VedaVyasa
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Chapter 25
Lord Krishna Lifts Govardhana Hill
This chapter describes how Lord Indra was overcome by anger when the residents of Vraja canceled his sacrifice, how he tried to punish them by sending forth a devastating rainfall to Vṛndāvana, and how Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa protected Gokula by lifting Govardhana Hill and for seven days using it as an umbrella to ward off the rain.
Indra, angered at the disruption of the sacrifice meant for him and falsely presuming himself the supreme controller, said, "People often give up the pursuit of transcendental knowledge — the means for self-realization — and imagine that they can cross over the ocean of material existence by mundane fruitive sacrifices. Similarly, these cowherd men have become intoxicated by pride and have offended me by taking shelter of an ignorant, ordinary child — Kṛṣṇa."
To remove this supposed pride of the residents of Vraja, Indra sent the clouds known as Sāḿvartaka, whose function is to facilitate the destruction of the world. He sent them to harass the Vrajavāsīs with downpours of rain and hail. The cowherd community was very disturbed by this and approached Kṛṣṇa for shelter. Understanding that this trouble was the work of Indra, Kṛṣṇa decided to smash to pieces Indra's false prestige, and thus He lifted Govardhana Hill with one hand. He then invited the entire cowherd community to take shelter in the dry space beneath the mountain. For seven successive days He held up the hill, until Indra finally understood Kṛṣṇa's mystic power and ordered the clouds to withdraw.
When the cowherd villagers emerged from beneath the mountain, Kṛṣṇa put Govardhana Hill back in its proper place. The cowherds were in ecstasy, showing loving symptoms such as flowing tears and bodily hairs standing on end. They embraced Kṛṣṇa and offered Him benedictions according to their respective positions, while the demigods in heaven rained down flowers and sang the Lord's praises.
10.25.1
indras tadātmanaḥ pūjāḿ
gopebhyaḥ kṛṣṇa-nāthebhyo
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Indra then who realized that the worship of his person had been rejected, o King, got angry with the gopas lead by Nanda who had taken to Krishna as their Lord.
At the very beginning of this chapter Śukadeva Gosvāmī reveals the foolishness of Indra and the absurdity of his anger. Indra was frustrated because the residents of Vṛndāvana accepted Śrī Kṛṣṇa as their Lord. But the simple fact is that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Lord, not only of the residents of Vṛndāvana but of all that exists, including Indra himself. Thus Indra's petulant reaction was ridiculous. As the common saying goes, "Pride goes before a fall."
10.25.2
indraḥ pracodayat kruddho
(2) Clouds carrying the name Sâmvartaka to put an end to it all were sent forth by Indra who thereto falsely deeming himself the supreme controller enraged spoke the words:
10.25.3
gopānāḿ kānanaukasām
(3) 'Just see the great extend of the bewilderment of these forest dwelling cowherds in relation to their wealth; they, having taken shelter of a mortal like Krishna, have committed an offense against the gods!
10.25.4
titīrṣanti bhavārṇavam
(4) Abandoning the spiritual knowledge they try to cross over the ocean of material existence in the name only of profit-motivated ritual sacrifices, sacrifices that are inadequate to serve them as boats on that ocean.
10.25.5
(5) Taking shelter of Krishna, this prattling, arrogant child ignorantly thinking Himself to be the wisest, have the gopas acted in dislike against me.
through the insults of Indra Goddess Sarasvatī is actually praising Kṛṣṇa. The ācārya explains: "Vācālam means 'one who can speak according to Vedic authority.' Bāliśam means 'free from pretension, just like a child.' Stabdham means that He bows down to no one because there is no one for Him to offer homage to, ajñam means that there is nothing more for Him to know because He is omniscient, paṇḍita-māninam means that He is highly honored by the knowers of the Absolute Truth, and kṛṣṇam means He is the Supreme Absolute Truth, whose transcendental form is full of eternity and ecstasy. Martyam means that although He is the Absolute Truth, He nevertheless appears in this world as a human being out of affection for His devotees."
