Canto
3
Chapter 2: Remembrance of Lord Krishna.
(1) S'uka said: 'The great devotee [Uddhava] questioned by Vidura about what could be said regarding the dearest, at first, eager as he was, could not reply because of his great anxiety at the remembrance of the Lord. (2) He was someone who in his childhood five years old, being called by his mother for breakfast, didn't like to have it because he was absorbed in the play of service [of Lord Krishna]. (3) That way Uddhava grew up in service and in the course of time it had never slackened; when he was just asked to tell about Him, he remembered everything of the Lord His lotus feet. (4) For a moment he fell dead silent by the nectar of the Lord His feet; strong as he was and well matured in the union of devotion, he became fully absorbed in the love of its goodness. (5) Every part of his body showed the signs of transcendental ecstasy and with his checking the tears from his eyes out of missing Him, Vidura could see that he had fully assimilated His extensive love. (6) Slowly He came back down to earth from the abode of the Lord and wiping his tears away Uddhava spoke affectionately to Vidura from all those recollections.'(7) Uddhava said: 'The sun of Krishna has set being swallowed by the great snake of what is the past. What else can I say about our wellbeing with the disappearance of the house of my family? (8) How unfortunate is this world and especially the Yadu-dynasty who living together didn't recognize the Lord any more than the fishes do recognize the moon. (9) Well acquainted with the knowledge and highly experienced, His own men were His devotees who relaxed with Him as the head of the family and could [only] think of Him as He who was behind everything. (10) The outer illusion of the Godhead infected all those and others who took to the untrue with the bewilderment of their intelligence - but the words of those never do work that way in the souls of the ones in full surrender to the Lord. (11) By exhibiting Himself to persons that went without penance and the fulfillment of ideals He took to the feat of His disappearance, withdrawing His own form from public vision. (12) His perishable was just suitable for His pastimes that demonstrated the power of His inner magic which lead to the discovery of His wonders, His supreme opulence and the ultimate ornament of ornaments of His feet.
(13) It is the form which certainly of King Yudhishthhira's royal sacrifice [râjasûya] became the sight pleasing the sum total of the three worlds, by which He, taking the position of normal people in the material world, thus today in the world has surpassed the contemplated intelligence [Brahmâ]. (14) After having obtained the attachment to Him, that was powered by laughter, funny games and glances, the anguished damsels of Vraja who had followed Him with their eyes, indeed sat in silent contemplation without completing their household duties. (15) For the devotees harassed by others who live to the material conception, appears the Unborn one, the all-compassionate Lord and controller of the spiritual and material, accompanied by the complete of His association, as the Supreme Lord like He is fire.
(16) With this bewildering birth of the unborn I am distressed about how from the home of Vasudeva he lived in Vraja as if He feared the enemy [uncle Kamsa] and how He, the unlimitedly powerful one, fled from Mathurâ city [the capital where Krishna resided after defeating Kamsa]. (17) It hurts me in my heart to think of this what He said in worship of the feet of His parents: 'O mother, o father, in great fear of Kamsa we failed in our service, please be pleased with us!' (18) Who now, once having the dust of His lotus feet in his nose, is able to forget Him who by the mere raising of His eyebrows gave the deathblow to the burden of the earth? (19) Of course, you from your own good self could see how during Yudhishthhira's royal sacrifice the king of Cedi [S'is'upâla] despite of being envious of Krishna, attained to the perfection which to its full is verily desired by the yogis who by their yoga can bear to be separated from Him. (20) And also others, who certainly were fighters in the human society and who saw Krishna's very pleasing lotus-like face and eyes on the battlefield that was purified by Arjuna's arrows, have achieved His heavenly abode. (21) He is none but the unique and greater Lord of the threefold reality by whose independence supreme fortune is achieved and to whose feet all desires with their millions of helmets bow in the worship with all paraphernalia as led by the eternal maintainers of order. (22) As servitors in His service it of course causes us therefore pain, o Vidura, how He before King Ugrasena [the one ruled out by Kamsa], who was sitting on his throne awaiting, submitted Himself saying: 'O my Lord, please see it this way'.
(23) Alas, to the shelter of whom else shall I take who would assure a greater mercy than He who, despite of the unfaithful of the she-devil [Pûtanâ] that in envy poisoned her breast deadly for nourishing, granted her the position of a mother? (24) I think that the opponents inimical towards the Lord of the threefold, are great devotees in their being preoccupied with the fight, as they could see Him on His carrier [Garuda, the son of Târkshya - Kas'yapa] coming forward with His wheel. (25) Born of Devakî in the jailhouse of the king of Bhoja [Kamsa], the Supreme Lord came to bring welfare on earth as being prayed for [by the Creator]. (26) Thereafter He was brought to the cow-pastures of His [foster] father Nanda, where He out of fear for Kamsa, together with Baladeva [Balarâma] was kept for eleven years like one covers a flame. (27) Surrounded by cowherd boys and herding calves the Almighty roamed the shores of the Yamunâ through the gardens that vibrated the chirping of heavenly birds in their many trees. (28) In the display of His youth activities could He only be appreciated by the inhabitants of Vraja, the land of Vrindâvana, where He just like other kids cried and laughed and was struck with wonder looking like a lion cub. (29) Certainly being the love of the wealth of cows and the reservoir of beauty, He, while tending them beauties, enlivened the cowherdboys by playing His flute. (30) The great wizards engaged by the King of Bhoja to take any form they liked were in the course of His pastimes, just like a child playing with dolls, killed by Him on their approach. (31) [To help the inhabitants of Vrindâvana] being perplexed by the great trouble of drinking poison [from the snake Kâliya in the Yamunâ], He subdued the chief of the reptiles and after coming out of the water He caused the cows to drink it to prove it natural again. (32) Desiring the proper use of the wealth of Nanda, the king of the cowherds his opulence, He with the help of the brahmins lead them to perform the worship of the cows and the land [instead of Indra]. (33) Indra angry on being insulted highly perturbed made heavy rains pour down on Vraja from which the cowherds were protected by the merciful Lord with His pastime of the [Govardhana] hill that served as an umbrella, o sober Vidura. (34) In autumn thought He, in the night brightened by moonshine, it pleasing to sing songs to enjoy the women, being the beauty in their midst.'
Second edition, loaded 4 May, 2006.
Source texts:
Remembrance of Lord Krishna
S'uka said: 'The great devotee [Uddhava] questioned by Vidura about what could be said regarding the dearest, at first, eager as he was, could not reply because of his great anxiety at the remembrance of the LordS'rî S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: When the great devotee Uddhava was asked by Vidura to speak on the messages of the dearest [Lord Krishna], Uddhava was unable to answer immediately due to excessive anxiety at the remembrance of the Lord. (Vedabase)
He was someone who in his childhood five years old, being called by his mother for breakfast, didn't like to have it because he was absorbed in the play of service [of Lord Krishna].
He was one who even in his childhood, at the age of five years, was so absorbed in the service of Lord Krishna that when he was called by his mother for morning breakfast, he did not wish to have it. (Vedabase)
That way Uddhava grew up in service and in the course of time it had never slackened; when he was just asked to tell about Him, he remembered everything of the Lord His lotus feet.
Uddhava thus served the Lord continually from childhood, and in his old age that attitude of service never slackened. As soon as he was asked about the message of the Lord, he at once remembered all about Him. (Vedabase)
For a moment he fell dead silent by the nectar of the Lord's feet; strong as he was and well matured in the union of devotion, he became fully absorbed in the love of its goodness.
For a moment he remained dead silent, and his body did not move. He became absorbed in the nectar of remembering the Lord's lotus feet in devotional ecstasy, and he appeared to be going increasingly deeper into that ecstasy. (Vedabase)
Every part of his body showed the signs of transcendental ecstasy and with his checking the tears from his eyes out of missing Him, Vidura could see that he had fully assimilated His extensive love.
It was so observed by Vidura that Uddhava had all the transcendental bodily changes due to total ecstasy, and he was trying to wipe away tears of separation from his eyes. Thus Vidura could understand that Uddhava had completely assimilated extensive love for the Lord. (Vedabase)
Slowly He came back down to earth from the abode of the Lord and wiping his tears away Uddhava spoke affectionately to Vidura from all those recollections.'
The great devoteeUddhava soon came back from the abode of the Lord to the human plane, and wiping his eyes, he awakened his reminiscence of the past and spoke to Vidura in a pleasing mood. (Vedabase)
Uddhava said: 'The sun of Krishna has set being swallowed by the great snake of what is the past. What else can I say about our wellbeing with the disappearance of the house of my family?
S'rî Uddhava said: My dear Vidura, the sun of the world, Lord Krishna, has set, and our house has now been swallowed by the great snake of time. What can I say to you about our welfare? (Vedabase)
How unfortunate is this world and especially the Yadu-dynasty who living together didn't recognize the Lord any more than the fishes do recognize the moon.
This universe with all its planets is most unfortunate. And even more unfortunate are the members of the Yadu dynasty because they could not identify Lord Hari as the Personality of Godhead, any more than the fish could identify the moon. (Vedabase)
Well acquainted with the knowledge and highly experienced, His own men were His devotees who relaxed with Him as the head of the family and could [only] think of Him as He who was behind everything.
The Yadus were all experienced devotees, learned and expert in psychic study. Over and above this, they were always with the Lord in all kinds of relaxations, and still they were only able to know Him as the one Supreme who dwells everywhere. (Vedabase)
The outer illusion of the Godhead infected all those and others who took to the untrue with the bewilderment of their intelligence - but the words of those never do work that way in the souls of the ones in full surrender to the Lord.
Under no circumstances can the words of persons bewildered by the illusory energy of the Lord deviate the intelligence of those who are completely surrendered souls. (Vedabase)
By exhibiting Himself to persons that went without penance and the fulfillment of ideals He took to the feat of His disappearance, withdrawing His own form from public vision.
Lord S'rî Krishna, who manifested His eternal form before the vision of all in the earth, performed His disappearance by removing His form from the sight of those who were unable to see Him [as He is] due to not executing required penance. (Vedabase)
His perishable was just suitable for His pastimes that demonstrated the power of His inner magic which lead to the discovery of His wonders, His supreme opulence and the ultimate ornament of ornaments of His feet.
The Lord appeared in the mortal world by His internal potency, yoga-mâyâ. He came in His eternal form, which is just suitable for His pastimes. These pastimes were wonderful for everyone, even for those proud of their own opulence, including the Lord Himself in His form as the Lord of Vaikunthha. Thus His [S'rî Krishna's] transcendental body is the ornament of all ornaments. (Vedabase)
It is the form which certainly of King Yudhishthhira's royal sacrifice [râjasûya] became the sight pleasing the sum total of the three worlds, by which He, taking the position of normal people in the material world, thus today in the world has surpassed the contemplated intelligence [Brahmâ].
All the demigods from the upper, lower and middle universal planetary systems assembled at the altar of the râjasûya sacrifice performed by Mahârâja Yudhishthhira. After seeing the beautiful bodily features of Lord Krishna, they all contemplated that He was the ultimate dexterous creation of Brahmâ, the creator of human beings. (Vedabase)
After having obtained the attachment to Him, that was powered by laughter, funny games and glances, the anguished damsels of Vraja who had followed Him with their eyes, indeed sat in silent contemplation without completing their household duties.
The damsels of Vraja, after pastimes of laughter, humor and exchanges of glances, were anguished when Krishna left them. They used to follow Him with their eyes, and thus they sat down with stunned intelligence and could not finish their household duties. (Vedabase)
For the devotees harassed by others who live to the material conception, appears the Unborn one, the all-compassionate Lord and controller of the spiritual and material, accompanied by the complete of His association, as the Supreme Lord like He is fire.
The Personality of Godhead, the all-compassionate controller of both the spiritual and material creations, is unborn, but when there is friction between His peaceful devotees and persons who are in the material modes of nature. He takes birth just like fire, accompanied by the mahat-tattva. (Vedabase)
With this bewildering birth of the unborn I am distressed about how from the home of Vasudeva He lived in Vraja as if He feared the enemy [uncle Kamsa] and how He, the unlimitedly powerful one, fled from Mathurâ city [the capital where Krishna resided after defeating Kamsa].
When I think of Lord Krishna- how He was born in the prison house of Vasudeva although He is unborn, how He went away from His father's protection to Vraja and lived there incognito out of fear of the enemy, and how, although unlimitedly powerful, He fled from Mathurâ in fear - all these bewildering incidents give me distress. (Vedabase)Text 17
It hurts me in my heart to think of this what He said in worship of the feet of His parents: 'O mother, o father, in great fear of Kamsa we failed in our service, please be pleased with us!'
Lord Krishna begged pardon from His parents for Their [Krishna's and Balarâma's] inability to serve their feet, due to being away from home because of great fear of Kamsa. He said: "O mother, O father, please excuse Us for this inability."All this behavior of the Lord gives me pain at heart. (Vedabase)
Who now, once having the dust of His lotus feet in his nose, is able to forget Him who by the mere raising of His eyebrows gave the deathblow to the burden of the earth?
Who, after smelling the dust of His lotus feet even once, could ever forget it? Simply by expanding the leaves of His eyebrows, Krishna has given the deathblow to those who were burdening the earth. (Vedabase)
Of course, you from your own good self could see how during Yudhishthhira's royal sacrifice the king of Cedi [S'is'upâla] despite of being envious of Krishna, attained to the perfection which to its full is verily desired by the yogis who by their yoga can bear to be separated from Him.
You have personally seen how the King of Cedi [S'is'upâla] achieved success in yoga practice, although he hated Lord Krishna. Even the actual yogîs aspire after such success with great interest by performance of their various practices. Who can tolerate separation from Him? (Vedabase)
And also others, who certainly were fighters in the human society and who saw Krishna's very pleasing lotus-like face and eyes on the battlefield that was purified by Arjuna's arrows, have achieved His heavenly abode.
Certainly others who were fighters on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra were purified by the onslaught of Arjuna's arrows, and while seeing the lotuslike face of Krishna, so pleasing to the eyes, they achieved the abode of the Lord. (Vedabase)He is none but the unique and greater Lord of the threefold reality by whose independence supreme fortune is achieved and to whose feet all desires with their millions of helmets bow in the worship with all paraphernalia as led by the eternal maintainers of order.
Lord S'rî Krishna is the Lord of all kinds of threes and is independently supreme by achievement of all kinds of fortune. He is worshiped by the eternal maintainers of the creation, who offer Him the paraphernalia of worship by touching their millions of helmets to His feet. (Vedabase)
As servitors in His service it of course causes us therefore pain, O Vidura, how He before King Ugrasena [the one ruled out by Kamsa], who was sitting on his throne awaiting, submitted Himself saying: 'O my Lord, please see it this way'.
Therefore, O Vidura, does it not pain us, His servitors, when we remember that He [Lord Krishna] used to stand before King Ugrasena, who was sitting on the royal throne, and used to submit explanations before him, saying, "O My lord, please let it be known to you?" (Vedabase)
Alas, to the shelter of whom else shall I take who would assure a greater mercy than He who, despite of the unfaithful of the she-devil [Pûtanâ] that in envy poisoned her breast deadly for nourishing, granted her the position of a mother?
Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Pûtanâ] although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast? (Vedabase)
I think that the opponents inimical towards the Lord of the threefold, are great devotees in their being preoccupied with the fight, as they could see Him on His carrier [Garuda, the son of Târkshya - Kas'yapa] coming forward with His wheel.
I consider the demons, who are inimical toward the Lord, to be more than the devotees because while fighting with the Lord, absorbed in thoughts of enmity, they are able to see the Lord carried on the shoulder of Garuda, the son of Târkshya [Kas'yapa], and carrying the wheel weapon in His hand. (Vedabase)
Born of Devakî in the jailhouse of the king of Bhoja [Kamsa], the Supreme Lord came to bring welfare on earth as being prayed for [by the Creator].
The Personality of Godhead, Lord S'rî Krishna, being prayed to by Brahmâ to bring welfare to the earth, was begotten by Vasudeva in the womb of his wife Devaki in the prison of the King of Bhoja. (Vedabase)
Thereafter He was brought to the cow-pastures of His [foster] father Nanda, where He out of fear for Kamsa, together with Baladeva [Balarâma] was kept for eleven years like one covers a flame.
Thereafter, His father, being afraid of Kamsa, brought Him to the cow pastures of Mahârâja Nanda, and there He lived for eleven years like a covered flame with His elder brother, Baladeva. (Vedabase)
Surrounded by cowherd boys and herding calves the Almighty roamed the shores of the Yamunâ through the gardens that vibrated the chirping of heavenly birds in their many trees.
In His childhood, the Almighty Lord was surrounded by cowherd boys and calves, and thus He traveled on the shore of the Yamunâ River, through gardens densely covered with trees and filled with vibrations of chirping birds. (Vedabase)
In the display of His youth activities could He only be appreciated by the inhabitants of Vraja, the land of Vrindâvana, where He just like other kids cried and laughed and was struck with wonder looking like a lion cub.
When the Lord displayed His activities just suitable for childhood, He was visible only to the residents of Vrindâvana. Sometimes He would cry and sometimes laugh, just like a child, and while so doing He would appear like a lion cub. (Vedabase)
Certainly being the love of the wealth of cows and the reservoir of beauty, He, while tending them beauties, enlivened the cowherdboys by playing His flute.
While herding the very beautiful bulls, the Lord, who was the reservoir of all opulence and fortune, used to blow His flute, and thus He enlivened His faithful followers, the cowherd boys. (Vedabase)
The great wizards engaged by the King of Bhoja to take any form they liked were in the course of His pastimes, just like a child playing with dolls, killed by Him on their approach.
The great wizards who were able to assume any form were engaged by the King of Bhoja, Kamsa, to kill Krishna, but in the course of His pastimes the Lord killed them as easily as a child breaks dolls. (Vedabase)
[To help the inhabitants of Vrindâvana] being perplexed by the great trouble of drinking poison [from the snake Kâliya in the Yamunâ], He subdued the chief of the reptiles and after coming out of the water He caused the cows to drink it to prove it natural again.
The inhabitants of Vrindâvana were perplexed by great difficulties because a certain portion of the Yamunâ was poisoned by the chief of the reptiles [Kâliya]. The Lord chastised the snake-king within the water and drove him away, and after coming out of the river, He caused the cows to drink the water and proved that the water was again in its natural state. (Vedabase)
Desiring the proper use of the wealth of Nanda, the king of the cowherds his opulence, He with the help of the brahmins lead them to perform the worship of the cows and the land [instead of Indra].
The Supreme Lord, Krishna, desired to utilize the opulent financial strength of Mahârâja Nanda for worship of the cows, and also He wanted to give a lesson to Indra, the King of heaven. Thus He advised His father to perform worship of go, or the pasturing land and the cows, with the help of learned brâhmanas. (Vedabase)
Indra angry on being insulted highly perturbed made heavy rains pour down on Vraja from which the cowherds were protected by the merciful Lord with His pastime of the [Govardhana] hill that served as an umbrella, o sober Vidura.
O sober Vidura, King Indra, his honor having been insulted, poured water incessantly on Vrindâvana, and thus the inhabitants of Vraja, the land of cows, were greatly distressed. But the compassionate Lord Krishna saved them from danger with His pastime umbrella, the Govardhana Hill. (Vedabase)
In autumn thought He, in the night brightened by moonshine, it pleasing to sing songs to enjoy the women, being the beauty in their midst.
In the third season of the year, the Lord enjoyed as the central beauty of the assembly of women by attracting them with His pleasing songs in an autumn night brightened by moonshine. (Vedabase)
For
this original translation a one-volume printed copy
has been used with an extensive commentary.
ISBN: o-91277-27-7
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