Śrīmad Bhāgavatam|Canto 10 Chapter 20

The Rainy Season and Autumn in Vṛndāvana

VERSE 10.20.1

śrī-śuka uvāca

tayos tad adbhutaṁ karma
dāvāgner mokṣam ātmanaḥ
gopāḥ strībhyaḥ samācakhyuḥ
pralamba-vadham eva ca

SYNONYMS

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; tayoḥ — of the two of Them, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma; tat — that; adbhutam — amazing; karma — action; dāva-agneḥ — from the forest fire; mokṣam — the deliverance; ātmanaḥ — of themselves; gopāḥ — the cowherd boys; strībhyaḥ — to the ladies; samācakhyuḥ — they described in detail; pralamba-vadham — the killing of Pralambāsura; eva — indeed; ca — also.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said:To the ladies of Vṛndāvana, the cowherd boys then related in full detail Kṛṣṇa’s and Balarāma’s wonderful activities of delivering them from the forest fire and killing the demon Pralamba.

VERSE 10.20.2

gopa-vṛddhāś ca gopyaś ca
tad upākarṇya vismitāḥ
menire deva-pravarau
kṛṣṇa-rāmau vrajaṁ gatau

SYNONYMS

gopa-vṛddhāḥ — the elder cowherd men; ca — and; gopyaḥ — the cowherd ladies; ca — also; tat — that; upākarṇya — hearing; vismitāḥ — surprised; menire — they considered; deva-pravarau — two eminent demigods; kṛṣṇa-rāmau — the brothers Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; vrajam — to Vṛndāvana; gatau — come.

TRANSLATION

The elder cowherd men and ladies were amazed to hear this account, and they concluded that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma must be exalted demigods who had appeared in Vṛndāvana.

VERSE 10.20.3

tataḥ prāvartata prāvṛṭ
sarva-sattva-samudbhavā
vidyotamāna-paridhir
visphūrjita-nabhas-talā

SYNONYMS

tataḥ — then; prāvartata — began; prāvṛṭ — the rainy season; sarva-sattva — of all living beings; samudbhavā — the source of generation; vidyotamāna — flashing with lightning; paridhiḥ — its horizon; visphūrjita — agitated (by thunder); nabhaḥ-talā — the sky.

TRANSLATION

Then the rainy season began, giving life and sustenance to all living beings. The sky began to rumble with thunder, and lightning flashed on the horizon.

VERSE 10.20.4

sāndra-nīlāmbudair vyoma
sa-vidyut-stanayitnubhiḥ
aspaṣṭa-jyotir ācchannaṁ
brahmeva sa-guṇaṁ babhau

SYNONYMS

sāndra — dense; nīla — blue; ambudaiḥ — by the clouds; vyoma — the sky; sa-vidyut — along with lightning; stanayitnubhiḥ — and thunder; aspaṣṭa — diffuse; jyotiḥ — its illumination; ācchannam — covered; brahma — the spirit soul; iva — as if; sa-guṇam — with the material qualities of nature; babhau — was manifest.

TRANSLATION

The sky was then covered by dense blue clouds accompanied by lightning and thunder. Thus the sky and its natural illumination were covered in the same way that the spirit soul is covered by the three modes of material nature.

VERSE 10.20.5

aṣṭau māsān nipītaṁ yad
bhūmyāś coda-mayaṁ vasu
sva-gobhir moktum ārebhe
parjanyaḥ kāla āgate

SYNONYMS

aṣṭau — eight; māsān — during months; nipītam — drunk; yat — which; bhūmyāḥ — of the earth; ca — and; uda-mayam — consisting of water; vasu — the wealth; sva-gobhiḥ — by his own rays; moktum — to release; ārebhe — began; parjanyaḥ — the sun; kāle — the proper time; āgate — when it arrived.

TRANSLATION

With its rays, the sun had for eight months drunk up the earth’s wealth in the form of water. Now that the proper time had arrived, the sun began releasing this accumulated wealth.

VERSE 10.20.6

taḍidvanto mahā-meghāś
caṇḍa-śvasana-vepitāḥ
prīṇanaṁ jīvanaṁ hy asya
mumucuḥ karuṇā iva

SYNONYMS

taḍit-vantaḥ — displaying lightning; mahā-meghāḥ — the great clouds; caṇḍa — fierce; śvasana — by the wind; vepitāḥ — shaken; prīṇanam — the gratification; jīvanam — their life (their water); hi — indeed; asya — of this world; mumucuḥ — they released; karuṇāḥ — merciful personalities; iva — just as.

TRANSLATION

Flashing with lightning, great clouds were shaken and swept about by fierce winds. Just like merciful persons, the clouds gave their lives for the pleasure of this world.

VERSE 10.20.7

tapaḥ-kṛśā deva-mīḍhā
āsīd varṣīyasī mahī
yathaiva kāmya-tapasas
tanuḥ samprāpya tat-phalam

SYNONYMS

tapaḥ-kṛśā — emaciated by the summer heat; deva-mīḍhā — mercifully sprinkled by the god of rain; āsīt — became; varṣīyasī — fully nourished; mahī — the earth; yathā eva — just as; kāmya — based on sense gratification; tapasaḥ — of one whose austerities; tanuḥ — the body; samprāpya — after obtaining; tat — of those austere practices; phalam — the fruit.

