Adhyaya 18

Verse 1

श्रीशुक उवाच अथ कृष्ण: परिवृतो ज्ञातिभिर्मुदितात्मभि: । अनुगीयमानो न्यविशद्‌‌व्रजं गोकुलमण्डितम् ॥ १ ॥

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Surrounded by His joyful kinsmen and friends, who constantly sang His glories, Śrī Kṛṣṇa entered Vraja, adorned by Gokula and its herds of cows.

Verse 2

व्रजे विक्रीडतोरेवं गोपालच्छद्ममायया । ग्रीष्मो नामर्तुरभवन्नातिप्रेयाञ्छरीरिणाम् ॥ २ ॥

As Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma thus enjoyed themselves in Vraja, concealed by the guise of ordinary cowherd boys, the season called summer gradually arrived, a time not very pleasing to embodied beings.

Verse 3

स च वृन्दावनगुणैर्वसन्त इव लक्षित: । यत्रास्ते भगवान् साक्षाद् रामेण सह केशव: ॥ ३ ॥

Yet because Bhagavān Keśava Himself was staying in Vṛndāvana with Balarāma, summer displayed the qualities of spring. Such is the distinctive nature of the land of Vṛndāvana.

Verse 4

यत्र निर्झरनिर्ह्रादनिवृत्तस्वनझिल्लिकम् । शश्वत्तच्छीकरर्जीषद्रुममण्डलमण्डितम् ॥ ४ ॥

In Vṛndāvana, the roaring of waterfalls drowned out the crickets’ sound, and groves of trees, ever moistened by the waterfalls’ spray, adorned the entire region.

Verse 5

सरित्सर:प्रस्रवणोर्मिवायुना कह्लारकुञ्जोत्पलरेणुहारिणा । न विद्यते यत्र वनौकसां दवो निदाघवह्न्यर्कभवोऽतिशाद्वले ॥ ५ ॥

The breeze that swept over the waves of lakes and flowing rivers carried the pollen of lotuses and water lilies and cooled all of Vṛndāvana. Thus the forest dwellers were not afflicted by the scorching summer sun or by seasonal forest fires, and fresh green grass abounded everywhere.

Verse 6

अगाधतोयह्रदिनीतटोर्मिभि- र्द्रवत्पुरीष्या: पुलिनै: समन्तत: । न यत्र चण्डांशुकरा विषोल्बणा भुवो रसं शाद्वलितं च गृह्णते ॥ ६ ॥

The flowing waves of the deep rivers soaked their banks, leaving the sandy shores all around damp and muddy. Therefore the sun’s rays—fierce like poison—could not draw out the earth’s sap or parch its green grass.

Verse 7

वनं कुसुमितं श्रीमन्नदच्चित्रमृगद्विजम् । गायन्मयूरभ्रमरं कूजत्कोकिलसारसम् ॥ ७ ॥

The forest of Vṛndāvana was beautifully adorned with blossoms and resounded with the calls of many kinds of animals and birds. Peacocks and bees seemed to sing, while cuckoos and cranes cooed sweetly.

Verse 8

क्रीडिष्यमाणस्तन् कृष्णो भगवान् बलसंयुत: । वेणुं विरणयन् गोपैर्गोधनै: संवृतोऽविशत् ॥ ८ ॥

Wishing to enjoy His pastimes, Lord Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Balarāma and surrounded by the gopa boys and the cows, entered the forest of Vṛndāvana while sweetly playing His flute.

Verse 9

प्रवालबर्हस्तबकस्रग्धातुकृतभूषणा: । रामकृष्णादयो गोपा ननृतुर्युयुधुर्जगु: ॥ ९ ॥

Adorned with fresh leaves, peacock feathers, clusters of flower buds, garlands, and colorful minerals as ornaments, Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa, and their gopa companions danced, wrestled, and sang.

Verse 10

कृष्णस्य नृत्यत: केचिज्जगु: केचिदवादयन् । वेणुपाणितलै: श‍ृङ्गै: प्रशशंसुरथापरे ॥ १० ॥

As Kṛṣṇa danced, some boys sang in accompaniment, others played flutes, hand cymbals and buffalo horns, and still others praised His dancing.

