Second
edition, loaded July 2, 2008
Source
Texts:
The
Gopîs Sing of Krishna as He Wanders in the
Forest
Text
1
S'rî
S'uka said: 'The gopîs with Krishna gone to the
forest, with their minds running after Him being unhappy,
passed their days singing loudly of Krishna's
pastimes.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: Whenever Krishna went to the
forest, the minds of the gopîs would run after
Him, and thus the young girls sadly spent their days singing
of His pastimes. (Vedabase)
Text
2-3
The
gopîs said: 'Putting His left cheek to the left of
His arm places He, arching His eyebrows the flute to His lips
stopping the holes with His tender fingers, o
gopîs; where Mukunda so vibrates follow in the air
the women together with the perfected, amazed listening to that
embarrassed of having yielded to the pursuit of their desires
and forget they the distress they felt in their minds, as well
as their good order.
The
gopîs said: When Mukunda vibrates the flute He
has placed to His lips, stopping its holes with His tender
fingers, He rests His left cheek on His left arm and makes
His eyebrows dance. At that time the demigoddesses traveling
in the sky with their husbands, the Siddhas, become amazed.
As those ladies listen, they are embarrassed to find their
minds yielding to the pursuit of lusty desires, and in their
distress they are unaware that the belts of their garments
are loosening. (Vedabase)
Text
4-5
Oh
girls what a wonder to hear this from Nanda's son, the giver of
joy to people in trouble, when He with His brilliant smile and
steady streak of lightning [the S'rîvatsa or the
goddess] on His chest has sounded His flute. The groups of
bulls kept in the pasture, the deer and the cows pricking up
their ears at a distance stop with their mouths full their
teeth from chewing and stand frozen as if they were a picture
drawn.
O
girls! This son of Nanda, who gives joy to the distressed,
bears steady lightning on His chest and has a smile like a
jeweled necklace. Now please hear something wonderful. When
He vibrates His flute, Vraja's bulls, deer and cows,
standing in groups at a great distance, are all captivated
by the sound, and they stop chewing the food in their mouths
and cock their ears. Stunned, they appear as if asleep, or
like figures in a painting. (Vedabase)
Text
6-7
When
Mukunda, with an arrangement of [peacock] feathers,
[mineral colors and leaves, in clothing looking like a
wrestler, with Balarâma and the gopas, dear
gopîs, calls for the cows, is indeed the flow of the
rivers broken as they just like us, slighting their piety, with
their arms of water have stopped, trembling of love hankering
for the dust of the lotus feet brought by the
wind.
My
dear gopîs, sometimes Mukunda imitates the
appearance of a wrestler by decorating Himself with leaves,
peacock feathers and colored minerals. Then, in the company
of Balarâma and the cowherd boys, He plays His flute
to call the cows. At that time the rivers stop flowing,
their water stunned by the ecstasy they feel as they eagerly
wait for the wind to bring them the dust of His lotus feet.
But like us, the rivers are not very pious, and thus they
merely wait with their arms trembling out of love.
(Vedabase)
Text
8-9
When
He as the Original Person indeed, calling with His flute for
the cows, to the prowess of His inexhaustible opulences
elaborately is hailed by His company, moving around in the
forest and on the hillsides, do the creepers and the trees
then, rich with flowers and fruits, by themselves - as if
revealing Vishnu - bow down heavy with their branches, while
out of love raining down torrents of sweet sap with the growth
on their bodies erect enthralled.
Krishna
moves about the forest in the company of His friends, who
vividly chant the glories of His magnificent deeds. He thus
appears just like the Supreme Personality of Godhead
exhibiting His inexhaustible opulences. When the cows wander
onto the mountainsides and Krishna calls out to them with
the sound of His flute, the trees and creepers in the forest
respond by becoming so luxuriant with fruits and flowers
that they seem to be manifesting Lord Vishnu within their
hearts. As their branches bend low with the weight, the
filaments on their trunks and vines stand erect out of the
ecstasy of love of God, and both the trees and the creepers
pour down a rain of sweet sap. (Vedabase)
Text
10-11
When
He as the most attractive to see raises His flute, grateful
acknowledging the dear, strong humming f bees swarms
intoxicated by the honeysweet [subtle] fragrance of the
tulsî flowers around His divine garland, oh then, do the
cranes, swans and other birds in the lake with their minds
seized by the charm of the song come forward to pay Him homage
with closed eyes, keeping silent with their minds in
control.
Maddened
by the divine, honeylike aroma of the tulasî flowers
on the garland Krishna wears, swarms of bees sing loudly for
Him, and that most beautiful of all persons thankfully
acknowledges and acclaims their song by taking His flute to
His lips and playing it. The charming flute song then steals
away the minds of the cranes, swans and other lake-dwelling
birds. Indeed they approach Krishna, close their eyes and,
maintaining strict silence, worship Him by fixing their
consciousness upon Him in deep meditation. (Vedabase)
Text
12-13
O
Vraja-devîs, when He, being together with Balarâma,
for fun wearing a garland on His head at the mountain side
gives happiness vibrating on His flute and makes the whole
world joyfully delight, then does the deck of clouds, afraid to
offend such a great personality in return most gentleminded
thundering and raining flowers upon his Friend, offer its shade
as a shield.
O
goddesses of Vraja, when Krishna is enjoying Himself with
Balarâma on the mountain slopes, playfully wearing a
flower garland on the top of His head, He engladdens all
with the resonant vibrations of His flute. Thus He delights
the entire world. At that time the nearby cloud, afraid of
offending a great personality, thunders very gently in
accompaniment. The cloud showers flowers onto his dear
friend Krishna and shades Him from the sun like an umbrella.