TRANSLATION

The earth had been emaciated by the summer heat, but she became fully nourished again when moistened by the god of rain. Thus the earth was like a person whose body has been emaciated by austerities undergone for a material purpose, but who again becomes fully nourished when he achieves the fruit of those austerities.

VERSE 10.20.8

niśā-mukheṣu khadyotās
tamasā bhānti na grahāḥ
yathā pāpena pāṣaṇḍā
na hi vedāḥ kalau yuge

SYNONYMS

niśā-mukheṣu — during the moments of evening twilight; khadyotāḥ — the glowworms; tamasā — because of the darkness; bhānti — shine; na — not; grahāḥ — the planets; yathā — as; pāpena — because of sinful activities; pāṣaṇḍāḥ — atheistic doctrines; na — and not; hi — certainly; vedāḥ — the Vedas; kalau yuge — in the Age of Kali.

TRANSLATION

In the evening twilight during the rainy season, the darkness allowed the glowworms but not the stars to shine forth, just as in the Age of Kali the predominance of sinful activities allows atheistic doctrines to overshadow the true knowledge of the Vedas.

VERSE 10.20.9

śrutvā parjanya-ninadaṁ
maṇḍukāḥ sasṛjur giraḥ
tūṣṇīṁ śayānāḥ prāg yadvad
brāhmaṇā niyamātyaye

SYNONYMS

śrutvā — hearing; parjanya — of the rain clouds; ninadam — the resounding; maṇḍukāḥ — the frogs; sasṛjuḥ — emitted; giraḥ — their sounds; tūṣṇīm — silently; śayānāḥ — lying; prāk — previously; yadvat — just as; brāhmaṇāḥ — brāhmaṇa students; niyama-atyaye — after finishing their morning duties.

TRANSLATION

The frogs, who had all along been lying silent, suddenly began croaking when they heard the rumbling of the rain clouds, in the same way that brāhmaṇa students, who perform their morning duties in silence begin reciting their lessons when called by their teacher.

VERSE 10.20.10

āsann utpatha-gāminyaḥ
kṣudra-nadyo ’nuśuṣyatīḥ
puṁso yathāsvatantrasya
deha-draviṇa-sampadaḥ

SYNONYMS

āsan — they became; utpatha-gāminyaḥ — strayed from their courses; kṣudra — insignificant; nadyaḥ — the rivers; anuśuṣyatīḥ — drying up; puṁsaḥ — of a person; yathā — as; asvatantrasya — who is not independent (that is, who is under the control of his senses); deha — the body; draviṇa — physical property; sampadaḥ — and riches.

TRANSLATION

With the advent of the rainy season, the insignificant streams, which had become dry, began to swell and then strayed from their proper courses, like the body, property and money of a man controlled by the urges of his senses.

VERSE 10.20.11

haritā haribhiḥ śaṣpair
indragopaiś ca lohitā
ucchilīndhra-kṛta-cchāyā
nṛṇāṁ śrīr iva bhūr abhūt

SYNONYMS

haritāḥ — greenish; haribhiḥ — which is green; śaṣpaiḥ — because of the newly grown grass; indragopaiḥ — because of the indragopa insects; ca — and; lohitā — reddish; ucchilīndhra — by the mushrooms; kṛta — afforded; chāyā — shelter; nṛṇām — of men; śrīḥ — the opulence; iva — just as; bhūḥ — the earth; abhūt — became.

TRANSLATION

The newly grown grass made the earth emerald green, the indragopa insects added a reddish hue, and white mushrooms added further color and circles of shade. Thus the earth appeared like a person who has suddenly become rich.

VERSE 10.20.12

kṣetrāṇi śaṣya-sampadbhiḥ
karṣakāṇāṁ mudaṁ daduḥ
māninām anutāpaṁ vai
daivādhīnam ajānatām

SYNONYMS

kṣetrāṇi — the fields; śaṣya-sampadbhiḥ — with their wealth of grains; karṣakāṇām — to the farmers; mudam — joy; daduḥ — gave; māninām — to others who are falsely proud; anutāpam — remorse; vai — indeed; daiva-adhīnam — the control of destiny; ajānatām — not understanding.

TRANSLATION

With their wealth of grains, the fields gave joy to the farmers. But those fields created remorse in the hearts of those who were too proud to engage in farming and who failed to understand how everything is under the control of the Supreme.

VERSE 10.20.13

jala-sthalaukasaḥ sarve
nava-vāri-niṣevayā
abibhran ruciraṁ rūpaṁ
yathā hari-niṣevayā

SYNONYMS

jala — of the water; sthala — and the land; okasaḥ — the residents; sarve — all; nava — new; vāri — of the water; niṣevayā — by taking recourse; abibhran — they took on; ruciram — attractive; rūpam — form; yathā — just as; hari-niṣevayā — by rendering devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

As all creatures of the land and water took advantage of the newly fallen rainwater, their forms became attractive and pleasing, just as a devotee becomes beautiful by engaging in the service of the Supreme Lord.

