mahāśano mahā-pāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam

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Though they knew the greatness of Kṛṣṇa, they did not recognize him as the Lord out of great affection. He is some great person. They confirmed their thoughts with Garga’s words. Aho indicates astonishment. The words of the devotees, who know the meaning of the Vedas, are never untrue. What he said has been experienced (anvabhāvi). Because Nanda was a great devotee and had great affection for his friends, he revealed to the cowherds a little of Garga’s words glorifying Kṛṣṇa though they were secret words. This increased their affection for Kṛṣṇa, since they had natural affection for him.

 

Text 58

iti nandādayo gopāḥ kṛṣṇa-rāma-kathāṁ mudā

kurvanto ramamāṇāś ca nāvindan bhava-vedanām

Translation

In this way all the cowherd men, headed by Nanda Mahārāja, enjoyed topics about the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and played with them. They never perceived material tribulations.

 

In this way (iti) they enjoyed topics. Though Balarāma was not the subject of these discussions, both are mentioned because out of affection they were considered one. Kṛṣṇa is mentioned first since he is most prominent. Or they spoke enjoyable topics about Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇa-rāma-kathām). Kathāḥ is seen in place of kathām sometimes. They spoke (kurvantaḥ). They enjoyed the topics (ramamāṇāḥ) or they played with Kṛṣṇa. They did not know the suffering of the material world, what to speak of experiencing it.

 

Text 59

evaṁ vihāraiḥ kaumāraiḥ kaumāraṁ jahatur vraje

nilāyanaiḥ setu-bandhair markaṭotplavanādibhiḥ

Translation

In this way Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma passed their childhood age in Vraja by engaging in activities of childish play, such as playing hide-and-seek, constructing a make-believe bridge on the ocean, and jumping here and there like monkeys.

 

This last verse also occurs at the end of Chapter Fourteen and is accepted by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Previous kaumāra pastimes are repeated to produce astonishment through recollection. The verse is again repeated (at the end of chapter 14) and should be accepted since the commentary called Sambandhokti has explanations in both places.

 

Chapter Twelve

Text 1

śrī-śuka uvāca

kvacid vanāśāya mano dadhad vrajāt

prātaḥ samutthāya vayasya-vatsapān

prabodhayañ chṛṅga-raveṇa cāruṇā

vinirgato vatsa-puraḥsaro hariḥ

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O King, one day Kṛṣṇa decided to take his breakfast as a picnic in the forest. Having risen early in the morning, he blew his horn and woke all the cowherd boys and calves with its beautiful sound. Then Kṛṣṇa and the boys, keeping their respective groups of calves before them, proceeded from Vraja to the forest.

 

Three chapters now describe the kaumāra pastimes in order. The killing of Aghāsura is first described.

 

Some followers of Madhvācārya, who take liberation as the supreme goal, with conservative mentalities, cannot tolerate the liberation of a demon by sucking a gopī’s breast and criticize statements like the description starting in SB 10.6.35 and SB 10.6.44 which say that Putanā attained liberation. This is not proper since the stories are available in many scriptures and these are respected by ancient and modern commentaries like Śrīdhara Svāmī. The place where Aghāsura was killed, the grazing ground and the place where Brahmā offered praises are well known in Vṛndāvana. The story is also in Padma Purāṇa. It is not contrary to the conclusions of the great devotees, since liberation is not desirable for the devotees. That is clear everywhere in Bhāgavatam.

 

Gopīs who gave Kṛṣṇa their breast milk are similar to Yāśodā. They are dearest to the Lord, young and number in the thousands. That will become clear later. There is no contradiction. In these three chapters the extraordinary greatness of bhakti, devotees and the Lord and realization by the special mercy of the Lord is presented. This is confidential and is presented in the explanations of the devotees. Why discuss further?

 

At some time, when Kṛṣṇa had reached five years of age, in the autumn on some day, he became determined (mano dadhat) to go to the forest. Though the boys had eaten breakfast at home, they took all ingredients of food to the forest. Kṛṣṇa, full of eternity, knowledge and bliss, has a form with limbs. Though there is no difference between his mind and other functions of his antaḥkaraṇa and Kṛṣṇa himself, distinction is made for certain purposes. This will be explained later.

 

After giving up his night dress, washing his mouth, putting on clean cloth and ornaments after getting up, he left the bedroom and woke up his friends. Wanting to go with them, he left Vraja quietly. His horn had a beautiful sound, appropriate to wake up the boys with joy. Or he told them the previous day that the horn would be the signal to go for a picnic in the forest. Or cārunā indicates the attractive nature of the sound. It was always beautiful.

 

He placed the calves in front. He attracted their hearts (hariḥ). He went alone, without Balarāma on that day. The reason will be explained later. What was astonishing that day was his determination to go to the forest for a picnic. Furthermore, he rose from bed without being called by his mother. And he personally woke up all the calves using the beautiful sound of his horn. And he went without his brother. And he put the calves in front. The sequence of words and phrases indicate progressively more astonishing facts. This is understood by the devotees. This will not be expanded for fear of lengthening the commentary.

 

Text 2

tenaiva sākaṁ pṛthukāḥ sahasraśaḥ

snigdhāḥ suśig-vetra-viṣāṇa-veṇavaḥ

svān svān sahasropari-saṅkhyayānvitān

vatsān puraskṛtya viniryayur mudā

Translation

At that time, hundreds and thousands of cowherd boys came out of their respective homes in Vraja and joined Kṛṣṇa, keeping before them their hundreds and thousands of groups of calves. The boys were very beautiful, and they were equipped with lunch bags, bugles, flutes, and sticks for controlling the calves.

Commentary

All the boys came out with great speed and simultaneously in order to associate with him since they had great affection for him. They were in the thousands.

 

ekaṁ daśa śataṁ caiva sahasraṁ ayutaṁ tathā

 

lakṣaṁ ca niyutaṁ caiva koṭir nyarbudam eva ca

 

A thousand is ten hundreds and ayutam is a ten thousand. Lakṣa is a hundred thousand. Niyutam is a million. Koṭi is ten million. Nyarbuda is a hundred million.

 

Thus they were in the ten thousands. The boys and calves together could not be counted. If the number of calves that they herded in the forest was beyond calculation, how many more calves must have been left back in Vraja — the small calves taking milk from their mothers, as well as the mothers of the calves that went to the forest, other cows, the elder male and female calves, the bulls, whose numbers kept increasing daily by the power of Gopāla, and the buffalo as well. Thus the animals, cowherd and cowherd women were unlimited in number. Rāsa-dhyānaṁ pramadā-śata-koṭibhir ākulitaḥ: a billion gopīs gathered at the place of the rāsa dance. Such places exist by the inconceivable power of the Lord. The boys were joyful (mudā) because Kṛṣṇa had personally awakened them. They departed in a special manner (vi — niryayuḥ).

 

Text 3

kṛṣṇa-vatsair asaṅkhyātair yūthī-kṛtya sva-vatsakān

cārayanto ’rbha-līlābhir vijahrus tatra tatra ha

Translation

Along with Kṛṣṇa’s asaṅkhya of calves, they each put their calves in groups and, while herding them, sported in the forest in a playful spirit.

Commentary

The number of Kṛṣṇa’s calves was the number asaṇkhya. Kṣīra-svāmī says:

 

ekaṁ daśa śata śata sahasrāṇy ayutaṁ prayutākhya lakṣam atha niyutam

 

arbuda koṭir nyarbuda padme kharvaṁ nikhavam iti daśabhiḥ

 

gaṇanām mahābja- śaṅkha- samudra -madhyāntaṁ parārdhaṁ ca

 

svahataṁ parārdham amitam tam svahataṁ bhūryato ‘saṇkhyam

 

A prayuta is a hundred thousand and an arbuda is ten million. Ten multiplied by 18 times becomes one parārdha. Svahatam means multiplied by itself.

