Bhagavatapurana 10.65: atha pañcaṣaṣṭitamo'dhyāyaḥ

10.65.1

/0 śrī-śuka uvāca
balabhadraḥ kuru-śreṣṭha bhagavān ratham āsthitaḥ /
suhṛd-didṛkṣur utkaṇṭhaḥ prayayau nanda-gokulam //

Śrī Śuka said: / O best of the Kurus, the Lord Balabhadra mounted his chariot, / yearning and eager to see his friends, and departed for Nanda's Gokula.

1. Sri Suka said:— Longing to see his friends and well-wishers the glorious Balabhadra set out in his chariot and paid a visit to Nanda's Gokula, O best of Kurus.

10.65.2

pariṣvaktaś cirotkaṇṭhair gopair gopībhir eva ca /
rāmo 'bhivādya pitarāv āśīrbhir abhinanditaḥ //

Embraced by the cowherds and cowherdesses, who had long longed [for him], / Rāma greeted his parents and was welcomed with blessings.

2. Embraced by long yearning Gopas and Gopis, Balarama bowed to his parents who welcomed him with blessings.

10.65.3

ciraṃ naḥ pāhi dāśārha sānujo jagad-īśvaraḥ /
ity āropyāṅkam āliṅgya netraiḥ siṣicatur jalaiḥ //

"Protect us for a long time, O descendant of Daśārha, Lord of the universe together with your younger brother!" / Thus having raised him onto their laps and embraced him, they moistened him with the waters of their eyes.

3. "O Dasarha, may Thou, Lord of the Universe, and Thy brother, protect us for many years"; so saying they placed him on their lap and sprinkled him with their tears.

10.65.4

gopa-vṛddhāṃś ca vidhi-vad yaviṣṭhair abhivanditaḥ /
yathā-vayo yathā-sakhyaṃ yathā-sambandham ātmanaḥ //

And duly [honoring] the elder cowherds, he was greeted by the younger ones / according to their age, according to their friendship, and according to their relationship with himself.

4. He honoured the elderly Gopas in the due form and was bowed to by the younger members, according to age, intimacy and relation to himself.

10.65.5

samupetyātha gopālān hāsya-hasta-grahādibhiḥ /
viśrāntam sukham āsīnaṃ papracchuḥ paryupāgatāḥ //

Then, having approached the cowherds with smiles, handclasps, and other [gestures], / as he sat comfortably rested, they gathered around and inquired of him.

5. He mingled with Gopalas, cut jokes and took them by the hand and so on: When he refreshed himself and was comfortably seated, all gathered round him and made inquiries.

10.65.6

pṛṣṭāś cānāmayaṃ sveṣu prema-gadgadayā girā /
kṛṣṇe kamala-patrākṣe sannyastākhila-rādhasaḥ //

And they were asked about the welfare of their loved ones with voices choked with love, / having surrendered all their possessions to Kṛṣṇa, whose eyes are like lotus petals.

6. They were also enquired about the welfare among themselves, in accents faltering through affection: for they all had renounced all pleasures for the sake of Krishna of lotus-eyes.

10.65.7

kaccin no bāndhavā rāma sarve kuśalam āsate /
kaccit smaratha no rāma yūyaṃ dāra-sutānvitāḥ //

“Do our kinsmen, O Rāma, all live happily? / Do you remember us, O Rāma, along with your wives and sons?

(V. He enquired about the welfare among His own relations etc. D. Enquired about the welfare He told everything to His relations etc). 7. O Rama, are all our kith and kin prosperous and happy? Do you remember us now and then? You are now married and blessed with children?

10.65.8

diṣṭyā kaṃso hataḥ pāpo diṣṭyā muktāḥ suhṛj-janāḥ /
nihatya nirjitya ripūn diṣṭyā durgaṃ samāśrītāḥ //

By good fortune sinful Kaṃsa was slain, by good fortune our kinsmen were freed; / having killed and subdued your enemies, by good fortune you have taken refuge in a fortress.”

8. Fortunately, the wicked Kamsa was removed and fortunately all friends are set free: having destroyed and vanquished enemies you have fortunately taken up an inaccessible fortress for your abode.

