एत उद्धव ते प्रश्नाः सर्वे साधु निरूपिताः। किं वर्णितेन बहुना लक्षणं गुणदोषयोः। गुणदोषदृशिर्दोषो गुणस्तूभयवर्जितः
O Uddhava, all your questions have been properly answered. Why elaborate further on the characteristics of virtue and fault? To see faults in virtues is itself a fault, but virtue is that which is free from both.
प्रावृड्वर्णनं शरद्वर्णनं च - श्रीशुक उवाच । ( अनुष्टुप् ) तयोस्तदद्भुतं कर्म दावाग्नेर्मोक्षमात्मनः । गोपाः स्त्रीभ्यः समाचख्युः प्रलम्बवधमेव च
Śuka said: The cowherds recounted to the women the wondrous deeds of the two—how the forest fire was extinguished and how Pralamba was slain.
गोपवृद्धाश्च गोप्यश्च तदुपाकर्ण्य विस्मिताः । मेनिरे देवप्रवरौ कृष्णरामौ व्रजं गतौ
Hearing this, the elder cowherds and the women, astonished, considered Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, who had come to Vraja, to be foremost among the gods.
ततः प्रावर्तत प्रावृट् सर्वसत्त्वसमुद्भवा । विद्योतमानपरिधिः विस्फूर्जित नभस्तला
Then the rainy season began, arising with all living beings, its horizon lit up, the sky and earth resounding with thunder.
सान्द्रनीलाम्बुदैर्व्योम सविद्युत् स्तनयित्नुभिः । अस्पष्टज्योतिः आच्छन्नं ब्रह्मेव सगुणं बभौ
The sky, dense with dark clouds, streaked with lightning and roaring thunder, shone dimly, veiled—like Brahman with qualities.
अष्टौ मासान् निपीतं यद् भूम्याश्चोदमयं वसु । स्वगोभिर्मोक्तुमारेभे पर्जन्यः काल आगते
When the time arrived, the clouds began to release, by their own power, the water they had drawn from the earth over eight months.
तडिद्वन्तो महामेघाः चण्ड श्वसन वेपिताः । प्रीणनं जीवनं ह्यस्य मुमुचुः करुणा इव
Great clouds, accompanied by lightning, shaken by fierce winds, poured down life-giving rain, like compassion itself.
तपःकृशा देवमीढा आसीद् वर्षीयसी मही । यथैव काम्यतपसः तनुः सम्प्राप्य तत्फलम्
The earth, parched by the sun and scorched, was drenched by the rain, just as a body emaciated by austerity is restored upon attaining its desired fruit.
निशामुखेषु खद्योताः तमसा भान्ति न ग्रहाः । यथा पापेन पाखण्डा न हि वेदाः कलौ युगे
At night’s beginning, only fireflies shone in the darkness, not the planets—just as, in the Kali age, the Vedas do not shine among heretics because of sin.
श्रुत्वा पर्जन्यनिनदं मण्डुकाः व्यसृजन् गिरः । तूष्णीं शयानाः प्राग् यद्वद् ब्राह्मणा नियमात्यये
Hearing the thunder of the clouds, the frogs, who had been silent, began to croak—just as brāhmaṇas, after their vows, recite again.
आसन् उत्पथवाहिन्यः क्षुद्रनद्योऽनुशुष्यतीः । पुंसो यथास्वतंत्रस्य देहद्रविण सम्पदः
The small rivers, which had dried up and wandered off their courses, began to flow again—just as the wealth and bodily strength of a man who is independent.
हरिता हरिभिः शष्पैः इन्द्रगोपैश्च लोहिता । उच्छिलीन्ध्रकृतच्छाया नृणां श्रीरिव भूरभूत्
The earth became green with grass and red with indragopa insects, shaded by mushrooms—like fortune for men.
क्षेत्राणि शष्यसम्पद्भिः कर्षकाणां मुदं ददुः । मानिनां उनुतापं वै दैवाधीनं अजानताम्
The fields, rich with crops, brought joy to the farmers, but regret to the proud who do not know that all depends on fate.
जलस्थलौकसः सर्वे नववारिनिषेवया । अबिभ्रन् रुचिरं रूपं यथा हरिनिषेवया
All creatures on land and water, refreshed by the new rains, took on a lovely appearance—just as by serving Hari.
सरिद्भी सङ्गतः सिन्धुः चुक्षोभ श्वसनोर्मिमान् । अपक्वयोगिनश्चित्तं कामाक्तं गुणयुग् यथा
The river, joined by many streams, swelled and surged with waves driven by the wind—like the mind of an immature yogi, agitated by passion and qualities.
