कृष्णस्तानुत्सुकान् दृष्ट्वा गोपानुत्सवलालसान् । कौतूहलादिदं वाक्यं प्राह वृद्धान् महामतिः ।। ५-१०-
Seeing the cowherds eager and joyful for the celebration, Krishna, wise of mind, spoke these words to the elders out of curiosity.
कोऽयं शक्रमहो नाम येन वो हर्ष आगतः । प्राह तं नन्दगोपश्व पृच्छन्तमतिसादरम् ।। ५-१०-
"Who is this Indra, by whose name you have become so delighted?" he asked Nanda the cowherd with great respect.
मेघानां पयसां चेशो देवराजः शतक्रतुः । तेन सञ्चोदिता मेघा वर्षन्त्यम्बुमयं रसम् ।। ५-१०-
Nanda replied: "Indra, the king of the gods and lord of clouds and waters, urges the clouds to pour down their watery essence as rain."
तद्वृष्टिजनितं शस्यं वयमन्ये च देहिनः । वर्त्तयामोपयुञ्जानास्तर्पयामश्व देवताः ।। ५-१०-
"From that rain, crops are produced, and we, along with others, use them for our sustenance and to offer to the gods."
क्षीरवत्य इमा गावो वत्सवत्यश्व निर्वृताः । तेन संवर्द्धितैः शस्यैः पुष्टास्तुष्टा भवन्ति वै ।। ५-१०-
"These cows, full of milk and calves, are content; nourished by the crops grown from that rain, they become strong and satisfied."
नासस्या नातृणा भूमिर्न बुभुक्षार्द्दितो जनः । दृश्यते यत्र दृश्यन्ते वृष्टिमन्तो बलाहकाः ।। ५-१०-
"Wherever rain-bearing clouds are seen, there is no lack of food, no shortage of grass, and no one is afflicted by hunger."
भौममेतत् पयो दुग्धं गोभिः सूर्य्यस्य वारिदः । पर्ज्जन्यः सर्व्वलोकस्य भवाय भुवि वर्षति ।। ५-१०-
"This earth is milked by cows, the clouds are the waters of the sun, and Parjanya rains down for the welfare of all beings on earth."
तस्मात् प्रावृषि राजानः सर्व्वे शक्र मुदा युताः । मखैः सुरेशमर्च्चन्ति वयमन्ये च मानवाः ।। ५-१०-
"Therefore, in the rainy season, all kings, filled with joy, worship Indra, the lord of the gods, with sacrifices, as do we and other people."
नन्दगोपस्य वचनं श्रुत्वेत्थं शक्रपूजने । कोपाय त्रिदशेन्द्रस्य प्राह दामोदरस्तदा ।। ५-१०-
Hearing Nanda's words about the worship of Indra, Damodara then spoke, provoking the anger of the lord of the gods.
न वयं कृषिकर्त्तारो वाणिज्यजीवनो न च । गावोऽस्मद्दैवतं तात! वयं वनचरा यतः ।। ५-१०-
"We are not farmers, nor do we live by trade; father, the cows are our divinity, for we dwell in the forest."
आन्वीक्षिकी त्रयी वार्त्ता दण्डनीतिस्तथापरा । विद्याचतुष्टयं त्वेतत् वार्त्तामत्र शृणुष्व मे ।। ५-१०-
"Philosophy, the three Vedas, trade, and governance—these are the four branches of knowledge; now hear from me about trade."
कृषिर्वणिज्या तद्वच्च तृतीयं पशुपालनम् । विद्या ह्येका महाभाग! वार्त्ता वृत्तित्रयाश्रया ।। ५-१०-
"Farming, trade, and thirdly, cattle-rearing—these are the three livelihoods; O fortunate one, trade is a single branch based on these three occupations."
कर्षकाणां कृषिर्वृत्तिः पणयं विपणिजीविनाम् । अस्माकं गाः परा वृत्तिर्वार्त्ताभेदैरियं त्रिभिः ।। ५-१०-
"Farming is the livelihood of farmers, trade is for merchants, and for us, cows are the supreme livelihood; thus, trade is divided into these three kinds."
विद्यया यो यया युक्तस्तस्य स दैवतं महत् । सैव पूज्यार्च्चनीया च सैव तस्योपकारिका ।। ५-१०-
"For each person, the branch of knowledge they practice is their highest divinity; that alone is to be worshipped and honored, for it is their true support."
यो यस्य फलमश्नन् वै पूजयत्यपरं नरः । इह च प्रेत्य चैवासौ न तदाप्नोति शोभनम् ।। ५-१०-
Whoever worships another by offering what belongs to someone else, does not obtain that auspicious result, either in this world or after death.