 

Śata=100

 

Sahasra=1000

 

Ayuta=10,000

 

Lakṣa or prayuta=100,000

 

Niyuta=1,000,000

 

Koṭi or arbuda=10,000,000

 

Nyarbuda=100,000,000

 

Padma=1,000,000,000

 

Khava=10,000,000,000

 

Nikharva=100,000,000,000

 

Mahābja-1,000,000,000,000

 

Śaṅkhu=10,000,000,000,000

 

Samudra=100,000,000,000,000

 

Antya= 1,000,000,000,000,000

 

Madhya=10,000,000,000,000,000

 

Parārdha=100,000,000,000,000,000

 

One parārdha x one parārdha x one parārdha x one parārdha= one asaṅkhya.

 

They each had their individual calves (svān). Another version has sva-vatsakān. They went to the grazing fields (tatra tatra). The word ha expresses joy.

 

Text 4

phala-prabāla-stavaka- sumanaḥ-piccha-dhātubhiḥ

kāca-guñjā-maṇi-svarṇa- bhūṣitā apy abhūṣayan

Translation

Although all these boys were already decorated by their mothers with ornaments of crystal, guñja berries, gems and gold, they further decorated themselves with fruits, green leaves, flower clusters, single flowers, peacock feathers and soft minerals.

Commentary

Seven verses describe the playing of the young boys. Stavaka means flower clusters and sumanaḥ means flowers. Ornaments made of crystal were attractive to the boys because they could not be distinguished from valuable gems. The boys took guñja berries growing in Vṛndāvana out of curiosity and their mothers strung them into necklaces. Sometimes mukta (pearl) is seen instead of guñja.

 

Text 5

muṣṇanto ’nyonya-śikyādīn jñātān ārāc ca cikṣipuḥ

tatratyāś ca punar dūrād dhasantaś ca punar daduḥ

Translation

All the cowherd boys used to steal one another’s ropes, sticks and other items. When a boy came to understand that his bag had been taken away, the other boys would throw it farther away, to a more distant place, and those standing there would throw it still farther. When the proprietor of the bag became disappointed, the other boys would laugh and return the items.

Commentary

They would steal the ropes, sticks or other items, but not the contents of their packets, which held their food, since it would be improper to laugh if a boy’s food was destroyed. They then threw the items, which were recognized by the owners. When the victims cried or became bewildered they would laugh.

 

Text 6

yadi dūraṁ gataḥ kṛṣṇo vana-śobhekṣaṇāya tam

ahaṁ pūrvam ahaṁ pūrvam iti saṁspṛśya remire

Translation

If Kṛṣṇa went to a somewhat distant place to see the beauty of the forest, all the other boys would run to accompany him, each one saying, “I shall be the first to run and touch Kṛṣṇa! I shall touch Kṛṣṇa first!” In this way they obtained joy.

Commentary

Five verses show the special love and complete devotion to Kṛṣṇa while the boys played. Kṛṣṇa did not generally leave the boys and go far away, but if he sometimes went far off with a few friends, to see the beauty of the forest, the other boys would obtain happiness by touching him with embraces (sam — spṛśya). The attractiveness of the forest is suggested.

