1-çré-çuka uväca
hemante prathame mäsi
nanda-vraja-kamärikäù
cerur haviñyaà bhuïjänäù
kätyäyany-arcana-vratam
Çukadeva Gosvämé said: During the first month of the winter season, the
young unmarried girls of Gokula observed the vow of worshiping goddess
Kätyäyané. For the entire month they ate only unspiced khichré.
2/3-äplutyämbhasi kälindyä
jalänte codite ‘ruëe
kåtvä pratikåtià devém
änarcur nåpa saikatém
gandhair mälyaiù surabhibhir
balibhir dhüpa-dépakaiù
uccävacaiç copahäraiù
praväla-phala-taëòulaiù
My dear King, after they had bathed in the water of the Yamunä just as the
sun was rising, the gopés made an earthen deity of goddess Durgä on the
riverbank. Then they worshiped her with such aromatic substances as
sandalwood pulp, along with other items both opulent and simple, including
lamps, fruits, betel nuts, newly grown leaves, and fragrant garlands and incense
4-kätyäyani mahä-mäye
mahä-yoginy adhéçvari
nanda-gopa-sutaà devi
patià me kuru te namaù
iti mantraà japantyas täù
püjäà cakruù kamärikäù
Each of the young unmarried girls performed her worship while chanting the
following mantra. “O goddess Kätyäyané, O great potency of the Lord, O
possessor of great mystic power and mighty controller of all, please make the
son of Nanda Mahäräja my husband. I offer my obeisances unto you.”
5-evaà mäsaà vrataà ceruù
kumäryaù kåñëa-cetasaù
bhadrakäléà samänarcur
bhüyän nanda-sutaù patiù
Thus for an entire month the girls carried out their vow and properly
worshiped the goddess Bhadrakälé, fully absorbing their minds in Kåñëa and
meditating upon the following thought: “May the son of King Nanda become
my husband.”
6-üñasy utthäya gotraiù svair
anyonyäbaddha-bähavaù
kåñëam uccair jagur yäntyaù
kälindyäà snätum anvaham
Each day they rose at dawn. Calling out to one another by name, they all
held hands and loudly sang the glories of Kåñëa while going to the Kälindé to
take their bath.
7-nadyäù kadäcid ägatya
tére nikñipya pürva-vat
väsäàsi kåñëaà gäyantyo
vijahruù salile mudä
One day they came to the riverbank and, putting aside their clothing as they
had done before, happily played in the water while singing the glories of Kåñëa.
8-bhagaväàs tad abhipretya
kåñno yogeçvareçvaraù
vayasyair ävåtas tatra
gatas tat-karma-siddhaye
Lord Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and master of all masters
of mystic yoga, was aware of what the gopés were doing, and thus He went there
surrounded by His young companions to award the gopés the perfection of their
endeavor.
9-täsäà väsäàsy upädäya
népam äruhya satvaraù
hasadbhiù prahasan bälaiù
parihäsam uväca ha
Taking the girls’ garments, He quickly climbed to the top of a kadamba tree.
Then, as He laughed loudly and His companions also laughed, He addressed the
girls jokingly.
10-aträgatyäbaläù kämaà
svaà svaà väsaù pragåhyatäm
satyaà braväëi no narma
yad yüyaà vrata-karçitäù
[Lord Kåñëa said:] My dear girls, you may each come here as you wish and
take back your garments. I’m telling you the truth and am not joking with you,
since I see you’re fatigued from executing austere vows.
11-na mayodita-pürvaà vä
anåtaà tad ime viduù
ekaikaçaù pratécchadhvaà
sahaiveti su-madhyamäù
I have never before spoken a lie, and these boys know it. Therefore, O
slender-waisted girls, please come forward, either one by one or all together, and
pick out your clothes.
12-tasya tat kñvelitaà dåñövä
gopyaù prema-pariplutäù
vréòitäù prekñya cänyonyaà
jäta-häsä na niryayuù
Seeing how Kåñëa was joking with them, the gopés became fully immersed in
love for Him, and as they glanced at each other they began to laugh and joke
among themselves, even in their embarrassment. But still they did not come out
of the water.
13-evaà bruvati govinde
narmaëäkñipta-cetasaù
ä-kaëöha-magnäù çétode
vepamänäs tam abruvan
As Çré Govinda spoke to the gopés in this way, His joking words completely
captivated their minds. Submerged up to their necks in the cold water, they
began to shiver. Thus they addressed Him as follows.
