Bhagavata Purana

( मिश्र ) दृढं प्रलब्धास्त्रपया च हापिताः प्रस्तोभिताः क्रीडनवच्च कारिताः । वस्त्राणि चैवापहृतान्यथाप्यमुं ता नाभ्यसूयन् प्रियसङ्‌गनिर्वृताः

Though they had been firmly teased, embarrassed, and made to play as if in sport, and even had their clothes taken, the girls did not resent him, finding joy in his beloved company.

( अनुष्टुप् ) परिधाय स्ववासांसि प्रेष्ठसङ्‌गमसज्जिताः । गृहीतचित्ता नो चेलुः तस्मिन् लज्जायितेक्षणाः

After putting on their garments, their hearts set on meeting their beloved, the girls, their eyes cast down in modesty, did not depart from him.

तासां विज्ञाय भगवान् स्वपादस्पर्शकाम्यया । धृतव्रतानां सङ्‌कल्पं आह दामोदरोऽबलाः

Understanding their desire to touch his feet, the Lord Dāmodara spoke to the girls, who had kept their vow, about their intention.

सङ्‌कल्पो विदितः साध्व्यो भवतीनां मदर्चनम् । मयानुमोदितः सोऽसौ सत्यो भवितुमर्हति

Your intention, O virtuous ones, to worship me is known to me. I approve of it, and it is destined to be fulfilled.

न मय्यावेशितधियां कामः कामाय कल्पते । भर्जिता क्वथिता धाना प्रायो बीजाय नेशते

For those whose minds are fixed on me, desire does not lead to lust, just as roasted and boiled grains generally do not sprout.

याताबला व्रजं सिद्धा मयेमा रंस्यथा क्षपाः । यदुद्दिश्य व्रतमिदं चेरुरार्यार्चनं सतीः

Go now, girls, to Vraja, perfected in your vow. In the nights to come, you will enjoy with me, for this vow was performed by you with the aim of worshiping me.

श्रीशुक उवाच । इत्यादिष्टा भगवता लब्धकामाः कुमारिकाः । ध्यायन्त्यस्तत् पदाम्भोजं कृच्छ्रात् निर्विविशुर्व्रजम्

Śuka said: Thus instructed by the Lord, the maidens, their desires fulfilled, returned to Vraja, meditating on his lotus feet, though it was difficult for them.

अथ गोपैः परिवृतो भगवान् देवकीसुतः । वृन्दावनाद् गतो दूरं चारयन् गाः सहाग्रजः

Then, surrounded by the cowherd boys, the Lord, son of Devakī, left Vṛndāvana and, along with his elder brother, herded the cows at a distance.

निदघार्कातपे तिग्मे छायाभिः स्वाभिरात्मनः । आतपत्रायितान् वीक्ष्य द्रुमानाह व्रजौकसः

Seeing the trees providing shade with their own bodies as umbrellas against the fierce, scorching rays of the midday sun, he spoke to the residents of Vraja.

हे स्तोककृष्ण हे अंशो श्रीदामन् सुबलार्जुन । विशालर्षभ तेजस्विन् देवप्रस्थ वरूथप

O Stokakṛṣṇa, O Aṃśu, Śrīdāma, Subala, Arjuna, Viśāla, Ṛṣabha, Tejasvin, Devaprastha, Varūthapa!

पश्यतैतान् महाभागान् परार्थैकान्तजीवितान् । वातवर्षातपहिमान् सहन्तो वारयन्ति नः

Behold these great souls, who live solely for the sake of others. Enduring wind, rain, sun, and cold, they protect us.

अहो एषां वरं जन्म सर्व प्राण्युपजीवनम् । सुजनस्येव येषां वै विमुखा यान्ति नार्थिनः

Ah, blessed indeed is their birth, for all creatures live by them. Like the truly good, they never turn away those who seek their help.

पत्रपुष्पफलच्छाया मूलवल्कलदारुभिः । गन्धनिर्यासभस्मास्थि तोक्मैः कामान् वितन्वते

They fulfill desires with leaves, flowers, fruits, shade, roots, bark, wood, fragrant resin, sap, ashes, and bones.

एतावत् जन्मसाफल्यं देहिनामिह देहिषु । प्राणैरर्थैर्धिया वाचा श्रेय एवाचरेत् सदा

This alone is the true fulfillment of birth for embodied beings among embodied beings here: one should always act for the highest good with one's life, wealth, intelligence, and speech.

इति प्रवालस्तबक फलपुष्पदलोत्करैः । तरूणां नम्रशाखानां मध्यतो यमुनां गतः

Thus, entering the midst of the Yamunā, through the low branches of trees laden with fresh shoots, clusters, fruits, flowers, and leaves—

तत्र गाः पाययित्वापः सुमृष्टाः शीतलाः शिवाः । ततो नृप स्वयं गोपाः कामं स्वादु पपुर्जलम्

There, O King, after watering the cows with pure, cool, auspicious water, the cowherds themselves freely drank the sweet water to their satisfaction.

तस्या उपवने कामं चारयन्तः पशून् नृप । कृष्णरामौ उवुपागम्य क्षुधार्ता इदमब्रवन्

In her groves, letting the cattle graze as they wished, O King, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma approached, and, being hungry, the cowherds spoke as follows:

विषयाभिनिवेशेन नात्मानं यत्स्मरेत्पुनः। जन्तोर्वै कस्यचिद्धेतोर्मृत्युरत्यन्तविस्मृतिः

Because of absorption in sense objects, a living being does not remember himself again; for some reason, death is the total forgetting.

जन्म त्वात्मतया पुंसः सर्वभावेन भूरिद। विषयस्वीकृतिं प्राहुर्यथा स्वप्नमनोरथः

Birth, though experienced as the self by a person with all his being, is said to be the acceptance of sense objects, just like a dream or a fantasy.

स्वप्नं मनोरथं चेत्थं प्राक्तनं न स्मरत्यसौ। तत्र पूर्वमिवात्मानमपूर्वं चानुपश्यति

Just as one does not remember a dream or a fantasy from before, so also, in that state, one sees oneself as new, not as before.

इन्द्रियायनसृष्ट्येदं त्रैविध्यं भाति वस्तुनि। बहिरन्तर्भिदाहेतुर्जनोऽसज्जनकृद्यथा

This threefold manifestation—of senses, their objects, and the mind—appears in the substance; the division of inner and outer arises from people, just as the actions of the good and the wicked.

नित्यदा ह्यङ्ग भूतानि भवन्ति न भवन्ति च। कालेनालक्ष्यवेगेन सूक्ष्मत्वात्तन्न दृश्यते

Indeed, O dear one, beings constantly come into being and cease to be; by the imperceptible, swift force of time, due to subtlety, this is not seen.

यथार्चिषां स्रोतसां च फलानां वा वनस्पतेः। तथैव सर्वभूतानां वयोऽवस्थादयः कृताः

Just as with flames, streams, and the fruits of a tree, so too are the ages and stages of all beings established.

सोऽयं दीपोऽर्चिषां यद्वत्स्रोतसां तदिदं जलम्। सोऽयं पुमानिति नृणां मृषा गीर्धीर्मृषायुषाम्

This lamp is called a flame, this water is called a stream, and this person is called a man—such speech is false, as is the notion of lasting life.

मा स्वस्य कर्मबीजेन जायते सोऽप्ययं पुमान्। म्रियते वामरो भ्रान्त्या यथाग्निर्दारुसंयुतः

Do not think that this person is born from the seed of his own actions, or that he truly dies; it is an illusion, just as fire appears to arise and cease with wood.

निषेकगर्भजन्मानि बाल्यकौमारयौवनम्। वयोमध्यं जरा मृत्युरित्यवस्थास्तनोर्नव

Conception, gestation, birth, childhood, boyhood, youth, maturity, old age, and death—these are the nine stages of the body.

एता मनोरथमयीर्हान्यस्योच्चावचास्तनूः। गुणसङ्गादुपादत्ते क्वचित्कश्चिज्जहाति च

These various higher and lower bodies, made of the stuff of fantasy, are assumed through association with qualities; sometimes someone acquires them, sometimes abandons them.

आत्मनः पितृपुत्राभ्यामनुमेयौ भवाप्ययौ। न भवाप्ययवस्तूनामभिज्ञो द्वयलक्षणः

The coming into being and passing away of the self are inferred from father and son; but one who knows the true nature of things that come and go is not characterized by both.

तरोर्बीजविपाकाभ्यां यो विद्वाञ्जन्मसंयमौ। तरोर्विलक्षणो द्रष्टा एवं द्रष्टा तनोः पृथक्

Just as one who knows the seed and fruit of a tree understands its birth and destruction, yet is distinct from the tree, so too is the witness distinct from the body.