Parva 2 Chapter 9: vrindāvanapraveśaḥ - Moving to Vrindavana

vaiśaṁpāyana said: (O janamejaya) Thus, seeing the invincible wolves increasing, all the women and men of vraja as a group, said: sthāne neha na nah kāryaṁ vrajāmo'nyanmahadvanam | yacchivaṁ ca sukhoṣyaṁ ca gavāṁ caiva sukhāvaham ||2-9-2 There is no reason to live here anymore. We should move the vraja to another big forest where we can live peacefully and comfortably along with the cows. adyaiva kiṁ chireṇa sma vrajāmaḥ saha godhanaiḥ | yāvadvṛkairvadhaṁ ghoraṁ na naḥ sarvo vrajo vrajet ||2-9-3 What is the use of delay? Let us move the vraja along with cows before all of us are killed terribly by these wolves. eśāṁ dhūmrāruṇāṅgānāṁ daṁṣṭriṇāṁ nakhakarṣiṇām | vṛkāṇāṁ kṛṣṇavaktrāṇāṁ bibhīmo nishi garjatām ||2-9-4 We are terribly frightened in the night by the howling of these wolves having black faces, grey and red limbs, sharp teeth and nails. mama putro mama bhrātā mama vatso'tha gaurmama | vṛkairvyāpāditā hyevaṁ krandanti sma gṛhe gṛhe ||2-9-5 At every house, people lamented crying: My son, my brother, my calf and my cow were attacked by wolves. tāsāṁ ruditashabdena gavāṁ haṁbhāraveṇa ca | vrajasyotthāpanaṁ cakrurghoṣavṛddhāḥ samāgatāḥ ||2-9-6 Concerned by the sound of their crying and the mooing of cows, the elders of vraja, decided to relocate the vraja. teṣāṁ matamathājṣāya gantuṁ vṛndāvanaṁ prati | vrajasya viniveśāya gavāṁ caiva hitāya ca ||2-9-7 Understanding their desire to go to vṛndāvana for establishing the vraja and for the benefit of cows, vṝndāvananivāsāya tāṣjṣātvā kṛtaniśchayān | nandagopo bṛhadvākyaṁ bṛhaspatirivādade ||2-9-8 and knowing that they have decided to live in vṛndāvana, nandagopa spoke these great words like bṛhaspati (the preceptor of deva-s): adyaiva niśchayaprāptiryadi gantavyameva naḥ | śīghramājṣāpyatāṁ ghoṣaḥ sajjībhavata mā ciram ||2-9-9 If you have determined to go, let us go today. Let the order be given quickly to ready the vraja without any delay. tato'vaghuṣyata tadā ghoṣe tatprākṛtairjanaiḥ | śīghraṁ gāvaḥ prakalpyantāṁ bhāṇḍām samabhiropyatām ||2-9-10 Then through ordinary men, it was announced in vraja: Get the cows ready quickly. Pack your things. vatsayūthāni kālyantāṁ yujyantāṁ śakaṭāni ca | vṛndāvanamitaḥ sthānānniveśāya ca gamyatām ||2-9-11 Get the calves ready. Assemble the carts. Let us begin the journey from here to live in vṛndāvana. tacchrutvā nandagopasya vacanaṁ sādhu bhāṣitam | udatiṣṭhadvrajaḥ sarvaḥ śīghraṁ gamanalālasaḥ ||2-9-12 Hearing the good words spoken by nandagopa, the entire vraja quickly readied itself to undertake the journey. prayāhyuttiṣṭha gachcāmaḥ kiṁ śeṣe sādhu yojaya | uttiṣṭhati vraje tasmingopakolāhalo hyabhūt ||2-9-13 When the vraja rose up to leave the place and go, there was commotion among the gopa-s: Get up, go, are you sleeping? go, make the carts ready. uttiṣṭhamānaḥ shuśubhe śakaṭīśakaṭastu saḥ | vyāghraghoṣamahāghoṣo ghoṣaḥ sāgaraghoṣavān ||2-9-14 When the carts and residents began moving, a