पुत्रानिव प्रजाः सर्वाः पालयामास धार्मिकः
That righteous one protected all his subjects as his own children.
कृत्वा नानाविधं पुण्यं फलकाङ्क्षी न च स्वयम्
Performing various kinds of virtuous deeds, he did not seek their fruits for himself.
केदारतुल्यो राजेन्द्रो न भूतो भविता पुनः
The king was like a field; none like him has existed nor will exist again.
जैगीषव्योपदेशेन जगाम तपसे वनम्
By the instruction of Jaigīṣavya, he went to the forest for austerity.
शश्वत्सुदर्शनं चक्रमस्ति यत्सन्निधौ मुने
O sage, the Sudarshana discus is always present there.
केदारं नाम तीर्थं च तन्नाम्ना च बभूव ह
A sacred place called Kedāra arose there, bearing that name.
कमलांशा तस्य कन्या नाम्ना वृन्दा तपस्विनी
His daughter, named Vṛndā, was an ascetic and a portion of Lakshmi.
दत्तो दुर्वाससा तस्यै हरेर्मन्त्रः सुदुर्लभः
Durvāsas gave her the exceedingly rare mantra of Hari.
षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि तपस्तेपे सुनिर्जने 4.17.
She performed austerity for sixty thousand years in complete solitude.
प्रसन्नवदनः श्रीमान्वरं वृण्वित्युवाच सः
With a cheerful face, the glorious one said, 'Choose a boon.'
मूर्च्छां संप्राप सा सद्यः कामबाणप्रपीडिता
She immediately fainted, afflicted by the arrows of desire.
ओमित्युक्त्वा च रहसि चिरं रेमे तया सह
Uttering 'Om' in secret, he enjoyed her for a long time.
राधा समा सा सौभाग्याद्गोपीश्रेष्ठा बभूव ह
By her good fortune, she became equal to Rādhā, the foremost among the gopīs.
वृन्दयाऽत्र कृता क्रीडा तेन वा मुनिपुंगव
There, Vṛndā played with him, O best of sages.
येन वृन्दावनं नाम निबोध कथयामि ते
By whom the place is called Vṛndāvana, listen, I will tell you.
तुलसीवेदवत्यौ च विरक्ते भवकर्मणि
Tulasī and Vedavatī, both detached from worldly action,
दैवाद्दुर्वाससः शापात्प्राप्य शङ्खासुरं प्रति
By fate and the curse of Durvāsas, she encountered Śaṅkhāsura.
सा चैव हरिशापेन वृक्षरूपा सुरेश्वरी 4.17.
By Hari's curse, she too, the queen of the gods, became a tree.
तथा तस्थौ च सततं शिलावक्षसि सुंदरी तथाऽपि च प्रसंगेन किंचिदुक्तं मुने पुनः
Thus she remained always, beautiful, on the stone slab; yet, O sage, something more is told again by association.
तस्याश्च तपसः स्थानं तदिदं च तपोधन
This is the place of her austerity, O treasure of austerity.
अथ वा ते प्रवक्ष्यामि परं हेत्वन्तरं शृणु
Now then, I shall tell you another supreme reason; listen.
राधाषोडशनाम्नां च वृन्दानाम श्रुतौ श्रुतम्
In the scriptures, the names of the sixteen Rādhās and the Vṛndās are heard.
गोलोके प्रीतये तस्याः कृष्णेन निर्मितं पुरा
Long ago, for her delight, Krishna created them in Goloka.
नारद उवाच तानि मे वद शिष्याय श्रोतुं कौतूहलं मम
Nārada said: Tell me about them, for I am your disciple and eager to hear.
श्रुतं नाम्नां सहस्रं च सामवेदे निरूपितम्
A thousand names have been heard and established in the Sāma Veda.
अभ्यंतराणि तेषां वा तदन्यान्येव मे विभो
O Lord, are those their inner names, or are there others as well?
नामानि तेषां व्युत्पत्तिं सर्वेषां दुर्लभानि च
The origins of those names, and all of them, are difficult to obtain.
श्रीनारायण उवाच कृष्णप्राणाधिका कृष्णप्रिया कृष्णस्वरूपिणी ।। 4.17.
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: She is dearer to Krishna than life, beloved of Krishna, and of Krishna’s very form.
कृष्णवामांगसंभूता परमानन्दरूपिणी
She arose from Krishna’s left side, embodying supreme bliss.
चन्द्रावती चन्द्रकान्ता शतचन्द्रनिभानना
She is Candrāvatī, Candrakāntā, her face shining like a hundred moons.