The
gopas said: 'Râma, o Râma, o mighty-armed
one, o Krishna, destroyer of the wicked, we're troubled by
hunger, something should be done to appease it.'
The
cowherd boys said: O Râma, Râma, mighty-armed
one! O Krishna, chastiser of the wicked! We are being
harassed by hunger, and You should do something about it.
(Vedabase)
Text
2
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Thus informed by the gopas spoke the
Supreme Lord, the son of Devakî, wishing to satisfy some
brahmin wives devoted to Him, the following:
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: Thus entreated by the cowherd
boys, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of
Devakî, replied as follows, desiring to please certain
of His devotees who were brâhmanas' wives.
(Vedabase)
Text
3
'Please
go to the sacrificial arena of the brahmins who, desiring
heaven, according the vedic injunctions are now performing a
sacrifice named Ângirasa.
[Lord
Krishna said:] Please go to the sacrificial arena where
a group of brâhmanas, learned in the Vedic
injunctions, are now performing the Ângirasa sacrifice
to gain promotion to heaven. (Vedabase)
Text
4
Going
there, dear gopas, ask for food telling them that you've
been sent by the Supreme Lord My elder brother and also in My
name.
When
you go there, My dear cowherd boys, simply request some
food. Declare to them the name of My elder brother, the
Supreme Lord Balarâma, and also My name, and explain
that you have been sent by Us. (Vedabase)
Text
5
With
this order of the Supreme Lord going there asked they as was
told, petitioning with folded hands before the brahmins fallen
down like sticks to the ground:
Thus
instructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the
cowherd boys went there and submitted their request. They
stood before the brâhmanas with palms joined in
supplication and then fell flat on the ground to offer
respect. (Vedabase)
Text
6
'O
earthly gods, all good to you, please listen, we, sent by
Râma, you must understand, have arrived here following
the orders of Krishna.
[The
cowherd boys said:] O earthly gods, please hear us. We
cowherd boys are executing the orders of Krishna, and we
have been sent here by Balarâma. We wish all good for
you. Please acknowledge our arrival. (Vedabase)
Text
7
Râma and
Acyuta graze Their cows not far from here and being hungry in
want ask they you to supply Them with food, o twice-born; so if
you have any faith, then please donate, o finest knowers of the
religion.
Lord
Râma and Lord Acyuta are tending Their cows not far
from here. They are hungry and want you to give Them some of
your food. Therefore, O brâhmanas, O best of
the knowers of religion, if you have faith please give some
food to Them. (Vedabase)
Text
8
From the
beginning of a sacrifice until the end of sacrificing the
animal, o lovers of the truth, is it, except for when it is a
[Sautrâmani] sacrifice to Indra
[*],
not even for an initiate an offense to enjoy [or hand
out] food.'
Except
during the interval between the initiation of the performer
of a sacrifice and the actual sacrifice of the animal, O
most pure brâhmanas, it is not contaminating
for even the initiated to partake of food, at least in
sacrifices other than the Sautrâmani.
(Vedabase)
Text
9
Thus
hearing of the Supreme Lord His supplication took they
nevertheless no heed, in trivial pursuit foolishly thinking to
know it better with their ritualistic
activities.
The
brâhmanas heard this supplication from the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet they refused to pay
heed. Indeed, they were full of petty desires and entangled
in elaborate rituals. Though presuming themselves advanced
in Vedic learning, they were actually inexperienced fools.
(Vedabase)
Text
10-11
Though
place and time, the items used, the hymns, the rituals, the
priests and the fire, the officiating God-conscious, the
performer of the sacrifice, the performance and its dharmic
result all make up the directly visible of the Absolute Truth
of Him, the Supreme Lord beyond the senses, considered they Him
in their borrowed intelligence an ordinary
person.
Although
the ingredients of sacrificial performance - the place,
time, particular paraphernalia, mantras, rituals, priests,
fires, demigods, performer, offering and the as yet unseen
beneficial results - are all simply aspects of His
opulences, the brâhmanas saw Lord Krishna as an
ordinary human because of their perverted intelligence. They
failed to recognize that He is the Supreme Absolute Truth,
the directly manifest Personality of Godhead, whom the
material senses cannot ordinarily perceive. Thus bewildered
by their false identification with the mortal body, they did
not show Him proper respect. (Vedabase)
Text
12
With
them not even giving them a yes or a no, did the gopas
thus discouraged, o chastiser of the enemies, turn back to
inform Krishna and Râma about it.
