(O janamejaya,) In this way kR^iShNa and saMkarShaNa spent their childhood. They completed seven years in the same vraja.

They were dressed in blue (saMkarShaNa) and yellow (kR^iShNa) clothes. Their bodies were smeared with yellow and white (sandal) pastes. They became keepers of calves. Both had hair locks.

The boys with beautiful faces, blew whistles made of palm leaves, which were pleasant to hear. They dazzled in the forest, looking like three-headed snakes (while blowing whistles).

They wore peacock feathers on arms and ears. They wore crowns of leaves on their heads Their chests had garlands of forest flowers. Thus they looked like young trees.

Their heads were decorated with lotus flowers. They wore sacred threads made of ropes. They carried swings of ropes suspended from either ends of a pole, gourds and water vessels. They played flutes among the gopa-s.

They laughed looking at each other at some places. They played with each other at some other places. They slept on beds made of leaves. Sometimes they lied down closing their eyes.

In this way they took care of the calves and dazzled in the great forest. They freely wandered about like two young restless horses.

One day, the handsome dAmodara (kR^iShNa) told sa~NkarShaNa: "Brother, It is not possible to play with gopa-s in this forest any more.

We are seeing all this again and again. This forest is consumed by us. There is no more grass and fire-wood and the trees are destroyed by gopa-s.

These woods and forests were dense They are thin now. Without leaves, open skies can be seen (through the forest) easily.

There were trees surrounding the cowshed with locked doors. All those inexhaustible trees have gone, being consumed for fire-wood in vraja.

Fire-wood and grass were available nearby earlier. We have to search for these on grounds located far way.

This forest has very little water and grass. It is devoid of any supports. The rest-places have to be searched for. The trees are rare. The situation is pathetic.

The trees are no longer productive. The birds living on these trees have left. The large number of inhabitants have cut down many trees.

There is no happiness here. There is nothing to be enjoyed. The air is useless. The forest is empty without birds like food without condiment.

vikrIyamANaiH kAShThaishcha shAkaishcha vanasaMbhavaiH |
uchChinnasa~nchayatR^iNairghoSho.ayaM nagarAyate ||2-8-16

The fire-wood and leafy vegetables of this forest are sold (for a livelihood ). Without any grass, the vraja looks like a city.

shailAnAM bhUShaNaM ghoSho ghoShANAM bhUShaNaM vanam |
vanAnAM bhUShaNaM gAvastAshchAsmAkaM parA gatiH ||2-8-17

vraja-s are decoration of hills. Forests are decoration of vraja-s. Cows are decoration of forests. Cows are our greatest assets.

tasmAdanyadvanaM yAmaH pratyagrayavasendhanam |
ichChantyanupabhuktAni gAvo bhoktuM tR^iNAni cha ||2-8-18

Therefore, we should go to another forest where grass and fire-wood are available in plenty. The cows like to eat new green grass which they have not eaten before.

tasmAdvanaM navatR^iNaM gachChantu dhanino vrajAH |
na dvArabandhAvaraNA na gR^ihakShetriNastathA |
prashastA vai vrajA loke yathA vai chakrachAriNaH ||2-8-19

Therefore, the vraja, seeking prosperity, should go to a forest where new grass is available. The places, where doors are closed and covered and houses and fields are bound, are not good for residence. Like freely moving birds (such as haMsa, sArasa etc. who are without a permanent residence), the vraja living in different places is famous in the world.

hakR^inmUtreShu teShveva jAtakShArarasAyanam |
na tR^iNaM bhu~njate gAvo nApi tatpayase hitam ||2-8-20

Due to cow-dung and urine, salt and chemicals have accumulated (in the earth). The cows are not eating such grass and that is not favourable for milk.

sthalIprAyAsu rathyAsu navAsu vanarAjiShu |
charAvaH sahitau gobhiH kShipraM saMvAhyatAM vrajaH ||2-8-21

All the paths in this forest have become plain. Let us all go with the cows to new forests. Let us quickly relocate the vraja there.

shrUyate hi vanaM ramyaM paryAptaM tR^iNasaMstaram |
nAmnA vR^indAvanaM nAma svAduvR^ikShaphalodakam ||2-8-22

