Vraja-līlā

gāvo’py atra tadīya-saurabha-marud-vistāram āvistarām

gāvo’py atra tadīya-saurabha-marud-vistāram āvistarām
āghrāyāgata-śīghratāḥ samabhajaṁs taṁ tatra tā yūthaśaḥ |
yasmin rambhaṇa-śabda-yuk-khura-ghaṭā-saṅghaṭṭa-ghaṇṭā-ravaiḥ
sārdhaṁ gopa-śatātataṁ jharijharīty unnadditaṁ vyānaśe ||
kṛtvā daṇḍavad ānatiṁ mura-ripur yarhi kṣitiṁ saṅgatas
tarhy āghrāya gavāṁ tatir muhur amuṁ līḍhe sma bāspākulā |
yarhy utthāya tadīya-kaṇṭha-ghaṭanā-kṛd bāhur eṣa sthitas
tarhy eṣā ca tad-aṅga-saṅgata-galā dugdhaṁ sma dugdhe svayam ||
(Gopāla-campū: 2.30.22–23)

“Upon smelling an increasing waft of his fragrance in the wind, the cows here too quickly came over and met him in herds there where the rumbling sound jharijhari mixed with the sounds of their bells and the striking of their hooves combined with their mooing pervaded the hundreds of cowherds spread out [around Kṛṣṇa]. When the Enemy of Mura bowed like a stick [to the cows], touching the ground, then the herd of cows smelled and licked him repeatedly with tears in their eyes. When he arose and reached for their necks with his arms, then they also held their throats against his body [so he could rub them], and their milk flowed out [from their udders] of its accord.”

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gāvas tato goṣṭham upetya satvaraṁ

gāvas tato goṣṭham upetya satvaraṁ
huṅkāra-ghoṣaiḥ parihūta-saṅgatān |
svakān svakān vatsatarān apāyayan
muhur lihantyaḥ sravad audhasaṁ payaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.13.24)

“Then, swiftly arriving to the cowpens, the cows repeatedly licked and fed the milk flowing from their udders to their own respective elder calves who had assembled after being called with mooing sounds.”

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tato vidūrāc carato gāvo vatsān upavrajam

tato vidūrāc carato gāvo vatsān upavrajam |
govardhanādri-śirasi carantyo dadṛśus tṛṇam ||
dṛṣṭvātha tat-sneha-vaśo’smṛtātmā
sa go-vrajo’tyātmapa-durga-mārgaḥ |
dvipāt kakud-grīva udāsya-puccho
’gād dhuṅkṛtair āsru-payā javena ||
sametya gāvo’dho vatsān vatsavatyo’py apāyayan |
gilantya iva cāṅgāni lihantyaḥ svaudhasaṁ payaḥ ||
gopās tad-rodhanāyāsa-maughya-lajjoru-manyunā |
durgādhva-kṛcchrato’bhyetya … ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.13.29–32)

“Then, the cows grazing on grass at the top of Govardhana Hill from afar saw the [elder] calves grazing near the cowpens. Becoming captivated by affection for them and forgetful of themselves after seeing [them], that herd of cows, their tails raised, their necks [raised up] on their humps, and appearing like two-legged creatures, went quickly [down the hill towards their calves] with moos and streams of milk [flowing from their udders], overrunning their own keepers and taking up a difficult path. After arriving at the bottom [of the hill], the cows, although they had [other, younger] calves [elsewhere], fed these [elder] calves [they were running towards] the milk from their udders and licked the bodies [of these calves] as if they were swallowing [them]. After arriving [there] with hardship because of the difficult path, the cowherd men became very upset because of the embarrassment caused by their failure in their endeavor to stop them [i.e., the cows became so eager to meet Śrī Kṛṣṇa out of affection for him that they could not be contained even by the expert cowherd men of Vraja and when the cows overran them, the cowherd men felt embarrassed that they could not control the cows].”

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aho’tidhanyā vraja-go-ramaṇyaḥ

aho’tidhanyā vraja-go-ramaṇyaḥ
stanyāmṛtaṁ pītam atīva te mudā |
yāsāṁ vibho vatsatarātmajātmanā
yat-tṛptaye’dyāpy atha nālam adhvarāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.14.31)

“Aho! O Vibhu! Exceedingly fortunate are the cows and ladies of Vraja, the nectar of whose breast-milk was drunk profusely with delight in the form of their elder calves and sons by you, for the satisfaction of whom still today sacrifices are not sufficient.”

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gāvaś ca kṛṣṇa-mukha-nirgata-veṇu-gīta

gāvaś ca kṛṣṇa-mukha-nirgata-veṇu-gīta-
pīyūṣam uttabhita-karṇa-puṭaiḥ pibantyaḥ |
śāvāḥ snuta-stana-payaḥ-kavalāḥ sma tasthur
govindam ātmani dṛśāśru-kalāḥ spṛśantyaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.21.13)

“The cows—
Drinking in the nectar
Of the flute song
Emanating from Kṛṣṇa’s mouth
With the cups of their uplifted ears—
And the calves—
Into whom mouthfuls of milk
From the udders [of their mothers] flowed [but were not being swallowed],
Stood still [i.e., became spellbound],
Embracing Govinda in their minds through their eyes
And shedding tears.”

