Sri Garga-samhita

Sri Bahulacva said: After He gave homes in Mathura to His relatives, what did Lord Krsna do then? O best of sages, please tell me that.

gosa-gopala-sagkulam Sri Narada said: Then the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, who loves His devotees, remembered unhappy Gokula, filled with cows and cowherd people.

One day, calling His devotee and friend Uddhava to a private room, the Supreme Personality of Godhead spoke with words choked with emotion.

caila-krsna-prabha-caru-vrndavanam The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Friend, please go at once to beautiful Vraja, which is decorated with many beautiful forest groves and flowering vines, which has beautiful Vrndavana forest glorious with Govardhana Hill and the Yamuna, and which is filled with gopas and gopis.

There please give a letter to King Nanda. Place a second letter in Yacoda's hand. Then, O friend, go to Radha's beautiful palace and give a letter to Radha.

Give a fourth splendid and auspicious letter to My childhood gopa friends. Give letters to each of the hundreds of groups of gopis bewildered with love for Me.

My kind father, King Nanda, places all his thoughts on Me. My mother, Yacoda, always thinks of Me. You are expert in speaking many graceful words. Please carry My love to them.

Radha, My beloved, is tortured by My absence. In My absence She thinks the entire world is a great expanse of empty sky. Speak My words to Her and free Her from Her suffering in My absence. You are expert in walking on the path of eloquent words.

The gopa boys are also very dear to Me. Without Me, their friend, they are bewildered and unhappy. As a friend does, make them happy. Very soon I will return to beautiful Vraja.

The gopis are tortured by My absence. Their thoyghts are fixed on Me. Their bodies and lives are dedicated to Me. For My sake they have renounced the entire world. Counselor, how can I not protect and maintain them?

O Uddhava, they are on the verge of giving up their lives. It is very difficult for them to remain alive. Speak My words to them and free them from their suffering in My absence. You are expert in walking on the path of eloquent words.

Take the chariot on which I left Vraja, decorate it with tinkling bells, take a charioteer and horses, take a form like My own, take My yellow garments, vaijayanti garland, thousand-petal lotus, splendid jewel earrings, Kaustubha jewel more glorious than millions of rising suns, beautiful flute filled with sweet music, flower-decorated stick that charms all the worlds, beautiful, splendidly fragrant sandal paste, ornaments of jasmine flowers and peacock feathers, tinkling anklets, crown, and armlets, and then go at once, go now, on My word, to Vraja.

Hearing these words, with folded hands Uddhava bowed before Lord Krsna, circumambulated Him, and at once rode on a chariot to Vraja.

cveta-parvata-sagkaca divya-bhusana-bhusitah Wherever he went in Vraja there were millions and millions of beautiful cows glorious as great white mountains and decorated with splendid ornaments.

They were young, virtuous, full of milk, and accompanied by their calves. They were beautiful and their tails were yellow.

ghanta-manjita-jhagkarah kigkini-jala-manditah They were deocrated with networks of tinkling bells and ornaments and with garlands and necklaces. Their bodies and horns were like gold.

Some cows were pink, some green, some brown, some multi-colored, some yellow, some smoke-colored, and some the color of cuckoos.

taruni-kara-citritah They were decorated with pictures of girls' handprints. They gave milk that was like an ocean. They were decorated with calves leaping like deer.

dirgha-kandhara-crggadhya Wandering here and there among the cows were great bulls with broad shoulders and long horns, bulls bearing the principles of religion.

There were many gopas playing black flutes and, with melodies that could charm Kamadeva himself, singing of Lord Krsna's pastimes

krsna-darcana-lalasah Seeing Uddhava coming, and thinking he was Krsna Himself, the gopa boys, eager to see Krsna, spoke among among themselves.

The gopas said: Nanda's son is coming. It is our friend Krsna. There is no doubt of it. He is dark as a monsoon cloud. He wears yellow garments. He is decorated with earrings and a garland.

sahasra-dala-pagkajam koti-martanda-sannibham He wears earrings and a Kastubha jewel. He holds a thousand-petal lotus. He wears a crown splendid as millions of suns.

kigkini-jala-manditah These are the same horses. It is the same chariot decorated with a network of tinkling ornaments. Balarama is not on it. Nanda's son has come alone.

Sri Narada said: O king of Videha, speaking in this way, the gopas headed by Sridama surrounded the chariot Krsna's friend, whose form was like Krsna's.

The gopas said, "He is not Krsna. Who is he? His form is like Krsna's." Then, in the middle of the road, Uddhava bowed before the gopas and embraced them all.

Sri Uddhava said: O Sridama, please take this letter. Krsna gave it. Of this there is no doubt. Don't lament. Krsna takes a personal interest in the welfare of the gopas.