14-mänayaà bhoù kåthäs tväà tu
nanda-gopa-sutaà priyam
jänémo ‘ìga vraja-çläghyaà
dehi väsäàsi vepitäù
[The gopés said:] Dear Kåñëa, don’t be unfair! We know that You are the
respectable son of Nanda and that You are honored by everyone in Vraja. You
are also very dear to us. Please give us back our clothes. We are shivering in the
cold water.
15-çyämasundara te däsyaù
karaväma tavoditam
dehi väsäàsi dharma-jïa
no ced räjïe bruväma he
O Çyämasundara, we are Your maidservants and must do whatever You say.
But give us back our clothing. You know what the religious principles are, and
if You don’t give us our clothes we will have to tell the king. Please!
16-çré-bhagavän uväca
bhavatyo yadi me däsyo
mayoktaà vä kariñyatha
aträgatya sva-väsäàsi
pratécchata çuci-smitäù
no cen nähaà pradäsye kià
kruddho räjä kariñyati
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: If you girls are actually My
maidservants, and if you will really do what I say, then come here with your
innocent smiles and let each girl pick out her clothes. If you don’t do what I
say, I won’t give them back to you. And even if the king becomes angry, what
can he do?
17-tato jaläçayät sarvä
därikäù çéta-vepitäù
päëibhyäà yonim äcchädya
protteruù çéta-karçitäù
Then, shivering from the painful cold, all the young girls rose up out of the
water, covering their pubic area with their hands.
18-bhagavän ähatä vékñya
çuddha -bhäva-prasäditaù
skandhe nidhäya väsäàsi
prétaù proväca sa-smitam
When the Supreme Lord saw how the gopés were struck with
embarrassment, He was satisfied by their pure loving affection. Putting their
clothes on His shoulder, the Lord smiled and spoke to them with affection.
19-yüyaà vivasträ yad apo dhåta-vratä
vyagähataitat tad u deva-helanam
baddhväïjalià mürdhny apanuttaye ‘àhasaù
kåtvä namo ‘dho-vasanaà pragåhyatäm
[Lord Kåñëa said:] You girls bathed naked while executing your vow, and
that is certainly an offense against the demigods. To counteract your sin you
should offer obeisances while placing your joined palms above your heads. Then
you should take back your lower garments.
20-ity acyutenäbhihitaà vrajäbalä
matvä vivasträplavanaà vrata-cyutim
tat-pürti-kämäs tad-açeña-karmaëäà
säkñät-kåtaà nemur avadya-måg yataù
Thus the young girls of Våndävana, considering what Lord Acyuta had told
them, accepted that they had suffered a falldown from their vow by bathing
naked in the river. But they still desired to successfully complete their vow, and
since Lord Kåñëa is Himself the ultimate result of all pious activities, they
offered their obeisances to Him to cleanse away all their sins.
21-täs tathävanatä dåñövä
bhagavän devaké-sutaù
väsäàsi täbhyaù präyacchat
karuëas tena toñitaù
Seeing them bow down like that, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the
son of Devaké, gave them back their garments, feeling compassionate toward
them and satisfied by their act.
22-dåòhaà pralabdhäs trapayä ca häpitäù
prastobhitäù kréòana-vac ca käritäù
vasträëi caiväpahåtäny athäpy amuà
tä näbhyasüyan priya-saìga-nirvåtäù
Although the gopés had been thoroughly cheated, deprived of their modesty,
ridiculed and made to act just like toy dolls, and although their clothing had
been stolen, they did not feel at all inimical toward Çré Kåñëa. Rather, they
were simply joyful to have this opportunity to associate with their beloved.
23-paridhäya sva-väsäàsi
preñöha-saìgama-sajjitäù
gåhéta-cittä no celus
tasmin lajjäyitekñaëäù
The gopés were addicted to associating with their beloved Kåñëa, and thus
they became captivated by Him. Thus, even after putting their clothes on they
did not move. They simply remained where they were, shyly glancing at Him.
24-täsäà vijïäya bhagavän
sva-päda-sparça-kämyayä
dhåta-vratänäà saìkalpam
äha dämodaro ‘baläù
The Supreme Lord understood the determination of the gopés in executing
their strict vow. The Lord also knew that the girls desired to touch His lotus
feet, and thus Lord Dämodara, Kåñëa, spoke to them as follows.
