Source
Texts:
Lord
Krishna's Daily Activities
Text
1
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Then, as dawn was approaching, were the roosters
crowing cursed by the wives of the Sweet Lord who, with their
heads being held by their husbands [the One
Yogamâyâ Lord in Many], were disturbed over
[the consequent] separation.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: As dawn approached, the wives of
Lord Mâdhava, each embraced around the neck by her
husband, cursed the crowing roosters. The ladies were
disturbed that now they would be separated from Him.
Text
2
Birds roused
from sleep by the breeze from the parijâta trees with
their bees woke Krishna noisily singing like they were the
poets at the court.
The
bees' buzzing, caused by the fragrant breeze from the
parijâta garden, roused the birds from sleep. And when
the birds began to sing loudly, they woke Lord Krishna like
court poets reciting His glories.
Text
3
But
Vaidarbhî [Rukminî] didn't like that most
auspicious time of the day because it would deny her the arms
of Krishna around her.
Lying
in her beloved's arms, Queen Vaidarbhî did not like
this most auspicious hour, for it meant she would lose His
embrace.
Text
4-5:
Rising during
the brahma-muhûrta [the hour before sunrise] did
Mâdhava touch water and clear His mind meditating on the
unequaled, exclusive, self-luminous Self beyond all dullness of
matter that, infallible by its [His] own nature
perpetually dispels the impurity and, known as Brahman by the
causes of its [His] own energies of creation and
destruction to this [universe], manifests the joy of
existence [see also 3.29: 31
& 36-37,
B.G.
7:
5 & 6
and
*].
Lord
Mâdhava would rise during the brahma-muhûrta
period and touch water. With a clear mind He would then
meditate upon Himself, the single, self- luminous, unequaled
and infallible Supreme Truth, known as Brahman, who by His
very nature ever dispels all contamination, and who through
His personal energies, which cause the creation and
destruction of this universe, manifests His own pure and
blissful existence.
Text
6
Then, according
the vidhi having bathed in pure water, performed He, the most
truthful One, first dressing in lower and upper garments, the
entire sequence of the worship at dawn and such and chanted He,
following oblations in the fire, quietly controlling His speech
the vedic mantra [the Gâyatrî,
see also **]
That
most saintly of personalities would then bathe in sanctified
water, dress Himself in lower and upper garments and perform
the entire sequence of prescribed rituals, beginning with
worship at dawn. After offering oblations into the sacred
fire, Lord Krishna would silently chant the
Gâyatrî mantra.
Text
7-9:
Consequent to
His own nature in worship of the rising sun propitiating His
own expansions - the gods, the sages and forefathers, His
elders and ones of learning with due respect, donated He day by
day many, many good-natured cows with gold on their horns,
silver on front of their hooves and pearl necklaces, who were
rich with milk and had only one calf born from them. They,
nicely caparisoned were to the ones of learning presented with
linen, deerskins, sesame seeds and ornaments [see also
***].
Each
day the Lord worshiped the rising sun and propitiated the
demigods, sages and forefathers, who are all His expansions.
The self-possessed Lord would then carefully worship His
elders and the brâhmanas. To those well- attired
brâhmanas He would offer herds of tame and peaceful
cows with gold- plated horns and pearl necklaces. These cows
were also dressed in fine cloth, and the fronts of their
hooves were plated with silver. Providers of abundant milk,
they had each given birth only once and were accompanied by
their calves. Daily the Lord gave many groups of
13.084 cows to the learned brâhmanas, together
with linen, deerskins and sesame seeds.
Text
10
Paying His
respects to the cows, the men of learning, the godly, the
elders, the spiritual teachers and to all living beings who
were but expansions of Himself, touched He [giving darshan,
all persons and] things auspicious.
Lord
Krishna would offer obeisances to the cows, brâhmanas
and demigods, His elders and spiritual masters, and all
living beings - all of whom are expansions of His supreme
personality. Then He would touch auspicious things.