VERSE 10.20.14

saridbhiḥ saṅgataḥ sindhuś
cukṣobha śvasanormimān
apakva-yoginaś cittaṁ
kāmāktaṁ guṇa-yug yathā

SYNONYMS

saridbhiḥ — with the rivers; saṅgataḥ — on account of meeting; sindhuḥ — the ocean; cukṣobha — became agitated; śvasana — blown by the wind; ūrmi-mān — having waves; apakva — immature; yoginaḥ — of a yogī; cittam — the mind; kāma-aktam — tainted with lust; guṇa-yuk — maintaining connection with objects of sense gratification; yathā — just as.

TRANSLATION

Where the rivers joined the ocean it became agitated, its waves blown about by the wind, just as the mind of an immature yogī becomes agitated because he is still tainted by lust and attached to the objects of sense gratification.

VERSE 10.20.15

girayo varṣa-dhārābhir
hanyamānā na vivyathuḥ
abhibhūyamānā vyasanair
yathādhokṣaja-cetasaḥ

SYNONYMS

girayaḥ — the mountains; varṣa-dhārābhiḥ — by the rain-bearing clouds; hanyamānāḥ — being struck; na vivyathuḥ — did not shake; abhibhūyamānāḥ — being attacked; vyasanaiḥ — by dangers; yathā — as; adhokṣaja-cetasaḥ — those whose minds are absorbed in the Supreme Lord.

TRANSLATION

Just as devotees whose minds are absorbed in the Personality of Godhead remain peaceful even when attacked by all sorts of dangers, the mountains in the rainy season were not at all disturbed by the repeated striking of the rain-bearing clouds.

VERSE 10.20.16

mārgā babhūvuḥ sandigdhās
tṛṇaiś channā hy asaṁskṛtāḥ
nābhyasyamānāḥ śrutayo
dvijaiḥ kālena cāhatāḥ

SYNONYMS

mārgāḥ — the roads; babhūvuḥ — became; sandigdhāḥ — obscured; tṛṇaiḥ — by grass; channāḥ — covered over; hi — indeed; asaṁskṛtāḥ — not cleansed; na abhyasyamānāḥ — not being studied; śrutayaḥ — the scriptures; dvijaiḥ — by the brāhmaṇas; kālena — by the effects of time; ca — and; āhatāḥ — corrupted.

TRANSLATION

During the rainy season the roads, not being cleansed, became covered with grass and debris and were thus difficult to make out. These roads were like religious scriptures that brāhmaṇas no longer study and that thus become corrupted and covered over with the passage of time.

VERSE 10.20.17

loka-bandhuṣu megheṣu
vidyutaś cala-sauhṛdāḥ
sthairyaṁ na cakruḥ kāminyaḥ
puruṣeṣu guṇiṣv iva

SYNONYMS

loka — of all the world; bandhuṣu — who are the friends; megheṣu — among the clouds; vidyutaḥ — the lightning; cala-sauhṛdāḥ — fickle in their friendship; sthairyam — steadiness; na cakruḥ — did not maintain; kāminyaḥ — lusty women; puruṣeṣu — among men; guṇiṣu — who are virtuous; iva — as.

TRANSLATION

Though the clouds are the well-wishing friends of all living beings, the lightning, fickle in its affinities, moved from one group of clouds to another, like lusty women unfaithful even to virtuous men.

VERSE 10.20.18

dhanur viyati māhendraṁ
nirguṇaṁ ca guṇiny abhāt
vyakte guṇa-vyatikare
’guṇavān puruṣo yathā

SYNONYMS

dhanuḥ — the bow (rainbow); viyati — within the sky; māhā-indram — of Lord Indra; nirguṇam — without qualities (or without a bowstring); ca — although; guṇini — within the sky, which has definite qualities like sound; abhāt — appeared; vyakte — within the manifest material nature; guṇa-vyatikare — which consists of the interactions of material qualities; aguṇa-vān — He who has no contact with material qualities; puruṣaḥ — the Supreme Personality; yathā — just as.

TRANSLATION

When the curved bow of Indra [the rainbow] appeared in the sky, which had the quality of thundering sound, it was unlike ordinary bows because it did not rest upon a string. Similarly, when the Supreme Lord appears in this world, which is the interaction of the material qualities, He is unlike ordinary persons because He remains free from all material qualities and independent of all material conditions.

VERSE 10.20.19

na rarājoḍupaś channaḥ
sva-jyotsnā-rājitair ghanaiḥ
ahaṁ-matyā bhāsitayā
sva-bhāsā puruṣo yathā

SYNONYMS

na rarāja — did not shine forth; uḍupaḥ — the moon; channaḥ — covered; sva-jyotsnā — by its own light; rājitaiḥ — which are illuminated; ghanaiḥ — by the clouds; aham-matyā — by false ego; bhāsitayā — which is illuminated; sva-bhāsā — by his own luster; puruṣaḥ — the living entity; yathā — as.