When
the brâhmanas failed to reply even with a
simple yes or no, O chastiser of the enemy
[Parîkshit], the cowherd boys returned
disappointed to Krishna and Râma and reported this to
Them. (Vedabase)
Text
13
Hearing that
laughed the Supreme Lord, the Controller of the Universe, and
addressed He again the cowherd boys in order to show them the
ways of the world:
Hearing
what had happened, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the
Lord of the universe, simply laughed. Then He again
addressed the cowherd boys, showing them the way men act in
this world. (Vedabase)
Text
14
'Communicate to
the wives that I together with Sankarshana have arrived; they
will give you all the food desired, for they with their
intelligence residing in Me are of affection toward
Me.'
[Lord
Krishna said:] Tell the wives of the
brâhmanas that I have come here with Lord
Sankarshana. They will certainly give you all the food you
want, for they are most affectionate toward Me and, indeed,
with their intelligence reside in Me alone.
(Vedabase)
Text
15
Going then to
the house of the wives where they saw them sitting nicely
ornamented, bowed the gopas with reverence before the
chaste women of the twice-born and said they humbly:
The
cowherd boys then went to the house where the
brâhmanas' wives were staying. There the boys
saw those chaste ladies sitting, nicely decorated with fine
ornaments. Bowing down to the brâhmana ladies, the
boys addressed them in all humility. (Vedabase)
Text
16
'Salutations to
you, o wives of the learned ones, please listen to what we have
to say: not far from here are we roaming with Krishna by whom
we've been sent here.
[The
cowherd boys said:] Obeisances unto you, O wives of the
learned brâhmanas. Kindly hear our words. We
have been sent here by Lord Krishna, who is passing by not
far from here. (Vedabase)
Text
17
Tending
the cows with the gopas and Râma He came a long
way; He with His companions being hungry should be given
food.'
He
has come a long way with the cowherd boys and Lord
Balarâma, tending the cows. Now He is hungry, so some
food should be given for Him and His companions.
(Vedabase)
Text
18
When
they heard that Krishna was nearby whom they, with their minds
enchanted by His stories, were always eager to see, got they
very excited.
The
wives of the brâhmanas were always eager to see
Krishna, for their minds had been enchanted by descriptions
of Him. Thus as soon as they heard that He had come, they
became very excited. (Vedabase)
Text
19
Like rivers
flowing towards the ocean were the four types of [chewed,
sucked, licked and drunk] edibles in all tastes of food
brought and taken out in vessels to their all
beloved.
Taking
along in large vessels the four kinds of foods, full of fine
tastes and aromas, all the ladies went forth to meet their
beloved, just as rivers flow toward the sea.
(Vedabase)
Text
20-21
Even though
their husbands, brothers, sons and other relatives tried to
stop them, directed they themselves, for so long having heard
and longed for Him, to the Supreme Lord Praised in the
Scriptures. The ladies found Him wandering with the
gopas and His elder brother in a grove near the
Yamunâ that was beautiful with blooming
as'okas.
Although
their husbands, brothers, sons and other relatives tried to
forbid them from going, their hope of seeing Krishna,
cultivated by extensive hearing of His transcendental
qualities, won out. Along the river Yamunâ, within a
garden decorated with buds of as'oka trees, they caught
sight of Him strolling along in the company of the cowherd
boys and His elder brother, Balarâma.
(Vedabase)
Text
22
With His dark
complexion, golden garment, garland of forest flowers, peacock
feather, colored minerals, sprigs of buds, was He, dressed like
a dancer on a stage, with His hand over a friend's shoulder and
with the other twirling a lotus, smiling with His lotus face,
His hair over His cheeks and lilies behind His
ears.