Text
11
He, the very
ornament of society, decorated Himself with the clothes, divine
garlands, colors and jewelry fitting for Him.
He
would decorate His body, the very ornament of human society,
with His own special clothes and jewelry and with divine
flower garlands and ointments.
Text
12
Caring
as well for the ghee [used in the sacrifices] as the
mirror attended He to the cows, the bulls, the twice-born, the
gods and the objects of desire, in arranging for gifts to the
satisfaction of all societal classes living in the city and the
palace and greeted He His ministers answering in full to all
their needs.
He
would then look at ghee, a mirror, the cows and bulls, the
brâhmanas and the demigods and see to it that the
members of all the social classes living in the palace and
throughout the city were satisfied with gifts. After this He
would greet His ministers, gratifying them by fulfilling all
their desires.
Text
13
First
distributing garlands, betel nut and sandalwood paste to the
learned, [and then] to His friends, His ministers and
His wives, would He next partake of them
Himself.
After
first distributing flower garlands, pân and sandalwood
paste to the brâhmanas, He would give these gifts to
His friends, ministers and wives, and finally He would
partake of them Himself.
Text
14
His
driver, by then having brought His supremely wonderful chariot
yoked with the horses Sugrîva and so on [see
10.53:
5],
stood bowing before Him.
By
then the Lord's driver would have brought His supremely
wonderful chariot, yoked with Sugrîva and His other
horses. His charioteer would bow down to the Lord and then
stand before Him.
Text
15
Holding
the charioteer his hands He then joined by Sâtyaki and
Uddhava mounted it like He was the sun rising over the
mountains in the east.
Holding
on to His charioteer's hands, Lord Krishna would mount the
chariot, together with Sâtyaki and Uddhava, just like
the sun rising over the easternmost mountain.
Text
16
With
difficulty parting of the palace women looking at Him with
glances shy and loving, He left, showing a smile that took
their minds.
The
palace women would look upon Lord Krishna with shy, loving
glances, and thus He would get free from them only with
difficulty. He would then set off, His smiling face
captivating their minds.
Text
17
Awaited by all
the Vrishnis He entered the assembly hall known as
Sudharmâ [see also 10.50:
54] which
for those who entered wards off the six waves, my dear [see
shath-ûrmi].
The
Lord, attended by all the Vrishnis, would enter the
Sudharmâ assembly hall, which protects those who enter
it from the six waves of material life, dear King.
Text
18
The Almighty
One, the Best of the Yadus seated there high on His throne in
the midst of the Yadus, the lions among men, illuminated all
the quarters in His effulgence shining like the moon in the sky
surrounded by the stars.
As
the almighty Supreme Lord would seat Himself upon His
exalted throne there in the assembly hall, He shone with His
unique effulgence, illuminating all the quarters of space.
Surrounded by the Yadus, lions among men, that best of the
Yadus appeared like the moon amidst many stars.
Text
19
There
the jesters, o King, with various forms of amusement served the
Almighty, just as professional entertainers [like
magicians] and women dancing energetic dances did on their
turn.
And
there, O King, jesters would entertain the Lord by
displaying various comic moods, expert entertainers would
perform for Him, and female dancers would dance
energetically.
Text
20
They danced to
the sounds of vînâs, mridangas and muraja-drums,
flutes, cymbals and conches while the bards, storytellers and
panegyrists sang and offered praise.
These
performers would dance and sing to the sounds of mridangas,
vînâs, murajas, flutes, cymbals and conchshells,
while professional poets, chroniclers and panegyrists would
recite the Lord's glories.
Text
21
There some
brahmins sitting spoke fluently vedic mantras while others
recounted stories of kings from the past famous for their
piety.
Some
brâhmanas sitting in that assembly hall would fluently
chant Vedic mantras, while others recounted stories of past
kings of pious renown.
Text
22
Some
day was the arrival announced of a person, o King, who, given
access to the Fortunate One by the doorkeepers, had never been
seen there before.
Once
a certain person arrived in the assembly, O King, who had
never been seen there before. The doorkeepers announced him
to the Lord and then escorted him inside.
Text
23
After
his reverence with joined palms before Krishna, the Supreme
Lordship, submitted he the suffering of the kings held captive
by Jarâsandha.
That
person bowed down to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and with joined palms he described to the Lord how
a number of kings were suffering because Jarâsandha
had imprisoned them.
Text
24
During a
conquest by him of all directions were all those kings who did
not accept him in complete subservience - about twenty thousand
of them - by force detained in the fortress of
Girivraja.
Twenty
thousand kings who had refused to submit absolutely to
Jarâsandha during his world conquest had been forcibly
imprisoned by him in the fortress named Girivraja.
Text
25
The
kings relayed: 'Krishna, o Krishna, o immeasurable Soul, o You
who takes away the fear of the surrendered; being so different
in mentality do we, afraid in our material existence, come to
You for shelter!
The
kings said [as related through their messenger]: O
Krishna, Krishna, O immeasurable Soul, destroyer of fear for
those surrendered to You! Despite our separatist attitude,
we have come to You for shelter out of fear of material
existence.
Text
26
The
whole world prone to doing it wrong is bewildered about the
duties out here that are beneficial in the worship of You to
Your command that, in so far one is doing one's own of this,
are the power of existence serving longevity and hope; may
there be the obeisances to Him, the Ever Vigilant
['unblinking of Time'] who all of a sudden cuts this
all off [at the time of one's death].
People
in this world are always engaged in sinful activities and
are thus bewildered about their real duty, which is to
worship You according to Your commandments. This activity
would truly bring them good fortune. Let us offer our
obeisances unto the all-powerful Lord, who appears as time
and suddenly cuts down one's stubborn hope for a long life
in this world.
Text
27
You,
the predominating authority of this universe, have descended
with Your expansion [Balarâma] to protect the
saintly and to subdue the wicked; we do not understand o Lord
how any other person in transgression with Your law [like
Jarâsandha] or else by dint of his own creativity
[like us] would achieve that.
You
are the predominating Lord of the universe and have
descended into this world with Your personal power to
protect the saintly and suppress the wicked. We cannot
understand, O Lord, how anyone can transgress Your law and
still continue to enjoy the fruits of his work.
Text
28
The
conditional happiness of kings, o Lord, is like a dream, always
being full of fear with the burden of this mortal frame; in
rejecting that happiness of the soul that is obtained by
selfless service unto You, do we, with Your bewildering
material reality of mâyâ out here, suffer the
greatest misery.
O
Lord, with this corpselike body, always full of fear, we
bear the burden of the relative happiness of kings, which is
just like a dream. Thus we have rejected the real happiness
of the soul, which comes by rendering selfless service to
You. Being so very wretched, we simply suffer in this life
under the spell of Your illusory energy.
Text
29
Therefore,
o Goodness whose pair of feet remove the sorrow, please release
us, the surrendered, who were bound in the fetters of karma by
him carrying the name of Maghada who, like the king of the
animals with sheep, alone wielding the prowess of a ten
thousand mad elephants imprisoned us in His
residence.
Therefore,
since Your feet relieve the sorrow of those who surrender to
them, please release us prisoners from the shackles of
karma, manifest as the King of Magadha. Wielding alone the
prowess of ten thousand maddened elephants, he has locked us
up in his house just as a lion captures sheep.
Text
30
Eighteen
times having raised Your cakra and crushed him defeated he You,
who sure in Your unlimited power were absorbed in human
affairs, only once in battle [see 10.50:
41 &
10.52:
7];
and now, filled with pride, he torments us, Your subjects, o
Unconquerable One; please rectify that!'
O
wielder of the disc! Your strength is unlimited, and thus
seventeen times You crushed Jarâsandha in battle. But
then, absorbed in human affairs, You allowed him to defeat
You once. Now he is so filled with pride that he dares to
torment us, Your subjects. O unconquerable one, please
rectify this situation.
Text
31
The
messenger said: 'Thus do the ones held captive by
Jarâsandha surrendered to the base of Your feet hanker
for the sight of You; please bestow Your welfare on these poor
souls'
The
messenger continued: This is the message of the kings
imprisoned by Jarâsandha, who all hanker for Your
audience, having surrendered to Your feet. Please bestow
good fortune on these poor souls.
Text
32
S'rî
S'uka said: 'When the envoy of the kings thus had spoken,
appeared the supreme rishi [Nârada] who with his
yellowish mass of matted locks had an effulgence like that of
the sun.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: When the kings' messenger had thus
spoken, the sage of the demigods, Nârada, suddenly
appeared. Bearing a mass of golden matted locks on his head,
the supremely effulgent sage entered like the brilliant
sun.
Text
33
Seeing
him offered the Supreme Lord Krishna, the supreme Controller of
the Controllers of All the Worlds, with His head His respects,
gladly standing up along with His followers and the members of
the assembly.
Lord
Krishna is the worshipable master of even planetary rulers
like Lord Brahmâ and Lord S'iva, yet as soon as He saw
that Nârada Muni had arrived, He joyfully stood up
along with His ministers and secretaries to receive the
great sage and offer His respectful obeisances by bowing His
head.
Text
34
With
his acceptance of a seat with him having been of worship
according the rules, spoke He with truthful pleasing words of
reverence gratifying the sage:
After
Nârada had accepted the seat offered to him, Lord
Krishna honored the sage according to scriptural injunctions
and, gratifying him with His reverence, spoke the following
truthful and pleasing words.
Text
35
'It
is a fact that today the three worlds are completely rid of all
fear, for that is the quality of the great and fortunate one
[of you] traveling the worlds.
[Lord
Krishna said:] It is certain that today the three worlds
have attained freedom from all fear, for that is the
influence of such a great personality as you, who travel at
will throughout all the worlds.
Text
36
There
isn't anything unknown to you with the three worlds as arranged
by their Controller indeed; so, therefore, let's hear from you
what the plans of the Pândavas are.'
There
is nothing unknown to you within God's creation. Therefore
please tell Us what the Pândavas intend to do.
Text
37
S'rî
Nârada said: 'Many times I witnessed Your insurmountable
mâyâ, o Almighty One, Bewilderer of [even]
the Creator of the Universe [see
10.14];
for me it is not amazing, o All-encompassing One, that You by
Your own energies move among the created beings like a fire
which light is covered.
S'rî
Nârada said: I have seen many times the insurmountable
power of Your Mâyâ, O almighty one, by which You
bewilder even the creator of the universe, Brahmâ. O
all-encompassing Lord, it does not surprise me that You
disguise Yourself by Your own energies while moving among
the created beings, as a fire covers its own light with
smoke.
Text
38
Who
is able to properly understand the purpose of You who by His
own energy creates and withdraws this universe which manifests
[for its beings] to exist in relation to You;
obeisances unto Him, to You inconceivable in Your
nature.
Who
can properly understand Your purpose? With Your material
energy You expand and also withdraw this creation, which
thus appears to have substantial existence. Obeisances to
You, whose transcendental position is inconceivable.
Text
39
He
who for the individual soul in samsara,
not knowing liberation from the trouble that the material body
brings, by His avatâras for His pastimes lights His own
torch of fame; You, that Lord, I approach for
shelter.
The
living being caught in the cycle of birth and death does not
know how he can be delivered from the material body, which
brings him so much trouble. But You, the Supreme Lord,
descend to this world in various personal forms, and by
performing Your pastimes You illumine the soul's path with
the blazing torch of Your fame. Therefore I surrender unto
You.
Text
40
Nonetheless
will I tell You, o Highest truth imitating the human ways, what
Your devotee the king [Yudhishthhira], the son of Your
father's sister intends to do.
Nonetheless,
O Supreme Truth playing the part of a human being, I shall
tell You what Your devotee Yudhishthhira
Mahârâja, the son of Your father's sister,
intends to do.
Text
41
The
king, the son of Pându, desiring the top position for
Your sake wants the greatest sacrifice known as
Râjasûya,
please give that Your blessing.
Desiring
unrivaled sovereignty, King Yudhishthhira intends to worship
You with the greatest fire sacrifice, the
Râjasûya. Please bless his endeavor.
Text
42
O
Lord to that best of all sacrifices will all enlightened souls
and alike as well as the kings of glory eager to see you
come.
O
Lord, exalted demigods and glorious kings, eager to see You,
will all come to that best of sacrifices.
Text
43
When
from hearing, chanting and meditating about You, the Full of
the Absolute, the ones dropped out find purification, what then
to speak of those who see You and touch You?
O
Lord, even outcastes are purified by hearing and chanting
Your glories and meditating upon You, the Absolute Truth.
What then to speak of those who see and touch You?
Text
44
The
spotless fame of You expanding [like a canopy] in all
directions is disseminated in heaven, in the lower regions and
on the earth, o Bringer of Good Fortune to All the Worlds, and
is called Mandâkinî with the divine,
Bhogavatî below and Ganga here on earth - it is the water
from Your feet that purifies the whole
universe.'
My
dear Lord, You are the symbol of everything auspicious. Your
transcendental name and fame is spread like a canopy all
over the universe, including the higher, middle and lower
planetary systems. The transcendental water that washes Your
lotus feet is known in the higher planetary systems as the
Mandâkinî River, in the lower planetary systems
as the Bhogavatî and in this earthly planetary system
as the Ganges. This sacred, transcendental water flows
throughout the entire universe, purifying wherever it
goes.
Text
45
S'rî
S'uka said: 'When His own supporters [the Yâdus]
did not agree because they wanted to defeat
[Jarâsandha] spoke Kes'ava smiling to His servant
Uddhava with a charming use of words.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: When His supporters, the
Yâdavas, objected to this proposal out of eagerness to
defeat Jarâsandha, Lord Kes'ava turned to His servant
Uddhava and, smiling, addressed him with fine words.
Text
46
The
Fortunate One said: 'You indeed as the apple of Our eye and
well-wishing friend thus perfectly knows what expression would
be of use in this regard, please tell what should be done, We
have full faith and will carry that out.'
The
Personality of Godhead said: You are indeed Our best eye and
closest friend, for you know perfectly the relative value of
various kinds of counsel. Therefore please tell Us what
should be done in this situation. We trust your judgment and
shall do as you say.
Text
47
Thus
requested by his Maintainer acting as if He, all-knowing, was
puzzled, did Uddhava taking the order on his head, give a
reply.'
[S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî continued:] Thus requested by his
master, who, though omniscient, acted as if perplexed,
Uddhava took this order upon his head and replied as
follows.
*
Concerning
the matter of Brahman relating to the person of Krishna adds
the paramparâ: 'One who is favored by the Lord's internal
potency can understand the nature of the Absolute Truth [or
Brahman]; this understanding is called Krishna
consciousness'.
**
According S'îdhara Svâmî would Lord Krishna
in this before sunrise first offering oblations and then doing
the mantra follow to the disciplic succession from Kanva Muni
[mentioned in 9.20].
***
With the M.W. dictionary confirming to the term badva used here
the meaning of 'a great number' quotes S'rîdhara
Svâmî several Vedic scriptures to show that in the
context of Vedic ritual, a badva here refers to 13.084
cows and further gives evidence that the usual practice for
great saintly kings in previous ages was to give 107 such
badva, or groups of 13.084 cows. Thus the total number of
cows given in this sacrifice, known as Mañcâra,
could have amounted to 14 lakhs, or 1,400,000.