TRANSLATION

During the rainy season the moon was prevented from appearing directly by the covering of the clouds, which were themselves illumined by the moon’s rays. Similarly, the living being in material existence is prevented from appearing directly by the covering of the false ego, which is itself illumined by the consciousness of the pure soul.

VERSE 10.20.20

meghāgamotsavā hṛṣṭāḥ
pratyanandañ chikhaṇḍinaḥ
gṛheṣu tapta-nirviṇṇā
yathācyuta-janāgame

SYNONYMS

megha — of clouds; āgama — because of the arrival; utsavāḥ — who celebrate a festival; hṛṣṭāḥ — becoming joyful; pratyanandan — they cried out in greeting; śikhaṇḍinaḥ — the peacocks; gṛheṣu — within their homes; tapta — those who are distressed; nirviṇṇāḥ — and then become happy; yathā — just as; acyuta — of the infallible Personality of Godhead; jana — of the devotees; āgame — upon the arrival.

TRANSLATION

The peacocks became festive and cried out a joyful greeting when they saw the clouds arrive, just as people distressed in household life feel pleasure when the pure devotees of the infallible Supreme Lord visit them.

VERSE 10.20.21

pītvāpaḥ pādapāḥ padbhir
āsan nānātma-mūrtayaḥ
prāk kṣāmās tapasā śrāntā
yathā kāmānusevayā

SYNONYMS

pītvā — having drunk; āpaḥ — water; pāda-pāḥ — the trees; padbhiḥ — with their feet; āsan — assumed; nānā — various; ātma-mūrtayaḥ — bodily features; prāk — previously; kṣāmāḥ — emaciated; tapasā — by austerities; śrāntāḥ — fatigued; yathā — as; kāma-anusevayā — by enjoying acquired desired objects.

TRANSLATION

The trees had grown thin and dry, but after they drank the newly fallen rainwater through their feet, their various bodily features blossomed. Similarly, one whose body has grown thin and weak from austerity again exhibits his healthy bodily features upon enjoying the material objects gained through that austerity.

VERSE 10.20.22

saraḥsv aśānta-rodhaḥsu
nyūṣur aṅgāpi sārasāḥ
gṛheṣv aśānta-kṛtyeṣu
grāmyā iva durāśayāḥ

SYNONYMS

saraḥsu — upon the lakes; aśānta — disturbed; rodhaḥsu — whose banks; nyūṣuḥ — continued to dwell; aṅga — my dear King; api — indeed; sārasāḥ — the cranes; gṛheṣu — in their homes; aśānta — feverish; kṛtyeṣu — where activities are performed; grāmyāḥ — materialistic men; iva — indeed; durāśayāḥ — whose minds are contaminated.

TRANSLATION

The cranes continued dwelling on the shores of the lakes, although the shores were agitated during the rainy season, just as materialistic persons with contaminated minds always remain at home, despite the many disturbances there.

VERSE 10.20.23

jalaughair nirabhidyanta
setavo varṣatīśvare
pāṣaṇḍinām asad-vādair
veda-mārgāḥ kalau yathā

SYNONYMS

jala-oghaiḥ — by the floodwater; nirabhidyanta — became broken; setavaḥ — the dikes; varṣati — when he is showering rain; īśvare — Lord Indra; pāṣaṇḍinām — of the atheists; asat-vādaiḥ — by the false theories; veda-mārgāḥ — the paths of the Vedas; kalau — in the Kali-yuga; yathā — as.

TRANSLATION

When Indra sent forth his rains, the floodwaters broke through the irrigation dikes in the agricultural fields, just as in the Kali-yuga the atheists’ false theories break down the boundaries of Vedic injunctions.

VERSE 10.20.24

vyamuñcan vāyubhir nunnā
bhūtebhyaś cāmṛtaṁ ghanāḥ
yathāśiṣo viś-patayaḥ
kāle kāle dvijeritāḥ

SYNONYMS

vyamuñcan — they released; vāyubhiḥ — by the winds; nunnāḥ — impelled; bhūtebhyaḥ — to all living beings; ca — and; amṛtam — their nectarean water; ghanāḥ — the clouds; yathā — as; āśiṣaḥ — charitable benedictions; viṭ-patayaḥ — kings; kāle kāle — from time to time; dvija — by the brāhmaṇas; īritāḥ — encouraged.

TRANSLATION

The clouds, impelled by the winds, released their nectarean water for the benefit of all living beings, just as kings, instructed by their brāhmaṇa priests, dispense charity to the citizens.