His
complexion was dark blue and His garment golden. Wearing a
peacock feather, colored minerals, sprigs of flower buds,
and a garland of forest flowers and leaves, He was dressed
just like a dramatic dancer. He rested one hand upon the
shoulder of a friend and with the other twirled a lotus.
Lilies graced His ears, His hair hung down over His cheeks,
and His lotuslike face was smiling. (Vedabase)
Text
23
Over and over
having heard of the glories of their dearmost, the gem to their
ears in whom their minds were submerged, embraced they Him, now
brought within their view, for a long time and gave they up the
inner distress, o sovereign of the people, that had resulted
from the fact that they identified themselves with their
bodies.
O
ruler of men, for a long time those brâhmana ladies
had heard about Krishna, their beloved, and His glories had
become the constant ornaments of their ears. Indeed, their
minds were always absorbed in Him. Through the apertures of
their eyes they now forced Him to enter within their hearts,
and then they embraced Him within for a long time. In this
way they finally gave up the pain of separation from Him,
just as sages give up the anxiety of false ego by embracing
their innermost consciousness. (Vedabase)
Text
24
As the overseer
of the vision of all creatures understanding that they, getting
there to see Him in person, in that state had broken with all
worldly expectations, spoke He with a smile upon His
face.
Lord
Krishna, who witnesses the thoughts of all creatures,
understood how those ladies had abandoned all worldly hopes
and come there simply to see Him. Thus He addressed them as
follows with a smile upon His face. (Vedabase)
Text
25
'You're most
welcome o finest of grace, please sit down, what can I do for
you; how becoming of you to come here to see Me!
[Lord
Krishna said:] Welcome, O most fortunate ladies. Please
sit down and make yourselves comfortable. What can I do for
you? That you have come here to see Me is most appropriate.
(Vedabase)
Text
26
People of
discrimination aware of what's good for them most certainly
perform directly unto Me, their dearmost Self, in unrelenting
devotional service that is proper without ulterior
motives.
Certainly
expert personalities, who can see their own true interest,
render unmotivated and uninterrupted devotional service
directly unto Me, for I am most dear to the soul.
(Vedabase)
Text
27
What else
indeed would be as dear as that object of love of which the
contact engendered the dear of one's life force, intelligence,
mind, relatives, body, wife, children, wealth and so
forth?
It
is only by contact with the self that one's vital breath,
intelligence, mind, friends, body, wife, children, wealth
and so on are dear. Therefore what object can possibly be
more dear than one's own self? (Vedabase)
Text
28
Therefore go to
the sacrificial arena so that your brahmin husbands together
with you as householders will be able to finish their
sacrifices.'
You
should thus return to the sacrificial arena, because your
husbands, the learned brâhmanas, are
householders and need your assistance to finish their
respective sacrifices. (Vedabase)
Text
29
The wives
answered: 'Don't be so strict with us, o Almighty One, please
be true to Your [scriptural] promise that having
obtained the base of Your lotus feet we, shunning all
relations, may carry upon our hair the tulsî garland
kicked away by Your foot.
The
wives of the brâhmanas replied: O almighty one,
please do not speak such cruel words. Rather, You should
fulfill Your promise that You always reciprocate with Your
devotees in kind. Now that we have attained Your lotus feet,
we simply wish to remain here in the forest so we may carry
upon our heads the garlands of tulasî leaves You may
neglectfully kick away with Your lotus feet. We are ready to
give up all material relationships. (Vedabase)
Text
30
Our husbands,
fathers, sons and brothers, other relatives and friends won't
take us back and how would other people then respond? Therefore
can there for us, whose bodies have fallen at Your feet, be no
other destination o Chastiser of the Enemies; please grant us
that!'
Our
husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, other relatives and
friends will no longer take us back, and how could anyone
else be willing to give us shelter? Therefore, since we have
thrown ourselves at Your lotus feet and have no other
destination, please, O chastiser of enemies, grant our
desire. (Vedabase)
Text
31-32
The Supreme
Lord said: 'Your husbands will not be bad of jealousy nor will
your fathers, brothers, sons or other people; even the demigods
will, on My word, regard you favorably.
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead replied: Rest assured that
your husbands will not be inimical toward you, nor will your
fathers, brothers, sons, other relatives or the general
populace. I will personally advise them of the situation.
