Śrīmad Bhāgavatam|Canto 10 Chapter 28

Kṛṣṇa Rescues Nanda Mahārāja from the Abode of Varuṇa

VERSE 10.28.1

śrī-bādarāyaṇir uvāca

ekādaśyāṁ nirāhāraḥ
samabhyarcya janārdanam
snātuṁ nandas tu kālindyāṁ
dvādaśyāṁ jalam āviśat

SYNONYMS

śrī-bādarāyaṇiḥ uvāca — Śrī Bādarāyaṇi (Śukadeva Gosvāmī) said; ekādaśyām — on Ekādaśī (the eleventh day of the lunar month); nirāhāraḥ — fasting; samabhyarcya — having worshiped; janārdanam — Lord Janārdana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; snātum — in order to bathe (before breaking the fast at its prescribed completion); nandaḥ — Nanda Mahārāja; tu — but; kālindyām — in the river Yamunā; dvādaśyām — on the twelfth day; jalam — the water; āviśat — entered.

TRANSLATION

Śrī Bādarāyaṇi said: Having worshiped Lord Janārdana and fasted on the Ekādaśī day, Nanda Mahārāja entered the water of the Kālindī on the Dvādaśī to take his bath.

VERSE 10.28.2

taṁ gṛhītvānayad bhṛtyo
varuṇasyāsuro ’ntikam
avajñāyāsurīṁ velāṁ
praviṣṭam udakaṁ niśi

SYNONYMS

tam — him; gṛhītvā — seizing; anayat — brought; bhṛtyaḥ — a servant; varuṇasya — of Varuṇa, the lord of the sea; asuraḥ — demon; antikam — to the presence (of his master); avajñāya — who had disregarded; āsurīm — the inauspicious; velām — time; praviṣṭam — having entered; udakam — the water; niśi — during the night.

TRANSLATION

Because Nanda Mahārāja entered the water in the dark of night, disregarding that the time was inauspicious, a demoniac servant of Varuṇa seized him and brought him to his master.

VERSE 10.28.3

cukruśus tam apaśyantaḥ
kṛṣṇa rāmeti gopakāḥ
bhagavāṁs tad upaśrutya
pitaraṁ varuṇāhṛtam
tad-antikaṁ gato rājan
svānām abhaya-do vibhuḥ

SYNONYMS

cukruśuḥ — they called out loudly; tam — him, Nanda; apaśyantaḥ — not seeing; kṛṣṇa — O Kṛṣṇa; rāma — O Rāma; iti — thus; gopakāḥ — the cowherd men; bhagavān — the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa; tat — that; upaśrutya — hearing; pitaram — His father; varuṇa — by Varuṇa; āhṛtam — taken away; tat — of Varuṇa; antikam — to the presence; gataḥ — went; rājan — my dear King Parīkṣit; svānām — of His own devotees; abhaya — of fearlessness; daḥ — the giver; vibhuḥ — the almighty Lord.

TRANSLATION

O King, not seeing Nanda Mahārāja, the cowherd men loudly cried out, “O Kṛṣṇa! O Rāma!” Lord Kṛṣṇa heard their cries and understood that His father had been captured by Varuṇa. Therefore the almighty Lord, who makes His devotees fearless, went to the court of Varuṇadeva.

VERSE 10.28.4

prāptaṁ vīkṣya hṛṣīkeśaṁ
loka-pālaḥ saparyayā
mahatyā pūjayitvāha
tad-darśana-mahotsavaḥ

SYNONYMS

prāptam — arrived; vīkṣya — seeing; hṛṣīkeśam — Lord Kṛṣṇa, the controller of the senses; loka — of that planet (the watery regions); pālaḥ — the presiding deity (Varuṇa); saparyayā — with respectful offerings; mahatyā — elaborate; pūjayitvā — worshiping; āha — spoke; tat — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; darśana — from the sight; mahā — great; utsavaḥ — jubilant pleasure.

TRANSLATION

Seeing that the Lord, Hṛṣīkeśa, had arrived, the demigod Varuṇa worshiped Him with elaborate offerings. Varuṇa was in a state of great jubilation upon seeing the Lord, and he spoke as follows.

VERSE 10.28.5

śrī-varuṇa uvāca

adya me nibhṛto deho
’dyaivārtho ’dhigataḥ prabho
tvat-pāda-bhājo bhagavann
avāpuḥ pāram adhvanaḥ

SYNONYMS

śrī-varuṇaḥ uvāca — Śrī Varuṇa said; adya — today; me — by me; nibhṛtaḥ — is carried successfully; dehaḥ — my material body; adya — today; eva — indeed; arthaḥ — the goal of life; adhigataḥ — is experienced; prabho — O Lord; tvat — Your; pāda — the lotus feet; bhājaḥ — those who serve; bhagavan — O Supreme Personality; avāpuḥ — have achieved; pāram — the state of transcendence; adhvanaḥ — of the path (of material existence).