गिरयो वर्षधाराभिः हन्यमाना न विव्यथुः । अभिभूयमाना व्यसनैः यथा अधोक्षजचेतसः
The mountains, struck by torrents of rain, did not tremble—just as those whose minds are fixed on the Supreme are unmoved by calamities.
मार्गा बभूवुः सन्दिग्धाः तृणैश्छन्ना ह्यसंस्कृताः । नाभ्यस्यमानाः श्रुतयो द्विजैः कालहता इव
The paths became uncertain, overgrown with grass and unmarked—like the Vedas, neglected by brahmins and obscured by quarrel.
लोकबन्धुषु मेघेषु विद्युतश्चलसौहृदाः । स्थैर्यं न चक्रुः कामिन्यः पुरुषेषु गुणिष्विव
Just as the bonds among people are as fleeting as lightning among clouds, so too the constancy of women did not remain toward men, even those endowed with virtues.
धनुर्वियति माहेन्द्रं निर्गुणं च गुणिन्यभात् । व्यक्ते गुणव्यतिकरे अगुणवान् पुरुषो यथा
The rainbow in the sky appeared without qualities, yet seemed to possess them; just as, when qualities are manifest, a person without qualities appears to have them.
न रराजोडुपश्छन्नः स्वज्योत्स्नाराजितैर्घनैः । अहंमत्या भासितया स्वभासा पुरुषो यथा
The moon, veiled by clouds radiant with its own light, did not shine forth; just as a person, blinded by ego, does not shine by his own true brilliance.
मेघागमोत्सवा हृष्टाः प्रत्यनन्दन् शिखण्डिनः । गृहेषु तप्ता निर्विण्णा यथाच्युतजनागमे
The peacocks, delighted by the arrival of clouds, rejoiced; but in their homes, scorched and disheartened, they waited for the coming of the Lord, just as His devotees do.
पीत्वापः पादपाः पद्भिः आसन्नानात्ममूर्तयः । प्राक् क्षामास्तपसा श्रान्ता यथा कामानुसेवया
The trees, having drunk water with their roots, regained their forms; previously, they had been withered and exhausted by austerity, just as one is by the pursuit of desires.
सरःस्वशान्तरोधःसु न्यूषुरङ्गापि सारसाः । गृहेष्वशान्तकृत्येषु ग्राम्या इव दुराशयाः
The cranes settled in the tranquil waters of the lakes and reservoirs, just as people with vain hopes dwell in households filled with restless duties.
जलौघैर्निरभिद्यन्त सेतवो वर्षतीश्वरे । पाषण्डिनामसद्वादैः वेदमार्गाः कलौ यथा
The embankments were broken by the torrents of water sent by the lord of rain, just as the paths of the Vedas are broken in the age of Kali by the false words of heretics.
व्यमुञ्चन् वान्वायुभिर्नुन्ना भूतेभ्योऽथामृतं घनाः । यथाऽऽशिषो विश्पतयः काले काले द्विजेरिताः
The clouds, driven by the winds, released water as nectar for the beings; just as the lords of wealth, urged by the twice-born, give blessings at the proper times.
एवं वनं तद् वर्षिष्ठं पक्वखर्जुर जम्बुमत् । गोगोपालैर्वृतो रन्तुं सबलः प्राविशद् हरिः
Thus, Hari, accompanied by his companions and surrounded by cows and cowherds, entered that forest, rich with ripe dates and jambu trees, to enjoy.
धेनवो मन्दगामिन्य ऊधोभारेण भूयसा । ययुर्भगवताऽऽहूता द्रुतं प्रीत्या स्नुतस्तनीः
The cows, moving slowly under the heavy weight of their udders, came quickly when called by the Lord, their udders moist with affection.
वनौकसः प्रमुदिता वनराजीर्मधुच्युतः । जलधारा गिरेर्नादाद् आसन्ना ददृशे गुहाः
The forest dwellers, joyful, saw the rows of trees dripping with honey, and the caves, near the mountains, resounded with the sound of falling water.
क्वचिद् वनस्पतिक्रोडे गुहायां चाभिवर्षति । निर्विश्य भगवान् रेमे कन्दमूलफलाशनः
Sometimes, when rain fell in the hollows of trees or in caves, the Lord entered and delighted there, eating roots, tubers, and fruits.
दध्योदनं समानीतं शिलायां सलिलान्तिके । सम्भोजनीयैर्बुभुजे गोपैः सङ्कर्षणान्वितः
With Sankarshana and the cowherds, he ate the curds and rice that had been brought, sitting on a stone near the water, sharing the meal with his companions.