Bhagavatapurana 10.22: atha dvāviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

10.22.1

/0 śrī-śuka uvāca
hemante prathame māsi nanda-vraja-kamārikāḥ /
cerur haviṣyaṃ bhuñjānāḥ kātyāyany-arcana-vratam //

Śrī Śuka said: / In the first month of the winter season, the young maidens of Nanda's Vraja / undertook the observance of worshiping Kātyāyanī, subsisting on sacrificial food.

1. Sri Suka said:—In the first month of the Hemantha season, the girls of Nanda’s Vraja observed a vow of worshipping Katyayinee and they ate only such pure food as is fit to be offered into the sacrificial fire.

10.22.2

āplutyāmbhasi kālindyā jalānte codite 'ruṇe /
kṛtvā pratikṛtiṃ devīm ānarcur nṛpa saikatīm //

Having bathed in the water of the Kālindī at the water's edge at daybreak, / they made an earthen image of the goddess and worshiped her, O king,

2. & 3. At the dawn of day (of Aruna) they bathed in the waters of the Yamuna and made Gauri of sand and worshipped her, O king, with pigments of sandal and fragrant flowers, with offerings, with burning frank-incense and lights, with various other details of worship on a large or small scale, with tender shoots and unbroken rice;

10.22.3

gandhair mālyaiḥ surabhibhir balibhir dhūpa-dīpakaiḥ /
uccāvacaiś copahāraiḥ pravāla-phala-taṇḍulaiḥ //

with perfumes, fragrant garlands, offerings, incense, lamps, / varied presentations, fresh sprouts, fruits, and grains of unhusked rice:

10.22.4

kātyāyani mahā-māye mahā-yoginy adhīśvari /
nanda-gopa-sutaṃ devi patiṃ me kuru te namaḥ /
iti mantraṃ japantyas tāḥ pūjāṃ cakruḥ kamārikāḥ //

“O Kātyāyanī, O possessor of great creative power, O supreme mistress of great yoga! / O goddess, make the son of the cowherd Nanda my husband! Homage unto you!” / Repeating this mantra, those young girls performed their worship.

4. (And they sang their praises): “O goddess Katyayinee, O great goddess of wonderful powers and Yoga attainments, ruler of the Universe, O goddess, we pray, ‘Let the son of Nandagopa be our husband. We bow to thee.’” Repeating this mantra the young women performed their worship.

10.22.5

evaṃ māsaṃ vrataṃ ceruḥ kumāryaḥ kṛṣṇa-cetasaḥ /
bhadrakālīṃ samānarcur bhūyān nanda-sutaḥ patiḥ //

Thus for a month the maidens, their minds fixed on Kṛṣṇa, performed the vow; / they properly worshiped Bhadrakālī, praying: “May the son of Nanda be my husband!”

5. Thus for a month they observed the vow, and having set their mind and heart on Krishna they worshipped Bhadra Kali with the prayer that the son of Nanda might become their husband.

10.22.6

ūṣasy utthāya gotraiḥ svair anyonyābaddha-bāhavaḥ /
kṛṣṇam uccair jagur yāntyaḥ kālindyāṃ snātum anvaham //

Rising at dawn, their arms linked together, / they sang loudly of Kṛṣṇa as they went every day to bathe in the Kālindī, calling each other by their family names.

6. They rose very early in the morning, waking one another, calling out by the name, and held one another by the hand and loudly sang the praises of Krishna as they went to bathe in the river Yamuna.

10.22.7

nadyāḥ kadācid āgatya tīre nikṣipya pūrva-vat /
vāsāṃsi kṛṣṇaṃ gāyantyo vijahruḥ salile mudā //

One day, having arrived at the river bank, leaving / their clothes as before, singing of Kṛṣṇa, they played in the water with joy.

7. On one day having gone to the river and leaving, as usual, their clothes on the bank, singing in praise of Krishna, they sported in great joy in the river.