Indra wanted to rebuke Kṛṣṇa as vācālam because the Lord had presented many audacious arguments in the line of Karma-mīmāḿsā and Sāńkhya philosophy even though He did not accept these arguments; thus Indra called the Lord bāliśa, "foolish." Indra called Him stabdha because He had spoken boldly even in the presence of His own father. Thus although Indra attempted to criticize Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord's transcendental character is in fact impeccable, and this chapter will demonstrate how Indra came to recognize the position of the Lord.
10.25.6
eṣāḿ śriyāvaliptānāḿ
kṛṣṇenādhmāpitātmanām
(6) Bring them and their animals to destruction whose hearts, barred by Krishna, are intoxicated by their welfare and may the false pride of they who are mad of their riches be removed.
It is clear from this verse that the residents of Vṛndāvana had become highly prosperous simply by protecting cows, since Indra wanted to destroy their so-called pride based on wealth by killing their animals. Well-tended cows produce large quantities of milk, from which come cheese, butter, yogurt, ghee and so on. These foods are delicious by themselves and also enhance other foods, such as fruits, vegetables and grains. Bread and vegetables are delicious with butter, and fruit is especially appetizing when mixed with cream or yogurt. Dairy products are always desirable in civilized society, and the surplus can be traded for many valuable commodities. Thus, simply by a Vedic dairy enterprise, the residents of Vṛndāvana were wealthy, healthy and happy, even in the material sense, and most of all they were eternal associates of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa.
10.25.7
āruhyānuvraje vrajam
marud-gaṇair mahā-vegair
(7) I also will, riding my elephant Airâvata, follow along to Vraja accompanied by the wind-gods, moving there with great power with the purpose of destroying Nanda's cowherd community [see e.g. also: 6.11 & 12].'
10.25.8
itthaḿ maghavatājñaptā
(8) S'rî S'uka said: 'The clouds thus commanded by Indra did, released from their bonds, with all their power torment Nanda's cowherd village with great downpours of rain.
10.25.9
tīvrair marud-gaṇair nunnā
(9) Illuminated by bolts of lightening, roaring with thunder gave they, propelled by the wind-gods, a fearsome downpour of hailstones.
10.25.10
muñcatsv abhreṣv abhīkṣṇaśaḥ
jalaughaiḥ plāvyamānā bhūr
nādṛśyata natonnatam
(10) As the rain released by the clouds incessantly poured down in vast columns, could the high and low of the earth being submerged no longer be seen.
10.25.11
aty-āsārāti-vātena
(11) Plagued by the abundance of rain and excessive wind went the gopas and gopîs shivering of the cold to Govinda for their shelter.
10.25.12
pracchādyāsāra-pīḍitāḥ
(12) Covering their heads and covering their children with their bodies approached they, pained by the rains, trembling the base of the Supreme Personality of Godhead His lotusfeet:
10.25.13
(13) 'Krishna, o Krishna, o Greatest Fortune, You are Your own master, o Lord, please protect the cow community against Indra being angry with us, o Protector of the Devotees [see also 10.8: 16].'
10.25.14
(14) Seeing them out of their wits under the attack of the hail, the rain and the extreme winds, considered the Supreme Lord Hari the anger of Indra to be responsible for this:
that the severe distress Indra apparently inflicted upon the residents of Vṛndāvana was an arrangement made by Śrī Kṛṣṇa's pastime potency to enhance the loving dealings between the residents and the Lord. The ācārya gives the analogy that for a hungry person, the pain of hunger increases the happiness he feels when he finally eats excellent food, and thus hunger can be said to enhance the pleasure of eating. Similarly, the residents of Vṛndāvana, although not experiencing ordinary, material anxiety, felt a type of distress at the activities of Indra and thus intensified their meditation on Kṛṣṇa. When the Lord finally acted, the result was wonderful.
10.25.15
(15) 'Because I rejected his sacrifice is Indra flooding for destruction with these unusually fierce out-of-season rains and great winds full of hailstones.
