Srimad Bhagavatam · Canto 10 · Chapter 18
श्रीशुक उवाच अथ कृष्ण: परिवृतो ज्ञातिभिर्मुदितात्मभि: । अनुगीयमानो न्यविशद्व्रजं गोकुलमण्डितम् ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca atha kṛṣṇaḥ parivṛto jñātibhir muditātmabhiḥ anugīyamāno nyaviśad vrajaṁ gokula-maṇḍitam
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Surrounded by His blissful companions, who constantly chanted His glories, Śrī Kṛṣṇa then entered the village of Vraja, which was decorated with herds of cows.
व्रजे विक्रीडतोरेवं गोपालच्छद्ममायया । ग्रीष्मो नामर्तुरभवन्नातिप्रेयाञ्छरीरिणाम् ॥ २ ॥
vraje vikrīḍator evaṁ gopāla-cchadma-māyayā grīṣmo nāmartur abhavan nāti-preyāñ charīriṇām
While Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were thus enjoying life in Vṛndāvana in the guise of ordinary cowherd boys, the summer season gradually appeared. This season is not very pleasing to embodied souls.
स च वृन्दावनगुणैर्वसन्त इव लक्षित: । यत्रास्ते भगवान् साक्षाद् रामेण सह केशव: ॥ ३ ॥
sa ca vṛndāvana-guṇair vasanta iva lakṣitaḥ yatrāste bhagavān sākṣād rāmeṇa saha keśavaḥ
Nevertheless, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead was personally staying in Vṛndāvana along with Balarāma, summer manifested the qualities of spring. Such are the features of the land of Vṛndāvana.
यत्र निर्झरनिर्ह्रादनिवृत्तस्वनझिल्लिकम् । शश्वत्तच्छीकरर्जीषद्रुममण्डलमण्डितम् ॥ ४ ॥
yatra nirjhara-nirhrāda- nivṛtta-svana-jhillikam śaśvat tac-chīkararjīṣa- druma-maṇḍala-maṇḍitam
In Vṛndāvana, the loud sound of waterfalls covered the crickets’ noise, and clusters of trees constantly moistened by spray from those waterfalls beautified the entire area.
सरित्सर:प्रस्रवणोर्मिवायुना कह्लारकुञ्जोत्पलरेणुहारिणा । न विद्यते यत्र वनौकसां दवो निदाघवह्न्यर्कभवोऽतिशाद्वले ॥ ५ ॥
sarit-saraḥ-prasravaṇormi-vāyunā kahlāra-kañjotpala-reṇu-hāriṇā na vidyate yatra vanaukasāṁ davo nidāgha-vahny-arka-bhavo ’ti-śādvale
The wind wafting over the waves of the lakes and flowing rivers carried away the pollen of many varieties of lotuses and water lilies and then cooled the entire Vṛndāvana area. Thus the residents there did not suffer from the heat generated by the blazing summer sun and seasonal forest fires. Indeed, Vṛndāvana was abundant with fresh green grass.
अगाधतोयह्रदिनीतटोर्मिभि- र्द्रवत्पुरीष्या: पुलिनै: समन्तत: । न यत्र चण्डांशुकरा विषोल्बणा भुवो रसं शाद्वलितं च गृह्णते ॥ ६ ॥
agādha-toya-hradinī-taṭormibhir dravat-purīṣyāḥ pulinaiḥ samantataḥ na yatra caṇḍāṁśu-karā viṣolbaṇā bhuvo rasaṁ śādvalitaṁ ca gṛhṇate
With their flowing waves the deep rivers drenched their banks, making them damp and muddy. Thus the rays of the sun, which were as fierce as poison, could not evaporate the earth’s sap or parch its green grass.
वनं कुसुमितं श्रीमन्नदच्चित्रमृगद्विजम् । गायन्मयूरभ्रमरं कूजत्कोकिलसारसम् ॥ ७ ॥
vanaṁ kusumitaṁ śrīman nadac-citra-mṛga-dvijam gāyan mayūra-bhramaraṁ kūjat-kokila-sārasam
Flowers beautifully decorated the forest of Vṛndāvana, and many varieties of animals and birds filled it with sound. The peacocks and bees sang, and the cuckoos and cranes cooed.
क्रीडिष्यमाणस्तन् कृष्णो भगवान् बलसंयुत: । वेणुं विरणयन् गोपैर्गोधनै: संवृतोऽविशत् ॥ ८ ॥
krīḍiṣyamāṇas tat krṣṇo bhagavān bala-saṁyutaḥ veṇuṁ viraṇayan gopair go-dhanaiḥ saṁvṛto ’viśat
Intending to engage in pastimes, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accompanied by Lord Balarāma and surrounded by the cowherd boys and the cows, entered the forest of Vṛndāvana as He played His flute.
