Bhagavatapurana 10.41
English (machine translation) 10.41
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Contents
10.41.1
Śrī Śuka said: / While he was thus praising him, the Lord Kṛṣṇa, having shown his form in the water, / withdrew it again, like an actor his dramatic role.
10.41.2
Seeing it vanished, he too emerged quickly from the water, / and having performed all obligatory duties, returned to the chariot in amazement.
10.41.3
Hṛṣīkeśa asked him: 'Did you see something wonderful / on the earth, in the sky, or in the water? For so we perceive you.'
10.41.4
Śrī Akrūra said: / 'Whatever wonders there are here on earth, in the sky, or in the water, / they all exist in you, the universal self; what have I left unseen when beholding you?
10.41.5
When beholding you, O Brahman, in whom are all the wonders / on earth, in the sky, or in the water, what wonder here remains for me to see?'
10.41.6
Having said this, the son of Gāndinī urged on the chariot, / and brought Rāma and Kṛṣṇa to Mathurā at the close of day.
10.41.7
Along the way, the village folk gathered here and there, O King; / looking upon the two sons of Vasudeva, filled with delight, they could not take their eyes away.
10.41.8
Meanwhile, the residents of Vraja led by the cowherd Nanda, having gone ahead, / had reached the outskirts of the city and remained there waiting.
10.41.9
Meeting them, the Lord, the master of the universe, / taking Akrūra's hand in his hand as he stood humbly, said with a smile, as it were:
10.41.10
'Go ahead with your chariot into the city to your home; / we shall dismount here and then go to see the city.'
10.41.11
Śrī Akrūra said: / 'Without the two of you, I will not enter Mathurā, O Lord; / you should not abandon me, your devotee, O Master who are affectionate to devotees.
10.41.12
Come, let us go to our house; make it graced with a protector, O Adhokṣaja, / together with your elder brother, the cowherds, and your companions, O best of friends.
10.41.13
Purify with the dust of your feet the houses of us householders, / by the water that washes which the ancestors, the gods, and the sacred fires are satisfied.
10.41.14
By washing your two feet, the great Bali became celebrated in renown; / he obtained matchless sovereignty, and the goal that belongs to exclusive devotees.'
10.41.15
The waters that washed your feet, pure [and] purifying the three worlds,
which Śarva held upon his head, [and by which] the sons of Sagara went to heaven.
10.41.16
O God of gods, Lord of the universe, whose listening and glorification are purifying,
O Best of the Yadus, He of highest renown, Nārāyaṇa, homage be to you!
10.41.17
The Lord said:
I will come to your house together with my elder brother,
after slaying the enemy of the Yadu realm and conferring joy upon our kin.
10.41.18
Śuka said:
Thus spoken to by the Lord, Akrūra, as though downcast,
entered the city, reported his deed to Kaṃsa, and went home.
10.41.19
Then, in the late afternoon, the Lord Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Saṅkarṣaṇa
and surrounded by the cowherds, entered Mathurā, eager to see it.
10.41.20
He saw it adorned with towering crystal gateway towers and portals, with vast golden doors and arches,
with copper and brass storage chambers, difficult of approach due to its moats, and beautified by gardens and charming groves;
10.41.21
embellished with golden crossroads, mansions, and private gardens, guild-halls and houses,
with lapis lazuli, diamonds, pure sapphire, corals, pearls, and emeralds upon the upper balconies and altars;
10.41.22
resounding with pigeons and peacocks settled in the latticed openings, niches, and inlaid floors;
with royal avenues, markets, streets, and squares sprinkled [with water], strewn with garlands, sprouts, parched grain, and raw rice;
10.41.23
its doorways and houses well decorated with full pots smeared with yogurt and sandalwood paste,
with rows of flowers and lamps, with leafy shoots, banana plants and betel-nut palms with their bunches, and with banners and silken ribbons.
10.41.24
When the two sons of Vasudeva had entered, surrounded by their companions along the king’s highway,
the city women came together in haste to see them, and climbed the mansions, eager [with excitement], O king.