VERSE 10.20.25

evaṁ vanaṁ tad varṣiṣṭhaṁ
pakva-kharjura-jambumat
go-gopālair vṛto rantuṁ
sa-balaḥ prāviśad dhariḥ

SYNONYMS

evam — thus; vanam — forest; tat — that; varṣiṣṭham — most resplendent; pakva — ripe; kharjura — dates; jambu — and jambu fruits; mat — having; go — by the cows; gopālaiḥ — and the cowherd boys; vṛtaḥ — surrounded; rantum — with the purpose of playing; sa-balaḥ — accompanied by Lord Balarāma; prāviśat — He entered; hariḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa.

TRANSLATION

When the Vṛndāvana forest had thus become resplendent, filled with ripe dates and jambu fruits, Lord Kṛṣṇa, surrounded by His cows and cowherd boyfriends and accompanied by Śrī Balarāma, entered that forest to enjoy.

VERSE 10.20.26

dhenavo manda-gāminya
ūdho-bhāreṇa bhūyasā
yayur bhagavatāhūtā
drutaṁ prītyā snuta-stanāḥ

SYNONYMS

dhenavaḥ — the cows; manda-gāminyaḥ — moving slowly; ūdhaḥ — of their udders; bhāreṇa — because of the weight; bhūyasā — very great; yayuḥ — they went; bhagavatā — by the Lord; āhūtāḥ — being called; drutam — quickly; prītyā — out of affection; snuta — wet; stanāḥ — their udders.

TRANSLATION

The cows had to move slowly because of their weighty milk bags, but they quickly ran to the Supreme Personality of Godhead as soon as He called them, their affection for Him causing their udders to become wet.

VERSE 10.20.27

vanaukasaḥ pramuditā
vana-rājīr madhu-cyutaḥ
jala-dhārā girer nādād
āsannā dadṛśe guhāḥ

SYNONYMS

vana-okasaḥ — the aborigine girls of the forest; pramuditāḥ — joyful; vana-rājīḥ — the trees of the forest; madhu-cyutaḥ — dripping sweet sap; jala-dhārāḥ — waterfalls; gireḥ — on the mountains; nādāt — from their resounding; āsannāḥ — nearby; dadṛśe — He observed; guhāḥ — caves.

TRANSLATION

The Lord saw the joyful aborigine girls of the forest, the trees dripping sweet sap, and the mountain waterfalls, whose resounding indicated that there were caves nearby.

VERSE 10.20.28

kvacid vanaspati-kroḍe
guhāyāṁ cābhivarṣati
nirviśya bhagavān reme
kanda-mūla-phalāśanaḥ

SYNONYMS

kvacit — sometimes; vanaspati — of a tree; kroḍe — in the hollow; guhāyām — in a cave; ca — or; abhivarṣati — when it was raining; nirviśya — entering; bhagavān — the Supreme Lord; reme — enjoyed; kanda-mūla — roots; phala — and fruits; aśanaḥ — eating.

TRANSLATION

When it rained, the Lord would sometimes enter a cave or the hollow of a tree to play and to eat roots and fruits.

VERSE 10.20.29

dadhy-odanaṁ samānītaṁ
śilāyāṁ salilāntike
sambhojanīyair bubhuje
gopaiḥ saṅkarṣaṇānvitaḥ

SYNONYMS

dadhi-odanam — boiled rice mixed with yogurt; samānītam — sent; śīlāyām — on a stone; salila-antike — near the water; sambhojanīyaiḥ — who would take meals with Him; bubhuje — He ate; gopaiḥ — together with the cowherd boys; saṅkarṣaṇa-anvitaḥ — in the company of Lord Balarāma.

TRANSLATION

Lord Kṛṣṇa would take His meal of boiled rice and yogurt, sent from home, in the company of Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa and the cowherd boys who regularly ate with Him. They would all sit down to eat on a large stone near the water.

VERSE 10.20.30-31

śādvalopari saṁviśya
carvato mīlitekṣaṇān
tṛptān vṛṣān vatsatarān
gāś ca svodho-bhara-śramāḥ

prāvṛṭ-śriyaṁ ca tāṁ vīkṣya
sarva-kāla-sukhāvahām
bhagavān pūjayāṁ cakre
ātma-śakty-upabṛṁhitām

SYNONYMS

śādvala — a grassy patch; upari — upon; saṁviśya — sitting; carvataḥ — who were grazing; mīlita — closed; īkṣaṇān — their eyes; tṛptān — satisfied; vṛṣān — the bulls; vatsatarān — the calves; gāḥ — the cows; ca — and; sva — their own; ūdhaḥ — of the milk bags; bhara — by the weight; śramāḥ — fatigued; prāvṛṭ — of the rainy season; śriyam — the opulence; ca — and; tām — that; vīkṣya — seeing; sarva-kāla — always; sukha — pleasure; āvahām — giving; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pūjayām cakre — honored; ātma-śakti — from His internal potency; upabṛṁhitām — expanded.

TRANSLATION

Lord Kṛṣṇa watched the contented bulls, calves and cows sitting on the green grass and grazing with closed eyes, and He saw that the cows were tired from the burden of their heavy milk bags. Thus observing the beauty and opulence of Vṛndāvana’s rainy season, a perennial source of great happiness, the Lord offered all respect to that season, which was expanded from His own internal potency.

VERSE 10.20.32

evaṁ nivasatos tasmin
rāma-keśavayor vraje
śarat samabhavad vyabhrā
svacchāmbv-aparuṣānilā

SYNONYMS

evam — in this manner; nivasatoḥ — while the two of Them were dwelling; tasmin — in that; rāma-keśavayoḥ — Lord Rāma and Lord Keśava; vraje — in Vṛndāvana; śarat — the fall season; samabhavat — became fully manifest; vyabhrā — free from clouds in the sky; svaccha-ambu — in which the water was clear; aparuṣa-anilā — and the wind was gentle.

TRANSLATION

While Lord Rāma and Lord Keśava were thus dwelling in Vṛndāvana, the fall season arrived, when the sky is cloudless, the water clear and the wind gentle.

VERSE 10.20.33

śaradā nīrajotpattyā
nīrāṇi prakṛtiṁ yayuḥ
bhraṣṭānām iva cetāṁsi
punar yoga-niṣevayā

SYNONYMS

śaradā — by the effect of the autumn season; nīraja — the lotus flowers; utpattyā — which regenerates; nīrāṇi — the bodies of water; prakṛtim — to their natural state (of cleanliness); yayuḥ — returned; bhraṣṭānām — of those who are fallen; iva — just as; cetāṁsi — the minds; punaḥ — once again; yoga — of devotional service; niṣevayā — by practice.

TRANSLATION

The autumn season, which regenerated the lotus flowers, also restored the various bodies of water to their original purity, just as the process of devotional service purifies the minds of the fallen yogīs when they return to it.

VERSE 10.20.34

vyomno ’bbhraṁ bhūta-śābalyaṁ
bhuvaḥ paṅkam apāṁ malam
śaraj jahārāśramiṇāṁ
kṛṣṇe bhaktir yathāśubham

SYNONYMS

vyomnaḥ — in the sky; ap-bhram — the clouds; bhūta — of the animals; śābalyam — the crowded condition; bhuvaḥ — of the earth; paṅkam — the muddy covering; apām — of the water; malam — the contamination; śarat — the autumn season; jahāra — removed; āśramiṇām — of the members of the four different spiritual orders of human society; kṛṣṇe — for Lord Kṛṣṇa; bhaktiḥ — devotional service; yathā — just as; aśubham — all inauspiciousness.

TRANSLATION

Autumn cleared the sky of clouds, let the animals get out of their crowded living conditions, cleaned the earth of its covering of mud, and purified the water of contamination, in the same way that loving service rendered to Lord Kṛṣṇa frees the members of the four spiritual orders from their respective troubles.

VERSE 10.20.35

sarva-svaṁ jaladā hitvā
virejuḥ śubhra-varcasaḥ
yathā tyaktaiṣaṇāḥ śāntā
munayo mukta-kilbiṣāḥ

SYNONYMS

sarva-svam — everything they possess; jala-dāḥ — the clouds; hitvā — having given up; virejuḥ — shone forth; śubhra — pure; varcasaḥ — their effulgence; yathā — just as; tyakta-eṣaṇāḥ — who have given up all desires; śāntāḥ — pacified; munayaḥ — sages; mukta-kilbiṣāḥ — freed from evil propensities.

TRANSLATION

The clouds, having given up all they possessed, shone forth with purified effulgence, just like peaceful sages who have given up all material desires and are thus free of all sinful propensities.

VERSE 10.20.36

girayo mumucus toyaṁ
kvacin na mumucuḥ śivam
yathā jñānāmṛtaṁ kāle
jñānino dadate na vā

SYNONYMS

girayaḥ — the mountains; mumucuḥ — released; toyam — their water; kvacit — sometimes; na mumucuḥ — they did not release; śivam — pure; yathā — just as; jñāna — of transcendental knowledge; amṛtam — the nectar; kāle — at the appropriate time; jñāninaḥ — experts in spiritual knowledge; dadate — bestow; na — or not.

TRANSLATION

During this season the mountains sometimes released their pure water and sometimes did not, just as experts in transcendental science sometimes give the nectar of transcendental knowledge and sometimes do not.

VERSE 10.20.37

naivāvidan kṣīyamāṇaṁ
jalaṁ gādha-jale-carāḥ
yathāyur anv-ahaṁ kṣayyaṁ
narā mūḍhāḥ kuṭumbinaḥ

SYNONYMS

na — not; eva — indeed; avidan — appreciated; kṣīyamāṇam — diminishing; jalam — the water; gādha-jale — in shallow water; carāḥ — those who move; yathā — as; āyuḥ — their life span; anu-aham — every day; kṣayyam — diminishing; narāḥ — men; mūḍhāḥ — foolish; kuṭumbinaḥ — living with family members.

TRANSLATION

The fish swimming in the increasingly shallow water did not at all understand that the water was diminishing, just as foolish family men cannot see how the time they have left to live is diminishing with every passing day.

