Srimad Bhagavatam · Canto 10 · Chapter 65
श्रीशुक उवाच बलभद्र: कुरुश्रेष्ठ भगवान् रथमास्थित: । सुहृद्दिदृक्षुरुत्कण्ठ: प्रययौ नन्दगोकुलम् ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca balabhadraḥ kuru-śreṣṭha bhagavān ratham āsthitaḥ suhṛd-didṛkṣur utkaṇṭhaḥ prayayau nanda-gokulam
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O best of the Kurus, once Lord Balarāma, eager to visit His well-wishing friends, mounted His chariot and traveled to Nanda Gokula.
परिष्वक्तश्चिरोत्कण्ठैर्गोपैर्गोपीभिरेव च । रामोऽभिवाद्य पितरावाशीर्भिरभिनन्दित: ॥ २ ॥
pariṣvaktaś cirotkaṇṭhair gopair gopībhir eva ca rāmo ’bhivādya pitarāv āśīrbhir abhinanditaḥ
Having long suffered the anxiety of separation, the cowherd men and their wives embraced Lord Balarāma. The Lord then offered respects to His parents, and they joyfully greeted Him with prayers.
चिरं न: पाहि दाशार्ह सानुजो जगदीश्वर: । इत्यारोप्याङ्कमालिङ्ग्य नेत्रै: सिषिचतुर्जलै: ॥ ३ ॥
ciraṁ naḥ pāhi dāśārha sānujo jagad-īśvaraḥ ity āropyāṅkam āliṅgya netraiḥ siṣicatur jalaiḥ
[Nanda and Yaśodā prayed,] “O descendant of Daśārha, O Lord of the universe, may You and Your younger brother Kṛṣṇa ever protect us.” Saying this, they raised Śrī Balarāma onto their laps, embraced Him and moistened Him with tears from their eyes.
गोपवृद्धांश्च विधिवद् यविष्ठैरभिवन्दित: । यथावयो यथासख्यं यथासम्बन्धमात्मन: ॥ ४ ॥ समुपेत्याथ गोपालान् हास्यहस्तग्रहादिभि: । विश्रान्तं सुखमासीनं पप्रच्छु: पर्युपागता: ॥ ५ ॥ पृष्टाश्चानामयं स्वेषु प्रेमगद्गदया गिरा । कृष्णे कमलपत्राक्षे सन्न्यस्ताखिलराधस: ॥ ६ ॥
gopa-vṛddhāṁś ca vidhi-vad yaviṣṭhair abhivanditaḥ yathā-vayo yathā-sakhyaṁ yathā-sambandham ātmanaḥ samupetyātha gopālān hāsya-hasta-grahādibhiḥ viśrāntam sukham āsīnaṁ papracchuḥ paryupāgatāḥ pṛṣṭāś cānāmayaṁ sveṣu prema-gadgadayā girā kṛṣṇe kamala-patrākṣe sannyastākhila-rādhasaḥ
Lord Balarāma then paid proper respects to the elder cowherd men, and the younger ones all greeted Him respectfully. He met them all with smiles, handshakes and so on, dealing personally with each one according to age, degree of friendship, and family relationship. Then, after resting, the Lord accepted a comfortable seat, and they all gathered around Him. With voices faltering out of love for Him, those cowherds, who had dedicated everything to lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, asked about the health of their dear ones [in Dvārakā], and Balarāma in turn asked about the cowherds’ welfare.
कच्चिन्नो बान्धवा राम सर्वे कुशलमासते । कच्चित् स्मरथ नो राम यूयं दारसुतान्विता: ॥ ७ ॥
kaccin no bāndhavā rāma sarve kuśalam āsate kaccit smaratha no rāma yūyaṁ dāra-sutānvitāḥ
[The cowherds said:] O Rāma, are all our relatives doing well? And Rāma, do all of you, with your wives and children, still remember us?
दिष्ट्या कंसो हत: पापो दिष्ट्या मुक्ता: सुहृज्जना: । निहत्य निर्जित्य रिपून् दिष्ट्या दुर्गं समाश्रिता: ॥ ८ ॥
diṣṭyā kaṁso hataḥ pāpo diṣṭyā muktāḥ suhṛj-janāḥ nihatya nirjitya ripūn diṣṭyā durgaṁ samāśrītāḥ
It is our great fortune that sinful Kaṁsa has been killed and our dear relatives have been freed. And it is also our good fortune that our relatives have killed and defeated their enemies and found complete security in a great fortress.
