Parva 2 Chapter 17: govardhanamahotsavaḥ - Performance of ṁountain-ṣacrifice

vaiśampāyana said: (O janamejaya!) Hearing the words of dāmodara (kṛṣṇa) happily, the people who depend on cows for their livelihood, enjoyed the sweet nectar (amṛta) of the talk and replied without any doubt. tavaiṣā bāla mahatī gopāṇāṁ hitavardhinī | prīṇayatyeva naḥ sarvānbuddhirvṛddhikarī gavām ||2-17-2 O child (kṛṣṇa), your thoughts are great and in favour of the wishes of gopas. All of us are pleased with your thoughts. Your intellect is for the welfare of the cows. tvaṁ gatistvaṁ ratishcaiva tvaṁ vettā tvaṁ parāyaṇam | bhayeṣvabhayadastvaṁ nastvameva suhṛdāṁ suhṛt |2-17-3 You are our dependence. You are our happiness. You are our shelter. You protect us from our fears. You are our well-wisher. tvatkṛte kṛṣṇa ghoṣo'yaṁ kṣemī muditagokulaḥ | kṛtsno vasati śāntāriryathā svargaṁ gatastathā ||2-17-4 This vraja is created by you. We are happy and well because of you. Our enemies have become silent. We are living happily as though in heaven. janmaprabhṛti karmaitaddevairasukaraṁ bhuvi | boddhavyāccābhimānāccha vismitāni manāṁsi naḥ ||2-17-5 Since birth you have performed tasks which are not easy even for the deva-s to perform on the earth. In view of all these and your proud words, we are astonished. balena ca parārdhyena yaśasā vikrameṇā ca | uttamastvaṁ manuṣyeṣu deveṣviva purandaraḥ |2-17-6 You are the best among men in strength, fame and prowess. Among gods, you are equal to indra. pratāpena ca tīkṣṇena dīptyā pūrṇatayāpi ca | uttamastvaṁ ca martyeṣu deveṣviva divākaraḥ ||2-17-7 You are the best among men due to influence, strong effulgence, complete vision like sun among the gods. kāntyā lakṣmyā prasādena vadanena smitena ca | uttamastvaṁ ca martyeṣu deveṣviva niśākaraḥ ||2-17-8 You are the best among men due to your beauty, prosperity, pleasantness, face and smile like moon among the gods. balena vapuṣā caiva bālyena caritena ca | syātte shaktidharastulyo na tu kashchana mānuṣaḥ ||2-17-9 There is no other powerful man equal to you in strength, body and childhood activities. yattvayābhihitaṁ vākyaṁ giriyajṣaṁ prati prabho | kastallaṅghayituṁ shakto velāmiva mahodadhiḥ ||2-17-10 Lord! Who is able to oppose your words on your views regarding the hill sacrifice (giri-yajṣam) like a great ocean breaking its shore? sthitaḥ śakramahastāta śrīmāngirimahastvayam | tvatpraṇīto'dya gopānāṁ gavāṁ hetoḥ pravartyatām ||2-17-11 O son! From today, we shall stop the indra sacrifice and conduct the hill sacrifice which you have introduced for the benefit of gopa-s and cows. bhojanānyupakalpyantāṁ payasaḥ peśalāni ca | kumbhāścha viniveśyantāmudapāneṣu śobhanāḥ ||2-17-12 Let us collect beautiful pots of milk. Let us keep beautiful pots of water near the well. pūryantāṁ payasā nadyo droṇyaścha vipulāyatāḥ | bhakṣyaṁ bhojyaṁ ca peyaṁ ca tatsarvamupanīyatām ||2-17-13 Let us fill canals and boats with milk. Let us prepare and bring snacks, food and drinks. bhājanāni ca māṁsasya nyasyantāmodanasya ca | trirātraṁ caiva saṁdohaḥ sarvaghoṣasya gṛhyatām ||2-17-14 Let us arrange with pleasure, the plates and vessels for rice and meat. Let us collect milk and milk products for three days and nights. viśasyantāṁ ca pashavo bhojyā ye mahiṣādayaḥ | pravartyatāṁ ca yajṣo'yaṁ sarvagopasusaṁkulaḥ ||2-17-15 Let us kill the animals such as buffalos to be eaten. Let this sacrifice be conducted with all gopas. Anandajanano ghoṣo mahānmuditagokulaḥ | tūryapraṇādaghoṣaiścha vṛṣabhāṇāṁ ca garjitaiḥ ||2-17-16 hambhāravaiścha vatsānāṁ gopānāṁ harṣavardhanaḥ | Afterwards, there was a great jubilation in the vraja along with the playing of musical instruments, the bellowing of the bulls, and