Chapter Eighteen Brahmāṇḍa-darśanam Vision of the Universal Form

Śrī Nārada said: Wandering from one to another of the gopīs' homes and stealing the hearts of the cowherd people, that charming, handsome, blossoming-lotus-eyed dark butter-thief, like a rising full moon, brought great beauty to Vraja.

Taking Nanda's restless ball-playing son into their homes, protecting Him, feeding Him, singing His glories, and so happy they did not remember anything else in the world, the nine Nanda-gopas were completely enchanted.

tathā ṣaḍ-vṛṣabhānūnāṁ karmāṇi maṅgalāni ca śrī-rājā uvāca—the king said; nava-upananda-nāmāni—named the nine Upanandas; vada—tell; deva-ṛṣe—O sage of the demigods; mama—to me; ahaḥ—Oh; bhāgyam—good fortune; tu—indeed; yeṣām—of whom; vai—indeed; te—they; pūrvam—before; ke—who?; iha—here; āgatāḥ—arrived; tathā—so; ṣaḍ-vṛṣabhānūnām—of the six Vṛṣabhānus; karmāṇi—activities; maṅgalāni—auspicious; ca—and. The king said: Who were the fortunate nine Upanandas in their previous birth? What were the auspicious deeds of the six Vṛṣabhānus? O sage of the demigods, please tell me.

maṅgalo raṅgavallīśo raṅgojir devanāyakaḥ nanda-nandāś ca kathitā babhūvur gokule vraje śrī-nāradaḥ uvāca—Śrī Nārada said; gāyaḥ—Gāya; ca—and; vimalaḥ—Vimala; śrīśaḥ—Śrīśa; śrīdharaḥ—Śrīdhara; maṅgalāyanaḥ—Maṅgalāyana; maṅgalaḥ—Maṅgala; raṅgavallīśaḥ—Raṅgavallīśa; raṅgojiḥ—Raṅgoji; devanāyakaḥ—Devanāyaka; nava-nandāḥ—the nine Nandas; ca—also; kathitāḥ—said; babhūvuḥ—were; gokule—in Gokula; vraje—in Vraja. Śrī Nārada said: Gāya, Vimala, Śrīśa, Śrīdhara, Maṅgalāyana, Maṅgala, Raṅgavallīśa, Raṅgoji, and Devanāyaka were the nine Nandas in Gokula Vraja.

maṅgalo raṅgavallīśo raṅgojir devanāyakaḥ nanda-nandāś ca kathitā babhūvur gokule vraje śrī-nāradaḥ uvāca—Śrī Nārada said; gāyaḥ—Gāya; ca—and; vimalaḥ—Vimala; śrīśaḥ—Śrīśa; śrīdharaḥ—Śrīdhara; maṅgalāyanaḥ—Maṅgalāyana; maṅgalaḥ—Maṅgala; raṅgavallīśaḥ—Raṅgavallīśa; raṅgojiḥ—Raṅgoji; devanāyakaḥ—Devanāyaka; nava-nandāḥ—the nine Nandas; ca—also; kathitāḥ—said; babhūvuḥ—were; gokule—in Gokula; vraje—in Vraja. Śrī Nārada said: Gāya, Vimala, Śrīśa, Śrīdhara, Maṅgalāyana, Maṅgala, Raṅgavallīśa, Raṅgoji, and Devanāyaka were the nine Nandas in Gokula Vraja.

Vītihotra, Agnibhuk, Sāmba, Śrīkara, Gopati, Śruta, Vrajeśa, Pāvana, and Śānta were called the Upanandas.

Nītivin, Mārgada, Śukla, Pataṅga, Divyavāhana, and Gopeṣṭa were the six Vṛṣabhānus in Vraja, O king.

Smṛti-śāstra explains that the nine Nandas, who have dark complexions and hold sticks in their hands, reside in two forest-groves in Lord Kṛṣṇacandra's Goloka.

Smṛti-śāstra explains that the nine Nandas, wealthy in flutes and peacock feathers, are devoted to protecting the millions of cows in their forest grove.

The men who, holding sticks and nooses, stand at six gates to protect the fortress of this forest grove are called the six Vṛṣabhānus.

By Lord Kṛṣṇa's wish they all went from Goloka to this earth. Even the demigod Brahmā is not able to describe their glories.

How can I describe their good fortune? As He manifested His childhood pastimes, Lord Hari treated them with great respect.

One day Kṛṣṇa ate clay on the Yamunā's bank. The boys said to Yaśodā, "Your boy ate clay."

When Balarāma also said it, Nanda's wife took her frightened-eyed son by the hand and spoke to Him.

Śrī Yaśodā said: Why did You, who know what is good to eat, eat clay? Your friends say You did. Your elder brother Balarāma said, "O mother, it is true. He would not leave the clay."

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The boys of Vraja are all lying. I never ate clay. I speak the truth. Look in My mouth.

Śrī Nārada said: When the gopī looked in her boy's handsome mouth she saw the entire material universe created by the modes of nature.

dṛṣṭvā nimilitākṣī sā bhūtvā śrī-yamunā-taṭe bālo 'yaṁ me hariḥ sākṣād iti jṣānamayī hy abhūt sapta-dvipān—seven continents; sapta-sindhūn—seven oceans; sa-khaṇḍān—with their divisions; sa-girīn—with mountains; dṛḍhān—great; ā-brahmalokāt—from Brahmaloka; lokān—planets; trīn—three; svātmabhiḥ—with her relatives; sa-vrajaiḥ—the people of Vraja; saha—with; dṛṣṭvā—seeing; nimilita—closed; akṣī—eyes; sā—she; bhūtvā—becoming; śrī-yamunā-taṭe—on the shore of the Yamunā; bālaḥ—boy; ayam—this; me—my; hariḥ—Lord Hari; sākṣāt—directly; iti—thus; jṣānamayī—having the knowledge; hi—indeed; abhūt—became. Seeing there the seven continents, seven oceans, the many countries and great mountain ranges, the three planetary systems up to Brahmaloka, her own relatives, and the people of Vraja, she closed her eyes as she stood by the Yamunā's shore. Then she understood, "My boy is Lord Hari Himself!"

dṛṣṭvā nimilitākṣī sā bhūtvā śrī-yamunā-taṭe bālo 'yaṁ me hariḥ sākṣād iti jṣānamayī hy abhūt sapta-dvipān—seven continents; sapta-sindhūn—seven oceans; sa-khaṇḍān—with their divisions; sa-girīn—with mountains; dṛḍhān—great; ā-brahmalokāt—from Brahmaloka; lokān—planets; trīn—three; svātmabhiḥ—with her relatives; sa-vrajaiḥ—the people of Vraja; saha—with; dṛṣṭvā—seeing; nimilita—closed; akṣī—eyes; sā—she; bhūtvā—becoming; śrī-yamunā-taṭe—on the shore of the Yamunā; bālaḥ—boy; ayam—this; me—my; hariḥ—Lord Hari; sākṣāt—directly; iti—thus; jṣānamayī—having the knowledge; hi—indeed; abhūt—became. Seeing there the seven continents, seven oceans, the many countries and great mountain ranges, the three planetary systems up to Brahmaloka, her own relatives, and the people of Vraja, she closed her eyes as she stood by the Yamunā's shore. Then she understood, "My boy is Lord Hari Himself!"

Then, as if He were casting a spell on her with His Yogamāyā potency, Śrī Kṛṣṇa smiled. From that moment Yaśodā could not remember the glory and opulence she had seen. She forgot everything. .pa