10.65.9

gopyo hasantyaḥ papracchū rāma-sandarśanādṛtāḥ /
kaccid āste sukhaṃ kṛṣṇaḥ pura-strī-jana-vallabhaḥ //

Laughing, the gopīs, showing honor at the sight of Rāma, asked: / “Does Kṛṣṇa live happily, the darling of the city women?

9. Very eager to see Rama the Gopa women came smiling and asked him, whether Krishna was happy and beloved of the women of the city.

10.65.10

kaccit smarati vā bandhūn pitaraṃ mātaraṃ ca saḥ /
apy asau mātaraṃ draṣṭuṃ sakṛd apy āgamiṣyati /
api vā smarate 'smākam anusevāṃ mahā-bhujaḥ //

Does he remember his relatives, his father, and his mother? / Will he ever come, even once, to see his mother? / Or does the mighty-armed one remember our constant service?

10. & 11. "Does He remember His relations, father and mother? Would He but once go over here to see His mother, or does the long-armed one, of His own accord, remember our humble service, for whose sake we forsook our parents, brothers, lords, children, sisters and all kith and kin, hard to wrench ourselves from, O Dasarha, O powerful one.

10.65.11

mātaraṃ pitaraṃ bhrātṝn patīn putrān svasṝn api /
yad-arthe jahima dāśārha dustyajān sva-janān prabho //

Mother, father, brothers, husbands, sons, and even sisters— / for his sake we abandoned them, O Dāśārha, our own kin so hard to abandon, O Lord!

10.65.12

tā naḥ sadyaḥ parityajya gataḥ sañchinna-sauhṛdaḥ /
kathaṃ nu tādṛśaṃ strībhir na śraddhīyeta bhāṣitam //

He suddenly abandoned us and departed, cutting off our friendship; / how indeed could his words not be believed by women?

12. Us who so beloved of Him He left, and in a moment renounced all ties of friendship: those (fine) words—how could women fail to put faith in?

10.65.12.p1

kathaṃ nu gṛhṇanty anavasthitātmano $ vacaḥ kṛta-ghnasya budhāḥ pura-striyaḥ &

How indeed do the clever city women accept the word / of one whose mind is unsteady and who is ungrateful?

13. How would the intelligent women of the city receive the words of the ungrateful and fickle minded person? Surely they too must with faith receive the words of one that can talk so wonderfully, when they are under the sway of Smara (Cupid) roused by his winning smiles and looks.

10.65.13

gṛhṇanti vai citra-kathasya sundara- % smitāvalokocchvasita-smarāturāḥ //

They certainly accept it, their passion stirred by the wonderful tales, / charming smiles, and glances of him whose stories are wondrous.”

10.65.14

kiṃ nas tat-kathayā gopyaḥ kathāḥ kathayatāparāḥ /
yāty asmābhir vinā kālo yadi tasya tathaiva naḥ //

“What is the use of our talking of him, O gopīs? Speak of other matters! / If his time passes without us, so too does ours.”

14. O Gopis, of what use is it to us to talk of it? Tell some other stories. If His time goes without us, so does our time without Him.

10.65.15

iti prahasitaṃ śaurer jalpitaṃ cāru-vīkṣitam /
gatiṃ prema-pariṣvaṅgaṃ smarantyo ruruduḥ striyaḥ //

Remembering Śauri's laughter, sweet talk, beautiful glances, / gait, and affectionate embrace, the women wept.

15. Thus remembering Krishna's smile, His talk, His sweet looks, His loving embraces, the women wept.

10.65.16

saṅkarṣaṇas tāḥ kṛṣṇasya sandeśair hṛdayaṃ-gamaiḥ /
sāntvayām āsa bhagavān nānānunaya-kovidaḥ //

Saṅkarṣaṇa, the Lord, skilled in various forms of conciliation, / comforted them with Kṛṣṇa's heartfelt messages.

16. The Almighty Sankarshana, well skilled in consoling, in various ways pacified them with Krishna's messages, most soothing to their heart.