TRANSLATION

Śrī Varuṇa said: Now my body has fulfilled its function. Indeed, now the goal of my life is achieved, O Lord. Those who accept Your lotus feet, O Personality of Godhead, can transcend the path of material existence.

VERSE 10.28.6

namas tubhyaṁ bhagavate
brahmaṇe paramātmane
na yatra śrūyate māyā
loka-sṛṣṭi-vikalpanā

SYNONYMS

namaḥ — obeisances; tubhyam — unto You; bhagavate — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; brahmaṇe — the Absolute Truth; parama-ātmane — the Supreme Soul; na — not; yatra — in whom; śrūyate — is heard of; māyā — the illusory, material energy; loka — of this world; sṛṣṭi — the creation; vikalpanā — which arranges.

TRANSLATION

My obeisances unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Soul, within whom there is no trace of the illusory energy, which orchestrates the creation of this world.

VERSE 10.28.7

ajānatā māmakena
mūḍhenākārya-vedinā
ānīto ’yaṁ tava pitā
tad bhavān kṣantum arhati

SYNONYMS

ajānatā — by one who was ignorant; māmakena — by my servant; mūḍhena — foolish; akārya-vedinā — not knowing his proper duty; ānītaḥ — was brought; ayam — this person; tava — Your; pitā — father; tat — that; bhavān — Your good self; kṣantum arhati — should please forgive.

TRANSLATION

Your father, who is sitting here, was brought to me by a foolish, ignorant servant of mine who did not understand his proper duty. Therefore, please forgive us.

VERSE 10.28.8

mamāpy anugrahaṁ kṛṣṇa
kartum arhasy aśeṣa-dṛk
govinda nīyatām eṣa
pitā te pitṛ-vatsala

SYNONYMS

mama — to me; api — even; anugraham — mercy; kṛṣṇa — O Lord Kṛṣṇa; kartum arhasi — please do; aśeṣa — of everything; dṛk — O You who see; govinda — O Govinda; nīyatām — may he be taken; eṣaḥ — this; pitā — father; te — Your; pitṛ-vatsala — O You who are most affectionate to Your parents.

TRANSLATION

O Kṛṣṇa, O seer of everything, please give Your mercy even to me. O Govinda, You are most affectionate to Your father. Please take him home.

VERSE 10.28.9

śrī-śuka uvāca

evaṁ prasāditaḥ kṛṣṇo
bhagavān īśvareśvaraḥ
ādāyāgāt sva-pitaraṁ
bandhūnāṁ cāvahan mudam

SYNONYMS

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; evam — thus; prasāditaḥ — satisfied; kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; īśvara — of all controllers; īśvaraḥ — the supreme controller; ādāya — taking; agāt — went; sva-pitaram — His father; bandhūnām — to His relatives; ca — and; āvahan — bringing; mudam — pleasure.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus satisfied by Lord Varuṇa, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord of lords, took His father and returned home, where their relatives were overjoyed to see them.

VERSE 10.28.10

nandas tv atīndriyaṁ dṛṣṭvā
loka-pāla-mahodayam
kṛṣṇe ca sannatiṁ teṣāṁ
jñātibhyo vismito ’bravīt

SYNONYMS

nandaḥ — Nanda Mahārāja; tu — and; atīndriyam — not seen before; dṛṣṭvā — seeing; loka-pāla — of the controlling deity of the (ocean) planet, Varuṇa; mahā-udayam — the great opulence; kṛṣṇe — unto Kṛṣṇa; ca — and; sannatim — the offering of obeisances; teṣām — by them (Varuṇa and his followers); jñātibhyaḥ — to his friends and relatives; vismitaḥ — amazed; abravīt — spoke.

TRANSLATION

Nanda Mahārāja had been astonished to see for the first time the great opulence of Varuṇa, the ruler of the ocean planet, and also to see how Varuṇa and his servants had offered such humble respect to Kṛṣṇa. Nanda described all this to his fellow cowherd men.

VERSE 10.28.11

te cautsukya-dhiyo rājan
matvā gopās tam īśvaram
api naḥ sva-gatiṁ sūkṣmām
upādhāsyad adhīśvaraḥ

SYNONYMS

te — they; ca — and; autsukya — full of eagerness; dhiyaḥ — their minds; rājan — O King Parīkṣit; matvā — thinking; gopāḥ — the cowherd men; tam — Him; īśvaram — the Supreme Lord; api — perhaps; naḥ — to us; sva-gatim — His own abode; sūkṣmām — transcendental; upādhāsyat — is going to bestow; adhīśvaraḥ — the supreme controller.

TRANSLATION

[Hearing about Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes with Varuṇa,] the cowherd men considered that Kṛṣṇa must be the Supreme Lord, and their minds, O King, were filled with eagerness. They thought, “Will the Supreme Lord bestow upon us His transcendental abode?”

VERSE 10.28.12

iti svānāṁ sa bhagavān
vijñāyākhila-dṛk svayam
saṅkalpa-siddhaye teṣāṁ
kṛpayaitad acintayat

SYNONYMS

iti — such; svānām — of His personal devotees; saḥ — He; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vijñāya — understanding; akhila-dṛk — the seer of everything; svayam — Himself; saṅkalpa — of the imagined desire; siddhaye — for the realization; teṣām — their; kṛpayā — compassionately; etat — this (as follows in the next verse); acintayat — thought.

TRANSLATION

Because He sees everything, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, automatically understood what the cowherd men were conjecturing. Wanting to show His compassion to them by fulfilling their desires, the Lord thought as follows.

VERSE 10.28.13

jano vai loka etasminn
avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ
uccāvacāsu gatiṣu
na veda svāṁ gatiṁ bhraman

SYNONYMS

janaḥ — people; vai — certainly; loke — in the world; etasmin — this; avidyā — without knowledge; kāma — because of desires; karmabhiḥ — by activities; ucca — among superior; avacāsu — and inferior; gatiṣu — destinations; na veda — does not recognize; svām — his own; gatim — destination; bhraman — wandering.

TRANSLATION

[Lord Kṛṣṇa thought:] Certainly people in this world are wandering among higher and lower destinations, which they achieve through activities performed according to their desires and without full knowledge. Thus people do not know their real destination.

VERSE 10.28.14

iti sañcintya bhagavān
mahā-kāruṇiko hariḥ
darśayām āsa lokaṁ svaṁ
gopānāṁ tamasaḥ param

SYNONYMS

iti — in these words; sañcintya — considering to Himself; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mahā-kāruṇikaḥ — the most merciful; hariḥ — Lord Hari; darśayām āsa — showed; lokam — the planet, Vaikuṇṭha; svam — His own; gopānām — to the cowherd men; tamasaḥ — material darkness; param — beyond.

TRANSLATION

Thus deeply considering the situation, the all-merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari revealed to the cowherd men His abode, which is beyond material darkness.

VERSE 10.28.15

satyaṁ jñānam anantaṁ yad
brahma-jyotiḥ sanātanam
yad dhi paśyanti munayo
guṇāpāye samāhitāḥ

SYNONYMS

satyam — indestructible; jñānam — knowledge; anantam — unlimited; yat — which; brahma — the absolute; jyotiḥ — effulgence; sanātanam — eternal; yat — which; hi — indeed; paśyanti — see; munayaḥ — sages; guṇa — the modes of material nature; apāye — when they subside; samāhitāḥ — absorbed in trance.

TRANSLATION

Lord Kṛṣṇa revealed the indestructible spiritual effulgence, which is unlimited, conscious and eternal. Sages see that spiritual existence in trance, when their consciousness is free of the modes of material nature.

VERSE 10.28.16

te tu brahma-hradam nītā
magnāḥ kṛṣṇena coddhṛtāḥ
dadṛśur brahmaṇo lokaṁ
yatrākrūro ’dhyagāt purā

SYNONYMS

te — they; tu — and; brahma-hradam — to the lake known as Brahma-hrada; nītāḥ — brought; magnāḥ — submerged; kṛṣṇena — by Kṛṣṇa; ca — and; uddhṛtāḥ — lifted out; dadṛśuḥ — they saw; brahmaṇaḥ — of the Absolute Truth; lokam — the transcendental planet; yatra — where; akrūraḥ — Akrūra; adhyagāt — saw; purā — previously.

TRANSLATION

The cowherd men were brought by Lord Kṛṣṇa to the Brahma-hrada, made to submerge in the water, and then lifted up. From the same vantage point that Akrūra saw the spiritual world, the cowherd men saw the planet of the Absolute Truth.

VERSE 10.28.17

nandādayas tu taṁ dṛṣṭvā
paramānanda-nivṛtāḥ
kṛṣṇaṁ ca tatra cchandobhiḥ
stūyamānaṁ su-vismitāḥ

SYNONYMS

nanda-ādayaḥ — the cowherd men headed by Nanda Mahārāja; tu — and; tam — that; dṛṣṭvā — seeing; parama — supreme; ānanda — by ecstasy; nivṛtāḥ — overwhelmed with joy; kṛṣṇam — Lord Kṛṣṇa; ca — and; tatra — there; chandobhiḥ — by the Vedic hymns; stūyamānam — being praised; su — very much; vismitāḥ — surprised.

TRANSLATION

Nanda Mahārāja and the other cowherd men felt the greatest happiness when they saw that transcendental abode. They were especially amazed to see Kṛṣṇa Himself there, surrounded by the personified Vedas, who were offering Him prayers.