huge commotion was heard. The loud noise was like the roar of tigers or the roar of waves in the ocean. gopīnāṁ gargarībhiścha mūrdhni chottambhitairghaṭaiḥ | niṣpapāta vrajātpaṅktistārāpaṅktirivāṁbarāt ||2-9-15 Gopi-s, carrying pots of milk and buttermilk on their heads, followed in rows. It appeared as if a series of stars from the sky have fallen down on earth. nīlapītāruṇaistāsāṁ vastrairagrastanocchritaiaḥ | śakracāpāyate paṅktirgopīnāṁ mārgagāminī ||2-9-16 Blue, yellow and red clothes covered their breasts. When they walked, the clothes appeared like the bow of indra (rainbow). dāmanī dāmabhāraiścha kaiśchitkāyāvalambibhiḥ| gopā mārgagatā bhānti sāvarohā iva drumāḥ ||2-9-17 On the way, gopa-s hanging ropes and bundles of churning sticks tied with ropes on their bodies looked like banyan trees with their roots hanging about. sa vrajo vrajatā bhāti śakaṭaughena bhāsvatā | potaiḥ pavanavikṣiptairniṣpatadbhirivārṇavaḥ ||2-9-18 The vraja dazzled with the caravan of moving carts. It appeared like an ocean with a number of ships moving with the force of wind. kṣaṇena tadvrajasthānamīriṇaṁ samapadyata | dravyāvayavanirdhūtaṁ kīrṇaṁ vāyasamaṇḍalaiḥ ||2-9-19 Within a short time, that place of vraja became vacant like a barren land. Soon the place became filled with crows due to scattered particles of food grains. tataḥ krameṇa ghoṣaḥ sa prāpto vṛndāvanaṁ vanam | niveśaṁ vipulaṁ cakre gavāṁ caiva hitāya ca ||2-9-20 Gradually, moving forward, the vraja reached the forest, vṛndāvanaṁ. The residences were built over a vast area, for the benefit of cows. śakaṭāvartaparyantaṁ candrārdhākārasaṁsthitam | madhye yojanavistīrṇaṁ tāvaddviguṇamāyatam ||2-9-21 The carts were parked around the boundary in the shape of half moon. In the middle, the breadth was one yojana and the length was two yojanas. kaṇṭakībhiḥ pravṛddhābhistathā kaṇṭakitadrumaiḥ | nikhātocchritaśākhāgrairabhiguptaṁ samantataḥ ||2-9-22 The place was concealed and protected by thorny bushes, tall branches of trees, other thorny plants and trees. manthairāropyamāṇaiścha manthabandhānukarṣaṇaiḥ | adbhiḥ prakṣālyamānābhirgargarībhiritastataḥ ||2-9-23 The churning sticks were mounted along with the ropes. The buttermilk pots were properly washed with water. kīlairāropyamāṇaiścha dāmanīpāśapāśitaiḥ | stambhanībhirdhṛtābhiścha śakaṭaiḥ parivartitaiḥ ||2-9-24 Pegs were driven into the ground. Churning ropes were tied on the pegs. Poles were erected and carts were tied to these poles. niyogapāśairāsaktairgargarīstambhamūrdhasu | cādanārthaṁ prakīrṇaiścha kaṭakaistṛṇasaṁkaṭaiḥ ||2-9-25 Buttermilk pots were hung on the poles with ropes. For cover, mats of grass were spread. śākhāviṭaṅkairvṛkṣāṇāṁ kriyamāṇairitastataḥ | śodhyamānairgavāṁ sthānaiḥ sthāpyamānairulūkhalaiḥ ||2-9-26 Nests were built here and there on the trees for birds. Places were cleared for building cowsheds. Mortars were installed. prāṅmukhaiḥ sicyamānaiścha saṁdīpyadbhiścha pāvakaiḥ | savatsacharmāstaraṇaiḥ paryaṅkaiścāvaropitaiḥ ||2-9-27 These were washed keeping them facing east. Fires were lit. Seats made from the skin of calves were unloaded (from the carts). toyamuttārayantībhiḥ prekṣantībhiścha tadvanam | śākhāścākarṣamāṇābhirgopībhiścha samantataḥ ||2-9-28 Some gopi-s were lowering water pots from their heads. Some were enjoying the beauty of the forest. Some were walking around pulling down the branches of trees. yuvabhiḥ sthaviraishcaiva gopairvyagrakarairbhṛśam | viśasadbhiḥ kuṭhāraiścha kāṣṭhānyapi tarūnapi ||2-9-29 The young and old gopa-s were busy with their hands. Some were cutting firewood and trees with axes. tadvrajasthānamadhikaṁ shuśubhe kānanāvṝtam | ramyaṁ vananivesham vai svādumūlaphalodakam ||2-9-30 Because of all this, that place of vraja, surrounded by forest appeared enchanting. That beautiful forest had tasty roots, fruits and fresh water. tāstu kāmadughā gāvaḥ sarvapakṣirutaṁ vanam | vṛndāvanamanuprāptā nandanopamakānanam ||2-9-31 The cows which gave plenty of milk entered vṛndāvana, which was full of sounds of all kinds of birds. The forest resembled nandana (forest). pūrvameva tu kṛṣṇena gavām vai hitakāriṇā | shivena manasā dṛṣṭaṁ tadvanaṁ vanacāriṇā ||2-9-32 kṛṣṇa, who travels in the forest and always thinks about the welfare of cows had visualized this forest before. pashchime tu tato rūKṣe dharme māse nirāmaye | varṣatīvāmṛtaṁ deve tṛṇaṁ tatra vyavardhata ||2-9-33 It was the last part of the hot summer month. Even then green grass was abundantly available since, indra (deva) had showered rains (amṛtaṁ). na tatra vatsāḥ sīdanti na gāvo netare janāḥ | yatra tiṣṭhati lokānāṁ bhavāya madhusūdanaḥ ||2-9-34 Where madhusūdana (kṛṣṇa), the benefactor of people is present, there the calves, cows and people can not face any difficulty. tāścha gāvaḥ sa ghoṣastu sa ca saṅkarṣaṇo yuvā | kṛṣṇena vihitaṁ vāsaṁ samadhyāsata nirvṛtāḥ ||2-9-35 Thus the cows, vraja and the young saṅkarṣaṇa began to live with delight in the place liked by kṛṣṇa. iti śimahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi vrindāvanapraveśe navamo'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the nineth chapter of viṣṇuparva of harivaṁśa, khila of śrimahābhārata, moving to vṛndāvana. nīlakaṇṭha commentary etasminnavame'dhyāye rāmakṛṣṇecchayā punaḥ | vṛndāvanapraveśaścha vrajasyādbhuta Iryate || · 2-9-1 evaṁ vṛkān || · 2-9- 2 sukhoṣyaṁ sukhāvāsam || · 2-9-4 eṣām ebhyaḥ sakāśāt || · 2-9-10 avaghuṣyata ghoṣo jataḥ | bhāṇḍaṁ śakaṭeṣviti śeṣaḥ || · 2-9-18 potaiḥ naukābhiḥ || · 2-9-19 īrṇam ūṣaraṁ śūnyamityarthaḥ || · 2-9-25 niyogapāśaiḥ manthanabhāṇḍasthūṇāyā manthanadaṇḍena saṁyojanārthaiḥ pāśaiḥ māṣjereti mahārāṣtraprasiddhaiḥ śikyairvā kaṭakairghaṭādhārakatṛṇaiḥ sahitābhiḥ tṛṇasaṁkaṭaiḥ tṛṇamayībhirāccādanībhi || · 2-9-26 śākhāsu viṭaṅkāḥ pakṣyupaveśanasthānāni taiḥ kriyamāṇaiḥ || · 2-9-33 dharme grīṣme tatrāpi pashchime āṣāḍhe || · 2-9-34 adhyāsata adhyāsitavantaḥ || iti śrīharivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi tīkāyāṁ navamo'dhyāyaḥ ||