गोप्यो हसन्त्य: पप्रच्छू रामसन्दर्शनादृता: । कच्चिदास्ते सुखं कृष्ण: पुरस्त्रीजनवल्लभ: ॥ ९ ॥
gopyo hasantyaḥ papracchū rāma-sandarśanādṛtāḥ kaccid āste sukhaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ pura-strī-jana-vallabhaḥ
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Honored to have the personal audience of Lord Balarāma, the young gopīs smiled and asked Him, “Is Kṛṣṇa, the darling of the city women, living happily?
कच्चित् स्मरति वा बन्धून् पितरं मातरं च स: । अप्यसौ मातरं द्रष्टुं सकृदप्यागमिष्यति । अपि वा स्मरतेऽस्माकमनुसेवां महाभुज: ॥ १० ॥
kaccit smarati vā bandhūn pitaraṁ mātaraṁ ca saḥ apy asau mātaraṁ draṣṭuṁ sakṛd apy āgamiṣyati api vā smarate ’smākam anusevāṁ mahā-bhujaḥ
“Does He remember His family members, especially His father and mother? Do you think He will ever come back even once to see His mother? And does mighty-armed Kṛṣṇa remember the service we always did for Him?
मातरं पितरं भ्रातृन् पतीन् पुत्रान् स्वसृनपि । यदर्थे जहिम दाशार्ह दुस्त्यजान् स्वजनान् प्रभो ॥ ११ ॥ ता न: सद्य: परित्यज्य गत: सञ्छिन्नसौहृद: । कथं नु तादृशं स्त्रीभिर्न श्रद्धीयेत भाषितम् ॥ १२ ॥
mātaraṁ pitaraṁ bhrātṝn patīn putrān svasṝn api yad-arthe jahima dāśārha dustyajān sva-janān prabho tā naḥ sadyaḥ parityajya gataḥ sañchinna-sauhṛdaḥ kathaṁ nu tādṛśaṁ strībhir na śraddhīyeta bhāṣitam
“For Kṛṣṇa’s sake, O descendant of Dāśārha, we abandoned our mothers, fathers, brothers, husbands, children and sisters, even though these family relations are difficult to give up. But now, O Lord, that same Kṛṣṇa has suddenly abandoned us and gone away, breaking off all affectionate ties with us. And yet how could any woman fail to trust His promises?
कथं नु गृह्णन्त्यनवस्थितात्मनो वच: कृतघ्नस्य बुधा: पुरस्त्रिय: । गृह्णन्ति वै चित्रकथस्य सुन्दर- स्मितावलोकोच्छ्वसितस्मरातुरा: ॥ १३ ॥
kathaṁ nu gṛhṇanty anavasthitātmano vacaḥ kṛta-ghnasya budhāḥ pura-striyaḥ gṛhṇanti vai citra-kathasya sundara- smitāvalokocchvasita-smarāturāḥ
“How can intelligent city women possibly trust the words of one whose heart is so unsteady and who is so ungrateful? They must believe Him because He speaks so wonderfully, and also because His beautiful smiling glances arouse their lust.
किं नस्तत्कथया गोप्य: कथा: कथयतापरा: । यात्यस्माभिर्विना कालो यदि तस्य तथैव न: ॥ १४ ॥
kiṁ nas tat-kathayā gopyaḥ kathāḥ kathayatāparāḥ yāty asmābhir vinā kālo yadi tasya tathaiva naḥ
“Why bother talking about Him, dear gopī? Please talk of something else. If He passes His time without us, then we shall similarly pass ours [without Him].”
इति प्रहसितं शौरेर्जल्पितं चारु वीक्षितम् । गतिं प्रेमपरिष्वङ्गं स्मरन्त्यो रुरुदु: स्त्रिय: ॥ १५ ॥
iti prahasitaṁ śaurer jalpitaṁ cāru-vīkṣitam gatiṁ prema-pariṣvaṅgaṁ smarantyo ruruduḥ striyaḥ
While speaking these words, the young cowherd women remembered Lord Śauri’s laughter, His pleasing conversations with them, His attractive glances, His style of walking and His loving embraces. Thus they began to cry.
सङ्कर्षणस्ता: कृष्णस्य सन्देशैर्हृदयंगमै: । सान्त्वयामास भगवान् नानानुनयकोविद: ॥ १६ ॥
saṅkarṣaṇas tāḥ kṛṣṇasya sandeśair hṛdayaṁ-gamaiḥ sāntvayām āsa bhagavān nānānunaya-kovidaḥ
The Supreme Lord Balarāma, the attractor of all, being expert at various kinds of conciliation, consoled the gopīs by relaying to them the confidential messages Lord Kṛṣṇa had sent with Him. These messages deeply touched the gopīs’ hearts.