10.25.16
tatra pratividhiḿ samyag
lokeśa-mānināḿ mauḍhyād
(16) To counteract that properly shall I by My yogic power arrange for the defeat of the pride-of-wealth and the ignorance of those who are as foolish as to consider themselves falsely the Lord of the World.
10.25.17
praśamāyopakalpate
(17) My eradicating the impure of the false prestige of those who consider themselves the Controller is certainly not intended for those enlightened beings who are endowed with goodness, it is intended for their relief [see also B.G. 14: 14].
The demigods are supposed to be sad-bhāva-yukta, endowed with spiritual existence, since they are deputed servants of the Supreme Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā (4.24) it is stated:
brahmārpaṇaḿ brahma havir
brahmaiva tena gantavyaḿ
"That which is duly offered to the Lord becomes spiritualized." The demigods engage in the devotional service of the Lord by managing various departments of cosmic administration. Therefore as demigods, or as servants of the Lord, their existence is pure (sad-bhāva). When the demigods fail to live up to the high position given them by the Lord and deviate from proper behavior, they are not acting as demigods but rather as conditioned souls.Māna, or false prestige, is certainly an anxiety-ridden burden for the conditioned soul. A falsely proud person is not truly peaceful or satisfied, because his understanding of himself is false and inflated. When a servant of the Lord becomes asat, or irreligious, the Lord saves him from impiety by breaking the false prestige that has led him to be offensive or sinful. As stated by the Lord Himself, yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaḿ śanaiḥ: "I give My blessings to a person by taking away his so-called opulence."
Of course, the advanced stage of devotional service to the Lord, as described by Rūpa Gosvāmī, is yukta-vairagya, utilizing the opulence of this world to execute the Lord's mission. Obviously the things of this world can be used wonderfully to spread the glories of God and to create a godly society, and a more advanced devotee will not be seduced by material paraphernalia but will dutifully and honestly engage it solely for the pleasure of the Lord. In this particular case, Lord Indra forgot that he was a humble servant of God, and Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore arranged to bring this bewildered demigod to his senses.
10.25.18
tasmān mac-charaṇaḿ goṣṭhaḿ
man-nāthaḿ mat-parigraham
(18) It is therefore to Me to protect by My yogic power My own family, the cowherd community that took shelter with Me as their master; this is the vow I have taken [see also B.G. 9: 22].'
The word mac-charaṇam indicates not only that Lord Kṛṣṇa was the sole shelter for the vraja-jana, the people of Vṛndāvana, but also that Lord Kṛṣṇa had established His home among them. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura quotes from the Anekārtha-varga dictionary, śaraṇaḿ gṛha-rakṣitroḥ: "The word śaraṇam can represent either home or protector." The residents of Vṛndāvana adopted Kṛṣṇa as their beloved child, friend, lover and life itself, and the Lord reciprocated their feelings. Thus Śrī Kṛṣṇa lived among these fortunate people, moving in their houses and fields; naturally He would protect such intimate devotees from all types of danger.
10.25.19
ity uktvaikena hastena
kṛtvā govardhanācalam
(19) Thus having spoken took He, Vishnu, with one hand [His left one] Govardhana hill and held it up as easy as a child does a mushroom.
It is confirmed in the Hari-vaḿśa that Śrī Kṛṣṇa picked up the Govardhana Mountain with His left hand: sa dhṛtaḥ sańgato meghair giriḥ savyena pāṇinā. "With His left hand He picked up that mountain, which was touching the clouds." According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, when Lord Kṛṣṇa was preparing to lift Govardhana Hill, a partial expansion of His Yogamāyā potency named Saḿhārikī temporarily removed all the rain from the sky so that as He ran very swiftly from the porch of His house to the mountain, neither His turban nor other garments became wet.
