SB 10.18.22 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

वहन्तो वाह्यमानाश्च चारयन्तश्च गोधनम् । भाण्डीरकं नाम वटं जग्मु: कृष्णपुरोगमा: ॥ २२ ॥

Verse text

vahanto vāhyamānāś ca cārayantaś ca go-dhanam bhāṇḍīrakaṁ nāma vaṭaṁ jagmuḥ kṛṣṇa-purogamāḥ

Synonyms

vahantaḥ — carrying ; vāhyamānāḥ — being carried ; ca — and ; cārayantaḥ — tending ; ca — also ; go — dhanam — the cows ; bhāṇḍīrakam nāma — named Bhāṇḍīraka ; vaṭam — to the banyan tree ; jagmuḥ — they went ; kṛṣṇa — puraḥ — gamāḥ — led by Lord Kṛṣṇa .

Translation

Thus carrying and being carried by one another, and at the same time tending the cows, the boys followed Kṛṣṇa to a banyan tree known as Bhāṇḍīraka.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Thus carrying and being carried by one another, and at the same time tending the cows, the boys followed Kṛṣṇa to a banyan tree known as Bhāṇḍīraka. KB 10.18.22 They began playing, and at the same time tended the cows as they proceeded through the Bhāṇḍīravana forest.

Purport

Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī quotes the following verses from Śrī Harivaṁśa ( Viṣṇu-parva 11.18-22), which describe the banyan tree: dadarśa vipulodagra- śākhinaṁ śākhināṁ varam sthitaṁ dharaṇyāṁ meghābhaṁ nibiḍaṁ dala-saṣcayaiḥ gaganārdhocchritākāraṁ parvatābhoga-dhāriṇam nīla-citrāṅga-varṇaiś ca sevitaṁ bahubhiḥ khagaiḥ phalaiḥ pravālaiś ca ghanaiḥ sendracāpa-ghanopamam bhavanākāra-viṭapaṁ latā-puṣpa-sumaṇḍitam viśāla-mūlāvanataṁ pāvanāmbhoda-dhāriṇam ādhipatyam ivānyeṣāṁ tasya deśasya śākhinām kurvāṇaṁ śubha-karmāṇaṁ nirāvarṣam anātapam nyagrodhaṁ parvatāgrābhaṁ bhāṇḍīraṁ nāma nāmataḥ “They saw that best of all trees, which had many long branches. With its dense covering of leaves, it resembled a cloud sitting on the earth. Indeed, its form was so large that it appeared like a mountain covering half the sky. Many birds with charming blue wings frequented that great tree, whose dense fruits and leaves made it seem like a cloud accompanied by a rainbow or like a house decorated with creepers and flowers. It spread its broad roots downward and carried upon itself the sanctified clouds. That banyan tree was like the lordly master of all other trees in that vicinity, as it performed the all-auspicious functions of warding off the rain and the heat of the sun. Such was the appearance of that nyagrodha tree known as Bhāṇḍīra, which seemed just like the peak of a great mountain.”

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

They came to a place with a banyan tree called bhandiraka. It was convenient to use the branches of the banyan to mount on the shoulders of the defeated boys. Though that was the most convenient place, they mounted on each others shoulders near that place.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The loser would carry the winner on his shoulders. Bhāṇḍīraka means the tree called Bhāṇḍīra. Hari-vaṁśa (Viṣṇu-parva 11.18-22) describes the banyan tree: dadarśa vipulodagra- śākhinaṁ śākhināṁ varam sthitaṁ dharaṇyāṁ meghābhaṁ nibiḍaṁ dala-sañcayaiḥ gaganārdhocchritākāraṁ parvatābhoga-dhāriṇam nīla-citrāṅga-varṇaiś ca sevitaṁ bahubhiḥ khagaiḥ phalaiḥ pravālaiś ca ghanaiḥ sendracāpa-ghanopamam bhavanākāra-viṭapaṁ latā-puṣpa-sumaṇḍitam viśāla-mūlāvanataṁ pāvanāmbhoda-dhāriṇam ādhipatyam ivānyeṣāṁ tasya deśasya śākhinām kurvāṇaṁ śubha-karmāṇaṁ nirāvarṣam anātapam nyagrodhaṁ parvatāgrābhaṁ bhāṇḍīraṁ nāma nāmataḥ They saw that best of all trees, which had many long branches. With its dense covering of leaves, it resembled a cloud sitting on the earth. Its form was so large that it appeared like a mountain covering half the sky. Many birds in blue and various colors frequented that great tree, whose profuse fruits and leaves made it seem like a cloud accompanied by a rainbow or like a house decorated with creepers and flowers. It spread its broad roots downward and carried upon itself the sanctified clouds. That banyan tree was like the lordly master of all other trees in that vicinity, as it performed the all-auspicious functions of warding off the rain and the heat of the sun. Such was the appearance of that banyan tree known as Bhāṇḍīra, which seemed just like the peak of a great mountain. They went there because it was suitable during the summer heat.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

The loser would carry the winner on his shoulders while herding the cows. Bhāṇḍīraka means the tree called Bhāṇḍīra, or a banyan tree by name but actually a desire tree. Hari-vaṁśa (Viṣṇu-parva 11.18–22) describes the banyan tree: dadarśa vipulodagra- śākhinaṁ śākhināṁ varam sthitaṁ dharaṇyāṁ meghābhaṁ nibiḍaṁ dala-sañcayaiḥ gaganārdhocchritākāraṁ parvatābhoga-dhāriṇam nīla-citrāṅga-varṇaiś ca sevitaṁ bahubhiḥ khagaiḥ phalaiḥ pravālaiś ca ghanaiḥ sendracāpa-ghanopamam bhavanākāra-viṭapaṁ latā-puṣpa-sumaṇḍitam viśāla-mūlāvanataṁ pāvanāmbhoda-dhāriṇam ādhipatyam ivānyeṣāṁ tasya deśasya śākhinām kurvāṇaṁ śubha-karmāṇaṁ nirāvarṣam anātapam nyagrodhaṁ parvatāgrābhaṁ bhāṇḍīraṁ nāma nāmataḥ They saw that best of all trees, which had many long branches. With its dense covering of leaves, it resembled a cloud sitting on the earth. Its form was so large that it appeared like a mountain covering half the sky. Many birds in blue and various colors frequented that great tree, whose profuse fruits and leaves made it seem like a cloud accompanied by a rainbow or like a house decorated with creepers and flowers. It spread its broad roots downward and carried upon itself the sanctified clouds. That banyan tree was like the lordly master of all other trees in the vicinity, as it performed the all-auspicious functions of warding off the rain and the heat of the sun. Such was the appearance of that banyan tree known as Bhāṇḍīra, which seemed just like the peak of a great mountain. They went there because it was suitable during the summer heat for playing, or in order to spread Balarāma’s fame. Or they went there to glorify the tree, a great friend of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, who attracts all, was put in front.