25-saìkalpo viditaù sädhvyo
bhavaténäà mad-arcanam
mayänumoditaù so ‘sau
satyo bhavitum arhati
[Lord Kåñëa said:] O saintly girls, I understand that your real motive in this
austerity has been to worship Me. That intent of yours is approved of by Me,
and indeed it must come to pass.
26-na mayy äveçita-dhiyäà
kämaù kämäya kalpate
bharjitä kvathitä dhänäù
präyo béjäya neçate
The desire of those who fix their minds on Me does not lead to material
desire for sense gratification, just as barleycorns burned by the sun and then
cooked can no longer grow into new sprouts.
27-yätäbalä vrajaà siddhä
mayemä raàsyathä kñapäù
yad uddiçya vratam idaà
cerur äryärcanaà satéù
Go now, girls, and return to Vraja. Your desire is fulfilled, for in My
company you will enjoy the coming nights. After all, this was the purpose of
your vow to worship goddess Kätyäyané, O pure-hearted ones.
28-çré-çuka uväca
ity ädiñöä bhagavatä
labdha-kämäù kumärikäù
dhyäyantyas tat-padämbhojam
kåcchrän nirviviçur vrajam
Çukadeva Gosvämé said: Thus instructed by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the young girls, their desire now fulfilled, could bring themselves only
with great difficulty to return to the village of Vraja, meditating all the while
upon His lotus feet
29-atha gopaiù parivåto
bhagavän devaké-sutaù
våndävanäd gato düraà
cärayan gäù sahägrajaù
Some time later Lord Kåñëa, the son of Devaké, surrounded by His cowherd
friends and accompanied by His elder brother, Balaräma, went a good distance
away from Våndävana, herding the cows.
30-nidaghärkätape tigme
chäyäbhiù sväbhir ätmanaù
ätapaträyitän vékñya
drumän äha vrajaukasaù
Then the sun’s heat became intense, Lord Kåñëa saw that the trees were
acting as umbrellas by shading Him, and thus He spoke as follows to His
boyfriends.
he stoka-kåñëa he aàço
çrédäman subalärjuna
viçäla våñabhaujasvin
devaprastha varüthapa
paçyataitän mahä-bhägän
parärthaikänta-jévitän
väta-varñätapa-himän
sahanto värayanti naù
[Lord Kåñëa said:] O Stoka Kåñëa and Aàçu, O Çrédäma, Subala and
Arjuna, O Våñabha, Ojasvé, Devaprastha and Varüthapa, just see these greatly
fortunate trees, whose lives are completely dedicated to the benefit of others.
Even while tolerating the wind, rain, heat and snow, they protect us from these
elements.
33-aho eñäà varaà janma
sarva -präëy-upajévanam
su-janasyeva yeñäà vai
vimukhä yänti närthinaù
Just see how these trees are maintaining every living entity! Their birth is
successful. Their behavior is just like that of great personalities, for anyone who
asks anything from a tree never goes away disappointed.
34-patra-puñpa-phala-cchäyämüla-
valkala-därubhiù
gandha-niryäsa-bhasmästhitokmaiù
kämän vitanvate
These trees fulfill one’s desires with their leaves, flowers and fruits, their
shade, roots, bark and wood, and also with their fragrance, sap, ashes, pulp and
shoots.
35-etävaj janma-säphalyaà
dehinäm iha dehiñu
präëair arthair dhiyä väcä
çreya-äcaraëaà sadä
It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the
benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.
36-iti praväla-stabakaphala-
puñpa-dalotkaraiù
tarüëäà namra-çäkhänäà
madhyato yamunäà gataù
Thus moving among the trees, whose branches were bent low by their
abundance of twigs, fruits, flowers and leaves, Lord Kåñëa came to the Yamunä
River.
37-tatra gäù päyayitväpaù
su-måñöäù çétaläù çiväù
tato nåpa svayaà gopäù
kämaà svädu papur jalam
The cowherd boys let the cows drink the clear, cool and wholesome water of
the Yamunä. O King Parékñit, the cowherd boys themselves also drank that
sweet water to their full satisfaction.
38-tasyä upavane kämaà
cärayantaù paçün nåpa
kåñëa-rämäv upägamya
kñudh-ärtä idam abravan
Then, O King, the cowherd boys began herding the animals in a leisurely
way within a small forest along the Yamunä. But soon they became afflicted by
hunger and, approaching Kåñëa and Balaräma, spoke as follows.
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