VERSE 10.20.38

gādha-vāri-carās tāpam
avindañ charad-arka-jam
yathā daridraḥ kṛpaṇaḥ
kuṭumby avijitendriyaḥ

SYNONYMS

gādha-vāri-carāḥ — those who were moving in shallow water; tāpam — suffering; avindan — experienced; śarat-arka-jam — due to the sun in the autumn season; yathā — as; daridraḥ — a poor person; kṛpaṇaḥ — miserly; kuṭumbī — absorbed in family life; avijita-indriyaḥ — who has not controlled the senses.

TRANSLATION

Just as a miserly, poverty-stricken person overly absorbed in family life suffers because he cannot control his senses, the fish swimming in the shallow water had to suffer the heat of the autumn sun.

VERSE 10.20.39

śanaiḥ śanair jahuḥ paṅkaṁ
sthalāny āmaṁ ca vīrudhaḥ
yathāhaṁ-mamatāṁ dhīrāḥ
śarīrādiṣv anātmasu

SYNONYMS

śanaiḥ śanaiḥ — very gradually; jahuḥ — gave up; paṅkam — their mud; sthalāni — the places of land; āmam — their unripe condition; ca — and; vīrudhaḥ — the plants; yathā — as; aham-mamatām — egotism and possessiveness; dhīrāḥ — sober sages; śarīra-ādiṣu — focused upon the material body and other external objects; anātmasu — which are completely distinct from the real self.

TRANSLATION

Gradually the different areas of land gave up their muddy condition and the plants grew past their unripe stage, in the same way that sober sages give up egotism and possessiveness. These are based on things different from the real self, namely, the material body and its by-products.

VERSE 10.20.40

niścalāmbur abhūt tūṣṇīṁ
samudraḥ śarad-āgame
ātmany uparate samyaṅ
munir vyuparatāgamaḥ

SYNONYMS

niścala — motionless; ambuḥ — its water; abhūt — became; tūṣnīm — quiet; samudraḥ — the ocean; śarat — of the fall season; āgame — with the coming; ātmani — when the self; uparate — has desisted from material activities; samyak — completely; muniḥ — a sage; vyuparata — giving up; āgamaḥ — recitation of the Vedic mantras.

TRANSLATION

With the arrival of autumn, the ocean and the lakes became silent, their water still, just like a sage who has desisted from all material activities and given up his recitation of Vedic mantras.

VERSE 10.20.41

kedārebhyas tv apo ’gṛhṇan
karṣakā dṛḍha-setubhiḥ
yathā prāṇaiḥ sravaj jñānaṁ
tan-nirodhena yoginaḥ

SYNONYMS

kedārebhyaḥ — from the flooded fields of rice paddy; tu — and; apaḥ — the water; agṛhṇan — took; karṣakāḥ — the farmers; dṛḍha — strong; setubhiḥ — with dikes; yathā — as; prāṇaiḥ — through the senses; sravat — flowing out; jñānam — consciousness; tat — of those senses; nirodhena — by the strict control; yoginaḥ — yogīs.

TRANSLATION

In the same way that the practitioners of yoga bring their senses under strict control to check their consciousness from flowing out through the agitated senses, the farmers erected strong mud banks to keep the water within their rice fields from draining out.

VERSE 10.20.42

śarad-arkāṁśu-jāṁs tāpān
bhūtānām uḍupo ’harat
dehābhimāna-jaṁ bodho
mukundo vraja-yoṣitām

SYNONYMS

śarat-arka — of the autumn sun; aṁśu — from the rays; jān — generated; tāpān — suffering; bhūtānām — of all creatures; uḍupaḥ — the moon; aharat — has taken away; deha — with the material body; abhimāna-jam — based on false identification; bodhaḥ — wisdom; mukundaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; vraja-yoṣitām — of the women of Vṛndāvana.

TRANSLATION

The autumn moon relieved all creatures of the suffering caused by the sun’s rays, just as wisdom relieves a person of the misery caused by his identifying with his material body and as Lord Mukunda relieves Vṛndāvana’s ladies of the distress caused by their separation from Him.

VERSE 10.20.43

kham aśobhata nirmeghaṁ
śarad-vimala-tārakam
sattva-yuktaṁ yathā cittaṁ
śabda-brahmārtha-darśanam

SYNONYMS

kham — the sky; aśobhata — shone brilliantly; nirmegham — free from clouds; śarat — in the fall; vimala — clear; tārakam — and starry; sattva-yuktam — endowed with (spiritual) goodness; yathā — just as; cittam — the mind; śabda-brahma — of the Vedic scripture; artha — the purport; darśanam — which directly experiences.

TRANSLATION

Free of clouds and filled with clearly visible stars, the autumn sky shone brilliantly, just like the spiritual consciousness of one who has directly experienced the purport of the Vedic scriptures.

