Some of the cowherd boys, who were all great souls, would then massage His lotus feet, and others, qualified by being free of all sin, would expertly fan the Supreme Lord.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When Lord Rāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa attained the age of paugaṇḍa [six to ten] while living in Vṛndāvana, the cowherd men allowed Them to take up the task of tending the cows. Engaging thus in the company of Their friends, the two boys rendered the land of Vṛndāvana most auspicious by imprinting upon it the marks of Their lotus feet.

COMMENTARY

This chapter describes Kṛṣṇa’s herding the cows and playing with His friends, His praise of Balarāma, the killing of Dhenukasura, and protecting the cows from the poison of Kāliya.

 

At the end of Their fifth year, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were permitted to herd the cows. The first day of herding the cows is described in the Kārttika-māhātmya section of the Paḍma Purāṇa: “The eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārttika is known by authorities as Gopāṣṭamī. From that day, Śrī Kṛṣṇa served as a cowherd, whereas previously He had tended the calves.”

 

Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma decorated the land of Vraja with Their beautiful footprints, which had the marks of flag and other symbols. This made Vṛndāvana extremely auspicious (puṇyam). Previously, since Kṛṣṇa’s feet were very soft and small, the impressions of the flag and other symbols were very faint. However, now the twenty-one marks were very clear. This is indicated by the word atīva (extremely). These marks made Vṛndāvana more beautiful than ever.

 

|| 10.15.2 ||

tan mādhavo veṇum udīrayan vṛto gopair gṛṇadbhiḥ sva-yaśo balānvitaḥ

paśūn puraskṛtya paśavyam āviśad vihartu-kāmaḥ kusumākaraṁ vanam

TRANSLATION

Thus desiring to enjoy pastimes, Lord Mādhava, sounding His flute, surrounded by cowherd boys who were chanting His glories, and accompanied by Lord Baladeva, kept the cows before Him and entered the Vṛndāvana forest, which was full of flowers and rich with nourishment for the animals.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa entered the Vṛndāvana forest (tat vanam) which was rich with nourishment for the cows (paśavyam). The prefix “a” combined with “viśad” means that Kṛṣṇa completely entered the forest of Vṛndāvana, that is, with great absorption. By referring to Kṛṣṇa as Mādhava, which means the spring season, Śukadeva indicates that Kṛṣṇa, like spring, caused the forest to rejoice with fragrant flower blossoms.

 

|| 10.15.3 ||

tan mañju-ghoṣāli-mṛga-dvijākulaṁ mahan-manaḥ-prakhya-payaḥ-sarasvatā

vātena juṣṭaṁ śata-patra-gandhinā nirīkṣya rantuṁ bhagavān mano dadhe

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead looked over that forest, which resounded with the charming sounds of bees, animals and birds, and which was enhanced by a lake whose clear water resembled the minds of great souls and by a breeze carrying the fragrance of hundred-petaled lotuses. Seeing all this, Lord Kṛṣṇa decided to enjoy the auspicious atmosphere.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa desired to play upon seeing the beauty of the forest (tat) which gave joy to the five senses. How did the forest satisfy the senses? The humming of bees and the melodious singing of deer and birds brought sweet pleasure to the ears. Vṛndāvana was served (justam) by gentle lotus-scented breezes carrying the cool moisture of transparent lakes filled to the brim with cool, sweet tasting water like the minds of great devotees. The cool winds thrilled the sense of touch. The sweet water stimulated the sense of taste. The beauty and fragrance of lotus flowers brought spiritual bliss to the eyes and nose.

 

|| 10.15.4 ||

sa tatra tatrāruṇa-pallava-śriyā phala-prasūnoru-bhareṇa pādayoḥ

spṛśac chikhān vīkṣya vanaspatīn mudā smayann ivāhāgra-jam ādi-pūruṣaḥ

TRANSLATION

The primeval Lord saw that the stately trees, with their beautiful reddish buds and their heavy burden of fruits and flowers, were bending down to touch His feet with the tips of their branches. Thus He smiled gently and addressed His elder brother.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa smiled to see all the trees, with their reddish leaf buds, fruits and flowers, bending down to touch His feet. Kṛṣṇa knew that the trees were actually bowing down to worship Him, but since it was improper to glorify Himself, He smiled in great bliss and praised His elder brother, Balarāma. Thus He addresses Balarāma as ādi purusa in verse six.

 

Kṛṣṇa began to laugh or almost laugh (smayann iva) in order to hide His intentions from Balarāma. This is explained in the Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta: “When the sweetness of Vṛndāvana and its inhabitants became prominent in Kṛṣṇa’s mind, He began glorifying them by making Balarāma the object of praise. However, Kṛṣṇa was actually praising Himself because the verses do not depict Balarāma’s glories. Out of sakhya-bhāva, Kṛṣṇa speaks His own glories in a joking way in the name of Balarāma.”

 

Though Kṛṣṇa is the younger brother of Balarāma, in this verse Kṛṣṇa is addressed as ādi-puruṣa to denote His position as svayam-bhagavān, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

|| 10.15.5 ||

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

aho amī deva-varāmarārcitaṁ pādāmbujaṁ te sumanaḥ-phalārhaṇam

namanty upādāya śikhābhir ātmanas tamo-’pahatyai taru-janma yat-kṛtam

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O greatest of Lords, just see how these trees are bowing their heads at Your lotus feet, which are worshipable by the immortal demigods. The trees are offering You their fruits and flowers to eradicate the dark ignorance that has caused their birth as trees.

COMMENTARY

Knowing the minds of the trees who wanted to worship His lotus feet, Kṛṣṇa glanced at the trees and then spoke to Balarāma about their glories as great devotees: “The trees, holding gifts of fruits and flowers on their heads, are bowing down to Your lotus feet with devotion. Why? They bow to purify themselves of their offenses, which caused them to take birth as trees. They are thinking, ‘Because we have committed such great offenses, we have become trees and cannot accompany the Lord in His wanderings throughout Vṛndāvana.’”

 

In this way, Kṛṣṇa interprets the trees’ movements, stemming from their attraction to Kṛṣṇa. However, since Brahmā prayed to be born as a tree in Vraja, the trees could not have been born there as a result of offenses.

 

|| 10.15.6 ||

ete ’linas tava yaśo ’khila-loka-tīrthaṁ

gāyanta ādi-puruṣānupathaṁ bhajante

prāyo amī muni-gaṇā bhavadīya-mukhyā
gūḍhaṁ vane ’pi na jahaty anaghātma-daivam

TRANSLATION

O original personality, these bees must all be great sages and most elevated devotees of Yours, for they are worshiping You by following You along the path and chanting Your glories, which are themselves a holy place for the entire world. Though You have disguised Yourself within this forest, O sinless one, they refuse to abandon You, their worshipable Lord.

COMMENTARY

In two verses Kṛṣṇa glorifies the birds and beasts of the forest: “These bees are following You here and there because they are attracted to the fragrance of Your body. When You go to secret places for Your intimate pastimes where even Your confidential associates cannot go, these bees cannot give You up, but keep following You. Although they follow You to secluded places, You do not become offended by them.” For this reason, Kṛṣṇa addresses Balarāma as anagha (sinless one).

 

“Therefore they must be Your intimate devotees (bhavadīya mukhya). Those who concentrate (muni-gaṇā) on Your intimate pastimes have become these bees.” Here there is the hint that Balarāma is giving them mercy by permitting them to enter His confidential groves and freely relish the sweet fragrance of His beautiful body.

 

|| 10.15.7 ||

nṛtyanty amī śikhina īḍya mudā hariṇyaḥ

kurvanti gopya iva te priyam īkṣaṇena

sūktaiś ca kokila-gaṇā gṛham āgatāya

dhanyā vanaukasa iyān hi satāṁ nisargaḥ

TRANSLATION

O worshipable one, these peacocks are dancing before You out of joy, these doe are pleasing You with affectionate glances, just as the gopīs do, and these cuckoos are honoring You with Vedic prayers. All these residents of the forest are most fortunate, and their behavior toward You certainly befits great souls receiving another great soul at home.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa said, “As You enter the forest the cuckoos welcome You with sweet sounds (suktaiḥ), the peacocks dance, and the deer glance affectionately in an attempt to please You (priyam kurvanti). It is the nature (nisargaḥ) of a cultured person to receive a saintly person with dance, affectionate glances and sweet words.”