10.65.17

dvau māsau tatra cāvātsīn madhuṃ mādhavaṃ eva ca /
rāmaḥ kṣapāsu bhagavān gopīnāṃ ratim āvahan //

The Lord Rāma lived there for two months, Madhu and Mādhava, / bringing joy to the gopīs during the nights.

17. Balarama spent two months there, Chaitra and Vaisakha delightfully entertaining them during the nights

10.65.18

pūrṇa-candra-kalā-mṛṣṭe kaumudī-gandha-vāyunā /
yamunopavane reme sevite strī-gaṇair vṛtaḥ //

In the garden beside the Yamunā, touched by the rays of the full moon and cooled by a breeze fragrant with water lilies, / surrounded by hosts of women, he sported.

18. In the gardens, on the banks of the Yamuna illumined by the rays of the full moon, and agreeable with the breezes that wafted the fragrance of lilies, Balarama spent pleasantly the nights in the midst of Gopis that came in crowds.

10.65.19

varuṇa-preṣitā devī vāruṇī vṛkṣa-koṭarāt /
patantī tad vanaṃ sarvaṃ sva-gandhenādhyavāsayat //

The goddess Vāruṇī, sent by Varuṇa, flowing from the hollow of a tree, / scented that entire forest with her fragrance.

19. The divine beverage called Varuni sent by Varuna flowed out of the hollows in the trees, and filled the whole forest with its smell.

10.65.20

taṃ gandhaṃ madhu-dhārāyā vāyunopahṛtaṃ balaḥ /
āghrāyopagatas tatra lalanābhiḥ samaṃ papau //

Smelling that fragrance of the stream of wine borne by the wind, / Bala approached there and drank together with the women.

20. Perceiving the smell of the stream of that honey, borne by the wind, Balarama went to the trees and drank of it along with those women.

10.65.21

upagīyamāno gandharvair vanitā-śobhi-maṇḍale /
reme kareṇu-yūtheśo māhendra iva vāraṇaḥ //

Being sung to by Gandharvas in a circle adorned by women, / he sported like the great Indra's elephant, leader of a herd of female elephants.

(1). V. Being sung and singing in the company, of beautiful damsels he sported like Indra’s elephant in the midst of she-elephants.

10.65.22

nedur dundubhayo vyomni vavṛṣuḥ kusumair mudā /
gandharvā munayo rāmaṃ tad-vīryair īḍire tadā //

Kettledrums sounded in the sky, they joyfully rained down flowers; / the Gandharvas and sages then praised Rāma for his heroic deeds.

(2). V. D. Dundubhis were sounded in the sky, they (celestials) let down showers of flowers in joy; Gandharvas and sages sung his exploits in great joy.

10.65.23

upagīyamāna-carito vanitābhir halāyudha /
vaneṣu vyacarat kṣīvo mada-vihvala-locanaḥ //

His deeds being sung by the women, the plow-armed one / wandered intoxicated in the forests, his eyes rolling with drunkenness.

10.65.24

sragvy eka-kuṇḍalo matto vaijayantyā ca mālayā /
bibhrat smita-mukhāmbhojaṃ sveda-prāleya-bhūṣitam //

Wearing a garland, a single earring, and the vaijayantī garland, intoxicated, / he bore a smiling lotus-face adorned with dew-like beads of sweat.

22. With wreaths of flowers and one (with one brilliant) ear-ring, intoxicated, adorned with a Vaijayanti garland, with his lotus-like face bright with smiles and decked with the dewy drops of sweat, he called upon Yamuna to be ready for his sport in water.

10.65.25

sa ājuhāva yamunāṃ jala-krīḍārtham īśvaraḥ /
nijaṃ vākyam anādṛtya matta ity āpagāṃ balaḥ //

The Lord Bala called the Yamunā river to sport in the water, / but disregarding his word, thinking, ‘He is drunk,’ the river [did not come].

23. & 24. Bala in his intoxicated state thought that she did not mind his words and in anger dragged the Yamuna that did not obey him, with the point of his plough-share and said, “O sinful One, since thou indifferent to my call goest thine own way; I shall take thee into a hundred ways with the end of my plough-share.

