Chapter Twenty-six Śaṅkhacūḍopākhyānam The Story of Śaṅkhacūḍa

The spiritual sparks that emerged from Aghāsura and the other demons entered Lord Kṛṣṇa. Why did the spark of light from Śaṅkhacūḍa enter Śrīdāmā?

O intelligent one, O best of they who know everything, please describe to me this very wonderful pastime of Lord Kṛṣṇacandra.

Śrī Nārada said: O noble-hearted king, please hear this story, which describes pastimes that happened in Goloka, and which I heard from the mouth of Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi.

Rādhā, Śrī, Virajā, and Bhū were the four wives of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Of them Rādhā was most dear to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

O king, one day in a secluded forest grove the Lord enjoyed pastimes with Virajā, who was splendid as ten million moons and very much like Rādhā.

When from a friend's mouth She heard that Kṛṣṇa had enjoyed pastimes with Her rival, Rādhā, unhappy at Her rival's happiness, became filled with jealous anger.

vicitra-ratna-sauvarṇa- muktā-dāma-vilambitam patāka-hema-kalaśaiḥ koṭibhir maṇḍitaṁ ratham samāruhya sakhīnāṁ sa vetra-hastair daśārbudaiḥ hariṁ draṣṭuṁ jagāmāśu śrī-rādhā bhagavat-priyā śata-yojana-vistāram—eight hundred mills long; śata-yojanam—eight hundred miles; ūrdhva-gam—high; koty—ten million; aśvinī—horses; samayuktam—with; koṭi-sūrya-sama-prabham—splendid as ten million suns; vicitra-ratna-sauvarṇa—with wonderful jewels and gold; muktā-dāma-vilambitam—with strings of pearls; patāka—flags; hema—gold; kalaśaiḥ—domes; koṭibhiḥ—with ten million; maṇḍitam—decorated; ratham—chariot; samāruhya—mounting; sakhīnām—of friends; sa—She; vetra-hastaiḥ—with a stick in and; daśārbudaiḥ—with one billion; harim—Kṛṣṇa; draṣṭum—to see; jagāma—went; āśu—at once; śrī-rādhā—Śrī Rādhā; bhagavat-priyāKṛṣṇa's beloved. Ascending a chariot made of wonderful jewels, gold, and pearls, and decorated with ten million flags and golden domes, clutching a stick, and accompanied by a billion gopī friends, the Lord's beloved, Śrī Rādhā, rushed to see Lord Kṛṣṇa.

vicitra-ratna-sauvarṇa- muktā-dāma-vilambitam patāka-hema-kalaśaiḥ koṭibhir maṇḍitaṁ ratham samāruhya sakhīnāṁ sa vetra-hastair daśārbudaiḥ hariṁ draṣṭuṁ jagāmāśu śrī-rādhā bhagavat-priyā śata-yojana-vistāram—eight hundred mills long; śata-yojanam—eight hundred miles; ūrdhva-gam—high; koty—ten million; aśvinī—horses; samayuktam—with; koṭi-sūrya-sama-prabham—splendid as ten million suns; vicitra-ratna-sauvarṇa—with wonderful jewels and gold; muktā-dāma-vilambitam—with strings of pearls; patāka—flags; hema—gold; kalaśaiḥ—domes; koṭibhiḥ—with ten million; maṇḍitam—decorated; ratham—chariot; samāruhya—mounting; sakhīnām—of friends; sa—She; vetra-hastaiḥ—with a stick in and; daśārbudaiḥ—with one billion; harim—Kṛṣṇa; draṣṭum—to see; jagāma—went; āśu—at once; śrī-rādhā—Śrī Rādhā; bhagavat-priyāKṛṣṇa's beloved. Ascending a chariot made of wonderful jewels, gold, and pearls, and decorated with ten million flags and golden domes, clutching a stick, and accompanied by a billion gopī friends, the Lord's beloved, Śrī Rādhā, rushed to see Lord Kṛṣṇa.

