Source
Texts:
Lord
Balarâma Visits Vrindâvana
Text
1
S'rî
S'uka said: 'O
best of the Kurus, the Supreme Lord Balarâma mounted
[one day] His chariot eager to see His friends and
traveled to Nanda's cowherd village.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: O best of the Kurus, once Lord
Balarâma, eager to visit His well-wishing friends,
mounted His chariot and traveled to Nanda Gokula.
Text
2
By
the
gopas and gopîs, who
for a long time had missed Him indeed, was Râma embraced
and offering His respects to His parents was He joyfully
greeted with prayers:
Having
long suffered the anxiety of separation, the cowherd men and
their wives embraced Lord Balarâma. The Lord then
offered respects to His parents, and they joyfully greeted
Him with prayers.
Text
3
'O
descendant of Das'ârha, please always protect us together
with Your younger brother, the Lord of the Universe', and
saying this pulling Him close on their laps embraced they Him
wetting Him with the water from their eyes.
[Nanda
and Yas'odâ prayed,] "O descendant of
Das'ârha, O Lord of the universe, may You and Your
younger brother Krishna ever protect us." Saying this, they
raised S'rî Balarâma onto their laps, embraced
Him and moistened Him with tears from their eyes.
Text
4-6:
Then
going up to the cowherd men with smiles taking their hands and
being seated comfortably and so on, asked they, who had
dedicated all their good fortune to lotus-eyed Krishna and had
gathered from all sides, with Him at ease with voices faltering
of love questions in regard to the well-being of their dear
ones.
Lord
Balarâma then paid proper respects to the elder
cowherd men, and the younger ones all greeted Him
respectfully. He met them all with smiles, handshakes and so
on, dealing personally with each one according to age,
degree of friendship, and family relationship. Then, after
resting, the Lord accepted a comfortable seat, and they all
gathered around Him. With voices faltering out of love for
Him, those cowherds, who had dedicated everything to
lotus-eyed Krishna, asked about the health of their dear
ones [in Dvârakâ], and Balarâma in
turn asked about the cowherds' welfare.
Text
7
'O
Balarâma are all our relatives well? Do all of You,
wives, children and all, still remember us, o
Râma?
[The
cowherds said:] O Râma, are all our relatives
doing well? And Râma, do all of you, with your wives
and children, still remember us?
Text
8
To
our fortune was the sinful Kamsa killed and were our relatives
freed; thank heaven were our enemies killed and conquered and
found they shelter in a fortress
[Dvârakâ]!
It
is our great fortune that sinful Kamsa has been killed and
our dear relatives freed. And it is also our good fortune
that our relatives have killed and defeated their enemies
and found complete security in a great fortress.
Text
9
Honored
to see Râma in their midst the gopîs asked with a
smile: 'Is Krishna, the darling of the city women, living
happily?'
[S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî continued:] Honored to have the
personal audience of Lord Balarâma, the young
gopîs, smiled and asked Him, "Is Krishna, the darling
of the city women, living happily?
Text
10
Does
He still think of His folk, His
[foster]
father
and His mother; will He indeed also ever once come to see His
mother Himself and does He with His mighty arms remember our
enduring service?
"Does
He remember His family members, especially His father and
mother? Do you think He will ever come back even once to see
His mother? And does mighty-armed Krishna remember the
service we always did for Him?
Text
11-12:
For
His sake have we, o Lord, abandoned our own people so difficult
to give up; our mothers, fathers, brothers, husbands, children
and sisters, o descendant of Das'ârha. Suddenly
rejecting, leaving us, these ones, broke He off the friendship;
what woman would not believe now then being
addressed?
"For
Krishna's sake, O descendant of Dâs'ârha, we
abandoned our mothers, fathers, brothers, husbands, children
and sisters, even though these family relations are
difficult to give up. But now, O Lord, that same Krishna has
suddenly abandoned us and gone away, breaking off all
affectionate ties with us. And yet how could any woman fail
to trust His promises?
Text
13
How
indeed would those smart city women take heed of the words of
Him so unsteady of heart in His breaking up; they verily are,
with His wonderful talks and beautiful smiles, brought to life
by the rouse of lust.