कृष्यान्ता प्रथिता सीमा सीमान्तञ्च पुनर्वनम् । वनान्ता गिरयः सर्व्वे ते चास्माकं परा गतिः ।। ५-१०-
The boundary at the end of the fields, the forest beyond the boundary, and the mountains beyond the forest—all these are our ultimate refuge.
न द्वारबन्धावरणा न गृहक्षेत्रिणस्तथा । सुखिनस्त्वखिले लोके यथा वै चक्रचारिणः ।। ५-१०-
There are neither gates nor enclosures, nor householders or landowners; in the whole world, none are as happy as those who wander with the wheel.
श्रूयन्ते गिरयश्चैव वनोऽस्मिन् कामरूपिणः । तत्तद्रूपं समास्थाय रमन्ते स्वेषु सानुषु ।। ५-१०-
It is heard that, in these mountains and forests, beings with forms as they desire take on various shapes and delight upon their own slopes.
यदा चैते प्रबाध्यन्ते तेषां ये काननौकसः । तदा सिंहादिरूपैस्तान् घातयन्ति महीधराः ।। ५-१०-
When these beings are driven out, those who dwell in the forests are then killed by the mountains, taking on forms such as lions and others.
गिरियज्ञस्त्वयं तस्माद् गोयज्ञश्च प्रवर्त्त्यताम् । किमस्माकं महेन्द्रेण गावः शैलाश्व देवताः ।। ५-१०-
Therefore, let the mountain sacrifice and the cow sacrifice be performed; what have we to do with Indra? Cows, mountains, horses, and deities are ours.
मन्त्रयज्ञपरा विप्राः सीतायज्ञाश्व कर्षकाः । गिरि-गोयज्ञशीलाश्व वयमद्रिवनाश्रयाः ।। ५-१०-
Brahmins are devoted to mantra-sacrifices, farmers to ploughing-sacrifices; we are devoted to mountain and cow sacrifices, dwelling in the forest and mountain.
तस्माद् गोवर्द्धनः शैलो भवद्भिर्विविधार्हणैः । अर्च्च्यतां पूज्यतां मेध्यान् पशून् हत्वा विधानतः ।। ५-१०-
Therefore, let Govardhana mountain be worshipped and honored by you with various offerings; let sacrificial animals be properly slaughtered according to the rites.
सर्व्वघोषस्य सन्दोहो गृह्यतां मा विचार्य्यताम् । भोज्यन्तां तेन वै विप्रास्तथा ये चाभिवाञ्छकाः ।। ५-१०-
Let the entire collection of the settlement be gathered without hesitation; let the Brahmins and all those who desire partake of it.
तत्रार्चिते कृते होमे भोजितेषु द्विजातिषु । शरत्पुष्पकृतापीड़ाः परिगच्छन्तु गोगणाः ।। ५-१०-
When worship has been performed, the fire offering made, and the Brahmins have eaten, let the herds of cows roam, adorned with garlands of autumn flowers.
एतन्मम मतं गोपाः सम्प्रीत्या क्रियते यदि । ततः कृता भवेत् प्रीतिर्गवामद्रेस्तथा मम ।। ५-१०-
If this opinion of mine is carried out by the cowherds with joy, then satisfaction will be gained for the cows, the mountain, and for me as well.
इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा नन्दाद्यास्ते व्रजौकसः । प्रीत्युत्फुल्लमुखा विप्र! साधु साध्वित्यथाब्रुवन् ।। ५-१०-
Hearing these words, Nanda and the other inhabitants of Vraja, their faces blooming with delight, exclaimed, 'Excellent, excellent!'
शोभनं ते मतं वत्स! यदेतद्भवतोदितम् । तत् करिष्यामहे सर्व्वं गिरियज्ञः प्रवर्त्त्यताम् ।। ५-१०-
Your opinion is excellent, child, as you have spoken; we will do everything, let the mountain sacrifice be performed.
तथा च कृतवन्तस्ते गिरियज्ञं व्रजौकसः । दधि-पायस-मांसाद्यैर्ददुः शैलबलिं ततः ।। ५-१०-
Thus, the inhabitants of Vraja performed the mountain sacrifice; they offered to the mountain curd, rice pudding, meat, and other things.
द्विजांश्च भोजयामासुः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः । अन्यानप्यागतानित्थं कृष्णेनोक्तं यथा पुरा ।। ५-१०-
They fed the Brahmins by the hundreds and thousands, as well as others who had arrived, just as Krishna had previously instructed.
गावः शैलं ततश्चक्रुरर्चितास्ताः प्रदक्षिणम् । ऋषभाश्चापि नर्द्दन्तः सतोया जलदा इव ।। ५-१०-
Then the cows, having been worshipped, circled the mountain; the bulls, bellowing, were like rainclouds with water.