Bhagavata Purana

( अनुष्टुप् ) अद्यानेन महाव्यालो यशोदानन्दसूनुना । हतोऽविता वयं चास्माद् इति बाला व्रजे जगुः

Today, by the son of Yaśodā and Nanda, the great serpent was slain and we are protected from it—thus the children sang in the village.

श्रीराजोवाच । ब्रह्मन् परोद्‍भवे कृष्णे इयान्प्रेमा कथं भवेत् । योऽभूतपूर्वस्तोकेषु स्वोद्‍भवेष्वपि कथ्यताम्

The king said: O Brahmin, how did such great love arise for Krishna at his birth, even among those who had never felt it before, even in their own offspring? Please explain.

श्रीशुक उवाच । सर्वेषामपि भूतानां नृप स्वात्मैव वल्लभः । इतरेऽपत्यवित्ताद्याः तद्वल्लभतयैव हि

Śuka said: For all beings, O king, the self alone is most dear; others, such as children and wealth, are dear only because of that self.

तद् राजेन्द्र यथा स्नेहः स्वस्वकात्मनि देहिनाम् । न तथा ममतालम्बि पुत्रवित्तगृहादिषु

O king, just as attachment for one's own self is strongest among embodied beings, it is not so for sons, wealth, homes, and other things that depend on possessiveness.

देहात्मवादिनां पुंसां अपि राजन्यसत्तम । यथा देहः प्रियतमः तथा न ह्यनु ये च तम्

Even among those who identify the body as the self, O best of kings, the body is not as dear as those who follow it.

देहोऽपि ममताभाक् चेत् तर्ह्यसौ नात्मवत् प्रियः । यज्जीर्यत्यपि देहेऽस्मिन् जीविताशा बलीयसी

If the body is regarded as possessing 'mine-ness,' then it is not as dear as the self; for even when the body ages, the hope for life remains strong.

तस्मात् प्रियतमः स्वात्मा सर्वेषामपि देहिनाम् । तदर्थमेव सकलं जगद् एतत् चराचरम्

Therefore, the dearest is one's own self for all embodied beings; for its sake alone, this entire world, both moving and unmoving, exists.

कृष्णमेनमवेहि त्वं आत्मानं अखिलात्मनाम् । जगद्धिताय सोऽप्यत्र देहीवाभाति मायया

Know Krishna to be this very self, the self of all selves; for the welfare of the world, he too appears here as embodied, by his own illusion.

वस्तुतो जानतामत्र कृष्णं स्थास्नु चरिष्णु च । भगवद् रूपमखिलं नान्यद् वस्त्विह किञ्चन

In truth, for those who know, Krishna alone is the abiding and moving reality here; the entire form of the Lord—there is nothing else at all in this world.

सर्वेषामपि वस्तूनां भावार्थो भवति स्थितः । तस्यापि भगवान्कृष्णः किं अतद्वस्तु रूप्यताम्

The essential meaning of all things is established in being; and for him too, Lord Krishna—how could anything not of that nature be considered real?

( मिश्र ) समाश्रिता ये पदपल्लवप्लवं महत्पदं पुण्ययशो मुरारेः । भवाम्बुधिर्वत्सपदं परं पदं पदं पदं यद् विपदां न तेषाम्

Those who have taken shelter of the boat of the tender feet of Murari, whose fame is pure and great, for them the ocean of worldly existence becomes as small as a calf’s hoofprint; that supreme destination, which is never touched by misfortune at any step.

( अनुष्टुप् ) एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत् पृष्टोऽहमिह त्वया । यत् कौमारे हरिकृतं पौगण्डे परिकीर्तितम्

All this has been told to you, as you asked me here, about what Hari did in his childhood and what is renowned from his boyhood.

( मिश्र ) एतत्सुहृद्‌भिश्चरितं मुरारेः अघार्दनं शाद्वलजेमनं च । व्यक्तेतरद् रूपमजोर्वभिष्टवं शृण्वन् गृणन्नेति नरोऽखिलार्थान्

This conduct of Murari with his friends—destroying evil, playing in the meadows, his manifest and unmanifest forms, and his fulfillment of the earth’s desires—hearing and praising this, a person attains all purposes.

( अनुष्टुप् ) एवं विहारैः कौमारैः कौमारं जहतुर्व्रजे । निलायनैः सेतुबन्धैः मर्कटोत्प्लवनादिभिः

Thus, with such childhood pastimes—hiding, building bridges, leaping like monkeys, and the like—they passed their boyhood in Vraja.

सूत उवाच । एवं कृष्णसखः कृष्णो भ्रात्र राज्ञाऽऽविकल्पितः । नानाशंकास्पदं रूपं कृष्णविश्लेषकर्षितः

Sūta said: Thus, Krishna’s friend, Krishna, was left without choice by his royal brother, whose mind was troubled by many doubts, and who was tormented by separation from Krishna.

शोकेन शुष्यद्वदनहृत्सरोजो हतप्रभः । विभुं तमेवानुध्यायन्नाशक्रोत्प्रतिभाषितूम

His face and heart’s lotus withered with grief, his radiance gone; meditating only on that Lord, he was unable to speak.

कृच्छ्रेण संस्तभ्य शुचः पाणिनाऽऽमृज्य नेत्रयोः । परोक्षेण समुन्नद्धप्रणयौत्कण्ठ्यकातरः

With great effort restraining his sorrow, wiping his eyes with his hand, he was overwhelmed by longing from the Lord’s absence.

