Adhyaya 28

Verse 1

श्रीबादरायणिरुवाच एकादश्यां निराहार: समभ्यर्च्य जनार्दनम् । स्‍नातुं नन्दस्तु कालिन्द्यां द्वादश्यां जलमाविशत् ॥ १ ॥

Śrī Bādarāyaṇi said: Having fasted on Ekādaśī and worshiped Lord Janārdana with due reverence, Nanda Mahārāja entered the waters of the Kālindī on Dvādaśī to take his bath.

Verse 2

तं गृहीत्वानयद् भृत्यो वरुणस्यासुरोऽन्तिकम् । अवज्ञायासुरीं वेलां प्रविष्टमुदकं निशि ॥ २ ॥

Because Nanda Mahārāja entered the water in the darkness of night, disregarding the inauspicious time, a demoniac servant of Varuṇa seized him and brought him before his master.

Verse 3

चुक्रुशुस्तमपश्यन्त: कृष्ण रामेति गोपका: । भगवांस्तदुपश्रुत्य पितरं वरुणाहृतम् । तदन्तिकं गतो राजन्स्वानामभयदो विभु: ॥ ३ ॥

O King, not seeing Nanda Mahārāja, the cowherd men cried out loudly, “O Kṛṣṇa! O Rāma!” Lord Kṛṣṇa heard them and understood that His father had been seized by Varuṇa; thus the almighty Lord, who grants fearlessness to His devotees, went to the court of Varuṇadeva.

Verse 4

प्राप्तं वीक्ष्य हृषीकेशं लोकपाल: सपर्यया । महत्या पूजयित्वाह तद्दर्शनमहोत्सव: ॥ ४ ॥

Seeing that the Lord Hṛṣīkeśa had arrived, the world-regent Varuṇa worshiped Him with grand offerings. Overjoyed by the Lord’s darśana, he spoke as follows.

Verse 5

श्रीवरुण उवाच अद्य मे निभृतो देहोऽद्यैवार्थोऽधिगत: प्रभो । त्वत्पादभाजो भगवन्नवापु: पारमध्वन: ॥ ५ ॥

Śrī Varuṇa said: Today my body has found its fulfillment; today the purpose of my life is attained, O Lord. O Bhagavān, those who take shelter of Your lotus feet transcend the path of material saṁsāra.

Verse 6

नमस्तुभ्यं भगवते ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने । न यत्र श्रूयते माया लोकसृष्टिविकल्पना ॥ ६ ॥

Obeisances unto You, O Bhagavān, the Supreme Brahman and Paramātmā. Within You there is not the slightest trace of māyā, which arranges the manifold creation of this world.

Verse 7

अजानता मामकेन मूढेनाकार्यवेदिना । आनीतोऽयं तव पिता तद्भ‍वान् क्षन्तुमर्हति ॥ ७ ॥

Your father, who is here, was brought to me by a foolish, ignorant servant of mine who did not understand his proper duty. Therefore, please forgive us.

Verse 8

ममाप्यनुग्रहं कृष्ण कर्तुमर्हस्यशेषद‍ृक् । गोविन्द नीयतामेष पिता ते पितृवत्सल ॥ ८ ॥

O Kṛṣṇa, all-seeing Lord, please bestow Your mercy upon me as well. O Govinda, so affectionate to Your father, please take Your father back home.

Verse 9

श्रीशुक उवाच एवं प्रसादित: कृष्णो भगवानीश्वरेश्वर: । आदायागत्स्वपितरं बन्धूनां चावहन्मुदम् ॥ ९ ॥

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus satisfied by Varuṇa, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord of lords—took His father Nanda and returned home, where their relatives rejoiced to see them.

Verse 10

नन्दस्त्वतीन्द्रियं द‍ृष्ट्वा लोकपालमहोदयम् । कृष्णे च सन्नतिं तेषां ज्ञातिभ्यो विस्मितोऽब्रवीत् ॥ १० ॥

Nanda Mahārāja was astonished to see for the first time the transcendental opulence of Varuṇa, ruler of the ocean realm, and to see Varuṇa and his attendants offer such humble respect to Kṛṣṇa. Nanda told all this to his fellow cowherd men.

Verse 11

ते चौत्सुक्यधियो राजन् मत्वा गोपास्तमीश्वरम् । अपि न: स्वगतिं सूक्ष्मामुपाधास्यदधीश्वर: ॥ ११ ॥

O King, the cowherd men, their minds filled with eager longing, considered Kṛṣṇa to be the Supreme Lord. They thought, “Will the Lord of all grant us His subtle, transcendental destination—His supreme abode?”

Verse 12

इति स्वानां स भगवान् विज्ञायाखिलद‍ृक्स्वयम् । सङ्कल्पसिद्धये तेषां कृपयैतदचिन्तयत् ॥ १२ ॥

Thus Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, who sees everything, automatically understood what the cowherd men were thinking. Wishing, out of compassion, to fulfill their desire, the Lord thought as follows.

Verse 13

जनो वै लोक एतस्मिन्नविद्याकामकर्मभि: । उच्चावचासु गतिषु न वेद स्वां गतिं भ्रमन् ॥ १३ ॥

Certainly, in this world people, driven by ignorance, desire, and karma, wander among higher and lower destinations. Thus they do not know their real, ultimate destination.

Verse 14

इति सञ्चिन्त्य भगवान् महाकारुणिको हरि: । दर्शयामास लोकं स्वं गोपानां तमस: परम् ॥ १४ ॥

Thus, having deeply considered, the all-merciful Bhagavān Hari revealed to the cowherd men His own abode, beyond the darkness of matter.

Verse 15

सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं यद् ब्रह्मज्योति: सनातनम् । यद्धि पश्यन्ति मुनयो गुणापाये समाहिता: ॥ १५ ॥

He revealed the eternal brahma-jyoti—truth, consciousness, and limitless being—which sages behold in samādhi when freed from the material modes.

Verse 16

ते तु ब्रह्मह्रदं नीता मग्ना: कृष्णेन चोद्‌धृता: । दद‍ृशुर्ब्रह्मणो लोकं यत्राक्रूरोऽध्यगात् पुरा ॥ १६ ॥

Kṛṣṇa led the cowherd men to the Brahma-hrada, had them submerge, and then lifted them up; from the very place Akrūra once beheld, they saw the world of Brahman, the realm of Absolute Truth.

Verse 17

नन्दादयस्तु तं द‍ृष्ट्वा परमानन्दनिवृता: । कृष्णं च तत्रच्छन्दोभि: स्तूयमानं सुविस्मिता: ॥ १७ ॥

Nanda and the other cowherd men, seeing that transcendental abode, were filled with supreme bliss; and they were astonished to see Kṛṣṇa there, praised by the personified Vedas.