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dhenavo manda-gāminya ūdho-bhāreṇa bhūyasā

dhenavo manda-gāminya ūdho-bhāreṇa bhūyasā |
yayur bhagavatāhūtā drutaṁ prītyā snuta-stanāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.20.26)

“The cows, [although generally] slow-moving because of the heavy weight of their udders, upon being called by Bhagavān went quickly out of affection, their udders trickling [milk as they went].”

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aho golokīyair nikhila-bhuvana-vāsi-mahitaiḥ

aho golokīyair nikhila-bhuvana-vāsi-mahitaiḥ
sadā tais tair lokaiḥ samanubhavanīyasya mahataḥ |
padārthasyākhyātuṁ kati vivaraṇāni prabhur ahaṁ
tad āstaṁ tal-lokākhila-parikarebhyo mama namaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.380)

“Aho!
How many descriptions can I articulate
Of that paramount object
Eternally experienceable in full
By those people of Goloka
[Who are] Honored by the residents of all the worlds?
Thus,
Let my obeisance be [offered]
Unto all the companions [of Śrī Kṛṣṇa] in that plane [of Goloka].”

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teṣāṁ tu śokārti-bharaṁ kadāpi taṁ

teṣāṁ tu śokārti-bharaṁ kadāpi taṁ
paraiḥ prakārair anivartyam āptataḥ |
janāt sa vikhyāpya janeṣu sarvato
vrajaṁ priya-prema-vaśo’cirād gataḥ ||
vidagdha-mūrdhanya-maṇiḥ kṛpākulo
vraja-sthitānāṁ sa dadat sapady asūn |
tathā samaṁ tair vijahāra te yathā
visasmarur duḥkham adaḥ samūlakam ||
yadi ca ko’pi kadācid anusmared
vadati tarhi mayā śvapatā bata |
kim api duṣṭam ananvayam īkṣitaṁ
saruditaṁ ca bhayād bahu śocati ||
cireṇa gopāla-vihāra-mādhurī-
bharaiḥ samākṛṣṭa-vimohitendriyāḥ |
na sasmaruḥ kiñcid atītam eṣyad apy
amī vidur na vraja-vāsino janāḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.348–351)

“Making known among the people [i.e., the Yadus and others] everywhere through a credible person [such as Uddhava] that that [i.e., the ineffable] profusion of their [i.e., the people of Vraja‘s] sorrow and distress was inexorable by other means [i.e., by any means other than his returning to Vraja], he [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] without delay went to Vraja, being captivated by the prema of his dear ones [there]. He, the crest-jewel of the artful, overcome with compassion, immediately gave vital airs to the residents of Vraja [who had been as though without them in his absence]. He enjoyed with them such that they forgot that [i.e., the suffering of separation from him] along with its root [i.e., Akrūra’s coming to Vraja, his going to Mathurā, and so on]. And if ever anyone would remember [that separation from him or its suffering], then [in confusion or distress] one would say, ‘Bata! What sort of inauspicious inanity has been seen by me as I was dreaming [since Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s ever leaving Vraja is utterly impossible]!’ and grieve profusely with lamentation out of fear [thus demonstrating the manifest presence of the Vraja-vāsīs’ special, paramount prema verily in every respect]. These people residing in Vraja soon did not remember anything of the past [i.e., they soon lost all awareness of Kṛṣṇa’s ever having left Vraja] and did not think of the future [i.e., they never thought that he would leave again], their senses being fully attracted and engrossed by the profusion of sweetness of Gopāla’s play [there in Vraja with them].”

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tathaiva kāliya-damaḥ punaḥ punas

tathaiva kāliya-damaḥ punaḥ punas
tathaiva govardhana-dharaṇaṁ muhuḥ |
parāpi līlā vividhādbhutāsakṛt
pravartate bhakta-manoharā prabhoḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.356)

“So indeed the subduing of Kāliya occurs again and again. So indeed the lifting of Govardhana occurs repeatedly. Various other astonishing līlās of Prabhu captivating of the minds of bhaktas too take place repeatedly.”

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prāṇair viyuktā na bhavanti yāvat

prāṇair viyuktā na bhavanti yāvat
tāvad vinodaṁ karuṇa tyajaitam |
kṛṣṇānyathā goṣṭha-janaika-bandho
gantāsi śokaṁ mṛdula-svabhāvaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.239)

“[Baladeva appeals to Kṛṣṇa lying motionless in the coils of Kāliya:] Before they become deprived of their prāṇas,
O Compassionate One,
Stop this play.
Otherwise,
O Kṛṣṇa,
O you whose only kinsmen are the people of the cowherd community,
You who are of tender disposition
Will undergo sorrow.”

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