Parva 2 Chapter 20: hallīsakakrīḍanam - Krishna and Gopi-s Play Music

vaiśaṁpāyana said: (O janamejaya!) After śakra left, the auspicious kṛṣṇa, lifter of govardhana, honoured by the residents of vraja, returned to vraja. tasya vṛddhābhinandanti jṣātayaścha sahoṣitāḥ | dhanyāḥ smo'nugṛhītāḥ smastvadvṛttena nayena ca ||2-20-2 Friends, acquaintances and elderly people congratulated him and said: We are satisfied and blessed by your actions and policies. gāvo varṣabhayāttīrṇā vayaṁ tīrṇā mahābhayāt | tava prasādādgovinda devatulyaparākrama ||2-20-3 govinda! valiant like gods! Since you are pleased, the cows are freed from the fear of rain and we are free of great fears. amānuṣāṇi karmāṇi tava paśyāma gopate | dhāraṇenāsya shailasya vidmastvāṁ kṛṣṇa daivatam ||2-20-4 Lord of cows! We saw your superhuman actions. kṛṣṇa! we are convinced that you are a god, after seeing you lifting the hill. kastvaṁ bhavasi rudrāṇāṁ marutāṁ ca mahābalaḥ | vasūnāṁ vā kimarthaṁ ca vasudevaḥ pitā tava ||2-20-5 Who are you? One with immense power among the rudra-s, maruta-s and vasu-s? For what purpose did vasudeva become your father? balaṁ ca bālye krīḍā ca janma cāsmāsu garhitam | kṛṣṇa divyā ca te ceṣṭā śaṅkitāni manāṁsi naḥ ||2-20-6 kṛṣṇa! Your power, childhood plays and actions are extraordinary. Your birth is also uncommon. Your actions are divine. In view of these, we have doubts in our minds. kimarthaṁ gopaveṣeṇa ramase'smāsu garhitam | lokapālopamaścaiva gāstvaṁ kiṁ parirakṣasi ||2-20-7 Why are you staying with us as a common cow tender? Why are you, powerful like a protector of the world, protecting the cows? devo vā dānavo vā tvaṁ yakṣo gandharva eva vā | asmākaṁ bāndhavo jāto yo'si so'si namo'stu te ||2-20-8 Are you a deva or a dānava? Or a yakṣa or a gandharva? You appear among us as a friend or relative. Whoever you are, our obeisance to you. kenachidyadi kāryeṇa vasasīha yadṛcchayā | vayaṁ tavānugāḥ sarve bhavantaṁ śaraṇaṁ gatāḥ ||2-20-9 You may be staying here for some reason, by accident. We are your followers. You are our shelter. vaiśampāyana uvāca gopānāṁ vacanaṁ śrutvā kṛṣṇaḥ padmadalekśaṇaḥ | pratyuvāca smitaṁ kṛtvā jṣātīnsarvānsamāgatān ||2-20-10 vaiśaṁpāyana said: (O janamejaya!) Hearing the words of gopa-s, kṛṣṇa with lotus eyes, replied to all of them, smiling: manyante māṁ yathā sarve bhavanto bhīmavikramam | tathāhaṁ nāvamantavyaḥ svajātīyo'smi bāndhavaḥ ||2-20-11 All of you are considering me as a powerful person. Do not consider me in that manner. I am one among you, a relative. yadi tvavaśyaṁ śrotavayaṁ kālaḥ sampratipālyatām | tato bhavantaḥ śroṣyanti mām ca drakṣyanti tattvataḥ ||2-20-12 If you are necessarily interested (to know me), wait for the appropriate time. Only then, you will be able to hear, visualise and understand me. bhavatāṁ ślāghyo bāndhavo devasaprabhaḥ | parijṣānena kiṁ kāryaṁ yadyeṣo'nugraho mama ||2-20-13 If you think of me as a relative and praiseworthy person to you, like a god, I consider that a blessing. What is the need to enquire about me? evamuktāstu te gopā vasudevasutena vai | baddhamaunā diśaḥ sarve bhejire pihitānanāḥ ||2-20-14 When the son of vasudeva (kṛṣṇa) spoke in this way, all the gopa-s became silent. Without saying anything, covering their faces, they returned to their residences. kṛṣṇastu yauvanaṁ dṛṣṭvā nishi candramaso vanam | śāradīṁ ca niśāṁ ramyāṁ manashcakre ratiṁ prati ||2-20-15 kṛṣṇa saw the enchanting forest on a full moon night in autumn. He decided to enjoy the beautiful night. sa karīṣāṅgarāgāsu vrajarathyāsu vīryavāṇ | vṛṣāṇāṁ jātadarpāṇāṁ yuddhāni samayojayat |2-20-16 Valiant kṛṣṇa arranged a contest of bulls in the streets of vraja, covered with the dust of dried cow dung. gopālāṁścha balodagrānyodhayāmāsa vīryavān | vane sa vīro gāścaiva jagrāha grāhavadvibhuḥ ||2-20-17 Valiant kṛṣṇa also arranged a contest of powerful gopas. The lord also contained powerful cows in the forest. yuvatīrgopakanyāścha rātrau saṁkālya kālavit | keśorakaṁ mānayanvai saha tābhirmumoda ha | 2-20-18 kṛṣṇa, who is knowledgeable about time, in his prime youth, invited the young gopi-s in the night, and enjoyed with them. tāstasya vadanaṁ kāntaṁ kāntā gopastriyo nishi | pibanti nayanākṣepairgāṁ gataṁ śaśinaṁ yathā ||2-20-19 In the night, the loving gopi-s, by looking at kṛṣṇa, drank his face, as beautiful as moon which has come to earth. haritālārdrapītena sakausheyena vāsasā | vasāno bhadravasanaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ kāntataro'bhavat ||2-20-20 kṛṣṇa was wearing a yellow dress, soft as the feathers of bird haritāla. He appeared extremely beautiful wearing the auspicious dress. Note: haritāla: a kind of pigeon of a yellowish green colour, Columba Hurriyala (Monier Williams Dictionary) sa baddhāṅgadanirvyūhaścitrayā vanamālayā | shobhamano hi govindaḥ śobhayāmāsa tadvrajam ||2-20-21 He was wearing armlets and a beautiful garland of forest flowers. Govinda dazzled increasing the beauty of vraja. nāma dāmodaretyevaṁ gopakanyāstadābruvan | vicitraṁ caritaṁ ghoṣe dṛṣṭvā tattasya bhāsvataḥ ||2-20-22 Then the gopi-s called him by the name dāmodara. They had seen the wonderful actions performed by him in vraja. tāstaṁ payodharottuṅgairurobhiḥ samapīḍayan | bhrāmitākṣaiścha vadanairnirīkṣante varāṅganāḥ ||2-20-23 They pressed him with their chests bearing large breasts. The beautiful women looked at kṛṣṇa without taking their eyes from his face. tā vāryamāṇāḥ patibhirmātṛbhirbhrātṛbhistathā | kṛṣṇaṁ gopāṅganā rātrau mṛgayante ratipriyāḥ ||2-20-24 Even though prevented by their husbands, brothers and mothers, the gopi-s, who liked pleasure, searched for kṛṣṇa in the night. tāstu paṅktīkṛtāḥ sarvā ramayanti manoramam | gāyantyaḥ kṛṣṇacaritaṁ dvandvasho