Bhagavatapurana 10.26
English (machine translation) 10.26
- Language
- English
Contents
10.26.1
Śrī Śuka said:
Seeing such deeds of Kṛṣṇa, those cowherds,
not knowing His true power, came together greatly amazed and spoke:
10.26.2
'Since these deeds of the boy are so exceedingly wondrous,
how does He deserve birth among rustic folk, which brings contempt upon oneself?
10.26.3
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?
10.26.4
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.
10.26.5
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.
10.26.6
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.
10.26.7
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
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.
10.26.9
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.
10.26.10
Together with Balarāma, having slain the donkey demon and his kin,
He made the palm forest safe, filled with fully ripened fruits.
10.26.11
Having caused the fierce Pralamba to be slain by the mighty Balarāma,
He delivered the cattle and cowherds of Vraja from the forest fire.
10.26.12
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.
10.26.13
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?
10.26.14
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.'
10.26.15
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:
10.26.16
‘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).
10.26.17
Once this son of yours was born as the son of Vasudeva;
therefore the wise proclaim Him as the glorious Vāsudeva.
10.26.18
Many are the names and forms of your son,
corresponding to His qualities and deeds; I know them, but ordinary people do not.
10.26.19
He, the delighter of the cowherds and Gokula, will bring about your highest good;
by Him you will easily cross over all perils.
10.26.20
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.
10.26.21
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.
10.26.22
Therefore, Nanda, this boy is equal to Nārāyaṇa in virtues, / in majesty, in renown, and in power; there is no wonder in his deeds.’
10.26.23
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.'
10.26.24
Having heard these words of Nanda sung by Garga, the dwellers of Vraja,
freed from amazement, were delighted and honoured Nanda and Kṛṣṇa.
10.26.24.p1
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:
10.26.25
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!
10.26.25.p1
[…]
Translations (1)
- The Srimad Bhagavatam — S. Subba Rau 1928, English
Commentaries (1)
- Subodhinī — Vallabhācārya, Sanskrit
Linked texts (1)
- Bhāgavatapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit