Harivamsha MahA PurANam - ViShNu Parva
atha navamo.adhyAyaH
vrindAvanapraveshaH
harivamsha in the
mahAbharata - viShNuparva
Chapter 9 - Moving to Vrindavana
vaishaMpAyana uvAcha
evaM vR^ikAMshcha tAndR^iShTvA vardhamAnAndurAsadAn |
sastrIpumAnsa ghoSho vai samasto.amantrayattadA ||2-9-1
vaishaMpAyana said:
(O janamejaya) Thus, seeing the invincible wolves increasing, all the women
and men of vraja as a group, said:
sthAne neha na nah kAryaM vrajAmo.anyanmahadvanam |
yachChivaM cha sukhoShyaM cha gavAM chaiva sukhAvaham ||2-9-2
There is no reason to live here anymore. We should move the vraja to
another big forest where we can live peacefully and comfortably along
with the cows.
adyaiva kiM chireNa sma vrajAmaH saha godhanaiH |
yAvadvR^ikairvadhaM ghoraM na naH sarvo vrajo vrajet ||2-9-3
What is the use of delay? Let us move the vraja along with cows before
all of us are killed terribly by these wolves.
eshAM dhUmrAruNA~NgAnAM daMShTriNAM nakhakarShiNAm |
vR^ikANAM kR^iShNavaktrANAM bibhImo nishi garjatAm ||2-9-4
We are terribly frightened in the night by the howling of these wolves
having black faces, grey and red limbs, sharp teeth and nails.
mama putro mama bhrAtA mama vatso.atha gaurmama |
vR^ikairvyApAditA hyevaM krandanti sma gR^ihe gR^ihe ||2-9-5
At every house, people lamented crying: My son, my brother, my calf and
my cow were attacked by wolves.
tAsAM ruditashabdena gavAM haMbhAraveNa cha |
vrajasyotthApanaM chakrurghoShavR^iddhAH samAgatAH ||2-9-6
Concerned by the sound of their crying and the mooing of cows, the elders
of vraja, decided to relocate the vraja.
teShAM matamathAj~nAya gantuM vR^indAvanaM prati |
vrajasya viniveshAya gavAM chaiva hitAya cha ||2-9-7
Understanding their desire to go to vR^indAvana for establishing the
vraja and for the benefit of cows,
vR^IndAvananivAsAya tA~nj~nAtvA kR^itanishchayAn |
nandagopo bR^ihadvAkyaM bR^ihaspatirivAdade ||2-9-8
and knowing that they have decided to live in vR^indAvana, nandagopa
spoke these great words like bR^ihaspati (the preceptor of deva-s):
adyaiva nishchayaprAptiryadi gantavyameva naH |
shIghramAj~nApyatAM ghoShaH sajjIbhavata mA chiram ||2-9-9
If you have determined to go, let us go today. Let the order be given
quickly to ready the vraja without any delay.
tato.avaghuShyata tadA ghoShe tatprAkR^itairjanaiH |
shIghraM gAvaH prakalpyantAM bhANDAm samabhiropyatAm ||2-9-10
Then through ordinary men, it was announced in vraja:
Get the cows ready quickly. Pack your things.
vatsayUthAni kAlyantAM yujyantAM shakaTAni cha |
vR^indAvanamitaH sthAnAnniveshAya cha gamyatAm ||2-9-11
Get the calves ready. Assemble the carts. Let us begin the journey from
here to live in vR^indAvana.
tachChrutvA nandagopasya vachanaM sAdhu bhAShitam |
udatiShThadvrajaH sarvaH shIghraM gamanalAlasaH ||2-9-12
Hearing the good words spoken by nandagopa, the entire vraja quickly
readied itself to undertake the journey.
prayAhyuttiShTha gachChAmaH kiM sheShe sAdhu yojaya |
uttiShThati vraje tasmingopakolAhalo hyabhUt ||2-9-13
When the vraja rose up to leave the place and go, there was commotion
among the gopa-s: Get up, go, are you sleeping? go, make the carts
ready.
uttiShThamAnaH shushubhe shakaTIshakaTastu saH |
vyAghraghoShamahAghoSho ghoShaH sAgaraghoShavAn ||2-9-14
When the carts and residents began moving, a huge commotion was heard.
The loud noise was like the roar of tigers or the roar of waves in the
ocean.
gopInAM gargarIbhishcha mUrdhni chottambhitairghaTaiH |
niShpapAta vrajAtpa~NktistArApa~NktirivAMbarAt ||2-9-15
Gopi-s, carrying pots of milk and buttermilk on their heads,
followed in rows. It appeared as if a series of stars from the sky
have fallen down on earth.
nIlapItAruNaistAsAM vastrairagrastanochChritaiaH |
shakrachApAyate pa~NktirgopInAM mArgagAminI ||2-9-16
Blue, yellow and red clothes covered their breasts. When they walked,
the clothes appeared like the bow of indra (rainbow).
dAmanI dAmabhAraishcha kaishchitkAyAvalambibhiH|
gopA mArgagatA bhAnti sAvarohA iva drumAH ||2-9-17
On the way, gopa-s hanging ropes and bundles of churning sticks tied with
ropes on their bodies looked like banyan trees with their roots hanging
about.
sa vrajo vrajatA bhAti shakaTaughena bhAsvatA |
potaiH pavanavikShiptairniShpatadbhirivArNavaH ||2-9-18
The vraja dazzled with the caravan of moving carts. It appeared like
an ocean with a number of ships moving with the force of wind.
kShaNena tadvrajasthAnamIriNaM samapadyata |
dravyAvayavanirdhUtaM kIrNaM vAyasamaNDalaiH ||2-9-19
Within a short time, that place of vraja became vacant like a barren
land. Soon the place became filled with crows due to scattered particles
of food grains.
tataH krameNa ghoShaH sa prApto vR^indAvanaM vanam |
niveshaM vipulaM chakre gavAM chaiva hitAya cha ||2-9-20
Gradually, moving forward, the vraja reached the forest, vR^indAvanaM.