"How
can intelligent city women possibly trust the words of one
whose heart is so unsteady and who is so ungrateful? They
must believe Him because He speaks so wonderfully, and also
because His beautiful smiling glances arouse their
lust.
Text
14
What
use has it for us to discuss Him, o gopîs, please speak
of other topics; if He passes His time without us, then we will
do likewise [see also 10.47:
47].'
"Why
bother talking about Him, dear gopî? Please talk of
something else. If He passes His time without us, then we
shall similarly pass ours [without Him]."
Text
15
Thus
speaking of the laughter, the conversations, the attractive
glances and remembering the gait and the loving embrace of
S'âuri, the women cried.
While
speaking these words, the young cowherd women remembered
Lord S'auri's laughter, His pleasing conversations with
them, His attractive glances, His style of walking and His
loving embraces. Thus they began to cry.
Text
16
Sankarshana,
the Supreme Lord, being an expert in different kinds of
conciliation, consoled them with Krishna's confidential
messages that touched their hearts.
The
Supreme Lord Balarâma, the attractor of all, being
expert at various kinds of conciliation, consoled the
gopîs by relaying to them the confidential messages
Lord Krishna had sent with Him. These messages deeply
touched the gopîs' hearts.
Text
17
Râma
then resided there for the two months of Madhu and
Mâdhava [the first two from the vernal equinox],
indeed also during the nights bringing [amorous]
delight to the gopîs [see also 10.15:
8].
Lord
Balarâma, the Personality of Godhead, resided there
for the two months of Madhu and Mâdhava, and during
the nights He gave His cowherd girlfriends conjugal
pleasure.
Text
18
In a grove near
the Yamunâ [known as
S'rîrâma- ghaththa]
with by the wind the fragrance of kumuda
[night-blooming] lotuses, enjoyed He, bathing in the
light of the full moon, it to be served by the many
women.
In
the company of numerous women, Lord Balarâma enjoyed
in a garden by the Yamunâ River. This garden was
bathed in the rays of the full moon and caressed by breezes
bearing the fragrance of night-blooming lotuses.
Text
19
Sent by Varuna
flowed from the hollow of a tree the divine [intoxicating
spirit] Vârunî that with its aroma made the
entire forest even more fragrant.
Sent
by the demigod Varuna, the divine Vârunî liquor
flowed from a tree hollow and made the entire forest even
more fragrant with its sweet aroma.
Text
20
Balarâma,
smelling the fragrance of that honeyflow carried over by the
wind, went to where it was and drank from it together with the
women.
The
wind carried to Balarâma the fragrance of that flood
of sweet liquor, and when He smelled it He went [to the
tree]. There He and His female companions drank.
Text
21
Kettledrums
resounded in the sky, the Gandharvas with joy rained down
flowers and the sages praised Râma in His heroic
deeds.
At
that time kettledrums resounded in the sky, the Gandharvas
joyfully rained down flowers, and the great sages praised
Lord Balarâma's heroic deeds.
Text
22
As the singers
of heaven sang the glory enjoyed He, beautified by the circle
of young women, just like Indra's bull elephant in a herd of
females.
As
the Gandharvas sang His glories, Lord Balarâma enjoyed
within the brilliant circle of young women. He appeared just
like Indra's elephant, the lordly Airâvata, enjoying
in the company of she-elephants.
Text
23
With His
pastimes being sung by the women wandered Halâyudha
[Balarâma as 'armed with the plow'] through the
forest inebriated with his eyes overcome by the
intoxication.
As
His deeds were sung, Lord Halâyudha wandered as if
inebriated among the various forests with His girlfriends.
His eyes rolled from the effects of the liquor.
Text
24-25
With
flowers, with one earring, mad with joy and carrying His
Vaijayantî garland and with His smiling, lotuslike face
covered with perspiration like snowflakes, called He for the
Yamunâ with the purpose to play in the water, but when
the river ignored His drunken words therewith, was she by Him
with the tip of His plow dragged angrily for not
coming:
Intoxicated
with joy, Lord Balarâma sported flower garlands,
including the famous Vaijayantî. He wore a single
earring, and beads of perspiration decorated His smiling
lotus face like snowflakes. The Lord then summoned the
Yamunâ River so that He could play in her waters, but
she disregarded His command, thinking He was drunk. This
angered Balarâma, and He began dragging the river with
the tip of His plow.
