CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Wonderful Kṛṣṇa
In this chapter Nanda Mahārāja describes Kṛṣṇa’s opulences to the cowherd men, as Nanda had heard of them from Garga Muni.
The cowherd men, unaware of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s power, were amazed to see His various extraordinary activities. The men approached Nanda Mahārāja and told him that after seeing how Kṛṣṇa, a boy only seven years old, had lifted a mountain, and how He had previously killed the demoness Pūtanā and generated extreme attraction in the hearts of everyone in Vṛndāvana, the men had become doubtful and bewildered about how Śrī Kṛṣṇa could possibly have taken birth in the unsuitable environment of a cowherd community. Nanda replied by relating to them what Garga Muni had told him about Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Garga Muni had said that in the previous three ages Nanda’s boy had manifested Himself in white, red and yellow forms, whereas now, in the Dvāpara age, He had assumed His darkish-blue form, kṛṣṇa-rūpa. Because He descended as the son of Vasudeva, one of His many names is Vāsudeva, and He has innumerable other names indicating His many qualities and activities.
Garga Muni had predicted that Kṛṣṇa would prevent all sorts of catastrophes in Gokula, spread unlimited auspiciousness, and increase the ecstasy of the cowherd men and women. In a previous age He had provided protection for the saintly brāhmaṇas when they were harassed by low-class dacoits and there was no proper ruler in society. As the demons in the higher planets can never defeat the demigods who have Lord Viṣṇu on their side, no enemy can ever defeat those who love Kṛṣṇa. In His affinity for His devotees and in His opulence and power, Kṛṣṇa is just like Lord Nārāyaṇa Himself.
Overjoyed and awestruck by Garga Muni’s statements, the cowherd men concluded that Kṛṣṇa must be an empowered representative of the Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa. Thus they worshiped Him and Nanda Mahārāja.
Devanagari
एवंविधानि कर्माणि गोपा: कृष्णस्य वीक्ष्य ते । अतद्वीर्यविद: प्रोचु: समभ्येत्य सुविस्मिता: ॥ १ ॥
Text
evaṁ-vidhāni karmāṇi
gopāḥ kṛṣṇasya vīkṣya te
atad-vīrya-vidaḥ procuḥ
samabhyetya su-vismitāḥ
Synonyms
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; evam-vidhāni — like this; karmāṇi — activities; gopāḥ — the cowherd men; kṛṣṇasya — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; vīkṣya — seeing; te — they; atat-vīrya-vidaḥ — unable to understand His power; procuḥ — they spoke; samabhyetya — approaching (Nanda Mahārāja); su-vismitāḥ — very astonished.
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The cowherd men were astonished when they saw Kṛṣṇa’s activities, such as lifting Govardhana Hill. Unable to understand His transcendental potency, they approached Nanda Mahārāja and spoke as follows.
Purport
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains this verse as follows: “During Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastime of lifting Śrī Govardhana Hill, the cowherd men simply enjoyed the spiritual bliss of the Lord’s activities without analyzing them. But afterwards, when they had returned to their homes, perplexity arose within their hearts. Thus they thought, ‘Now we have directly seen child Kṛṣṇa lift Govardhana Hill, and we remember how He killed Pūtanā and other demons, extinguished the forest fire, and so on. At the time, we thought that these extraordinary acts occurred because of a benediction from the brāhmaṇas or because of Nanda Mahārāja’s great fortune, or that perhaps this boy had achieved the mercy of Lord Nārāyaṇa and was thus empowered by Him.
“‘But all these presumptions are false, because an ordinary seven-year old boy could never hold up the king of mountains for seven whole days. Kṛṣṇa is not a human being. He must be the Supreme Lord Himself.
“‘But on the other hand, child Kṛṣṇa loves it when we coddle Him, and He becomes morose when we — His uncles and well-wishers, simply worldly cowherd men — do not give Him attention. He appears to become hungry and thirsty, steals yogurt and milk, sometimes plays tricks, tells lies, chatters childishly and tends the calves. If He is actually the Supreme Lord, why would He do these things? Don’t they indicate that He is an ordinary human child?
“‘We are totally unable to establish the truth of His identity. Therefore let us go and inquire from the highly intelligent King of Vraja, Nanda Mahārāja, and he shall free us from our doubts.’”
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the cowherd men thus made up their minds, and then they entered Nanda Mahārāja’s great assembly hall and questioned him as described in the following verse.