द्वौ मासौ तत्र चावात्सीन्मधुं माधवमेव च । राम: क्षपासु भगवान् गोपीनां रतिमावहन् ॥ १७ ॥
dvau māsau tatra cāvātsīn madhuṁ mādhavaṁ eva ca rāmaḥ kṣapāsu bhagavān gopīnāṁ ratim āvahan
Lord Balarāma, the Personality of Godhead, resided there for the two months of Madhu and Mādhava, and during the nights He gave His cowherd girlfriends conjugal pleasure.
पूर्णचन्द्रकलामृष्टे कौमुदीगन्धवायुना । यमुनोपवने रेमे सेविते स्त्रीगणैर्वृत: ॥ १८ ॥
pūrṇa-candra-kalā-mṛṣṭe kaumudī-gandha-vāyunā yamunopavane reme sevite strī-gaṇair vṛtaḥ
In the company of numerous women, Lord Balarāma enjoyed in a garden by the Yamunā River. This garden was bathed in the rays of the full moon and caressed by breezes bearing the fragrance of night-blooming lotuses.
वरुणप्रेषिता देवी वारुणी वृक्षकोटरात् । पतन्ती तद् वनं सर्वं स्वगन्धेनाध्यवासयत् ॥ १९ ॥
varuṇa-preṣitā devī vāruṇī vṛkṣa-koṭarāt patantī tad vanaṁ sarvaṁ sva-gandhenādhyavāsayat
Sent by the demigod Varuṇa, the divine vāruṇī liquor flowed from a tree hollow and made the entire forest even more fragrant with its sweet aroma.
तं गन्धं मधुधाराया वायुनोपहृतं बल: । आघ्रायोपगतस्तत्र ललनाभि: समं पपौ ॥ २० ॥
taṁ gandhaṁ madhu-dhārāyā vāyunopahṛtaṁ balaḥ āghrāyopagatas tatra lalanābhiḥ samaṁ papau
The wind carried to Balarāma the fragrance of that flood of sweet liquor, and when He smelled it He went [to the tree]. There He and His female companions drank.
उपगीयमानो गन्धर्वैर्वनिताशोभिमण्डले । रेमे करेणुयूथेशो माहेन्द्र इव वारण: ॥ २१ ॥
upagīyamāno gandharvair vanitā-śobhi-maṇḍale reme kareṇu-yūtheśo māhendra iva vāraṇaḥ
As the Gandharvas sang His glories, Lord Balarāma enjoyed within the brilliant circle of young women. He appeared just like Indra’s elephant, the lordly Airāvata, enjoying in the company of she-elephants.
नेदुर्दुन्दुभयो व्योम्नि ववृषु: कुसुमैर्मुदा । गन्धर्वा मुनयो रामं तद्वीर्यैरीडिरे तदा ॥ २२ ॥
nedur dundubhayo vyomni vavṛṣuḥ kusumair mudā gandharvā munayo rāmaṁ tad-vīryair īḍire tadā
At that time kettledrums resounded in the sky, the Gandharvas joyfully rained down flowers, and the great sages praised Lord Balarāma’s heroic deeds.
उपगीयमानचरितो वनिताभिर्हलायुध: । वनेषु व्यचरत् क्षीवो मदविह्वललोचन: ॥ २३ ॥
upagīyamāna-carito vanitābhir halāyudha vaneṣu vyacarat kṣīvo mada-vihvala-locanaḥ
As His deeds were sung, Lord Halāyudha wandered as if inebriated among the various forests with His girlfriends. His eyes rolled from the effects of the liquor.
स्रग्व्येककुण्डलो मत्तो वैजयन्त्या च मालया । बिभ्रत् स्मितमुखाम्भोजं स्वेदप्रालेयभूषितम् । स आजुहाव यमुनां जलक्रीडार्थमीश्वर: ॥ २४ ॥ निजं वाक्यमनादृत्य मत्त इत्यापगां बल: । अनागतां हलाग्रेण कुपितो विचकर्ष ह ॥ २५ ॥
sragvy eka-kuṇḍalo matto vaijayantyā ca mālayā bibhrat smita-mukhāmbhojaṁ sveda-prāleya-bhūṣitam sa ājuhāva yamunāṁ jala-krīḍārtham īśvaraḥ nijaṁ vākyam anādṛtya matta ity āpagāṁ balaḥ anāgatāṁ halāgreṇa kupito vicakarṣa ha
Intoxicated with joy, Lord Balarāma sported flower garlands, including the famous Vaijayantī. He wore a single earring, and beads of perspiration decorated His smiling lotus face like snowflakes. The Lord then summoned the Yamunā River so that He could play in her waters, but she disregarded His command, thinking He was drunk. This angered Balarāma, and He began dragging the river with the tip of His plow.
