S'rî
S'uka said: 'One day went the gopas eager for God on a
trip with bullock carts into the Ambikâ forest.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: One day the cowherd men, eager to
take a trip to worship Lord S'iva, traveled by bullock carts
to the Ambikâ forest. (Vedabase)
Text
2
There
bathing in the Sarasvatî they worshiped with
paraphernalia devout the mighty demigod Pas'upati [S'iva as
the lord of the animals] and the goddess Ambikâ
[*],
o King.
O
King, after arriving there, they bathed in the
Sarasvatî and then devotedly worshiped with various
paraphernalia the powerful Lord Pas'upati and his consort,
goddess Ambikâ. (Vedabase)
Text
3
With
respect donating to all the brahmins cows, gold clothing and
grains that mixed with honey tasted sweet prayed they to that
occasion: 'devo nah prîyatâm' [may God
be pleased with us].
The
cowherd men gave the brâhmanas gifts of cows,
gold, clothing and cooked grains mixed with honey. Then the
cowherds prayed, "May the lord be pleased with us."
(Vedabase)
Text
4
Submitting
to strict vows subsisting on water only [see
8.16]
stayed the highly blessed Nanda, Sunanda [Nanda's younger
brother] and the others that night on the bank of the
Sarasvatî.
Nanda,
Sunanda and the other greatly fortunate cowherds spent that
night on the bank of the Sarasvatî, strictly observing
their vows. They fasted, taking only water.
(Vedabase)
Text
5
Some
giant snake in that vicinity most hungrily happened to go there
slithering on his belly and began to swallow
Nanda.
During
the night a huge and extremely hungry snake appeared in that
thicket. Slithering on his belly up to the sleeping Nanda
Mahârâja, the snake began swallowing him.
(Vedabase)
Text
6
He,
seized by the python, shouted: 'Krishna, o Krishna, my dear
boy, save this surrendered soul, this huge serpent is devouring
me!'
In
the clutches of the snake, Nanda Mahârâja cried
out, "Krishna, Krishna, my dear boy! This huge serpent is
swallowing me! Please save me, who am surrendered to You!"
(Vedabase)
Text
7
Upon
hearing his cries rose the gopas immediately and seized
they, perplexed to see what happened, firebrands to attack the
snake.
When
the cowherd men heard the cries of Nanda, they immediately
rose up and saw that he was being swallowed. Distraught,
they beat the serpent with blazing torches.
(Vedabase)
Text
8
Despite
of being burned by the torches did the snake not release Nanda
but then came the Supreme Lord, the Master of the Devotees and
touched him with His foot.
But
even though the firebrands were burning him, the serpent
would not release Nanda Mahârâja. Then the
Supreme Lord Krishna, master of His devotees, came to the
spot and touched the snake with His foot. (Vedabase)
Text
9
And verily was
by the divine touch of the Supreme Lord His foot that badness
ended and could from the snake's body left behind a by the
Vidyâdharas
worshiped form [their leader thus] be
seen.
The
snake had all his sinful reactions destroyed by the touch of
the Supreme Lord's divine foot, and thus he gave up his
serpent body and appeared in the form of a worshipable
Vidyâdhara. (Vedabase)
Text
10
The Lord of the
Senses then questioned that personality who, head down, with
his body adorned with a golden necklace, brilliantly shining
stood before Him.
The
Supreme Lord Hrishîkes'a then questioned this
personality, who was standing before Him with his head
bowed, his brilliantly effulgent body bedecked with golden
necklaces. (Vedabase)
Text
11
'Who might you
be so most beautifully shining and wondrous to see? Tell Me
what led to this terrible destination of having been forced to
assume such a ghastly form [7.13:
11]?'
[Lord
Krishna said:] My dear sir, you appear so wonderful,
glowing with such great beauty. Who are you? And who forced
you to assume this terrible body of a snake?
