The boys said: Dear friends, is this creature dead, or is it actually a living python with its mouth spread wide just to swallow us all? Kindly clear up this doubt.

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 bugle made of 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 Vrajabhūmi to the forest.

COMMENTARY

The Twelfth Chapter describes Kṛṣṇa’s playing with His friends, and their entering the body of the serpent demon Aghāsura. To save His friends Kṛṣṇa also entered the demon and killed him by expanding His body.

 

One day (kvacit) Kṛṣṇa decided to enjoy a picnic in the forest (vanāśāya). Only Kṛṣṇa’s name (hariḥ) is mentioned, indicating that Rohiṇī forcefully kept Balarāma at home in order to bathe Him and perform auspicious rites on His birthday.

 

|| 10.12.2 ||

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 Vrajabhūmi 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

2-3 Pṛthukāḥ refers to the cowherd boys. They were holding sticks, horns, flutes and lunch bags.

 

Sahasra pari sankhya means ten thousand. Kṛṣṇa had an asaṅkhya number of calves. A parardha is one followed by seventeen zeros. A parardha x parardha x parardha x parardha equals one Asaṅkhya. One should not argue however that such a large number of cows could not possibly fit into the thirty-two square mile area of Vṛndāvana, because the dhāma is unlimited by the inconceivable energy of the Lord. Even a small portion of the holy dhāma is sufficient to accommodate billions of universes each measuring fifty million miles in diameter. Kṛṣṇa showed this to Brahmā in a later chapter. The Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta says there is no question of impediments, obstacles or limitations because the Lord, His associates, and His holy dhāma have inconceivable power (acintya-śaktih). Kṛṣṇa’s cowherd boyfriends were ornamented by their mothers with necklaces of crystal and guñjā seed beads before entering the forest. Once in the forest, they ornamented themselves with forest fruits and flowers.

 

|| 10.12.3 ||

kṛṣṇa-vatsair asaṅkhyātair yūthī-kṛtya sva-vatsakān

cārayanto ’rbha-līlābhir vijahrus tatra tatra ha

TRANSLATION

Along with the cowherd boys and their own groups of calves, Kṛṣṇa came out with an unlimited number of calves assembled. Then all the boys began to sport in the forest in a greatly playful spirit.

|| 10.12.4 ||

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 kāca, guñjā, pearls and gold, when they went into the forest they further decorated themselves with fruits, green leaves, bunches of flowers, peacock feathers and soft minerals.

|| 10.12.5 ||

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 lunch bags. 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, the proprietor would cry, and then the bag would be returned.

COMMENTARY

The cowherd boys used to steal (muṣṇantaḥ) each other’s articles. One boy would steal another’s food container, take it to a distant place, and hide it under a tree surrounded by thorn bushes and red ants. When the boy whose lunch bag was stolen tried to retrieve it, other boys would throw it farther away. When he ran after it, they would throw it still farther. The boy would cry, and then the other boys would laugh and return his lunch bag.

 

|| 10.12.6 ||

yadi dūraṁ gataḥ kṛṣṇo vana-śobhekṣaṇāya tam

ahaṁ pūrvam ahaṁ pūrvam iti saṁspṛśya remire

TRANSLATION

Sometimes Kṛṣṇa would go to a somewhat distant place to see the beauty of the forest. Then 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 enjoyed life by repeatedly touching Kṛṣṇa.

COMMENTARY

When Kṛṣṇa wandered off to see the beauty of a distant forest, the boys would run after Him, shouting, “I will touch Kṛṣṇa first!” “No, I will.” “No. I will.”

 

|| 10.12.7-11 ||

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

itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena

māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ

TRANSLATION

All the boys would be differently engaged. 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 imitated flying birds by running after the birds’ shadows on the ground, some imitated the beautiful movements and attractive postures of the swans, some sat down with the ducks, sitting silently, and others imitated the dancing of the peacocks. Some boys attracted young monkeys in the trees, some jumped into the trees, imitating the monkeys, some made faces as the monkeys were accustomed to do, and others jumped from one branch to another. Some boys went to the waterfalls and crossed over the river, jumping 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. In this way, all the cowherd boys used to play with Kṛṣṇa, who is the source of the Brahman effulgence for jñānīs desiring to merge into that effulgence, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead for devotees who have accepted eternal servitorship, and who for ordinary persons is but another ordinary child. The cowherd boys, having accumulated the results of pious activities for many lives, were able to associate in this way with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How can one explain their great fortune?

COMMENTARY

Verses 7-10: The cowherd boys blew bugles (dhmāntaḥ) made of buffalo horns, chased the shadows of the birds, and pulled the tails of baby monkeys. They would climb the trees by grabbing the tails of the monkeys hanging from the branches. After imitating the funny faces of the monkeys, the boys would jump from tree branch to branch. They leaped after the frogs into pools of water, which were created by the cascading waterfalls. Upon seeing their reflections on the water, they would laugh heartily.