(Vedabase)
Text
14-15
O
pious lady [Yas'odâ], when your son, an expert in
the various cowherd things and an original in different styles
of playing, places His flute to His bimba-red lips to produce
His music so harmonious in tones, do the controllers of
enlightenment like Indra, S'iva and Brahmâ hearing that
soundscape, with the learned going first bow their heads
intimidated within not being able to ascertain its
essence.
O
pious mother Yas'odâ, your son, who is expert in all
the arts of herding cows, has invented many new styles of
flute-playing. When He takes His flute to His bimba-red lips
and sends forth the tones of the harmonic scale in
variegated melodies, Brahmâ, S'iva, Indra and other
chief demigods become confused upon hearing the sound.
Although they are the most learned authorities, hey cannot
ascertain the essence of that music, and thus they bow down
their heads and hearts. (Vedabase)
Text
16-17
When, honored
by His flute, with the diverse flag, thunderbolt, lotus and
elephant goad markings of His flowerpetal lotus feet the soil
of Vraja with His body, moving with the grace of an elephant,
is relieved from its pain created by the hooves [of the
cows], do we, by that walk in the good of His glances so
playful agitated by Cupid, in our bewilderment, like trees
transfixed, not know anymore [of the condition] of our
dresses and braids.
As
Krishna strolls through Vraja with His lotus-petal-like
feet, marking the ground with the distinctive emblems of
flag, thunderbolt, lotus and elephant goad, He relieves the
distress the ground feels from the cows' hooves. As He plays
His renowned flute, His body moves with the grace of an
elephant. Thus we gopîs, who become agitated by
Cupid when Krishna playfully glances at us, stand as still
as trees, unaware that our hair and garments are slackening.
(Vedabase)
Text
18-19
When He, with
the garland of the by Him favored fragrance of tulsî,
counts the cows on a string of colored beads and, throwing His
arm over the shoulder of a loving companion, so now and then
sings, do the wives of the black deer, the doe, just like the
gopîs who gave up their homely aspirations,
approach that ocean of transcendental qualities to sit at His
side with their hearts stolen by the sound that Krishna
produces with His flute.
Now
Krishna is standing somewhere counting His cows on a string
of gems. He wears a garland of tulasî flowers that
bear the fragrance of His beloved, and He has thrown His arm
over the shoulder of an affectionate cowherd boyfriend. As
Krishna plays His flute and sings, the music attracts the
black deer's wives, who approach that ocean of
transcendental qualities and sit down beside Him. Just like
us cowherd girls, they have given up all hope for happiness
in family life. (Vedabase)
Text
20-21
O sinless lady
your darling child, the son of Nanda, with a garland made of
jasmine to His attire and surrounded by the gopas and
the cows having a good time at the Yamunâ, was, as He
played there amusing His companions, honored by the wind
blowing gently in His favor with the scent of sandalwood and,
encircled by the different categories of the lesser divinities
[the Upadevas], presented with gifts and offered praise
with instrumental music and song.
O
sinless Yas'odâ, your darling child, the son of
Mahârâja Nanda, has festively enhanced His
attire with a jasmine garland, and He is now playing along
the Yamunâ in the company of the cows and cowherd
boys, amusing His dear companions. The gentle breeze honors
Him with its soothing fragrance of sandalwood, while the
various Upadevas, standing on all sides like panegyrists,
offer their music, singing and gifts of tribute.
(Vedabase)
Text
22-23
Caring about
the cows of Vraja and to His feet as the lifter of the mountain
[see 10.25]
being worshiped was He, at the end of the day collecting the
herd of cows and playing His flute with His companions, all
along the path by the entirety of the exalted gods so high in
His glories praised; this moon born from the womb of
Yas'odâ, who came with a desire to answer His friends
desires, was even fatigued a feast for the eyes with His
garland and color powdered by the dust that was raised by the
hooves.
Out
of great affection for the cows of Vraja, Krishna became the
lifter of Govardhana Hill. At the end of the day, having
rounded up all His own cows, He plays a song on His flute,
while exalted demigods standing along the path worship His
lotus feet and the cowherd boys accompanying Him chant His
glories. His garland is powdered by the dust raised by the
cows' hooves, and His beauty, enhanced by His fatigue,
creates an ecstatic festival for everyone's eyes. Eager to
fulfill His friends' desires, Krishna is the moon arisen
from the womb of mother Yas'odâ. (Vedabase)
Text
24-25
With
His eyes slightly rolling of intoxication, honoring His
well-wishing friends, His garland of forest flowers, His face
paled like a jujube plum [a badara ], the soft line of
His cheeks and the beautiful show of His earrings of gold, is
the sporting Lord of the Yadus in His beauty just like an
elephant all regal; like the king of the night [the
moon] at the end of the day arriving with His joyful face,
drives He away, to prove the Vraja cows His mercy, the hard to
endure painful heat of the day.'
As
Krishna respectfully greets His well-wishing friends, His
eyes roll slightly as if from intoxication. He wears a
flower garland, and the beauty of His soft cheeks is
accentuated by the brilliance of His golden earrings and the
whiteness of His face, which has the color of a badara
berry. With His cheerful face resembling the moon, lord of
the night, the Lord of the Yadus moves with the grace of a
regal elephant. Thus He returns in the evening, delivering
the cows of Vraja from the heat of the day.
(Vedabase)
Text
26
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Thus o King, did the women of Vraja with their
hearts and minds absorbed in Him enjoy the day in high spirits
singing about Krishna's pastimes.'
S'rî
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: O King, thus during the
daytime the women of Vrindâvana took pleasure in
continuously singing about the pastimes of Krishna, and
those ladies' minds and hearts, absorbed in Him, were filled
with great festivity.
(Vedabase)