Devanagari
सहबल: स्रगवतंसविलास:
सानुषु क्षितिभृतो व्रजदेव्य: ।
हर्षयन् यर्हि वेणुरवेण
जातहर्ष उपरम्भति विश्वम् ॥ १२ ॥
महदतिक्रमणशङ्कितचेता
मन्दमन्दमनुगर्जति मेघ: ।
सुहृदमभ्यवर्षत् सुमनोभि-
श्छायया च विदधत् प्रतपत्रम् ॥ १३ ॥
Verse text
saha-balaḥ srag-avataṁsa-vilāsaḥ
sānuṣu kṣiti-bhṛto vraja-devyaḥ
harṣayan yarhi veṇu-raveṇa
jāta-harṣa uparambhati viśvam
mahad-atikramaṇa-śaṅkita-cetā
manda-mandam anugarjati meghaḥ
suhṛdam abhyavarṣat sumanobhiś
chāyayā ca vidadhat pratapatram
Synonyms
saha
—
balaḥ — together with Balarāma
;
srak
—
a flower garland
;
avataṁsa
—
as the ornament on His head
;
vilāsaḥ
—
playfully wearing
;
sānuṣu
—
on the sides
;
kṣiti
—
bhṛtaḥ — of a mountain
;
vraja
—
devyaḥ — O goddesses of Vṛndāvana ( gopīs )
;
harṣayan
—
creating joy
;
yarhi
—
when
;
veṇu
—
of His flute
;
raveṇa
—
by the resounding vibration
;
jāta
—
harṣaḥ — becoming joyful
;
uparambhati
—
causes to relish
;
viśvam
—
the entire world
;
mahat
—
against a great personality
;
atikramaṇa
—
of a transgression
;
śaṅkita
—
fearful
;
cetāḥ
—
in his mind
;
manda
—
mandam — very gently
;
anugarjati
—
thunders in response
;
meghaḥ
—
the cloud
;
suhṛdam
—
upon his friend
;
abhyavarṣat
—
has rained down
;
sumanobhiḥ
—
with flowers
;
chāyayā
—
with his shade
;
ca
—
and
;
vidadhat
—
providing
;
pratapatram
—
an umbrella as protection from the sun .
Translation
O goddesses of Vraja, when Kṛṣṇa is enjoying Himself with Balarāma on the mountain slopes, playfully wearing a flower garland on the top of His head, He engladdens all with the resonant vibrations of His flute. Thus He delights the entire world. At that time the nearby cloud, afraid of offending a great personality, thunders very gently in accompaniment. The cloud showers flowers onto his dear friend Kṛṣṇa and shades Him from the sun like an umbrella.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O goddesses of Vraja, when Kṛṣṇa is enjoying Himself with Balarāma on the mountain slopes, playfully wearing a flower garland on the top of His head, He engladdens all with the resonant vibrations of His flute. Thus He delights the entire world. At that time the nearby cloud, afraid of offending a great personality, thunders very gently in accompaniment. The cloud showers flowers onto his dear friend Kṛṣṇa and shades Him from the sun like an umbrella.
KB 10.35.12-13
One gopī said, “My dear friends, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are nicely dressed with earrings and pearl necklaces. They enjoy Themselves on the top of Govardhana Hill, and everything becomes absorbed in transcendental pleasure when Kṛṣṇa plays on His flute, charming the whole created manifestation. When He plays, the clouds stop their loud thundering out of fear of disturbing the vibration of His flute. Instead they respond with mild thunder and so congratulate Kṛṣṇa, their friend.”
Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the friend of the cloud because both the cloud and Kṛṣṇa satisfy the people when they are disturbed. When the people are burning due to excessive heat, the cloud satisfies them with rain. Similarly, when people in materialistic life become disturbed by the blazing fire of material pangs, Kṛṣṇa consciousness gives them relief like a cloud. The cloud and Kṛṣṇa, having the same bodily color also, are considered to be friends. Desiring to congratulate its superior friend, the cloud poured not water but small flowers and covered the head of Kṛṣṇa just like an umbrella to protect Him from the scorching sunshine.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Having described the joy from hearing the flute of the conscious and unconscious entities of the earth, the gopis now describe the bliss of the unconscious entities in the sky.
When Krsna, brilliant with garlands on his head and chest and ornaments in his ears, accompanied by a troop of cowherd boys (saha balah), situated himself on the side of a hill, and, blissful at the sound of his own flute, began to taste that sound, in order to fill the universe with that bliss, the clouds in the sky began to rumble gently, so that the sound would not disrupt the great cloud of Krsna. The thundering of the clouds was favorable to the flute sound, not disturbing it in any way. The cloud was a friend of Krsna, being similar with dark color and function--taking away the distress of the people of the world. The cloud began to sprinkle fine rain like tiny flowers, and in order to give shelter from the heat of the sun, made an umbrella from its own shadow. Pratapatra means that which delivers one ( trayate) from intense heat (pra tapa).