10.22.8

bhagavāṃs tad abhipretya kṛṣno yogeśvareśvaraḥ /
vayasyair āvṛtas tatra gatas tat-karma-siddhaye //

The Lord, Kṛṣṇa, the master of the masters of yoga, perceiving that, / went there surrounded by his companions to bring fulfillment to their rite.

8. Krishna, Supreme Master of great Yogins, understood that

(their mind), and went thither with his friends to fulfil the object of their vow.

10.22.9

tāsāṃ vāsāṃsy upādāya nīpam āruhya satvaraḥ /
hasadbhiḥ prahasan bālaiḥ parihāsam uvāca ha //

Quickly taking their garments and climbing a nīpa tree, / laughing alongside the laughing boys, he spoke teasing words:

9. He took all their clothes and quickly climbed up a Neepa tree along with his laughing friends. He laughed and jokingly spoke (thus):—

10.22.10

atrāgatyābalāḥ kāmaṃ svaṃ svaṃ vāsaḥ pragṛhyatām /
satyaṃ bravāṇi no narma yad yūyaṃ vrata-karśitāḥ //

“Come here, women, and take your own garments as you wish. / Truly I speak, not in jest, because you are emaciated by the vow.

10. “O young women! come here and receive your respective clothes; I speak in earnest; it is no joke, if you are really fatigued by observing austere vow.

10.22.11

na mayodita-pūrvaṃ vā anṛtaṃ tad ime viduḥ /
ekaikaśaḥ pratīcchadhvaṃ sahaiveti su-madhyamāḥ //

An untruth was never spoken by me before, as these [boys] know. / Take them one by one, or all together, O slender-waisted girls!”

11. Even in the past I uttered no lie, and these know it; you may severally or jointly come and take it, O beautiful ones!

10.22.12

tasya tat kṣvelitaṃ dṛṣṭvā gopyaḥ prema-pariplutāḥ /
vrīḍitāḥ prekṣya cānyonyaṃ jāta-hāsā na niryayuḥ //

Seeing his prank, the gopīs, overwhelmed with love, / felt bashful, looked at one another, smiled, and did not come out.

12. Seeing that He ridiculed them, the Gopa women, overcome with affection and shyness, looked at one another and smiled, but did not emerge from the water.

10.22.13

evaṃ bruvati govinde narmaṇākṣipta-cetasaḥ /
ā-kaṇṭha-magnāḥ śītode vepamānās tam abruvan //

As Govinda was speaking thus, their minds captivated by his teasing, / immersed up to their necks in the cold water and trembling, they said to him:

13. When Govinda spoke to them in this manner, their mind was confused by the sportful joke; they remained in the cold water immersed up to the neck and shivering (with cold,) they said to Krishna thus:

10.22.14

mānayaṃ bhoḥ kṛthās tvāṃ tu nanda-gopa-sutaṃ priyam /
jānīmo 'ṅga vraja-ślāghyaṃ dehi vāsāṃsi vepitāḥ //

“Do not commit injustice! For we know you / as the dear son of the cowherd Nanda, the pride of Vraja, dear one. Give us our garments, we are trembling!

14. “O Lord, pray, do not treat us unjustly. We know Thee to be the son of Nanda Gopa and beloved of us, O dear one, O the most praised of all the people of Vraja, pray, give us our clothes, we are shivering (with cold.)

10.22.15

śyāmasundara te dāsyaḥ karavāma tavoditam /
dehi vāsāṃsi dharma-jña no ced rājñe bruvāma he //

O Śyāmasundara, we are your maidservants; we shall do what you say. / Give us our clothes, O knower of dharma! Otherwise, we will tell the king!”

15. “O youthful and most beautiful Krishna, we are Thy servants; we will do what Thou sayest (biddest), give us our clothes, O One that knowest Dharma; if not, we shall aquaint the king with the matter.”