 

Raising their arms, the boys would shout loudly in a playful mood. Then they would curse their echoes saying, “Aaare (ahah)! Who is that speaking?” Hearing a single syllable echo back, the boys would become angry. “What is this?” The echo would reply vibrating “re—re-re.” And the boys would say, “Today you will die!” In this way they would curse again and again and never come to an end.

 

Verse 11: After describing the playing of the cowherd boys, this verse shows the unique good fortune of the Vrajavāsīs as compared with others. There are three types of people in this world: karmīs, jñānīs and bhaktas. The word satāṁ indicates those jñānīs who possess some trace of devotion. The inhabitants of Vraja used to play freely with Kṛṣṇa who is the source of the knowledge and happiness the jñānīs seek in Brahman. One can understand from this that Kṛṣṇa’s body, with which the Vrajavāsīs played, contains the Brahman.

 

The word satāṁ (transcendentalists) cannot apply to those jñānīs who think that Kṛṣṇa’s body is material. The phrase dāsya gatāna refers to all the genuine devotees besides the Vrajavāsīs, who see Kṛṣṇa as their worshipable Lord. The Vrajavāsīs were so fortunate that they directly played with Kṛṣṇa who is seen by these other devotees as their reverent Lord.

 

The Vrajavāsīs joyfully sported with Kṛṣṇa, who is perceived as an ordinary human (naradārakeṇa) by the materialistic sense enjoyers covered by the illusory potency (mayaśrītānāṁ) of the Lord. The jñānīs have realization of Kṛṣṇa but they cannot play with Him. The dāsya bhaktas, the Lord’s surrendered servants, worship Kṛṣṇa in reverence, but they are not qualified to play with Kṛṣṇa. The karmīs have no respect for Kṛṣṇa so they neither realize nor worship Him, what to speak of playing with Him.

 

Although Kṛṣṇa is made of complete bliss, He experienced intense ecstasy playing with the Vrajavāsīs in various pastimes of love. They too attained the pinnacle of joy in His association. Therefore, the Vrajavāsīs were more fortunate than all others (kṛta puṇya). Of course, this is a material viewpoint. For the nitya siddha Vrajavāsīs, Kṛṣṇa’s eternal associates who far surpass the jñānīs and dāsya bhaktas, the cause of the playing with Kṛṣṇa is not material piety (puṇya). Here the word puṇya (kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ) can only mean activities pleasing to Kṛṣṇa, by which Kṛṣṇa comes under the devotee’s control. It does not mean material piety or heaps of good deeds.

 

|| 10.12.12 ||

yat-pāda-pāṁsur bahu-janma-kṛcchrato dhṛtātmabhir yogibhir apy alabhyaḥ

sa eva yad-dṛg-viṣayaḥ svayaṁ sthitaḥ kiṁ varṇyate diṣṭam ato vrajaukasām

TRANSLATION

Yogīs may undergo severe austerities and penances for many births by practicing yama, niyama, āsana and prāṇāyāma, none of which are easily performed. Yet in due course of time, when these yogīs attain the perfection of controlling the mind, they will still be unable to taste even a particle of dust from the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What then can we describe about the great fortune of the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi, Vṛndāvana, with whom the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally lived and who saw the Lord face to face?

COMMENTARY

What to speak of playing with Kṛṣṇa, even establishing a relationship with Kṛṣṇa is very rare. That is the intent of this verse. The yogīs cannot attain even one particle of dust of Kṛṣṇa’s feet (pāda pāṁsuḥ). Nor can the yogīs attain even one particle of reflected light from the trees of Vṛndāvana (padapa: tree, amsuh: particle).

 

Those who fully concentrate their minds (dhrta-atmabhih) cannot attain Kṛṣṇa. Thus it was stated earlier that Kṛṣṇa is sukhapa, not easily attained. Svayaṁ sthita (being self situated) indicates that seeing Kṛṣṇa does not depend even on the performance of sādhana.

 

“Oh what great fortune (diṣṭam atah)” or “What a happy festival (diṣṭa maho)!” Who can describe the good fortune or happiness of the Vrajavāsīs who constantly see Kṛṣṇa? Such fortune is unobtai-nable by the yogīs. Though they concentrate their minds for lifetimes, they cannot even attain a particle of dust at Kṛṣṇa’s feet.

 

|| 10.12.13 ||

athāgha-nāmābhyapatan mahāsuras teṣāṁ sukha-krīḍana-vīkṣaṇākṣamaḥ

nityaṁ yad-antar nija-jīvitepsubhiḥ pītāmṛtair apy amaraiḥ pratīkṣyate

TRANSLATION

My dear King Parīkṣit, thereafter there appeared a great demon named Aghāsura, whose death was being awaited even by the demigods. The demigods drank nectar every day, but still they feared this great demon and awaited his death. This demon could not tolerate the transcendental pleasure being enjoyed in the forest by the cowherd boys.

