Adhyaya 25

Verse 1

श्रीशुक उवाच इन्द्रस्तदात्मन: पूजां विज्ञाय विहतां नृप । गोपेभ्य: कृष्णनाथेभ्यो नन्दादिभ्यश्चुकोप ह ॥ १ ॥

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King Parīkṣit, when Indra understood that his sacrifice had been put aside, he became furious with Nanda Mahārāja and the other cowherd men, who were accepting Kṛṣṇa as their Lord.

Verse 2

गणं सांवर्तकं नाम मेघानां चान्तकारीणाम् । इन्द्र: प्रचोदयत् क्रुद्धो वाक्यं चाहेशमान्युत ॥ २ ॥

Angry Indra sent forth the clouds of universal destruction, known as Sāṁvartaka. Imagining himself the supreme controller, he spoke as follows.

Verse 3

अहो श्रीमदमाहात्म्यं गोपानां काननौकसाम् । कृष्णं मर्त्यमुपाश्रित्य ये चक्रुर्देवहेलनम् ॥ ३ ॥

[Indra said:] Just see how these cowherd men living in the forest have become so greatly intoxicated by their prosperity! They have surrendered to an ordinary human being, Kṛṣṇa, and thus they have offended the gods.

Verse 4

यथाद‍ृढै: कर्ममयै: क्रतुभिर्नामनौनिभै: । विद्यामान्वीक्षिकीं हित्वा तितीर्षन्ति भवार्णवम् ॥ ४ ॥

Their taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa is just like the foolish attempt of men who abandon transcendental knowledge of the self and instead try to cross over the great ocean of material existence in the false boats of fruitive, ritual sacrifices.

Verse 5

वाचालं बालिशं स्तब्धमज्ञं पण्डितमानिनम् । कृष्णं मर्त्यमुपाश्रित्य गोपा मे चक्रुरप्रियम् ॥ ५ ॥

These cowherd men have acted inimically toward me by taking shelter of this ordinary human being, Kṛṣṇa, who thinks Himself very wise but who is simply a foolish, arrogant, overtalkative child.

Verse 6

एषां श्रियावलिप्तानां कृष्णेनाध्मापितात्मनाम् । धुनुत श्रीमदस्तम्भं पशून् नयत सङ्‌क्षयम् ॥ ६ ॥

[To the clouds of destruction King Indra said:] The prosperity of these people has made them mad with pride, and their arrogance is backed up by Kṛṣṇa. Now go and remove their pride and bring their animals to destruction.

Verse 7

अहं चैरावतं नागमारुह्यानुव्रजे व्रजम् । मरुद्गणैर्महावेगैर्नन्दगोष्ठजिघांसया ॥ ७ ॥

I will follow you to Vraja, riding on my elephant Airāvata and taking with me the swift and powerful wind-gods to decimate the cowherd village of Nanda Mahārāja.

Verse 8

श्रीशुक उवाच इत्थं मघवताज्ञप्ता मेघा निर्मुक्तबन्धना: । नन्दगोकुलमासारै: पीडयामासुरोजसा ॥ ८ ॥

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: On Indra’s order the clouds of universal destruction, released untimely from their bonds, went to the cowherd pastures of Nanda Mahārāja. There they began to torment the inhabitants by powerfully pouring down torrents of rain upon them.

Verse 9

विद्योतमाना विद्युद्भ‍ि: स्तनन्त: स्तनयित्नुभि: । तीव्रैर्मरुद्गणैर्नुन्ना ववृषुर्जलशर्करा: ॥ ९ ॥

Propelled by the fearsome wind-gods, the clouds blazed with lightning bolts and roared with thunder as they hurled down hailstones.

Verse 10

स्थूणास्थूला वर्षधारा मुञ्चत्स्वभ्रेष्वभीक्ष्णश: । जलौघै: प्लाव्यमाना भूर्नाद‍ृश्यत नतोन्नतम् ॥ १० ॥

As the clouds released torrents of rain as thick as massive columns, the earth was submerged in the flood, and high ground could no longer be distinguished from low.

Verse 11

अत्यासारातिवातेन पशवो जातवेपना: । गोपा गोप्यश्च शीतार्ता गोविन्दं शरणं ययु: ॥ ११ ॥

The cows and other animals, shivering from the excessive rain and wind, and the cowherd men and ladies, pained by the cold, all approached Lord Govinda for shelter.