10.22.16

/0 śrī-bhagavān uvāca
bhavatyo yadi me dāsyo mayoktaṃ vā kariṣyatha /
atrāgatya sva-vāsāṃsi pratīcchata śuci-smitāḥ /
no cen nāhaṃ pradāsye kiṃ kruddho rājā kariṣyati //

The Lord said: / “If you are my maidservants and will do what is spoken by me, / come here and receive your own garments, O women of pure smiles! / Otherwise I shall not give them. What can the angry king do?”

16. The Lord said:—“If you are my servants, you will indeed do what I say; come here (go to me) and receive your clothes, O damsels of bright smiles. [Otherwise I would not give (them), what could the angry king do (unto me)?]”

10.22.17

tato jalāśayāt sarvā dārikāḥ śīta-vepitāḥ /
pāṇibhyāṃ yonim ācchādya protteruḥ śīta-karśitāḥ //

Then, from the pool of water, all the young maidens, trembling with cold, / covering their private parts with both hands, emerged, tormented by the frost.

17. Thereupon the girls, shivering and shrunk with cold, emerged from water covering their private parts with their hands.

10.22.18

bhagavān āhatā vīkṣya śuddha -bhāva-prasāditaḥ /
skandhe nidhāya vāsāṃsi prītaḥ provāca sa-smitam //

Seeing them afflicted, the Lord, pleased by their pure devotional love, / placing the clothes on his shoulder, spoke with a smile, delighted:

18. Pleased with them for their purity and pure heart the glorious Lord cast a glance at them, placed the clothes on the

branch and in *great pleasure* said to them (in a smile.)

10.22.19

yūyaṃ vivastrā yad apo dhṛta-vratā vyagāhataitat tad u deva-helanam /
baddhvāñjaliṃ mūrdhny apanuttaye 'ṃhasaḥ kṛtvā namo 'dho-vasanaṃ pragṛhyatām //

“Because you, while observing a vow, plunged into the water naked, this was an offense to the gods. / Folding your hands upon your heads to remove the fault, offer obeisance and take your lower garments!”

19. “Since it is an insult to the gods that you in the course of the vow entered the waters in nakedness, do you join your palms on the crown of your head for the expiation of that sin and prostrate yourselves on the ground; then do you take your clothes”.

10.22.20

ity acyutenābhihitaṃ vrajābalā matvā vivastrāplavanaṃ vrata-cyutim /
tat-pūrti-kāmās tad-aśeṣa-karmaṇāṃ sākṣāt-kṛtaṃ nemur avadya-mṛg yataḥ //

Thus spoken to by Acyuta, the women of Vraja, considering naked bathing to be a breach of the vow, / desiring its fulfillment, bowed down directly to him, the seeker of their flaws, who is the fruit of all rites.

20. The young women of Vraja saw from what Achyuta said that their plunging in water in nakedness spoiled their vow; and anxious to have their object fulfilled, bowed to that Lord present before them as the very fruit of all their righteous work; for He is the Lord that removes all sin.

10.22.21

tās tathāvanatā dṛṣṭvā bhagavān devakī-sutaḥ /
vāsāṃsi tābhyaḥ prāyacchat karuṇas tena toṣitaḥ //

Seeing them thus bowed, the Lord, the son of Devakī, / compassionate and pleased by that, gave them their clothes.

21. Seeing that those young women did accordingly bend down, the glorious Lord, now Devaki’s son, full of mercy, and pleased with their conduct, gave them their clothes.

10.22.21.p1

dṛḍhaṃ pralabdhās trapayā ca hāpitāḥ $ prastobhitāḥ krīḍana-vac ca kāritāḥ &

Thoroughly deceived, stripped of shame, / mocked, and made to act like playthings,

22. They were thus thoroughly taken in and made to forget shyness, ridiculed and treated like toys; their clothes had been taken away; still they read no fault in Krishna, for, they were happy to meet their beloved object (Krishna.)

