S'rî
S'uka said: 'During the first month of the winter season
[hemanta Nov./Jan.] observed the unmarried girls
of Nanda's Vraja subsisting on unspiced khichrî
[a mix of rice and lentils] a vow of worshiping the
goddess Kâtyâyanî.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: During the first month of the
winter season, the young unmarried girls of Gokula observed
the vow of worshiping goddess Kâtyâyanî.
For the entire month they ate only unspiced
khichrî. (Vedabase)
Text
2-3:
Rising
at dawn bathing in the water of the Yamunâ made they of
clay a deity of the goddess to be, opulently as well as simply,
of worship, o ruler of men, with sandalwood pulp, fragrant
garlands, gifts [of food, clothes etc.], incense and
lamps and with presentations of fresh leaves, fruits and bethel
nuts.
My
dear King, after they had bathed in the water of the
Yamunâ just as the sun was rising, the
gopîs made an earthen deity of goddess
Durgâ on the riverbank. Then they worshiped her with
such aromatic substances as sandalwood pulp, along with
other items both opulent and simple, including lamps,
fruits, betel nuts, newly grown leaves, and fragrant
garlands and incense. (Vedabase)
Text
4
The
young girls performed worship chanting a mantra with the words:
'O Kâtyâyanî, our obeisances unto you, o
great power, greatest yoginî, o supreme control,
please make the son of Nanda the gopa my husband!'
[*]
Each
of the young unmarried girls performed her worship while
chanting the following mantra. "O goddess
Kâtyâyanî, O great potency of the Lord, O
possessor of great mystic power and mighty controller of
all, please make the son of Nanda Mahârâja my
husband. I offer my obeisances unto you." (Vedabase)
Text
5
In
this manner executed the girls for an entire month their vow
before Bhadrakâlî being of proper worship with 'May
He, Nanda's son become my husband'.
Thus
for an entire month the girls carried out their vow and
properly worshiped the goddess Bhadrakâlî, fully
absorbing their minds in Krishna and meditating upon the
following thought: "May the son of King Nanda become my
husband." (Vedabase)
Text
6
Every
day, at the break of dawn calling for one another, held they
each other's hands singing loudly in their honoring of Krishna
while going to the Kâlindî to bathe.
Each
day they rose at dawn. Calling out to one another by name,
they all held hands and loudly sang the glories of Krishna
while going to the Kâlindî to take their bath.
(Vedabase)
Text
7
One day
arriving at the river singing about Krishna, they as usual left
their clothes on the shore and enjoyed sporting in the
water.
One
day they came to the riverbank and, putting aside their
clothing as they had done before, happily played in the
water while singing the glories of Krishna.
(Vedabase)
Text
8
Krishna, the
Supreme Lord, as the Master of all masters of yoga
understanding their intention, went there surrounded by
companions to assure the girls the result of their
activities.
Lord
Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and master of
all masters of mystic yoga, was aware of what the
gopîs were doing, and thus He went there
surrounded by His young companions to award the
gopîs the perfection of their endeavor.
(Vedabase)
Text
9
Snatching
their clothes away He climbed quickly up a Kadamba tree
laughing together with the boys making fun saying:
Taking
the girls' garments, He quickly climbed to the top of a
kadamba tree. Then, as He laughed loudly and His companions
also laughed, He addressed the girls jokingly.
(Vedabase)
Text
10
'Come
here, o girls, and please take each your own garment as you
desire, I'm seriously not joking, since you must be tired of
the vow.
[Lord
Krishna said:] My dear girls, you may each come here as
you wish and take back your garments. I'm telling you the
truth and am not joking with you, since I see you're
fatigued from executing austere vows. (Vedabase)
Text
11
I've
definitely never practiced any lie, that all these boys do
know; thus, o slender girls, be sure to make your pick either
one by one or all together.'
I
have never before spoken a lie, and these boys know it.