On the form of the cloud called Krsna were his garland and earrings like flying cranes and his yellow dhoti like lightening. The song of the flute was a shower of nectar.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
In the afternoon, decorated with special colorful garlands and dress, he wanders on plateaus of a mountain devoid of shade because the cows wander there. Desiring the shadow of clouds, he sings the mallāra-rāga along with Balarāma and other friends. By making echoes of the song on the mountain plateau, he makes the universe echo the song. By his will, with little effort, he makes the clouds come and by the rumbling sound of the clouds he becomes joyful and makes the universe rejoice. As devatās hidden by the clouds shower flowers, he plays in the shadow of the clouds. The gopīs with a vision of this pastime speak.
What to speak of all the individuals mentioned, and all others, the whole universe becomes blissful. Though the clouds are unconscious, far way and movable by nature, they describe them, imagining that the clouds are friends with Kṛṣṇa because of form, color and activity. He is with Balarāma, but this statement indicates he is accompanied by Balarāma and other friends. He is pleasing with his garland and flower crown. He goes to the flat areas on the mountains, mainly Govardhana. The plateaus are praiseworthy because they give pleasure. This is indicated by the root meaning of the word sānu (plateau), meaning “to give.” Govardhana also is praised since it is the support for the earth (kṣiti-bhṛt). O women of Vraja (vraja-devyaḥ)! You are endowed with special charm (devya) among all the residents of Vraja who are endowed with fortune desired by the most exalted devatās. This indicates the superior intelligence of the gopīs. Therefore you can understand the nature of the flute’s song. When Kṛṣṇa, his associates and the universe become joyful, the cloud also desire to rumble loudly in joy but becomes worried of committing offense by overpowering the sound of the flute with his rumbling, as if trying to surpass Kṛṣṇa, who is the greatest. He thus rumbles very softly to nourish the song of the flute. Thinking that Kṛṣṇa is tired, he tries to please Kṛṣṇa. The cloud showers flowers on Kṛṣṇa, who is his friend because of being the same color. Anugarjati in the present tense indicates that the cloud continually rumbles. Abhyavarṣat in the past tense indicates an act of friendship which was fixed. He makes an umbrella by the shade of his cloud form.
The garland is made of cut petals of differently colored flowers made into finer and finer strings. He is charming with garlands, head ornaments and ear ornaments. Or, his head ornament is made charming by his garland. He gives joy (uparambhati) to the universe. Parasmaipada form of the verb is poetic license. The phrase manda-mandam can also be joined to the verb abhyavarṣat. The cloud showered flowers gently. Sumanobhiḥ can also mean that he showered Kṛṣṇa with splendid mentality. The cloud serve in three ways: by giving shade with his body, by rumbling gently with his voice and by his pleasing mentality.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
At noon on top of the plateau, he gives up his previous dress and dons a dress with many colorful garlands. He joyfully plays his flute and gives joy to the world. Understanding that the sound is superior to his own rumbling, a joyful cloud serves him as a friend, thinking of serving the whole world. Two verses describe this.
To make the sound spread through the universe, he plays his flute with Balarāma (saha-balaḥ). Or he plays his flute with some strength (saha-balaḥ). He has a garland on his head as play or is beautiful with a garland on his head. This is a cause of joy. He gives joy on plateaus of Govardhana, which protects or nourishes the earth (kṣiti-bhṛtaḥ). Or he is situated on plateaus of various mountains nearby. The plural is used to indicate that the sound of the flute echoes on various plateaus. The sound on the plateaus also nourishes the earth (kśiti-bhṛtaḥ). O women most worthy of worship in Vraja (vraja-devyaḥ). Or O women dear to Kṛṣṇa, the lord of Vraja! The sound is actually for you. Or O women, inclined to play in Vraja! You are deprived of these various pastimes. He gives joy to the world because he manifests special joy (jāta-harṣaḥ).
The cloud desires to rumble loudly in joy also but worries about surpassing Kṛṣṇa since the cloud is above him. Or with his sound the cloud will drown out the sound of the flute and create offense. The cloud thinks of giving comfort to him. He thinks of Kṛṣṇa as a friend, since he is the same color or thinks of Kṛṣṇa as having a good heart in spite of his offense. Or by giving joy to the world he is our friend giving unmotivated benefit. Therefore the cloud showered flowers everywhere.
Or he has charm with his earrings and garland. Situated on plateaus he gives joy to Govardhana. The cloud rumbles softly, as if afraid of offending a great soul. Factually, following Kṛṣṇa’s desire to spread the sound throughout the universe, the cloud rumbles after the flute sound, mixing with it, to make the flute sound louder. Or the cloud fears committing offense against Govardhana by expressing his joy, or by covering the flute sound with his rumbling, since the flute sounds was supposed to give them joy.
Or the cloud fears committing offense to the flute, a great devotee. The cloud shows flowers very softly (manda-mandam) on his friend. The cloud serves with his pleasant mental functions (sumanobhiḥ), with his body by providing shade and by his voice, with soft rumbling.