Gopalacampu 1.8

Now the eighth chapter:

The Delight of Dāmodara

Then, on the next day as well, having taken his seat in the assembly at daybreak when the cowherds had gathered, Snigdhakaṇṭha said: Once, toward the end of the month of Dāmodara, delight-filled Yaśodā, seeing in the morning child Gopāla lying down with his pair of blue lotus eyes seeming to open slightly, gently caressed him upon the bed above the couch with her sprout-like hand, and put him back to sleep as if anew. Leaving him very gently and reaching the veranda, having tied up a large bunch of curd, she began at daybreak to churn a certain amount of curd for use in her own home. On that day, Rohiṇī, riding together with her son on a great chariot, had gone to the house of illustrious Upananda upon an invitation born of affection. The maidservants had also gone off to attend to their respective abundant duties. And this abundance of tasks was imminent because of the grand festival for Mahendra, revered by the people, ordained by family tradition, occurring at the arrival of the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, which is the head of the year.

Thus taking the effort herself, the wife of the king of Vraja, repeatedly churning the mass of curd, sang to prolong his sleep, and looking only at his face with one-pointed attention, sang exclusively of his pastimes all around. As was stated by the venerable Bādarāyaṇi:

"Whatever childhood exploits of his had been sung here, / remembering them while churning the curd, she sang them." [BhP 10.9.2]

The churning here is as follows:
The youthful beauty, adorned with a mass of brilliant gem-studded girdles over fluttering silken garments, / embellished with splendid bangles bearing a sound blended with their tinkling, / gazing upon her son's face whose pair of eyes seemed to open ever so slightly, / the illustrious queen of the cowherds constantly churned the curd with moving arms. ||1
Her singing was as follows:

You are the forehead mark of the family of the lord of Gokula here, / O creator of hosts of pleasures for Vraja whose merits have been performed, whose deeds delight the eyes! [Refrain]

O you who gladdened the assembly of cowherds with the great festival of your joy-producing birth! / O you who encompass the king of Gokula with newly auspicious deeds of utterly pure conduct! [a]

O you who, after the overturning of the cart that arrested courage, were surrounded by the fortunate! / O you who were brought [safely] by the Supreme Lord, who averts the whirlwind together with the whirl of grass! [b]

O lotus-eyed, supremely meritorious one, who crawl in the sweet courtyard! / O you who have displayed excellent skill in various games and artistic dances! [c]

O you whose delightful beauty is encircled on your slender body speckled by the tails of calves! / O you whose feigned greed is intensified amidst the playful quarreling of elderly women! [d]

O Kṛṣṇa, extend lasting and continuous happiness to me, your mother! / Quickly accept the growth of your body, O you who have developed a thirst for hosts of numerous games! [e]

O you whose Vaiṣṇava māyā was ascertained through the wondering contemplation of the vision of the three worlds! / May you, whose body is devoid of old age and death, become the bestower of supreme happiness through the worship of Hari! [f] ||2

Then, having awakened, that ocean of charm endowed with eternity rose up at once as if crying, and went to his mother, as follows:

Letting out a deep sigh accompanied by the stretching of his limbs, / rubbing his eyes, waking up, babbling "Mother!", / crying as he heard the sound of the churning rod, / the child, illustrious Gopāla, went to her with faltering steps. ||3

And then the mother, as the circular motion of the churn-rod was halted by that handsome little one filled with tiny, affectionate entreaties blended with endearing childishness, herself suckled that young child with fresh milk from her two breasts.

As her breast, possessing a beauty luscious like the rainy season, showered milk in streams, / Kṛṣṇa truly became a cātaka bird. ||4

When he had avidly drunk half of that blessed breast-milk, she, seeing the boiling over of the streams of milk being heated in another room just in front of her eyes, acted without deliberation and immediately left him to run off; and out of fear of his falling if she moved swiftly, she did not take him along.

Madhukaṇṭha said: Why do you speak thus? For the sake of so little, how could her departure away from her infant son whose body was emaciated by hunger become fitting and justified? For she is the pristine standard of comparison for those who are affectionate toward their children.