Indeed, even the demigods will express their approval.
(Vedabase)
Text
33
Hearing,
attending [to the deity or the gathering of devotees],
meditating and singing about Me, you are of love for Me, not so
much with being physically close to Me; therefore return to
your homes.'
It
is by hearing about Me, seeing My Deity form, meditating
upon Me and chanting My names and glories that love for Me
develops, not by physical proximity. Therefore please go
back to your homes. (Vedabase)
Text
34
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Having said this to the wives of the twice-born
went they back to the place of sacrifice where their husbands
not being spiteful together with them completed the
performance.
S'rîla
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: Thus instructed, the
wives of the brâhmanas returned to the place of
sacrifice. The brâhmanas did not find any fault
with their wives, and together with them they finished the
sacrifice. (Vedabase)
Text
35
One of them,
held back with force by her husband, embraced, hearing from the
others about the Supreme Lord, Him within her heart and gave up
the body that was the basis of karmic bondage.
One
of the ladies had been forcibly kept back by her husband.
When she heard the others describe the Supreme Lord Krishna,
she embraced Him within her heart and gave up her material
body, the basis of bondage to material activity.
(Vedabase)
Text
36
The Supreme
Lord, also known as Govinda,
fed with that very same food in four types the gopas
after which He, the Almighty Himself, took a
share.
Govinda,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, fed the cowherd boys
with that food of four varieties. Then the all-powerful Lord
Himself partook of the preparations. (Vedabase)
Text
37
And thus
delighted He in His pastimes with His transcendental appearance
following the cause of events of the human affair, to please
the cows, the gopas and the gopîs with His
beauty, words and actions.
Thus
the Supreme Lord, appearing like a human being to perform
His pastimes, imitated the ways of human society. He enjoyed
pleasing His cows, cowherd boyfriends and cowherd
girlfriends with His beauty, words and actions.
(Vedabase)
Text
38
Afterwards came
the learned ones to their senses and felt great remorse in
having been so offensive because of their conceit with the
humble request of the Lords of the Universe who had appeared
like human beings.
The
brâhmanas then came to their senses and began
to feel great remorse. They thought, "We have sinned, for we
have denied the request of the two Lords of the universe,
who deceptively appeared as ordinary human beings."
(Vedabase)
Text
39
Seeing in their
wives toward Krishna, the Supreme Lord, the excellent flight of
devotion that with them was totally lacking, condemned they
themselves lamenting:
Taking
note of their wives' pure, transcendental devotion for Lord
Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and seeing
their own lack of devotion, the brâhmanas felt
most sorrowful and began to condemn themselves.
(Vedabase)
Text
40
'To hell with
all of our threefold births [biological, brahminical and
ritual], our vows, our extensive spiritual knowledge, our
lineage and our expertise in the rituals, when we have turned
against the One Beyond the Senses.
[The
brâhmanas said:] To hell with our threefold
birth, our vow of celibacy and our extensive learning! To
hell with our aristocratic background and our expertise in
the rituals of sacrifice! These are all condemned because we
were inimical to the transcendental Personality of Godhead.
(Vedabase)
Text
41
Verily the
Supreme Lord His mâyâ that even deludes the
greatest yogis has been the cause that we the twiceborn, the
spiritual teachers of society, have been bewildered concerning
our own true interest.
The
illusory potency of the Supreme Lord certainly bewilders
even the great mystics, what to speak of us. As
brâhmanas we are supposed to be the spiritual
masters of all classes of men, yet we have been bewildered
about our own real interest. (Vedabase)
Text
42
Just see how of
even these women there for Krishna, the spiritual teacher of
the universe, is an unlimited devotion which has broken the
bond of death known as family-life.
Just
see the unlimited love these women have developed for Lord
Krishna, the spiritual master of the entire universe! This
love has broken for them the very bonds of death - their
attachment to family life. (Vedabase)
Text
43-44
On their part
there were no purification rites of rebirth, they didn't stay
with the guru or even executed austerities, nor were they of
philosophical inquiry into the true nature of the self or of
any special cleanliness or pious actions; nevertheless are
they, contrary to us - however full of all that purification we
are -, firm indeed in their devotional service for Krishna, the
Lord Praised in the Verses and Master of all Masters of
Yoga.