Texts 7–10

kecid veṇūn vādayanto dhmāntaḥ śṛṅgāṇi kecana

kecid bhṛṅgaiḥ pragāyantaḥ kūjantaḥ kokilaiḥ pare

vicchāyābhiḥ pradhāvanto gacchantaḥ sādhu haṁsakaiḥ

bakair upaviśantaś ca nṛtyantaś ca kalāpibhiḥ

vikarṣantaḥ kīśa-bālān ārohantaś ca tair drumān

vikurvantaś ca taiḥ sākaṁ plavantaś ca palāśiṣu

sākaṁ bhekair vilaṅghantaḥ saritaḥ srava-samplutāḥ

vihasantaḥ praticchāyāḥ śapantaś ca pratisvanān

Translation

Some boys blew their flutes, and others blew bugles made of horn. Some imitated the buzzing of the bumblebees, and others imitated the voice of the cuckoo. Some boys ran with the shadows of birds, some imitated the beautiful movements of the swans, some sat down with the ducks, and others imitated the dancing of the peacocks. Some boys attracted young monkeys in the trees, some climbed the trees with them, and made faces like the young monkeys, and others jumped from the trees. Some boys jumped over the rivers filled with flowing water from waterfalls with the frogs, and when they saw their own reflections on the water they would laugh. They would also condemn the sounds of their own echoes.

Commentary

Four verses describe what they did when he went off in the distance. Some played flutes. While they played, others blew horns in order to perfect their association with him and in order to find him quickly. Or, after touching him, they performed these individual activities in bliss to give him happiness. The word sādhu (expertly) is an adverb modifying all the verbs. They made faces like the monkeys or caught the tails of the baby monkeys on the branches and pull their tails. The creeks were filled with water from waterfalls. The creeks were narrow. They laugh on seeing their shadows since the shadows were very long. They laughed in special ways (vi), such as throwing their arms in the air. Or they imitated their reflections by making faces.

Texts 11

itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena

māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ

Translation

In this way with an abundance of splendor caused by Kṛṣṇa, they played with him, who was pure consciousness known as Brahman for the jñānīs, who was the Supreme Lord for the devotees with dāsya-bhāva and who was an ordinary human child for those covered by material illusion.

 

He was easily realized (sukhānubhūtyā) as ātma-tattvam (brahman) by the liberated, who exist in a state of mere existence (satām). They consider that this is the highest goal. Or for the devotees (satām) he was Bhagavān, the form of happiness or prema-bhakti, most worthy of worship. For the ignorant he was that which destroys the jīva — liberation. Or for the gopīs who served Kātyāyanī with great faith to attain Kṛṣṇa (though this happened in the future, it was discussed by Śukadeva and Parīkṣit at this time), he appeared as a beautiful human child (nāradārakena). He appeared in this way to them because of their great prema. Or he appeared as happiness (kena for ka, happiness) for the groups of women (nāra-dara). This would be suitable for the list which starts with the inferior (liberated souls) and ends with best (the gopīs).

 

Pūnya refers to bhakti as in dharmo madbhakti-kṛt proktaḥ: dharma is performing bhakti to me. (11.19.27) The boys must have performed lots of hearing etc. as sādhana. Or they did piles of meditation on the Lord in Satya-yuga (kṛta). Or they had accomplished (kṛta) piles of anurāga (puṇya). The gopīs’ rati was not fulfilled during the day because of separation and even at night was not fulfilled with comfort (compared to these boys easily associating with Kṛṣna).

akṣaṇvatāṁ phalam idaṁ na paraṁ vidāmaḥ

sakhyaḥ paśūn anaviveśayator vayasyaiḥ

vaktraṁ vrajeśa-sutayor anu veṇu juṣṭaṁ

yair vā nipītam anurakta-kaṭākṣa-mokṣam

 

The cowherd girls said: O friends! We do not know any other success for those with eyes than the face of the younger one who plays the flute — the face experienced as he casts a side glance of love, the face tasted by people with eyes — as the two sons of Nanda take the cows from forest to forest along with their friends. SB 10.21.7

 

Śukadeva desires that the gopīs could associate in the same way as the boys did. Thus he uses the word ittham (in this way) in the present verse.

 

Text 12

yat-pāda-pāṁsur bahu-janma-kṛcchrato

dhṛtātmabhir yogibhir apy alabhyaḥ

sa eva yad-dṛg-viṣayaḥ svayaṁ sthitaḥ

kiṁ varṇyate diṣṭam ato vrajaukasām

Translation

Svayam Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, whose foot dust cannot be seen by yogīs in samādhi though they have controlled their mind by severe hardship for many births, is eternally situated here, directly visible to the eyes of the people of Vraja. Ah! How can the good fortune of the people of Vraja be described?