प्रवालबर्हस्तबकस्रग्धातुकृतभूषणा: । रामकृष्णादयो गोपा ननृतुर्युयुधुर्जगु: ॥ ९ ॥
pravāla-barha-stabaka- srag-dhātu-kṛta-bhūṣaṇāḥ rāma-kṛṣṇādayo gopā nanṛtur yuyudhur jaguḥ
Decorating themselves with newly grown leaves, along with peacock feathers, garlands, clusters of flower buds, and colored minerals, Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa and Their cowherd friends danced, wrestled and sang.
कृष्णस्य नृत्यत: केचिज्जगु: केचिदवादयन् । वेणुपाणितलै: शृङ्गै: प्रशशंसुरथापरे ॥ १० ॥
kṛṣṇasya nṛtyataḥ kecij jaguḥ kecid avādayan veṇu-pāṇitalaiḥ śṛṅgaiḥ praśaśaṁsur athāpare
As Kṛṣṇa danced, some of the boys accompanied Him by singing, and others by playing flutes, hand cymbals and buffalo horns, while still others praised His dancing.
गोपजातिप्रतिच्छन्ना देवा गोपालरूपिणौ । ईडिरे कृष्णरामौ च नटा इव नटं नृप ॥ ११ ॥
gopa-jāti-praticchannā devā gopāla-rūpiṇau īḍire kṛṣṇa-rāmau ca naṭā iva naṭaṁ nṛpa
O King, demigods disguised themselves as members of the cowherd community and, just as dramatic dancers praise another dancer, worshiped Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, who were also appearing as cowherd boys.
भ्रमणैर्लङ्घनै: क्षेपैरास्फोटनविकर्षणै: । चिक्रीडतुर्नियुद्धेन काकपक्षधरौ क्वचित् ॥ १२ ॥
bhramaṇair laṅghanaiḥ kṣepair āsphoṭana-vikarṣaṇaiḥ cikrīḍatur niyuddhena kāka-pakṣa-dharau kvacit
Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma played with their cowherd boyfriends by whirling about, leaping, hurling, slapping and fighting. Sometimes Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would pull the hair on the boys’ heads.
क्वचिन्नृत्यत्सु चान्येषु गायकौ वादकौ स्वयम् । शशंसतुर्महाराज साधु साध्विति वादिनौ ॥ १३ ॥
kvacin nṛtyatsu cānyeṣu gāyakau vādakau svayam śaśaṁsatur mahā-rāja sādhu sādhv iti vādinau
While the other boys were dancing, O King, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would sometimes accompany them with song and instrumental music, and sometimes the two Lords would praise the boys, saying, “Very good! Very good!”
क्वचिद्बिल्वै: क्वचित्कुम्भै: क्वचामलकमुष्टिभि: । अस्पृश्यनेत्रबन्धाद्यै: क्वचिन्मृगखगेहया ॥ १४ ॥
kvacid bilvaiḥ kvacit kumbhaiḥ kvacāmalaka-muṣṭibhiḥ aspṛśya-netra-bandhādyaiḥ kvacin mṛga-khagehayā
Sometimes the cowherd boys would play with bilva or kumbha fruits, and sometimes with handfuls of āmalaka fruits. At other times they would play the games of trying to touch one another or of trying to identify somebody while one is blindfolded, and sometimes they would imitate animals and birds.
क्वचिच्च दर्दुरप्लावैर्विविधैरुपहासकै: । कदाचित् स्यन्दोलिकया कर्हिचिन्नृपचेष्टया ॥ १५ ॥
kvacic ca dardura-plāvair vividhair upahāsakaiḥ kadācit syandolikayā karhicin nṛpa-ceṣṭayā
They would sometimes jump around like frogs, sometimes play various jokes, sometimes ride in swings and sometimes imitate monarchs.
एवं तौ लोकसिद्धाभि: क्रीडाभिश्चेरतुर्वने । नद्यद्रिद्रोणिकुञ्जेषु काननेषु सर:सु च ॥ १६ ॥
evaṁ tau loka-siddhābhiḥ krīḍābhiś ceratur vane nady-adri-droṇi-kuñjeṣu kānaneṣu saraḥsu ca
In this way Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma played all sorts of well-known games as They wandered among the rivers, hills, valleys, bushes, trees and lakes of Vṛndāvana.