gopakanyakāḥ ||2-20-25 All of the gopi-s stood forming a circle. All of them enjoyed together to their satisfaction. ( In the circle , kṛṣṇa appeared on both sides of each gopi.) In this manner , pairs of a gopi and kṛṣṇa were formed. The gopi-s sang the stories of kṛṣṇa. kṛṣṇalīlānukāriṇyaḥ kṛṣṇapraṇihitekṣaṇāḥ | kṛṣṇasya gatigāminyastaruṇyastā varāṅganāḥ ||2-20-26 Fixing their eyes on kṛṣṇa, the young and beautiful gopi-s, imitated kṛṣṇa's plays and walked like him. vaneṣu tālahastāgraiḥ kūjayantyastathāparāḥ | cherurvai caritaṁ tasya kṛṣṇasya vrajayoṣitaḥ ||2-20-27 Some other gopi-s of vraja moved in the forest, singing songs about kṛṣṇa's keeping rhythm with their hands. tāstasya nṛtyaṁ gītaṁ ca vilāsasmitavīkṣitam | muditāścānukurvantyaḥ krīḍanti vrajayoṣitaḥ ||2-20-28 The gopi-s moved in the forest imitating kṛṣṇa's dancing, singing, laughing and looks with lots of interest and joy. bhāvanispandamadhuraṁ gāyantyastā varāṅganāḥ | vrajaṁ gatāḥ sukhaṁ cherurdāmodaraparāyaṇāḥ ||2-20-29 Without lose of feeling, and faltering the gopi-s sang sweetly. They, depending on dāmodara, moved comfortably in vraja. karīṣapāṁsudigdhāṅgyastāḥ kṛṣṇāmanuvavrire | ramayantyo yatha nāgaṁ saṁpramattaṁ kareṇavaḥ ||2-20-30 Dry cow dung dust was on their bodies. They surrounded kṛṣṇa and gave pleasure to him like female elephants surround an intoxicated male elephant. tamanyā bhāvavikachairnetraiḥ prahasitānanāḥ | pibantyatṛptavanitāḥ kṛṣṇaṁ kṛṣṇamṛgekṣanāḥ ||2-2-31 The gopi-s with smiling faces, drank the nectar emanating from kṛṣṇa to their satisfaction, with their open eyes as beautiful as eyes of deers, without looking at others. mukhamasyābjasaṁkāśaṁ tṛṣitā gopakanyakāḥ | ratyantaragatā rātrau pibanti rasalālasāḥ ||2-20-32 In the night, the gopi-s, eager to get kṛṣṇa, drank his lotus face with desire, at the end of the pleasure times. hā heti kurvatastasya prahṛṣṭāstā varāṅganāḥ | jagṛhurnissṛtāṁ vāṇīṁ nāmnā dāmodareritām ||2-20-33 When kṛṣṇa called them with love, the gopi-s were filled with joy. They were immensely happy to hear the sweet words spoken by dāmodara. tāsāṁ grathitasīmaṁtā ratiṁ nītvā''kulīkṛtāḥ | cāru visraṁsire keśāḥ kucāgre gopayoṣitām ||2-20-34 In the course of enjoyment, the marks on their foreheads were erased. Their hair became loose and hung over their breasts beautifully. evaṁ sa kṛṣṇo gopīnāṁ cakravālairalaṁkṛtaḥ | śāradīṣu sacandrāsu niśāsu mumude sukhī ||2-20-35 In this way, kṛṣṇa enjoyed the company of decorated gopi-s in circles in the moonlit nights during the autumn. iti srimahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi hallīsakakrīḍane viṁśo'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the twentieth chapter of viṣṇuparva of harivaṁśa, khila of śrimahābhārata, kṛṣṇa and gopi-s play music. nīlakaṇṭha commentary asminviṁśe tvathādhyāye gopaiḥ kṛṣṇapraśaṁsanam | gopīsaṁkrīḍanam