Chapter 19: Swallowing the Forest Fire

 

10.19.1

śrī-śuka uvāca

krīḍāsakteṣu gopeṣu

tad-gāvo dūra-cāriṇīḥ

svairaḿ carantyo viviśus

tṛṇa-lobhena gahvaram

 

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; krīḍā — in their playing; āsakteṣu — while they were completely absorbed; gopeṣu — the cowherd boys; tat-gāvaḥ — their cows; dūra-cāriṇīḥ — wandering far away; svairam — independently; carantyaḥ — grazing; viviśuḥ — they entered; tṛṇa — for grass; lobhena — out of greed; gahvaram — a dense forest.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: While the cowherd boys were completely absorbed in playing, their cows wandered far away. They hungered for more grass, and with no one to watch them they entered a dense forest.

 

10.19.2

ajā gāvo mahiṣyaś ca

nirviśantyo vanād vanam

īṣīkāṭavīḿ nirviviśuḥ

krandantyo dāva-tarṣitāḥ

 

ajāḥ — the goats; gāvaḥ — the cows; mahiṣyaḥ — the buffalo; ca — and; nirviśantyaḥ — entering; vanāt — from one forest; vanam — to another forest; īṣīkā-aṭavīm — a forest of canes; nirviviśuḥ — they entered; krandantyaḥ — crying out; dāva — because of a forest fire; tarṣitāḥ — thirsty.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Passing from one part of the great forest to another, the goats, cows and buffalo eventually entered an area overgrown with sharp canes. The heat of a nearby forest fire made them thirsty, and they cried out in distress.

 

10.19.3

te 'paśyantaḥ paśūn gopāḥ

kṛṣṇa-rāmādayas tadā

jātānutāpā na vidur

vicinvanto gavāḿ gatim

 

te — they; apaśyantaḥ — not seeing; paśūn — the animals; gopāḥ — the cowherd boys; kṛṣṇa-rāma-ādayaḥ — led by Kṛṣṇa and Rāma; tadā — then; jāta-anutāpāḥ — feeling remorse; na viduḥ — they did not know; vicinvantaḥ — searching out; gavām — of the cows; gatim — the path.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Not seeing the cows before them, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma and Their cowherd friends suddenly felt repentant for having neglected them. The boys searched all around, but could not discover where they had gone.

 

10.19.4

tṛṇais tat-khura-dac-chinnair

goṣ-padair ańkitair gavām

mārgam anvagaman sarve

naṣṭājīvyā vicetasaḥ

 

tṛṇaiḥ — by the blades of grass; tat — of those cows; khura — by the hooves; dat — and the teeth; chinnaiḥ — which were broken; goḥ-padaiḥ — with the hoofprints; ańkitaiḥ — (by places in the ground) which were marked; gavām — of the cows; mārgam — the path; anvagaman — they followed; sarve — all of them; naṣṭa-ājīvyāḥ — having lost their livelihood; vicetasaḥ — in anxiety.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Then the boys began tracing out the cows' path by noting their hoofprints and the blades of grass the cows had broken with their hooves and teeth. All the cowherd boys were in great anxiety because they had lost their source of livelihood.

 

10.19.5

muñjāṭavyāḿ bhraṣṭa-mārgaḿ

krandamānaḿ sva-godhanam

samprāpya tṛṣitāḥ śrāntās

tatas te sannyavartayan

 

muñjā-aṭavyām — in the Muñjā forest; bhraṣṭa-mārgam — who had lost their way; krandamānam — crying; sva — their own; go-dhanam — cows (and other animals); samprāpya — finding; tṛṣitāḥ — who were thirsty; śrāntāḥ — and tired; tataḥ — then; te — they, the cowherd boys; sannyavartayan — turned them all back.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Within the Muñjā forest the cowherd boys finally found their valuable cows, who had lost their way and were crying. Then the boys, thirsty and tired, herded the cows onto the path back home.