Devanagari
Text
karmāṇy aty-adbhutāni vai
katham arhaty asau janma
grāmyeṣv ātma-jugupsitam
Synonyms
Translation
[The cowherd men said:] Since this boy performs such extraordinary activities, how could He warrant a birth among worldly men like us — a birth that for Him would seem contemptible?
Purport
An ordinary living being cannot avoid unpleasant circumstances, but the supreme controller can always make perfect arrangements for His pleasure.
Devanagari
बिभ्रद् गिरिवरं पुष्करं गजराडिव ॥ ३ ॥
Text
kareṇaikena līlayā
kathaṁ bibhrad giri-varaṁ
puṣkaraṁ gaja-rāḍ iva
Synonyms
Translation
How could this seven-year-old boy playfully hold up the great hill Govardhana with one hand, just as a mighty elephant holds up a lotus flower?
Devanagari
। पीत: स्तन: सह प्राणै: कालेनेव वयस्तनो: ॥ ४ ॥
Text
pūtanāyā mahaujasaḥ
pītaḥ stanaḥ saha prāṇaiḥ
kāleneva vayas tanoḥ
Synonyms
tokena — by the young child; ā-mīlita — almost closed; akṣeṇa — whose eyes; pūtanāyāḥ — of the witch Pūtanā; mahā-ojasaḥ — whose power was very great; pītaḥ — drunk; stanaḥ — the breast; saha — along with; prāṇaiḥ — her life air; kālena — by the force of time; iva — as; vayaḥ — the life span; tanoḥ — of a material body.
Translation
As a mere infant who had hardly yet opened His eyes, He drank the breast milk of the powerful demoness Pūtanā and then sucked out her very life air as well, just as the force of time sucks out the youth of one’s body.
Purport
The word vayaḥ in this verse indicates youth or life span in general. With irresistible power, time takes away our life, and that time is actually Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Thus in the case of the powerful witch Pūtanā, Lord Kṛṣṇa accelerated the time process and within an instant withdrew the duration of her life. Here the cowherd men mean to say, “How could a mere infant who could barely open His eyes so easily kill a very powerful demoness?”
Devanagari
Text
māsyasya caraṇāv udak
ano ’patad viparyastaṁ
rudataḥ prapadāhatam
Synonyms
hinvataḥ — moving; adhaḥ — beneath; śayānasya — of Him who was lying; māsyasya — the child only a few months old; caraṇau — His two feet; udak — upwards; anaḥ — the cart; apatat — fell; viparyastam — turned upside-down; rudataḥ — of Him who was crying; prapada — by the tip of the foot; āhatam — struck.
Translation
Once, when only three months old, little Kṛṣṇa was crying and kicking up His feet as He lay beneath a huge cart. Then the cart fell and turned upside-down simply because it was struck by the tip of His toe.
Devanagari
Text
hriyamāṇo vihāyasā
daityena yas tṛṇāvartam
ahan kaṇṭha-grahāturam
Synonyms
Translation
At the age of one, while sitting peacefully He was taken up into the sky by the demon Tṛṇāvarta. But baby Kṛṣṇa grabbed the demon’s neck, causing him great pain, and thus killed him.
Purport
The cowherd men, who loved Kṛṣṇa as an ordinary child, were astonished by all these activities. A newborn infant cannot ordinarily kill a powerful witch, and one would hardly think that a one-year-old baby could kill a demon who has kidnapped him and carried him up into the sky. But Kṛṣṇa did all of these wonderful things, and the cowherd men were enhancing their love for Him by remembering and discussing His activities.
Devanagari
Text
mātrā baddha udūkhale
gacchann arjunayor madhye
bāhubhyāṁ tāv apātayat
Synonyms
Translation
Once, His mother tied Him with ropes to a mortar because she had caught Him stealing butter. Then, crawling on His hands, He dragged the mortar between a pair of arjuna trees and pulled them down.
Purport
The two arjuna trees were old and thick, and they towered above little Kṛṣṇa’s courtyard. Nevertheless, they were pulled down quite easily by the naughty child.
Devanagari
Text
sa-rāmo bālakair vṛtaḥ
hantu-kāmaṁ bakaṁ dorbhyāṁ
mukhato ’rim apāṭayat
Synonyms
vane — in the forest; sañcārayan — grazing; vatsān — the calves; sarāmaḥ — together with Lord Balarāma; bālakaiḥ — by the cowherd boys; vṛtaḥ — surrounded; hantu-kāmam — desiring to kill; bakam — the demon Baka; dorbhyām — with His arms; mukhataḥ — from the mouth; arim — the enemy; apāṭayat — tore apart.