Commentary

Not even considering the great fortune of their constant playing with the Lord, great souls cannot even attain the fortune of seeing Kṛṣṇa, which all the people of Vraja see. They cannot attain even a grain of dust from his feet. This means that they cannot establish any sort of relationship with him. Or they cannot attain a ray of the trees such as the kadamba (pādapā + aṁśuḥ) of Vraja. Or, they cannot see from far away even a ray of the devotees who drink (gaze at) the Lord’s feet (pāda + pā –to drink) with prema, though the yogīs, on attaining samādhi, have made their minds steady by hardships of pratyāhara, yama and niyama for many lives.

 

That person, Svayam Bhagavān (saḥ eva), whom they see directly with their eyes, is situated in his svarūpa or nature (svayam), is firmly, eternally existing there (sthitaḥ) with them. This usage is similar to yac ca kiṁcij jagat sarvaṁ vypapya nārāyaṇaḥ sthitaḥ: Nārāyaṇa, who is the whole universe and is spread everywhere, exists there eternally. (Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad) In amazement he says “Ah! How can one describe their good fortune (diṣṭam)?” Or how can one describe what has been fixed (diṣṭam), their great festival of joy? It cannot be described at all.

 

Text 13

athāgha-nāmābhyapatan mahāsuras

teṣāṁ sukha-krīḍana-vīkṣaṇākṣamaḥ

nityaṁ yad-antar nija-jīvitepsubhiḥ

pītāmṛtair apy amaraiḥ pratīkṣyate

Translation

Thereafter, the great demon named Aghāsura suddenly approached, unable to tolerate seeing the joyful sporting of the boys. The devatās desired his death, though they were deathless from drinking nectar, since they feared him and desired to live long lives to see Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.

Commentary

Atha indicates a different topic with a different rasa from the present topic. Agha suddenly came in front of them (abhyapatāt). He could not tolerate seeing their joyful playing. The verb abhūt (existed) should be added. Śrīdhara Svāmī explains. The devatās, though they had drunk nectar, were fearful of death, and thus waited for his weak point (antaḥ), thinking “When and how will he die?” He gives another explanation. Agha could not tolerate the playing, which the devatās who had drunk nectar were contemplating in their hearts (antar). Their lives were not fulfilled just by drinking nectar. They were fulfilled by remembering the pastimes of the Lord. Thus they constantly contemplated him.

 

Or, the meaning can be “Even though the devatās were fully absorbed (pīta) in liberation (amṛta), they awaited his death.” They wanted to live long in order see the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. They were without death (amaraiḥ) because of accepting bodies for pastimes, or their subtle and gross bodies were without destruction. It is said muktā api līlayā vigrahaṁ kṛtvā bhajante: even the liberated accept forms and participate in the pastimes. (Śrīdhara Svāmī’s commentary on Nṛsimha-tāpanī Upaniṣad) The devatās were expecting (pratīkṣyate) the pastimes.

 

Text 14

dṛṣṭvārbhakān kṛṣṇa-mukhān aghāsuraḥ

kaṁsānuśiṣṭaḥ sa bakī-bakānujaḥ

ayaṁ tu me sodara-nāśa-kṛt tayor

dvayor mamainaṁ sa-balaṁ haniṣye

Translation

Aghāsura, who had been sent by Kaṁsa, was the younger brother of Pūtanā and Bakāsura. Therefore when he came and saw Kṛṣṇa at the head of all the cowherd boys, he thought, “This Kṛṣṇa has killed my sister and brother, Pūtanā and Bakāsura. Therefore, in order to please them both, I shall kill this Kṛṣṇa, along with the other cowherd boys.”