10.25.20
he 'mba tāta vrajaukasaḥ
yathopajoṣaḿ viśata
(20) The Supreme Lord said then to the gopas: 'O mother, o father, o residents of Vraja, please enter, if you want, with your cows the free space below this hill.
the following insight in this regard: Ordinarily a large cowherd community, which included many thousands of cows, calves, bulls and so on, could not fit under the base of a medium-sized hill like Śrī Govardhana. However, because the hill was in ecstasy, being touched by the hand of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it acquired inconceivable power and even felt the hundreds of deadly thunderbolts thrown upon its back by angry Indra to be offerings of soft, fragrant flowers. At times Śrī Govardhana was not even aware that the thunderbolts were striking. From the Hari-vaḿśa the ācārya has also quoted Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself as saying, trai-lokyam apy utsahate rakṣituḿ kiḿ punar vrajam: "Śrī Govardhana can give shelter to all the three worlds, what to speak of the simple land of Vraja."
When Indra's attack began and Kṛṣṇa lifted the hill, the deer, wild hogs, and other animals and birds standing on the hill's flanks climbed up to its peaks, and even they did not experience the slightest distress.
10.25.21
mad-dhastādri-nipātanāt
21) You shouldn't feel afraid that because of the wind and the rain the mountain would fall from My hand; you suffered enough fear and to deliver you from that have I thus provided for you.'
10.25.22
kṛṣṇāśvāsita-mānasaḥ
(22) Thus with their minds pacified by Krishna entered they the space under the mountain where they were safe with their cows, wagons and everyone belonging to them.
10.25.23
vīkṣyamāṇo dadhārādriḿ
(23) Putting aside the pain of hunger and thirst and all considerations of personal happiness, upheld He before the eyes of the residents of Vraja the mountain for seven days without moving from His place.
According to the Viṣṇu Purāṇa,
vrajaika-vāsibhir harṣa-
vismitākṣair niṛīkṣitaḥ
prīti-visphāritekṣaṇaiḥ
saḿstūyamāna-caritaḥ
"Lord Kṛṣṇa held up the mountain while His praises were chanted by the residents of Vraja, all of whom now had the opportunity to dwell together with Him, and who glanced at Him with joyful and amazed eyes. Thus the cowherd men and women were all elated, and out of loving affection they opened their eyes wide."By continuously drinking the nectar of the beauty and sweetness of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the residents of Vṛndāvana felt no hunger, thirst or fatigue, and Lord Kṛṣṇa, by seeing their beautiful forms, also forgot about eating, drinking and sleeping. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura points out that seven days of continuous rain from the Sāḿvartaka clouds failed to flood the district of Mathurā because the Supreme Lord, simply by His potency, immediately dried up the water as it fell to the ground. Thus Kṛṣṇa's lifting of Govardhana Hill is full of fascinating details and has for thousands of years remained one of His most famous pastimes.
10.25.24
niśamyendro 'ti-vismitaḥ
nistambho bhraṣṭa-sańkalpaḥ
(24) Seeing the result of Krishna's mystic power was Lord Indra most amazed and stopped he the clouds, broken in his determination and with his false pride brought down.
10.25.25
khaḿ vyabhram uditādityaḿ
niśamyoparataḿ gopān
govardhana-dharo 'bravīt
(25) With the sky empty of clouds, the sun risen and the fierce wind and rain laid down, addressed the Lifter of Govardhana the cowherds:
10.25.26
(26) 'Please go forth from here together with your property, women and children; see the end of your fear, o gopas, the wind and rains have ceased and the high water is as good as over.'
10.25.27
śakaṭoḍhopakaraṇaḿ
(27) The gopas, with each taking his own cows, then went out, with their belongings loaded on the wagons and the women, children and old people slowly following.
10.25.28
(28) And with all of the living beings looking on put the Supreme Lord Almighty that hill down back where it stood before
10.25.29
. (29) The residents of Vraja each to their own position came forward shining with the surge of their pure love they felt for Him while the gopîs joyfully with embraces and all of that showed their great affection, while they with gifts of yogurt, whole grains and water presented Him the best of their blessings.
that each of the residents of Vṛndāvana regarded Kṛṣṇa in his own way — as an inferior, younger member of the community; as an equal; or as a superior — and they dealt with Him accordingly. Kṛṣṇa's superiors offered auspicious benedictions, lovingly smelled His head, kissed Him, rubbed His arms and fingers, and inquired with parental affection as to whether He was tired or pained. Kṛṣṇa's equals laughed or joked with Him, and those who were younger fell at His feet, massaged His feet, and so on.