vā'tha kṛtaṁ rātrāvudīryate || · 2-20-1 gate vrajālayairgopaiḥ saha || · 2-20-2 vṛddhā abhīti cchedaḥ sandhirārṣaḥ || · 2-20-15 yauvanaṁ kāntimattvam || · 2-20-18 saṁkālya svavasho kṛtvā kaiśoraṁ vayo daśsvarṣāvadhi tasya kam uparibhāgam ekādaśamārambhyetayrthaḥ | prāgupanayanāt kāmacārādyanujṣā'stīti vākyaṁ mānayan | · 2-20-20 haritālasya ārdraṁ paṅkaḥ | · 2-20-21 tadvrajaṁ tāsāṁ kadambam || · 2-20-25 paṅktīkṛtāḥ maṇḍalākāraṁ paṅktirūpeṇa sthitāḥ | dvandvasho dvābhyāṁ pradeśābhyāṁ vartate gopaḥ kṛṣṇo yāsāṁ tāḥ dvandvaśogopāstāścha tāḥ kanyakāśchetyarthaḥ | manoramaṁ maṇḍalamadhyasthaṁ ca ramayantītyarthaḥ | yathoktaṁ "aṅganāmaṅganāmantare mādhavo mādhavaṁ mādhavaṁ cāntare cāṅganā | itthamākalpite maṇḍale madhyagaḥ saṁjagau veṇunā devakīnandana ||" iti | shrutishcha - "padyā vaste pururūpā vapūṁṣyūrdhvāḥ tasthau tryaviṁ rerihāṇā ṛtasya sadma vicarāmi vidvan- mahaddevānāmasuratvamekam" iti padyā pattum abhisāriṇībhirgopībhirabhisartuṁ yogyā kṛṣṇamūrtiḥ pururūpā bahurūpā vapūṁṣi bahūni vaste paridhatte bahudhātvaṁ gatetyarthaḥ | tathā'pyanyā ūrdhvāḥ gopī saṁparkaṁ vinā tasthau sthitā madhye iti śeṣaḥ | kīdṛśī tryaviṁ trīn deśān pārśvadvayaṁ purastāccha avati prakāśata iti tryaviḥ tredhābhūtāṁ dṛṣṭiṁ rerihāṇā gilantī | uktarūpe rāsamaṇḍale hi ekaikasyā gopyā ubhayataḥ kṛṣṇadvayaṁ purastādekaḥ sarvasādhāraṇaṁ tridhābhūtāmapi dṛṣṭiṁ pradeśatrayastaḥ | kārtsnyena gilati tat'onyatra nāpaitityarthaḥ | sā mūrtiṛtasya dharmasya sadmabhūtā tāmanuchintya vicarāmi tvadviyuktā sati viddhīti kṛṣṇalīlānukārātpuṁstvam āropayantī kā'pyavadat | devānāṁ kṛṣṇādīnāmanyeṣāṁ vā kṛṣṇena viyojayatāṁ | asuratvaṁ nirdayatvaṁ mahat ekaṁ mukhyaṁ kasyāśchidrāsakrīḍāyāṁ tirohite kṛṣṇe idaṁ vākyaṁ || · 2-20-29 bhāvaḥ kṛṣṇe premātiśayaḥ tasya nispandena bahirāviṣkaraṇena madhuraṁ vrajamaṇḍalaṁ gatāḥ prāptāḥ | · 2-20-30 anuvavrire paritaḥ vṛtavatyaḥ | · 2-20-33 hāheti | hā rādhe hā candramukhi ityādiśabdaiḥ svasya virahāturatvaṁ kurvataḥ āviṣkurvataḥ | · 2-20-35 cakravālaiḥ maṇḍalaiḥ hallīsakakrīḍanam ekasya puṁso bahubhiḥ strībhiḥ krīḍanaṁ saiva rāsakrīḍā | "gopīnāṁ maṇḍali nṛtyabandhe hallīsakaṁ viduḥ" iti kośāt tallakṣaṇaṁ tu - "pṛthuṁ suvṛttaṁ masṛṇaṁ vitasti- mātronnataṁ kau vinikhanya śaṅkuṁ | Akramya padbhyāmitaretaraṁ tu hastairbhramo'yaṁ khalu rāsagoṣṭi" || iti śrīharivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi tīkāyāṁ viṁśo'dhyāyaḥ | Note by translator: (1)The śloka starting "aṅganāmaṅgane" is from śrīkṛṣṇakarṇāmṛtaṁ by līlāśuka The text with English translation by Desiraju Hanumanta Rao is available at http://www.gīrvāni.net/gīrvāni/skka/skka_intro.htm (2) The śloka starting "pṛthuṁ suvṛttaṁ" occurs (5.51) in Kramadipika by Kesava Kasmiri. Full text is available at http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fīndolo/gretil/1_sanskr/4_rellit/vaisn/krdipc_u.htm The śloka also appears in sādhanādīpikā available