vicitra-ratna-sauvarṇa- muktā-dāma-vilambitam patāka-hema-kalaśaiḥ koṭibhir maṇḍitaṁ ratham samāruhya sakhīnāṁ sa vetra-hastair daśārbudaiḥ hariṁ draṣṭuṁ jagāmāśu śrī-rādhā bhagavat-priyā śata-yojana-vistāram—eight hundred mills long; śata-yojanam—eight hundred miles; ūrdhva-gam—high; koty—ten million; aśvinī—horses; samayuktam—with; koṭi-sūrya-sama-prabham—splendid as ten million suns; vicitra-ratna-sauvarṇa—with wonderful jewels and gold; muktā-dāma-vilambitam—with strings of pearls; patāka—flags; hema—gold; kalaśaiḥ—domes; koṭibhiḥ—with ten million; maṇḍitam—decorated; ratham—chariot; samāruhya—mounting; sakhīnām—of friends; sa—She; vetra-hastaiḥ—with a stick in and; daśārbudaiḥ—with one billion; harim—Kṛṣṇa; draṣṭum—to see; jagāma—went; āśu—at once; śrī-rādhā—Śrī Rādhā; bhagavat-priyāKṛṣṇa's beloved. Ascending a chariot made of wonderful jewels, gold, and pearls, and decorated with ten million flags and golden domes, clutching a stick, and accompanied by a billion gopī friends, the Lord's beloved, Śrī Rādhā, rushed to see Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Seeing powerful Śrīdāmā guarding the entrance by Kṛṣṇa's order, Rādhā and Her friends rebuked him with many words.

Eager to enter, Rādhā and Her friends began to hit Śrīdāmā with sticks. Hearing the great commotion the gopīs were making, Lord Kṛṣṇa disappeared.

Out of fear of Rādhā, Virajā transformed herself into a river that flowed for eighty-million miles around Gokula.

She then encircled Goloka as an ocean encircles a continent. She was glorious as if she were decorated with flowers and jewels and decorated with a crown.

Looking at the forest there and the river (that Viarajā had become), and thinking that Lord Kṛṣṇa had gone, Śrī Rādhā went to Her own forest grove.

O king of kings, then Lord Kṛṣṇa transformed Virajā from being a river to being a girl dressed in glittering garments.

Then Lord Kṛṣṇa again enjoyed a rāsa dance with Virajā in the forest by the Virajā river.

By Lord's Kṛṣṇa's power seven sons were born to Virajā. With their childhood games they decorated the forest there.

One day they quarreled. Hit by his elders, the youngest boy fled to his mother's lap.

As the pious lady hugged and consoled her son, Lord Kṛṣṇa suddenly disappeared.

Grieving over her separation from Kṛṣṇa, she cursed her son, "Fool that separated me from Kṛṣṇa, become water!"

"The people will never drink your water." The older sons she cursed with the words, "Quarrelsome children, go to the earth!

"You will become bodies of water, each in his own place. You will not meet. Only at the time of cosmic devastation will you meet."

Śrī Nārada said: In this way, by their mother's curse, they went to the earth. They lived in the ruts left by the wheels of King Priyavrata's chariot.

The seven boys became seven peaceful and impaasable oceans of salt-water, sugarcane juice, liquor, ghee, yogurt, milk, and fresh-water.

They were deep and impassable. The first ocean was a eight-hundred-thousand miles across, the next one was double that size, and each succeeding one was double the size of the one before.

After her sons had departed, she became filled with love for them. Then Lord Kṛṣṇa approached His beloved Virajā, who was unhappy to be separated from her sons. The Lord gave her a benediction.

"O frightened one, you will never be separated from Me. Still, with your own power you will always protect your sons."

O king of Videha, aware that Rādhā was suffering in His separation, Lord Kṛṣṇa went with Śrīdāmā to Her forest.

Seeing that Kṛṣṇa, who is more to hear than Her own life, had come with His friend to to door of Her forest grove, Rādhā became filled with jealous anger. She spoke the following words to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Rādhā said: O Kṛṣṇa, go where Your love is. Virajā has become a river. You become a river also. Why would You want to stay with Me in this forest?

Śrī Nārada said: Hearing these words, Lord Kṛṣṇa went to Virajā's forest. Then Kṛṣṇa's friend Śrīdāmā angrily spoke to Rādhā.

Śrī Śrīdāmā said: Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the master of countless universes. He is the master of Goloka.

He has many millions of transcendental potencies. He can do whatever He likes. He is greater than the greatest. O Rādhā, please don't, don't criticize Him.

Śrī Rādhā said: O fool, you praise your father and criticize Me, your mother. Fool, leave Goloka and become a demon!

śata-varṣaṁ te viyogo bhaviṣyati na saṁśayaḥ śrī-śrīdāmā uvāca—Śrī Śrīdama said; anukūlena—favorable; kṛṣṇena—by Kṛṣṇa; jātam—born; mānam—jealous anger; śubhe—O beautiful one; tava—of You; tasmāt—therefore; bhuvi—on the earth; parāt—supreme; kṛṣṇāt—from Kṛṣṇa; paripūrṇatamāt prabhoḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śata-varṣam—for a hundred years; te—of You; viyogaḥ—separation; bhaviṣyati—will be; na—no; saṁśayaḥ—doubt. Śrī Śrīdāmā said: O beautiful one, even though Lord Kṛṣṇa was kind to You, still You were angry and jealous. Therefore You will go to the earth and for a hundred years be separated from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. Of this there is no doubt.

śata-varṣaṁ te viyogo bhaviṣyati na saṁśayaḥ śrī-śrīdāmā uvāca—Śrī Śrīdama said; anukūlena—favorable; kṛṣṇena—by Kṛṣṇa; jātam—born; mānam—jealous anger; śubhe—O beautiful one; tava—of You; tasmāt—therefore; bhuvi—on the earth; parāt—supreme; kṛṣṇāt—from Kṛṣṇa; paripūrṇatamāt prabhoḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śata-varṣam—for a hundred years; te—of You; viyogaḥ—separation; bhaviṣyati—will be; na—no; saṁśayaḥ—doubt. Śrī Śrīdāmā said: O beautiful one, even though Lord Kṛṣṇa was kind to You, still You were angry and jealous. Therefore You will go to the earth and for a hundred years be separated from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. Of this there is no doubt.

Śrī Nārada said: When they had thus cursed each other they became anxious and frightened. At that moment the Lord appeared there.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O Rādhā, I have the power to negate My own words and throw them far away, but I do not have the power to negate and throw away the words of My devotees.

O beautiful one, don't lament. O Rādhā, please hear the blessing I give to You: After many months, when the period of Our separation is over, You will see Me again.

At the time of the Varāha-kalpa, I will go with You to the earth to relieve the earth's burden and allow the devotees to see Me.

O Śrīdāmā, hear My words. By a partial expansion of yourself you will become a demon. During the Vaivasvata-manvantara you will fight with Me.

You will then die by My hand. Of this there is no doubt. By My blessings You will again attain the form you had before.

Śrī Nārada said: O austere king, because of this curse Śrīdāmā took birth among the yakṣas in the home of Sudhana.

He was named Śaṅkhacūḍa and he became a follower of Kuvera. O king of Videha that is why the spark of light from Śaṅkhacūḍa entered the body of Śrīdāmā.

I glorify Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is one without a second, for whom nothing is surprising, who has the power to assume any form, who is self-satisfied, who enjoys transcendental pastimes, and who stays in His own abode.

O king of Videha, thus I have spoken to you the beautiful Vṛndāvana-khaṇḍa. A person who hears these pastimes attains the most pure and sacred supreme transcendental abode.