S'rî
S'uka said: 'Thus entered Acyuta with the cows and gopas the
place that was cooled by the breezes sweet of the fragrance
from the lotus filled lakes with their waters pellucid from the
season of fall.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: Thus the Vrindâvana forest
was filled with transparent autumnal waters and cooled by
breezes perfumed with the fragrance of lotus flowers growing
in the clear lakes. The infallible Lord, accompanied by His
cows and cowherd boyfriends, entered that Vrindâvana
forest. (Vedabase)
Text
2
While
He, roaming the lakes, rivers and hills, was tending the
animals in the company of Balarâma and the cowherd boys,
played the Sweet Lord between the blooming trees His flute
vibrating along with the maddened bees and flocks of
birds.
The
lakes, rivers and hills of Vrindâvana resounded with
the sounds of maddened bees and flocks of birds moving about
the flowering trees. In the company of the cowherd boys and
Balarâma, Madhupati [S'rî Krishna]
entered that forest, and while herding the cows He began to
vibrate His flute. (Vedabase)
Text
3
Of
the ladies of Vraja who heard the song of the flute, which
brought to mind the flourishing
[of all
existence],
revealed some in confidence to their intimates what their
thoughts were about Krishna.
When
the young ladies in the cowherd village of Vraja heard the
song of Krishna's flute, which arouses the influence of
Cupid, some of them privately began describing Krishna's
qualities to their intimate friends. (Vedabase)
Text
4
Commencing
with that description were they, remembering all that Krishna
did and getting excited in rapt attention, no longer capable of
proceeding, o ruler of man.
The
cowherd girls began to speak about Krishna, but when they
remembered His activities, O King, the power of Cupid
disturbed their minds, and thus they could not speak.
(Vedabase)
Text
5
With a peacock
feather on His head, with the body of the best of dancers, a
blue karnikâra lotus behind His ears, wearing golden,
yellow colored garments and [decorated] with the
vaijayantî garland ['of victory' with flowers
of five different colors], filled He the holes of His flute
with the nectar from His lips while He, with His glories being
sung by the group of cowherds, entered the forest of
Vrindâvana that was so enchanting because of His
footprints.
Wearing
a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue
karnikâra flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as
brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayantî garland, Lord
Krishna exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of
dancers as He entered the forest of Vrindâvana,
beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled
the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the
cowherd boys sang His glories. (Vedabase)
Text
6
O
King, hearing the sound of the flute which captivates the minds
of all living beings, embraced all the women of Vraja each
other as they were describing Him.
O
King, when the young ladies in Vraja heard the sound of
Krishna's flute, which captivates the minds of all living
beings, they all embraced one another and began describing
it. (Vedabase)
Text
7
The
gopîs said: 'O friends, we who have eyes know of
no greater achievement than this: to imbibe the loving glances
radiating from the faces of the two sons of the King of Vraja
as They play on Their flutes and with Their mates drive the
cows before them from one forest to another.
The
cowherd girls said: O friends, those eyes that see the
beautiful faces of the sons of Mahârâja Nanda
are certainly fortunate. As these two sons enter the forest,
surrounded by Their friends, driving the cows before Them,
They hold Their flutes to Their mouths and glance lovingly
upon the residents of Vrindâvana. For those who have
eyes, we think there is no greater object of vision.
(Vedabase)
Text
8
With the mango
sprouts, peacock feathers, garlands of flower buds, lotuses and
lilies in combination with the colorful garments They dress up
with, shine the two magnificently forth in the midst of the
cowherd boys, just like two expert dancers on a stage now and
then singing.
Dressed
in a charming variety of garments, upon which Their garlands
rest, and decorating Themselves with peacock feathers,
lotuses, lilies, newly grown mango sprouts and clusters of
flower buds, Krishna and Balarâma shine forth
magnificently among the assembly of cowherd boys. They look
just like the best of dancers appearing on a dramatic stage,
and sometimes They sing. (Vedabase)
Text
9
O
gopîs, how meritorious must the deeds have been of
this flute of Krishna just to enjoy on its own the taste left
behind by the nectar of the lips to which the
gopîs are entitled. His forefathers the bamboo
trees are shedding tears of joy just like the river [where
they grew] with her wealth is full of joy [shedding
tears of honey from her lotuses].
My
dear gopîs, what auspicious activities must the
flute have performed to enjoy the nectar of Krishna's lips
independently and leave only a taste for us
gopîs, for whom that nectar is actually meant!
The forefathers of the flute, the bamboo trees, shed tears
of pleasure. His mother, the river on whose bank the bamboo
was born, feels jubilation, and therefore her blooming lotus
flowers are standing like hair on her body.
(Vedabase)
Text
10
Vrindâvana,
o friends, adds to the glories of the earth having received the
treasure of the lotus feet of the son of Devakî. To that
maddens the sound of Govinda's flute the peacocks, whose dance
stuns all other creatures looking down from the
hillsides.
O
friend, Vrindâvana is spreading the glory of the
earth, having obtained the treasure of the lotus feet of
Krishna, the son of Devakî. The peacocks dance madly
when they hear Govinda's flute, and when other creatures see
them from the hilltops, they all become stunned.
(Vedabase)
Text
11
How
fortunate are the doe who, however ignorantly they were born,
in hearing the sound of the flute of the so very nicely dressed
son of Nanda, with their affectionate glances performed worship
in the company of their black husbands.
Blessed
are all these foolish deer because they have approached
Mahârâja Nanda's son, who is gorgeously dressed
and is playing on His flute. Indeed, both the doe and the
bucks worship the Lord with looks of love and affection.