the mooing of calves, leading to the joy of gopas. dadhno hrado ghṛtāvartaḥ payaḥ kulyāsamākulaḥ ||2-17-17 māṁsarāśiḥ prabhūtāḍhyaḥ prakāśaudanaparvataḥ | saṁprāvartata yajṣo'sya girergobhiḥ samākulaḥ ||2-17-18 tuṣṭagopajanākīrṇo gopanārīmanoharaḥ | Along with a pond of curd, a vortex of ghee, a river of milk, a variety of meat and a mountain of cooked rice, the entire complex of vraja including the happy gopa-s and beautiful gopi-s proceeded for the hill sacrifice. bhakṣyāṇāṁ rāśayastatra śataśaśchopakalpitāḥ | gandhamālyaiścha vividhairdhūpairuchcāvacaistathā ||2-17-19 There were hundreds of varieties of food . The sacrifice was complete with varieties of fragrant garlands and incense. athādhiśṛtaparyante saṁprāpte yajṣasaṁvidhau | yajṣaṁ girestithau saumye cakrurgopā dvijaiḥ saha || 2-17-20 At the start of the sacrifice, the items were offered to the fire as ordained. The gopa-s performed the sacrifice along with brahmins on an auspicious day. yajanānte tadannaṁ tu tatpayo dadhi chottamam | māmsaṁ ca māyayā kṛṣṇo girirbhūtvā samashnute ||2-17-21 At the end of the sacrifice, by illusion, kṛṣṇa became the hill and consumed the best rice, milk, curd and meat which were offered. tarpitāścāpi viprāgryāstuṣṭāḥ saṁpūrṇamānasāḥ | uttasthūḥ prītamanasaḥ svasti vācyaṁ yathāsukham ||2-17-22 In the sacrifice, the brahmanas were treated with food, drinks and gifts. All their requirements fulfilled, they blessed all and prayed for their well-being. bhuktvā cāvabhṛte kṛṣṇaḥ payaḥ pītvā ca kāmataḥ | saṁtṛpto'smīti divyena rūpeṇa prajahāsa vai ||2-17-23 After the ritual bath at the end of the sacrifice, kṛṣṇa ate the offerings, drank milk to his satisfaction and said: I am completely satisfied. Saying this he started laughing in the form of the deity of the hill. taṁ gopāḥ parvatākāraṁ divyasraganulepanam | girimūrdhni sthitaṁ dṛṣṭvā kṛṣṇaṁ jagmuḥ pradhānataḥ ||2-17-24 Seeing the hill deity standing on the peak of the hill wearing divine garlands, smeared with divine ointments, the gopa-s considered him as shelter, as kṛṣṇa. bhagavānapi tenaiva rūpeṇāccāditaḥ prabhuḥ | sahitaiḥ praṇato gopāirvavandātmānamātmanā ||2-17-25 Splendorous Lord kṛṣṇa, concealing his form, offered his obeisance to himself in the form of the hill deity along with gopas. tamūcurvismitā gopā devaṁ girivare sthitam | bhagavamstvadvashe yuktā dāsāḥ kiṁ kurma kiṅkarāḥ ||2-17-26 Astonished by the hill deity standing on the peak of the hill, the gopa-s said: Lord, we are at your service. Tell us, what shall we do to serve you? sa uvāca tato gopāngiriprabhavayā girā | adyaprbhṛti chejyo'haṁ goṣu yadyastu vo dayā ||2-17-27 Then he told gopa-s in a voice coming from the hill: If you are kind to cows, worship me through the cows from today. ahaṁ vaḥ prathamo devaḥ sarvakāmakaraḥ śubhaḥ | mama prabhāvāccha gavāmayutānyeva bhokṣyatha |1-17-28 I am your principal god. I fulfill all your wishes. By my splendour, you will have ten thousand cows and you will enjoy their products. shivashcha vo bhaviṣyāmi madbhaktānāṁ vane vane | raṁsye ca saha yuṣmābhiryathā divigatastathā ||2-17-29 I will be helpful to all of you who are devotees of me. Just as I live in my heavenly abode, I will remain with you happily. ye cheme prathitā gopā nandagopapurogamāḥ | eśāṁ prītaḥ prayachcāmi gopānāṁ vipulaṁ dhanam ||2-17-30 I am pleased with gopa-s such as nandagopa. I will grant them wealth and prosperity. paryāpnuvantu kṣipraṁ māṁ gāvo vatsasamākulāḥ | evaṁ mama parā prītirbhaviṣyati na samśayaḥ ||2-17-31 Now, quickly arrange to circumambulate me along with cows and calves. There is no doubt that by doing so, I will be greatly pleased. tato nīrājanārthaṁ hi vṛndaśo gokulāṇi tam | parivavrurgirivaraṁ savṛṣāṇi samantataḥ ||2-17-32 Afterwards, the cows and bulls of the vraja assembled for circumambulating the great hill. tā gāvaḥ pradrutā hṛṣṭāḥ sāpīḍastabakāṅgadāḥ | sasrajāpīḍaśṛṅgāgrāḥ śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ ||2-17-33 Hundreds of thousands of cows, their heads and legs decorated with flowers, and horns adorning flower garlands happily and quickly began to circumambulate the hill. anujagmushcha gopālāḥ kālayanto dhanāni ca | bhakticchedānuliptāṅgā raktapītasitāmbarāḥ ||2-17-34 The cows were driven by by gopa-s who followed them with their bodies smeared with fragrant pastes. They were dressed in red, yellow and white clothes. mayūracitrāṅgadino bhujaiḥ praharaṇāvṛtaiḥ | mayūrapatravṛntānāṁ keśabandhaiḥ suyojitaiḥ ||2-17-35 They were wearing armlets of peacock feathers on their arms. They carried sticks in their hands. Their heads were decorated with suitable head bands of peacock feathers. babhrājuradhikam gopāḥ samavāye tadādbhute | anye vṛṣānāruruhurnṛtyanti sma pare mudā ||2-17-36 gopālāstvapare gāścha jagṛhurvegagāminaḥ | Due to this, the gopa-s looked enchanting in that assembly. Some were riding on the backs of the bulls while others were dancing. Other gopa-s were catching the running cows and calves. tasminparyāyanirvṛtte gavāṁ nīrājanotsave ||2-17-37 antardhānaṁ jagāmāśu tena dehena so'chalaḥ | When the circumambulation of the cows were completed, the deity of the hill disappeared along with his body. kṛṣṇo'pi gopasahito vivesha vrajameva ha || 2-17-38 kṛṣṇa along with gopa-s returned to vraja. giriyajṣapravṛttena tenāścharyeṇa vismitāḥ | gopāḥ sabālavṛddhā vai tuṣṭuvurmadhusūdanam ||2-17-39 Astonished by the wonderful conclusion of the hill sacrifice, all the gopa-s including the elders, men and boys praised madhusūdhana (kṛṣṇa). iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi giriyajṣapravartane saptadaśo'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the seventeenth chapter of viṣṇuparva of harivaṁśa, khila of śrimahābhārata, performance of mountain sacrifice. nīlakaṇṭha commentary atha saptadaśedhyāye govardhanamahotsavaḥ varṇyate hariṇā klṛpto darśanaṁ tasya cādbhutam || 1 || · 2-17-1 aviśaṅkyā indrāt bhayaṁ aśaṅkamānā ityarthaḥ · 2-17-3 aśaṣkāyāṁ bījamāhustvamiti | parāyaṇam āśrayaḥ || · · 2-17-4 yathā svargaṁ gataḥ svargatha iva || · 2-17-5 etacchakaṭabhaṅgādibhi karma dṛṣṭveti śeṣaḥ | boddhavyāt draṣṭuṁ yogyāttavābhimānādahaṁkārādahaṁ kārayiṣyāmi goyajṣaṁ balādetanna saṁśayaṁ ityevaṁrūpāt | ekaśvakāraḥ pādapūraṇārthaḥ | · 2-17-9 ve tyayā tulyaḥ śaktidharaḥ kārtikeyaḥ || · 2-17-11 tvatpraṇītastvayā pravartitaḥ || · 2-17-13 nadyaḥ sudhāmayyo dīrghakulyāḥ drauṇyastādṛśāni kuṇḍāni || · 2-17-14 saṁdohaḥ payaādiḥ gṛhyatāṁ natu vikreyaḥ | · 2-17-17 daghno hradaḥ ghṛtāvarttaḥ sārarūpeṇa ghṛtaṁ yatropayārvarttate sa tathā || · 2-17-18 prabhūtaścāsau āḍhyaścha bhūyānsaṁrakārakadravyasaṁyuktaścha yasminnityarthaḥ || · 2-17--19 adhisṛtāni vahnistāni carustālYādīni paryantāni samīpe āsāditāni yasmin || · 2-17-24 pradhānataḥ mukhyāsttatvajṣāḥ jagmuḥ śaraṇamiti śeṣaḥ || · 2-17-26 taṁ girishikharastam || · 2-17-31 paryāpnuvantu pradakṣiṇaṁ kurvantu || · 2-17-33 sāpīḍāḥ saśirobhūṣaṇāḥ tāścha tāḥ stabakāṅgadāḥ puṣpaguchcākārāṇi bāhūbhūṣaṇāni yāsāṁ tāḥ | srajashcha āpīḍāḥ śṛṣgārabhūṣaṇāni taishcha sahitāni sasrajāpīḍāni śṛṅgāgrāṇi yāsāṁ tā || · 2-17-34 kālayanto niyamanantaḥ dhanāni godhanāni bhakticchedairvibhāgabhedaiḥ anuliptāṅgāḥ nānāvarṇairanulepitāni pṛthak pṛthagaṅgāni yaistādṛśā ityarthaḥ || · 2-17-35 praharaṇāvṛtaiḥ sāyudhaiḥ mayūrapatrāṇāṁ vṛntāni madhyaśaṅkavaḥ teṣām || iti śrīharivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi ṭīkāyāṁ saptadaśo'dhyāyaḥ