 

|| 10.15.8 ||

dhanyeyam adya dharaṇī tṛṇa-vīrudhas tvat-

pāda-spṛśo druma-latāḥ karajābhimṛṣṭāḥ

nadyo ’drayaḥ khaga-mṛgāḥ sadayāvalokair

gopyo ’ntareṇa bhujayor api yat-spṛhā śrīḥ

TRANSLATION

This earth has now become most fortunate, because You have touched her grass and bushes with Your feet and her trees and creepers with Your fingernails, and because You have graced her rivers, mountains, birds and animals with Your merciful glances. But above all, You have embraced the young cowherd women between Your two arms—a favor hankered after by the goddess of fortune herself.

COMMENTARY

After glorifying Balarāma by describing the service of the trees and animals, Kṛṣṇa praised Him by showing how others are attracted to Him for showing them mercy.

 

The phrase “today the earth has become fortunate” means “In material time there is a succession of avatāras such as Varāha, but nothing can equal the blessings of Kṛṣṇa and His plenary expansion, Balarāma. The earth has now become most fortunate because You have touched her grass with Your feet, and plucked her flowers with Your fingernails. The rivers and mountains have become fortunate by Your merciful glances (sadaya avalokair), or by Your glances which bring about auspiciousness (sat aya avalokana). The dark creepers (gopyo) which beauty itself beautifies (yat spṛhā śrīḥ) are fortunate because they are touching Your chest.”

 

The word gopyo can also mean the gopīs. Thus the meaning can also be: “The gopīs are fortunate because You directly embrace them to Your chest, which is desired even by Laksmī (śrī).”

 

The Purāṇas explain that although Laksmī is situated on the chest of Nārāyaṇa, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, she once desired to be embraced on the chest of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and thus she performed severe austerities to achieve this blessing. Śrī Kṛṣṇa informed Laksmī that her actual place was Vaikuṇṭha, and that it was impossible for her to dwell upon His chest in Vṛndāvana. However, Kṛṣṇa favored Laksmī by allowing her to remain on His chest in the form of a golden line.

 

|| 10.15.9 ||

śrī-śuka uvāca

evaṁ vṛndāvanaṁ śrīmat kṛṣṇaḥ prīta-manāḥ paśūn

reme sañcārayann adreḥ sarid-rodhaḥsu sānugaḥ

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus expressing His satisfaction with the beautiful forest of Vṛndāvana and its inhabitants, Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoyed tending the cows and other animals with His friends on the banks of the river Yamunā below Govardhana Hill.

COMMENTARY

The word evaṁ means “thus describing Vṛndāvana in this way,” or “having thus satisfied His older brother.”

 

Inspired by His own words, “the gopīs were fortunate for having attained Balarāma’s chest,” Kṛṣṇa called out to Balarāma, the boys and the cows: “After resting here at Govardhana for a short time, You should all proceed to the bank of the Yamunā and play for sometime. I will come soon.”

 

Though Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were inseparable during Their paugaṇḍa age (five to ten), with the appearance of the kaiśora age (11-15) Kṛṣṇa began His amorous pastimes alone with the gopīs. This is indicated in this verse by the word “evam.” After praising Balarāma and sending Him off to herd the cows in the forest of Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa, to whom Rādhā (śrīmat) shows Her love (prītah), came to Mānasa (manāḥ) Gaṅgā (adreḥ sarit), and began to enjoy (reme) with the sakhīs (sa-anuga). The word “śrīmat” refers to the chief woman of Vraja, Śrīmati Rādhikā.

 

Because this meaning is confidential there is another meaning which covers this jewel like a golden case. Śrīmat can refer to Baladeva. Out of affection for Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa began sporting with His friends on the bank of Mānasa Gaṅgā.