Verse 11

गोपजातिप्रतिच्छन्ना देवा गोपालरूपिणौ । ईडिरे कृष्णरामौ च नटा इव नटं नृप ॥ ११ ॥

O King, the demigods, disguised among the cowherd folk in the form of gopālas, worshiped Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma—also appearing as cowherd boys—just as dancers praise another dancer.

Verse 12

भ्रमणैर्लङ्घनै: क्षेपैरास्फोटनविकर्षणै: । चिक्रीडतुर्नियुद्धेन काकपक्षधरौ क्‍वचित् ॥ १२ ॥

Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma played with their cowherd friends by whirling about, leaping, hurling, slapping, pulling and wrestling; sometimes They even tugged the boys’ topknots.

Verse 13

क्‍वचिन्नृत्यत्सु चान्येषु गायकौ वादकौ स्वयम् । शशंसतुर्महाराज साधु साध्विति वादिनौ ॥ १३ ॥

O King, while the other boys were dancing, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would sometimes accompany them with song and music, and sometimes the two Lords would praise them, saying, “Sādhu! Sādhu!—Very good! Very good!”

Verse 14

क्‍वचिद्ब‍िल्वै: क्‍वचित्कुम्भै: क्‍वचामलकमुष्टिभि: । अस्पृश्यनेत्रबन्धाद्यै: क्‍वचिन्मृगखगेहया ॥ १४ ॥

Sometimes the cowherd boys played with bilva or kumbha fruits, and sometimes with handfuls of āmalaka fruits. At other times they played games of touching one another or of identifying someone while blindfolded, and sometimes they imitated animals and birds.

Verse 15

क्‍वचिच्च दर्दुरप्लावैर्विविधैरुपहासकै: । कदाचित् स्यन्दोलिकया कर्हिचिन्नृपचेष्टया ॥ १५ ॥

Sometimes they leaped about like frogs, sometimes they played various joking pranks, sometimes they rode on swings, and sometimes they imitated the ways of kings.

Verse 16

एवं तौ लोकसिद्धाभि: क्रीडाभिश्चेरतुर्वने । नद्यद्रिद्रोणिकुञ्जेषु काननेषु सर:सु च ॥ १६ ॥

Thus Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma roamed the forest, playing all manner of well-known games among the rivers, hills, valleys, groves, woodlands, and lakes of Vṛndāvana.

Verse 17

पशूंश्चारयतोर्गोपैस्तद्वने रामकृष्णयो: । गोपरूपी प्रलम्बोऽगादसुरस्तज्जिहीर्षया ॥ १७ ॥

As Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, along with Their cowherd friends, were herding the animals in that forest, the demon Pralamba entered their midst disguised as a cowherd boy, intent on kidnapping Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.

Verse 18

तं विद्वानपि दाशार्हो भगवान् सर्वदर्शन: । अन्वमोदत तत्सख्यं वधं तस्य विचिन्तयन् ॥ १८ ॥

Though He knew him for what he was, the all-seeing Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, who had appeared in the Daśārha dynasty, pretended to accept the demon’s friendship, while seriously considering how to kill him.

Verse 19

तत्रोपाहूय गोपालान् कृष्ण: प्राह विहारवित् । हे गोपा विहरिष्यामो द्वन्द्वीभूय यथायथम् ॥ १९ ॥

Then Kṛṣṇa, expert in all games, called the cowherd boys together and said, “O gopas! Let us play now; let us divide ourselves into two evenly matched teams.”

Verse 20

तत्र चक्रु: परिवृढौ गोपा रामजनार्दनौ । कृष्णसङ्घट्टिन: केचिदासन् रामस्य चापरे ॥ २० ॥

There the cowherd boys chose Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma as the leaders of the two parties. Some took Kṛṣṇa’s side, and others joined Balarāma.

Verse 21

आचेरुर्विविधा: क्रीडा वाह्यवाहकलक्षणा: । यत्रारोहन्ति जेतारो वहन्ति च पराजिता: ॥ २१ ॥

They played many games of carriers and riders: the winners would climb onto the backs of the losers, and the defeated boys had to carry them.

