बालत्वं चातिवीर्य्यञ्च जन्म जास्मास्वशोभनम् । चिन्त्यमानममेयात्मन्!शङ्कां कृष्ण प्रयच्छति ।। ५-१३-
Your childhood, your extraordinary strength, and your birth among us are all wondrous; O unfathomable one, pondering these things, Krishna, brings us doubt.
देवो वा दानवो वा त्वं यक्षो गन्धर्व्व एव वा । किं वास्माकं विचारेण बान्धवोऽसि नमोऽस्तु ते ।। ५-१३-
Whether you are a god, a demon, a yakṣa, or a gandharva—what does it matter to us? You are our kinsman; our salutations to you.
क्षणं भूत्वा त्वसौ तूष्णीं किञ्चित् प्रणयकोपवान् । इत्येवमुक्तस्तैर्गोपैः कृष्णोऽप्याह महामुने ।। ५-१३-
For a moment he remained silent, showing a little affectionate displeasure; thus addressed by the cowherds, Krishna also spoke, O great sage.
मत्सम्बन्धेन भो गोपा! यदि लज्जा न जायते । शलाध्यो वाहं ततऋः किं वो विचारेण प्रयोजनम् ।। ५-१३-
Because of your connection with me, O cowherds, if you do not feel ashamed, or if I am not worthy of respect, then what use is there in your deliberation?
यदि वोऽस्ति मयि प्रीतिः श्लाध्योऽहं भवतां यदि । तदात्मबन्धुसदृशी बुद्धिर्वः क्रियतां मयि ।। ५-१३-
If you have affection for me, if I am worthy of your regard, then let your understanding of me be as of a true kinsman.
नाहं देवो न गन्धर्व्वो न यक्षो न च दानवः । अहं वो बान्धवो जातो नास्ति चिन्त्यमतोऽन्यथा ।। ५-१३-
I am not a god, nor a gandharva, nor a yakṣa, nor a demon; I am born as your kinsman—there is no need to think otherwise.
इति श्रुत्वा हरेर्वाक्यं बद्धमौनास्ततो वनम् । ययूर्गोपा महाभाग!तस्मिन् प्रणयकोपितनि ।। ५-१३-
Hearing these words of Hari, the cowherds then fell silent and went to the forest, their hearts touched by affectionate displeasure.
कृष्णस्तु विमलं व्योम शरच्चन्द्रस्य चन्दिरकाम् । तथा कुमुदिनीं फुल्लामामोदितदिगन्तराम् ।। ५-१३-
But Krishna beheld the clear sky, bright as the autumn moon, and the blooming kumudini flowers, filling all directions with fragrance.
वनराजिं तथा कूजदूभृङ्गमालां मनोरमाम् । विलोक्य सह गोपीभिर्मनश्वक्र रतिं प्रति ।। ५-१३-
He saw the beautiful rows of trees and the charming swarms of humming bees, and with the cowherd women, his mind turned toward delight.
सह रामेणा मधुरमतीव वनिताप्रियम् । जगौ कलपदं शौरिर्नानातन्त्री-कृतव्रतम् ।। ५-१३-
Together with Rāma, sweetly and most pleasing to the women, the son of Śūra sang melodious notes, accompanied by various instruments.
रम्यं गीतध्वनि श्रत्वा सन्त्यज्यावसथांस्तदा । आजग्मुस्त्वरिता गोप्यो यत्रास्ते मधृसूदनः ।। ५-१३-
Hearing the lovely sound of the song, the cowherd women quickly left their homes and hurried to where Madhusūdana was.
शनैः शनैर्ज्जगौ गोपी काचित् तस्य लयानुगम् । दत्तावधाना काचित्तू तमेव मनसास्मरत् ।। ५-१३-
One cowherd woman softly sang in time with him, another listened attentively, and yet another remembered him in her heart.
काचित् कृष्णेति कृष्णेति प्रेक्त्वा लज्जामुपागता । ययौ च काचित् प्रेमान्धा ततपार्श्वमविलज्जिता ।। ५-१३-
One, saying 'Krishna, Krishna,' became bashful; another, blinded by love, went to his side without shame.
काचिदावसथस्यान्तः स्थिता दृष्ट्वा बहिर्गुरून् । तन्मयत्वेन गोविन्दं दध्यौ मीलितलोचना ।। ५-१३-
One remained inside her house, seeing her elders outside; absorbed in him, she meditated on Govinda with closed eyes.
तच्विन्ताविपुलाह्लाद-क्षीणपुणयचया तथा । तदप्राप्ति-महादुःविलीनाशेषपातका ।। ५-१३-
Thus, as their joy from thoughts of him swelled, their store of merit was exhausted; and, with all sins dissolved in the great sorrow of his absence, they were left bereft.