Therefore, O slender-waisted girls, please come forward,
either one by one or all together, and pick out your
clothes. (Vedabase)
Text
12
With
that prank of His saw He how the gopîs, steeped in
love for Him, had to laugh looking at one another but being
embarrassed they did not come out of the water.
Seeing
how Krishna was joking with them, the gopîs
became fully immersed in love for Him, and as they glanced
at each other they began to laugh and joke among themselves,
even in their embarrassment. But still they did not come out
of the water. (Vedabase)
Text
13
Govinda
speaking thus had with his joking caught the minds of them who,
up to their necks shivering in the cold water, said to
Him:
As
S'rî Govinda spoke to the gopîs in this
way, His joking words completely captivated their minds.
Submerged up to their necks in the cold water, they began to
shiver. Thus they addressed Him as follows.
(Vedabase)
Text
14
'O You, don't
be unfair, act like the one You can also be, as the beloved son
of gopa Nanda we know, o dearest, as the one renown
throughout Vraja; please give us our garments, we're
cold.
[The
gopîs said:] Dear Krishna, don't be unfair!
We know that You are the respectable son of Nanda and that
You are honored by everyone in Vraja. You are also very dear
to us. Please give us back our clothes. We are shivering in
the cold water. (Vedabase)
Text
15
O
S'yâmasundara ['beautiful dark one'] we, Your
maidservants will do whatever You tell us to, please return our
clothes, o Knower of the Dharma, or mind, otherwise we'll tell
the king about it!'
O
S'yâmasundara, we are Your maidservants and must do
whatever You say. But give us back our clothing. You know
what the religious principles are, and if You don't give us
our clothes we will have to tell the king. Please!
(Vedabase)
Text
16
The Supreme
Lord said: 'If you're My servants mustn't you then do what I
told you and with your innocent smiles come out of the water to
pick out your garments; I won't give them if you don't, and
with the king angry, what can he do about it?'
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead said: If you girls are
actually My maidservants, and if you will really do what I
say, then come here with your innocent smiles and let each
girl pick out her clothes. If you don't do what I say, I
won't give them back to you. And even if the king becomes
angry, what can he do? (Vedabase)
Text
17
Then
came all the girls shivering, pained by the cold, forward from
the water, covering their pubic area with their
hands.
Then,
shivering from the painful cold, all the young girls rose up
out of the water, covering their pubic area with their
hands. (Vedabase)
Text
18
The
Supreme Lord seeing them beaten put satisfied about the purity
of their love their garments over His shoulder and said with a
loving smile:
When
the Supreme Lord saw how the gopîs were struck
with embarrassment, He was satisfied by their pure loving
affection. Putting their clothes on His shoulder, the Lord
smiled and spoke to them with affection. (Vedabase)
Text
19
'Because you,
performing a vedic sacrifice, were naked bathing in the water,
have you offended Varuna and the other gods; to counteract this
sin you must pay your obeisances with your palms joined
together over your heads and then take your garments
back.'
[Lord
Krishna said:] You girls bathed naked while executing
your vow, and that is certainly an offense against the
demigods. To counteract your sin you should offer obeisances
while placing your joined palms above your heads. Then you
should take back your lower garments. (Vedabase)
Text
20
With this what
the Infallible Lord indicated considered the Vraja girls their
skinny-dipping a fall from their vow and intent on successfully
completing that vow, as well as an endless number of likewise
pious activities, offered they their obeisances unto the
directly before them visible result in the form of the Purifier
of All Sins.
Thus
the young girls of Vrindâvana, considering what Lord
Acyuta had told them, accepted that they had suffered a
falldown from their vow by bathing naked in the river. But
they still desired to successfully complete their vow, and
since Lord Krishna is Himself the ultimate result of all
pious activities, they offered their obeisances to Him to
cleanse away all their sins. (Vedabase)
Text
21
The Supreme
Lord, the son of Devakî, satisfied to see them bowing
down then, being compassionate upon that act, gave them back
the garments.
