Bhagavata Purana

चतुर्विधं बहुगुणं अन्नमादाय भाजनैः । अभिसस्रुः प्रियं सर्वाः समुद्रमिव निम्नगाः

Taking four kinds of excellent food in vessels, all of them hurried forth to their beloved, like rivers rushing to the ocean.

निषिध्यमानाः पतिभिः भ्रातृभिर्बन्धुभिः सुतैः । भगवति उत्तमश्लोके दीर्घश्रुत धृताशयाः

Though forbidden by their husbands, brothers, relatives, and sons, their minds fixed on the Lord of excellent fame, and sustained by long-heard teachings, they went forth.

यमुनोपवनेऽशोक नवपल्लवमण्डिते । विचरन्तं वृतं गोपैः साग्रजं ददृशुः स्त्रियः

In a grove on the Yamuna, adorned with fresh asoka shoots, the women saw him, surrounded by cowherds and his elder brother, wandering there.

( वसंततिलका ) श्यामं हिरण्यपरिधिं वनमाल्यबर्ह धातुप्रवालनटवेषमनव्रतांसे । विन्यस्तहस्तमितरेण धुनानमब्जं कर्णोत्पलालक कपोलमुखाब्जहासम्

They saw him dark as a raincloud, clad in golden garments, adorned with forest garlands and peacock feathers, dressed as a dancer, with a lotus resting on his shoulder, one hand twirling a lotus, his ear adorned with a lily, locks framing his cheeks, and his face blossoming with a smile.

प्रायःश्रुतप्रियतमोदयकर्णपूरैः यस्मिन् निमग्नमनसः तं अथाक्षिरंध्रैः । अन्तः प्रवेश्य सुचिरं परिरभ्य तापं प्राज्ञं यथाभिमतयो विजहुर्नरेन्द्र

Their minds, immersed in him whose stories they loved to hear, whose presence delighted their ears, they entered him through their eyes, embraced him long within, and, O king, as wise ones, let go of their sorrow as they wished.

( अनुष्टुप् ) तास्तथा त्यक्तसर्वाशाः प्राप्ता आत्मदिदृक्षया । विज्ञायाखिलदृग्द्रष्टा प्राह प्रहसिताननः

Thus, having abandoned all other hopes, they came, desiring to see their very Self. He, the seer of all, knowing this, spoke to them with a smiling face.

स्वागतं वो महाभागा आस्यतां करवाम किम् । यन्नो दिदृक्षया प्राप्ता उपपन्नमिदं हि वः

Welcome, O highly fortunate ones! Please be seated. What may I do for you? It is fitting that you have come here, desiring to see us.

नन्वद्धा मयि कुर्वन्ति कुशलाः स्वार्थदर्शिनः । अहैतुक्यव्यवहितां भक्तिमात्मप्रिये यथा

Indeed, those who are truly wise and seek their own good render to me, who am dear to their very selves, devotion that is causeless and unbroken.

प्राणबुद्धिमनःस्वात्म दारापत्यधनादयः । यत्सम्पर्कात् प्रिया आसन् ततः को न्वपरः प्रियः

Life, intellect, mind, self, wives, children, wealth, and so on—all these become dear through contact with me; therefore, who else could truly be dear?

तद् यात देवयजनं पतयो वो द्विजातयः । स्वसत्रं पारयिष्यन्ति युष्माभिर्गृहमेधिनः

Now go to the sacrificial altar, O wives of the twice-born! Your husbands, householders, will complete their own sacrifice with your participation.

श्रीपत्‍न्य ऊचुः । ( वसंततिलका ) मैवं विभोऽर्हति भवान्गदितुं नृशंसं सत्यं कुरुष्व निगमं तव पादमूलम् । प्राप्ता वयं तुलसिदाम पदावसृष्टं केशैर्निवोढुमतिलङ्‌घ्य समस्तबन्धून्

The wives said: Do not speak so harshly, O Lord! Fulfill the promise of your scripture at your feet. We have come, leaving behind all relatives, to gather the dust of your feet adorned with tulasi, to place in our hair.

गृह्णन्ति नो न पतयः पितरौ सुता वा न भ्रातृबन्धुसुहृदः कुत एव चान्ये । तस्माद् भवत्प्रपदयोः पतितात्मनां नो नान्या भवेद् गतिररिन्दम तद् विधेहि

Neither our husbands, nor parents, nor children, nor brothers, nor friends, nor anyone else will accept us now. Therefore, O subduer of enemies, for those of us who have fallen at your feet, there is no other refuge—please grant us this.

श्रीभगवानुवाच - पतयो नाभ्यसूयेरन् पितृभ्रातृसुतादयः । लोकाश्च वो मयोपेता देवा अप्यनुमन्वते

The Blessed Lord said: Let not your husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, or others bear resentment; even the worlds, the gods, and all beings honor you, as you are now connected with me.

