Bhagavatapurana 10.5
English (machine translation) 10.5
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Contents
10.5.1
Śrī Śuka said:
When a son was born, the noble-minded Nanda, filled with joy, bathed, purified himself, adorned himself, and summoned Brahmins learned in the Vedas.
10.5.2
Having caused the recitation of auspicious blessings, he had the birth ceremonies performed for his son according to rite, as well as the worship of the ancestors and the gods.
10.5.3
He gave to the Brahmins two hundred thousand well-adorned cows, and seven mountains of sesame seeds covered with heaps of jewels and cloths of gold.
10.5.4
Things are purified by time, by bathing and cleansing, by consecrations, austerity, and sacrifice, by gifts, and by contentment; and the self is purified by knowledge of the self.
10.5.5
Brahmins uttered auspicious blessings; bards, minstrels, and heralds sang; and kettledrums and large drums sounded repeatedly.
10.5.6
Vraja had the inner parts of its houses, doorsteps, and courtyards swept and sprinkled, and was decorated with multicolored flags, banners, garlands, cloths, sprouts, and arched gateways.
10.5.7
The cows, bulls, and calves were smeared with turmeric and oil, and adorned with colorful mineral pigments, peacock-feather garlands, cloths, and golden wreaths.
10.5.8
Adorned with precious garments, ornaments, tunics, and turbans, the cowherds arrived, O King, bearing various gifts in their hands.
10.5.9
And hearing of the birth of Yaśodā's son, the delighted cowherd women adorned themselves with garments, ornaments, collyrium, and the like.
10.5.10
Their lotus faces glowing with freshly applied saffron filament paste, those women of broad hips and tremulous breasts hurried along with offerings.
10.5.10.p1
The cowherd women, with polished jewel earrings and gold coins about their necks, dressed in colorful garments, shedding showers of garlands falling from their braided hair along the road,
10.5.11
wearing bracelets, shone as they walked toward Nanda's dwelling, radiant with swinging earrings and necklaces upon their breasts.
10.5.11.p1
[…]
10.5.12
Offering blessings—"Protect [him] for a long time!"—upon the boy, sprinkling him with water mixed with turmeric powder and oil, they sang loudly of the Unborn Lord.
10.5.13
Various musical instruments were sounded at that great festival, when Kṛṣṇa, the infinite Lord of the universe, had arrived at Nanda's Vraja.
10.5.14
The cowherds, rejoicing among themselves, poured curd, milk, and water with ghee, smeared one another, and flung fresh butter.
10.5.15
The noble-minded Nanda honored them with garments, ornaments, and wealth of cattle, as well as the bards, minstrels, heralds, and others who lived by their arts,
10.5.16
with these various desires as was appropriate, generous in heart, for the propitiation of Viṣṇu and for the prosperity of his own son.
10.5.17
And the greatly fortunate Rohiṇī, welcomed by Nanda the cowherd, walked about adorned with celestial garments, garlands, and neck ornaments.
10.5.18
From that time forward, O King, Nanda's Vraja became endowed with all prosperity, a pleasure grove of Ramā, due to the presence and personal virtues of Hari.
10.5.19
Having assigned cowherds to the protection of Gokula, Nanda went to Mathurā, O upholder of the Kurus, to pay the annual tribute to Kaṃsa.
10.5.20
Hearing that his brother Nanda had arrived, and knowing that he had paid tribute to the king, Vasudeva went to his camp.
10.5.21
Seeing him, rising up swiftly as the body does when life has returned, filled with affection and overwhelmed with love, he embraced his dearest friend in his arms.
10.5.22
Honored, seated comfortably, and respectfully asked of his welfare, his mind fixed upon his two sons, he spoke thus, O ruler of men:
10.5.23
"By good fortune, O brother, when you were advanced in age, childless, and having abandoned hope of offspring, a child has been born to you.
10.5.24
By good fortune, in this revolving cycle of rebirth, this reunion with you—a sight of one beloved and so difficult to obtain—has been realized today as if a rebirth.
10.5.25
Living together in one place is not possible for friends of diverse karmas, just as planks borne away by the current of a flood do not remain united.
10.5.26
Is that great forest suitable for cattle, free of disease, abundant in water, grass, and plants, where you now reside surrounded by friends?
10.5.27
O brother, is my son, who is with his mother in your Vraja, fondled by both of you, regarding you as his father?
10.5.28
The three ends of human life are prescribed for a man only when experienced with friends; they do not serve any purpose when those friends are in distress."
10.5.29
Śrī Nanda said:
"Alas, many sons of Devakī were killed by Kaṃsa; even the one remaining, the younger daughter, has gone to heaven.
10.5.30
Surely people rest upon destiny, considering destiny supreme; he who understands destiny to be the true nature of the self is never bewildered."
10.5.31
Śrī Vasudeva said:
"The annual tribute has indeed been paid to the king, and you and I have seen each other. You should not stay here long, for there are ill omens in Gokula."
10.5.32
Śrī Śuka said:
Thus addressed by Śauri, Nanda and the other cowherds, taking leave of him, departed for Gokula with their bullock carts.
Translations (1)
- The Srimad Bhagavatam — S. Subba Rau 1928, English
Linked texts (1)
- Bhāgavatapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit