Canto 10
Chapter 11
A New Residence, the Fruitvendor and Vatsâsura and Bakâsura Defeated
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'The cowherd men lead by Nanda hearing the tumult of the trees falling down went, afraid of the thunder, to the spot, o best of the Kurus. (2) Discovering there the two arjunas fallen to the ground had they flabbergasted not a clue what the cause of this apparent crash would be. (3) Who would have done this? The kid, dragging the wooden mortar bound to Him by the rope? How could this wondrous thing have happened? Thus they were perplexed. (4) The other kids said: 'He has done it, with the mortar getting across dragging it in between the trees! And there were also two personalities. We saw it with our own eyes!' (5) They couldn't believe what they said, 'That can't be; how could such a small child have uprooted the trees?', but some of them had doubts in their mind [and deemed it very well possible]. (6) Seeing his son bound by the rope dragging the mortar made Nanda smile and so he set Him free.
(7) By the gopîs encouraged, sang the Supreme Lord at times, playing silly, fooling them as if He'd be an ordinary child under their control like a wooden doll. (8) Sometimes being ordered He would carry the load of a wooden seat, a measure or shoes, making fun with His relatives striking His arms [as if He'd be a man of power]. (9) For the whole world to know Him showed He to what extend submitted to His servants the Supreme Lord is, in His as a child endeavoring to perform to the pleasure of all of Vraja.
(10) 'O people all around, get your fruits!', thus Krishna heard a fruit vendor calling out, and quickly grabbing some paddy went the Infallible One, the Bestower of all Fruits, over there to buy fruit. (11) What He had to offer had fallen from the palms of His hands, but the fruit lady filled them [nevertheless] with fruits. In exchange was the entire basket of fruits filled with gold and jewels!
(12) After the incident with the arjunas Rohinî Devî once called out for Krishna and Râma who had forgotten the time in their play with the other kids at the riverside. (13) When the sons immersed in their games upon being called didn't show up, sent Rohinî mother Yas'odâ after them with her loving care for the sons. (14) Calling for Krishna, her son and the other boys He so late was still playing with, flowed in her love the milk from her breasts. (15) 'Krishna, o Krishna my lotus-eyed one, o darling, stop playing, drink some milk; You must be tired and hungry my son!' (16) O Râma, please come right now together with Your younger brother, o love of the family, You sure enjoyed Your breakfast this morning, and now must be needing some more! (17) O Dâs'ârha ['worthy of service'], the king of Vraja is waiting for the both of You desirous to eat, come here, do us a favor and let the other boys go to their homes. (18) You're all covered with dirt my son, come now and wash; this day is the day of Your birth star, be clean and then we'll give cows to the brahmins! (19) See, look how the boys of Your age, washed by their mothers, are all dressed up, so should You also with a bath and having eaten s enjoy now with them in your finest.' (20) Yas'odâ this way in her intense love considering the Highest of them All to be her son, o ruler of man, took Krishna and Râma by the hand and then brought them home to get them ready to appear.
(21) S'rî S'uka said: 'The elder gopas witnessing the great disturbances in the Big Forest held a meeting with Nanda to discuss what was going on in Vraja. (22) Upânanda [Nanda's elder brother], the oldest and wisest with the greatest experience, said in that meeting what to the time and circumstances with Râma and Krishna would be the best thing to do: (23) 'We all who wish our Gokula the best place to be, should leave from here, because many things with the evil intent to kill the boys are occurring here. (24) To be specific because, somehow or other, by the grace of the Lord He, this boy, was delivered from the hands of the Râkshasî [Pûtanâ] who came here to kill the kids and because of the handcart which fell over almost hit Him. (25) And then there was the demon in the form of a whirlwind that transported Him into the sky and next so dangerously fell to the rocky ground; with Him just to be saved by the Controller of the Godfearing. (26) Nor did that child, nor another one, die from the two trees He got into between; even then He was saved by the Infallible One. (27) As long as the devil is harassing can we not stay in this cow-place and must we before it is too late to the interest of the boys leave from here; let us, all together, move to some other place. (28) There is another forest named Vrindâvana [the 'clustered forest' *] with lots of fresh greenery which is a very suitable place for gopa, gopî and cow with its serene rock formations, variety of plants and wealth of grasses. (29) Let us therefore immediately go there today and not waste any time, get all carts ready and all be on our way with the wealth of our cows in front - if you all agree.'
(30) Hearing that said all the gopas then unanimously 'Right so, right so', and started they to assemble the cows and load their belongings. (31-32) The elderly, the children and women with the greatest care came first and next, o King, with all their necessities on the bullock carts departed the gopas complete with their bows and arrows together with the priests and the cows in front of them, loudly vibrating all around with their horns and bugles. (33) The gopîs nicely dressed with the gold around their necks and their bodies decorated with fresh kunkum, sang riding the carts with great pleasure of Krishna's pastimes. (34) Yas'odâ and Rohinî, together seated on one cart beautifully with Krishna and Balarâma, were most happy to listen to the stories sung. (35) Reaching Vrindâvana, a place agreeable in all seasons, settled they for the cow compound placing their carts in half a circle that looked like the moon. (36) O ruler of man, when Râma and Mâdhava saw Vrindâvana with Govardhana hill and the banks of the Yamunâ, were they enraptured with the greatest pleasure. (37) All the inhabitants of the cow-community [the new Vraja] thus were delighted with the child-play and broken language of them who in due course of time were old enough to take care of the calves. (38) Close by the lands of their Vraja tended they with the other boys that lived for the cows, the small calves, sporting in diverse ways with all kinds of playthings. (39-40) Sometimes blowing their flutes, sometimes with a sling hurling [for the fruits], sometimes moving their feet for the tinkling [of their ankle bells], sometimes playing cow and bull, roaring loudly imitating the animals fighting with one another and sometimes mimicking the cries of the animals, they wandered around like two normal children.
(41) Some day at the bank of the Yamunâ tending their calves with their playmates arrived there a demon [Vatsâsura] with the intent to kill Krishna and Balarâma. (42) Noticing him who assuming the form of a calf had mixed with the other calves, pointed the Lord him out gesturing to Baladeva, meanwhile inconspicuously slowly getting near him. (43) Catching him by the hind legs along with his tail whirled Acyuta him heavily around and threw He him lifeless on top of a kapittha tree [**] where the body of the demon assumed a giant size and dead together with the tree fell to the ground. (44) All the boys observing this incident were greatly amazed and praised Him high exclaiming 'Well done, good so!', and the gods pleased gave Him a shower of flowers. (45) They, the One Protectors of All the Worlds having turned into protectors of the young, that morning finished their breakfast and wandered along tending the calves.
(46) With each of them having their own group of calves came they one day near a reservoir to drench the animals after which they also drank from the water. (47) For all the boys to see was there situated a gigantic body that, fallen like a mountain peak broken off by a thunderbolt, frightened them. (48) That one was named Bakâsura, a big demon who had assumed the body of a gigantic heron [a baka ***]; getting there he most powerfully all of a sudden with his sharp beak swallowed Krishna. (49) Witnessing the event of Krishna being devoured by the heron were all the boys headed by Râma overwhelmed in all their senses and stood they dumbfounded lifeless. (50) He, that son of a cowherd, Lord of the Lord of the Universe, deep in its throat burned like fire and was instantly angrily released without a scratch whereupon the heron immediately tried again to kill Him with its sharp beak. (51) He with Bakâsura trying again caught that friend of Kamsa with His arms by the beak which He as the Master of the Truthful in service of the denizens of heaven, with the boys watching, as easily tore apart as one splits a blade of grass. (52) At that time, showered the godly of all places jasmine and other flowers and congratulated they Him along with drums, conches and prayers; seeing this were all the cowherd sons wonderstruck. (53) Like with the senses [when they return to consciousness] was, released from the heron its mouth, life restored to all the boys headed by Balarâma and free from the danger embracing Him returned they, after collecting their calves, to Vraja, loudly declaring [there what had happened]. (54) The gopas and their gopîs after hearing of it all were astound and, thrilled with supreme delight, unable to turn their eyes away from the boys at whom they eagerly gazed as if they had returned from death. (55) How amazing that this boy, having faced so many threats of death before, was still around, while all those causes of fear themselves had found their end. (56) Although they came intent to murder this boy, did they, appearing so grotesque in their malice, sure all fail; approaching Him they were all vanquished like flies in the fire. (57) How wonderful that the words of the knowers of the Brahman never ever prove false; that what by the supreme master [Garga] was predicted had exactly so happened [see 10.8: 8-9]! (58) And so were all Nanda's gopas delighted to recount the stories about Krishna and Balarâma and enjoyed they with that their lives not at all running into the pains of the world [see also 1.7: 6]. (59) This way passed they their childhood in the cow-community with different childlike pastimes like playing hide and seek, building dams and jumping about like they were monkeys.
Source texts:
The Childhood Pastimes of Krishna
S'rî S'uka said: 'The cowherd men lead by Nanda hearing the tumult of the trees falling down went, afraid of the thunder, to the spot, o best of the Kurus.
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: O Mahârâja Parîkchit, when the yamala-arjuna trees fell, all the cowherd men in the neighborhood, hearing the fierce sound and fearing thunderbolts, went to the spot.
Discovering there the two arjunas fallen to the ground had they flabbergasted not a clue what the cause of this apparent crash would be.
There they saw the fallen yamala-arjuna trees on the ground, but they were bewildered because even though they could directly perceive that the trees had fallen, they could not trace out the cause for their having done so.
Who would have done this? The kid, dragging the wooden mortar bound to Him by the rope? How could this wondrous thing have happened? Thus they were perplexed.
Krishna was bound by the rope to the ulûkhala, the mortar, which He was dragging. But how could He have pulled down the trees? Who had actually done it? Where was the source for this incident? Considering all these astounding things, the cowherd men were doubtful and bewildered.
The other kids said: 'He has done it, with the mortar getting across dragging it in between the trees! And there were also two personalities. We saw it with our own eyes!'
Then all the cowherd boys said: It is Krishna who has done this. When He was in between the two trees, the mortar fell crosswise. Krishna dragged the mortar, and the two trees fell down. After that, two beautiful men came out of the trees. We have seen this with our own eyes.
They couldn't believe what they said, 'That can't be; how could such a small child have uprooted the trees?', but some of them had doubts in their mind [and deemed it very well possible].
Because of intense paternal affection, the cowherd men, headed by Nanda, could not believe that Krishna could have uprooted the trees in such a wonderful way. Therefore they could not put their faith in the words of the boys. Some of the men, however, were in doubt. "Since Krishna was predicted to equal Nârâyana," they thought, "it might be that He could have done it."
Seeing his son bound by the rope dragging the mortar made Nanda smile and so he set Him free.
When Nanda Mahârâja saw his own son bound with ropes to the wooden mortar and dragging it, he smiled and released Krishna from His bonds.
By the gopîs encouraged, sang the Supreme Lord at times, playing silly, fooling them as if He'd be an ordinary child under their control like a wooden doll.
The gopîs would say, "If You dance, my dear Krishna, then I shall give You half a sweetmeat." By saying these words or by clapping their hands, all the gopîs encouraged Krishna in different ways. At such times, although He was the supremely powerful Personality of Godhead, He would smile and dance according to their desire, as if He were a wooden doll in their hands. Sometimes He would sing very loudly, at their bidding. In this way, Krishna came completely under the control of the gopîs.
Sometimes being ordered He would carry the load of a wooden seat, a measure or shoes, making fun with His relatives striking His arms [as if He'd be a man of power].
Sometimes mother Yas'odâ and her gopî friends would tell Krishna, "Bring this article" or "Bring that article." Sometimes they would order Him to bring a wooden plank, wooden shoes or a wooden measuring pot, and Krishna, when thus ordered by the mothers, would try to bring them. Sometimes, however, as if unable to raise these things, He would touch them and stand there. Just to invite the pleasure of His relatives, He would strike His body with His arms to show that He had sufficient strength.
For the whole world to know Him showed He to what extend submitted to His servants the Supreme Lord is, in His as a child endeavoring to perform to the pleasure of all of Vraja.
To pure devotees throughout the world who could understand His activities, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, exhibited how much He can be subdued by His devotees, His servants. In this way He increased the pleasure of the Vrajavâsîs by His childhood activities.
'O people all around, get your fruits!', thus Krishna heard a fruit vendor calling out, and quickly grabbing some paddy went the Infallible One, the Bestower of all Fruits, over there to buy fruit.
Once a woman selling fruit was calling, "O inhabitants of Vrajabhûmi, if you want to purchase some fruits, come here!" Upon hearing this, Krishna immediately took some grains and went to barter as if He needed some fruits.
What He had to offer had fallen from the palms of His hands, but the fruit lady filled them [nevertheless] with fruits. In exchange was the entire basket of fruits filled with gold and jewels!
While Krishna was going to the fruit vendor very hastily, most of the grains He was holding fell. Nonetheless, the fruit vendor filled Krishna's hands with fruits, and her fruit basket was immediately filled with jewels and gold.
After the incident with the arjunas Rohini Devî once called out for Krishna and Râma who had forgotten the time in their play with the other kids at the riverside.
Once, after the uprooting of the yamala-arjuna trees, Rohinîdevî went to call Râma and Krishna, who had both gone to the riverside and were playing with the other boys with deep attention.
When the sons immersed in their games upon being called didn't show up, sent Rohinî mother Yas'odâ after them with her loving care for the sons.
Because of being too attached to playing with the other boys, Krishna and Balarâma did not return upon being called by Rohinî. Therefore Rohinî sent mother Yas'odâ to call Them back, because mother Yas'odâ was more affectionate to Krishna and Balarâma.
Calling for Krishna, her son and the other boys He so late was still playing with, flowed in her love the milk from her breasts.
Krishna and Balarâma, being attached to Their play, were playing with the other boys although it was very late. Therefore mother Yas'odâ called Them back for lunch. Because of her ecstatic love and affection for Krishna and Balarâma, milk flowed from her breasts.
'Krishna, o Krishna my lotus-eyed one, o darling, stop playing, drink some milk; You must be tired and hungry my son!'
Mother Yas'odâ said: My dear son Krishna, lotus-eyed Krishna, come here and drink the milk of my breast. My dear darling, You must be very tired because of hunger and the fatigue of playing so long. There is no need to play any more.
O Râma, please come right now together with Your younger brother, o love of the family, You sure enjoyed Your breakfast this morning, and now must be needing some more!
My dear Baladeva, best of our family, please come immediately with Your younger brother, Krishna. You both ate in the morning, and now You ought to eat something more.
O Dâs'ârha ['worthy of service'], the king of Vraja is waiting for the both of You desirous to eat, come here, do us a favor and let the other boys go to their homes.
Nanda Mahârâja, the King of Vraja, is now waiting to eat. O my dear son Balarâma, he is waiting for You. Therefore, come back to please us. All the boys playing with You and Krishna should now go to their homes.
You're all covered with dirt my son, come now and wash; this day is the day of Your birth star, be clean and then we'll give cows to the brahmins!
Mother Yas'odâ further told Krishna: My dear son, because of playing all day, Your body has become covered with dust and sand. Therefore, come back, take Your bath and cleanse Yourself. Today the moon is conjoined with the auspicious star of Your birth. Therefore, be pure and give cows in charity to the brâhmanas.
See, look how the boys of Your age, washed by their mothers, are all dressed up, so should You also with a bath and having eaten s enjoy now with them in your finest.'
Just see how all Your playmates of Your own age have been cleansed and decorated with beautiful ornaments by their mothers. You should come here, and after You have taken Your bath, eaten Your lunch and been decorated with ornaments, You may play with Your friends again.
Yas'odâ this way in her intense love considering the Highest of them All to be her son, o ruler of man, took Krishna and Râma by the hand and then brought them home to get them ready to appear.
My dear Mahârâja Parîkchit, because of intense love and affection, mother Yas'odâ, Krishna's mother, considered Krishna, who was at the peak of all opulences, to be her own son. Thus she took Krishna by the hand, along with Balarâma, and brought Them home, where she performed her duties by fully bathing Them, dressing Them and feeding Them.
S'rî S'uka said: 'The elder gopas witnessing the great disturbances in the Big Forest held a meeting with Nanda to discuss what was going on in Vraja.
S'rî S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: Then one time, having seen the great disturbances in Brihadvana, all the elderly persons among the cowherd men, headed by Nanda Mahârâja, assembled and began to consider what to do to stop the continuous disturbing situations in Vraja.
Upânanda [Nanda's elder brother], the oldest and wisest with the greatest experience, said in that meeting what to the time and circumstances with Râma and Krishna would be the best thing to do:
At this meeting of all the inhabitants of Gokula, a cowherd man named Upânanda, who was the most mature in age and knowledge and was very experienced according to time, circumstances and country, made this suggestion for the benefit of Râma and Krishna.
'We all who wish our Gokula the best place to be, should leave from here, because many things with the evil intent to kill the boys are occurring here.
He said: My dear friends the cowherd men, in order to do good to this place, Gokula, we should leave it, because so many disturbances are always occurring here, just for the purpose of killing Râma and Krishna.