पापे त्वं मामवज्ञाय यन्नायासि मयाहुता । नेष्ये त्वां लाङ्गलाग्रेण शतधा कामचारिणीम् ॥ २६ ॥
pāpe tvaṁ mām avajñāya yan nāyāsi mayāhutā neṣye tvāṁ lāṅgalāgreṇa śatadhā kāma-cāriṇīm
[Lord Balarāma said:] O sinful one disrespecting Me, you do not come when I call you but rather move only by your own whim. Therefore with the tip of My plow I shall bring you here in a hundred streams!
एवं निर्भर्त्सिता भीता यमुना यदुनन्दनम् । उवाच चकिता वाचं पतिता पादयोर्नृप ॥ २७ ॥
evaṁ nirbhartsitā bhītā yamunā yadu-nandanam uvāca cakitā vācaṁ patitā pādayor nṛpa
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Thus scolded by the Lord, O King, the frightened river-goddess Yamunā came and fell at the feet of Śrī Balarāma, the beloved descendant of Yadu. Trembling, she spoke to Him the following words.
राम राम महाबाहो न जाने तव विक्रमम् । यस्यैकांशेन विधृता जगती जगत: पते ॥ २८ ॥
rāma rāma mahā-bāho na jāne tava vikramam yasyaikāṁśena vidhṛtā jagatī jagataḥ pate
[Goddess Yamunā said:] Rāma, Rāma, O mighty-armed one! I know nothing of Your prowess. With a single portion of Yourself You hold up the earth, O Lord of the universe.
परं भावं भगवतो भगवन् मामजानतीम् । मोक्तुमर्हसि विश्वात्मन् प्रपन्नां भक्तवत्सल ॥ २९ ॥
paraṁ bhāvaṁ bhagavato bhagavan mām ajānatīm moktum arhasi viśvātman prapannāṁ bhakta-vatsala
My Lord, please release me. O soul of the universe, I didn’t understand Your position as the Supreme Godhead, but now I have surrendered unto You, and You are always kind to Your devotees.
ततो व्यमुञ्चद् यमुनां याचितो भगवान् बल: । विजगाह जलं स्त्रीभि: करेणुभिरिवेभराट् ॥ ३० ॥
tato vyamuñcad yamunāṁ yācito bhagavān balaḥ vijagāha jalaṁ strībhiḥ kareṇubhir ivebha-rāṭ
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Thereupon Lord Balarāma released the Yamunā and, like the king of the elephants with his entourage of she-elephants, entered the river’s water with His female companions.
कामं विहृत्य सलिलादुत्तीर्णायासीताम्बरे । भूषणानि महार्हाणि ददौ कान्ति: शुभां स्रजम् ॥ ३१ ॥
kāmaṁ vihṛtya salilād uttīrṇāyāsītāmbare bhūṣaṇāni mahārhāṇi dadau kāntiḥ śubhāṁ srajam
The Lord played in the water to His full satisfaction, and when He came out Goddess Kānti presented Him with blue garments, precious ornaments and a brilliant necklace.
वसित्वा वाससी नीले मालामामुच्य काञ्चनीम् । रेये स्वलङ्कृतो लिप्तो माहेन्द्र इव वारण: ॥ ३२ ॥
vasitvā vāsasī nīle mālāṁ āmucya kāñcanīm reye sv-alaṅkṛto lipto māhendra iva vāraṇaḥ
Lord Balarāma dressed Himself in the blue garments and put on the gold necklace. Anointed with fragrances and beautifully adorned, He appeared as resplendent as Indra’s royal elephant.
अद्यापि दृश्यते राजन् यमुनाकृष्टवर्त्मना । बलस्यानन्तवीर्यस्य वीर्यं सूचयतीव हि ॥ ३३ ॥
adyāpi dṛśyate rājan yamunākṛṣṭa-vartmanā balasyānanta-vīryasya vīryaṁ sūcayatīva hi
Even today, O King, one can see how the Yamunā flows through the many channels created when it was dragged by the unlimitedly powerful Lord Balarāma. Thus she demonstrates His prowess.
एवं सर्वा निशा याता एकेव रमतो व्रजे । रामस्याक्षिप्तचित्तस्य माधुर्यैर्व्रजयोषिताम् ॥ ३४ ॥
evaṁ sarvā niśā yātā ekeva ramato vraje rāmasyākṣipta-cittasya mādhuryair vraja-yoṣitām
Thus for Lord Balarāma all the nights passed like a single night as He enjoyed in Vraja, His mind enchanted by the exquisite charm and beauty of Vraja’s young ladies.