The word ca in this verse indicates that the wives of the brāhmaṇas joined with the cowherd ladies to offer auspicious items like yogurt and unbroken grains. Lord Kṛṣṇa received benedictions such as this: "May You subdue the wicked, protect the decent people, give pleasure to Your parents and be enriched with all wealth and opulence."
10.25.30
(30) Yas'oda, Rohinî, Nanda and Balarâma, the Greatest of the Strong, beside themselves of love embraced Krishna offering Him all their blessings.
10.25.31
tuṣṭuvur mumucus tuṣṭāḥ
(31) From heaven recited the godly, the perfected, the saints, the heavenly singers and venerable ones the Lord's praises, satisfied showering a rain of flowers, o earthly ruler.
10.25.32
śańkha-dundubhayo nedur
jagur gandharva-patayas
(32) Resounding conch shells and kettledrums played the demigods in heaven and sang the Gandharvas led by their chief Tumburu, o ruler of men.
10.25.33
tato 'nuraktaiḥ paśupaiḥ pariśrito
rājan sva-goṣṭhaḿ sa-balo 'vrajad dhariḥ
(33) O King, then, surrounded by the loving animal tenders, went Krishna together with Balarâma off to where they were grazing their animals and as they went sang the gopîs about all His likewise deeds, happy as they were with Him who had touched their hearts.'
Before returning to their homes, the gopīs shared intimate association with their lover, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, by exchanging secret glances. Ordinarily they could not publicly talk about Kṛṣṇa, since they were chaste young girls in a religious village, but now they took advantage of this wonderful exhibition by the Lord and freely sang of His beautiful qualities. It is natural that a young man wants to do something wonderful in the presence of a beautiful young girl. The gopīs were the most beautiful and pure-hearted young girls, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa performed the most wonderful activities in their presence. Thus He entered deep within their tender hearts, enlivening their eternal devotion to Him.
Thus end of the Tenth Canto, Twenty-fifth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Lord Kṛṣṇa Lifts Govardhana Hill."
Canto 10
Chapter 26
Nanda Recapitulates the Words of Garga Before the Puzzled Gopas
(Chapter 26: Wonderful Kṛṣṇa)
In this chapter Nanda Mahārāja describes Kṛṣṇa's opulences to the cowherd men, as Nanda had heard of them from Garga Muni.
The cowherd men, unaware of Lord Kṛṣṇa's power, were amazed to see His various extraordinary activities. The men approached Nanda Mahārāja and told him that after seeing how Kṛṣṇa, a boy only seven years old, had lifted a mountain, and how He had previously killed the demoness Pūtanā and generated extreme attraction in the hearts of everyone in Vṛndāvana, the men had become doubtful and bewildered about how Śrī Kṛṣṇa could possibly have taken birth in the unsuitable environment of a cowherd community. Nanda replied by relating to them what Garga Muni had told him about Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Garga Muni had said that in the previous three ages Nanda's boy had manifested Himself in white, red and yellow forms, whereas now, in the Dvāpara age, He had assumed His darkish-blue form, kṛṣṇa-rūpa. Because He descended as the son of Vasudeva, one of His many names is Vāsudeva, and He has innumerable other names indicating His many qualities and activities.
Garga Muni had predicted that Kṛṣṇa would prevent all sorts of catastrophes in Gokula, spread unlimited auspiciousness, and increase the ecstasy of the cowherd men and women. In a previous age He had provided protection for the saintly brāhmaṇas when they were harassed by low-class dacoits and there was no proper ruler in society. As the demons in the higher planets can never defeat the demigods who have Lord Viṣṇu on their side, no enemy can ever defeat those who love Kṛṣṇa. In His affinity for His devotees and in His opulence and power, Kṛṣṇa is just like Lord Nārāyaṇa Himself.