To be specific because, somehow or other, by the grace of the Lord He, this boy, was delivered from the hands of the Râkshasî [Pûtanâ] who came here to kill the kids and because of the handcart which fell over almost hit Him.
The child Krishna, simply by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was somehow or other rescued from the hands of the Râkshasî Pûtanâ, who was determined to kill Him. Then, again by the mercy of the Supreme Godhead, the handcart missed falling upon the child.
And then there was the demon in the form of a whirlwind that transported Him into the sky and next so dangerously fell to the rocky ground; with Him just to be saved by the Controller of the Godfearing.
Then again, the demon Trinâvarta, in the form of a whirlwind, took the child away into the dangerous sky to kill Him, but the demon fell down onto a slab of stone. In that case also, by the mercy of Lord Vishnu or His associates, the child was saved.
Nor did that child, nor another one, die from the two trees He got into between; even then He was saved by the Infallible One.
Even the other day, neither Krishna nor any of His playmates died from the falling of the two trees, although the children were near the trees or even between them. This also is to be considered the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
As long as the devil is harassing can we not stay in this cow-place and must we before it is too late to the interest of the boys leave from here; let us, all together, move to some other place.
All these incidents are being caused by some unknown demon. Before he comes here to create another disturbance, it is our duty to go somewhere else with the boys until there are no more disturbances.
There is another forest named Vrindâvana [the 'clustered forest' *] with lots of fresh greenery which is a very suitable place for gopa, gopî and cow with its serene rock formations, variety of plants and wealth of grasses.
Between Nandes'vara and Mahâvana is a place named Vrindâvana. This place is very suitable because it is lush with grass, plants and creepers for the cows and other animals. It has nice gardens and tall mountains and is full of facilities for the happiness of all the gopas and gopîs and our animals.
Let us therefore immediately go there today and not waste any time, get all carts ready and all be on our way with the wealth of our cows in front - if you all agree.'
Therefore, let us immediately go today. There is no need to wait any further. If you agree to my proposal, let us prepare all the bullock carts and put the cows in front of us, and let us go there.
Hearing that said all the gopas then unanimously 'Right so, right so', and started they to assemble the cows and load their belongings.
Upon hearing this advice from Upânanda, the cowherd men unanimously agreed. "Very nice," they said. "Very nice." Thus they sorted out their household affairs, placed their clothing and other paraphernalia on the carts, and immediately started for Vrindâvana.
The elderly, the children and women with the greatest care came first and next, o King, with all their necessities on the bullock carts departed the gopas complete with their bows and arrows together with the priests and the cows in front of them, loudly vibrating all around with their horns and bugles.
Keeping all the old men, women, children and household paraphernalia on the bullock carts and keeping all the cows in front, the cowherd men picked up their bows and arrows with great care and sounded bugles made of horn. O King Parîkchit, in this way, with bugles vibrating all around, the cowherd men, accompanied by their priests, began their journey.
The gopîs nicely dressed with the gold around their necks and their bodies decorated with fresh kunkum, sang riding the carts with great pleasure of Krishna's pastimes.
The cowherd women, riding on the bullock carts, were dressed very nicely with excellent garments, and their bodies, especially their breasts, were decorated with fresh kunkuma powder. As they rode, they began to chant with great pleasure the pastimes of Krishna.
Yas'odâ and Rohinî, together seated on one cart beautifully with Krishna and Balarâma, were most happy to listen to the stories sung.
Thus hearing about the pastimes of Krishna and Balarâma with great pleasure, mother Yas'odâ and Rohinîdevî, so as not to be separated from Krishna and Balarâma for even a moment, got up with Them on one bullock cart. In this situation, they all looked very beautiful.
Reaching Vrindâvana, a place agreeable in all seasons, settled they for the cow compound placing their carts in half a circle that looked like the moon.
In this way they entered Vrindâvana, where it is always pleasing to live in all seasons. They made a temporary place to inhabit by placing their bullock carts around them in the shape of a half moon.
O ruler of man, when Râma and Mâdhava saw Vrindâvana with Govardhana hill and the banks of the Yamunâ, were they enraptured with the greatest pleasure.
O King Parîkchit, when Râma and Krishna saw Vrindâvana, Govardhana and the banks of the River Yamunâ, They both enjoyed great pleasure.
All the inhabitants of the cow-community [the new Vraja] thus were delighted with the child-play and broken language of them who in due course of time were old enough to take care of the calves.