10.22.22

vastrāṇi caivāpahṛtāny athāpy amuṃ % tā nābhyasūyan priya-saṅga-nirvṛtāḥ //

and their clothes had been taken away, nonetheless, delighted by the company of their beloved, they did not resent him.

10.22.23

paridhāya sva-vāsāṃsi preṣṭha-saṅgama-sajjitāḥ /
gṛhīta-cittā no celus tasmin lajjāyitekṣaṇāḥ //

Having put on their clothes, prepared for union with their dearest,
their hearts captive, their eyes filled with bashfulness, they did not move away from him.

23. They put on their clothes and were beside themselves with the pleasure of meeting their most beloved object, their heart captivated, they did not move from the place, their bashful looks rivetted on Krishna.

10.22.24

tāsāṃ vijñāya bhagavān sva-pāda-sparśa-kāmyayā /
dhṛta-vratānāṃ saṅkalpam āha dāmodaro 'balāḥ //

Understanding their resolve, taken with the desire to touch his feet
by those women who had kept the vow, the Lord Dāmodara said to them:

24. The glorious Lord understood their purpose in observing the vow, praying for the touch of His feet, Damodara said to the women:

10.22.25

saṅkalpo viditaḥ sādhvyo bhavatīnāṃ mad-arcanam /
mayānumoditaḥ so 'sau satyo bhavitum arhati //

“O virtuous maidens, the resolve of yours to worship me is known;
it is approved by me, and so it is bound to come true.

25. O chaste ladies, your thought (wish) is seen, as also the object of your worshipping me. It meets with my approval and it shall prove true.

10.22.26

na mayy āveśita-dhiyāṃ kāmaḥ kāmāya kalpate /
bharjitā kvathitā dhānāḥ prāyo bījāya neśate //

For those whose minds are absorbed in me, desire does not lead to material desire;
grains of barley that are roasted and boiled generally have no power to sprout as seeds.

26. The desire of those that devote their mind to Me does not lead to the limited objects of desire; for a grain fried or boiled is not, it is admitted, fit (ceases) to be a seed (for sprouting.)

10.22.27

yātābalā vrajaṃ siddhā mayemā raṃsyathā kṣapāḥ /
yad uddiśya vratam idaṃ cerur āryārcanaṃ satīḥ //

Go, women, back to Vraja, having attained your aim; with me you shall enjoy these coming nights,
with a view to which you virtuous ones undertook this vow of worship to the noble goddess.”

27. O chaste women, go (back) to Vraja: you have accomplished your object; you will sport with Me these nights, for which purpose you observed this vow and as chaste women worshipped Gauri.

10.22.28

/0 śrī-śuka uvāca
ity ādiṣṭā bhagavatā labdha-kāmāḥ kumārikāḥ /
dhyāyantyas tat-padāmbhojam kṛcchrān nirviviśur vrajam //

Śrī Śuka said:
Thus instructed by the Lord, their desires fulfilled, the young maidens,
meditating on his lotus feet, entered Vraja with great difficulty.

28. Sri Suka said:—Thus commanded by the Lord and having gained their object, contemplating His lotus-like feet and with great unwillingness and difficulty, the young women went back to Vraja.

10.22.29

atha gopaiḥ parivṛto bhagavān devakī-sutaḥ /
vṛndāvanād gato dūraṃ cārayan gāḥ sahāgrajaḥ //

Then, surrounded by cowherds, the Lord, the son of Devakī,
went far from Vṛndāvana, grazing the cows along with his elder brother.

29. Thereupon, accompanied by Gopas, the Lord, son of Devaki, along with His elder brother, went far away from Brindavana (for) grazing His cows.

10.22.30

nidaghārkātape tigme chāyābhiḥ svābhir ātmanaḥ /
ātapatrāyitān vīkṣya drumān āha vrajaukasaḥ //

When the summer sun's heat grew intense, seeing the trees
acting like parasols with their own shades, he spoke to the dwellers of Vraja:

30. Seeing that trees served as umbrellas to Him with their shade in the severe sun of summer, Krishna said to the dwellers in Vraja.

