SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 10

The honorable king said: 'The different pastimes of the avatâras of the Supreme Lord presenting us the image of the Lord, our Controller, are most pleasing to our ears and inspiring to our minds, o master. Whoever hears of them will in the ground of his being very soon find purification from the unsavory, ardent desires and as a person devotional with the Lord as well find friendship with the people who embrace Him as the one and only. If you like, please speak to us about all pertaining to Him.

King Parîkchit said: My lord, S'ukadeva Gosvâmî, all the various activities exhibited by the incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are certainly pleasing to the ear and to the mind. Simply by one's hearing of these activities, the dirty things in one's mind immediately vanish. Generally we are reluctant to hear about the activities of the Lord, but Krishna's childhood activities are so attractive that they are automatically pleasing to the mind and ear. Thus one's attachment for hearing about material things, which is the root cause of material existence, vanishes, and one gradually develops devotional service to the Supreme Lord, attachment for Him, and friendship with devotees who give us the contribution of Krishna consciousness. If you think it fit, kindly speak about those activities of the Lord. (Vedabase)

Text 3

Tell us more about Krishna; the pastimes in which He here in our human society acted mimicking a human child are so wonderful!

Please describe other pastimes of Krishna, the Supreme Personality, who appeared on this planet earth, imitating a human child and performing wonderful activities like killing Pûtanâ. (Vedabase)

Text 4

S'ri S'uka said: 'At the time the moon stood in the constellation of Rohinî [after three months] could He turn Himself upward in His crib and was a celebration with a washing ritual organized by the mothers who gathered with music, song and hymns that were chanted by the brahmins while mother Yas'odâ performed the bathing ceremony.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: When mother Yas'odâ's baby was slanting His body to attempt to rise and turn around, this attempt was observed by a Vedic ceremony. In such a ceremony, called utthâna, which is performed when a child is due to leave the house for the first time, the child is properly bathed. Just after Krishna turned three months old, mother Yas'odâ celebrated this ceremony with other women of the neighborhood. On that day, there was a conjunction of the moon with the constellation Rohinî. As the brâhmanas joined by chanting Vedic hymns and professional musicians also took part, this great ceremony was observed by mother Yas'odâ. (Vedabase)

Text 5

After Nanda's wife and the other members of the household were done were the brahmins who had done their duty presented with food, garments, garlands and cows and was the child, with drowsy eyes, for the time being laid down.

After completing the bathing ceremony for the child, mother Yas'odâ received the brâhmanas by worshiping them with proper respect and giving them ample food grains and other eatables, clothing, desirable cows, and garlands. The brâhmanas properly chanted Vedic hymns to observe the auspicious ceremony, and when they finished and mother Yas'odâ saw that the child felt sleepy, she lay down on the bed with the child until He was peacefully asleep. (Vedabase)

Text 6

To the utthâna [or 'turning upward'] ceremony busy with providing the guests from all over Vraja to their liking, did she truly not hear any of the cries of her child which wailing to be fed angrily kicked around its legs.

The liberal mother Yas'odâ, absorbed in celebrating the utthâna ceremony, was busy receiving guests, worshiping them with all respect and offering them clothing, cows, garlands and grains. Thus she could not hear the child crying for His mother. At that time, the child Krishna, demanding to drink the milk of His mother's breast, angrily threw His legs upward. (Vedabase)

Text 7

Struck by His delicate feet tender as a leaf turned the cart underneath He was put over so that all the bowls and plates and sweetness they contained fell to the ground, the wheels and axle got dislocated and the pole was broken [*].

Lord S'rî Krishna was lying down underneath the handcart in one corner of the courtyard, and although His little legs were as soft as leaves, when He struck the cart with His legs, it turned over violently and collapsed. The wheels separated from the axle, the hubs and spokes fell apart, and the pole of the handcart broke. On the cart there were many little utensils made of various metals, and all of them scattered hither and thither. (Vedabase)

Text 8

All the ladies and men of Vraja who with Yas'odâ and Nanda first had assembled for the utthâna ceremony, witnessing that wondrous event marveled on how the cart by itself indeed could have been damaged so badly.

When mother Yas'odâ and the other ladies who had assembled for the utthâna festival, and all the men, headed by Nanda Mahârâja, saw the wonderful situation, they began to wonder how the handcart had collapsed by itself. They began to wander here and there, trying to find the cause, but were unable to do so. (Vedabase)

Text 9

The children told the dumbfounded gopas and gopîs that it suffered no doubt that, as soon as the child cried, it with one leg had dashed it apart.

