Bhagavata Purana

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.

स एष भगवान् साक्षाद् विष्णुर्योगेश्वरेश्वरः । जातो यदुष्वित्याश्रृण्म ह्यपि मूढा न विद्महे

He, this very Lord, Vishnu, the master of all yogis, has appeared among the Yadus—we have heard so, yet, being deluded, we do not truly know Him.

अहो वयं धन्यतमा येषां नस्तादृशीः स्त्रियः । भक्त्या यासां मतिर्जाता अस्माकं निश्चला हरौ

Ah, how blessed we are, for among us are such women whose unwavering devotion to Hari has arisen in their hearts.

नमस्तुभ्यं भगवते कृष्णायाकुण्ठमेधसे । यन्मायामोहितधियो भ्रमामः कर्मवर्त्मसु

Obeisance to You, O Lord Krishna, of unfailing wisdom; deluded by Your maya, our minds wander along the paths of karma.

स वै न आद्यः पुरुषः स्वमायामोहितात्मनाम् । अविज्ञतानुभावानां क्षन्तुमर्हत्यतिक्रमम्

He, the original person, surely forgives the transgressions of those whose minds are bewildered by His own maya and who do not recognize His true nature.

इति स्वाघमनुस्मृत्य कृष्णे ते कृतहेलनाः । दिदृक्षवोऽप्यच्युतयोः कंसाद्‍भीता न चाचलन्

Thus, remembering their own offense, though they had neglected Krishna, they did not waver in their desire to see the infallible ones, even though they were afraid of Kamsa.

ग्रहा निमित्तं सुखदुःखयोश्चेत्किमात्मनोऽजस्य जनस्य ते वै। ग्रहैर्ग्रहस्यैव वदन्ति पीडां क्रुध्येत कस्मै पुरुषस्ततोऽन्यः

If the planets are the cause of happiness and distress for a person, what concern is that for the soul, who is unborn? The wise say that the planets only affect other planets; so, to whom should a person direct anger?

कर्मास्तु हेतुः सुखदुःखयोश्चेत्किमात्मनस्तद्धि जडाजडत्वे। देहस्त्वचित्पुरुषोऽयं सुपर्णः क्रुध्येत कस्मै न हि कर्म मूलम्

If karma is the cause of happiness and distress for a person, what concern is that for the soul? For karma pertains to the insentient and the sentient. This body is merely skin, while the person is the conscious self, the suparna; to whom should one be angry? For karma is not the root.

कालस्तु हेतुः सुखदुःखयोश्चेत्किमात्मनस्तत्र तदात्मकोऽसौ। नाग्नेर्हि तापो न हिमस्य तत्स्यात्क्रुध्येत कस्मै न परस्य द्वन्द्वम्

If time is the cause of happiness and distress for a person, what concern is that for the soul? For time is of the same nature as the soul. Just as heat is not the property of fire, nor cold of snow, to whom should one be angry? For duality does not belong to another.

न केनचित्क्वापि कथञ्चनास्य द्वन्द्वोपरागः परतः परस्य। यथाहमः संसृतिरूपिणः स्यादेवं प्रबुद्धो न बिभेति भूतैः

By no one, anywhere, in any way, does duality arise for the supreme soul, who is beyond all. Just as I am, so is the cycle of birth and death; thus, one who is awakened does not fear the elements.

एतां स आस्थाय परात्मनिष्ठामध्यासितां पूर्वतमैर्महर्षिभिः। अहं तरिष्यामि दुरन्तपारं तमो मुकुन्दाङ्घ्रिनिषेवयैव

Relying on this supreme devotion to the transcendent self, which was practiced by the ancient sages, I will cross the boundless, impassable darkness by serving the feet of Mukunda.