These
women have never undergone the purificatory rites of the
twice-born classes, nor have they lived as
Brahmâcârîs in the âs'rama of a
spiritual master, nor have they executed austerities,
speculated on the nature of the self, followed the
formalities of cleanliness or engaged in pious rituals.
Nevertheless, they have firm devotion for Lord Krishna,
whose glories are chanted by the exalted hymns of the Vedas
and who is the supreme master of all masters of mystic
power. We, on the other hand, have no such devotion for the
Lord, although we have executed all these processes.
(Vedabase)
Text
45
Oh, how much
has He not, through the words of the transcendental souls of
those cowherd boys, reminded us of the ultimate destination
which is there for us who indeed because of our infatuation
with our household affairs were bewildered in our own true self
interest.
Indeed,
infatuated as we are with our household affairs, we have
deviated completely from the real aim of our life. But now
just see how the Lord, through the words of these simple
cowherd boys, has reminded us of the ultimate destination of
all true transcendentalists. (Vedabase)
Text
46
For what other
reason would He, the Master of Liberation and all other
benedictions who is satisfied in every respect, with us, the
ones to be controlled, be of this pretense?
Otherwise,
why would the supreme controller - whose every desire is
already fulfilled and who is the master of liberation and
all other transcendental benedictions - enact this pretense
with us, who are always to be controlled by Him?
(Vedabase)
Text
47
With His
request [for food] that bewilders the human beings,
does, forgetting about others and putting an end to the faults
[of pride and fickleness e.g.] in her own being, the
goddess of fortune worship Him in a constant longing to touch
His feet.
Hoping
for the touch of His lotus feet, the goddess of fortune
perpetually worships Him alone, leaving aside all others and
renouncing her pride and fickleness. That He begs is
certainly astonishing to everyone. (Vedabase)
Text
48-49
Constituting
the place and time, the items used, the hymns, the rituals, the
priests and the fire, the officiating God-conscious, the
performer of the sacrifice, the performance and its dharmic
result, [see verse
10-11]
has He, the Supreme Lord of Vishnu, the Master of the
Yogamasters, indeed directly visible taken birth among the
Yadus, but despite of having heard of this did we foolishly
fail to understand.
All
the aspects of sacrifice - the auspicious place and time,
the various items of paraphernalia, the Vedic hymns, the
prescribed rituals, the priests and sacrificial fires, the
demigods, the patron of the sacrifice, the sacrificial
offering and the pious results obtained - all are simply
manifestations of His opulences. Yet even though we had
heard that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu, the
Lord of all mystic controllers, had taken birth in the Yadu
dynasty, we were so foolish that we could not recognize
S'rî Krishna to be none other than Him.
(Vedabase)
Text
50
Unto Him the
Supreme Lord Krishna of unbounded intelligence, of whose
illusory power we with bewildered minds are wandering along the
paths of fruitive action, we offer our
obeisances.
The
brâhmanas then came to their senses and began
to feel great remorse. They thought, "We have sinned, for we
have denied the request of the two Lords of the universe,
who deceptively appeared as ordinary human beings."
(Vedabase)
Text
51
He indeed, our
Original Personality of Godhead whose influence we with our
minds bewildered of mâyâ cannot fathom,
should forgive us our offense.'
We
were bewildered by Lord Krishna's illusory potency and thus
could not understand His influence as the original
Personality of Godhead. Now we hope He will kindly forgive
our offense. (Vedabase)
Text
52
Thus musing on
their own offense against Krishna wished they after their
exercise of contrition it to meet Him in Vraja but, afraid of
[drawing too much the attention of] Kamsa, decided they
not to go.'
Thus
reflecting on the sin they had committed by neglecting Lord
Krishna, they became very eager to see Him. But being afraid
of King Kamsa, they did not dare go to Vraja.
(Vedabase)
*
It is
said that every one consecrated by the Sautrâmani
sacrifice for Lord Indra enters among the gods and is born
sarva-tanûh, that is, with his entire
body.