The residences were built over a vast area, for the benefit of cows.
shakaTAvartaparyantaM chandrArdhAkArasaMsthitam |
madhye yojanavistIrNaM tAvaddviguNamAyatam ||2-9-21
The carts were parked around the boundary in the shape of half moon. In the
middle, the breadth was one yojana and the length was two yojanas.
kaNTakIbhiH pravR^iddhAbhistathA kaNTakitadrumaiH |
nikhAtochChritashAkhAgrairabhiguptaM samantataH ||2-9-22
The place was concealed and protected by thorny bushes, tall branches
of trees, other thorny plants and trees.
manthairAropyamANaishcha manthabandhAnukarShaNaiH |
adbhiH prakShAlyamAnAbhirgargarIbhiritastataH ||2-9-23
The churning sticks were mounted along with the ropes. The buttermilk
pots were properly washed with water.
kIlairAropyamANaishcha dAmanIpAshapAshitaiH |
stambhanIbhirdhR^itAbhishcha shakaTaiH parivartitaiH ||2-9-24
Pegs were driven into the ground. Churning ropes were tied on the pegs.
Poles were erected and carts were tied to these poles.
niyogapAshairAsaktairgargarIstambhamUrdhasu |
chAdanArthaM prakIrNaishcha kaTakaistR^iNasaMkaTaiH ||2-9-25
Buttermilk pots were hung on the poles with ropes. For cover,
mats of grass were spread.
shAkhAviTa~NkairvR^ikShANAM kriyamANairitastataH |
shodhyamAnairgavAM sthAnaiH sthApyamAnairulUkhalaiH ||2-9-26
Nests were built here and there on the trees for birds.
Places were cleared for building cowsheds. Mortars were installed.
prA~NmukhaiH sichyamAnaishcha saMdIpyadbhishcha pAvakaiH |
savatsacharmAstaraNaiH parya~NkaishchAvaropitaiH ||2-9-27
These were washed keeping them facing east. Fires were lit. Seats made
from the skin of calves were unloaded (from the carts).
toyamuttArayantIbhiH prekShantIbhishcha tadvanam |
shAkhAshchAkarShamANAbhirgopIbhishcha samantataH ||2-9-28
Some gopi-s were lowering water pots from their heads. Some were enjoying
the beauty of the forest. Some were walking around pulling down
the branches of trees.
yuvabhiH sthaviraishchaiva gopairvyagrakarairbhR^isham |
vishasadbhiH kuThAraishcha kAShThAnyapi tarUnapi ||2-9-29
The young and old gopa-s were busy with their hands. Some were cutting
firewood and trees with axes.
tadvrajasthAnamadhikaM shushubhe kAnanAvR^Itam |
ramyaM vananivesham vai svAdumUlaphalodakam ||2-9-30
Because of all this, that place of vraja, surrounded by forest appeared
enchanting.
That beautiful forest had tasty roots, fruits and fresh water.
tAstu kAmadughA gAvaH sarvapakShirutaM vanam |
vR^indAvanamanuprAptA nandanopamakAnanam ||2-9-31
The cows which gave plenty of milk entered vR^indAvana, which was full of
sounds of all kinds of birds. The forest resembled nandana (forest).
pUrvameva tu kR^iShNena gavAm vai hitakAriNA |
shivena manasA dR^iShTaM tadvanaM vanachAriNA ||2-9-32
kR^iShNa, who travels in the forest and always thinks about the welfare
of cows had visualized this forest before.
pashchime tu tato rUKShe dharme mAse nirAmaye |
varShatIvAmR^itaM deve tR^iNaM tatra vyavardhata ||2-9-33
It was the last part of the hot summer month. Even then green grass was
abundantly available since, indra (deva) had showered rains (amR^itaM).
na tatra vatsAH sIdanti na gAvo netare janAH |
yatra tiShThati lokAnAM bhavAya madhusUdanaH ||2-9-34
Where madhusUdana (kR^iShNa), the benefactor of people is present,
there the calves, cows and people can not face any difficulty.
tAshcha gAvaH sa ghoShastu sa cha sa~NkarShaNo yuvA |
kR^iShNena vihitaM vAsaM samadhyAsata nirvR^itAH ||2-9-35
Thus the cows, vraja and the young sa~NkarShaNa began to live with delight
in the place liked by kR^iShNa.
iti shimahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe viShNuparvaNi
vrindAvanapraveshe navamo.adhyAyaH
Thus this is the nineth chapter of viShNuparva of harivaMsha,
khila of shrimahAbhArata, moving to vR^indAvana.
nIlakaNTha commentary
## Itranslated and proofread by K S Rmachandran,
ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca, March 20, 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 6, 2009 ##