 

10.19.6

tā āhūtā bhagavatā

megha-gambhīrayā girā

sva-nāmnāḿ ninadaḿ śrutvā

pratineduḥ praharṣitāḥ

 

tāḥ — they; āhūtāḥ — called; bhagavatā — by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; megha-gambhīrayā — as deep as a cloud; girā — with His voice; sva-nāmnām — of their own names; ninadam — the sound; śrutvā — hearing; pratineduḥ — they replied; praharṣitāḥ — greatly enlivened.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead called out to the animals in a voice that resounded like a rumbling cloud. Hearing the sound of their own names, the cows were overjoyed and called out to the Lord in reply.

 

10.19.7

tataḥ samantād dava-dhūmaketur

yadṛcchayābhūt kṣaya-kṛd vanaukasām

samīritaḥ sārathinolbaṇolmukair

vilelihānaḥ sthira-jańgamān mahān

 

tataḥ — then; samantāt — on all sides; dava-dhūmaketuḥ — a terrible forest fire; yadṛcchayā — suddenly; abhūt — appeared; kṣaya-kṛt — threatening destruction; vana-okasām — for all those present in the forest; samīritaḥ — driven; sārathinā — by its chariot driver, the wind; ulbaṇa — terrible; ulmukaiḥ — with meteorlike sparks; vilelihānaḥ — licking; sthira-jańgamān — all moving and nonmoving creatures; mahān — very great.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Suddenly a great forest fire appeared on all sides, threatening to destroy all the forest creatures. Like a chariot driver, the wind swept the fire onward, and terrible sparks shot in all directions. Indeed, the great fire extended its tongues of flame toward all moving and nonmoving creatures.

 

10.19.8

tam āpatantaḿ parito davāgniḿ

gopāś ca gāvaḥ prasamīkṣya bhītāḥ

ūcuś ca kṛṣṇaḿ sa-balaḿ prapannā

yathā hariḿ mṛtyu-bhayārditā janāḥ

 

tam — that; āpatantam — setting upon them; paritaḥ — on all sides; dava-agnim — the forest fire; gopāḥ — the cowherd boys; ca — and; gāvaḥ — the cows; prasamīkṣya — intensely watching; bhītāḥ — afraid; ūcuḥ — they addressed; ca — and; kṛṣṇam — Lord Kṛṣṇa; sa-balam — and Lord Balarāma; prapannāḥ — taking shelter; yathā — as; harim — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mṛtyu — of death; bhaya — by fear; arditāḥ — troubled; janāḥ — persons.

 

TRANSLATION

 

As the cows and cowherd boys stared at the forest fire attacking them on all sides, they became fearful. The boys then approached Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma for shelter, just as those who are disturbed by fear of death approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The boys addressed Them as follows.

 

10.19.9

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-vīra

he rāmāmogha vikrama

dāvāgninā dahyamānān

prapannāḿs trātum arhathaḥ

 

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa — O Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa; mahā-vīra — O most powerful one; he rāma — O Rāma; amogha-vikrama — You whose prowess is never thwarted; dāva-agninā — by the forest fire; dahyamānān — who are being burned; prapannān — who are surrendered; trātum arhathaḥ — please save.

 

TRANSLATION

 

[The cowherd boys said:] O Kṛṣṇa ! Kṛṣṇa! Most powerful one ! O Rāma! You whose prowess never fails! Please save Your devotees, who are about to be burned by this forest fire and have come to take shelter of You!

 

10.19.10

nūnaḿ tvad-bāndhavāḥ kṛṣṇa

na cārhanty avasāditum

vayaḿ hi sarva-dharma-jña

tvan-nāthās tvat-parāyaṇāḥ

 

nūnam — certainly; tvat — Your; bāndhavāḥ — friends; kṛṣṇa — our dear Śrī Kṛṣṇa; na — never; ca — and; arhanti — deserve; avasāditum — to suffer destruction; vayam — we; hi — moreover; sarva-dharma-jña — O perfect knower of the nature of all beings; tvat-nāthāḥ — having You as our Lord; tvat-parāyaṇaḥ — devoted to You.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Kṛṣṇa! Certainly Your own friends shouldn't be destroyed. O knower of the nature of all things, we have accepted You as our Lord, and we are souls surrendered unto You!