Text
26
'You
sinful one do not come, being called by Me, and because of
disrespecting Me moving as you like, will I bring you in a
hundredfold with the tip of My plow!'
[Lord
Balarâma said:] O sinful one disrespecting Me, you
do not come when I call you but rather move only by your own
whim. Therefore with the tip of My plow I shall bring you
here in a hundred streams!
Text
27
Yamunâ
thus chided, afraid fallen at His feet, o King, spoke trembling
to the Yadu-child the words [*]:
[S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî continued:] Thus scolded by the
Lord, O King, the frightened river-goddess Yamunâ came
and fell at the feet of S'rî Balarâma, the
beloved descendant of Yadu. Trembling, she spoke to Him the
following words.
Text
28
'Râma,
Râma, o mighty armed one, I don't know the prowess of You
by whose single portion [of S'esha] the earth is
sustained, o Master of the Universe.
[Goddess
Yamunâ said:] Râma, Râma, O
mighty-armed one! I know nothing of Your prowess. With a
single portion of Yourself You hold up the earth, O Lord of
the universe.
Text
29
Please,
o Lord Supreme, let go of me, who has surrendered, I had no
knowledge of the status of [You as the] Supreme
Personality, o Soul of the Universe so compassionate with Your
devotees!'
My
Lord, please release me. O soul of the universe, I didn't
understand Your position as the Supreme Godhead, but now I
have surrendered unto You, and You are always kind to Your
devotees.
Text
30
Entreated
released Balarâma, the Supreme Lord, the Yamunâ and
then submerged Himself with the women in the water like he was
the elephant king with his wives.
[S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî continued:] Thereupon Lord
Balarâma released the Yamunâ and, like the king
of the elephants with his entourage of she-elephants,
entered the river's water with His female companions.
Text
31
Having
played to His liking and risen from the water presented
Kânti ['the female beauty, the brightness of the
moon', a name of Lakshmî] a pair of blue garments,
most valuable ornaments and a splendid necklace.
The
Lord played in the water to His full satisfaction, and when
He came out Goddess Kânti presented Him with blue
garments, precious ornaments and a brilliant
necklace.
Text
32
Dressing
up with the blue clothes and putting on the golden necklace
appeared He, excellently ornamented and anointed, as
resplendent as great lord Indra his elephant.
Lord
Balarâma dressed Himself in the blue garments and put
on the gold necklace. Anointed with fragrances and
beautifully adorned, He appeared as resplendent as Indra's
royal elephant.
Text
33
Even
today are, o King, the currents of the Yamunâ pulled by
Balarâma unlimited in His potency, seen as evidence of
His prowess.
Even
today, O King, one can see how the Yamunâ flows
through the many channels created when it was dragged by the
unlimitedly powerful Lord Balarâma. Thus she
demonstrates His prowess.
Text
34
Thus passed for
Râma, in His mind enchanted by the exquisite women of the
cow-community, all the nights that He enjoyed in Vraja, like a
single one.
Thus
for Lord Balarâma all the nights passed like a single
night as He enjoyed in Vraja, His mind enchanted by the
exquisite charm and beauty of Vraja's young ladies.
*
The
paramparâ comments: 'According to S'rîla Jîva
Gosvâmî, the goddess who appeared before Lord
Balarâma is an expansion of S'rîmatî
Kâlindî, one of Lord Krishna's queens in
Dvârakâ. S'rîla Jîva
Gosvâmî calls her a "shadow" of
Kâlindî, and S'rîla Vis'vanâtha
Cakravartî confirms that she is an expansion of
Kâlindî, not Kâlindî herself.
S'rîla Jîva Gosvâmî also gives evidence
from S'rî Hari-vams'a - in the statement
pratyuvâcârnava-vadhûm - that Goddess
Yamunâ is the wife of the ocean. The Hari-vams'a
therefore also refers to her as
sâgarânganâ.'