After He has fulfilled His responsibilities to the Yadavas, Lord Krsna and Balarama will quickly erturn to Vraja.

Sri Narada said: After reading the letter in their hands, the boys of Vraja burst into tears. Then, their voices choked with emotion, they spoke.

The gopas said: O traveler, Krsna's body, opulence, wealth, strength, intelligence are never thwarted or bewildered. For us people of Vraja, to be without Krsna is to live in a world that is a desert.

O noble-hearted one, for the people of Vraja suffering in Krsna's absence, a moment has become a yuga, a half-hour has become a manvantara, three hours has become a kalpa, and a day has become a lifetime of Brahma.

Day and night we cannot forget Him. The treacherous half-hours pass, but He does not return. O Uddhava, He has stolen all the thoughts of the people of Vraja. Thinking He was just our friend, we must have offended Him again and again. .pa Chapter Fourteen Sri Nanda-rajoddhava-melana The Meeting of King Nanda and Uddhava

chri-krsna-virahaturan Sri Narada said: Uddhava, who dearly loved Lord Krsna, was not surprised to hear all this. Then he spoke to the gopas, who were overcome with love for Krsna and were tornmented by His absence.

Sri Uddhava said: I am Sri Krsna's servant. i am His close friend. He sent me here to see if you were happy.

I will return to Mathura City, tell Lord Krsna how you suffer in His absence, and soften His heart by placing my tears at His feet.

O people of Vraja, I will bow down before Lord Krsna and then I will quickly bring Him to you. My promise will not become false.

Be happy. Don't lament. O gopas, in this land of Vraja you will again see Sri Krsna, the husband of the goddess of fortune.

Sri Narada said: In this way Uddhava comforted the gopas. Then, as the sun was setting in the west, cheerful Uddhava, accompanied by Sridama and the gopas, entered Nanda's village.

Hearing that he had come, King Nanda happily embraced and worshiped Uddhava.

When Uddhava was comfortably seated on a soft cushion and fed a nice meal, King Nanda, also seated on a cushion, spoke many words choked with emotion.

Sri Nanda said: O noble-hearted one, are my friend Surasena and his sons happy in Mathura City? Now that Kamsa is dead the Yadavas must be very happy.

Do Krsna and Balarama sometimes remember Their mother, Yacoda? Do They remember the gopas, the cows, Vraja, Govardhana Hill, Vrndavana forest, and the shore of the Yamuna?

O destiny, when will I see my handsome, lotus-eyed, bimba-lip son playing again and again in the courtyard with Balarama and the boys?

Without Krsna the groves and gardens, the great Yamuna river, Govardhana Hill, this forest, the other forests, our homes, the cows, trees, and flowering vines, and this entire universe are flooded with poison.

This life of eating and sleeping without Krsna, whose eyes are like great lotus petals. is wretched and miserable. I am like a cakora bird that cannot see the moon. I stay alive only by hoping that Krsna will return.

I think that Lord Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, greater than the greatest, and that, requested by the demigod Brahma, He has come here with Balarama to protect the devotees and remove the earth's burden.

Sri Narada said: Thinking again and again of Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, King Nanda became silent. The hairs of his body erect with his longing to see Krsna, he rested his head on a pillow.

sri-nanda-netrambuja-vari-santati As Krsna's friend Uddhava looked on, King Nanda drenched the pillow, his garments, and the chair with tears from his eyes. Then Nanda went into the courtyard.

sneha-sravat-su-stana-netra-pagkaja Hearing that Uddhava had come from Mathura City, saintly Yacoda rushed to the door. Milk flowing from her breasts and tears flowing from her lotus eyes, she overheard the description of her son.

Rejecting all shyness, and overcome with love for her son, she asked Uddhava everything about Krsna's well-being. Meanwhile Nanda was overcome with love. He wept, drenching his garments with tears from his eyes.

sri-yacodovaca Sri Yacoda said: Does Krsna remember me? Does He remember King Nanda? Does He remember Nanda's brother, Sannanda, who yearns to see Him?

Does He remember the Nandas, the nine Upanandas, and the six Vrsabhanus of Vraja? Doe He remember the boys He played with in forest after forest?

Does He sometimes remember the affectionate gopa boys with whom He enjoyed playing ball-games?

I have only one son. I do not have many sons. Abandoning His poor mother, my son has gone away.

O noble-hearted one, for they who love Him, this is a great calamity. O gentle one, what will I do without my son? How can I live?

"Mother, give Me yogurt. Mother, give Me fresh butter." He would always speak these sweet words, and He would always do mischief in the house.

How He could eat at lunchtime! My son, Sri Krsna, is the wealth of Vraja, the life of Vraja's people, and a brilliant lamp shining in His family. He is so sweet and so playful.

