क्वचित् कदम्बस्रक्-चित्रौ मयूरस्त्रग्धरौ क्वचित् । विचित्रौ क्वचिदास्येतां विविधैर्गिरिधातुभिः ।। ४-६-
Sometimes adorned with garlands of kadamba flowers, sometimes wearing peacock feathers, sometimes decorated with various mountain pigments, they appeared in diverse ways.
पर्णशय्यासु संसुप्तौ क्वचिन्नद्रान्तरैषिणौ । क्वचिद् गर्ज्जति जीमूते हाहाकारखादृतौ ।। ४-६-
At times, they slept on beds of leaves; sometimes, they wandered among the trees; at times, when the clouds thundered, they cried out in fear.
गायतामन्यगोपानां प्रशंसापरमौ क्वचित् । मयूरकेकानुगतौ गोपवेषुप्रवादकौ ।। ४-६-
Sometimes, they praised the singing of other cowherds; sometimes, they imitated the cries of peacocks and the speech of cowherd women.
गाः पालयन्तौ च पुनः सहितौ बल-केशवौ । भ्रममाणौ वने तस्मिन् रम्यं तालवनं गतौ ।। ५-८-
Again, Bala and Keshava, tending the cows together, wandered in that forest and arrived at the delightful grove of palm trees.
तत्तु तालवनं दिव्यं धेनुको नाम दानवः । मृगमांसकृताहारः सदाध्यास्ते खराकृतिः ।। ५-८-
In that palm grove, the demon named Dhenuka, who always ate the flesh of animals, dwelled there, taking the form of an ass.
तत्तु तालवन पक्क-फलसम्पत्समन्वितम् । दृष्ट्वा स्पृहान्विता गोपाः फलादानेऽब्रु वन्, वचः ।। ५-८-
Seeing that palm grove, abundant with ripe fruit, the cowherds, filled with longing, spoke words desiring to obtain the fruit.
हे राम! हे कृष्ण! सदा धेनुकेनैष रक्ष्यते । भूप्रदेशो यतस्तस्मात् पक्कानीमानि सन्ति वै ।। ५-८-
O Rama! O Krishna! This place is always guarded by Dhenuka; therefore, these ripe fruits are here.
फलानि पश्य तालानां गन्धामोदितदींशि च । वयमत्तुमभीप्सामः पात्यन्तां यदि रोचसे ।। ५-८-
See the fruits of the palm trees and their fragrance spreading far; we wish to eat them, let them be brought down if you desire.
इति गोपकुमाराणां श्रुत्वा सङ्कर्षणो वचः । कृष्णश्व पातयामास भुवि तालफलानि वै ।। ५-८-
Hearing the words of the cowherd boys, Sankarshana, along with Krishna, caused the palm fruits to fall to the ground.
फलानां पततां शब्दमाकर्ण्य स दुरासदः । आजगाम सुदुष्टात्मा कोपादू दैतेयगर्द्दभः ।। ५-८-
Hearing the sound of the falling fruits, that difficult-to-approach demon, the wicked ass-shaped Daitya, came in anger.
पद्भयामुभाभ्यां स तदा पश्विमाभ्यां बली बलम् । जघानोरसि ताभ्याञ्च स च तेनाप्यगृह्यत ।। ५-८-
Then, with his two hind legs, the powerful Bala struck him on the chest, and even so, he was not seized by that blow.
गृहीत्वा भ्रामणेनैव सोऽम्बरे गतजीवितम् । तस्मिन्नेव च चिक्षेप वेगेन तृणराजनि ।। ५-८-
Seizing him, Bala spun him around, and his life departed in the air; then, with force, he threw him onto the king of grasses.
ततः फलान्यनेकानि तालाग्रान्निपतन् खरः । पृथिव्यां पातयामास महावातोऽम्बुदानिव ।। ५-८-
Then, a fierce wind caused many fruits from the tops of the palm trees to fall to the ground, just as a great wind scatters clouds.
अन्यानप्यस्य वै ज्ञातीनागतान् दैत्यगर्द्दभान् । कृष्णाश्विक्षेप तालाग्र बलभद्रश्व लीलया ।। ५-८-
Balabhadra, with ease, threw to the ground the other donkey-shaped Daityas, relatives of Dhenuka, who had come there.
क्षणेनालङ्कृता पृथ्वी पक्कस्तालफलैस्तथा । दैत्यगर्द्दभदेहैश्व मैत्रेय! शुशुभेऽधिकम् ।। ५-८-
In a moment, O Maitreya, the earth was adorned with ripe palm fruits and the bodies of the donkey-demons, and shone even more beautifully.