Verse 22

वहन्तो वाह्यमानाश्च चारयन्तश्च गोधनम् । भाण्डीरकं नाम वटं जग्मु: कृष्णपुरोगमा: ॥ २२ ॥

Thus carrying one another and being carried, and at the same time tending the cows, the boys followed Kṛṣṇa to a banyan tree known as Bhāṇḍīraka.

Verse 23

रामसङ्घट्टिनो यर्हि श्रीदामवृषभादय: । क्रीडायां जयिनस्तांस्तानूहु: कृष्णादयो नृप ॥ २३ ॥

My dear King Parīkṣit, whenever Śrīdāmā, Vṛṣabha and the others on Balarāma’s side won these games, Kṛṣṇa and His companions had to carry them.

Verse 24

उवाह कृष्णो भगवान् श्रीदामानं पराजित: । वृषभं भद्रसेनस्तु प्रलम्बो रोहिणीसुतम् ॥ २४ ॥

Defeated, the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa carried Śrīdāmā. Bhadrasena carried Vṛṣabha, and Pralamba carried Balarāma, the son of Rohiṇī.

Verse 25

अविषह्यं मन्यमान: कृष्णं दानवपुङ्गव: । वहन् द्रुततरं प्रागादवरोहणत: परम् ॥ २५ ॥

Considering Lord Krishna invincible, that foremost demon quickly carried Balarama far beyond the spot where he was supposed to put his passenger down.

Verse 26

तमुद्वहन् धरणिधरेन्द्रगौरवं महासुरो विगतरयो निजं वपु: । स आस्थित: पुरटपरिच्छदो बभौ तडिद्‌‌द्युमानुडुपतिवाडिवाम्बुद: ॥ २६ ॥

As the great demon carried Balarama, the Lord became as heavy as massive Mount Sumeru. He then resumed his actual form — an effulgent body covered with golden ornaments.

Verse 27

निरीक्ष्य तद्वपुरलमम्बरे चरत् प्रदीप्तद‍ृग् भ्रुकुटितटोग्रदंष्ट्रकम् । ज्वलच्छिखं कटककिरीटकुण्डल- त्विषाद्भ‍ुतं हलधर ईषदत्रसत् ॥ २७ ॥

When Lord Balarama saw the gigantic body of the demon moving swiftly in the sky—with blazing eyes and terrible teeth—the Lord seemed to become a little frightened.

Verse 28

अथागतस्मृतिरभयो रिपुं बलो विहायसार्थमिव हरन्तमात्मन: । रुषाहनच्छिरसि द‍ृढेन मुष्टिना सुराधिपो गिरिमिव वज्ररंहसा ॥ २८ ॥

Remembering the actual situation, the fearless Balarama became furious and struck the demon’s head with His hard fist, just as Indra strikes a mountain with his thunderbolt.

Verse 29

स आहत: सपदि विशीर्णमस्तको मुखाद् वमन् रुधिरमपस्मृतोऽसुर: । महारवं व्यसुरपतत् समीरयन् गिरिर्यथा मघवत आयुधाहत: ॥ २९ ॥

Smashed by Balarama’s fist, Pralamba’s head immediately cracked open. Vomiting blood and making a great noise, he fell lifeless, like a mountain devastated by Indra.

Verse 30

द‍ृष्ट्वा प्रलम्बं निहतं बलेन बलशालिना । गोपा: सुविस्मिता आसन्साधु साध्विति वादिन: ॥ ३० ॥

Seeing mighty Balarāma slay the demon Pralamba, the cowherd boys were struck with wonder and cried out, “Excellent! Excellent!”

Verse 31

आशिषोऽभिगृणन्तस्तं प्रशशंसुस्तदर्हणम् । प्रेत्यागतमिवालिङ्‌‌ग्य प्रेमविह्वलचेतस: ॥ ३१ ॥

They showered Him with blessings and glorified Him, who is worthy of all praise. Their hearts overwhelmed with ecstatic love, they embraced Balarāma as if He had returned from death.

Verse 32

पापे प्रलम्बे निहते देवा: परमनिर्वृता: । अभ्यवर्षन् बलं माल्यै: शशंसु: साधु साध्विति ॥ ३२ ॥

With sinful Pralamba slain, the demigods rejoiced greatly. They showered Lord Balarāma with flower garlands and praised, “Excellent! Excellent!”