Commentary

Because they killed my brother and sister, I will kill them. Instead of mama sometimes atha is seen. The version with mama is accepted by all including Citsukha. Using atha avoids repeating the word “my” twice (me and mama). Kṛṣṇa was the killer of my brother and sister, of those two. Therefore I will kill him. Or, Kṛṣṇa was the killer of my brother and sister. To show enmity on their behalf (tayoḥ dvayoḥ) I will kill him.

 

Text 15

ete yadā mat-suhṛdos tilāpaḥ

kṛtās tadā naṣṭa-samā vrajaukasaḥ

prāṇe gate varṣmasu kā nu cintā

prajāsavaḥ prāṇa-bhṛto hi ye te

Translation

Aghāsura thought: If somehow or other I can make Kṛṣṇa and his associates serve as the last offering of sesame and water for the departed souls of my brother and sister, then the inhabitants of Vraja will be as if dead, for person who take their sons are their life and soul will not care for their bodies when their children die.

Commentary

Naṣṭa-samāḥ means almost dead.

 

Text 16

iti vyavasyājagaraṁ bṛhad vapuḥ

sa yojanāyāma-mahādri-pīvaram

dhṛtvādbhutaṁ vyātta-guhānanaṁ tadā

pathi vyaśeta grasanāśayā khalaḥ

Translation

After thus deciding, that crooked Aghāsura, assumed the remarkable form of a python, huge like a mountain, eight miles long, with his mouth gaping like a cave, and lay motionless on the path, with the desire to swallow the boys.

 

Resolving (vyavsya) thus, at that moment (tadā), he spread himself out without moving since he was a cheating killer (khalaḥ), who could easily swallow them all by tricky means. He would swallow them all at once since he was a python. Or he was cruel, with a proclivity for eating such boys.

 

Text 17

dharādharoṣṭho jaladottaroṣṭho

dary-ānanānto giri-śṛṅga-daṁṣṭraḥ

dhvāntāntar-āsyo vitatādhva-jihvaḥ

paruṣānila-śvāsa-davekṣaṇoṣṇaḥ

Translation

His lower lip rested on the surface of the earth, and his upper lip was touching the clouds in the sky. His mouth resembled a cave and his teeth were like mountain peaks. The depth of his mouth was dark. His tongue resembled a broad road, his breath was a hot, a harsh wind, and his hot eyes blazed like fire.

Commentary

Instead of paruṣa sometimes parṣa is seen. He had hot nostrils breathing harsh wind and hot eyes blazing like fire. Or he was hot because of his harsh breath and fiery eyes.

 

Text 18

dṛṣṭvā taṁ tādṛśaṁ sarve matvā vṛndāvana-śriyam

vyāttājagara-tuṇḍena hy utprekṣante sma līlayā

Translation

Upon seeing this demon which resembled a great python, the boys thought that it must be a beautiful feature of Vṛndāvana, comparing it to a gaping python’s mouth as a joke.

 

The word hi indicates certainty. They compared it to snake as a jest.

 

Text 19

aho mitrāṇi gadata sattva-kūṭaṁ puraḥ sthitam

asmat-saṅgrasana-vyātta- vyāla-tuṇḍāyate na vā

Translation

The boys said: Dear friends, tell us whether this is some immobile creature s in front of us, whose front portion is the gaping mouth of a python ready to swallow us.

Commentary

Please tell us whether this is some immobile creature (sattva-kūṭam) in front of us, whose front part is in the form of a snake’s mouth gaping in order to devour us.

 

Text 20

satyam arka-karāraktam uttarā-hanuvad ghanam

adharā-hanuvad rodhas tat-praticchāyayāruṇam

Translation

Others said: You speak the truth. A cloud lit by the morning sun is like a snake’s upper lip.

 

The mountain slope made red by the reflection from the cloud is like its lower lip.

Commentary

Some boys asked the question in the previous verse. Other boys answer in four verses, agreeing with them. You speak the truth (satyam). It is red with the sunlight. This indicates that the boys were going west, and the demon was facing east. Thus the morning light lit up the snake. Uttarā in the feminine instead of masculine is poetic license.