यथाहं भवता सृष्टो जात्या रूपेण चेश्वरः स्वभावेन च संयुक्तस् तथेदं चेष्टितं मया
Just as I was created by You, O Lord, with my birth and form, and endowed with my own nature, so too have I acted in this way.
यद्य् अन्यथा प्रवर्तेय देवदेव ततो मयि न्याय्यो दण्डनिपातस् ते तवैव वचनं यथा
If I were to act otherwise, O God of gods, then it would be just for You to punish me, according to Your command.
तथापि यं जगत्स्वामी दण्डं पातितवान् मयि स सोढो ऽयं वरो दण्डस् त्वत्तो नान्यो ऽस्तु मे वरः
Still, whatever punishment the Lord of the universe has inflicted upon me, I have endured; let there be no other boon for me than this punishment from You.
हतवीर्यो हतविषो दमितो ऽहं त्वयाच्युत जीवितं दीयताम् एकम् आज्ञापय करोमि किम्
My strength is destroyed, my venom is gone, and I am subdued by You, O Achyuta; grant me life—command me, what shall I do?
नात्र स्थेयं त्वया सर्प कदाचिद् यमुनाजले सभृत्यपरिवारस् त्वं समुद्रसलिलं व्रज
You must not remain here, O serpent, at any time in the waters of the Yamuna; with your attendants and followers, go to the ocean's waters.
मत्पदानि च ते सर्प दृष्ट्वा मूर्धनि सागरे गरुडः पन्नगरिपुस् त्वयि न प्रहरिष्यति
And when you see my footprints, O serpent, on your head in the ocean, Garuda, the enemy of serpents, will not attack you.
इत्य् उक्त्वा सर्पराजानं मुमोच भगवान् हरिः प्रणम्य सो ऽपि कृष्णाय जगाम पयसां निधिम्
Having spoken thus to the king of serpents, the blessed Hari released him; and he, bowing to Krishna, went to the abode of waters.
पश्यतां सर्वभूतानां सभृत्यापत्यबन्धवः समस्तभार्यासहितः परित्यज्य स्वकं ह्रदम्
In the sight of all beings, with his attendants, children, and kin, together with all his wives, he abandoned his own pool.
गते सर्पे परिष्वज्य मृतं पुनर् इवागतम् गोपा मूर्धनि गोविन्दं सिषिचुर् नेत्रजैर् जलैः
When the serpent had departed, the cowherds embraced Govinda, as if returned from the dead, and sprinkled him with tears from their eyes.
कृष्णम् अक्लिष्टकर्माणम् अन्ये विस्मितचेतसः तुष्टुवुर् मुदिता गोपा दृष्ट्वा शिवजलां नदीम्
The cowherds, their minds astonished, joyfully praised Krishna, the doer of flawless deeds, having seen the river restored to auspicious waters.
गीयमानो ऽथ गोपीभिश् चरितैश् चारुचेष्टितैः संस्तूयमानो गोपालैः कृष्णो व्रजम् उपागमत्
Then, as the cowherd women sang of his deeds and charming exploits, and the cowherds praised him, Krishna entered Vraja.
गाः पालयन्तौ च पुनः सहितौ रामकेशवौ भ्रममाणौ वने तत्र रम्यं तालवनं गतौ
Once again, Rāma and Keśava, tending the cows together, wandered in the forest and came to the delightful Tāla grove.
तच् च तालवनं नित्यं धेनुको नाम दानवः नृगोमांसकृताहारः सदाध्यास्ते खराकृतिः
And in that Tāla forest, there always dwells a demon named Dhenuka, who, in the form of a donkey, constantly feeds on the flesh of men and cattle.
तत्र तालवनं रम्यं फलसंपत्समन्वितम् दृष्ट्वा स्पृहान्विता गोपाः फलादाने ऽब्रुवन् वचः
There, seeing the delightful Tāla forest abundant with fruit, the cowherds, filled with longing, spoke words about gathering the fruit.
हे राम हे कृष्ण सदा धेनुकेनैव रक्ष्यते भूप्रदेशो यतस् तस्मात् त्यक्तानीमानि सन्ति वै
O Rāma, O Krishna, this land is always guarded by Dhenuka; therefore, these fruits remain here, abandoned.