The assembled cowherd men and ladies began to contemplate how this thing had happened. "Is it the work of some demon or evil planet?" they asked. At that time, the small children present asserted that the cart had been kicked apart by the baby Krishna. As soon as the crying baby bad kicked the cart's wheel, the cart had collapsed. There was no doubt about it. (Vedabase)

Text 10

Unaware of the inconceivable power of that small baby couldn't they believe it; the gopas thought it was all child prattle what they said.

The assembled gopîs and gopas, unaware that Krishna is always unlimited, could not believe that baby Krishna had such inconceivable power. They could not believe the statements of the children, and therefore they neglected these statements as being childish talk. (Vedabase)

Text 11

Mother Yas'odâ, picking up her crying son, thinking it had been a bad planet, called for the learned to perform a ceremony with vedic hymns and gave the child her breast.

Thinking that some bad planet had attacked Krishna, mother Yas'odâ picked up the crying child and allowed Him to suck her breast. Then she called for experienced brâhmanas to chant Vedic hymns and perform an auspicious ritualistic ceremony. (Vedabase)

Text 12

After some stout gopas had put the cart back together again and had placed the pots and everything back on it, performed the priests with curds, rice, kus'a grass and water the rituals for the fire sacrifice.

After the strong, stout cowherd men assembled the pots and paraphernalia on the handcart and set it up as before, the brâhmanas performed a ritualistic ceremony with a fire sacrifice to appease the bad planet, and then, with rice grains, kus'a, water and curd, they worshiped the Supreme Lord. (Vedabase)

Text 13-15

Of those endowed with the perfect truth who are free from discontent, untruth, false pride, envy, violence and self-conceit do the blessings never go in vain [see also B.G. 18: 42]. With this in mind taking care of the child according the Sâma, Rig and Yajur Veda and purifying it with the help of water mixed with herbs, asked Nanda, the leading cowherd so liberal and good, after the child was bathed, those finest twice-born for auspicious hymns to be sung and were those souls of rebirth after the oblations by him served with a most excellent meal.

When brâhmanas are free from envy, untruthfulness, unnecessary pride, grudges, disturbance by the opulence of others, and false prestige, their blessings never go in vain. Considering this, Nanda Mahârâja soberly took Krishna on his lap and invited such truthful brâhmanas to perform a ritualistic ceremony according to the holy hymns of the Sâma Veda, Rig Veda and Yajur Veda. Then, while the hymns were being chanted, he bathed the child with water mixed with pure herbs, and after performing a fire ceremony, he sumptuously fed all the brâhmanas with first-class grains and other food. (Vedabase)

Text 16

To assure his son all the best gave he them - to the welcome they prepared him also - the best quality of milk cows nicely decorated with flowers, and golden chains.

Nanda Mahârâja, for the sake of the affluence of his own son Krishna, gave the brâhmanas cows fully decorated with garments, flower garlands and gold necklaces. These cows, fully qualified to give ample milk, were given to the brâhmanas in charity, and the brâhmanas accepted them and bestowed blessings upon the whole family, and especially upon Krishna. (Vedabase)

Text 17

The sages joined in whatever they pronounce bring one, as experts in the mantras, all the blessings because the valid words they use for sure never at any time will be fruitless.

The brâhmanas, who were completely expert in chanting the Vedic hymns, were all yogîs fully equipped with mystic powers. Whatever blessings they spoke were certainly never fruitless. (Vedabase)

Text 18:

One day [with Him about a year old] when Yas'odâ with Him sitting on her lap was fondling Him, could she, because He became as heavy as a mountain peak, no longer bear the child's weight.

One day, a year after Krishna's appearance, mother Yas'odâ was patting her son on her lap. But suddenly she felt the child to be heavier than a mountain peak, and she could no longer bear His weight. (Vedabase)

Text 19

With Him to her astonishment being as heavy as the universe [see garimâ] placed the gopî Him reluctantly on the ground, turned she to Nârâyana and engaged she in household duties.

Feeling the child to be as heavy as the entire universe and therefore being anxious, thinking that perhaps the child was being attacked by some other ghost or demon, the astonished mother Yas'odâ put the child down on the ground and began to think of Nârâyana. Foreseeing disturbances, she called for the brâhmanas to counteract this heaviness, and then she engaged in her other household affairs. She had no alternative than to remember the lotus feet of Nârâyana, for she could not understand that Krishna was the original source of everything. (Vedabase)

Text 20

As the child sat there was it swept away by a Daitya in the form of a whirlwind named Trinâvarta, who was a hireling sent by Kamsa.