Verse 12

शिर: सुतांश्च कायेन प्रच्छाद्यासारपीडिता: । वेपमाना भगवत: पादमूलमुपाययु: ॥ १२ ॥

Trembling from the distress brought about by the severe rainfall, and trying to cover their heads and calves with their own bodies, the cows approached the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Verse 13

कृष्ण कृष्ण महाभाग त्वन्नाथं गोकुलं प्रभो । त्रातुमर्हसि देवान्न: कुपिताद् भक्तवत्सल ॥ १३ ॥

[The cowherd men and women addressed the Lord:] Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, O most fortunate one, please deliver the cows from the wrath of Indra! O Lord, You are so affectionate to Your devotees. Please save us also.

Verse 14

शिलावर्षातिवातेन हन्यमानमचेतनम् । निरीक्ष्य भगवान् मेने कुपितेन्द्रकृतं हरि: ॥ १४ ॥

Seeing the inhabitants of His Gokula rendered practically unconscious by the onslaught of hail and blasting wind, the Supreme Lord Hari understood that this was the work of angry Indra.

Verse 15

अपर्त्वत्युल्बणं वर्षमतिवातं शिलामयम् । स्वयागे विहतेऽस्माभिरिन्द्रो नाशाय वर्षति ॥ १५ ॥

[Śrī Kṛṣṇa said to Himself:] Because We have stopped his sacrifice, Indra has caused this unusually fierce, unseasonable rain, together with terrible winds and hail.

Verse 16

तत्र प्रतिविधिं सम्यगात्मयोगेन साधये । लोकेशमानिनां मौढ्याद्धनिष्ये श्रीमदं तम: ॥ १६ ॥

By My mystic power I will completely counteract this disturbance caused by Indra. Demigods like Indra are proud of their opulence, and out of foolishness they falsely consider themselves the Lord of the universe. I will now destroy such ignorance.

Verse 17

न हि सद्भ‍ावयुक्तानां सुराणामीशविस्मय: । मत्तोऽसतां मानभङ्ग: प्रशमायोपकल्पते ॥ १७ ॥

Since the demigods are endowed with the mode of goodness, the false pride of considering oneself the Lord should certainly not affect them. When I break the false prestige of those bereft of goodness, My purpose is to bring them relief.

Verse 18

तस्मान्मच्छरणं गोष्ठं मन्नाथं मत्परिग्रहम् । गोपाये स्वात्मयोगेन सोऽयं मे व्रत आहित: ॥ १८ ॥

I must therefore protect the cowherd community by My transcendental potency, for I am their shelter, I am their master, and indeed they are My own family. After all, I have taken a vow to protect My devotees.

Verse 19

इत्युक्त्वैकेन हस्तेन कृत्वा गोवर्धनाचलम् । दधार लीलया विष्णुश्छत्राकमिव बालक: ॥ १९ ॥

Having said this, Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is Viṣṇu Himself, picked up Govardhana Hill with one hand and held it aloft just as easily as a child holds up a mushroom.

Verse 20

अथाह भगवान् गोपान्हेऽम्ब तात व्रजौकस: । यथोपजोषं विशत गिरिगर्तं सगोधना: ॥ २० ॥

The Lord then addressed the cowherd community: O Mother, O Father, O residents of Vraja, if you wish you may now come under this hill with your cows.

Verse 21

न त्रास इह व: कार्यो मद्धस्ताद्रिनिपातनात् । वातवर्षभयेनालं तत्‍त्राणं विहितं हि व: ॥ २१ ॥

You should have no fear that this mountain will fall from My hand. And don’t be afraid of the wind and rain, for your deliverance from these afflictions has already been arranged.

Verse 22

तथा निर्विविशुर्गर्तं कृष्णाश्वासितमानस: । यथावकाशं सधना: सव्रजा: सोपजीविन: ॥ २२ ॥

Their minds thus pacified by Lord Kṛṣṇa, they all entered beneath the hill, where they found ample room for themselves and all their cows, wagons, servants and priests, and for all other members of the community as well.

Verse 23

क्षुत्तृड्‍‌‌‌व्यथां सुखापेक्षां हित्वा तैर्व्रजवासिभि: । वीक्ष्यमाणो दधाराद्रिं सप्ताहं नाचलत् पदात् ॥ २३ ॥

Lord Kṛṣṇa, forgetting hunger and thirst and putting aside all considerations of personal pleasure, stood there holding up the hill for seven days as the people of Vraja gazed upon Him.