It is heard that there is a beautiful forest named vR^indAvanaM. That forest has adequate green grass. There are trees having tasty fruits and the water is tasty.

ajhillikaNTakavanaM sarvairvanaguNairyutam |
kadambapAdapaprAyaM yamunAtIrasaMshritam ||2-8-23

There are no thorny bushes in that forest. It has all that a forest should have. There are many kadamba trees in that forest on the banks of yamunA.

snigdhashItAnilavanaM sarvartunilayaM shubham |
gopInAM sukhasa~nchAraM chAruchitravanAntaram ||2-8-24

A cool breeze blows in that forest. All seasons are present there simultaneously. The gopi-s can roam freely there. Inside there are many beautiful and strange forests.

tatra govardhano nAma nAtidUre girirmahAn |
bhrAjate dIrghashikharo nandanasyeva mandaraH ||2-8-25

There is a great mountain named govardhana not very far from the forest. The mountain has many tall peaks. It looks splendid like mandara (mountain) in nandana (forest).

madhye chAsya mahAshAkho nyagrodho yojanochChritaH |
bhANDIro nAma shushubhe nIlamegha ivAmbare ||2-8-26

In the middle of the forest, there is a banyan tree with huge branches having one yojana height. Called bhANDIra, it dazzles like a blue cloud in the sky.

madhyena chAsya kAlindI sImantamiva kurvatI |
prayAtA nandanasyeva nalinI saritAM varA ||2-8-27

The river kAlindI runs through the middle as the partition on the forehead of a married woman, like the river nalinI which runs through nanadana.

tatra govardhanaM chaiva bhANDIraM cha vanaspatim |
kAlindIM cha nadIM ramyAM drakShyAvashcharataH sukham ||2-8-28

It will be a pleasure for us to walk around there and see govardhanam, bhANDIram, trees and the beautiful river kAlinDi.

tatrAyaM kalpyatAM ghoShastyajyatAM nirguNaM vanam |
saMtrAsayAvo bhadraM te ki~nchidutpAdya kAraNam ||2-8-29

Let us leave this useless forest and establish vraja there. Let us create some reason and generate fear. All will be well.

evaM kathayatastasya vAsudevasya dhimataH |
prAdurbabhUvuH shatasho raktamAMsavasAshanAH ||2-8-30

As the intelligent son of vasudeva (kR^iShNa) was speaking, hundreds of wolves, fond of blood , meat and marrow , emerged .

ghorAshchintayatastasya svatanUruhajAstadA |
viniShpeturbhayakarAH sarvashaH shatasho vR^ikAH ||2-8-31

Hundreds of terrible wolves emerged from his body and spread everywhere, as he was thinking about them.

niShpatanti sma bahavo vrajasyotsAdanAya vai |
vR^ikAnniShpatitAndR^iShTvA goShu vatseShvatho nR^iShu ||2-8-32

gopIShu cha yathAkAmaM vraje trAso.abhavanmahAn |

Seeing the many wolves which emerged to relocate the vraja (as kR^iShNa desired), all the cows, calves, men and women, the entire vraja became extremely frightened.

te vR^ikAH pa~nchabaddhAshcha dashabaddhAstatha pare ||2-8-33
triMshadviMshatibaddhAshcha shatabaddhAstathA pare |
nishcherustasya gAtrebhyaH shrIvatsakR^italakShaNAH ||2-8-34

The wolves, manifested from kR^iShNa's body in groups of five, ten, twenty, thirty and hundred had the (auspicious) mark of srIvatsa (mark of viShNu).

kR^iShNasya kR^iShNavadanA gopAnAM bhayavardhanAH |
bhakShayadbhishcha tairvatsAMstrAsayadbhishcha govrajAn ||2-8-35

The black faced wolves which emerged from kR^iShNa's body terrified the gopa-s. They ate the calves and frightened the cows of vraja.

nishi bAlAnharadbhishcha vR^ikairutsAdyate vrajaH |
na vane shakyate gantuM na gAshcha parirakShitum ||2-8-36

In the night, they stole young boys. The wolves broke the life at vraja. It became impossible to go to the forest and to protect the cows.