सख्य मैत्रीं सौहृदं च सारथ्यादिषु संस्मरन । नृपमग्रजमित्याह बाष्पगद्गदया गिरा

Recalling their friendship, intimacy, and affection—his service as charioteer and so on—he addressed the king, his elder brother, with a voice choked with tears.

अर्जुन उवाच । वञ्चितोऽहं महाराज हरिणा बन्धुरुपिणा । येन मेऽपहृतं तेजो देवविस्मापनं महत

Arjuna said: I have been deceived, O great king, by Hari, who appeared as my kinsman; by whom my power, which astonished even the gods, has been taken away.

यस्य क्षणवियोगेन लोको ह्यप्रियदर्शनः । उक्थेन रहितो ह्येष मृतकः प्रोच्यते यथा

By separation from him, even for a moment, the world appears joyless; deprived of his praise, I am as if dead, so it is said.

यत्संश्रयाद् द्रुपदगेहमुपागतानां राज्ञा स्वयंवरमुखे स्मरदुर्मदानाम् । तेजो हृतं खलु मयाभिहतश्च मत्स्यः सज्जीकृतेन धनुष्याधिगता च कृष्णा

By taking refuge in him, I entered the house of Drupada at the svayamvara, where proud kings were assembled; by his power, I defeated them, won the contest, and gained Krishna.

यत्संनिधावहमु खाण्डवमग्नयेऽदामिन्द्रं च सामरगणं तरसा विजित्य । लब्धा सभा मयकृताद्भुतशिल्पमाया दिग्भ्योऽहरन्नृपतयो बलिमध्वरे ते

In his presence, I gave the Khāṇḍava forest to Agni, and, having conquered Indra and his hosts by force, I obtained the wondrous assembly hall built by Maya; and the kings brought tribute from all directions to your sacrifice.

यत्तेजसा नृपशिरोऽङ्घ्रिमहन्मखार्थे आर्योऽनुजस्तव गजायुतसत्ववीर्यः । तेनाहृताः प्रमथनाथमखाय भूपा यन्मोचितास्तदनयन् बलिमध्वरे ते

By your power, O king, Bhīma, your noble younger brother, whose strength equaled ten thousand elephants, defeated the lords of the earth for the great sacrifice; and those kings, subdued for the sacrifice, brought tribute to you.

पत्‍न्यास्तवधिमखक्लृप्तमहाभिषेकश्‍लाघिष्ठन्चारुकाबरं कितवैः सभायाम । स्पृष्टं विकीर्य पदयोः पतिताश्रुमुख्या यस्तत्स्त्रियोऽकृत हतेशविमुक्तकेशाः

At your great sacrifice, your wife, adorned for the royal consecration, was insulted in the assembly by gamblers; her tears fell at your feet, her hair loosened when her protectors were defeated—those women suffered greatly.

यो नो जुगोप वनमेत्य दुरन्तकृच्छ्राद दुर्वाससोऽरिविहतादयुताग्रभुग यः । शाकान्नशिशःटमुपयुज्य यतास्त्रिलोकीं तृप्ताममंस्त सलिले विनिमंग्नसंघः

He who protected us in the forest, when we were afflicted by the severe hardships caused by Durvāsā, when our enemies attacked, and when we, subsisting only on vegetables, had exhausted all means—He, by whose grace the three worlds became satisfied, even as we were surrounded by dangers in the water.

यत्तेजसाथ भगवान युधि शुलपाणि र्विस्मापितः सगिरिजोऽस्त्रमदान्निजं मे । अन्येऽपि चाहममुनैव कलेवरेण प्राप्तो महेन्द्रभवने महदासनार्धम

By Your power, O Lord, even Śiva, armed with the trident and accompanied by his consort, was astonished in battle and gave up his own weapon to me; and by this very body of mine, I attained a seat of great honor in the palace of Indra.

तत्रैव मे विहरतो भुजदण्डयुग्मं गाण्डीवलक्षणमरातिवधाय देवाः । सेन्द्रा श्रिता यदनुभावितमाजमीढ तेनाहमद्य मुषितः पुरुषेण भूम्र

There, while I was enjoying myself, my two strong arms, marked by the bow Gāṇḍīva and meant for destroying enemies, were admired by the gods with Indra at their head, who sought refuge with me; but now, O Lord, by Your departure, I have been deprived of that power, like a common man.

यद्वान्धवः कुरुबलाब्धिमनन्तपार मेको रथेन ततरेऽहमतार्यसत्त्वम । प्रत्याहृतं बहु धनं च मयो परेषां तेजास्पदं मणीमयं च हृतं शिरोभ्यः

By whose favor, O kinsman, I alone crossed the boundless ocean of the Kuru army with a single chariot, displaying the valor of great heroes; I recovered much wealth and jewels from the enemy, and took the radiant jeweled crowns from their heads.

यो भीष्मकर्णगुरुशल्यमूष्वदभ्र रजन्यवर्यरथमण्डलमन्डितासु । अग्रेचरो मम विभो रथयूथपाना मायुर्मनांसि च दृशा सह ओज आर्च्छत

He who, as the foremost among charioteers, moved ahead of me in battle, adorning the circle of the best chariots on the spotless nights, facing Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Guru, Śalya, and others—by His glance, He subdued the strength and minds of the leaders of my enemies.