TEXT 1
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
gargah purohito rajan
yadunam sumaha-tapah
vrajam jagama nandasya
vasudeva-pracoditah
Sukadeva Gosvami said: O Maharaja Pariksit, the priest of the Yadu dynasty,
namely Gargamuni, who was highly elevated in austerity and penance, was then
inspired by Vasudeva to go see Nanda Maharaja at his home.
TEXT 2
TEXT
tam drstva parama-pritah
pratyutthaya krtanjalih
anarcadhoksaja-dhiya
pranipata-purahsaram
When Nanda Maharaja saw Gargamuni present at his home, Nanda was so pleased
that he stood up to receive him with folded hands. Although seeing Gargamuni
with his eyes, Nanda Maharaja could appreciate that Gargamuni was adhoksaja;
that is, he was not an ordinary person seen by material senses.
TEXT 3
TEXT
supavistam krtatithyam
gira sunrtaya munim
nandayitvabravid brahman
purnasya karavama kim
When Gargamuni had been properly received as a guest and was very comfortably
seated, Nanda Maharaja submitted with gentle and submissive words: Dear sir,
because you are a devotee, you are full in everything. Yet my duty is to serve
you. Kindly order me. What can I do for you?
TEXT 4
TEXT
mahad-vicalanam nrnam
grhinam dina-cetasam
nihsreyasaya bhagavan
kalpate nanyatha kvacit
O my lord, O great devotee, persons like you move from one place to another
not for their own interests but for the sake of poor-hearted grhasthas
[householders]. Otherwise they have no interest in going from one place to
another.
TEXT 5
TEXT
jyotisam ayanam saksad
yat taj jnanam atindriyam
pranitam bhavata yena
puman veda paravaram
O great saintly person, you have compiled the astrological knowledge by which
one can understand past and present unseen things. By the strength of this
knowledge, any human being can understand what he has done in his past life and
how it affects his present life. This is known to you.
TEXT 6
TEXT
tvam hi brahma-vidam sresthah
samskaran kartum arhasi
balayor anayor nrnam
janmana brahmano guruh
My lord, you are the best of the brahmanas, especially because you are fully
aware of the jyotih-sastra, the astrological science. Therefore you are
naturally the spiritual master of every human being. This being so, since you
have kindly come to my house, kindly execute the reformatory activities for my
two sons.
TEXT 7
TEXT
sri-garga uvaca
yadunam aham acaryah
khyatas ca bhuvi sarvada
sutam maya samskrtam te
manyate devaki-sutam
Gargamuni said: My dear Nanda Maharaja, I am the priestly guide of the Yadu
dynasty. This is known everywhere. Therefore, if I perform the purificatory
process for your sons, Kamsa will consider Them the sons of Devaki.
TEXTS 8-9
TEXT
kamsah papa-matih sakhyam
tava canakadundubheh
devakya astamo garbho
na stri bhavitum arhati
iti sancintayan chrutva
devakya darika-vacah
api hanta gatasankas
tarhi tan no ‘nayo bhavet
Kamsa is both a great diplomat and a very sinful man. Therefore, having heard
from Yogamaya, the daughter of Devaki, that the child who will kill him has
already been born somewhere else, having heard that the eighth pregnancy of
Devaki could not bring forth a female child, and having understood your
friendship with Vasudeva, Kamsa, upon hearing that the purificatory process has
been performed by me, the priest of the Yadu dynasty, may certainly consider all
these points and suspect that Krsna is the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. Then he
might take steps to kill Krsna. That would be a catastrophe.
TEXT 10
TEXT
sri-nanda uvaca
alaksito ‘smin rahasi
mamakair api go-vraje
kuru dvijati-samskaram
svasti-vacana-purvakam
Nanda Maharaja said: My dear great sage, if you think that your performing
this process of purification will make Kamsa suspicious, then secretly chant the
Vedic hymns and perform the purifying process of second birth here in the cow
shed of my house, without the knowledge of anyone else, even my relatives, for
this process of purification is essential.
TEXT 11
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
evam samprarthito viprah
sva-cikirsitam eva tat
cakara nama-karanam
gudho rahasi balayoh
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Having thus been especially requested by Nanda
Maharaja to do that which he already desired to do, Gargamuni performed the
name-giving ceremony for Krsna and Balarama in a solitary place.
TEXT 12
TEXT
sri-garga uvaca
ayam hi rohini-putro
ramayan suhrdo gunaih
akhyasyate rama iti
baladhikyad balam viduh
yadunam aprthag-bhavat
sankarsanam usanty api
Gargamuni said: This child, the son of Rohini, will give all happiness to His
relatives and friends by His transcendental qualities. Therefore He will be
known as Rama. And because He will manifest extraordinary bodily strength, He
will also be known as Bala. Moreover, because He unites two families–Vasudeva’s
family and the family of Nanda Maharaja–He will be known as Sankarsana.
