Adhyaya 24

Verse 1

इत्थं स्तुतस् तदा तेन मुचुकुन्देन धीमता प्राहेशः सर्वभूतानाम् अनादिर् भगवान् हरिः

Thus praised by the wise King Mucukunda, the Lord of all beings—Bhagavān Hari, the beginningless Sovereign—then spoke.

Verse 2

यथाभिवाञ्छितान् दिव्यान् लोकान् गच्छ नरेश्वर अव्याहतपरैश्वर्यो मत्प्रसादोपबृंहितः

O lord of men, go now to the divine worlds you have long desired. Sustained by my grace, your supreme sovereignty shall remain unobstructed.

Verse 3

भुक्त्वा दिव्यान् महाभोगान् भविष्यसि महाकुले जातिस्मरो मत्प्रसादात् ततो मोक्षम् अवाप्स्यसि

Having enjoyed celestial and abundant delights, you shall be born in a great and noble family. By my grace you will remember former births, and thereafter attain liberation.

Verse 4

इत्य् उक्तः प्रणिपत्येशं जगताम् अच्युतं नृपः गुहामुखाद् विनिष्क्रान्तः ददृशे सो ऽल्पकान् नरान्

Thus instructed, the king bowed down to the Lord of the worlds, Acyuta. Then, emerging from the mouth of the cave, he beheld only a few men.

Verse 5

ततः कलियुगं ज्ञात्वा प्राप्तं तप्तुं नृपस् तपः नरनारायणस्थानं प्रययौ गन्धमादनम्

Then, recognizing that the age of Kali had arrived, the king resolved to undertake austerities; and setting his course for the sacred seat of Nara and Nārāyaṇa, he departed for Gandhamādana.

Verse 6

कृष्णो ऽपि घातयित्वारिम् उपायेन हि तद्बलम् जग्राह मथुराम् एत्य हस्त्यश्वस्यन्दनोज्ज्वलम्

Kṛṣṇa too, by wise strategy, destroyed the foe and shattered the strength of his forces. Then he came to Mathurā and took possession of that radiant city, resplendent with elephants, horses, and chariots.

Verse 7

आनीय चोग्रसेनाय द्वारवत्यां न्यवेदयत् पराभिभवनिःशङ्कं बभूव च यदोः कुलम्

Having brought them and duly presented the matter to Ugrasena in Dvāravatī, the lineage of Yadu became fearless, free from dread of being overcome by any rival.

Verse 8

बलदेवो ऽपि मैत्रेय प्रशान्ताखिलविग्रहः ज्ञातिदर्शनसोत्कण्ठः प्रययौ नन्दगोकुलम्

O Maitreya, Balarāma too—his every impulse stilled and his bearing composed—set out for Nanda’s Gokula, yearning to behold his kinsfolk again.

Verse 9

ततो गोपांश् च गोपीश् च यथापूर्वम् अमित्रजित् तथैवाभ्यवदत् प्रेम्णा बहुमानपुरःसरम्

Then the unconquered hero addressed the cowherds and the cowherd-women just as before—speaking with affection, his words led by honor and warm regard.

Verse 10

कैश् चापि संपरिष्वक्तः कांश्चिच् च परिषस्वजे हास्यं चक्रे समं कैश्चिद् गोपैर् गोपीजनैस् तथा

Some embraced Him closely, and some He embraced in return; with cowherds and cowherd-women alike He shared laughter and playful mirth, moving among all in intimate joy.

Verse 11

प्रियाण्य् अनेकान्य् अवदन् गोपास् तत्र हलायुधम् गोप्यश् च प्रेमकुपिताः प्रोचुः सेर्ष्यम् अथापराः

There the cowherd boys spoke many affectionate words to Halāyudha (Balarāma); the cowherd maidens too—angered only by love—addressed him, and some others spoke with tender jealousy.

Verse 12

गोप्यः पप्रच्छुर् अपरा नागरीजनवल्लभः कच्चिद् आस्ते सुखं कृष्णश् चलत्प्रेमलवात्मकः

Then the gopīs asked another messenger: “Does Kṛṣṇa—beloved even of the city women—abide in happiness, he whose very being is made of trembling, ever-shifting particles of love?”

Verse 13

अस्मच्चेष्टाम् अपहसन् न कच्चित् पुरयोषिताम् सौभाग्यमानम् अधिकं करोति क्षणसौहृदः

Is there someone—laughing at my efforts—who makes the women of the city prize a fleeting, momentary affection as a greater “fortune” than true worth?

Verse 14

कच्चित् स्मरति नः कृष्णो गीतानुगमनं कलम् अप्य् असौ मातरं द्रष्टुं सकृद् अप्य् आगमिष्यति

Does Kṛṣṇa still remember us—does he recall even the tender time of our songs and shared moments? Will he, even once, come to see his mother?

Verse 15

अथ वा किं तदालापैर् अपरा क्रियतां कथा यस्यास्माभिर् विना तेन विनास्माकं भविष्यति

Or else—what is the use of such talk? Let another course be taken, another tale set in motion; for without us he will not endure, and without him we too shall have no future.

Verse 16

पिता माता तथा भ्राता भर्ता बन्धुजनश् च किम् न त्यक्तस् तत्कृते ऽस्माभिर् अकृतज्ञध्वजो हि सः

For his sake, what have we not abandoned—father, mother, brother, husband, and all our kin? Yet he stands marked by ingratitude; indeed, he bears the very banner of the ungrateful.

Verse 17

तथापि कच्चिद् आलापम् इहागमनसंश्रयम् करोति कृष्णो वक्तव्यं भवता राम नानृतम्

Even so, does Kṛṣṇa utter any word that hints at coming here? Tell me, O Rāma—what you say must be truth, not falsehood.

Verse 18

दामोदरः स गोविन्दः पुरस्त्रीसक्तमानसः अपेतप्रीतिर् अस्मासु दुर्दर्शः प्रतिभाति नः

That very Dāmodara—Govinda—whose mind is now captivated by the women of the city, seems to have withdrawn his former affection for us; to us he appears distant, hard to behold.

Verse 19

आमन्त्रितः स कृष्णेति पुनर् दामोदरेति च रुरुदुः सस्वरं गोप्यो हरिणा हृतचेतसः

Again and again they called, “Kṛṣṇa!” and once more, “Dāmodara!”—and the gopīs, their hearts stolen by Hari, wept aloud in a single, unrestrained cry.

Verse 20

संदेशैः साममधुरैः प्रेमगर्भैर् अगर्वितैः रामेणाश्वासिता गोप्यः कृष्णस्यातिमनोहरैः

With messages gentle and sweet—wombed with love and free of pride—Rāma consoled the gopīs, conveying Kṛṣṇa’s exceedingly enchanting words.

Verse 21

गोपैश् च पूर्ववद् रामः परिहासमनोरमाः कथाश् चकार रेमे च सह तैर् व्रजभूमिषु

And Rāma, as before, shared with the cowherds delightful tales touched with playful humor, and he sported with them throughout the lands of Vraja.