at http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fīndolo/gretil/1_sanskr/4_rellit/vaisn/sadhdipu.htm Explanation of nīlakaṇṭha commentary along with word by word meanings of rāsakrīḍa verses 2-20-25, 29, 30, 33 and 35 by Desiraju Hanumantarao tāstu paṅktī kṛtāḥ sarvā ramayanti manoramam | gāyantyaḥ kṛṣṇa caritaṁ dvandvaśaḥ gopa kanyakāḥ ||2-20-25 paṅktī kṛtāḥ = maṇḍala ākāraṁ = paṅkti rūpeṇa sthitāḥ = on forming a row = in round shape = standing in circular rows ; dvandvaśaḥ = in pairs = two milkmaids between whom one kṛṣṇa is there; tāsu = among them; dvābhyāṁ pradeśābhyāṁ vartate gopaḥ= on either side, while a milkmaid is standing; kṛṣṇo yāsāṁ tāḥ = among whom kṛṣṇa is there, those milkmaids; dvandvasho gopāḥ tāḥ ca= tāḥ kanyakāḥ ca iti arthaḥ = on either side, milk maids are there, those girl are there - manoramaṁ = heart pleasin - maṇḍala madhyasthaṁ ca ramayanti iti arthaḥ = those milk maids are enjoying to their heart's content; yathoktaṁ: "aṅganāmaṅganāmantare mādhavo mādhavaṁ mādhavaṁ cāntare cāṅganā | itthamākalpite maṇḍale madhyagaḥ saṁjagau veṇunā* devakīnandana" || iti | [iti Rigveda] shrutishcha: "padyā vaste pururūpā vapūṁṣyūrdhvāḥ tasthau tryaviṁ rerihāṇā ṛtasya sadma vicarāmi vidvān mahaddevānāmasuratvamekam" 3.055.14 (Rigveda) iti 3.055.14 The earth wears bodies of many forms; she abides on high cherishing her year and a half old (calf); knowing the abode of the truth (the sun), I offer worship; great and unequalled is the might of the gods. [The earth: padya in the text is explained as bhūmi, deriving it from pad, or foot, the earth, i.e. having been created from the feet of the Creator; abides on high: on the altar; year and a half old calf: tryavim sārdha saṁvatsara vayasko vatsaḥ, a calf a year and half old; i.e, the sun of that period, or it may apply to the sun, as the protector (aviḥ) of the three (tri) worlds; the abode of truth: ṛtasya sadman, satyabhu tasya ādityasya sthānam, the place of the sun, who is one with the truth] [nnīlakaṇṭha is explaining the above hymn of Rigveda with reference to rāsa krīḍa as below: gopībhiḥ abhisāriṇībhiḥ = milkmaids, who are following him; abhi+sartuṁ yogyā kṛṣṇa mūrtiḥ = one who is fit enough to be mobbed - by his charm - that kṛṣṇa' puru rūpā = bahu rūpā = vapūṁṣi bahūni = donning many of his prototype forms; vaste = paridhatte = he is there, surrounded by milkmaids; bahudhā tvaṁ gate iti arthaḥ = numerously milk maids approached him = rather took forward and backward steps in dancing two circles of milk maids have been formed around him; one inner and one outer circle; in each circle kṛṣṇa is present between two milkmaids; as well he is standing in the centre of circles while playing flute; and milkmaids moving round with dancing steps, moved to and fro from him, from center to back vice versa. tathā api anyā= even then; ūrdhvāḥ= gopī