Overjoyed and awestruck by Garga Muni's statements, the cowherd men concluded that Kṛṣṇa must be an empowered representative of the Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa. Thus they worshiped Him and Nanda Mahārāja.
10.26.1
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'The gopas witnessing the activities like this [lifting of the hill] of Krishna, could not comprehend His heroism and approached, astonished as they were, Nanda:
this verse as follows: "During Lord Kṛṣṇa's pastime of lifting Śrī Govardhana Hill, the cowherd men simply enjoyed the spiritual bliss of the Lord's activities without analyzing them. But afterwards, when they had returned to their homes, perplexity arose within their hearts. Thus they thought, 'Now we have directly seen child Kṛṣṇa lift Govardhana Hill, and we remember how He killed Pūtanā and other demons, extinguished the forest fire, and so on. At the time, we thought that these extraordinary acts occurred because of a benediction from the brāhmaṇas or because of Nanda Mahārāja's great fortune, or that perhaps this boy had achieved the mercy of Lord Nārāyaṇa and was thus empowered by Him.
" 'But all these presumptions are false, because an ordinary seven-year old boy could never hold up the king of mountains for seven whole days. Kṛṣṇa is not a human being. He must be the Supreme Lord Himself.
" 'But on the other hand, child Kṛṣṇa loves it when we coddle Him, and He becomes morose when we — His uncles and well-wishers, simply worldly cowherd men — do not give Him attention. He appears to become hungry and thirsty, steals yogurt and milk, sometimes plays tricks, tells lies, chatters childishly and tends the calves. If He is actually the Supreme Lord, why would He do these things? Don't they indicate that He is an ordinary human child?
" 'We are totally unable to establish the truth of His identity. Therefore let us go and inquire from the highly intelligent King of Vraja, Nanda Mahārāja, and he shall free us from our doubts.' "
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the cowherd men thus made up their minds, and then they entered Nanda Mahārāja's great assembly hall and questioned him as described in the following verse.
10.26.2
grāmyeṣv ātma-jugupsitam
(2) 'Considering the no doubt extraordinary activities of the boy, how could He deserve a, for Himself contemptible, birth among worldly men?
10.26.3
kareṇaikena līlayā
puṣkaraḿ gaja-rāḍ iva
(3) How can a boy of seven years mighty as an elephant playfully with one hand hold up the best of all hills like it was a lotus flower?
10.26.4
tokenāmīlitākṣeṇa
pūtanāyā mahaujasaḥ
kāleneva vayas tanoḥ
4) As a young child with hardly its eyes open sucked He from the breast of the greatly powerful Pûtanâ [the poisoned milk] also sucking her life-air, like the force of time sucks the youth out of a body [see 10.6].
The word vayaḥ in this verse indicates youth or life span in general. With irresistible power, time takes away our life, and that time is actually Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Thus in the case of the powerful witch Pūtanā, Lord Kṛṣṇa accelerated the time process and within an instant withdrew the duration of her life. Here the cowherd men mean to say, "How could a mere infant who could barely open His eyes so easily kill a very powerful demoness?"
10.26.5
ano 'patad viparyastaḿ
rudataḥ prapadāhatam
(5) He, a few months old lying crying beneath a cart, with His feet upward turned over the cart that struck by the tip of His foot fell in pieces [see 10.7].
10.26.6
hriyamāṇo vihāyasā
daityena yas tṛṇāvartam
(6) One year old sitting down was He taken away up into the sky by the demon Trinavârta whom He, seizing his neck, tormented and killed [see 10.7].The cowherd men, who loved Kṛṣṇa as an ordinary child, were astonished by all these activities. A newborn infant cannot ordinarily kill a powerful witch, and one would hardly think that a one-year-old baby could kill a demon who has kidnapped him and carried him up into the sky. But Kṛṣṇa did all of these wonderful things, and the cowherd men were enhancing their love for Him by remembering and discussing His activities.