ततो गावो निराबाधास्तस्मिंस्तालवने द्रिज! नवशस्य सुख चेरुर्यन्न भुक्तमभूत् पुरा ।। ५-८-
Then, O twice-born one, the cows, free from fear, grazed happily in that palm grove, eating the fresh grass that had never been enjoyed before.
श्रीपराशर उवाच तस्मिन्रासभदैतेये सानुगे विनिपातिते । सौम्यं तद्गोपगोपीनां रम्यं तालवनं बभौ ॥ ५,९.
Śrī Parāśara said: With that donkey-demon and his followers destroyed, the delightful palm grove appeared charming to the cowherds and the cowherd women.
ततस्तौ जातहर्षौ तु वसुदेवसुतावुभौ । हत्वा धेनुकदैतेयं भाण्डीरवटमागतौ ॥ ५,९.
Then, both sons of Vasudeva, filled with joy after slaying Dhenuka the demon, went to the banyan tree named Bhāṇḍīra.
क्ष्वेलमानौ प्रगायन्तौ विचिन्वन्तौ च पादपान् । चारयन्तौ च गा दूरे व्याहरन्तौ च नामभिः ॥ ५,९.
Calling out, singing, searching for trees, tending the cows at a distance, and calling each other by name, they wandered about.
निर्योगपाशस्कन्धौ तौ वनमालाविभूषितौ । शुशुभाते महात्मानौ बालशृङ्गाविवर्षभौ ॥ ५,९.
With the ropes for binding calves on their shoulders and adorned with garlands of forest flowers, those great souls shone like young bullocks with budding horns.
सुवर्णाञ्जनचूर्णाभ्यां तौ तदा रूषितांबरौ । महेन्द्रायुधसंयुक्तौ श्वेतकृष्णाविवांबुदौ ॥ ५,९.
At that time, their garments were dusted with golden and black powders, and, equipped with Indra's weapons, they resembled white and dark clouds.
चेरतुर्लौकसिद्धाभिः क्रीडाभिरितरेतरम् । समस्तलोकनाथानां नाथभूतौ भुवं गतौ ॥ ५,९.
They roamed the earth, engaging in playful games with the perfected beings of the world, themselves being the lords of all the worlds.
मनुष्यधर्माभिरतौ मानयन्तौ मनुष्यताम् । तज्जातिगुणयुक्ताभिः क्रीडाभिश्चेरतुर्वनम् ॥ ५,९.
Delighting in human ways and honoring their human form, they wandered the forest, playing games suited to their age and nature.
ततस्त्वान्दोलिकाभिश्च नियुद्धैश्च महाबलौ । व्यायामं चक्रतुस्तत्र क्षेपणीयैस्तथाश्मभिः ॥ ५,९.
Then, the two mighty ones exercised there with swings and wrestling, and also with stones meant for throwing.
तल्लिप्सुरसुरस्तत्र ह्युभयो रममाणयोः । आजगाम प्रलंबाख्यो गोपवेषतिरोहितः ॥ ५,९.
Desiring to kill them, the Asura named Pralamba, disguised as a cowherd, came there while both were enjoying themselves.
सोऽवगाहत निःशङ्कस्तेषां मध्यममानुषः । मानुषं वपुरास्थाय प्रलंबो दानवोत्तमः ॥ ५,९.
Without suspicion, Pralamba, the foremost of the Dānavas, taking on a human form, mingled among them as an ordinary man.
तयोशिछ्द्रान्तरप्रेप्सुरविषह्यममन्यत । कृष्णं ततो रौहिणेयं हन्तुं चक्रे मनोरथम् ॥ ५,९.
Seeking an opportunity between the two, he considered Krishna invincible, and so resolved to kill the son of Rohini.
हरिणाक्रीडनं नाम बालक्रीडनकं ततः । प्रकुर्वन्तो हि ते सर्वे द्वौद्वौ युगपदुत्थितौ ॥ ५,९.
Then, all of them began to play the children's game called 'Hari's sport,' forming pairs and rising together.
श्रीदाम्ना सह गोविन्दः प्रलंबेन तथा बलः । गोपालौरपरैश्चान्ये गोपालाः पुप्लुवुस्ततः ॥ ५,९.
Govinda was paired with Śrīdāmā, Bala with Pralamba, and the other cowherds paired with one another; thus, the cowherds leapt into the game.
श्रीदामानं ततः कृष्णः प्रलंबं रोहिणीसुतः । जितवान्कृष्णपक्षीयैर्गोपैरन्ये पराजिताः ॥ ५,९.
Then Krishna defeated Śrīdāmā, the son of Rohini defeated Pralamba, and the cowherds on Krishna's side won, while the others were defeated.