Snigdhakaṇṭha said with a smile: O teacher, please pay attention to what follows: this was indeed nothing other than a playful manifestation of her maternal affection.

Madhukaṇṭha said: How so?

Snigdhakaṇṭha said: To explain: whatever house, body, and the like were considered almost vanished without him, these, from his birth onward, were considered by those two parents only as possessions full of a sense of mineness toward him. As is heard even of the entire populace of Vraja in Brahmā’s statement—"whose homes, wealth, friends, beloveds, bodies, sons, vital breaths, and minds are all for your sake" [BhP 10.14.35]—what then to speak of those two? And this charming milk and curd are understood specifically to be meant solely for his pre-eminence and nourishment above all else.

This being so, her thought was: "Enduring even trouble, this child does not know at present the various desirable household chores of his own home; therefore, out of pity, his duty must indeed be performed by us." This diverse working of love of this kind can be comprehended only by those for whom even reproaches and beatings performed take on the nature of fond caressing, what to speak of anything else? For:
Out of love, anger sometimes arises,
and it is seen to increase that very love;
even in a dense cloud, in just that manner,
the fire of lightning repeatedly rolls around. ||5

[13] For such was the conduct of both, who were mutually devoted. At the time of going for the milk, she indeed uttered these words to cause him joy: "Child, I ward off the evil eye from you! Guard the churning pot for a moment, while I go quickly to look after your milk." And then—

Leaving the child at the edge of the churning vessel,
the mother went quickly, alas, and then returned;
meanwhile, her pair of breasts rained down, soaking the cloth on her chest,
so that the path became slippery. ||

[14] Even though this was so, he became exceedingly agitated when his desire was opposed, as follows:
Biting his trembling, reddish lower lip with his teeth in anger,
he let forth a wail of weeping;
he smashed the clay vessel struck with a churning rod with a stone,
and did not leave even an atom of butter in it. ||

[15] Here, indeed, they describe:
The streak of his tooth-moon entered his red lower lip,
and the pair of cakora birds of his eyes shed tears;
then, by the lotus hand of this child,
averting inauspiciousness by force, it expanded greatly. ||

[16] Thus, when the buttermilk inside the jar had flowed everywhere, another episode took place, as follows:

Then, having carefully taken the fresh butter
seen on the hanging swing-basket inside the house,
Keśava ate it there, and concealing the remainder,
he carried it off through a side door. ||

[17] And that effort was as follows:
Moving the key, he released the small inner bolt,
and having entered the house, he secured it;
he placed a cot there to serve as a ladder,
and having hidden the clarified butter, he turned and went away. ||

[18] Then, within a moment, the milk being brought to the proper state,
the mother quickly came to her son;
not finding him, but understanding such an act of his,
she laughed, both angry and delighted. ||

[19] There, while she was at first hesitant with suspicion, a voice from the sky revealed by Yogamāyā became the cause of her understanding that provoked her laughter. [20] It was as follows:
"A young bee, desiring to drink unmade nectar, did not carve it,
but cut into the bottom of a lotus bud and watched;
feeling dejected there upon seeing merely the dripping of liquid,
he went to another lotus in the center and found honey in it." ||
Moreover:
"You calmed down the agitated milk;
that skill of yours is well understood.
If you calm down the child's anger,
which is so great, then you will truly be praised!" ||

[20] Having thus heard this, laughed, and seen the unmistakable footprints deduced from traces of buttermilk, and having unlocked the door-bolt with an effective instrument, she again acted thus:

Having gone into another room in the house
and seen the matchless restlessness of her son,
the mother, following his tracks step by step,
also saw him with his wandering eyes. ||

[21] There, his state of having restless eyes was as follows:
"I have stolen clarified butter here and can be seen;
how then can I bring my eyes to face my mother?"
Thinking thus, child Kṛṣṇa repeatedly, as it were,
directed his pair of eyes between his two ears. ||

Turning a mortar upside down by force
and sitting atop it, his gaze darting about,
he was giving clarified butter to a monkey;
seeing her son, the mother smiled and was also astonished. ||

The mother stepped forth secretly to seize her son who had committed the theft;
and seeing her, he ran away.
This is indeed a well-known proverb among the people:
"A thief has a hundred eyes; a master has only two." ||

[22] Indeed, that proud monkey, satiated with butter, seeing her with a stick wrapped in cloth, quickly climbed up a tree branch.