TEXT 13
TEXT
asan varnas trayo hy asya
grhnato ‘nuyugam tanuh
suklo raktas tatha pita
idanim krsnatam gatah
Your son Krsna appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past, He
assumed three different colors–white, red and yellow–and now He has appeared
in a blackish color. [In another Dvapara-yuga, He appeared (as Lord Ramacandra)
in the color of suka, a parrot. All such incarnations have now assembled in
Krsna.]
TEXT 14
TEXT
prag ayam vasudevasya
kvacij jatas tavatmajah
vasudeva iti sriman
abhijnah sampracaksate
For many reasons, this beautiful son of yours sometimes appeared previously
as the son of Vasudeva. Therefore, those who are learned sometimes call this
child Vasudeva.
TEXT 15
TEXT
bahuni santi namani
rupani ca sutasya te
guna-karmanurupani
tany aham veda no janah
For this son of yours there are many forms and names according to His
transcendental qualities and activities. These are known to me, but people in
general do not understand them.
TEXT 16
TEXT
esa vah sreya adhasyad
gopa-gokula-nandanah
anena sarva-durgani
yuyam anjas tarisyatha
To increase the transcendental bliss of the cowherd men of Gokula, this child
will always act auspiciously for you. And by His grace only, you will surpass
all difficulties.
TEXT 17
TEXT
puranena vraja-pate
sadhavo dasyu-piditah
arajake raksyamana
jigyur dasyun samedhitah
O Nanda Maharaja, as recorded in history, when there was an irregular,
incapable government, Indra having been dethroned, and people were being
harassed and disturbed by thieves, this child appeared in order to protect the
people and enable them to flourish, and He curbed the rogues and thieves
TEXT 18
TEXT
ya etasmin maha-bhagah
pritim kurvanti manavah
narayo ‘bhibhavanty etan
visnu-paksan ivasurah
Demons [asuras] cannot harm the demigods, who always have Lord Visnu on their
side. Similarly, any person or group attached to Krsna is extremely fortunate.
Because such persons are very much affectionate toward Krsna, they cannot be
defeated by demons like the associates of Kamsa [or by the internal enemies, the
senses].
TEXT 19
TEXT
tasman nandatmajo ‘yam te
narayana-samo gunaih
sriya kirtyanubhavena
gopayasva samahitah
In conclusion, therefore, O Nanda Maharaja, this child of yours is as good as
Narayana. In His transcendental qualities, opulence, name, fame and influence,
He is exactly like Narayana. You should all raise this child very carefully and
cautiously.
TEXT 20
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
ity atmanam samadisya
garge ca sva-grham gate
nandah pramudito mene
atmanam purnam asisam
Srila Sukadeva Gosvami continued: After Gargamuni, having instructed Nanda
Maharaja about Krsna, departed for his own home, Nanda Maharaja was very pleased
and considered himself full of all good fortune.
TEXT 21
TEXT
kalena vrajatalpena
gokule rama-kesavau
janubhyam saha panibhyam
ringamanau vijahratuh
After a short time passed, both brothers, Rama and Krsna, began to crawl on
the ground of Vraja with the strength of Their hands and knees and thus enjoy
Their childhood play.
TEXT 22
TEXT
tav anghri-yugmam anukrsya sarisrpantau
ghosa-praghosa-ruciram vraja-kardamesu
tan-nada-hrsta-manasav anusrtya lokam
mugdha-prabhitavad upeyatur anti matroh
When Krsna and Balarama, with the strength of Their legs, crawled in the
muddy places created in Vraja by cow dung and cow urine, Their crawling
resembled the crawling of serpents, and the sound of Their ankle bells was very
charming. Very much pleased by the sound of other people’s ankle bells, They
used to follow these people as if going to Their mothers, but when They saw that
these were other people, They became afraid and returned to Their real mothers,
Yasoda and Rohini.
TEXT 23
TEXT
tan-matarau nija-sutau ghrnaya snuvantyau
pankanga-raga-rucirav upagrhya dorbhyam
dattva stanam prapibatoh sma mukham niriksya
mugdha-smitalpa-dasanam yayatuh pramodam
Dressed with muddy earth mixed with cow dung and cow urine, the babies looked
very beautiful, and when They went to Their mothers, both Yasoda and Rohini
picked Them up with great affection, embraced Them and allowed Them to suck the
milk flowing from their breasts. While sucking the breast, the babies smiled,
and Their small teeth were visible. Their mothers, upon seeing those beautiful
teeth, enjoyed great transcendental bliss.