(Vedabase)
Text
12-13
The
[erstwhile] serpent said: 'I am Sudars'ana,
a certain Vidyâdhara well-known for his opulence and
appearance. I used to wander all the directions in my celestial
carrier. Vainglorious having laughed at the sages who came
forth from Angirâ was I for my sin of deriding them made
to assume this ugly form.
The
serpent replied: I am the well-known Vidyâdhara named
Sudars'ana. I was very opulent and beautiful, and I used to
wander freely in all directions in my airplane. Once I saw
some homely sages of the lineage of Angirâ Muni. Proud
of my beauty, I ridiculed them, and because of my sin they
made me assume this lowly form. (Vedabase)
Text
14
They
so compassionate of nature for sure with their pronouncing the
imprecation have prepared me a blessing because thus, after
being touched by the foot of the Master of All Worlds, all my
viciousness was destroyed.
It
was actually for my benefit that those merciful sages cursed
me, since now I have been touched by the foot of the supreme
spiritual master of all the worlds and have thus been
relieved of all inauspiciousness. (Vedabase)
Text
15
You, the same
person who for the surrendered art the Remover of the fear of a
material existence, I beg for Your permission [to return to
my world], o You who by the touch of Your foot freed me
from the curse, o Destroyer of All Distress.
My
Lord, You destroy all fear for those who, fearing this
material world, take shelter of You. By the touch of Your
feet I am now freed from the curse of the sages. O destroyer
of distress, please let me return to my planet.
(Vedabase)
Text
16
I
am surrendered to You o Greatest of All Yogis , o Supreme
Personality, o Master of the Truthful, please command me o God,
o Controller of all Controllers of the Universe.
O
master of mystic power, O great personality, O Lord of the
devotees, I surrender to You. Please command me as You will,
O supreme God, Lord of all lords of the universe.
(Vedabase)
Text
17
Seeing You I
was immediately freed from the punishment of the brahmins, o
Acyuta, You whose name being sung instantly purifies all those
who may hear it as well as indeed the singer himself; not
mentioning even what it means to be touched by Your
foot!'
O
infallible one, I was immediately freed from the
brâhmanas' punishment simply by seeing You.
Anyone who chants Your name purifies all who hear his
chanting, as well as himself. How much more beneficial,
then, is the touch of Your lotus feet. (Vedabase)
Text
18
Thus
circumambulating offering his obeisances received Sudars'ana
permission to leave His presence so that he could go to heaven
and was Nanda delivered from his predicament.
Thus
receiving the permission of Lord Krishna, the demigod
Sudars'ana circumambulated Him, bowed down to offer Him
homage and then returned to his heavenly planet. Nanda
Mahârâja was thus delivered from peril.
(Vedabase)
Text
19
To witness that
personal display of Krishna's power boggled the minds of the
men of Vraja. Directly after the incident they finished their
vows and turned back to the cowherd village, o King, [on
their way] with reverence recounting what had
happened.
The
inhabitants of Vraja were astonished to see the mighty power
of S'rî Krishna. Dear King, they then completed their
worship of Lord S'iva and returned to Vraja, along the way
respectfully describing Krishna's powerful acts.
(Vedabase)
Text
20
Some
day
thereafter [at
Gaura-pûrnimâ
one says] were
Govinda and Râma, whose deeds are so wonderful, in the
middle of the night in the forest playing with the girls of
Vraja.
Once
Lord Govinda and Lord Râma, the performers of
wonderful feats, were playing in the forest at night with
the young girls of Vraja. (Vedabase)
Text
21
Their glories
were with charm sung by the womenfolk bound in affection to
Them whose limbs were finely decorated and smeared next to the
garlands and the impeccable clothes they wore.
Krishna
and Balarâma wore flower garlands and spotless
garments, and Their limbs were beautifully decorated and
anointed. The women sang Their glories in a charming way,
bound to Them by affection. (Vedabase)
Text
22
Early in the
night honored the both of Them the moon risen, the stars, the
jasmine buds that with their fragrance intoxicated the bees who
were mad thereafter and the breeze transporting the fragrance
of the lotuses.