Then the mother pursued her fleeing son,
her braided hair spreading a shower of flowers,
calling out: "Where are you going, you prince of thieves?"
charming with her cries and laughter that were not very loud. ||

Though she ran fast and was near, the mother
did not catch the child as he ran,
just as a bank of western clouds does not reach
a small cloud moving east before the speed of the wind. ||

[23] Then, thinking that the main gate of the town was not a path where his mother would go, he, eager to escape, headed in that very direction. But the mother, knowing that there were no people there at that time, pursued him there. And then:
When the child ran without looking back,
he could not be caught by his mother;
when he looked behind out of fear,
he was seized by her hand. ||

[24] And even then:
He produced tears in his eyes to show flowing grief;
he wept to dispel the rise of her anger;
he shook his body to maintain his audacity;
he did not wipe away his mischievousness. ||

Whenever the mother forcibly turned
her child's face toward hers,
he turned it aside to dry
the smear made by the clarified butter. ||

And then—

"If, alas, you desire stealing fists full of household goods,
behold this stick wielded by my hand!"
When the lotus-eyed boy became startled thus,
the queen of Vraja dropped her own stick. ||

While he said, "Don't! Don't!", that queen playfully initiated
a battle of words with full force, saying, "Thief! Thief!" ||
"Aha, you are the king of thieves! Thieves were born in your father's lineage!"
Such words did the mother calculate with her child who had stolen the cow-products. ||

Moreover:

"How did the cream on the curd break? It was the staff of the Supreme Lord!
Who gave ghee to the monkey? He by whom it was created!" ||

"I suspect you are constantly tasting and licking thus
the fresh butter meant for parts of the sacrifice!"
Calling the child a thief in this way,
the mother rebuked him, yet her heart grew meltingly tender. ||

Then, smiling in excitement, questioned by His mother, "Tell the secret and leave off pretense!", the son, bringing forth weeping eyes, said:

"While you were running vehemently, from the impact of your anklet
the pot of curd-cream burst; what insolence is mine?" ||
"This monkey, directed by the Lord, entered the house for a fistful;
he was seized by me as he stroked the ghee; what wickedness is mine?" ||
"Even so, seeing you with a stick taken up, I ran like a thief;
yet you mercilessly chased after me, though I was frightened in vain!" ||

Then, as if filled with remorse, the mother said: "O most eloquent master among thieves! Though born of the best of men, you love monkeys and possess the very nature of a monkey!"

The son, however, with fearful speech that was also a bold challenge, said: "Then I will simply enter the forest and stay there!"

Then the mother anxiously thought: "Who knows? Being proud, He might even do this! Therefore, tying Him up to restrain Him is indeed to be arranged, since for me alone, attention to both the house and the boy will be hard to maintain." But openly she said this:

"O thief, casting delusion by the charm of your restless, rolling eyes,
do you think there is no restraint?
Binding you, I shall quickly walk into the house;
if you have the power, demonstrate it and commit another theft!" ||

As she made an effort to bind Him, the son, pretending to be angry in His rage, loudly said, weeping as if crying aloud: "Mother Rohiṇī! Where have you gone with my brother? Bereft of you, this woman is binding me; therefore come here quickly!"

Since she had gone far away, she did not hear this; but other women from nearby houses, having heard it sequentially and making their reproachful way, gathered round. As if hinting, to remind them of their own words, "What deed did this master of the house perform in your house as well?", they laughed together.