TEXT 24
TEXT
yarhy angana-darsaniya-kumara-lilav
antar-vraje tad abalah pragrhita-pucchaih
vatsair itas tata ubhav anukrsyamanau
preksantya ujjhita-grha jahrsur hasantyah
Within the house of Nanda Maharaja, the cowherd ladies would enjoy seeing the
pastimes of the babies Rama and Krsna. The babies would catch the ends of the
calves’ tails, and the calves would drag Them here and there. When the ladies
saw these pastimes, they certainly stopped their household activities and
laughed and enjoyed the incidents.
TEXT 25
TEXT
srngy-agni-damstry-asi-jala-dvija-kantakebhyah
krida-parav aticalau sva-sutau niseddhum
grhyani kartum api yatra na taj-jananyau
sekata apatur alam manaso ‘navastham
When mother Yasoda and Rohini were unable to protect the babies from
calamities threatened by horned cows, by fire, by animals with claws and teeth
such as monkeys, dogs and cats, and by thorns, swords and other weapons on the
ground, they were always in anxiety, and their household engagements were
disturbed. At that time, they were fully equipoised in the transcendental
ecstasy known as the distress of material affection, for this was aroused within
their minds.
TEXT 26
TEXT
kalenalpena rajarse
ramah krsnas ca gokule
aghrsta-janubhih padbhir
vicakramatur anjasa
O King Pariksit, within a very short time both Rama and Krsna began to walk
very easily in Gokula on Their legs, by Their own strength, without the need to
crawl.
TEXT 27
TEXT
tatas tu bhagavan krsno
vayasyair vraja-balakaih
saha-ramo vraja-strinam
cikride janayan mudam
Thereafter, Lord Krsna, along with Balarama, began to play with the other
children of the cowherd men, thus awakening the transcendental bliss of the
cowherd women.
TEXT 28
TEXT
krsnasya gopyo ruciram
viksya kaumara-capalam
srnvantyah kila tan-matur
iti hocuh samagatah
Observing the very attractive childish restlessness of Krsna, all the gopis
in the neighborhood, to hear about Krsna’s activities again and again, would
approach mother Yasoda and speak to her as follows.
TEXT 29
TEXT
vatsan muncan kvacid asamaye krosa-sanjata-hasah
steyam svadv atty atha dadhi-payah kalpitaih steya-yogaih
markan bhoksyan vibhajati sa cen natti bhandam bhinnatti
dravyalabhe sagrha-kupito yaty upakrosya tokan
“Our dear friend Yasoda, your son sometimes comes to our houses before the
milking of the cows and releases the calves, and when the master of the house
becomes angry, your son merely smiles. Sometimes He devises some process by
which He steals palatable curd, butter and milk, which He then eats and drinks.
When the monkeys assemble, He divides it with them, and when the monkeys have
their bellies so full that they won’t take more, He breaks the pots. Sometimes,
if He gets no opportunity to steal butter or milk from a house, He will be angry
at the householders, and for His revenge He will agitate the small children by
pinching them. Then, when the children begin crying, Krsna will go away.
TEXT 30
TEXT
hastagrahye racayati vidhim pithakolukhaladyais
chidram hy antar-nihita-vayunah sikya-bhandesu tad-vit
dhvantagare dhrta-mani-ganam svangam artha-pradipam
kale gopyo yarhi grha-krtyesu suvyagra-cittah
“When the milk and curd are kept high on a swing hanging from the ceiling and
Krsna and Balarama cannot reach it, They arrange to reach it by piling up
various planks and turning upside down the mortar for grinding spices. Being
quite aware of the contents of a pot, They pick holes in it. While the elderly
gopis go about their household affairs, Krsna and Balarama sometimes go into a
dark room, brightening the place with the valuable jewels and ornaments on Their
bodies and taking advantage of this light by stealing.
TEXT 31
TEXT
evam dharstyany usati kurute mehanadini vastau
steyopayair viracita-krtih supratiko yathaste
ittham stribhih sa-bhaya-nayana-sri-mukhalokinibhir
vyakhyatartha prahasita-mukhi na hy upalabdhum aicchat
“When Krsna is caught in His naughty activities, the master of the house will
say to Him, ‘Oh, You are a thief,’ and artificially express anger at Krsna.