In this way, Krishna and Balarâma, acting like small boys and talking in half- broken language, gave transcendental pleasure to all the inhabitants of Vraja. In due course of time, They became old enough to take care of the calves.
Close by the lands of their Vraja tended they with the other boys that lived for the cows, the small calves, sporting in diverse ways with all kinds of playthings.
Not far away from Their residential quarters, both Krishna and Balarâma, equipped with all kinds of playthings, played with other cowherd boys and began to tend the small calves.
Sometimes blowing their flutes, sometimes with a sling hurling [for the fruits], sometimes moving their feet for the tinkling [of their ankle bells], sometimes playing cow and bull, roaring loudly imitating the animals fighting with one another and sometimes mimicking the cries of the animals, they wandered around like two normal children.
Sometimes Krishna and Balarâma would play on Their flutes, sometimes They would throw ropes and stones devised for getting fruits from the trees, sometimes They would throw only stones, and sometimes, Their ankle bells tinkling, They would play football with fruits like bael and âmalakî. Sometimes They would cover Themselves with blankets and imitate cows and bulls and fight with one another, roaring loudly, and sometimes They would imitate the voices of the animals. In this way They enjoyed sporting, exactly like two ordinary human children.
Some day at the bank of the Yamunâ tending their calves with their playmates arrived there a demon [Vatsâsura] with the intent to kill Krishna and Balarâma.
One day while Râma and Krishna, along with Their playmates, were tending the calves on the bank of the River Yamunâ, another demon arrived there, desiring to kill Them.
Noticing him who assuming the form of a calf had mixed with the other calves, pointed the Lord him out gesturing to Baladeva, meanwhile inconspicuously slowly getting near him.
When the Supreme Personality of Godhead saw that the demon had assumed the form of a calf and entered among the groups of other calves, He pointed out to Baladeva, "Here is another demon." Then He very slowly approached the demon, as if He did not understand the demon's intentions.
Catching him by the hind legs along with his tail whirled Acyuta him heavily around and threw He him lifeless on top of a kapittha tree [**] where the body of the demon assumed a giant size and dead together with the tree fell to the ground.
Thereafter, S'rî Krishna caught the demon by the hind legs and tail, twirled the demon's whole body very strongly until the demon was dead, and threw him into the top of a kapittha tree, which then fell down, along with the body of the demon, who had assumed a great form.
All the boys observing this incident were greatly amazed and praised Him high exclaiming 'Well done, good so!', and the gods pleased gave Him a shower of flowers.
Upon seeing the dead body of the demon, all the cowherd boys exclaimed, "Well done, Krishna! Very good, very good! Thank You." In the upper planetary system, all the demigods were pleased, and therefore they showered flowers on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
They, the One Protectors of All the Worlds having turned into protectors of the young, that morning finished their breakfast and wandered along tending the calves.
After the killing of the demon, Krishna and Balarâma finished Their breakfast in the morning, and while continuing to take care of the calves, They wandered here and there. Krishna and Balarâma, the Supreme Personalities of Godhead, who maintain the entire creation, now took charge of the calves as if cowherd boys.
With each of them having their own group of calves came they one day near a reservoir to drench the animals after which they also drank from the water.
One day all the boys, including Krishna and Balarâma, each boy taking his own group of calves, brought the calves to a reservoir of water, desiring to allow them to drink. After the animals drank water, the boys drank water there also.
For all the boys to see was there situated a gigantic body that, fallen like a mountain peak broken off by a thunderbolt, frightened them.
Right by the reservoir, the boys saw a gigantic body resembling a mountain peak broken and struck down by a thunderbolt. They were afraid even to see such a huge living being.
That one was named Bakâsura, a big demon who had assumed the body of a gigantic heron [a baka ***]; getting there he most powerfully all of a sudden with his sharp beak swallowed Krishna.
That great-bodied demon was named Bakâsura. He had assumed the body of a duck with a very sharp beak. Having come there, he immediately swallowed Krishna.
Witnessing the event of Krishna being devoured by the heron were all the boys headed by Râma overwhelmed in all their senses and stood they dumbfounded lifeless.
When Balarâma and the other boys saw that Krishna had been devoured by the gigantic duck, they became almost unconscious, like senses without life.
He, that son of a cowherd, Lord of the Lord of the Universe, deep in its throat burned like fire and was instantly angrily released without a scratch whereupon the heron immediately tried again to kill Him with its sharp beak.
