Chapter Ten Pulindakopākhyāna The Story of the Pulindā Women

GS 4.10.1

Content

śrī-nārada uvaca pulindakānāṁ gopīnāṁ kariṣye varṇanaṁ hy ataḥ sarva-pāpa-haraṁ puṇyaṁ adbhutaṁ bhakti-vardhanam śrī-nārada uvaca—Srī Nārada said; pulindakānām—Pulindās; gopīnām—of the gopīs; kariṣye—I will; varṇanam—describe; hi—indeed; ataḥ—then; sarva-pāpa-haram—removing all sins; puṇyam—sacred; adbhutam—wonderful; bhakti-vardhanam—increasing love. Srī Nārada said: Now I will tell you the story of the Pulindā women that become gopīs, a wonderful and sacred story that removes all sins and increases one's love for Lord Kṛṣṇa.

GS 4.10.2

Verse text

pulindā udbhaṭāḥ kecid

vindhyādri-vana-vāsinaḥ

vilumpanto rāja-vasu

dīnānāṁ na kadācana

Synonyms

pulindāḥ — Pulindas ; udbhaṭāḥ — exalted ; kecit — some ; vindhyādri-vana-vāsinaḥ — living in the forests of the Vindhya Hills ; vilumpantaḥ — robbing ; rāja — royal ; vasu — wealth ; dīnānām — of the poor ; na — not ; kadācana — ever.

Translation

Living in the forests of the Vindhya Hills, many Pulinda highwaymen stole the kings wealth, although they never stole from the poor.

GS 4.10.3

Verse text

kupitas teṣu balavān

vindhyā-deśādhipo balī

akṣauhiṇībhyāṁ tān sarvān

pulindān sa rurodha ha

Synonyms

kupitaḥ — angry ; teṣu — at them ; balavān — powerful ; vindhyā-deśādhipaḥ — the king of Vindhya-desa ; balī — powerful ; akṣauhiṇībhyām — with two aksauhinis ; tān — them ; sarvān — all ; pulindān — the Pulindas ; sa — he ; rurodha — stopped ; ha — indeed.

Translation

Very angry, the powerful king of Vindhyā-deśa took two akṣauhiṇī divisions of soldiers, and confronted all the Pulindas.

GS 4.10.4

Verse text

yuyudhas te 'pi khaḍgaiś ca

kuntaiḥ śūlaiḥ paraśvadhaiḥ

śakty-ṛṣṭibhir bhūṣuṇḍībhiḥ

śaraiḥ kati dināni ca

Synonyms

yuyudhaḥ — fought ; te — they ; api — also ; khaḍgaiḥ — with swords ; ca — and ; kuntaiḥ — with kuntas ; śūlaiḥ — spears ; paraśvadhaiḥ — with battle-axes ; śakti — with double-edged swords ; ṛṣṭibhiḥ — with spears ; bhūṣuṇḍībhiḥ — with bhusundis ; śaraiḥ — with arrows ; kati — for how many? ; dināni — days ; ca — and.

Translation

For how many days did they fight with swords, kunta and śūla spears, battle-axes, śaktis, ṛṣṭis, and bhuṣuṇḍīs?

GS 4.10.5

Verse text

patraṁ te preṣayām āsuḥ

kaṁsāya yadu-bhūbhṛte

kaṁsa-praṇodito daityaḥ

pralambo balavāṁs tadā

Synonyms

patram — a letter ; te — they ; preṣayām āsuḥ — sent ; kaṁsāya — to Kaṁsa ; yadu-bhūbhṛte — the yadu king ; kaṁsa-praṇoditaḥ — sent by Kaṁsa ; daityaḥ — a demon ; pralambaḥ — Pralaba ; balavān — powerful ; tadā — then.

Translation

To the Yadu-king Kaṁsa the Pulindas sent a letter begging for aid. Kaṁsa sent a powerful demon named Pralamba.

GS 4.10.6

Verse text

yojana-dvayam uccāṅgaṁ

kāla-megha-sama-dyutim

kirīṭa-kuṇḍala-dharaṁ

sarpa-hāra-vibhūṣitam

Synonyms

yojana-dvayam — sixteen miles ; uccāṅgam — tall ; kāla-megha-sama-dyutim — the color fo a dark cloud ; kirīṭa — helmet ; kuṇḍala — and earrings ; dharam — wearing ; sarva-hāra-vibhūṣitam — garlanded with a serpent.

Translation

He was sixteen miles tall, dark as a cloud, decorated with helmet and earrings, and garlanded with a serpent.

