ततः कदाचित्कौन्तेय रामकृष्णौ वनं गतौ। चारयन्तौ प्रवृद्धानि गोधनानि शुभाननौ
Then, at some time, O Kaunteya, Rāma and Krishna went to the forest, tending the grown cattle, their faces radiant.
विहरन्तौ मुदा युक्तौ वीक्षमाणौ वनानि वै। श्वेलयन्तौ प्रगायन्तौ विचिन्वन्तौ च पादपान्
With joy, they wandered, observing the woods, whistling, singing, and searching among the trees.
नामभिर्व्याहरन्तौ च वत्सान्गाश्च परन्तपौ। चेरतुर्लोकसिद्धाभिः क्रीडाभिरपराजितौ
Calling the calves and cows by name, those subduers of foes roamed, undefeated, with games known to the perfected beings.
तौ देवौ मानुषीं दीक्षां वहन्तौ सुरपूजितौ। तज्जातिगुणयुक्ताभिः क्रीडाभिश्चेरतुर्वनम्
Those two gods, honored by the celestials, bore human discipline and played in the forest with games suited to their birth and qualities.
एवं बाल्येऽपि गोपालैः क्रीडाभिश्च विजह्रतुः
Thus, even in childhood, they delighted in games with the cowherds.
ततः कृष्णो महातेजास्तदा गत्वा तु गोव्रजम्। गिरियज्ञं तमेवैष प्रवृत्तं गोपदारकैः
Then Krishna, of great splendor, went to Govraja; there, the mountain sacrifice was being performed by the cowherd boys.
बुभुजे पायसं शौरिरीश्वरः सर्वभूतकृत्। तं दृष्ट्वा गोपकाः सर्वे कृष्णमेव समर्चयन्
Śauri, the lord and creator of all beings, ate the rice pudding; seeing him, all the cowherds worshipped Krishna.
पूज्यमानस्तदा देवैर्दिव्यं वपुरधारयत्। धृतो गोवर्धनो नाम सप्ताहं पर्वतो धृतः
Honored then by the gods, he assumed a divine form; Govardhana, the mountain, was held aloft for seven days.
शिशुना वासुदेवेन गवार्थमरिमर्दन। क्रीडमानस्तदा कृष्णः कृतवान्कर्म दुष्करम्
As a child, Vāsudeva, destroyer of enemies, playing for the sake of the cows, performed a difficult deed.
तदद्भुतमतीवासीत्सर्वलोकस्य भारत। देवदेवः क्षितं गत्वा कृष्णं नत्वा मुदान्वितः
That was a most wondrous event for all the worlds, O Bhārata; the god of gods, having come to earth, joyfully bowed to Krishna.
गोविन्द इति तं ह्युक्त्वा ह्यभ्यषिञ्चत्पुरन्दरः। इत्युक्त्वाश्लिष्य गोविन्दं पुरुहूतोभ्ययाद्दिवम्
Having addressed him as 'Govinda,' Purandara anointed him; and having said this, Puruhuta embraced Govinda and ascended to heaven.
अथारिष्ट इति ख्यातं दैत्यं वृषभविग्रहम्। जघान तरसा कृष्णः पशूनां हितकाम्यया
Then Krishna, desiring the welfare of the cattle, swiftly slew the demon known as Arishta, who had taken the form of a bull.
केशिनामा ततो दैत्यो राजंस्तुरगविग्रहः। तथा वनगतं पार्थ गजायुतबलं हयम्
After that, O king, the demon named Kesin, who had assumed the form of a horse with the strength of ten thousand elephants, was likewise slain by Krishna in the forest.
कराम्भोरुहवज्रेण जघान मधुसूदनः। अथ मल्लं तु चाणूरं निजघान महाऽसुरम्
With his lotus-like hand, as hard as a thunderbolt, Madhusudana struck down the mighty asura Chanura, who was a wrestler.
सुदामानममित्रघ्न सर्वसैन्यपुरस्कृतम्। बालरूपेण गोविन्दो निजघान च भारत
Govinda, destroyer of foes, also slew Sudama, who was surrounded by his entire army, while still in the form of a boy, O Bharata.