VERSE 10.20.44

akhaṇḍa-maṇḍalo vyomni
rarājoḍu-gaṇaiḥ śaśī
yathā yadu-patiḥ kṛṣṇo
vṛṣṇi-cakrāvṛto bhuvi

SYNONYMS

akhaṇḍa — unbroken; maṇḍalaḥ — its sphere; vyomni — in the sky; rarāja — shone forth; uḍu-gaṇaiḥ — along with the stars; śaśī — the moon; yathā — as; yadu-patiḥ — the master of the Yadu dynasty; kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; vṛṣṇi-cakra — by the circle of Vṛṣṇis; āvṛtaḥ — surrounded; bhuvi — upon the earth.

TRANSLATION

The full moon shone in the sky, surrounded by stars, just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the Yadu dynasty, shone brilliantly on the earth, surrounded by all the Vṛṣṇis.

VERSE 10.20.45

āśliṣya sama-śītoṣṇaṁ
prasūna-vana-mārutam
janās tāpaṁ jahur gopyo
na kṛṣṇa-hṛta-cetasaḥ

SYNONYMS

āśliṣya — embracing; sama — equal; śīta-uṣṇam — between cold and heat; prasūna-vana — of the forest of flowers; mārutam — the wind; janāḥ — the people in general; tāpam — suffering; jahuḥ — were able to abandon; gopyaḥ — the gopīs; na — not; kṛṣṇa — by Lord Kṛṣṇa; hṛta — stolen; cetasaḥ — whose hearts.

TRANSLATION

Except for the gopīs, whose hearts had been stolen by Kṛṣṇa, the people could forget their suffering by embracing the wind coming from the flower-filled forest. This wind was neither hot nor cold.

VERSE 10.20.46

gāvo mṛgāḥ khagā nāryaḥ
puṣpiṇyaḥ śaradābhavan
anvīyamānāḥ sva-vṛṣaiḥ
phalair īśa-kriyā iva

SYNONYMS

gāvaḥ — the cows; mṛgāḥ — the female deer; khagāḥ — the female birds; nāryaḥ — the women; puṣpiṇyaḥ — in their fertile periods; śaradā — because of the autumn; abhavan — became; anvīyamānāḥ — followed; sva-vṛṣaiḥ — by their respective mates; phalaiḥ — by good results; īśa-kriyāḥ — activities performed in service to the Supreme Lord; iva — as.

TRANSLATION

By the influence of the autumn season, all the cows, doe, women and female birds became fertile and were followed by their respective mates in search of sexual enjoyment, just as activities performed for the service of the Supreme Lord are automatically followed by all beneficial results.

VERSE 10.20.47

udahṛṣyan vārijāni
sūryotthāne kumud vinā
rājñā tu nirbhayā lokā
yathā dasyūn vinā nṛpa

SYNONYMS

udahṛṣyan — blossomed abundantly; vāri-jāni — the lotuses; sūrya — the sun; utthāne — when it had arisen; kumut — the night-blooming kumut lotus; vinā — except; rājñā — because of the presence of a king; tu — indeed; nirbhayāḥ — fearless; lokāḥ — the populace; yathā — as; dasyūn — the thieves; vinā — except for; nṛpa — O King.

TRANSLATION

O King Parīkṣit, when the autumn sun rose, all the lotus flowers blossomed happily, except the night-blooming kumut, just as in the presence of a strong ruler everyone becomes fearless, except the thieves.

VERSE 10.20.48

pura-grāmeṣv āgrayaṇair
indriyaiś ca mahotsavaiḥ
babhau bhūḥ pakva-śaṣyāḍhyā
kalābhyāṁ nitarāṁ hareḥ

SYNONYMS

pura — in the towns; grāmeṣu — and villages; āgrayaṇaiḥ — with performances of the Vedic sacrifice for tasting the first grains of the new harvest; indriyaiḥ — with other (worldly) celebrations; ca — and; mahā-utsavaiḥ — great celebrations; babhau — shone; bhūḥ — the earth; pakva — ripe; śaṣya — with her grains; āḍhyā — rich; kalā — she who is the expansion of the Lord; ābhyām — with those two (Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma); nitarām — very much; hareḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

In all the towns and villages people held great festivals, performing the Vedic fire sacrifice for honoring and tasting the first grains of the new harvest, along with similar celebrations that followed local custom and tradition. Thus the earth, rich with newly grown grain and especially beautified by the presence of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, shone beautifully as an expansion of the Supreme Lord.

VERSE 10.20.49

vaṇiṅ-muni-nṛpa-snātā
nirgamyārthān prapedire
varṣa-ruddhā yathā siddhāḥ
sva-piṇḍān kāla āgate

SYNONYMS

vaṇik — the merchants; muni — renunciant sages; nṛpa — kings; snātāḥ — and brahmacārī students; nirgamya — going out; arthān — their desired objects; prapedire — obtained; varṣa — by the rain; ruddhāḥ — checked; yathā — as; siddhāḥ — perfected persons; sva-piṇḍān — the forms they aspire for; kāle — when the time; āgate — has come.

TRANSLATION

The merchants, sages, kings and brahmacārī students, kept in by the rain, were at last free to go out and attain their desired objects, just as those who achieve perfection in this life can, when the proper time comes, leave the material body and attain their respective forms.