Chapter Twenty-three Sudarcanopākhyāna The Story of Sudarcana

cri-nārada uvāca - Sri Nārada said; ekadā - one day; nrpa - O king; gopālāḥ - the gopas; cakatai - with their carts; ratna - with jewels; puritaiḥ - filled; vrsabhānu - by King Vrsabhānu; upananda - and Upananda; ādyāḥ - headed; ājagmuc - came; ca - and; ambikāvanam - to Ambikavana. One day the gopas, headed by Upananda and King Vrsabhānu, took many carts filled with jewels to Ambikāvana forest.

bhadrakālim - goddess Durgā; pacupatim - and Lord Siva; pujayitvā - worshiping; vidhānataḥ - according to the rules; daduḥ - gave; dānam - gift; dvijātibhyaḥ - to the brāhmanas; suptāḥ - slept; tatra - there; sarit-tate - by the riverbank. After worshiping Lord Siva and goddess Durgā, and after giving charity to the brāhmanas, they slept on by the riverbank there.

tatra - there; ekaḥ - one; nirgataḥ - came; rātrau - at night; sarpaḥ - snake; nandam - to Nanda; pade - the feet; agrahit - grabbed; krsna - O Krsna; krsna - O Krsna; iti - thus; cukroca - cried; nandaḥ - Nanda; ati-bhaya-vihvalaḥ - terrified. In the middle of the night a snake came and grabbed Nanda's feet. Terrified, Nanda cried out, "Krsna! Krsna!"

tadā - then; ulmukaiḥ - with torches; gopa-bālāḥ - the gopa boys; toḍuḥ - struck; ājagaram - the snake; nrpa - O king; padam - the foor; saḥ - it; api - also; na - not; tatyāja - abandoned; sarpaḥ - tyhe snake; atha - then; sva-manim - its own jewel; yathā - as. The gopa boys beat the snake with torches, but it would not leave Nanda any more than it would leave the jewel growing from its head.

tatāḍa - kicked; sva-padā - with His foot; sarpam - the snake; bhagavān - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; loka-pāvanaḥ - the purifier of the worlds; tyaktvā - leaving; tadā - then; eva - indeed; sarpatvam - the state of being a snake; bhutvā - becoming; vidyādharaḥ - a vidyadhara; krti - pious; natvā - bowing down; krsnam - to Krsna; parikramya - circumabulating; krtānjali-putaḥ - with folded hands; avadat - spoke. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the purifier of the worlds, kicked the snake. That soul at once left his snake body and became a pious vidyādhara. With folded hands the vidyādhara bowed before Lord Krsna, circumambulated Him, and then spoke.

cri-sudarcana uvāca - Sri Sudarcana said; aham - I; sudarcanaḥ - Sudarcana; nāma - named; vidyādhara-varaḥ - a great vidyādhara; prabhaḥ - O Lord; astāvakram - Astāvakra; munim - the sage; drstvā - seeing; hasitaḥ - laughed; asmi - I; mahā-balaḥ - very powerful. Sri Sudarcana said: My name is Sudarcana. I am a great vidyādhara. When I saw the sage Astāvakra, I laughed at him.

mahyam - to me; cāpam - acurse; dadau - gave; saḥ - he; api - also; tvam - you; sarpaḥ - a snake; bhava - become; durmate - O fool; tat-cāpāt - from his curse; adya - today; muktaḥ - free; aham - I am; krpayā - by the mercy; tava - of You; mādhava - O Krsna. He cursed me, "Fool! Now become a snake!" O Krsna, by Your mercy I am today freed from that curse.

tvat - Your; pāda - feet; padma - lotus; makaranda - nectar; rajaḥ-kanānām-of the pollen; sparcena - by the touch; divya - the transcendental; padavim - abode; sahasā - at once; āgataḥ - attained; asmi - I have; tasmai - to Him; namaḥ - obeisances; bhagavate - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhuvanecvarāya - the master of the worlds; yaḥ - one who; bhuri - great; bhāra - burden; haranāya - for the removal; bhuvaḥ - on the earth; avatāraḥ - incarnation. The touch of the the nectar pollen of Your lotus feet has made me a demigod again. I offer my respectful obeisances to You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of the worlds, who has desceneded to this world to relieve the earth of its burden.

cri-nārada uvāca - Sri Nārada said; iti - thus; natvā - speaking; harim - to Lord Krsna; krsnam - Krsna; rājan - O king; vidyādharaḥ - the vidyahdara; tu - indeed; saḥ - he; jagāma - went; vaisnavam lokam - to Visnuloka; sarva - all; upadrava - obstacles; varjitam - without. Sri Nārada said: O king, after bowing down before Lord Krsna, the vidyādhara departed for the spiritual world of Visnuloka.

nanda-ādyāḥ - headed by Nanda; vismitāḥ - astonished; sarve - everyone; jnātvā - understanding; krsnam - Krsna; parecvaram - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ambikāvanataḥ - from Ambikavana; cighram - quickly; āyayuḥ - came; vraja-manḍalam - to the circle of Vraja. Astonished, and now acutely aware of Krsna's divinity, Nanda and the gopas left Ambikāvana and quickly returned to the circle of Vraja.

idam - thus; mayā - by me; te - to you; kathitam - spoken; cri-krsna-caritam - Sri Krsna's pastimes; cubham - beautiful; sarva-pāpa - all sins; haram - removing; punyam - sacred; kim - what?; bhuyaḥ - more; crotum - to hear; icchasi - you wish. Now I have described to you Sri Krsna's beautiful and sacred pastimes, which remove all sins. What more do you wish to hear?

cri-bahulācva uvāca - Sri Bahulācva said; ahaḥ - - Oh; cri-krsnacandrasya - of Lorr Krsnacandra; caritam - the pastimes; paramādbhutam - very wonderful; crutvā - heasring; manaḥ - the heart; me - of me; tat - that; chrotum - to hear; atrptam - unsatiated; punaḥ - again; icchati - desires. Sri Bahulācva said: My heart never tires of hearing Lord Krsnacandra's very wonderful pastimes. It yearns to hear them again and again.

agre - before; cakāra - did; kām - what?; lilām - pastime; lilayā - playfully; vraja-manḍale - in the circle of Vraja; hariḥ - Lord Krsna; vrajecaḥ - the king of Vraja; paramaḥ - supreme; vada - please tell; devarsi-sattama - O best of the divine sages. Before that what pastime did Lord Krsna, the king of Vraja, enjoy in the circle of Vraja? O best of the divine sages, please tell me that pastime. .pa