Krishna, who was the father of Lord Brahmâ but who was acting as the son of a cowherd man, became like fire, burning the root of the demon's throat, and the demon Bakâsura immediately disgorged Him. When the demon saw that Krishna, although having been swallowed, was unharmed, he immediately attacked Krishna again with his sharp beak.
He with Bakâsura trying again caught that friend of Kamsa with His arms by the beak which He as the Master of the Truthful in service of the denizens of heaven, with the boys watching, as easily tore apart as one splits a blade of grass.
When Krishna, the leader of the Vaishnavas, saw that the demon Bakâsura, the friend of Kamsa, was endeavoring to attack Him, with His arms He captured the demon by the two halves of the beak, and in the presence of all the cowherd boys Krishna very easily bifurcated Him, as a child splits a blade of vîrana grass. By thus killing the demon, Krishna very much pleased the denizens of heaven.
At that time, showered the godly of all places jasmine and other flowers and congratulated they Him along with drums, conches and prayers; seeing this were all the cowherd sons wonderstruck.
At that time, the celestial denizens of the higher planetary system showered mallikâ-pushpa, flowers grown in Nandana-kânana, upon Krishna, the enemy of Bakâsura. They also congratulated Him by sounding celestial kettledrums and conchshells and by offering prayers. Seeing this, the cowherd boys were struck with wonder.
Like with the senses [when they return to consciousness] was, released from the heron its mouth, life restored to all the boys headed by Balarâma and free from the danger embracing Him returned they, after collecting their calves, to Vraja, loudly declaring [there what had happened].
Just as the senses are pacified when consciousness and life return, so when Krishna was freed from this danger, all the boys, including Balarâma, thought that their life had been restored. They embraced Krishna in good consciousness, and then they collected their own calves and returned to Vrajabhûmi, where they declared the incident loudly.
The gopas and their gopîs after hearing of it all were astound and, thrilled with supreme delight, unable to turn their eyes away from the boys at whom they eagerly gazed as if they had returned from death.
When the cowherd men and women heard about the killing of Bakâsura in the forest, they were very much astonished. Upon seeing Krishna and hearing the story, they received Krishna very eagerly, thinking that Krishna and the other boys had returned from the mouth of death. Thus they looked upon Krishna and the boys with silent eyes, not wanting to turn their eyes aside now that the boys were safe.
How amazing that this boy, having faced so many threats of death before, was still around, while all those causes of fear themselves had found their end.
The cowherd men, headed by Nanda Mahârâja, began to contemplate: It is very astonishing that although this boy Krishna has many times faced many varied causes of death, by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead it was these causes of fear that were killed, instead of Him.
Although they came intent to murder this boy, did they, appearing so grotesque in their malice, sure all fail; approaching Him they were all vanquished like flies in the fire.
Although the causes of death, the daityas, were very fierce, they could not kill this boy Krishna. Rather, because they came to kill innocent boys, as soon as they approached they themselves were killed, exactly like flies attacking a fire.
How wonderful that the words of the knowers of the Brahman never ever prove false; that what by the supreme master [Garga] was predicted had exactly so happened [see 10.8: 8-9]!
The words of persons in full knowledge of Brahman never become untrue. It is very wonderful that whatever Gargamuni predicted we are now actually experiencing in all detail.
And so were all Nanda's gopas delighted to recount the stories about Krishna and Râma and enjoyed they with that their lives not at all running into the pains of the world [see also 1.7: 6].
In this way all the cowherd men, headed by Nanda Mahârâja, enjoyed topics about the pastimes of Krishna and Balarâma with great transcendental pleasure, and they could not even perceive material tribulations.
This way passed they their childhood in the cow-community with different childlike pastimes like playing hide and seek, building dams and jumping about like they were monkeys.
In this way Krishna and Balarâma passed Their childhood age in Vrajabhûmi by engaging in activities of childish play, such as playing hide-and-seek, constructing a make-believe bridge on the ocean, and jumping here and there like monkeys.
*: Vrindâvana is situated between Nandes'vara and Mahâvana.
** The kapittha is sometimes called kshatbelphala. The pulp of this fruit is very palatable. It is sour-sweet and liked by each and everyone.
***: The heron is regarded a bird of great cunning, deceit and deliberation and so it stands for the hypocrite, the cheat, the rogue .
For
this original translation was the only volume used that
Svâmi Prabhupâda could complete of the tenth Canto.
See the
S'rîmad Bhâgavatam
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