( अनुष्टुप् ) न प्रीतयेऽनुरागाय ह्यङ्‌गसङ्‌गो नृणामिह । तन्मनो मयि युञ्जाना अचिरान् मामवाप्स्यथ

Physical association among people in this world is not for love or affection; by fixing your minds on me, you will soon attain me.

श्रीशुक उवाच - इत्युक्ता द्विजपत्‍न्यस्ता यज्ञवाटं पुनर्गताः । ते चानसूयवः स्वाभिः स्त्रीभिः सत्रमपारयन्

Śuka said: Thus addressed, the wives of the brāhmaṇas returned to the sacrificial enclosure, and their husbands, now free of envy, completed the sacrifice with their own wives.

तत्रैका विधृता भर्त्रा भगवन्तं यथाश्रुतम् । हृदोपगुह्य विजहौ देहं कर्मानुबन्धनम्

There, one woman, restrained by her husband, embraced the Lord in her heart as she had heard, and, giving up her body bound by karma, attained liberation.

भगवानपि गोविन्दः तेनैवान्नेन गोपकान् । चतुर्विधेनाशयित्वा स्वयं च बुभुजे प्रभुः

The Lord Govinda, with that very food, fed the cowherds in fourfold ways, and the Lord himself also partook.

एवं लीलानरवपुः नृलोकमनुशीलयन् । रेमे गोगोपगोपीनां रमयन्रूपवाक्कृतैः

Thus, the Lord, assuming a human form for his play, delighted the cows, cowherds, and cowherd women with his beauty, words, and deeds.

अथानुस्मृत्य विप्रास्ते अन्वतप्यन् कृतागसः । यद् विश्वेश्वरयोर्याच्ञां अहन्म नृविडम्बयोः

Then, recalling the request made to the Lords of the universe by their wives, the brāhmaṇas repented for their offense, having mocked the Lord in human guise.

दृष्ट्वा स्त्रीणां भगवति कृष्णे भक्तिमलौकिकीम् । आत्मानं च तया हीनं अनुतप्ता व्यगर्हयन्

Seeing the extraordinary devotion of their wives to Lord Krishna, and recognizing their own lack of such devotion, they became remorseful and blamed themselves.

धिग्जन्म नः त्रिवृत् विद्यां धिग् व्रतं धिग् बहुज्ञताम् । धिक्कुलं धिक् क्रियादाक्ष्यं विमुखा ये त्वधोक्षजे

Fie upon our birth, our threefold knowledge, our vows, our great learning, our lineage, and our ritual expertise—if we are turned away from the Lord beyond sense perception.

नूनं भगवतो माया योगिनामपि मोहिनी । यस् वयं गुरवो नृणां स्वार्थे मुह्यामहे द्विजाः

Surely, the Lord's māyā is deluding, even for yogis; for we, the teachers of men, are bewildered about our own true welfare, O brāhmaṇas.

अहो पश्यत नारीणां अपि कृष्णे जगद्‍गुरौ । दुरन्तभावं योऽविध्यन् मृत्युपाशान् गृहाभिधान्

Behold the steadfastness of these women, who, even for Krishna, the teacher of the world, broke the bonds of death called 'home.'

नासां द्विजातिसंस्कारो न निवासो गुरावपि । न तपो नात्ममीमांसा न शौचं न क्रियाः शुभाः

These women had no initiation as twice-born, no residence with a teacher, no austerity, no self-inquiry, no purity, and no auspicious rituals.

तथापि ह्युत्तमःश्लोके कृष्णे योगेश्वरेश्वरे । भक्तिर्दृढा न चास्माकं संस्कारादिमतामपि

Still, even though we possess refinement and other virtues, our devotion to Krishna, the Lord of the most exalted, the master of all yogis, is not firm.

ननु स्वार्थविमूढानां प्रमत्तानां गृहेहया । अहो नः स्मारयामास गोपवाक्यैः सतां गतिः

Indeed, though we were deluded about our true welfare and distracted by household life, He reminded us of the path of the righteous through the words of the cowherd women.

अन्यथा पूर्णकामस्य कैवल्याद्यशिषां पतेः । ईशितव्यैः किमस्माभिः ईशस्यैतद् विडम्बनम्

Otherwise, what need would we, who are subject to His command, have for boons like liberation or anything else, from Him who is the Lord of all blessings and whose desires are already fulfilled? This is only a display of His play.

हित्वान्यान् भजते यं श्रीः पादस्पर्शाशया सकृत् । स्वात्मदोषापवर्गेण तद्याच्ञा जनमोहिनी

Lakshmi, seeking only the touch of His feet, abandons all others and worships Him even once; her request for liberation from her own faults is merely a deluding charm for people.

देशः कालः पृथग्द्रव्यं मंत्रतंत्रर्त्विजोऽग्नयः । देवता यजमानश्च क्रतुर्धर्मश्च यन्मयः

Place, time, distinct objects, mantras, rituals, priests, fires, deities, the sacrificer, the sacrifice, and dharma—all these are composed of Him.