Krsna will then reply, ‘I am not a thief. You are a thief.’ Sometimes, being
angry, Krsna passes urine and stool in a neat, clean place in our houses. But
now, our dear friend Yasoda, this expert thief is sitting before you like a very
good boy.” Sometimes all the gopis would look at Krsna sitting there, His eyes
fearful so that His mother would not chastise Him, and when they saw Krsna’s
beautiful face, instead of chastising Him they would simply look upon His face
and enjoy transcendental bliss. Mother Yasoda would mildly smile at all this
fun, and she would not want to chastise her blessed transcendental child.
TEXT 32
TEXT
ekada kridamanas te
ramadya gopa-darakah
krsno mrdam bhaksitavan
iti matre nyavedayan
One day while Krsna was playing with His small playmates, including Balarama
and other sons of the gopas, all His friends came together and lodged a
complaint to mother Yasoda. “Mother,” they submitted, “Krsna has eaten earth.”
TEXT 33
TEXT
sa grhitva kare krsnam
upalabhya hitaisini
yasoda bhaya-sambhrantapreksanaksam
abhasata
Upon hearing this from Krsna’s playmates, mother Yasoda, who was always full
of anxiety over Krsna’s welfare, picked Krsna up with her hands to look into His
mouth and chastise Him. Her eyes fearful, she spoke to her son as follows.
TEXT 34
TEXT
kasman mrdam adantatman
bhavan bhaksitavan rahah
vadanti tavaka hy ete
kumaras te ‘grajo ‘py ayam
Dear Krsna, why are You so restless that You have eaten dirt in a solitary
place? This complaint has been lodged against You by all Your playmates,
including Your elder brother, Balarama. How is this?
TEXT 35
TEXT
naham bhaksitavan amba
sarve mithyabhisamsinah
yadi satya-giras tarhi
samaksam pasya me mukham
Lord Sri Krsna replied: My dear mother, I have never eaten dirt. All My
friends complaining against Me are liars. If you think they are being truthful,
you can directly look into My mouth and examine it.
TEXT 36
TEXT
yady evam tarhi vyadehity
uktah sa bhagavan harih
vyadattavyahataisvaryah
krida-manuja-balakah
Mother Yasoda challenged Krsna, “If You have not eaten earth, then open Your
mouth wide.” When challenged by His mother in this way, Krsna, the son of Nanda
Maharaja and Yasoda, to exhibit pastimes like a human child, opened His mouth.
Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, who is full of all
opulences, did not disturb His mother’s parental affection, His opulence was
automatically displayed, for Krsna’s opulence is never lost at any stage, but is
manifest at the proper time.
TEXTS 37-39
TEXT
sa tatra dadrse visvam
jagat sthasnu ca kham disah
sadri-dvipabdhi-bhugolam
sa-vayv-agnindu-tarakam
jyotis-cakram jalam tejo
nabhasvan viyad eva ca
vaikarikanindriyani
mano matra gunas trayah
etad vicitram saha-jiva-kalasvabhava-
karmasaya-linga-bhedam
sunos tanau viksya vidaritasye
vrajam sahatmanam avapa sankam
When Krsna opened His mouth wide by the order of mother Yasoda, she saw
within His mouth all moving and nonmoving entities, outer space, and all
directions, along with mountains, islands, oceans, the surface of the earth, the
blowing wind, fire, the moon and the stars. She saw the planetary systems,
water, light, air, sky, and creation by transformation of ahankara. She also saw
the senses, the mind, sense perception, and the three qualities goodness,
passion and ignorance. She saw the time allotted for the living entities, she
saw natural instinct and the reactions of karma, and she saw desires and
different varieties of bodies, moving and nonmoving. Seeing all these aspects of
the cosmic manifestation, along with herself and Vrndavana-dhama, she became
doubtful and fearful of her son’s nature.
TEXT 40
TEXT
kim svapna etad uta devamaya
kim va madiyo bata buddhi-mohah
atho amusyaiva mamarbhakasya
yah kascanautpattika atma-yogah
[Mother Yasoda began to argue within herself:] Is this a dream, or is it an
illusory creation by the external energy? Has this been manifested by my own
intelligence, or is it some mystic power of my child?
TEXT 41
TEXT
atho yathavan na vitarka-gocaram
ceto-manah-karma-vacobhir anjasa
yad-asrayam yena yatah pratiyate
sudurvibhavyam pranatasmi tat-padam
Therefore let me surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offer
my obeisances unto Him, who is beyond the conception of human speculation, the
mind, activities, words and arguments, who is the original cause of this cosmic
manifestation, by whom the entire cosmos is maintained, and by whom we can
conceive of its existence. Let me simply offer my obeisances, for He is beyond
my contemplation, speculation and meditation. He is beyond all of my material
activities.