Translation
Another time, when Kṛṣṇa was tending the calves in the forest together with Balarāma and the cowherd boys, the demon Bakāsura came with the intention of killing Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa seized this inimical demon by the mouth and tore him apart.
Devanagari
Text
praviśantaṁ jighāṁsayā
hatvā nyapātayat tena
kapitthāni ca līlayā
Synonyms
vatseṣu — among the calves; vatsa-rūpeṇa — appearing as if another calf; praviśantam — who had entered; jighāṁsayā — wanting to kill; hatvā — killing him; nyapātayat — He made to fall; tena — by him; kapitthāni — the kapittha fruits; ca — and; līlayā — as a sport.
Translation
Desiring to kill Kṛṣṇa, the demon Vatsa disguised himself as a calf and entered among Kṛṣṇa’s calves. But Kṛṣṇa killed the demon and, using his body, enjoyed the sport of knocking kapittha fruits down from the trees.
Devanagari
Text
tad-bandhūṁś ca balānvitaḥ
cakre tāla-vanaṁ kṣemaṁ
paripakva-phalānvitam
Synonyms
hatvā — killing; rāsabha — who appeared as a jackass; daiteyam — the descendant of Diti; tat-bandhūn — the demon’s companions; ca — and; bala-anvitaḥ — accompanied by Balarāma; cakre — He made; tāla-vanam — the Tālavana forest; kṣemam — auspicious; paripakva — fully ripened; phala — with fruits; anvitam — filled.
Translation
Together with Lord Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa killed the jackass demon and all his friends, thereby securing the safety of the Tālavana forest, which abounded with fully ripened palm fruits.
Purport
Long, long ago, the powerful demons Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa were born of the goddess Diti. Therefore demons are commonly called daiteyas or daityas, meaning “descendants of Diti.” Dhenukāsura, the ass demon, terrorized the Tāla forest with his friends, but Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Balarāma killed them just as modern governments kill terrorists who harass innocent people.
Devanagari
Text
balena bala-śālinā
amocayad vraja-paśūn
gopāṁś cāraṇya-vahnitaḥ
Synonyms
pralambam — the demon named Pralamba; ghāyayitvā — arranging to be killed; ugram — terrible; balena — by Lord Balarāma; bala-śālinā — who is very powerful; amocayat — He liberated; vraja-paśūn — the animals of Vraja; gopān — the cowherd boys; ca — and; āraṇya — of the forest; vahnitaḥ — from the fire.
Translation
After arranging for the mighty Lord Balarāma to kill the terrible demon Pralamba, Kṛṣṇa saved Vraja’s cowherd boys and their animals from a forest fire.
Devanagari
Text
damitvā vimadaṁ hradāt
prasahyodvāsya yamunāṁ
cakre ’sau nirviṣodakām
Synonyms
āśī — of his fangs; viṣa-tama — having the most powerful poison; ahi — of the snakes; indram — the chief; damitvā — subduing; vimadam — whose pride was removed; hradāt — from the lake; prasahya — by force; udvāsya — sending him away; yamunām — the river Yamunā; cakre — made; asau — He; nirviṣa — free from poison; udakām — its water.
Translation
Kṛṣṇa chastised the most poisonous serpent, Kāliya, and after humbling him He drove him forcibly from the lake of the Yamunā. In this way the Lord made the water of that river free of the snake’s powerful poison.
Devanagari
Text
sarveṣāṁ no vrajaukasām
nanda te tanaye ’smāsu
tasyāpy autpattikaḥ katham
Synonyms
dustyajaḥ — impossible to give up; ca — and; anurāgaḥ — loving affection; asmin — for Him; sarveṣām — on the part of all; naḥ — us; vraja-okasām — the residents of Vraja; nanda — dear Nanda Mahārāja; te — your; tanaye — for the son; asmāsu — toward us; tasya — on His part; api — also; autpattikaḥ — natural; katham — how.
Translation
Dear Nanda, how is it that we and all the other residents of Vraja cannot give up our constant affection for your son? And how is it that He is so spontaneously attracted to us?
Purport
The very word kṛṣṇa means “the all-attractive one.” The residents of Vṛndāvana could not give up their constant love (anurāga) for Lord Kṛṣṇa. Their attitude toward Him was not particularly theistic, because they were unsure whether He was God or not. But He attracted all their love precisely because as God He is the all-attractive person, the supreme object of our love.