(Vedabase)
Text
12
For
all women is it a festival to observe Krishna with His beauty
and character and to hear the clear song of His flute. Of the
wives of the gods of heaven flying around in their heavenly
vehicles slip, agitated and bewildered as they are by the
thought of Him, the flowers they tied in their hair and slacken
their belts.
Krishna's
beauty and character create a festival for all women.
Indeed, when the demigods' wives flying in airplanes with
their husbands catch sight of Him and hear His resonant
flute-song, their hearts are shaken by Cupid, and they
become so bewildered that the flowers fall out of their hair
and their belts loosen. (Vedabase)
Text
13
The cows raise
their ears high to catch in those vessels the nectar of the
sounds emitted by Krishna with His mouth to the flute. The
calves, with mouths full of the milk that exuded from the
udders, stand silently with in their eyes and minds Govinda who
touches them and fills their eyes with tears.
Using
their upraised ears as vessels, the cows are drinking the
nectar of the flute-song flowing out of Krishna's mouth. The
calves, their mouths full of milk from their mothers' moist
nipples, stand still as they take Govinda within themselves
through their tear-filled eyes and embrace Him within their
hearts. (Vedabase)
Text
14
O mothers, for
sure are the birds in the forest [as] great sages out
there to see Krishna. Rising to the branches of the trees with
all their wealth of creepers and twigs, hear they with their
eyes closed the sweet vibrations of the flute that silences the
rest.
O
mother, in this forest all the birds have risen onto the
beautiful branches of the trees to see Krishna. With closed
eyes they are simply listening in silence to the sweet
vibrations of His flute, and they are not attracted by any
other sound. Surely these birds are on the same level as
great sages. (Vedabase)
Text
15
The
[female] rivers when they hear that song of Krishna,
run because of their minds steeped in love in whirlpools with
their currents broken. Seizing and holding firm in the embrace
of their wavy arms the two feet of Murâri, carry they to
them offerings of lotus flowers.
When
the rivers hear the flute-song of Krishna, their minds begin
to desire Him, and thus the flow of their currents is broken
and their waters are agitated, moving around in whirlpools.
Then with the arms of their waves the rivers embrace
Murâri's lotus feet and, holding on to them, present
offerings of lotus flowers. (Vedabase)
Text
16
Seeing in the
heat of the sun Him all the time loudly playing His flute as He
was herding Vraja's animals together with Râma and the
gopas, expanded out of the love of friendship a cloud
high to create with its body a parasol with a great number of
[cool droplets descending like] flowers.
In
the company of Balarâma and the cowherd boys, Lord
Krishna is continually vibrating His flute as He herds all
the animals of Vraja, even under the full heat of the summer
sun. Seeing this, the cloud in the sky has expanded himself
out of love. He is rising high and constructing out of his
own body, with its multitude of flower-like droplets of
water, an umbrella for the sake of his friend.
(Vedabase)
Text
17
The
women of the Pulindya tribe [the aboriginal people of
Vraja] find full satisfaction with the lotus feet of the
Lord Glorified by the Great, when they, seeing its reddish
kunkuma sticking to the grass that before decorated the
breasts of His girlfriends, feeling tormented at the very
thought are able to give up that pain by smearing the powder on
their breasts and faces.
The
aborigine women of the Vrindâvana area become
disturbed by lust when they see the grass marked with
reddish kunkuma powder. Endowed with the color of Krishna's
lotus feet, this powder originally decorated the breasts of
His beloveds, and when the aborigine women smear it on their
faces and breasts, they feel fully satisfied and give up all
their anxiety. (Vedabase)
Text
18
And
oh, this hill [Govardhana], o friends, is the Lord His
best servant because it, from the touch of the lotus feet of
Krishna and Râma, is jubilant of respect with offers of
drinking water, tender grass and edible roots for the cows, the
calves and the cowtenders.
Of
all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my
friends, this hill supplies Krishna and Balarâma,
along with Their calves, cows and cowherd friends, with all
kinds of necessities - water for drinking, very soft grass,
caves, fruits, flowers and vegetables. In this way the hill
offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet
of Krishna and Balarâma, Govardhana Hill appears very
jubilant. (Vedabase)
Text
19
Wondrously are,
with Their in all freedom together with the cowherd boys
leading the cows to each place in the forest, by the vibrations
of the flute its sweet tones, o friends, of the living entities
the ones that can move stunned and the otherwise immobile trees
stirred to ecstasy by the two of Them, They who can be
recognized by the ropes [*]
They have for binding the rear legs of the cows.
My
dear friends, as Krishna and Balarâma pass through the
forest with Their cowherd friends, leading Their cows, They
carry ropes to bind the cows' rear legs at the time of
milking. When Lord Krishna plays on His flute, the sweet
music causes the moving living entities to become stunned
and the nonmoving trees to tremble with ecstasy. These
things are certainly very wonderful. (Vedabase)
Text
20
This way
picturing one another the pastimes of the Supreme Lord
wandering around in Vrindâvana, became the
gopîs fully absorbed by Him.'
Thus
narrating to one another the playful pastimes of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead as He wandered about in the
Vrindâvana forest, the gopîs became fully
absorbed in thoughts of Him. (Vedabase)
*
S'rîla
Vis'vanâtha Cakravartî Thhâkura explains that
the ropes of Krishna and Balarâma are made of yellow
cloth and have clusters of pearls at both ends. Sometimes They
wear these ropes around Their turbans, and the ropes thus
become wonderful decorations.