Then, not minding that, the mother, who was to be His teacher, obtained a single silk cord untied from the braid of her hair, and persistently endeavored to bind the nursling at His waist—not tightly, like the rope around a calf's neck—to the mortar stationed right within the doorway of the house. That [cord], however, turned out to be short by two fingers' breadth.

And then, even when another [cord] was taken from her coiffure and joined to it, as the same condition was observed, the queen of Vraja, as if in wonder, could not reach the end, even with many churning ropes offered by the women. And then:

All the ropes, having found room
on His body that appeared short by two fingers,
were seen there like clouds on Mount Vidūra. ||

Seeing this, laughing, they said: "O queen of Vraja, we already reported it: this one, with exalted bewitching charm, shaking even a skull-cap, enjoying only the beauty of stolen goods, shines brightly as a robber!"

She said: "What does this boy born today know? Rather, this is some blameworthy magic of yours, since within you are observed to take His side, while externally you act otherwise!"

All of them said with a laugh: "Venerable lady, we swear by your feet: we possess no such astonishing magic!"

And she reflected in her mind: "Then, like the collection of Garga's words, some divine power alone is obstructing Him all at once, and He does not know anything at all!"

Then, in order to examine the limit of this wonder, having repeatedly brought other churning ropes from the house through those very women, she persistently undertook the binding, but found no other recourse. And then:

Binding her son of boundless deeds,
the queen of Vraja did not reach an end,
but attained an abundance of drops of perspiration
and, again and again, disarray of her curls. ||

[39] Then, as long as that scion of the Yādava dynasty applied his mind to obstinacy, his insistence remained as if seized by an unyielding planet. But when his mind softened out of compassion for his mother's distress, he considered himself bound merely by the first two pieces of string tied around his body. All the other ropes were seen to be simply left over. [40] For she who carries out his actions is named Yogamāyā, who follows his mind; having accomplished that, she daily produced the conviction in his mother that this was surely just an illusion. [41] Then, having secured that fastened bond with another exceedingly long rope, she tied him to the middle of the mortar with it. [42] Having tied him up, the mother, enforcing discipline and displaying her own firmness toward that stubborn child, went off to joking household chores together with the laughing women, having stationed the boys all around to watch over him.

[43] And then, when they had gone, for a moment he made a playful show of crying; then, finding delight in shoving the mortar toward the wide-open courtyard, he—though tied, his eagerness for mischief intensified simply by being surrounded by boys—laughing and playing with them, moved the mortar gently along, and caused the boys to steal and eat the delightful fresh butter and other things placed in hanging ropes from the rows of houses that had acquired the character of being deserted due to the women who carried off ropes [for his binding], amid boisterous laughter. But, with a pastime that bestowed joy through dragging it, he felt no desire to loosen that binding either with his hand or by any other means.

[44] There, however, standing in front of the settlement gate, like dancing stirred by a whirlwind, stood a twin pair of arjuna trees within range of his eyes. And gradually he advanced right between the two.

[45] Mentioning this with an unconstrained voice, Snigdhakaṇṭha, keeping secret the fact that the cause of their breaking was the display of Hari's divine power, stated quite another reason: [46] 'Then, eager to wander beyond openly and quickly, he emerged by the path running right through their middle; but because that path was narrow, the mortar was cast down sideways and became wedged.

[47] Then, wishing to snap the rope, he pulled it with force. And when it was dragged violently—

The two tree trunks, struck with a crackling crunch, clearly tumbled to either side; / approaching deafness and bewilderment, the host of people throughout Vraja lost their presence of mind. ||34

Wondrous it was: there snapped the twin arjuna trees, whose core was like thunderbolts, / but not that bond formed of the insistence of a mother's affection! ||35

[48] And on this matter they recite a verse:

I praise the childhood of him who is cherished by the brides of Vraja—possessing the luster of a dark body, bearing the sound of tinkling bells, granting supreme joy by crawling, / constantly dragging the mortar that produces a grating sound of scraping, / looking around out of curiosity born from the crackling sound of the twin arjuna trees that resembled crashing thunderbolts! ||36

