Bhagavatapurana 10.26: atha ṣaḍviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

10.26.1

/0 śrī-śuka uvāca
evaṃ-vidhāni karmāṇi gopāḥ kṛṣṇasya vīkṣya te /
atad-vīrya-vidaḥ procuḥ samabhyetya su-vismitāḥ //

Śrī Śuka said:
Seeing such deeds of Kṛṣṇa, those cowherds,
not knowing His true power, came together greatly amazed and spoke:

1. Sri Suka said:—Gopas saw such wonderful exploits of Krishna and, not knowing what His strength was, in their astonishment, gathered together and talked (as follows).

10.26.2

bālakasya yad etāni karmāṇy aty-adbhutāni vai /
katham arhaty asau janma grāmyeṣv ātma-jugupsitam //

'Since these deeds of the boy are so exceedingly wondrous,
how does He deserve birth among rustic folk, which brings contempt upon oneself?

2. In a mere boy these deeds are indeed extremely marvellous. How is it then worthy of Him to be born of such rustic people as we are, of which one should be ashamed?

10.26.3

yaḥ sapta-hāyano bālaḥ kareṇaikena līlayā /
kathaṃ bibhrad giri-varaṃ puṣkaraṃ gaja-rāḍ iva //

How could He, a seven-year-old child, hold up the foremost of mountains
with one hand in divine play, as a lord of elephants holds a lotus flower?

3. How did He, a boy of seven years of age, hold up the big mountain with one hand as sportfully as a great elephant may a lotus?

10.26.4

tokenāmīlitākṣeṇa pūtanāyā mahaujasaḥ /
pītaḥ stanaḥ saha prāṇaiḥ kāleneva vayas tanoḥ //

As an infant with closed eyes, He sucked the breast of mighty Pūtanā
along with her vital breath, just as time drinks up the youth of the body.

4. By the babe with half-shut eyes, the breast of the giantess Putana was sucked along with her life, even as life is sucked out of a body by Death—how could this be?

10.26.5

hinvato 'dhaḥ śayānasya māsyasya caraṇāv udak /
ano 'patad viparyastaṃ rudataḥ prapadāhatam //

Lying underneath while kicking His feet upward, when only a month old,
He cried and struck the cart with the forepart of His foot, and it fell overturned.

5. When He was but a babe of three months and placed beneath a cart He kicked up His legs into the air and was crying and the cart hit by His toes fell topsyturvy.

10.26.6

eka-hāyana āsīno hriyamāṇo vihāyasā /
daityena yas tṛṇāvartam ahan kaṇṭha-grahāturam //

Sitting as a one-year-old, being carried through the sky
by the demon Tṛṇāvarta, He killed him as the demon choked in distress from His grip on his neck.

6. But a child of one year, sitting up He was carried away through the sky by a Daitya; and He killed that Daitya, Trinavarta by name, whom the child that He was tightly held by the neck. 7. On one occasion when for stealing butter He was tied to a mortar by His mother, (then) He passed between two Arjuna trees going on all fours and caused them to fall down.

10.26.7

kvacid dhaiyaṅgava-stainye mātrā baddha udūkhale /
gacchann arjunayor madhye bāhubhyāṃ tāv apātayat //

Once, caught stealing freshly churned butter, He was tied to a mortar by His mother;
crawling between the two arjuna trees, He brought them down with His arms.

10.26.8

vane sañcārayan vatsān sa-rāmo bālakair vṛtaḥ /
hantu-kāmaṃ bakaṃ dorbhyāṃ mukhato 'rim apāṭayat //

Grazing the calves in the forest with Balarāma, surrounded by the boys,
He tore open the mouth of the enemy Baka with His arms when that crane wished to kill Him.

8. (On another day) while grazing calves in the forest in company with Rama and with other Gopa boys, He tore off, taking hold of his bill with His hands, the enemy, a Daitya, who came in the form of a crane, with the object of killing Him (Krishna).

10.26.9

vatseṣu vatsa-rūpeṇa praviśantaṃ jighāṃsayā /
hatvā nyapātayat tena kapitthāni ca līlayā //

Entering among the calves in the form of a calf with the desire to kill,
[Vatsāsura] was slain by Him, and with his body He knocked down wood-apples in divine play.