Seeing
them bow down like that, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
the son of Devakî, gave them back their garments,
feeling compassionate toward them and satisfied by their
act. (Vedabase)
Text
22
Despite of
indeed seriously being cheated, denied in their shame, laughed
at and made to act like puppets on a string with their clothes
being stolen, felt they, joyful to have the association with
their beloved, nevertheless no enmity towards
Him.
Although
the gopîs had been thoroughly cheated, deprived
of their modesty, ridiculed and made to act just like toy
dolls, and although their clothing had been stolen, they did
not feel at all inimical toward S'rî Krishna. Rather,
they were simply joyful to have this opportunity to
associate with their beloved. (Vedabase)
Text
23
Having put on
their garments were they, smitten by the association with their
beloved, with their minds seized truly unable to move and
glanced they upon Him full of shyness.
The
gopîs were addicted to associating with their
beloved Krishna, and thus they became captivated by Him.
Thus, even after putting their clothes on they did not move.
They simply remained where they were, shyly glancing at Him.
(Vedabase)
Text
24
Understanding
them as being decided upon the vow with the desire to touch the
Supreme Lord His own feet, spoke Dâmodara
to the girls:
The
Supreme Lord understood the determination of the
gopîs in executing their strict vow. The Lord
also knew that the girls desired to touch His lotus feet,
and thus Lord Dâmodara, Krishna, spoke to them as
follows. (Vedabase)
Text
25
'O pious ones,
understanding your motivation to worship Me do I approve of
that as being true and must it come to pass.
[Lord
Krishna said:] O saintly girls, I understand that your
real motive in this austerity has been to worship Me. That
intent of yours is approved of by Me, and indeed it must
come to pass. (Vedabase)
Text
26
Of those whose
consciousness is fully absorbed in Me does the desire not lead
to material lust, the way roasted and cooked grains are not
capable of causing new growth [see also e.g.
1.6:
35,
3.15:
20,
7.7:
51-52].
The
desire of those who fix their minds on Me does not lead to
material desire for sense gratification, just as barleycorns
burned by the sun and then cooked can no longer grow into
new sprouts. (Vedabase)
Text
27
Now go, dear
girls, to Vraja; having achieved your desire, will you together
with Me one of these nights enjoy in a way that is pure, for
you delivered the evidence of this vow by your performance of
worship for the goddess.'
Go
now, girls, and return to Vraja. Your desire is fulfilled,
for in My company you will enjoy the coming nights. After
all, this was the purpose of your vow to worship goddess
Kâtyâyanî, O pure-hearted ones.
(Vedabase)
Text
28
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Thus being instructed by the Supreme Lord
meditated the young girls with their desire fulfilled, upon His
lotus feet, while they with difficulty returned to the cowherd
village.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: Thus instructed by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the young girls, their desire now
fulfilled, could bring themselves only with great difficulty
to return to the village of Vraja, meditating all the while
upon His lotus feet. (Vedabase)
Text
29
Some time later
went the son of Devakî in the midst of the gopas
at a distance from Vrindâvana to herd the cows together
with His brother.
Some
time later Lord Krishna, the son of Devakî, surrounded
by His cowherd friends and accompanied by His elder brother,
Balarâma, went a good distance away from
Vrindâvana, herding the cows. (Vedabase)
Text
30
With the sun
fiercely hot of the season looking at the trees that with their
shade served Him as parasols, said He to the
boys:
Then
the sun's heat became intense, Lord Krishna saw that the
trees were acting as umbrellas by shading Him, and thus He
spoke as follows to His boyfriends. (Vedabase)
Text
31-32
'O Stoka
Krishna and Ams'u; o S'rîdâma, Subala and Arjuna; o
Vis'âla, Vrishabha and Ojasvî; o Devaprastha and
Varûthapa, just see these ones so fortunate whose life is
only there for the higher purpose of warding off the rain, the
wind, the heat and the snow they bear for us.