na vanAtki~nchidAhartuM na cha vA tarituM nadIm |
trastA hyudvignamanaso.agatAstasminvane.avasan ||2-8-37

It became impossible to collect anything from the forest and to cross the river. All the inhabitants became overwhelmed by fear and anxiety.

evaM vR^ikairudIrNaistu vyAghratulyaparAkramaiH |
vrajo niShpandacheShTasya ekasthAnacharaH kR^itaH ||2-8-38

In this way, the wolves, who were terrific like tigers, rendered the vraja without and movement and activities. They were forced to stay together at one place.

iti shrImahabhArate khileShu harivaMshe vishNuparvaNi shishucharyAyAM vRikadarshane.aShTamo.adhyAyaH

Thus this is the eighth chapter of viShNuparva of harivaMsha, khila of shrimahAbhArata, attack by wolves.

nIlakaNTha commentary

asminnathAShTame.adhyAye vanAntaramiyAsataH |
tanUrUhasamutpannA vR^ikA kR^iShNasya varNyate ||
evaM tAvityadhyAyaH | "sudevo adya prapatedanAvR^itparAvataM paramAM gantavA u adhAshayIta nirR^iterupasthe dhainaM vR^ikA rabhasAso adyuH" ityasya mantrasyopabR^iMhaNArthaH | mantrArthaH | purUravasaM pratyurvashI vadati | sudevaH shobhanasvAmiko vrajaH AdyakSharalopena vAsudevo vA adya prapatet adyaiva upadravasamakAlaM gachChet anAvR^it nAsti AvR^it nirodhako yasya tAdR^isho.api parAvataM paramAt dUrAddUrataraM gantavai gantuM u nishchitaM prapatedityanvayaH | adya pakShAntare yadi sudevo na prapatettarhi nirR^iterupasthe shayita agha athavA evaM vrajaM vAsudevaparijanaM rabhasAso rabhasAH vegavantaH vR^kAH adyuH bhakShayeyuH tasmAdvAsudevo vA tatparigR^ihIto vrajo vA vR^ikebhyo vibheti atastvAdR^ishenApi indriyavR^ikebhyaH sutarAM bhetavyamiti bhAvaH | itaH spaShTArthaM mUlaM ||

2-8-7 cha~nchUryantau atyantaM saMcharantau kishorAviva ashvapotAviva ||
2-8-9 avagItaM nAshitaM bhuktabhogaM kAnanam ||
2-8-10 kAnanAni udyAnAni vanAni araNyAni AkAshanikAshAni patrAdinA shUnyAni ||
2-8-11 parito vR^ittachakrAkAraH paridhiH argalashva yeShu teShu parivR^ittArgaleShu ||
2-8-15 nirvya~njanaM shAkarUpAdihInam ||
2-8-18 kartavyamAha | tasmAditi ||
2-8-19 nanu pitR^iparyAgatA bhUmirnirdhanApi sukhAvahetyukteH kathaM pUrvasthAnaM tyAjyamityAha | na dvAreti | chakreNa samudAyena charanti te chakrachAriNo haNsasArasAdayaH aniketo ityarthaH ||
2-8-20 shakR^inmUtreShu teShveShu tR^iNeShu patiteShu satsu ||
2-8-21 sthalIprAyAsu samabhUmitulyAsu nistR^iNAtvityarthaH ||
2-8-24 snigdhavanaM shItAnilaM cheti saMbandhaH ||
2-8-28 charato mR^igAdIniti sheShaH ||
2-8-33 pa~nchabaddhAH pa~nchAdisaMkhyayA saMhatA ||
2-8-37 agatAH asamchArAH
2-8-38 tadevAha | evamiti ||

iti harivamshe viShNuparvaNi TIkAyAmaShTamo.dhyAyaH ||

##Itranslated and proofread by K S Rmachandran, ramachandran_ksr@yahoo.ca, March 15, 2008
Further proof-read by Gilles Schaufelberger, schaufel @ wanadoo.fr
If you find any errors compared to Chitrashala Press edition, send corrections to A. Harindranath harindranath_a @ yahoo.com
Translated to English by A. Purushothaman [purushothaman_avaroth @ yahoo.com] and A. Harindranath ##
July 3, 2009