10.26.7
kvacid dhaiyańgava-stainye
gacchann arjunayor madhye
bāhubhyāḿ tāv apātayat
(7) Once busy stealing butter bound His mother Him to a large mortar with which He, on His hands moving between the two arjuna trees, caused their crash [see 10.10].
10.26.8
mukhato 'rim apāṭayat
(8) Surrounded by the boys together with Balarâma grazing the calves in the forest tore He with His arms apart the beak of the murderous enemy Baka [see 10.11].
10.26.9
(9) Vatsa, as another calf hiding among the calves in order to kill Him, was killed by Him for a sport making him fall [throwing him in a tree] for kapittha fruits [see 10.11].
10.26.10
paripakva-phalānvitam
(10) Together with Balarâma killing the ass-demon [Dhenuka] and his companions secured He the safety of the Tâlavana forest that was full of ripe fruits [see 10.15].
Long, long ago, the powerful demons Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa were born of the goddess Diti. Therefore demons are commonly called daiteyas or daityas, meaning "descendants of Diti." Dhenukāsura, the ass demon, terrorized the Tāla forest with his friends, but Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Balarāma killed them just as modern governments kill terrorists who harass innocent people.
10.26.11
pralambaḿ ghātayitvograḿ
gopāḿś cāraṇya-vahnitaḥ
(11) After arranging that the terrible Pralamba would be killed by the most powerful Balarâma, released He the animals of Vraja and the gopas from the forest fire [see 10.18 & 19].
10.26.12
āśī-viṣatamāhīndraḿ
prasahyodvāsya yamunāḿ
(12) Subduing the chief of the snakes [Kâliya] with his so very poisonous fangs, defeated He his pride sending him with force away from the lake of the Yamunâ, and freed He thus the water from its poison [10. 16 & 17].
10.26.13
dustyajaś cānurāgo 'smin
sarveṣāḿ no vrajaukasām
tasyāpy autpattikaḥ katham
(13) Dear Nanda, how can it be that all of us inhabitants of Vraja can't give up our feelings of love for your son who from His side is just as natural towards us?
The very word kṛṣṇa means "the all-attractive one." The residents of Vṛndāvana could not give up their constant love (anurāga) for Lord Kṛṣṇa. Their attitude toward Him was not particularly theistic, because they were unsure whether He was God or not. But He attracted all their love precisely because as God He is the all-attractive person, the supreme object of our love.
The cowherd men also asked, "How is it that young Kṛṣṇa feels such constant love for us?" In fact the Supreme Lord loves all living beings, who are eternally His children. At the end of the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa dramatically declares His affection for Arjuna and urges Arjuna to reciprocate that love by surrendering to Him. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in His prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa, states, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ: "My Lord, You are so merciful toward Me, but I am so unfortunate that love for You has not awakened within Me." (Śikṣāṣṭaka 2) In this statement Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also uses the word anurāga. Our misfortune is that we cannot reciprocate the anurāga, or loving affection, that the Lord feels for us. Although we are infinitesimal and insignificant and the Lord is infinitely attractive, somehow we do not give Him our love. We must accept responsibility for this foolish decision, since to surrender to God or not is the essential expression of our free will.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement provides an efficient, systematic program to help conditioned souls revive their original, blissful consciousness, which is love of God, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The intricacies of Kṛṣṇa consciousness are so wonderful that even Kṛṣṇa's eternal associates, the residents of Vṛndāvana, are astonished by them, as shown by these verses
10.26.14
kva mahādri-vidhāraṇam
(14) Considering His as a seven-years-old boy lifting the big hill has with us, o master of Vraja, raised questions about your son [what kind of tricks would He be pulling?].'
10.26.15
(15) Nanda said: 'Please listen to my words dear gopas; let go of your doubt concerning the boy, this is what Garga in the past told me referring to this child [see also 10.8: 12-19 for the same verses]:
10.26.16
varṇās trayaḥ kilāsyāsan
(16) 'Three colors were by your son assumed in accepting bodies according each yuga [*]; white, red and also yellow. At present He is black.