Protecting and caressing Him, I thought each day was a single moment. Without Krsna my day is like a kalpa.

No longer do Krsna and the boys keep the calves on this side of the river, still close to the village. Now Krsna has gone to Mathura.

From far away King Nanda would call "Sweet boy!", place Him on his lap, and caress Him. Without Him, Nanda is filled with sadness.

One day the boy broke a yogurt pot and I carefully tied Him with a rope. Oh, how I regret that.

Without Krsna the courtyard, the assembly-house, my palace, the gateway, the pathway, and all the other palaces of Vraja have become an empty desert. Krsna is my whole life. Without Him this world is like a flood of poison.

Sri Narada said: O king, when he saw Nanda's and Yacoda's great love, Uddhava became filled with wonder.

Sri Uddhava said: You two are my masters. Even if the hairs on my body stood erect in ecstasy, my tongue would still not have the power to praise you properly.

tirthatana-tapo-dana- The eternal love and devotion you both feel for Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot be attained by pilgrimages, austerity, charity, sagkhya, or yoga.

O Nanda, don't lament. O Yacoda, O queen of Vraja, take these two letters. They are letters from Krsna. Of this there is no doubt.

Krsna and Balarama are happy in the city of the Yadavas. When Their mission is successfully completed, Krsna and Balarama will return here at once.

Know that Nanda's son, Krsna, is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. Requested by the demigod Brahma, and in order to protect the devotees and kill the demons led by Kamsa, He descended to your home. Since the moment of His birth, He and Balarama enjoyed many wonderful pastimes.

putana-prana-haranam yamalarjuna-bhanjanam He drew out Putana's life, overturned the cart, made Trnavarta fall, and broke the yamalarjuna trees.

The Lord showed to Yacoda the universal form in His mouth. The Lord herded the calves in Vrndavana forest.

As the gopas watched, He killed Bakasura, Vatsasura, Aghasura, and Dhenukasura.

He defeated Kaliya and then he drank up the forest fire. Then Balarama killed Pralambasura.

As you all watched, He playfully lifted Govardhana Hill as the king of elephants lifts a lotus flower.

Lord Krsna, the master of the universes, frocibly took Sagkhacuda's crown jewel. Then He killed Keci and Aristasura.

With His fist He killed the great demon Vyomasura. O noble-hearted one, in Mathura City He did many wonderful deeds.

With one hand He killed an insulting washerman. As everyone watched, He broke Kamsa's great bow in the middle as an elephant breaks a stalk of sugarcane.

Grabbing the trunk of Kuvalayapida elephant, who was a strong as ten thousand other elephants, Krsna threw it to the ground.

As He wrestled with them, Lord Krsna threw Canura, Mustika, Kuta, Sala, and Tocala to the ground.

From the viewer's box Lord Krsna dragged Kamsa, who was as strong as a hundred thousand elephants, whirled around with the power of His arms, and thew him to the ground as a child throws a kamandalu. Then Krsna jumped on him as a lion jumps on an elephant.

Then with a club Lord Balarama killed Kamsa's younger brothers, headed by Kagka, as a lion kills a herd of deer.

Then, so He could offer daksina to His guru, Lord Krsna dove into the ocean and killed Pancajana, who had the form of a conch.

Who but Krsna could perform these wonderful pastimes? O great King Nanda, I offer my respectful obesiances to Sri Krsna. .pa Chapter Fifteen Sri Radha-darcana Seeing Sri Radha

Sri Narada said: O king, as they talked about Lord Krsna, Nanda and Uddhava enjoyed a great festival of happiness, and the time seemed to pass like a single moment.

In each home the gopis rose at brahma-muhurta, anointed the doorways and courtyards, arranged the lamps, . . .

. . . washed their hands and feet, looked for their churning-sticks, and began churning cream and yogurt.

netrakarsa-calad-bhara- bhuja-kagkana-kigkinih sphurat-kundala-manditah As with their arms they pulled the churning-rope, their bracelets and other ornaments tinkled, their earrings glistened, and flowers fell from their braids.

sri-krsna-baladevayoh As in every home they churned, the lotus-eyed, moon-faced, colorfully-dressed, beautiful, affectionate gopis sang with love about the auspicious pastimes of Krsna and Balarama. Then in every barn the beautiful cows began to moo.

Hearing on every path the gopis' songs and the sounds of yogurt being churned, Uddhava, filled with wonder, said:

"Love for Krsna dances in Nanda's village." After speaking these words, Uddhava left the village to bathe in the river.

The gopis said: Whose chariot is this? Has cruel Akrura, who took lotus-eyed Krsna to Mathura City returned?