Shloka 9
Aghāsura-vadha: The Killing and Deliverance of Aghāsura
केचिद्वेणून्वादयन्तो ध्मान्त: शृङ्गाणि केचन । केचिद्भृङ्गै: प्रगायन्त: कूजन्त: कोकिलै: परे ॥ ७ ॥ विच्छायाभि: प्रधावन्तो गच्छन्त: साधु हंसकै: । बकैरुपविशन्तश्च नृत्यन्तश्च कलापिभि: ॥ ८ ॥ विकर्षन्त: कीशबालानारोहन्तश्च तैर्द्रुमान् । विकुर्वन्तश्च तै: साकं प्लवन्तश्च पलाशिषु ॥ ९ ॥ साकं भेकैर्विलङ्घन्त: सरित: स्रवसम्प्लुता: । विहसन्त: प्रतिच्छाया: शपन्तश्च प्रतिस्वनान् ॥ १० ॥ इत्थं सतां ब्रह्मसुखानुभूत्या दास्यं गतानां परदैवतेन । मायाश्रितानां नरदारकेण साकं विजह्रु: कृतपुण्यपुञ्जा: ॥ ११ ॥
kecid veṇūn vādayanto dhmāntaḥ śṛṅgāṇi kecana kecid bhṛṅgaiḥ pragāyantaḥ kūjantaḥ kokilaiḥ pare
Anak-anak gembala di Vraja bermain dengan pelbagai cara. Ada yang meniup seruling, ada yang meniup tanduk; ada yang menyanyi meniru dengung lebah, ada yang meniru suara burung kukuk. Ada yang berlari mengejar bayang burung, ada yang meniru langkah anggun angsa; ada yang duduk diam bersama bangau, ada yang menari seperti merak. Ada yang menarik anak monyet, ada yang memanjat pokok dan melompat seperti monyet, ada yang membuat mimik lucu, ada yang melompat dari dahan ke dahan. Ada yang dekat air terjun melompati sungai bersama katak; melihat bayang diri di air mereka ketawa dan memarahi gema suara sendiri. Demikianlah para gopāla kecil yang berhimpun pahala bermain bersama Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
As recommended by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, tasmāt kenāpy upāyena manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet ( Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.4). Somehow or other, whether one thinks of Kṛṣṇa as an ordinary human child, as the source of the Brahman effulgence, as the origin of Paramātmā, or as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one should concentrate one’s full attention upon the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is also the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā (18.66) : sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the easiest way of directly approaching Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate ’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt ( Bhāg. 1.1.2 ). Diverting even a little of one’s attention toward Kṛṣṇa and activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness immediately enables one to achieve the highest perfection of life. This is the purpose of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām ( Bhāg. 1.7.6 ). The secret of success is unknown to people in general, and therefore Śrīla Vyāsadeva, being compassionate toward the poor souls in this material world, especially in this Age of Kali, has given us the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ purāṇam amalaṁ yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyam ( Bhāg. 12.13.18 ). For Vaiṣṇavas who are somewhat advanced, or who are fully aware of the glories and potencies of the Lord, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is a beloved Vedic literature. After all, we have to change this body ( tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ ). If we do not care about Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we do not know what the next body will be. But if one adheres to these two books — Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam — one is sure to obtain the association of Kṛṣṇa in the next life ( tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna ). Therefore, distribution of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all over the world is a great welfare activity for theologians, philosophers, transcendentalists and yogīs ( yoginām api sarveṣām ), as well as for people in general. Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ ( Bhāg. 2.1.6 ): if we can somehow or other remember Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, at the end of life, our life will be successful.
FAQs
This verse depicts the cowherd boys’ carefree forest play—climbing trees with young monkeys and floating on palāśa leaves—highlighting the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s Vraja-līlā.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates these pastimes to King Parīkṣit while describing Kṛṣṇa’s Vṛndāvana childhood sports.
It teaches simple-heartedness and loving remembrance—by hearing and meditating on Kṛṣṇa’s sweet pastimes, one softens the heart and strengthens bhakti.