While the child was sitting on the ground, a demon named Trinâvarta, who was a servant of Kamsa's, came there as a whirlwind, at Kamsa's instigation, and very easily carried the child away into the air. (Vedabase)

Text 21

Vibrating with a heavy sound covered he massively roaring all of Gokula with dust penetrating every nook and corner and was everything hidden from sight.

Covering the whole land of Gokula with particles of dust, that demon, acting as a strong whirlwind, covered everyone's vision and began vibrating everywhere with a greatly fearful sound. (Vedabase)

Text 22

For an hour or so was all of the cowland by the heavy dust plunged in darkness and could Yas'odâ not spot her son where she had put Him on the ground.

For a moment, the whole pasturing ground was overcast with dense darkness from the dust storm, and mother Yas'odâ was unable to find her son where she had placed Him. (Vedabase)

Text 23

Not seeing themselves or each other anymore were the people by the sands thrown up disturbed and confused.

Because of the bits of sand thrown about by Trinâvarta, people could not see themselves or anyone else, and thus they were illusioned and disturbed. (Veda b ase)

Text 24

The helpless woman thus by the clouds of dust of the strong whirlwind seeing nothing, worrying about her son lamented pitifully and fell to the ground like a cow having lost her calf.

Because of the dust storm stirred up by the strong whirlwind, mother Yas'odâ could find no trace of her son, nor could she understand why. Thus she fell down on the ground like a cow who has lost her calf and began to lament very pitifully. (Vedabase)

Text 25

Hearing her crying the other gopis all with their faces full of tears wailed along crying in sympathy on not finding Nanda's son when the fierce duststorm of the whirlwind had ceased.

When the force of the dust storm and the winds subsided, Yas'odâ's friends, the other gopîs, approached mother Yas'odâ, hearing her pitiful crying. Not seeing Krishna present, they too felt very much aggrieved and joined mother Yas'odâ in crying, their eyes full of tears. (Vedabase)

Text 26

The force of Trinâvarta having assumed the form of the whirlwind wore off when, having swept away Krishna, reaching the top of the sky he couldn't get higher with Him getting heavier and mightier.

Having assumed the form of a forceful whirlwind, the demon Trinâvarta took Krishna very high in the sky, but when Krishna became heavier than the demon, the demon had to stop his force and could go no further. (Vedabase)

Text 27

Finding Him, heavy as a stone, overruling his fury had he with Krishna who strangled his neck to give it up incapacitated as he was in front of the wondrous babe.

Because of Krishna's weight, Trinâvarta considered Him to be like a great mountain or a hunk of iron. But because Krishna had caught the demon's neck, the demon was unable to throw Him off. He therefore thought of the child as wonderful, since he could neither bear the child nor cast aside the burden. (Vedabase)

Text 28

With Him grasping him by the throat popped out the eyes of the demon as he choked and lifeless together with the child fell to the ground.

With Krishna grasping him by the throat, Trinâvarta choked, unable to make even a sound or even to move his hands and legs. His eyes popping out, the demon lost his life and fell, along with the little boy, down to the ground of Vraja. (Vedabase)

Text 29

The gathered sobbing gopîs saw that terror with all his limbs broken, fallen from the sky down upon a slab of rock, like Tripura felled by the arrows of S'iva [see 7.10].

While the gopîs who had gathered were crying for Krishna, the demon fell from the sky onto a big slab of stone, his limbs dislocated, as if he had been pierced by the arrow of Lord S'iva like Tripurâsura. (Vedabase)

Text 30

Totally surprised to find Krishna in good health sitting on the chest of the man-eater who had transported Him into the sky, picked they Him who was saved from the mouth of death up and delivered they, as Nanda's gopîs and gopas overjoyed rejoicing in bliss over the retrieval, Him to His mother.

The gopîs immediately picked Krishna up from the chest of the demon and delivered Him, free from all inauspiciousness, to mother Yas'odâ. Because the child, although taken into the sky by the demon, was unhurt and now free from all danger and misfortune, the gopîs and cowherd men, headed by Nanda Mahârâja, were extremely happy. (Vedabase)

Text 31

[They said:] 'How greatly wonderful indeed this baby that, taken away by the ogre, left us but now has returned unscathed; now that that nasty demon by his own sins has been killed in contest may any devout soul find relief in sameness and fearlessness.