9. He slew a Daitya who, in the disguise of a calf, intent on killing Him, entered His herd of calves, and by dashing up His body playfully (against kapitha trees), He caused kapitha fruits drop down (in abundance).

10.26.10

hatvā rāsabha-daiteyaṃ tad-bandhūṃś ca balānvitaḥ /
cakre tāla-vanaṃ kṣemaṃ paripakva-phalānvitam //

Together with Balarāma, having slain the donkey demon and his kin,
He made the palm forest safe, filled with fully ripened fruits.

10. Accompanied by Balarama He slew a Daitya in the form of a donkey and his relations and rid the forest of palm trees of fear and made it thrive with ripe fruits.

10.26.11

pralambaṃ ghātayitvograṃ balena bala-śālinā /
amocayad vraja-paśūn gopāṃś cāraṇya-vahnitaḥ //

Having caused the fierce Pralamba to be slain by the mighty Balarāma,
He delivered the cattle and cowherds of Vraja from the forest fire.

11. He got the fierce Pralamba a Daitya killed by the powerful Balarama and rescued the cows of Vraja and the Gopas from wild fire.

10.26.12

āśī-viṣatamāhīndraṃ damitvā vimadaṃ hradāt /
prasahyodvāsya yamunāṃ cakre 'sau nirviṣodakām //

Subduing the lord of serpents, most virulent in poison, and stripping him of pride,
He forcibly expelled him from the lake and made the Yamunā’s water free from venom.

12. He punished and subdued the great and most poisonous serpent and by force expelled it from the pool and thus made the Yamuna's flood free of poison.

10.26.13

dustyajaś cānurāgo 'smin sarveṣāṃ no vrajaukasām /
nanda te tanaye 'smāsu tasyāpy autpattikaḥ katham //

And hard to abandon is our affection for Him, shared by all of us dwellers of Vraja;
O Nanda, how is it that your son also has such innate love for us?

13. The affection which we, all the residents of Vraja, feel towards Him, cannot be interrupted; O Nanda, how is it that He also has from birth the same affection towards us?

10.26.14

kva sapta-hāyano bālaḥ kva mahādri-vidhāraṇam /
tato no jāyate śaṅkā vraja-nātha tavātmaje //

Where is a seven-year-old boy, and where is the lifting of a great mountain?
Therefore, O lord of Vraja, doubt arises within us concerning your son.'

14. How incompatible it is! How improbable! A boy of seven years! And He to lift and hold up a big hill! O king of Vraja, great is therefore our doubt or fear in respect of thy son.

10.26.15

/0 śrī-nanda uvāca
śrūyatāṃ me vaco gopā vyetu śaṅkā ca vo 'rbhake /
enam kumāram uddiśya gargo me yad uvāca ha //

Śrī Nanda said:
'Listen to my words, cowherds, and let your doubt regarding the boy depart,
as to what Garga told me concerning this child:

15. Nanda said:—"Listen to my words, O Gopas, dismiss your fears of the child. (Listen to) what regarding this child Gargacharya has told me.

10.26.16

varṇās trayaḥ kilāsyāsan gṛhṇato 'nu-yugaṃ tanūḥ /
śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṃ kṛṣṇatāṃ gataḥ //

‘Three colors, indeed, did this [boy] have as he assumed bodies age after age: / white, red, and likewise yellow; now he has taken on a dark complexion (kṛṣṇa).

16. "Adopting many forms in different yugas He has already exhibited Himself in three complexions, white, red and yellow; and now (in this yuga) He has adopted the dark complexion.

10.26.17

prāgayaṃ vasudevasya kvacij jātas tavātmajaḥ /
vāsudeva iti śrīmān abhijñāḥ sampracakṣate //

Once this son of yours was born as the son of Vasudeva;
therefore the wise proclaim Him as the glorious Vāsudeva.

17. "Somewhere (at Mathura) at first He was born as the son of Vasudeva and now He is thy son; the wise distinctly say that He is Vasudeva, the Lord of Lakshmi.

10.26.18

bahūni santi nāmāni rūpāṇi ca sutasya te /
guṇa -karmānurūpāṇi tāny ahaṃ veda no janāḥ //

Many are the names and forms of your son,
corresponding to His qualities and deeds; I know them, but ordinary people do not.