10.65.26

anāgatāṃ halāgreṇa kupito vicakarṣa ha /
pāpe tvaṃ mām avajñāya yan nāyāsi mayāhutā /
neṣye tvāṃ lāṅgalāgreṇa śatadhā kāma-cāriṇīm //

Because she did not come, he became angry and dragged her with the tip of his plow: / ‘O wicked one, disregarding me, since you do not come when called by me, / I will split you, going wherever you will, into a hundred streams with the tip of my plow!’

10.65.27

evaṃ nirbhartsitā bhītā yamunā yadu-nandanam /
uvāca cakitā vācaṃ patitā pādayor nṛpa //

Thus rebuked, the frightened Yamunā fell at the feet / of the delight of the Yadus, O king, and trembling, spoke these words:

25. Thus threatened, the frightened Yamuna fell on his feet and in a trembling voice, said to the son of Yadu’s race, O king:—

10.65.28

rāma rāma mahā-bāho na jāne tava vikramam /
yasyaikāṃśena vidhṛtā jagatī jagataḥ pate //

‘Rāma, Rāma, mighty-armed one! I did not know your prowess, / by a single portion of whom the earth is sustained, O Lord of the universe!

26. “O Rama, O long-armed Rama, I am not sensible of thy prowess! By an amsa of thine the whole Universe is supported, O Lord of the Universe!

10.65.29

paraṃ bhāvaṃ bhagavato bhagavan mām ajānatīm /
moktum arhasi viśvātman prapannāṃ bhakta-vatsala //

You ought to pardon me, O Supreme Self, who did not recognize the supreme majesty / of the Lord, O Lord, surrendered to you, O you who are affectionate to your devotees!’

27. O glorious One, may thou be pleased, O master of all, kind to Thy votaries, to give me my freedom as I am ignorant of Thy greatness. 28. Thus entreated, the glorious Balarama let go Yamuna and he himself entered into her waters like a great elephant with his mates.

10.65.30

tato vyamuñcad yamunāṃ yācito bhagavān balaḥ /
vijagāha jalaṃ strībhiḥ kareṇubhir ivebha-rāṭ //

Then the Lord Bala, being beseeched, released the Yamunā / and plunged into the water with the women, like a king of elephants with female elephants.

10.65.31

kāmaṃ vihṛtya salilād uttīrṇāyāsītāmbare /
bhūṣaṇāni mahārhāṇi dadau kāntiḥ śubhāṃ srajam //

Having sported to his heart's content, to him as he emerged from the water, Splendor gave two blue garments, / costly ornaments, and a splendid garland.

29. To Balarama who, having sported to his heart's content, rose from her waters, Yamnna presented two cloths of blue colour and priceless (wonderful) ornaments and a radiant wreath.

10.65.32

vasitvā vāsasī nīle mālāṃ āmucya kāñcanīm /
reye sv-alaṅkṛto lipto māhendra iva vāraṇaḥ //

Putting on the two blue garments and wearing a golden garland, / he shone, well-adorned and anointed, like the great Indra's elephant.

30. Putting on the two azure cloths, wearing the golden wreath, he shone like Indra's elephant adorned and painted with colours.

10.65.33

adyāpi dṛśyate rājan yamunākṛṣṭa-vartmanā /
balasyānanta-vīryasya vīryaṃ sūcayatīva hi //

Even today, O king, the Yamunā is seen flowing along the furrow he dragged, / as if pointing out the power of Bala, whose prowess is infinite.

31. Even now Yamuna is seen flowing through that way so as to indicate the strength and prowess of Balarama of infinite energy.

10.65.34

evaṃ sarvā niśā yātā ekeva ramato vraje /
rāmasyākṣipta-cittasya mādhuryair vraja-yoṣitām //

Thus all the nights passed as if they were just one for Rāma, sporting in Vraja, / his mind captivated by the charms of the women of Vraja.

32. Thus all the nights passed away as if one night, when charmed with the sweet qualities of the damsels of Vraja Rama was sporting there.