पशूंश्चारयतोर्गोपैस्तद्वने रामकृष्णयो: । गोपरूपी प्रलम्बोऽगादसुरस्तज्जिहीर्षया ॥ १७ ॥
paśūṁś cārayator gopais tad-vane rāma-kṛṣṇayoḥ gopa-rūpī pralambo ’gād asuras taj-jihīrṣayā
While Rāma, Kṛṣṇa and Their cowherd friends were thus tending the cows in that Vṛndāvana forest, the demon Pralamba entered their midst. He had assumed the form of a cowherd boy with the intention of kidnapping Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.
तं विद्वानपि दाशार्हो भगवान् सर्वदर्शन: । अन्वमोदत तत्सख्यं वधं तस्य विचिन्तयन् ॥ १८ ॥
taṁ vidvān api dāśārho bhagavān sarva-darśanaḥ anvamodata tat-sakhyaṁ vadhaṁ tasya vicintayan
Since the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, who had appeared in the Daśārha dynasty, sees everything, He understood who the demon was. Still, the Lord pretended to accept the demon as a friend, while at the same time seriously considering how to kill him.
तत्रोपाहूय गोपालान् कृष्ण: प्राह विहारवित् । हे गोपा विहरिष्यामो द्वन्द्वीभूय यथायथम् ॥ १९ ॥
tatropāhūya gopālān kṛṣṇaḥ prāha vihāra-vit he gopā vihariṣyāmo dvandvī-bhūya yathā-yatham
Kṛṣṇa, who knows all sports and games, then called together the cowherd boys and spoke as follows: “Hey cowherd boys! Let’s play now! We’ll divide ourselves into two even teams.”
तत्र चक्रु: परिवृढौ गोपा रामजनार्दनौ । कृष्णसङ्घट्टिन: केचिदासन् रामस्य चापरे ॥ २० ॥
tatra cakruḥ parivṛḍhau gopā rāma-janārdanau kṛṣṇa-saṅghaṭṭinaḥ kecid āsan rāmasya cāpare
The cowherd boys chose Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma as the leaders of the two parties. Some of the boys were on Kṛṣṇa’s side, and others joined Balarāma.
आचेरुर्विविधा: क्रीडा वाह्यवाहकलक्षणा: । यत्रारोहन्ति जेतारो वहन्ति च पराजिता: ॥ २१ ॥
ācerur vividhāḥ krīḍā vāhya-vāhaka-lakṣaṇāḥ yatrārohanti jetāro vahanti ca parājitāḥ
The boys played various games involving carriers and passengers. In these games the winners would climb up on the backs of the losers, who would have to carry them.
वहन्तो वाह्यमानाश्च चारयन्तश्च गोधनम् । भाण्डीरकं नाम वटं जग्मु: कृष्णपुरोगमा: ॥ २२ ॥
vahanto vāhyamānāś ca cārayantaś ca go-dhanam bhāṇḍīrakaṁ nāma vaṭaṁ jagmuḥ kṛṣṇa-purogamāḥ
Thus carrying and being carried by one another, and at the same time tending the cows, the boys followed Kṛṣṇa to a banyan tree known as Bhāṇḍīraka.
रामसङ्घट्टिनो यर्हि श्रीदामवृषभादय: । क्रीडायां जयिनस्तांस्तानूहु: कृष्णादयो नृप ॥ २३ ॥
rāma-saṅghaṭṭino yarhi śrīdāma-vṛṣabhādayaḥ krīḍāyāṁ jayinas tāṁs tān ūhuḥ kṛṣṇādayo nṛpa
My dear King Parīkṣit, when Śrīdāmā, Vṛṣabha and the other members of Lord Balarāma’s party were victorious in these games, Kṛṣṇa and His followers had to carry them.
उवाह कृष्णो भगवान् श्रीदामानं पराजित: । वृषभं भद्रसेनस्तु प्रलम्बो रोहिणीसुतम् ॥ २४ ॥
uvāha kṛṣṇo bhagavān śrīdāmānaṁ parājitaḥ vṛṣabhaṁ bhadrasenas tu pralambo rohiṇī-sutam
Defeated, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa carried Śrīdāmā. Bhadrasena carried Vṛṣabha, and Pralamba carried Balarāma, the son of Rohiṇī.
अविषह्यं मन्यमान: कृष्णं दानवपुङ्गव: । वहन् द्रुततरं प्रागादवरोहणत: परम् ॥ २५ ॥
aviṣahyaṁ manyamānaḥ kṛṣṇaṁ dānava-puṅgavaḥ vahan drutataraṁ prāgād avarohaṇataḥ param
Considering Lord Kṛṣṇa invincible, that foremost demon [Pralamba] quickly carried Balarāma far beyond the spot where he was supposed to put his passenger down.