बलदेवेन चायत्नात्समाजे मुष्टिको हतः। ताडितश्च सहामात्यः कंसः कृष्णेन भारत
In the assembly, Mushtika was effortlessly slain by Baladeva; and Kamsa, along with his ministers, was struck down by Krishna, O Bharata.
हत्वा कंसममित्रघ्नः सर्वेषां पश्यतां तदा। अभिषिच्योग्रसेनं तं पित्रोः पादमवन्दत
Having slain Kamsa, the destroyer of enemies, in the sight of all, he then installed Ugrasena as king and bowed at the feet of his parents.
एवमादीनि कर्माणि कृतवान्वै जनार्दनः
In this way, Janardana performed such deeds.
ततस्तौ जग्मतुस्तत्र गुरुं सान्दीपिनिं पुनः। गुरुशुश्रूषणायुक्तौ धर्मज्ञौ धर्मचारिणौ
Then the two went again to their teacher Sandipani, devoted to serving their guru, knowing and practicing righteousness.
व्रतमुग्रं महात्मानौ विचरन्ताववन्तिषु। अहोरात्रैश्चतुष्पष्ट्या साङ्गान्वेदानवापतुः
The great souls, observing a strict vow, wandered in Avanti; in sixty-four days and nights, they mastered the Vedas with all their branches.
लेख्यं च गणितं चोभौ प्राप्नुतां यदुनन्दनौ। गान्धर्ववेदं वैद्यं च सकलं समावापतुः
Both sons of Yadu acquired writing and arithmetic, and fully learned the Gandharva Veda and medicine.
हस्तिशिक्षामश्विशिक्षां द्वादशाहेन चाप्नुताम्। तावुभौ जग्मतुर्वीरौ गुरुं सान्दीपिनिं पुनः
In twelve days, they both mastered the training of elephants and horses; then those two heroes again approached their teacher Sandipani.
धनुर्वेदचिकीर्षार्थं धर्मज्ञौ धर्मचारिणौ। ताविष्वासवराचार्यमभिगम्य प्रणम्य च
Desiring to learn the science of archery, those two, knowing and practicing righteousness, approached and saluted the teacher of archery.
तेन वै सत्कृतौ राजंश्चरन्तौ ताववन्तिषु। पञ्चाशद्भिरहोरात्रैर्दशाङ्गं सुप्रतिष्ठितम्
Honored by him, O king, they dwelled in Avanti; in fifty days and nights, they thoroughly mastered the tenfold, well-established science.
सरहस्यं धनुर्वेदं सकलं ताववापतुः। दृष्ट्वा कृतार्थो विप्रेन्द्रो गुर्वर्थे तावचोदयत्
They both acquired the entire secret science of archery; seeing them accomplished, the learned teacher urged them for his sake.
अयाचतार्थं गोविन्दं तदा सान्दीपिनिर्विभुम्। मम पुत्रः समुद्रेऽस्मिंस्तिमिना चापवाहितः
Then Sandipani asked Govinda, the mighty one, for a boon: 'My son was carried away by a shark in this ocean.'
पुत्रमानय भद्रं ते भक्षितं तिमिना मम। आर्ताय गुरवे तत्र प्रतिशुश्राव दुष्करम्
'Bring back my son, who was eaten by a shark in the ocean; may you be blessed.' For the sake of his distressed teacher, he promised that difficult task.
अशक्यं सर्वभूतेषु कर्तुमन्येन केनचित्। यश्च सान्दीपिनेः पुत्रं जहार भरतर्षभ
Such a thing could not be accomplished by anyone else among all beings; and it was he who took away Sandipani's son, O bull among the Bharatas.
सोऽसुरः समरे ताभ्यां समुद्रे विनिपातितः। ततः सान्दीपिनेः पुत्रः प्रसादादमितौजसः
That asura was cast down in battle by those two into the ocean; then, by the grace of Sandipani's son, whose energy was boundless,
दीर्घकालं कृतः प्रेतः पुनरासीच्छरीरवान्। तदशक्यमचिन्त्यं च दृष्ट्वा सुमहदद्भुतम्
Having been a spirit for a long time, he regained a body; seeing this, which was impossible and inconceivable, a great and wondrous event,