Devanagari
श्रीशुक उवाच
एकदा देवयात्रायां गोपाला जातकौतुका: ।
अनोभिरनडुद्युक्तै: प्रययुस्तेऽम्बिकावनम् ॥ १ ॥
Verse text
śrī-śuka uvāca
ekadā deva-yātrāyāṁ
gopālā jāta-kautukāḥ
anobhir anaḍud-yuktaiḥ
prayayus te ’mbikā-vanam
Synonyms
śrī
—
śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
;
ekadā
—
once
;
deva
—
(to worship) the demigod, Lord Śiva
;
yatrāyām
—
on a trip
;
gopālāḥ
—
the cowherd men
;
jāta
—
kautukāḥ — eager
;
anobhiḥ
—
with wagons
;
anaḍut
—
to oxen
;
yuktaiḥ
—
yoked
;
prayayuḥ
—
went forth
;
te
—
they
;
ambikā
—
vanam — to the Ambikā forest .
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: One day the cowherd men, eager to take a trip to worship Lord Śiva, traveled by bullock carts to the Ambikā forest.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: One day the cowherd men, eager to take a trip to worship Lord Śiva, traveled by bullock carts to the Ambikā forest.
KB 10.34.1
Once upon a time, the cowherd men of Vṛndāvana, headed by Nanda Mahārāja, desired to go to Ambikāvana to observe the Śiva-rātri ceremony. The rāsa-līlā was performed during the autumn, and after that the next big ceremony is Holi, or the Dola-yātrā ceremony. Between the Dola-yātrā ceremony and the rāsa-līlā ceremony there is an important ceremony called Śiva-rātri, which is especially observed by the Śaivites, or devotees of Lord Śiva. Sometimes the Vaiṣṇavas also observe this ceremony because they accept Lord Śiva as the foremost Vaiṣṇava. But the function of Śiva-rātri is not observed very regularly by the bhaktas, or devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Under the circumstances, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam states that Nanda Mahārāja and the other cowherd men “once upon a time desired.” This means that they were not regularly observing the Śiva-rātri function but that once upon a time they wanted to go to Ambikāvana out of curiosity. Ambikāvana is somewhere in Gujarat Province, and it is said to be situated on the river Sarasvatī. Yet we do not find any Sarasvatī River in Gujarat Province, although there is a river named Sabarmatī. In India, all the big places of pilgrimage are situated on nice rivers like the Ganges, Yamunā, Sarasvatī, Narmadā, Godāvarī and Kāverī. Ambikāvana was situated on the bank of the Sarasvatī, and Nanda Mahārāja and all the other cowherd men went there.
Purport
According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the word
ekadā
here indicates the occasion of Śiva-rātri. He further mentions that Ambikāvana is in Gujarat province, near the city of Siddhapura. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura adds that the departure of the cowherd men specifically took place on the fourteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight of the month of Phālguna. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī also quotes authorities who claim that Ambikāvana lies on the bank of the Sarasvatī River, northwest of Mathurā. Ambikāvana is notable because within it are deities of Śrī Śiva and his wife, goddess Umā.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The thirty fourth chapter describes how Krsna delivered his father Nanda from being swallowed by a snake, killing Sankhacuda, the son of Kuvera and taking his crown jewel.
After describing the autumn rasa lila and before describing the holi lila of spring, Sukadeva describes the celebration of Siva ratri. On the caturdasi (waning phase) of phalguna month, the inhabitants of Vraja when to Amibika vana, a forest with Siva and Uma deities on the bank of the Sarasvati river to the northwest of Mathura. Others however say that the place was located at Siddhapura in Gujarat.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
To show a similar pastime, related to the same subject as the rāsa dance, and which ends with the killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa, Śukadeva now relates another pastime which shows Kṛṣṇa’s power used to prevent opposing persons from interfering with such pastimes. This pastime of going to Ambikāvana chronologically comes between the rāsa dance and the Horikā pastime.
After the rāsa dance (ekadā), during Śiva-rātri in Phālguna month, the cowherds (gopālāḥ) became eager to go on pilgrimage to a Śiva temple. On should understand that it was ultimately because of Kṛṣṇa’s eagerness, as in the Govardhana pastime. They were fully devoted to his desires. Or, they developed complete eagerness (ā-jāta-kautukāḥ) because of the cowherd Kṛṣṇa (gopāla). Kṛṣṇa had a hidden agenda of easily associating with the gopīs at this time. He had similar feelings as in the previous pastime of rāsa līlā. Anaḍuh means oxen. But its derivation is “carrying a cart.” Thus they used oxen which easily pulled the carts. They used carts to bring many articles for gifting at the holy place. Thus they travelled conspicuously (pra—yayuḥ). Ambikāvana was northwest of Mathurā district on the bank of the Sarasvatī River with Śiva and Durgā as the presiding deities. Or, it was a holy place not far from Siddhapur in Gujarat province. They went there because it was very famous.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Śukadeva begins a related story to show the increase of bhakti for the Lord in the cowherds by showing them directly his power. He describes another similar pastime, where human pastimes were mixed with power.
It was during his kaiśora period, which some say was Śiva-rātrī (Phalguna month), and some say was during Kartika. The cowherds became eager to go to visit Śiva (deva). They went out of curiosity or for fun, not because of material desires, since they were cowherds, whose quality was having fun. They yoked huge bulls to their carts, since cowherds normally travel by cart, and they had to carry many goods for offering to the tīrtha. They went gloriously (pra-yayuḥ). Ambikāvana was northwest of Mathurā district on the bank of the Sarasvatī River with Śiva and Durgā as the presiding deities. Or, it was a holy place not far from Siddhapur in Gujarat province.