GS 4.10.7

Verse text

pādayoḥ śṛṅkhalāyuktaṁ

gadā-pāṇiṁ kṛtāntavat

lalaj-jihvaṁ ghora-rūpaṁ

pātayantaṁ girīn drumān

Synonyms

pādayoḥ — of the feet ; śṛṅkhalāyuktam — with a chain ; gadā-pāṇim — a club in hand ; kṛtāntavat — like death personified ; lalaj-jihvam — a lolling tongue ; ghora-rūpam — ugly and horrible ; pātayantam — made fall down ; girīn — the hills ; drumān — and trees.

Translation

With chains around his ankles, a club in his hand, a tongue moving to and fro, and a horribly ugly form, he looked like death personified. When he walked he flattened the hills and made the trees fall.

GS 4.10.8

Verse text

kampayantaṁ bhuvaṁ vegāt

pralambaṁ yuddha-durmadam

dṛṣṭvā pradarśito rājā

sa-sainyo raṇa-maṇḍalam

Translation

tyaktvā dudrāva sahasā siṁhaṁ vīkṣya gajo yathā pralambas tān samānīya mathurām āyayau punaḥ kampayantam—making tremble; bhuvam—the earth; vegāt—powerfully; pralambam—Pralamba; yuddha-durmadam—intoxicated with the idea of fighting; dṛṣṭvā—seeing; pradarśitaḥ—revealed; rājā—the king; sa-sainyaḥ—withj hisarmy; raṇa-maṇḍalam—the battlefield; tyaktvā—leaving; dudrāva—fled; sahasā—quickly; siṁham—a lion; vīkṣya—seeing; gajaḥ—an elephant; yathā—as; pralambaḥ—Pralamba; tān—them; samānīya—bringing; mathurām—to Mathurā; āyayau—came; punaḥ—again. Staring at Pralamba, who was drunk with the idea of a fight, and who made the earth shake, the king and his army fled the battlefield as an elephant flees when it sees a lion. Then Pralamba took the Pulindas to Mathurā.

GS 4.10.9

Verse text

kampayantaṁ bhuvaṁ vegāt

pralambaṁ yuddha-durmadam

dṛṣṭvā pradarśito rājā

sa-sainyo raṇa-maṇḍalam

Translation

tyaktvā dudrāva sahasā siṁhaṁ vīkṣya gajo yathā pralambas tān samānīya mathurām āyayau punaḥ kampayantam—making tremble; bhuvam—the earth; vegāt—powerfully; pralambam—Pralamba; yuddha-durmadam—intoxicated with the idea of fighting; dṛṣṭvā—seeing; pradarśitaḥ—revealed; rājā—the king; sa-sainyaḥ—withj hisarmy; raṇa-maṇḍalam—the battlefield; tyaktvā—leaving; dudrāva—fled; sahasā—quickly; siṁham—a lion; vīkṣya—seeing; gajaḥ—an elephant; yathā—as; pralambaḥ—Pralamba; tān—them; samānīya—bringing; mathurām—to Mathurā; āyayau—came; punaḥ—again. Staring at Pralamba, who was drunk with the idea of a fight, and who made the earth shake, the king and his army fled the battlefield as an elephant flees when it sees a lion. Then Pralamba took the Pulindas to Mathurā.

GS 4.10.10

Verse text

pulindās te 'pi kaṁsasya

bhṛtyatvaṁ samupāgatāḥ

sa-kuṭumbāḥ kāma-girau

vāsaṁ cakrur nṛpeśvara

Synonyms

pulindāḥ — the Pulindas ; te — they ; api — also ; kaṁsasya — of Kaṁsa ; bhṛtyatvam — servitude ; samupāgatāḥ — attained ; sa-kuṭumbāḥ — with their families ; kāma-girau — on Kamagiri ; vāsam — residence ; cakruḥ — did ; nṛpeśvara — O king of kings.

Translation

O king of kings, the Pulindas and their families all became Kaṁsa's servants. They lived at Kāmagiri.

GS 4.10.11

Verse text

teṣāṁ gṛheṣu sañjātāḥ

śrī-rāmasya varāt parāt

pulindyaḥ kanyakā divyā

rūpiṇyaḥ śrīr ivārcitā

Synonyms

teṣām — of them ; gṛheṣu — in the homes ; sa 24jātāḥ — born ; śrī-rāmasya — of Lord Rāmacandra ; varāt — from the beneciction ; parāt — transcendental ; pulindyaḥ — Pulinda ; kanyakā — daughters ; divyā — splendid ; rūpiṇyaḥ — beautiful ; śrīḥ — the goddess of fortune ; iva — like ; arcitā — worshiped.