 

|| 10.15.10-12 ||

kvacid gāyati gāyatsu madāndhāliṣv anuvrataiḥ

upagīyamāna-caritaḥ pathi saṅkarṣaṇānvitaḥ

anujalpati jalpantaṁ kala-vākyaiḥ śukaṁ kvacit

kvacit sa-valgu kūjantam anukūjati kokilam

kvacic ca kāla-haṁsānām anukūjati kūjitam

abhinṛtyati nṛtyantaṁ barhiṇaṁ hāsayan kvacit

megha-gambhīrayā vācā nāmabhir dūra-gān paśūn

kvacid āhvayati prītyā go-gopāla-manojñayā

TRANSLATION

Sometimes the honeybees in Vṛndāvana became so mad with ecstasy that they closed their eyes and began to sing. Lord Kṛṣṇa, moving along the forest path with His cowherd boyfriends and Baladeva, would then respond to the bees by imitating their singing while His friends sang about His pastimes. Sometimes Lord Kṛṣṇa would imitate the chattering of a parrot, sometimes, with a sweet voice, the call of a cuckoo, and sometimes the cooing of swans. Sometimes He vigorously imitated the dancing of a peacock, making His cowherd boyfriends laugh. Sometimes, with a voice as deep as the rumbling of clouds, He would call out with great affection the names of the animals who had wandered far from the herd, thus enchanting the cows and the cowherd boys.

COMMENTARY

When Kṛṣṇa would imitate the dancing of the peacocks (barhiṇaṁ abhi nṛtyati), the peacocks would dance more enthusiastically and the boys would laugh heartily.

 

|| 10.15.13 ||

cakora-krauñca-cakrāhva-bhāradvājāṁś ca barhiṇaḥ

anurauti sma sattvānāṁ bhīta-vad vyāghra-siṁhayoḥ

TRANSLATION

Sometimes He would cry out in imitation of birds such as the cakoras, krauñcas, cakrāhvas, bhāradvājas and peacocks, and sometimes He would run away with the smaller animals in mock fear of lions and tigers.

COMMENTARY

Upon hearing the roar of the tiger and lion (sattvānāṁ), Kṛṣṇa appeared fearful (bhīta-avat) and fled with the other cowherd boys. This means that when the boys fled on hearing the sounds that Kṛṣṇa made, Kṛṣṇa also fled as if in fear.

 

|| 10.15.14 ||

kvacit krīḍā-pariśrāntaṁ gopotsaṅgopabarhaṇam

svayaṁ viśramayaty āryaṁ pāda-saṁvāhanādibhiḥ

TRANSLATION

When His elder brother, fatigued from playing, would lie down with His head upon the lap of a cowherd boy, Lord Kṛṣṇa would help Him relax by personally massaging His feet and offering other services.

COMMENTARY

When Balarāma became tired of playing, He lay down using the lap of a cowherd boy as a pillow (upabarhaṇam) to rest His head.

 

|| 10.15.15 ||

nṛtyato gāyataḥ kvāpi valgato yudhyato mithaḥ

gṛhīta-hastau gopālān hasantau praśaśaṁsatuḥ

TRANSLATION

Sometimes, as the cowherd boys danced, sang, moved about and playfully fought with each other, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, standing nearby hand in hand, would glorify Their friends’ activities and laugh.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would laugh while glorifying the dancing, singing, jumping and fighting of the cowherd boys.

 

|| 10.15.16 ||

kvacit pallava-talpeṣu niyuddha-śrama-karśitaḥ

vṛkṣa-mūlāśrayaḥ śete gopotsaṅgopabarhaṇaḥ

TRANSLATION

Sometimes Lord Kṛṣṇa grew tired from fighting and lay down at the base of a tree, resting upon a bed made of soft twigs and buds and using the lap of a cowherd friend as His pillow.

 

|| 10.15.17 ||

pāda-saṁvāhanaṁ cakruḥ kecit tasya mahātmanaḥ

apare hata-pāpmāno vyajanaiḥ samavījayan

TRANSLATION

 

|| 10.15.18 ||

anye tad-anurūpāṇi manojñāni mahātmanaḥ

gāyanti sma mahā-rāja sneha-klinna-dhiyaḥ śanaiḥ