तमुद्वहन् धरणिधरेन्द्रगौरवं महासुरो विगतरयो निजं वपु: । स आस्थित: पुरटपरिच्छदो बभौ तडिद्द्युमानुडुपतिवाडिवाम्बुद: ॥ २६ ॥
tam udvahan dharaṇi-dharendra-gauravaṁ mahāsuro vigata-rayo nijaṁ vapuḥ sa āsthitaḥ puraṭa-paricchado babhau taḍid-dyumān uḍupati-vāḍ ivāmbudaḥ
As the great demon carried Balarāma, the Lord became as heavy as massive Mount Sumeru, and Pralamba had to slow down. He then resumed his actual form — an effulgent body that was covered with golden ornaments and that resembled a cloud flashing with lightning and carrying the moon.
निरीक्ष्य तद्वपुरलमम्बरे चरत् प्रदीप्तदृग् भ्रुकुटितटोग्रदंष्ट्रकम् । ज्वलच्छिखं कटककिरीटकुण्डल- त्विषाद्भुतं हलधर ईषदत्रसत् ॥ २७ ॥
nirīkṣya tad-vapur alam ambare carat pradīpta-dṛg bhru-kuṭi-taṭogra-daṁṣṭrakam jvalac-chikhaṁ kaṭaka-kirīṭa-kuṇḍala- tviṣādbhutaṁ haladhara īṣad atrasat
When Lord Balarāma, who carries the plow weapon, saw the gigantic body of the demon as he moved swiftly in the sky — with his blazing eyes, fiery hair, terrible teeth reaching toward his scowling brows, and an amazing effulgence generated by his armlets, crown and earrings — the Lord seemed to become a little frightened.
अथागतस्मृतिरभयो रिपुं बलो विहायसार्थमिव हरन्तमात्मन: । रुषाहनच्छिरसि दृढेन मुष्टिना सुराधिपो गिरिमिव वज्ररंहसा ॥ २८ ॥
athāgata-smṛtir abhayo ripuṁ balo vihāya sārtham iva harantam ātmanaḥ ruṣāhanac chirasi dṛḍhena muṣṭinā surādhipo girim iva vajra-raṁhasā
Remembering the actual situation, the fearless Balarāma understood that the demon was tṛying to kidnap Him and take Him away from His companions. The Lord then became furious and struck the demon’s head with His hard fist, just as Indra, the king of the demigods, strikes a mountain with his thunderbolt weapon.
स आहत: सपदि विशीर्णमस्तको मुखाद् वमन् रुधिरमपस्मृतोऽसुर: । महारवं व्यसुरपतत् समीरयन् गिरिर्यथा मघवत आयुधाहत: ॥ २९ ॥
sa āhataḥ sapadi viśīrṇa-mastako mukhād vaman rudhiram apasmṛto ’suraḥ mahā-ravaṁ vyasur apatat samīrayan girir yathā maghavata āyudhāhataḥ
Thus smashed by Balarāma’s fist, Pralamba’s head immediately cracked open. The demon vomited blood from his mouth and lost all consciousness, and then with a great noise he fell lifeless on the ground, like a mountain devastated by Indra.
दृष्ट्वा प्रलम्बं निहतं बलेन बलशालिना । गोपा: सुविस्मिता आसन्साधु साध्विति वादिन: ॥ ३० ॥
dṛṣṭvā pralambaṁ nihataṁ balena bala-śālinā gopāḥ su-vismitā āsan sādhu sādhv iti vādinaḥ
The cowherd boys were most astonished to see how the powerful Balarāma had killed the demon Pralamba, and they exclaimed, “Excellent! Excellent!”
आशिषोऽभिगृणन्तस्तं प्रशशंसुस्तदर्हणम् । प्रेत्यागतमिवालिङ्ग्य प्रेमविह्वलचेतस: ॥ ३१ ॥
āśiṣo ’bhigṛṇantas taṁ praśaśaṁsus tad-arhaṇam pretyāgatam ivāliṅgya prema-vihvala-cetasaḥ
They offered Balarāma profuse benedictions and then glorified Him, who deserves all glorification. Their minds overwhelmed with ecstatic love, they embraced Him as if He had come back from the dead.
पापे प्रलम्बे निहते देवा: परमनिर्वृता: । अभ्यवर्षन् बलं माल्यै: शशंसु: साधु साध्विति ॥ ३२ ॥
pāpe pralambe nihate devāḥ parama-nirvṛtāḥ abhyavarṣan balaṁ mālyaiḥ śaśaṁsuḥ sādhu sādhv iti
The sinful Pralamba having been killed, the demigods felt extremely happy, and they showered flower garlands upon Lord Balarāma and praised the excellence of His deed.
