Chapter Four Vatsāsura-mokṣa The Liberation of Vatsāsura

After hearing Sannanda's words, noble-hearted Nanda became happy. He decided to go there with all the cowherd people, . . .

Decorated with Yaśodā, Rohiṇī, all the gopīs, many horses, chariots, soldiers, and brāhmaṇas, . . .

. . . with many cows, carts, adults followed by children, musicians playing śaṅkhas and dundubhis, . . .

. . . and with His two sons, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, noble-hearted King Nanda, riding on a chariot, went, O king, to Vṛndāvana forest.

mṛdaṅga-tāla-vīṇānāṁ venūnāṁ kala-niḥsvanaiḥ gopāla-go-gaṇaiḥ sārdhaṁ vṛndāraṇyaṁ jagāma ha vṛṣabhānu-varaḥ—Vṛṣabhānu; gopaḥ—the gopa; gajam—an elephant; āruhya—climbing; bhāryayā—with his wife; aṅke—on his lap; nītvā—placed; sutam—daughter; rādhām—Rādhā; gīyamānaḥ—being sun; ca—and; gāyakaiḥ—by singers; mṛdaṅga-tala-vīṇānām—mṛdaṅgas, talas and vīṇās; venūnām—flutes; kala-niḥsvanaiḥ—sweet sounds; gopāla—gopas; go-gaṇaiḥ—and cows; sārdham—with; vṛndāraṇyam—to Vṛndāvana forest; jagāma—went; ha—indeed. Then, with his daughter on his lap and his wife by his side, and accompanied by many cows and gopas, King Vṛṣabhānu, riding on an elephant as many musicians sweetly played mṛdaṅgas, talas, vīṇās, and flutes, also went to Vṛndāvana forest.

mṛdaṅga-tāla-vīṇānāṁ venūnāṁ kala-niḥsvanaiḥ gopāla-go-gaṇaiḥ sārdhaṁ vṛndāraṇyaṁ jagāma ha vṛṣabhānu-varaḥ—Vṛṣabhānu; gopaḥ—the gopa; gajam—an elephant; āruhya—climbing; bhāryayā—with his wife; aṅke—on his lap; nītvā—placed; sutam—daughter; rādhām—Rādhā; gīyamānaḥ—being sun; ca—and; gāyakaiḥ—by singers; mṛdaṅga-tala-vīṇānām—mṛdaṅgas, talas and vīṇās; venūnām—flutes; kala-niḥsvanaiḥ—sweet sounds; gopāla—gopas; go-gaṇaiḥ—and cows; sārdham—with; vṛndāraṇyam—to Vṛndāvana forest; jagāma—went; ha—indeed. Then, with his daughter on his lap and his wife by his side, and accompanied by many cows and gopas, King Vṛṣabhānu, riding on an elephant as many musicians sweetly played mṛdaṅgas, talas, vīṇās, and flutes, also went to Vṛndāvana forest.

then the Nandas, the Upanandas, and the six Vṛṣabhānus, accompanied by all their associates, also went to Vṛndāvana forest.

When they entered Vṛndāvana forest all the gopas and their followers made homes for themselves here and there.

sarovaraiḥ parivṛtaṁ rāja-mārgaṁ manoharam sahasra-kuṣjaṁ ca puraṁ vṛṣabhānur acīklpat sabhā—with assembly rooms; maṇḍapa—and pavilions; samyuktam—endowed; sa-durgam—with a fort; parikhā-yutam—with a moat; catuḥ—four; yojana—yojanas; vistīrṇam—in size; sapta-dvāra-samanvitam—with seven gates; sarovaraiḥ—with lakes; parivṛtam—surrounded; rāja-mārgam—a royal road; manoharam—beautiful; sahasra—a thousand; kuṣjam—groves; ca—and; puram—a city; vṛṣabhānuḥ—King Vṛṣabhānu; acīklpat—built. Mahārāja Vṛṣabhānu built a beautiful city with many assembly-houses, pavilions, lakes, royal roads, and a thousand gardens. Everything was surrounded by a fortress with seven gates and a moat four yojanas around.

sarovaraiḥ parivṛtaṁ rāja-mārgaṁ manoharam sahasra-kuṣjaṁ ca puraṁ vṛṣabhānur acīklpat sabhā—with assembly rooms; maṇḍapa—and pavilions; samyuktam—endowed; sa-durgam—with a fort; parikhā-yutam—with a moat; catuḥ—four; yojana—yojanas; vistīrṇam—in size; sapta-dvāra-samanvitam—with seven gates; sarovaraiḥ—with lakes; parivṛtam—surrounded; rāja-mārgam—a royal road; manoharam—beautiful; sahasra—a thousand; kuṣjam—groves; ca—and; puram—a city; vṛṣabhānuḥ—King Vṛṣabhānu; acīklpat—built. Mahārāja Vṛṣabhānu built a beautiful city with many assembly-houses, pavilions, lakes, royal roads, and a thousand gardens. Everything was surrounded by a fortress with seven gates and a moat four yojanas around.

Filled with love for the gopīs, and intent on enjoying many pastimes, Śrī Kṛṣṇa wandered in Nanda's city and Vṛṣabhānu's city with the boys.

O king, then handsome Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, as well as the other gopa boys, were given the duty of protecting the calves in Vṛndāvana.

Accompanied by the boys, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma herded the calves on the sacred outskirts of the village near the Yamunā's shore.

Passing here and there through many groves and gardens, enjoying many pastimes as They went, and sometimes even crawing on the ground, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, walked in the forest.

Wearing a network of tinkling ornaments and tinkling anklets, wearing garments of blue and yellow, decorated with necklaces and bracelets, . . .

. . . throwing things with the boys, intently playing Their flutes, along with the boys making an array of noises with their mouths, . . .

. . . and chasing the birds' shadows, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, decorated with flowers, leaves, and peacock feathers, were very splendid and glorious.

O king, aware that the demon Vatsāsura had entered among the calves on Kaṁsa's order, Kṛṣṇa stealthily approached him.

Moving his tail as he ran among the gopas, with his hind legs the demon struck Kṛṣṇa on the shoulder.

As the boys fled, Kṛṣṇa grasped the demon's two legs, whirled him about, and threw him to the ground.

Picking him up again, with both hands Kṛṣṇa threw the demon into a kapittha tree. When the demon died the great kapittha tree . . .

. . . made the other kapittha trees fall. As the astonished boys called out "Well done! Well done!", . . .

. . . the demigods in heaven showered flowers amid shouts of "Victory!" Then from the demon came a great light then entered Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Bahulāśva said: O sage, what pious deeds did Vatsāsura do in his previous life so that now he is able to enter Lord Kṛṣṇa, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than the greatest?

Śrī Nārada said: He was a great demon who was named Pramila and was the son of Muru. After conquering the demigods, he entered Vasiṣṭha Muni's āśrama and saw a cow named Nandinī.

Desiring that cow, the demon transformed himself into a brāhmaṇa and begged for the beautiful cow. As Vaiṣṭha, who had divine vision, stood silent, the cow spoke.

Śrī Nandinī said: You are a demon, Muru's son, and you have assumed the form of a brāhmaṇa to steal the sages' cow. Therefore, O wicked-hearted one, now you become a calf!

The great demon that was Muru's son at once became a calf. He circumambulated Vasiṣṭha and the cow, bowed down, and said, "Please save me!"

The cow said: O great demon, at the end of Dvāpara-yuga, when you go among many calves, you will attain liberation.

Śrī Nārada said: For this reason the demon Vṛndāvana Vatsāsura entered Lord Kṛṣṇa, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is not very surprising. .pa