18. "Very many are the names and forms of thy son. that manifest His qualities and work; I know them, but not these people.

10.26.19

eṣa vaḥ śreya ādhāsyad gopa-gokula-nandanaḥ /
anena sarva-durgāṇi yūyam añjas tariṣyatha //

He, the delighter of the cowherds and Gokula, will bring about your highest good;
by Him you will easily cross over all perils.

19. "This (child), the delight of Gopas and cows, will bring many a blessing for you and through Him you will thoroughly get over all the difficulties.

10.26.20

purānena vraja-pate sādhavo dasyu-pīḍitāḥ /
arājake rakṣyamāṇā jigyur dasyūn samedhitāḥ //

Formerly, O lord of Vraja, when pious people were oppressed by thieves
in a kingless land, they were protected and fostered by Him, and conquered the thieves.

20. "Formerly when there was anarchy, O king of Vraja, some righteous people were harassed by robbers; protected by Him they waxed in strength and vanquished the robbers.

10.26.21

ya etasmin mahā-bhāge prītiṃ kurvanti mānavāḥ /
nārayo 'bhibhavanty etān viṣṇu-pakṣān ivāsurāḥ //

Whatever human beings show love to this greatly fortunate one,
enemies do not overcome them, just as the Asuras cannot overcome those sided with Viṣṇu.

21. Those blessed men who cherish love to Him are not worsted by their enemies, even as the devotees of Vishnu are not afflicted by Asuras.

10.26.22

tasmān nanda kumāro 'yaṃ nārāyaṇa-samo guṇaiḥ /
śriyā kīrtyānubhāvena tat-karmasu na vismayaḥ //

Therefore, Nanda, this boy is equal to Nārāyaṇa in virtues, / in majesty, in renown, and in power; there is no wonder in his deeds.’

22. "Therefore, O Nanda, this boy is equal to Narayana by His excellent qualities; when viewed (in the light of) His splendour, His great name and great prowess, there is no occasion for astonishment in the matter of His exploits,"

10.26.23

ity addhā māṃ samādiśya garge ca sva-gṛhaṃ gate /
manye nārāyaṇasyāṃśaṃ kṛṣṇam akliṣṭa-kāriṇam //

After Garga had truly instructed me thus and gone to his home,
I consider Kṛṣṇa, who performs actions effortlessly, to be a portion of Nārāyaṇa.'

23. Having thus with perfect confidence instructed me Garga went home; (since then) I believe that Krishna is an amsa of Narayana and capable of doing everything without the least effort.

10.26.24

iti nanda-vacaḥ śrutvā garga-gītaṃ taṃ vrajaukasaḥ /
muditā nandam ānarcuḥ kṛṣṇaṃ ca gata-vismayāḥ //

Having heard these words of Nanda sung by Garga, the dwellers of Vraja,
freed from amazement, were delighted and honoured Nanda and Kṛṣṇa.

24. When the residents of Vraja heard the account given by Garga from the lips of Nanda, [having seen and heard of the great powers of Krishna of immeasurable energy and power] they were rejoiced at it and, rising out of their astonishment, they worshipped Nanda as well as Krishna.

10.26.24.p1

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When the god [Indra] rained down thunderbolts, stones, downpours, and winds in anger over the ruin of his sacrifice,
seeing the cowherds, cattle, and women suffering, the compassionate Lord, smiling, took them under His shelter:

25. May that Lord of cows be gracious unto us who, when Indra, enraged at the interruption of His worship, sent down heavy rains with strokes of lightning, hail stones and tempestuous winds, took pity on the afflicted Gopas, cows and women that sought His protection and with a smile pulled out with one hand the mountain like a boy that playfully does a mushroom and held it up, protected Gokula and subdued the pride of Mahendra.

10.26.25

utpāṭyaika-kareṇa śailam abalo līlocchilīndhraṃ yathā % bibhrad goṣṭham apān mahendra-mada-bhit prīyān na indro gavām //

uprooting the mountain with one hand as a boy effortlessly uproots a mushroom in play,
He held it up and protected the cowpen; may that breaker of Indra's pride, the Indra of cows, be pleased with us!