Translation

By Lord Rāmacandra's blessing many Pulinda women took birth as their splendidly beautiful daughters. They were glorious and worshipable as the goddess of fortune herself.

GS 4.10.12

Verse text

tad-darśana-smara-rujaḥ

pulindyaḥ prema-vihvalāḥ

śrīmat-pāda-rajo dhṛtvā

dhyāyantyas tam ahar-niśam

Synonyms

tad-darśana — by seeing Him ; smara-rujaḥ — overciem with passion ; pulindyaḥ — Pulinda girls ; prema-vihvalāḥ — filled with love ; śrīmat-pāda-rajaḥ — the dust of His feet ; dhṛtvā — taking ; dhyāyantyaḥ — meditating ; tam — on Him ; ahar-niśam — day and night.

Translation

Simply by seeing Lord Kṛṣṇa, they were overcome with passionate love for Him. They embraced the dust that had touched His feet. They thought of Him day and night.

GS 4.10.13

Verse text

tāś cāpi rāse samprāptāḥ

śrī-kṛṣṇaṁ parameśvaram

paripūrṇatamaṁ sākṣād

golokādhipatiṁ prabhum

Synonyms

tāḥ — they ; ca — and ; api — and ; rāse — in the rasa dance ; samprāptāḥ — attained ; śrī-kṛṣṇam — Srī Kṛṣṇa ; parameśvaram — the Supreme Personality of Godhead ; paripūrṇatamam — perfect ; sākṣāt — directly ; golokādhipatim — the ruler of Goloka ; prabhum — the Lord.

Translation

During the rāsa dance they attained the association of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the perfect Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ruler of Goloka.

GS 4.10.14

Verse text

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇāmbhoja-

rajo devaiḥ su-durlabham

aho bhāgyaṁ pulindīnāṁ

tāsāṁ prāptaṁ viśeṣataḥ

Synonyms

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇāmbhoja-rajaḥ — the dust of Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet ; devaiḥ — by the demigods ; su-durlabham — difficult to attain ; ahaḥ — Oh ; bhāgyam — good fortune ; pulindīnām — of the PUlinda girls ; tāsām — of them ; prāptam — attained ; viśeṣataḥ — specifically.

Translation

The great good fortune of these Pulindā girls is that they attained the dust of Srī Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, dust that even the great demigods cannot attain.

GS 4.10.15

Verse text

yaḥ pārameṣṭhyam akhilaṁ na mahendra-dhiṣṇyaṁ

no sārvabhaumam aniśaṁ na rasādhipatyam

no yoga-siddhim abhito na punar bhavaṁ vā

vāñchaty alaṁ parama-pāda-rajaḥ sa bhaktaḥ

Synonyms

yaḥ — on ewho ; pārameṣṭhyam — the post of Brahmā ; akhilam — all ; na — not ; mahendra-dhiṣṇyam — the post of Indra ; na — not ; u — indeed ; sārvabhaumam — sivereignty over the world ; aniśam — day and night ; na — not ; rasa — of Patalaloka ; ādhipatyam — rulership ; na — not ; u — indeed ; yoga-siddhim — uoga perfections ; abhitaḥ — completely ; na — not ; punaḥ — again ; bhavam — birth ; vā — or ; vāñchati — desires ; alam — at all ; parama-pāda-rajaḥ — the dust of the feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead ; sa — he ; bhaktaḥ — a devotee.

Translation

A person who does not desire the post of Brahmā, the post of Indra, a great royal kingdom, the kingdom of Pātālaloka, mystic powers, or even freedom from the world of birth and death, but desires only the dust of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's feet, is a true devotee of the Lord.

GS 4.10.16

Verse text

niṣkiñcanāḥ sva-kṛta-karma-phalair virāgā

yat tat padaṁ hari-janā munayo mahāntaḥ

bhaktā juṣanti hari-pāda-rajaḥ-prasaktāḥ

anye vadanti na sukhaṁ kila nairapekṣyam

Synonyms

niṣkiñcanāḥ — without any material possessions ; sva-kṛta-karma-phalaiḥ — with the results of their actions ; virāgā — renunciation ; yat — what ; tat — that ; padam — feet ; hari-janā — the devotees of the Lord ; munayaḥ — the sages ; mahāntaḥ — the great souls ; bhaktā — the devotees ; juṣanti — hari-pāda-rajaḥ-prasaktāḥ anye vadanti na sukhaṁ kila nairapekṣyam

Translation

Aloof from material possessions and free from past karma, the sages and saintly devotees who love the dust of Lord Kṛṣṇa's feet say there is no real happiness in any other place.