TEXT 42
TEXT
aham mamasau patir esa me suto
vrajesvarasyakhila-vittapa sati
gopyas ca gopah saha-godhanas ca me
yan-mayayettham kumatih sa me gatih
It is by the influence of the Supreme Lord’s maya that I am wrongly thinking
that Nanda Maharaja is my husband, that Krsna is my son, and that because I am
the queen of Nanda Maharaja, all the wealth of cows and calves are my
possessions and all the cowherd men and their wives are my subjects. Actually, I
also am eternally subordinate to the Supreme Lord. He is my ultimate shelter.
TEXT 43
TEXT
ittham vidita-tattvayam
gopikayam sa isvarah
vaisnavim vyatanon mayam
putra-snehamayim vibhuh
Mother Yasoda, by the grace of the Lord, could understand the real truth. But
then again, the supreme master, by the influence of the internal potency,
yogamaya, inspired her to become absorbed in intense maternal affection for her
son.
TEXT 44
TEXT
sadyo nasta-smrtir gopi
saropyaroham atmajam
pravrddha-sneha-kalilahrdayasid
yatha pura
Immediately forgetting yogamaya’s illusion that Krsna had shown the universal
form within His mouth, mother Yasoda took her son on her lap as before, feeling
increased affection in her heart for her transcendental child.
TEXT 45
TEXT
trayya copanisadbhis ca
sankhya-yogais ca satvataih
upagiyamana-mahatmyam
harim samanyatatmajam
The glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are studied through the
three Vedas, the Upanisads, the literature of Sankhya-yoga, and other Vaisnava
literature, yet mother Yasoda considered that Supreme Person her ordinary child.
TEXT 46
TEXT
sri-rajovaca
nandah kim akarod brahman
sreya evam mahodayam
yasoda ca maha-bhaga
papau yasyah stanam harih
Having heard of the great fortune of mother Yasoda, Pariksit Maharaja
inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami: O learned brahmana, mother Yasoda’s breast milk
was sucked by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What past auspicious
activities did she and Nanda Maharaja perform to achieve such perfection in
ecstatic love?
TEXT 47
TEXT
pitarau nanvavindetam
krsnodararbhakehitam
gayanty adyapi kavayo
yal loka-samalapaham
Although Krsna was so pleased with Vasudeva and Devaki that He descended as
their son, they could not enjoy Krsna’s magnanimous childhood pastimes, which
are so great that simply chanting about them vanquishes the contamination of the
material world. Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda, however, enjoyed these pastimes
fully, and therefore their position is always better than that of Vasudeva and
Devaki.
TEXT 48
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
drono vasunam pravaro
dharaya bharyaya saha
karisyamana adesan
brahmanas tam uvaca ha
Sukadeva Gosvami said: To follow the orders of Lord Brahma, Drona, the best
of the Vasus, along with his wife, Dhara, spoke to Lord Brahma in this way.
TEXT 49
TEXT
jatayor nau mahadeve
bhuvi visvesvare harau
bhaktih syat parama loke
yayanjo durgatim taret
Drona and Dhara said: Please permit us to be born on the planet earth so that
after our appearance, the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, the supreme
controller and master of all planets, will also appear and spread devotional
service, the ultimate goal of life, so that those born in this material world
may very easily be delivered from the miserable condition of materialistic life
by accepting this devotional service.
TEXT 50
TEXT
astv ity uktah sa bhagavan
vraje drono maha-yasah
jajne nanda iti khyato
yasoda sa dharabhavat
When Brahma said, “Yes, let it be so,” the most fortune Drona, who was equal
to Bhagavan, appeared in Vrajapura, Vrndavana, as the most famous Nanda
Maharaja, and his wife, Dhara, appeared as mother Yasoda.
TEXT 51
TEXT
tato bhaktir bhagavati
putri-bhute janardane
dampatyor nitaram asid
gopa-gopisu bharata
Thereafter, O Maharaja Pariksit, best of the Bharatas, when the Supreme
Personality of Godhead became the son of Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda, they
maintained continuous, unswerving devotional love in parental affection. And in
their association, all the other inhabitants of Vrndavana, the gopas and gopis,
developed the culture of krsna-bhakti.
TEXT 52
TEXT
krsno brahmana adesam
satyam kartum vraje vibhuh
saha-ramo vasams cakre
tesam pritim sva-lilaya
Thus the Supreme Personality, Krsna, along with Balarama, lived in
Vrajabhumi, Vrndavana, just to substantiate the benediction of Brahma. By
exhibiting different pastimes in His childhood, He increased the transcendental
pleasure of Nanda and the other inhabitants of Vrndavana.
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