 

COMMENTARY

Seeing that the boys were relishing ever-increasing bliss by playing, and that they would not stop playing, and knowing that they would not take time out to eat, and that the eating time had already passed, and seeing that it was also necessary to kill a demon, Kṛṣṇa’s līlā-śakti inspired the Aghāsura demon through the Supersoul and brought him near the boys.

 

Aghāsura could not tolerate the fun the boys were having. The various sports they played filled the boys with pleasure, but the demon experienced only suffering. The demigods (amaraiḥ) who drink the celestial nectar (amṛta) were afraid of being killed by the demon, so they eagerly awaited his death (yad antaḥ). Yad can also refer to playing and antah can mean in the heart. Then the meaning would be: Aghāsura could not tolerate the gopa’s playing, which was meditated upon by the demigods, and which alone gave them the desire to maintain their lives (nija jīvtepsubhih), though they already drank nectar, amṛta.

 

|| 10.12.14 ||

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 His assistants, the other cowherd boys.”

 

|| 10.12.15 ||

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 Śeṣame and water for the departed souls of my brother and sister, then the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi, for whom these boys are the life and soul, will automatically die. If there is no life, there is no need for the body; consequently, when their sons are dead, naturally all the inhabitants of Vraja will die.

COMMENTARY

Verses 14-15: Observing all the cowherd boys headed by Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇa mukhan), Aghāsura (saḥ), the younger brother of Pūtanā (baki) and Bakasura, considered: The second half of verse 14 and verse 15 are Aghāsura’s thoughts:

 

“This person (ayam tu) has killed my older sister Pūtanā (baki) and my brother (baka sodara nasa krt). On their behalf therefore (atha), I will kill Kṛṣṇa as a pinda offering along with His followers (sabalaṁ). If Kṛṣṇa and the other boys become the sacrificial offering (tilāpaḥ) to the Pretas for my brother and sister (mat suhṛdoḥ), Nanda and the other inhabitants of Vraja will automatically die. If life has left the body, need we worry any more about the bodies (varsmasu)? Living entities (ye prāṇa bhṛtaḥ) live through their children (te prajāsavaḥ). Therefore if their beloved child Kṛṣṇa dies, then Nanda, Yaśodā and the rest of the Vrajavāsīs will automatically die without our having to kill them.”

 

|| 10.12.16 ||

iti vyavasyājagaraṁ bṛhad vapuḥ sa yojanāyāma-mahādri-pīvaram

dhṛtvādbhutaṁ vyātta-guhānanaṁ tadā pathi vyaśeta grāsanāśayā khalaḥ

TRANSLATION

After thus deciding, that crooked Aghāsura assumed the form of a huge python, as thick as a big mountain and as long as eight miles. Having assumed this wonderful python’s body, he spread his mouth like a big cave in the mountains and lay down on the road, expecting to swallow Kṛṣṇa and His associates the cowherd boys.

COMMENTARY

Thinking in this way, Aghāsura lay on the path in order to devour Kṛṣṇa and His friends. He was one yojana (eight miles) in length, and as thick (pīvaram) as a huge mountain (mahādri). His mouth spread open (vyāttam) like a cave.

 

|| 10.12.17 ||

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. The borders of his mouth resembled the sides of a big cave in a mountain, and the middle of his mouth was as dark as possible. His tongue resembled a broad traffic-way, his breath was like a warm wind, and his eyes blazed like fire.

 

COMMENTARY

Aghāsura’s lower lip rested on the earth and his upper lip touched the clouds. The borders of his mouth resembled the sides of a big mountain cave. The interior of the mouth was as dark as night, and his tongue resembled a wide road. His breath was like a burning fire and his eyes blazed like fire.

 

|| 10.12.18 ||

dṛṣṭvā taṁ tādṛśaṁ sarve matvā vṛndāvana-śriyam

vyāttājagara-tuṇḍena hy utprekṣante sma līlayā

TRANSLATION

Upon seeing this demon’s wonderful form, which resembled a great python, the boys thought that it must be a beautiful scenic spot of Vṛndāvana. Thereafter, they imagined it to be similar to the mouth of a great python. In other words, the boys, unafraid, thought that it was a statue made in the shape of a great python for the enjoyment of their pastimes.

COMMENTARY

A few boys thought that Aghāsura was a big snake, so they started to run away upon seeing it. Other boys however thought that Aghāsura was simply a wonderful scenic spot of Vṛndāvana. They comforted their fearful friends saying, “Oh fools, a snake can never be this big. It is just some statue fashioned by the Lord so that we can appreciate the splendor of Vṛndāvana even more. Kṛṣṇa made it look like a huge snake with a big gaping mouth.”

 

In this way the cowherd boys thought the Lord’s creation was something like the gaping mouth of the serpent made just for pastimes (līlayā).

 

|| 10.12.19 ||

aho mitrāṇi gadata sattva-kūṭaṁ puraḥ sthitam

asmat-saṅgrāsana-vyātta-vyāla-tuṇḍāyate na vā

TRANSLATION