10.41.24.p1
Some had their garments and ornaments put on reversed, and others forgot one piece among pairs;
10.41.25
some wore an ornament in only one ear and an anklet on one foot, while others had not lined their second eye with collyrium;
10.41.25.p1
[…]
10.41.26
some, eating, cast that aside in their excitement; those being anointed left without bathing;
those sleeping arose on hearing the noise; and mothers nursing an infant set it aside.
10.41.27
The lotus-eyed one, with the stride of a lordly elephant in rut,
stole their minds with his bold, playful, smiling glances,
offering to their eyes a festival, since he is the self-delight of Śrī.
10.41.27.p1
Seeing him whom they had often heard of, their hearts melting,
their pride restored by the sprinkling of the nectar of his glance and smile,
10.41.28
embracing with their eyes that form of bliss attained within themselves,
their hair standing on end, they cast off endless anguish, O conqueror of foes.
10.41.28.p1
[…]
10.41.29
Ascending to the tops of the palaces, their lotus faces blooming with love,
the women showered Balarāma and Keśava with flowers.
10.41.30
With curd and unbroken grains, with vessels of water, garlands, fragrant scents, and offerings,
the twice-born worshipped the two with joy at various places.
10.41.31
The citizens said: “Ah, what great austerity did the cowherd women perform,
that they constantly behold these two, who are a great festival for the mortal world?”
10.41.32
Seeing a washerman approaching, a dyer of cloth,
the elder brother of Gada asked him for clothes that were washed and of the finest quality:
10.41.33
“Please give us clothes that are suitable and worthy of the two of us, my dear man;
supreme welfare will accrue to you as the giver; of this there is no doubt.”
10.41.34
Asked thus by the Lord, who is complete in all respects,
the servant of the king, exceedingly arrogant, spoke insolently in anger:
10.41.35
“Do you people who ever wander in the hills and forests put on clothes like these?
Have you gone mad, that you desire the king’s property?
10.41.36
Go away at once, foolish boys! Do not beg like this if you wish to live;
royal guards indeed bind, kill, and plunder the insolent!”
10.41.37
As he was bragging in this manner, the enraged son of Devakī
severed the washerman's head from his body with the edge of his hand.
10.41.38
All his attendants, abandoning their bundles of cloth,
fled in every direction along the street, and Acyuta took the garments.
10.41.39
Putting on two garments pleasing to themselves, Kṛṣṇa and Saṅkarṣaṇa
gave the rest to the cowherds, tossing some onto the ground.
10.41.40
Then a delighted weaver fashioned attire for both of them
with cloths of various colors and fitting ornaments.
10.41.41
With their dress of diverse characteristics, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma shone
like two well-adorned young elephants, one dark and one white, at festival time.
10.41.42
Pleased with him, the Lord granted him identity of form with himself,
supreme prosperity in this world, and strength, dominion, memory, and vigor of senses.
10.41.43
Then the two went to the house of Sudāman, the florist;
seeing them, he arose and bowed his head to the ground.
10.41.44
Bringing seats for the two, water for feet, guest-offerings, and other rites,
he performed worship for them and their followers with garlands, betel nut, and fragrant pastes.
10.41.45
He said: “Our birth has borne fruit, and our family has been purified, O Lord;
the ancestors, gods, and sages are pleased with me by the arrival of you two.
10.41.46
The two of you are indeed the supreme cause of the entire universe,
incarnated here in part for its welfare and preservation.
10.41.47
There is no partiality in the vision of you two, the well-wishers and the soul of the universe,
who are equal to all beings, even when responding to those who worship you.
10.41.48
Therefore command this servant: what may I do for you two?
For it is the greatest grace to a mortal that he is engaged by you.”
10.41.49
Having understood this, O king of kings, Sudāman, with a delighted mind,
presented garlands fashioned with exquisite, fragrant flowers.
10.41.50
Well-adorned with them and pleased, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, accompanied by their followers,
granted boons to the bowed and surrendered devotee, as the givers of boons.
10.41.51
He too chose unwavering devotion toward him alone, the Self of all,
friendship toward his devotees, and supreme compassion for all beings.
10.41.52
Having thus granted him the boon, and prosperity that increases his lineage,
strength, longevity, fame, and beauty, he departed together with his elder brother.
Translations (1)
- The Srimad Bhagavatam — S. Subba Rau 1928, English
Linked texts (1)
- Bhāgavatapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit