Shloka 42
Brahmā’s Bewilderment and Kṛṣṇa Becoming the Calves and Cowherd Boys
Brahma-vimohana-līlā
इत एतेऽत्र कुत्रत्या मन्मायामोहितेतरे । तावन्त एव तत्राब्दं क्रीडन्तो विष्णुना समम् ॥ ४२ ॥
ita ete ’tra kutratyā man-māyā-mohitetare tāvanta eva tatrābdaṁ krīḍanto viṣṇunā samam
അപ്പോൾ ഇവർ ഇവിടെ എവിടെ നിന്നാണ് വന്നത്? എന്റെ മായയാൽ മോഹിതരാക്കിയ അവർ ഇവരല്ല. അതേ എണ്ണത്തിലുള്ള ബാലന്മാരും കിടാക്കളും അവിടെ ഒരു വർഷം മുഴുവൻ വിഷ്ണു (കൃഷ്ണൻ) കൂടെ കളിക്കുന്നു. ഇവർ ആരാണ്? എവിടെ നിന്നാണ്?
Although appearing like calves, cows and cowherd boys, these were all Viṣṇu. Actually they were viṣṇu-tattva, not jīva-tattva. Brahmā was surprised. “The original cowherd boys and cows,” he thought, “are still where I put them last year. So who is it that is now keeping company with Kṛṣṇa exactly as before? Where have they come from?” Brahmā was surprised that his mystic power had been neglected. Without touching the original cows and cowherd boys kept by Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa had created another assembly of calves and boys, who were all expansions of viṣṇu-tattva. Thus Brahmā’s mystic power was superseded.
FAQs
This verse shows Brahmā admitting that even his own māyā can bewilder him, while Kṛṣṇa is Viṣṇu beyond illusion—highlighting the supremacy of the Lord over all cosmic powers.
After realizing his mistake in the Brahmā-vimohana episode, Brahmā recognizes that the cowherd boys’ intimate play is actually with the Supreme Lord Himself, who appears as their friend in Vraja.
Even great intelligence can be covered by illusion; cultivate humility and steady bhakti, remembering that closeness to Kṛṣṇa comes by His grace—not by one’s own power or status.