[49] Then, due to the exceedingly mighty crash of those two, the residents of the cowherd settlement stood falling into a swoon in distress for half an hour, except for the circle of children gathered nearby him. That band of friends, however, absorbed in the sweetness of his pastime, like figures in a picture, did not experience fear. [50] Having perceived from afar that mighty crash that caused consternation, however, the inhabitants led by the lord of Vraja, their faces filled with conjecture, set out toward that very place. Together and with alarm, they exclaimed here:

"Without wind, without rain, without the strike of lightning, / without damage caused by an elephant—by whom have these two trees been felled? ||37|| / Has this disaster occurred? Why has there arisen such emptiness of people?" / Because of that, because of that great roar, the people in Vraja fell into a swoon. ||38

[51] And they noticed the young cowherd standing on the bank near them, his face gleaming with playful smiles, dragging the mortar, showering the joy of his divine play. And speaking, "How? How?", they stood simply surrounding him.

[52] He, however, cried out to his father who was approaching him. [53] And the father, though agitated within, made his face alone an object of smiling in order to soothe him, and promptly untied him. [54] Kissing his face which wore a tearful expression, though he knew, he asked repeatedly: "Son, of what place is that wicked-minded person by whom you have been tied so stubbornly to the mortar?"

[55] Devoted to his father, having long embraced his neck and come near, he described into his ear: "Father, mother alone!"

[56] But the father knew that she had first lost consciousness and had subsequently become distressed out of self-reproach that arose naturally. For that very reason, he did not wish to rebuke her rashly, even in secret. Nor did he ask the boys, out of ignorance or out of disregard, "What happened here?"

[57] They themselves, however, said: "Evidently, having walked between them to go play in the spacious open courtyard in front of the house, when this mortar, dragged along, became immovable because it turned sideways, the two tree trunks, snapping with a loud crack, suddenly fell tumbling down.

[58] And then, emerging from the two shattered trees, two radiant beings endowed with brilliant bodies, adorned with bracelets, crowns, earrings, and other ornaments, bowing down, pleased him completely in some way. Following that, they departed toward the northern direction."

[59] Having heard this, the affectionate elders considered: "This is the prattle of children." Others, however, had minds that were not free from doubt.

[60] Then, along with the people of Vraja who had gathered by ones, twos, and so forth in succession, the king of Vraja, having properly adorned his lap with his child, went to the Yamunā to perform his daily duties; and having bathed there in her waters with the child close beside him, he performed the recitation of auspicious mantras and the like through the brāhmaṇas, distributed great gifts and other offerings, returned to his residence, and prepared for his morning meal.

[61] His wife, however, overcome with the sorrow and shame arising from that incident, would not leave her chamber out of obstinacy, nor would she speak with the women who came to her house. When all of them had returned without success, Rohiṇī, skilled in bringing reconciliation, had food served by respectable female kitchen-stewards.

[62] The glorious king of Vraja, having brought along his younger son Rāma as well, took his meal together with both sons, anointed as it were by their sweet and indistinct babble. After resting for a moment with the two boys, who were the perfection of supreme bliss embodied, his mind fully composed with delight like that of cooling vetiver, he went to the cow-pen at the delightful time of the cows' arrival and had the milking and other tasks attended to. [63] Having ordered exceedingly white sugar brought from the house, he made his two sons drink, together with their agemates, wholesome milk warm from the udder along with that [sugar] as a substitute for breast-milk; and there he taught them how to fold a leaf-cup.

[64] Then, when the king of Vraja had returned once more to the mansion and enjoyed the pleasure of dinner with the two of them, the venerable elder women, jewels of their family's fortune, accompanied by Rohiṇī and longing for their unending happiness, approached and reported:

[65] "O King, Kṛṣṇa's mother has eaten nothing today, nor has she spoken to anyone; and following her, all the women are doing the same."

[66] The king of Vraja, with a sorrowful smile, said: "What can we do? Let her who is yielding to anger see her own fault herself!"