चिन्तयन्ती जगत्सूतिं परब्रह्मस्वरूपिणम् । निरुच्छ्वासतया मुक्ति गतान्या गोपकन्यका ।। ५-१३-
One cowherd maiden, contemplating the creation of the universe and the Supreme Brahman in his true form, attained liberation, her breath stilled.
गोपीपरिवृतो रात्रि शरचन्द्रमनोरमाम् । मानयामास गोविन्दो रासारम्भरसोत्सुकः ।। ५-१३-
Surrounded by the gopīs, Govinda honored the night, delightful as the autumn moon, eager for the joy of beginning the rāsa dance.
गोप्यश्व वृन्दशः कृष्णचेष्टास्वायत्तमूर्त्तयः । अन्यदेशं गते कृष्णो चेरुर्वृन्दावमान्तरम् ।। ५-१३-
The gopīs, in groups, imitated Krishna’s actions, their forms shaped by his play; when Krishna went elsewhere, they wandered through the inner parts of Vṛndāvana.
कृष्णो निरुद्धह्टदया इदसूचुः परस्परम् । कृष्णोऽहमेतल्ललितं व्रजाम्यालोक्यतां गतिः । अन्या ब्रवीति कष्णस्य मम गीतिर्निशम्यताम् ।। ५-१३-
With Krishna gone, their hearts restrained, they spoke to one another: 'I am Krishna—see this charming gait of mine!' Another said, 'Listen to my song, the song of Krishna!'
दुषृकालिय!तिष्ठात्र कृणोऽहमिति चापरा । बाहुमास्फोठ्य कृष्णस्य लीलासर्व्वस्वमाददे ।। ५-१३-
Another said, 'Wicked Kāliya, stay here! I am Krishna!' And, striking her arm, she took on all the playful airs of Krishna.
अन्यां ब्रवीति भो गोपा!निः शङ्कः स्थीयतामिह । अलं बृष्टिभयेनात्र धृतो गोवर्द्धनो मया ।। ५-१३-
Another said, 'O cowherds, do not fear—stay here without worry! I have held up Govardhana; there is no need to fear the rain.'
धेनुकोऽयं मया क्षिप्तो विचरन्लु यथेच्छया । गोपी ब्रवीति वै चान्या कृष्मालीलानुकारिणी ।। ५-१३-
Another gopī, imitating Krishna, said, 'I have cast down Dhenuka; now I roam as I please.'
एवं नानाप्रकारासु कृष्णचेष्टासु तास्तदा । गोप्या व्यग्राः समं चरू रम्य वृन्दावनान्तरम् ।। ५-१३-
Thus, as the gopīs busied themselves with various imitations of Krishna’s deeds, they wandered together through the lovely groves of Vṛndāvana.
विलोक्यैका भुवं प्राह् गोपी गोपवराङ्गना । पुलकाञ्चितसर्व्वाङ्गी विकाशि-नयनोत्पला ।। ५-१३-
Seeing the ground, one gopī, foremost among the cowherd women, her whole body bristling with joy and her lotus eyes wide, spoke:
ध्वजवज्राङ्कु शाब्जाङ्क-रेखावन्त्यालि पश्यत । पदान्येतानि कृष्णस्य लीलालङ्कृतगामिनः ।। ५-१३-
‘Look at these footprints, marked with the banner, thunderbolt, goad, and lotus—these are the steps of Krishna, adorned by his playful gait.’
कापि तेम समं याता कृतपुण्या मदालसा । पदानि तस्याश्चैतानि घनान्यल्पतनूनि च ।। ५-१३-
Some fortunate, graceful maiden has gone with him; these are her footprints, close and slender, beside his.
पुष्पावचयमत्रोच्चैश्वक्रे दामोदरो ध्रु वम् । येनाग्राक्रान्तिमात्राणि पदान्यत्र महात्मनः ।। ५-१३-
Here, Damodara surely picked flowers for her, for only the front part of his great footprints are seen here.
अत्रोपविश्य सा तेन कापि पुष्पैरलङ्कृता । अन्यजन्मनि सर्व्वात्मा विष्णुरभ्यर्ज्वितो यया।। ५-१३-
Here she sat with him, adorned with flowers; in a former birth, she had worshipped Viṣṇu, the soul of all.
पुष्पबन्धनसम्मान-कृतमानामपास्य ताम् । नन्दगोपसुतो यातो मार्गेणानेन पश्यत ।। ५-१३-
Having honored her with a garland of flowers, the son of Nanda went on this path—look!
अनुयानेऽसमर्थान्या नितम्बभरमन्थरा । या गन्तव्ये द्रुतं याति निम्रपादाग्रसंस्थितिः ।। ५-१३-
Another, unable to keep up in the procession, slowed by the weight of her hips, hastened as best she could, her toes barely touching the ground.