फलानि पश्य तालानां गन्धमोदयुतानि वै वयम् एतान्य् अभीप्सामः पात्यन्तां यदि रोचते
See the fruits of the palm trees, fragrant and ripe; we desire these—let them be brought down, if you are willing.
इति गोपकुमाराणां श्रुत्वा संकर्षणो वचः कृष्णश् च पातयाम् आस भुवि तालफलानि वै
Hearing the words of the cowherd boys, Sankarṣaṇa and Krishna began to bring down the palm fruits to the ground.
तालानां पततां शब्दम् आकर्ण्यासुरराट् ततः आजगाम स दुष्टात्मा कोपाद् दैतेयगर्दभः
Hearing the sound of the falling palms, the king of the demons, that wicked-hearted Daitya in donkey form, came there in anger.
पद्भ्याम् उभाभ्यां स तदा पश्चिमाभ्यां च तं बली जघानोरसि ताभ्यां च स च तेनाप्य् अगृह्यत
Then that powerful one struck Baladeva on the chest with both his hind legs, but Baladeva seized him with those very legs.
गृहीत्वा भ्रामणेनैव चाम्बरे गतजीवितम् तस्मिन्न् एव प्रचिक्षेप वेगेन तृणराजनि
Seizing him, Baladeva whirled him around in the air, and, lifeless, hurled him with force onto the top of a palm tree.
ततः फलान्य् अनेकानि तालाग्रान् निपतन् खरः पृथिव्यां पातयाम् आस महावातो ऽम्बुदान् इव
Then, as the donkey fell from the tops of the palms, many fruits were shaken down to the earth, like great winds bring down clouds.
अन्यान् अप्य् अस्य वै ज्ञातीन् आगतान् दैत्यगर्दभान् कृष्णश् चिक्षेप तालाग्रे बलभद्रश् च लीलया
Krishna and Balabhadra, with ease, likewise hurled the other donkey-demons, his kin, who had come there, onto the palm trees.
क्षणेनालंकृता पृथ्वी पक्वैस् तालफलैस् तदा दैत्यगर्दभदेहैश् च मुनयः शुशुभे ऽधिकम्
In a moment, the earth was adorned with ripe palm fruits and the bodies of the donkey-demons, making the sages shine all the more.
ततो गावो निराबाधास् तस्मिंस् तालवने द्विजाः नवशष्पं सुखं चेरुर् यत्र भुक्तम् अभूत् पुरा
Then, in that Tāla forest, the cows, undisturbed, grazed happily on fresh grass, O twice-born, where once it had been forbidden.
तस्मिन् रासभदैतेये सानुजे विनिपातिते सर्वगोपालगोपीनां रम्यं तालवनं बभौ
With that donkey-demon and his brothers slain, the beautiful Tāla forest shone for all the cowherds and cowherd women.
ततस् तौ जातहर्षौ तु वसुदेवसुताव् उभौ शुशुभाते महात्मानौ बालशृङ्गाव् इवर्षभौ
Then the two sons of Vasudeva, filled with joy, shone forth—those great souls—like two young bulls with budding horns.
चारयन्तौ च गा दूरे व्याहरन्तौ च नामभिः नियोगपाशस्कन्धौ तौ वनमालाविभूषितौ
Tending the cows at a distance, calling them by name, the two, with herding ropes on their shoulders and garlands of forest flowers, moved about.
सुवर्णाञ्जनचूर्णाभ्यां तदा तौ भूषिताम्बरौ महेन्द्रायुधसंकाशौ श्वेतकृष्णाव् इवाम्बुदौ
Adorned with garments dusted with gold and black powders, they resembled Indra’s weapons, appearing like white and dark clouds.
चेरतुर् लोकसिद्धाभिः क्रीडाभिर् इतरेतरम् समस्तलोकनाथानां नाथभूतौ भुवं गतौ
They wandered the earth, engaging in playful games with the perfected beings of the worlds, themselves the lords of all the world’s lords.
मनुष्यधर्माभिरतौ मानयन्तौ मनुष्यताम् तज्जातिगुणयुक्ताभिः क्रीडाभिश् चेरतुर् वनम्
Delighting in human ways, honoring humanity, they wandered the forest, playing games suited to their human birth and nature.