 

10.19.11

śrī-śuka uvāca

vaco niśamya kṛpaṇaḿ

bandhūnāḿ bhagavān hariḥ

nimīlayata mā bhaiṣṭa

locanānīty abhāṣata

 

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; vacaḥ — the words; niśamya — hearing; kṛpaṇam — pitiful; bandhūnām — of His friends; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; hariḥ — Hari; nimīlayata — just close; mā bhaiṣṭa — do not be afraid; locanāni — your eyes; iti — thus; abhāṣata — He spoke.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Hearing these pitiful words from His friends, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa told them, "Just close your eyes and do not be afraid."

 

10.19.12

tatheti mīlitākṣeṣu

bhagavān agnim ulbaṇam

pītvā mukhena tān kṛcchrād

yogādhīśo vyamocayat

 

tathā — all right; iti — thus speaking; mīlita — closing; akṣeṣu — their eyes; bhagavān — the Supreme Lord; agnim — the fire; ulbaṇam — terrible; pītvā — drinking; mukhena — with His mouth; tān — them; kṛcchrāt — from the danger; yoga-adhīśaḥ — the supreme controller of all mystic power; vyamocayat — delivered.

 

TRANSLATION

 

"All right," the boys replied, and immediately closed their eyes. Then the Supreme Lord, the master of all mystic power, opened His mouth and swallowed the terrible fire, saving His friends from danger.

 

10.19.13

tataś ca te 'kṣīṇy unmīlya

punar bhāṇḍīram āpitāḥ

niśamya vismitā āsann

ātmānaḿ gāś ca mocitāḥ

 

tataḥ — then; ca — and; te — they; akṣīṇi — their eyes; unmīlya — opening; punaḥ — again; bhāṇḍīram — to Bhāṇḍīra; āpitāḥ — brought; niśamya — seeing; vismitāḥ — amazed; āsan — they became; ātmānam — themselves; gāḥ — the cows; ca — and; mocitāḥ — saved.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The cowherd boys opened their eyes and were amazed to find not only that they and the cows had been saved from the terrible fire but that they had all been brought back to the Bhāṇḍīra tree.

 

10.19.14

kṛṣṇasya yoga-vīryaḿ tad

yoga-māyānubhāvitam

dāvāgner ātmanaḥ kṣemaḿ

vīkṣya te menire 'maram

 

kṛṣṇasya — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; yoga-vīryam — the mystic power; tat — that; yoga-māyā — by His internal power of illusion; anubhāvitam — effected; dāva-agneḥ — from the forest fire; ātmanaḥ — of themselves; kṣemam — the deliverance; vīkṣya — seeing; te — they; menire — thought; amaram — a demigod.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When the cowherd boys saw that they had been saved from the forest fire by the Lord's mystic power, which is manifested by His internal potency, they began to think that Kṛṣṇa must be a demigod.

 

10.19.15

gāḥ sannivartya sāyāhne

saha-rāmo janārdanaḥ

veṇuḿ viraṇayan goṣṭham

agād gopair abhiṣṭutaḥ

 

gāḥ — the cows; sannivartya — turning back; sāya-ahne — in the late afternoon; saha-rāmaḥ — together with Lord Balarāma; janārdanaḥ — Śrī Kṛṣṇa; veṇum — His flute; viraṇayan — playing in a specific way; goṣṭham — to the cowherd village; agāt — He went; gopaiḥ — by the cowherd boys; abhiṣṭutaḥ — being praised.

 

TRANSLATION

 

It was now late in the afternoon, and Lord Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Balarāma, turned the cows back toward home. Playing His flute in a special way, Kṛṣṇa returned to the cowherd village in the company of His cowherd friends, who chanted His glories.

 

10.19.16

gopīnāḿ paramānanda

āsīd govinda-darśane

kṣaṇaḿ yuga-śatam iva

yāsāḿ yena vinābhavat

 

gopīnām — for the young cowherd girls; parama-ānandaḥ — the greatest happiness; āsīt — arose; govinda-darśane — in seeing Govinda; kṣaṇam — a moment; yuga-śatam — a hundred millenniums; iva — just as; yāsām — for whom; yena — whom (Kṛṣṇa); vinā — without; abhavat — became.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The young gopīs took the greatest pleasure in seeing Govinda come home, since for them even a moment without His association seemed like a hundred ages.