It is most astonishing that although this innocent child was taken away by the Râkshasa to be eaten, He has returned without having been killed or even injured. Because this demon was envious, cruel and sinful, he has been killed for his own sinful activities. This is the law of nature. An innocent devotee is always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and a sinful person is always vanquished for his sinful life. (Vedabase)

Text 32

Of what prolonged austerity have we been, what was our worship for the One in the Beyond, and what was the public service [pûrta], service in piety [ishta], charity [datta] or other love for our fellow man as a result of which the child that was practically lost, again to our piety is present here to the fortune and pleasure of all His folk?

Nanda Mahârâja and the others said: We must previously have performed austerities for a very long time, worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead, performed pious activities for public life, constructing public roads and wells, and also given charity, as a result of which this boy, although faced with death, has returned to give happiness to His relatives. (Vedabase)

Text 33

Having witnessed the different amazing events in the great forest repeated the herdsman Nanda over and over in astonishment how true the words of Vasudeva had been [see also verse 10.6: 32].

Having seen all these incidents in Brihadvana, Nanda Mahârâja became more and more astonished, and he remembered the words spoken to him by Vasudeva in Mathurâ. (Vedabase)

Text 34

One day the mother hoisted the little one up on her lap to feed Him from her breast, from which of her great affection oozed the milk.

One day mother Yas'odâ, having taken Krishna up and placed Him on her lap, was feeding Him milk from her breast with maternal affection. The milk was flowing from her breast, and the child was drinking it. (Vedabase)

Text 35-36

O King, when it was almost done and mother Yas'odâ looked the satisfied and smiling child in the face as she patted it softly, saw she when it yawned the following: the sky, the planets and the earth, the luminaries in all directions, the sun and the moon, fire, the air and the seas with the continents, the mountains, their daughters the rivers, the forests and all creatures moving and nonmoving [see also B.G. 11].

O King Parîkchit, when the child Krishna was almost finished drinking His mother's milk and mother Yas'odâ was touching Him and looking at His beautiful, brilliantly smiling face, the baby yawned, and mother Yas'odâ saw in His mouth the whole sky, the higher planetary system and the earth, the luminaries in all directions, the sun, the moon, fire, air, the seas, islands, mountains, rivers, forests, and all kinds of living entities, moving and nonmoving. (Vedabase)

Text 37

When she all of a sudden saw the entire universe, o King, started she in great amazement, stifled with deer-like eyes, to tremble all over.'

When mother Yas'odâ saw the whole universe within the mouth of her child, her heart began to throb, and in astonishment she wanted to close her restless eyes. (Vedabase)

* At the beginning of this chapter, two extra verses sometimes appear:

evam bahûni karmâni
gopânâm s'am sa-yoshitâm
nandasya gehe vavridhe
kurvan vishnu-janârdanah

"In this way, to chastise and kill the demons, the child Krishna demonstrated many activities in the house of Nanda Mahârâja, and the inhabitants of Vraja enjoyed these incidents."

evam sa vavridhe vishnur
nanda-gehe janârdanah
kurvann anis'am ânandam
gopâlânâm sa-yoshitâm

"To increase the transcendental pleasure of the gopas and the gopîs, Krishna, the killer of all demons, was thus raised by His father and mother, Nanda and Yas'odâ."

S'rîpâda Vijayadhvaja Tîrtha also adds another verse after the third verse in this chapter:

vistareneha kârunyât
sarva-pâpa-pranâs'anam
vaktum arhasi dharma-jña
dayâlus tvam iti prabho

"Parîkchit Mahârâja then requested S'ukadeva Gosvâmî to continue speaking such narrations about the pastimes of Krishna, so that the King could enjoy from them transcendental bliss."

** Svâmî Prabhupâda comments: 'Krishna had been placed underneath a household handcart, but this handcart was actually another form of the S'akathâsura, a demon who had come there to kill the child. Now, on the plea of demanding to suck His mother's breast, Krishna took this opportunity to kill the demon. Thus He kicked S'akathâsura just to expose him. Although Krishna's mother was engaged in receiving guests, Lord Krishna wanted to draw her attention by killing the S'akathâsura, and therefore He kicked that cart-shaped demon.'