10.22.31

he stoka-kṛṣṇa he aṃśo śrīdāman subalārjuna /
viśāla vṛṣabhaujasvin devaprastha varūthapa //

“O Stoka-kṛṣṇa, O Aṃśu, Śrīdāman, Subala, Arjuna,
Viśāla, Vṛṣabha, Ojasvin, Devaprastha, Varūthapa!

31. O Little Krishna, O Amsu, O Sridaman, Subala, Arjuna, Visala, Rishabha, O Majestic One, O Devaprastha, O Varuthapa!

10.22.32

paśyataitān mahā-bhāgān parārthaikānta-jīvitān /
vāta-varṣātapa-himān sahanto vārayanti naḥ //

Behold these fortunate ones whose life is solely for the sake of others,
who, enduring the wind, rain, heat, and cold, ward them off from us.

32. "Do you see these blessed beings that live only for the good of others and put up with the severities of sun, wind and rain, heat, snow, and ward off the same from us?

10.22.33

aho eṣāṃ varaṃ janma sarva -prāṇy-upajīvanam /
su-janasyeva yeṣāṃ vai vimukhā yānti nārthinaḥ //

Oh, how supreme is their birth, the livelihood of all living beings,
from whom petitioners never turn away empty-handed, just like from a noble person!

33. "Highly blessed is their birth, which contributes to the life of all beings; for those that go to them for shelter, like mendicants, do not return disappointed.

10.22.34

patra-puṣpa-phala-cchāyā- mūla-valkala-dārubhiḥ /
gandha-niryāsa-bhasmāsthi- tokmaiḥ kāmān vitanvate //

With leaves, flowers, fruits, shade, roots, bark, and wood,
fragrance, sap, ashes, pulp, and tender shoots, they fulfill every desire.

34. "With leaves, flowers, fruits, shade, roots, bark and wood, with fragrance, gums, (milk), ashes, essential parts, tender shoots and the like, they fulfil the wishes of living creatures.

10.22.35

etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṃ dehinām iha dehiṣu /
prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṃ sadā //

This much is the fulfillment of birth here among embodied beings for the embodied:
that by their lives, wealth, intellect, and speech they should always act for the highest good of others.”

35. "This is the utmost limit of usefulness of their fellows, namely, that everyone should sacrifice his own life, wealth and thought and word and do always what is beneficial to others."

10.22.36

iti pravāla-stabaka- phala-puṣpa-dalotkaraiḥ /
tarūṇāṃ namra-śākhānāṃ madhyato yamunāṃ gataḥ //

Thus speaking, through the midst of the trees whose branches were bowed down
with clusters of fresh shoots, fruits, flowers, and foliage, he went to the Yamunā.

36. Thus He went towards Yamuna through the avenue of trees whose branches were bent low with clusters of shoots, bunches of fruits and loads of flowers and leaves.

10.22.37

tatra gāḥ pāyayitvāpaḥ su-mṛṣṭāḥ śītalāḥ śivāḥ /
tato nṛpa svayaṃ gopāḥ kāmaṃ svādu papur jalam //

There, having let the cows drink the water—pure, cool, and auspicious—
the cowherds themselves, O King, drank the sweet water to their heart's content.

37. There the Gopas (first) made the cows drink water (quench their thirst) which was very sweet, cool and healthy; then, O king, all the Gopas drank of that sweet water to their heart's content.

10.22.38

tasyā upavane kāmaṃ cārayantaḥ paśūn nṛpa /
kṛṣṇa-rāmāv upāgamya kṣudh-ārtā idam abravan //

Allowing the cattle to graze at will in her grove, O King,
tormented by hunger, they approached Kṛṣṇa and Rāma and said this:

38. Tending the cows in the adjoining gardens, Gopas grew hungry, came up to Krishna and Rama and said as follows.