Verse 24

कृष्णयोगानुभावं तं निशम्येन्द्रोऽतिविस्मित: । निस्तम्भो भ्रष्टसङ्कल्प: स्वान्मेघान् सन्न्यवारयत् ॥ २४ ॥

When Indra observed this exhibition of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mystic power, he became most astonished. Pulled down from his platform of false pride, and his intentions thwarted, he ordered his clouds to desist.

Verse 25

खं व्यभ्रमुदितादित्यं वातवर्षं च दारुणम् । निशम्योपरतं गोपान् गोवर्धनधरोऽब्रवीत् ॥ २५ ॥

Seeing that the fierce wind and rain had now ceased, the sky had become clear of rainclouds, and the sun had risen, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the lifter of Govardhana Hill, spoke to the cowherd community as follows.

Verse 26

निर्यात त्यजत त्रासं गोपा: सस्त्रीधनार्भका: । उपारतं वातवर्षं व्युदप्रायाश्च निम्नगा: ॥ २६ ॥

[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] My dear cowherd men, please go out with your wives, children and possessions. Give up your fear. The wind and rain have stopped, and the rivers’ high waters have subsided.

Verse 27

ततस्ते निर्ययुर्गोपा: स्वं स्वमादाय गोधनम् । शकटोढोपकरणं स्त्रीबालस्थविरा: शनै: ॥ २७ ॥

After collecting their respective cows and loading their paraphernalia into their wagons, the cowherd men went out. The women, children and elderly persons gradually followed them.

Verse 28

भगवानपि तं शैलं स्वस्थाने पूर्ववत् प्रभु: । पश्यतां सर्वभूतानां स्थापयामास लीलया ॥ २८ ॥

While all living creatures looked on, the Supreme Personality of Godhead put down the hill in its original place, just as it had stood before.

Verse 29

तं प्रेमवेगान्निर्भृता व्रजौकसोयथा समीयु: परिरम्भणादिभि: । गोप्यश्च सस्‍नेहमपूजयन् मुदादध्यक्षताद्भ‍िर्युयुजु: सदाशिष: ॥ २९ ॥

All the residents of Vṛndāvana were overwhelmed with ecstatic love, and they came forward and greeted Śrī Kṛṣṇa according to their individual relationships with Him — some embracing Him, others bowing down to Him, and so forth. The cowherd women presented water mixed with yogurt and unbroken barleycorns as a token of honor, and they showered auspicious benedictions upon Him.

Verse 30

यशोदा रोहिणी नन्दो रामश्च बलिनां वर: । कृष्णमालिङ्‌‌ग्य युयुजुराशिष: स्‍नेहकातरा: ॥ ३० ॥

Mother Yaśodā, mother Rohiṇī, Nanda Mahārāja and Balarāma, the greatest of the strong, all embraced Kṛṣṇa. Overwhelmed with affection, they offered Him their blessings.

Verse 31

दिवि देवगणा: सिद्धा: साध्या गन्धर्वचारणा: । तुष्टुवुर्मुमुचुस्तुष्टा: पुष्पवर्षाणि पार्थिव ॥ ३१ ॥

In the heavens, O King, all the demigods, including the Siddhas, Sādhyas, Gandharvas and Cāraṇas, sang the praises of Lord Kṛṣṇa and showered down flowers in great satisfaction.

Verse 32

शङ्खदुन्दुभयो नेदुर्दिवि देवप्रचोदिता: । जगुर्गन्धर्वपतयस्तुम्बुरुप्रमुखा नृप ॥ ३२ ॥

My dear Parīkṣit, the demigods in heaven resoundingly played their conchshells and kettledrums, and the best of the Gandharvas, led by Tumburu, began to sing.

Verse 33

ततोऽनुरक्तै: पशुपै: परिश्रितोराजन् स्वगोष्ठं सबलोऽव्रजद्धरि: । तथाविधान्यस्य कृतानि गोपिकागायन्त्य ईयुर्मुदिता हृदिस्पृश: ॥ ३३ ॥

Surrounded by His loving cowherd boyfriends and Lord Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa then went off to the place where He had been tending His cows. The cowherd girls returned to their homes, singing joyfully about the lifting of Govardhana Hill and other glorious deeds performed by Lord Kṛṣṇa, who had so deeply touched their hearts.