[Lord
Krishna said:] O Stoka Krishna and Ams'u, O
S'rîdâma, Subala and Arjuna, O Vrishabha,
Ojasvî, Devaprastha and Varûthapa, just see
these greatly fortunate trees, whose lives are completely
dedicated to the benefit of others. Even while tolerating
the wind, rain, heat and snow, they protect us from these
elements. (Vedabase)
Text
33
Oh how superior
the birth of these trees that, like great souls do, give
support to all living entities; for certain will no one in need
for them ever leave them being disappointed.
Just
see how these trees are maintaining every living entity!
Their birth is successful. Their behavior is just like that
of great personalities, for anyone who asks anything from a
tree never goes away disappointed. (Vedabase)
Text
34
By their
leaves, flowers and fruits; shade and roots, bark and wood; by
their fragrance, sap ashes, pulp and shoots they grant all
things desirable.
These
trees fulfill one's desires with their leaves, flowers and
fruits, their shade, roots, bark and wood, and also with
their fragrance, sap, ashes, pulp and shoots.
(Vedabase)
Text
35
It is to each
living being to live up to this perfection of birth in this
world: namely to be with one's life, wealth, intelligence and
words towards all living beings always of the highest good in
one's dutiful activities [see also the Vaishnava
Pranâma].'
It
is the duty of every living being to perform welfare
activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth,
intelligence and words. (Vedabase)
Text
36
From between
the trees bowing down with their abundance of leaves, clusters
of fruit, flowers and twigs, arrived He speaking this way at
the Yamunâ.
Thus
moving among the trees, whose branches were bent low by
their abundance of twigs, fruits, flowers and leaves, Lord
Krishna came to the Yamunâ River. (Vedabase)
Text
37
There the
gopas drenched the cows in the crystal clear, fresh and
cool, wholesome water, o ruler, and drank they also themselves
their fill of the sweet-tasting water.
The
cowherd boys let the cows drink the clear, cool and
wholesome water of the Yamunâ. O King Parîkshit,
the cowherd boys themselves also drank that sweet water to
their full satisfaction. (Vedabase)
Text
38
In a grove
along the Yamunâ allowing the animals to roam freely, o
ruler of the people, said they, plagued by hunger approaching
Râma and Krishna, this:'
Then,
O King, the cowherd boys began herding the animals in a
leisurely way within a small forest along the Yamunâ.
But soon they became afflicted by hunger and, approaching
Krishna and Balarâma, spoke as follows.
(Vedabase)
*
The
distinction between the internal of
yoga-mâyâ and the external, or illusory,
potency of the Lord of mahâ-mâyâ is
described in the Nârada-pañcarâtra, in the
conversation between S'ruti and Vidyâ:
jânâty
ekâparâ kântam
saivâ durgâ tad-âtmikâ
yâ parâ paramâ s'aktir
mahâ-vishnu-svarûpinî
yasyâ vijñâna-mâtrena
parânâm paramâtmanah
mahûrtâd deva-devasya
prâptir bhavati nânyathâ
ekeyam prema-sarvasva
svabhâvâ gokules'varî
anayâ su-labho jñeya
âdi-devo 'khiles'varah
asyâ âvârika-s'aktir
mahâ-mâyâkhiles'varî
yayâ mugdam jagat sarvam
sarve dehâbhimâninah
"The
Lord's inferior potency, known as Durgâ, is dedicated to
His loving service. Being the Lord's potency, this inferior
energy is nondifferent from Him. There is another, superior
potency, whose form is on the same spiritual level as that of
God Himself. Simply by scientifically understanding this
supreme potency, one can immediately achieve the Supreme Soul
of all souls, who is the Lord of all lords. There is no other
process to achieve Him. That supreme potency of the Lord is
known as Gokules'varî, the goddess of Gokula. Her nature
is to be completely absorbed in love of God, and through Her
one can easily obtain the primeval God, the Lord of all that
be. This internal potency of the Lord has a covering potency,
known as Mahâ-mâyâ, who rules the
material world. In fact she bewilders the entire universe, and
thus everyone within the universe falsely identifies himself
with the material body." See also 8.12:
40
for
Durgâ.