breasts,
charming with the tinkling sound of swan-like anklets on their lotus feet,
the group of Vraja's own women displayed great magnificence there. ||1

And then:

That procession of the people of Vraja was not only visible from afar, but
also perceptible even to the blind, because of the clatter and sounds of the moving wagons. ||2

Increasing with every step among gods and men,
accompanied by musical instruments, songs, showers of flowers, and shouts of victory,
variegated by lines of celebrated travelers coming to catch sight of Mukunda,
with dense throngs from every direction, they arrived at Ambikā-vana. ||3

And there:

Mounting a bullock-drawn carriage with His brother,
Hari went along, surrounded by a host of colorful wagons of His friends. ||4

Occasionally bringing His tall cart alongside separately,
eager to see what He desired, He stood firmly. ||5

Strong with the strength of His companions, enjoying pastimes on the way,
watching the spectacles, repeatedly attended to by His own mother,
the enemy of Baka entered the forest of Ambikā. ||6

And there:

Those swift-footed hosts of people, numbering in the hundreds of thousands,
who had gone to the sacred place, attained Kṛṣṇa by fortune,
just as those who are miserable with thirst and setting out for water
in the end receive a shower of nectar. ||7

[6] There, this wonder occurred:

With its blooming eye-lotuses, with the moss of its spreading bristling hairs, / and with the stream of people mingling as waves of tears, / that [multitude], having breached the embankment and reached the great ocean of the exceedingly charming Kṛṣṇa's beauty, became like water itself right there. || [7] And then, while the people were gazing, continually saying, "Look, look!" because of beholding his captivating beauty—he who subjugated everyone merely through his lovely appearance—that cause of clamour was somehow restrained, and all the inhabitants of Vraja reached their proper lodgings. / [8] Having arrived, when King Nanda's radiant company had performed the rites of bathing and charity together with the welfare offered by the household priest, he who delighted in the company of his companions and Rāma, having eyes like lovely lotuses and shining from having bathed and been anointed, wandered here and there out of curiosity to see the caravans of pilgrims. There he experienced abundant delight on observing the various garbs, appearances, manners of dressing, sitting, attachments to speech, and distinctive undertakings of people from different countries.

[9] And where people looking [at them] amplified the clamour, saying: "Look at Kṛṣṇa! Look at Rāma! Look at Śrīdāman!" / [10] And where their groups repeatedly relished the abundant overflowing nectar of Govinda's beauty with the tongues of their eyes; filled with great bewilderment, they dedicated their very selves along with all their wealth that brought welfare; with tearful, bowed, and charming faces, collapsing from sitting in their homes, they stood with folded hands. / [11] But Śrī Kṛṣṇa, though having accepted that, reciprocated their affection through his gentle nature, comforting them by saying, "May your possessions indeed remain yours, returning from me according to the devotion of each one," and gradually returned to his own lodging without weariness. / [12] Having arrived, taking his evening meal, gladdening his mother's heart with bliss, putting on the best of excellent garments, garlands, and ornaments, and being surrounded by his companions, he observed, outside the temple of Śiva—who bestows auspiciousness upon all devotees and is the supreme guru in the lineage of devotees—those skilled in astonishing various arts during the worship of Śiva, wherein a vigil was kept by his father and others who were Śivarātri pilgrims with singular devotion for their own welfare, accompanied by a great variety of clamour from their own people, strangers, royal servants, and relatives.

All the people of Vraja shone there like wish-fulfilling trees; / the fortunate son of Parjanya shone like a presiding deity. || [13] And in the morning, when the dawn arrived, the fame of the king of Vraja's assembly was extended through gifts of food and the like multiplied with virtues and through honor shown to the innumerable host of brāhmaṇas and others attracted by the renown of his generosity; and when those hundreds of pilgrims to that holy site were somehow sent away through the etiquette that fostered supreme affection as if they were long-acquainted friends, that Hari, cherished by his parents along with the residents of Vraja, stayed for the night right there on that new-moon day. / [14] Then, because that night was not filled with an abundance of pilgrims, with the departure of the clamour and the exhaustion from the previous day's vigil, sleep descended heavily upon everyone on all sides.

[15] There, the enemy of Danu's sons, having gone a little distance away out of modesty and playfulness, slept in the happiness brought about by his companions.

[16] Then, on that night when darkness had shown itself in every direction, an old python, a serpent whose fangs were gone, slithering along, swallowed the lotus foot of the king of Vraja. / [17] And as his foot was being swallowed with strength by it, the king of the land of Vraja, desiring refuge, his mind filled with the constant manifestation of Kṛṣṇa, cried out while awake toward Kṛṣṇa. As follows:

"Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa! Alas, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa! Oh, / father, could a python swallow me?" / Uttering this from remembrance of his son, / he entered into a state of faint. || [18] Then the warriors among the circle of heroes standing near him rose up taking their swords; seeing him, like strong-armed ones seeing Rāhu swallowing the moon, they were intensely pained; their efforts to strike it having become useless and not seeing any other remedy, boiling with agitation, they struck it with sharp sticks having blazing burning tips. / [19] Even so, when the python did not release him, the son of the king of Vraja, who had awakened at the very first cry, came running right then like a king of divine elephants.

[20] And as he arrived, that serpent of exceedingly long back, in the manner of a fence-rail, was touched at its tail by his tender sprout-like foot.
[21] Touched by him, it released his father's foot, and spontaneously shedding its serpentine form from within, assumed another body—the form of a Vidyādhara.
[22] And the lotus feet of the glorious king of Vraja, touched by the sprout-like hands of [Kṛṣṇa], regained their proper splendor.
[23] Then, while everyone looked on in wonder, that former Vidyādhara named Sudarśana, having regained his supreme original form, praised him, recounted the story of his curse, prayed for his forgiveness, and permitted by him, departed for his own abode.
[24] Those respectable women, beginning with the wife of the glorious lord of Vraja, who had previously abandoned their shame and rushed there in confusion, bewildered as to what to do—what then to say of the others?—
[25] now embraced one another in proper turn and dissolved into sheer, senseless weeping:
Thus Kṛṣṇa embraced his father, and Rāma did as well; and the mothers embraced Kṛṣṇa and Rāma; / and the others embraced the mothers, and frantic with emotion, all embraced one another. //
[26] Thus, when the night was spent, their minds eager for swift departure, they loaded the assembly of carts together, traversed the long journey as if it were brief, and reached their own Vraja.
[27] There, Upananda and the others, accompanied by the entire cowherd settlement that joined in the recitation of the Vedas surrounded by flawless instrumental music and song, properly welcomed and waved auspicious lamps around the glorious King Nanda, their own brother, who was accompanied by his sons; accommodated them in the pleasure-groves of Vraja; waited upon them with bathing and other services; brought their household members there; completed the cooking; fed everyone and brought them joy; inquired about news of the journey; experienced a surge of joy and thrill; and then escorted everyone to stay in their respective dwellings.
[28] Now he states the conclusion:
Such is your son, O lord of Vraja, a moon of wondrous fame, / the moonlight of whose toenails destroyed all darkness. //

Thus ends the twenty-eighth chapter, named 'The Journey to Ambikāvana',
in the glorious Gopālacampū.
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