10.26.17
prāgayaḿ vasudevasya
kvacij jātas tavātmajaḥ
(17) Some time before was this child born as a son of Vasudeva and therefore will about this child of yours the ones who know this therefore also speak of Him as the all-beautiful Vâsudeva.
10.26.18
guṇa -karmānurūpāṇi
(18) Of this son of yours there are many names and forms according the nature of His qualities and activities; I know of them, but not so the common folk.
10.26.19
yūyam añjas tariṣyatha
(19) This child will always act to what is most beneficial to you all in being a Nanda-Gokula cowherd; by Him will you all easily overcome all dangers [*3]
10.26.20
arājake rakṣyamāṇā
jigyur dasyūn samedhitāḥ
(20) In times before were by Him, o King of Vraja, the pious who were disturbed by the rogues of a faulty rule protected so that they, with the bad ones defeated, could flourish [see also 1.3: 28].
10.26.21
nārayo 'bhibhavanty etān
(21) Like the ones close to Vishnu with Asuras, will those persons who unto this child are as greatly fortunate as to act in affection not be overcome by enemies.
10.26.22
śriyā kīrtyānubhāvena
(22) Therefore, o Nanda, take the greatest care raising this child: in His qualities, opulences, name and fame is this son of yours as good as Nârâyana!'
10.26.23
manye nārāyaṇasyāḿśaḿ
(23) Garga this way speaking gave me his advise and went home; I [ever since] consider Krishna, who frees us from all obstacles, an expansion of Nârâyana.'
10.26.24
(24) Thus hearing the words of Nanda about what Garga had said worshiped the residents of Vraja, enlivened by Nanda and with their perplexity gone, Lord Krishna.that in this verse the word ānarcuḥ indicates that the residents of Vṛndāvana honored Nanda and Kṛṣṇa with such offerings as fragrances, garlands and garments brought from their homes. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura adds that the residents of Vṛndāvana honored Nanda and Kṛṣṇa with loving offerings of jewels and gold coins. Apparently, Lord Kṛṣṇa was playing in the forest when this conversation took place, so when He returned home the residents of Vṛndāvana encouraged Him by decorating Him with beautiful yellow garments, necklaces, armlets, earrings and crowns, and by shouting, "All glories, all glories to the jewel of Vṛndāvana!"
10.26.25
sīdat-pāla-paśu-striy ātma-śaraṇaḿ dṛṣṭvānukampy utsmayan utpāṭyaika-kareṇa śailam abalo līlocchilīndhraḿ yathā
(25) The demigod causing rain, angry of seeing his sacrifice disrupted, made the cowherds, animals and women suffer with lightning bolts, hail and winds; seeing Himself as their only shelter smiled He out of compassion and picked He, a small child, the hill up with one hand like it was a mushroom in order to protect the cowherd community - may He, the Indra of the Cows, the destroyer of the conceit of the great king of the sky, be satisfied with us!'
The word indra means "lord" or "king." Thus in this verse Kṛṣṇa is pointedly called indro gavām, "the Lord of the cows." In fact, He is the real Indra, the real ruler, of everyone, and the demigods are merely His servants, representing His supreme will.
It is apparent from this and the previous verses in this chapter that Lord Kṛṣṇa's lifting of Govardhana Hill made quite an impression on the simple cowherd men of Vṛndāvana, and they repeatedly remembered this feat. Certainly anyone who soberly and objectively considers the activities of young Kṛṣṇa will surrender to Him and become His eternal devotee in loving devotional service. That is the rational conclusion one should come to after reading this chapter.
Thus end of the Tenth Canto, Twenty-sixth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Wonderful Kṛṣṇa."
Footnote :
* These colors will later in the eleventh canto in verses 11.5: 21, 24, 27 and 34 of the Bhâgavatam be explained [see also another site about it].
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