[67] All the women, in tears, said: "Alas! She is indeed exceedingly tender, within and without; she will wither away completely from the anguish caused by such words from you!"

[68] The king of Vraja, however, with a smile asked his son: "Will you go to your mother?"

[69] Kṛṣṇa said: "No, no! Rather, I will spend all my time right beside you."

[70] Then the elder sisters-in-law of the king said with a smile: "Whose breast will you drink from?"

[71] Kṛṣṇa said: "I will drink milk warm from the udder, mixed with sugar."

[72] All the women asked: "With whom will you play?"

[73] Kṛṣṇa said: "Only with father! And I will make my brother join us too."

[74] The king of Vraja said: "Why do you not follow your brother's mother?"

[75] Kṛṣṇa said, with angry tears: "Because she went away and abandoned me too!"

[76] Hearing this, Rohiṇī in tears said softly: "My son, why are you being so hard-hearted? Your mother is grieving."

[77] Kṛṣṇa, as though not hearing this, looked tearfully at his father's face. Rohiṇī, however, signaled Saṅkarṣaṇa to draw him near. But when the boy took his hand, Kṛṣṇa shook it off, ran away, and clung to his father's lap. And while doing so, wrapping both arms around his father's neck and looking straight into his eyes, which were showering tears, he made his father completely submissive to him.

[78] The king of Vraja, observing the boy's inner affection for his mother, raised his hand slightly to reveal it and said: "Son, if you say so, I will certainly strike her!"

Unable to bear this, Kṛṣṇa held back his father's hand. [79] Then the king of Vraja laughed again, and out of his deep fatherly affection, very tenderly perceiving the state of the boy's mother's heart as well, said teasingly, employing an ominous phrase without any literal truth: "Son, if your mother is no more, what will you do then?"

[80] But Kṛṣṇa, constantly longing for his mother in his childlike nature, said tearfully: "Where is my mother? Let us go there!" and timidly climbed onto Rohiṇī's lap. [81] And then, while everyone broke into joyful laughter, he was carried by Rohiṇī, who brought supreme delight, into the house, and with mingled tears and joy he threw his arms around his mother's neck. And thereupon—

Resting her chin upon the crown of her calf's head, / uttering a low throaty sound like a cow, / her heart melting with an outpouring of tears, / she made all her companions weep as well. ||

[82] Then, having regained her composure through their manifold consolations, a slight glow returning to her face, this daughter of glorious Sumukha nourished her son with her breast-milk. And together with him and his elder brother, she dined in the company of her dearest well-wishers.

[83] From that time onward, however, seized with bashfulness, she did not come into the king of Vraja's sight for three days. But on another day, she was brought out by young Gopāla himself, who had obeyed his father's instruction, by holding the edge of her garment. And on that day, he was affectionately and teasingly addressed as "Dāmodara" by the women of Vraja, who said: "Here is that enchanter of dark splendor!"

Who indeed in the gathering of folk throughout all worlds / could be skilled enough to praise the queen of Vraja? / For neither Brahmā, nor Śiva, nor even Lakṣmī / attained even a fraction of a fraction of her fortune—so says Bādarāyaṇi. ||

[84] This glorious fame of hers, resounding like the beat of a drum struck clearly and fully by Bādarāyaṇi, wanders through all the three worlds in song; as it is said: "Neither Viriñci..." and so on.

[85] Glorious Rāma, however, said eagerly to his younger brother: "Brother, do you remember, we are going to live in Bṛhadvana?"

[86] The younger brother too said with a smile: "Yes, yes! We will play games there as well!"

[87] Now the narrator speaks the conclusion:

[90] Such a son was born to you, O supreme lord of the cowherds, / who transformed even those two trees into his divine devotees!

[88] And so, when this event had transpired, all the people, having experienced each narrative as its own festival, retired to their respective dwellings.

Thus ends the eighth chapter,
entitled "The Delight in Dāmodara,"
in the glorious Gopālacampū.
||8