The
two Lords praised the nightfall, signaled by the rising of
the moon and the appearance of stars, a lotus-scented breeze
and bees intoxicated by the fragrance of jasmine flowers.
(Vedabase)
Text
23
The two sang to
the mind and ears of all living beings of the happiness,
together producing high and low the entire scale of notes
available.
Krishna
and Balarâma sang, producing the entire range of
musical sounds simultaneously. Their singing brought
happiness to the ears and minds of all living beings.
(Vedabase)
Text
24
The
gopîs hearing their singing fascinated as they
were didn't notice, o ruler of man, how their dresses slipped
and their hair and flowers got disheveled.
The
gopîs became stunned when they heard that song.
Forgetting themselves, O King, they did not notice that
their fine garments were becoming loose and their hair and
garlands disheveled. (Vedabase)
Text
25
As the two thus
to their heart's content were amusing Themselves singing to the
point of ecstasy, arrived a servant of Kuvera at the scene
named S'ankhacûda
['wealthy-crest'].
While
Lord Krishna and Lord Balarâma thus played according
to Their own sweet will and sang to the point of apparent
intoxication, a servant of Kuvera named S'ankhacûda
came upon the scene. (Vedabase)
Text
26
Right before
their eyes, o King, drove he the gathering of women who had
Them for their Lords, dauntless under their cries in the
northern direction.
O
King, even as the two Lords looked on, S'ankhacûda
brazenly began driving the women off toward the north. The
women, who had accepted Krishna and Balarâma as their
Lords, began to cry out to Them. (Vedabase)
Text
27-28
Seeing
how the ones belonging to them like a couple of cows were
seized by a thief and were crying 'Krishna, o Râma, help
us!', sped the two brothers after them.
Hearing
Their devotees crying out "Krishna! Râma!" and seeing
that they were just like cows being stolen by a thief,
Krishna and Balarâma began to run after the demon.
(Vedabase)
Text
29
When he saw how
the two like Time and Death were approaching got he afraid and
left he in his confusion the women behind to run for his
life.
When
S'ankhacûda saw the two of Them coming toward him like
the personified forces of Time and Death, he was filled with
anxiety. Confused, he abandoned the women and fled for his
life. (Vedabase)
Text
30
Govinda eager
after his crest jewel pursued him wherever he fled, while
Balarâma stayed behind to protect the
women.
Lord
Govinda chased the demon wherever he ran, eager to take his
crest jewel. Meanwhile Lord Balarâma stayed with the
women to protect them. (Vedabase)
Text
31
Overtaking him
like it was nothing blew He, the Almighty Lord, with His fist
in one blow off his crest jewel together with his
head.
The
mighty Lord overtook S'ankhacûda from a great distance
as if from nearby, my dear King, and then with His fist the
Lord removed the wicked demon's head, together with his
crest jewel. (Vedabase)
Text
32
Thus having
killed S'ankhacûda took He the shining jewel to His elder
brother and handed He, while the gopîs watching,
it over to Him satisfied about what He had
done.'
Having
thus killed the demon S'ankhacûda and taken away his
shining jewel, Lord Krishna gave it to His elder brother
with great satisfaction as the gopîs watched.
(Vedabase)
*
Ambikâ means mother, good woman, a name scripturally
associated with the feminine of Ûma and
Pârvatî relating to Skanda, S'iva or Rudra, as a
term of respect. Ambikâvana is found in the Gujarat
province, near the city of Siddhapura. S'rîla
Vis'vanâtha Cakravartî Thhâkura here quotes
authorities who claim that Ambikâvana situated at the
bank of the Sarasvatî river [that does not exist any
longer], is found northwest of Mathurâ.
Ambikâvana is notable for its deities of S'rî S'iva
and his wife, goddess Ûma.