saṁparkaṁ vinā= withouit touching milkmaids; tasthau= sthitā madhye= he stood there; iti śeṣaḥ= this is implicit meaning; kīdṛśī = which way is it? tryaviṁ = trīn deśān = pārśva dvayaṁ purastāt ca = on three sides, left, right and before; avati= prakāśata= he is shining forth; iti tryaviḥ tredha ābhūtāṁ= he became threefold; dṛṣṭiṁ rerihāṇā = gilanti = for a sight, he is glowing forth' ukta rūpe rāsa-maṇḍale hi ekaikasyā gopyā ubhayataḥ kṛṣṇa dvayaṁ = in this way in round dance - one milkmaid has two kṛṣnas on her either side; purastāt ekaḥ, sarvasādhāraṇaṁ = one remaining before is generally not an amazing thing; tri-dhā-bhūtām api dṛṣṭiṁ = but he is seen by one milkmaid manifesting himself in three forms - two on her sides, and one before her; pradesha trayastaḥ = that too in three different places from her viewpoint; kārtsnyena gilati, tato anyatra nāpaiti iti arthaḥ = from everywhere he is glowing - sā mūrti = that form of kriṣṇa; ṛtasya = dharmasya; sadma bhūtā = an emergence from dharma; tām anu+chintya vicarāmi = thinking this way she is moving; tvat viyuktā sati; viddhi iti = kṛṣṇa līla anukārāt puṁstvam Aropayanti= even if that is not there - one milkmaid is imposing maleness on the milkmaid standing by her side and following krishna līla; Rigveda mantra explanation is over. nīlakaṇṭha makes another reference: kā api avadat = someone said somewhere; devānāṁ kṛṣṇa ādīnām anyeṣāṁ vā kṛṣṇena viyojayatāṁ asuratvaṁ nirdayatvaṁ mahat ekaṁ mukhyaṁ kasyāśchit rāsakrīḍāyāṁ tirohite kṛṣṇe idaṁ vākyaṁ || bhāvanispandamadhuraṁ gāyantyastā varāṅganāḥ | vrajaṁ gatāḥ sukhaṁ cherurdāmodaraparāyaṇāḥ ||2-20-29 bhāvaḥ kṛṣṇe premātiśayaḥ tasya nispandena bahirāviṣkaraṇena madhuraṁ vrajamaṇḍalaṁ gatāḥ prāptāḥ || karīṣapāṁsudigdhāṅgyastāḥ kṛṣṇāmanuvavrire | ramayantyo yatha nāgaṁ saṁpramattaṁ kareṇavaḥ ||2-20-30 anuvavrire= paritaḥ vṛtavatyaḥ =surrounded from all sides; hā heti kurvatastasya prahṛṣṭāstā varāṅganāḥ | jagṛhurnissṛtāṁ vāṇīṁ nāmnā dāmodareritām ||2-20-33 hāheti | hā rādhe hā candramukhi ityādi śabdaiḥ svasya viraha āturatvaṁ kurvataḥ = āviṣkurvataḥ | evaṁ sa kṛṣṇo gopīnāṁ cakravālairalaṁkṛtaḥ | śāradīṣu sacandrāsu niśāsu mumude sukhī || 2-20-35 cakra vālaiḥ= maṇḍalaiḥ; hallīsaka krīḍanam= in round dance, where women form round circles and dance; hallīsakam akalayannanta: ullīḍha harśā: || lakshmi sahasranāmā-s ekasya puṁso= with one male; bahubhiḥ strībhiḥ krīḍanaṁ = by many, women, playing with him - rather dancing with him; saiva rāsakrīḍā= that alone is rāsa-kṛḍa; gopīnāṁ maṇḍali nṛtya bandhe = by milkmaids, group, in a dance form; hallīsakaṁ viduḥ = that is hallisakam, know it thus; iti kośāt = so says dictionary; tat lakṣaṇaṁ tu - nīlakaṇtha is quoting another verse - pṛthuṁ suvṛttaṁ masṛṇaṁ vitasti- mātronnataṁ kau vinikhanya śaṅkuṁ | Akramya padbhyāmitaretaraṁ tu hastairbhramoyaṁ khalu rāsagoṣṭi ||