The cowherd men also asked, “How is it that young Kṛṣṇa feels such constant love for us?” In fact the Supreme Lord loves all living beings, who are eternally His children. At the end of the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa dramatically declares His affection for Arjuna and urges Arjuna to reciprocate that love by surrendering to Him. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in His prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa, states, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ: “My Lord, You are so merciful toward Me, but I am so unfortunate that love for You has not awakened within Me.” (Śikṣāṣṭaka 2) In this statement Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also uses the word anurāga. Our misfortune is that we cannot reciprocate the anurāga, or loving affection, that the Lord feels for us. Although we are infinitesimal and insignificant and the Lord is infinitely attractive, somehow we do not give Him our love. We must accept responsibility for this foolish decision, since to surrender to God or not is the essential expression of our free will.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement provides an efficient, systematic program to help conditioned souls revive their original, blissful consciousness, which is love of God, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The intricacies of Kṛṣṇa consciousness are so wonderful that even Kṛṣṇa’s eternal associates, the residents of Vṛndāvana, are astonished by them, as shown by these verses.
Devanagari
Text
kva mahādri-vidhāraṇam
tato no jāyate śaṅkā
vraja-nātha tavātmaje
Synonyms
Translation
On the one hand this boy is only seven years old, and on the other we see that He has lifted the great hill Govardhana. Therefore, O King of Vraja, a doubt about your son arises within us.
Devanagari
श्रूयतां मे वचो गोपा व्येतु शङ्का च वोऽर्भके । एनं कुमारमुद्दिश्य गर्गो मे यदुवाच ह ॥ १५ ॥
Text
śrūyatāṁ me vaco gopā
vyetu śaṅkā ca vo ’rbhake
enam kumāram uddiśya
gargo me yad uvāca ha
Synonyms
śrī-nandaḥ uvāca — Śrī Nanda Mahārāja said; śrūyatām — please hear; me — my; vacaḥ — words; gopāḥ — my dear cowherd men; vyetu — let it go away; śaṅkā — the doubt; ca — and; vaḥ — your; arbhake — concerning the boy; enam — this; kumāram — to the child; uddiśya — referring; gargaḥ — the sage Garga; me — to me; yat — which; uvāca — spoke; ha — in the past.
Translation
Nanda Mahārāja replied: O cowherd men, just hear my words and let all your doubts concerning my son be gone. Some time ago Garga Muni spoke to me as follows about this boy.
Purport
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī comments, “The words previously heard from Gargācārya awakened Nanda Mahārāja to the truth about Kṛṣṇa, and thus, by Nanda’s constantly remembering His activities, all thoughts about their being impossible ceased in him. Now he is instructing the cowherd men with these same words.”
Devanagari
Text
gṛhṇato ’nu-yugaṁ tanūḥ
śuklo raktas tathā pīta
idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ
Synonyms
varṇāḥ trayaḥ — three colors; kila — indeed; asya — by your son Kṛṣṇa; āsan — were assumed; gṛhṇataḥ — accepting; anu-yugam tanūḥ — transcendental bodies according to the different yugas; śuklaḥ — sometimes white; raktaḥ — sometimes red; tathā — as well as; pītaḥ — sometimes yellow; idānīm kṛṣṇatām gataḥ — at the present moment He has assumed a blackish color.
Translation
[Garga Muni had said:] Your son Kṛṣṇa appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past He assumed three different colors — white, red and yellow — and now He has appeared in a blackish color.
Purport
This and the next six verses (17 through 22) are taken from the eighth chapter of this canto, in which Garga Muni instructs Nanda Mahārāja about Nanda’s son Kṛṣṇa. The translations found herein for these verses are based on those of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. In Chapter Eight, where the verses originally appear, the reader will find extensive purports by Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Devanagari
Text
kvacij jātas tavātmajaḥ
vāsudeva iti śrīmān
abhijñāḥ sampracakṣate
Synonyms
prāk — before; ayam — this child; vasudevasya — of Vasudeva; kvacit — sometimes; jātaḥ — was born; tava — your; ātmajaḥ — Kṛṣṇa, who has taken birth as your child; vāsudevaḥ — therefore He may be given the name Vāsudeva; iti — thus; śrīmān — very beautiful; abhijñāḥ — those who are learned; sampracakṣate — also say that Kṛṣṇa is Vāsudeva.
Translation
For many reasons, this beautiful son of yours sometimes appeared previously as the son of Vasudeva. Therefore, those who are learned sometimes call this child Vāsudeva.
Devanagari
Text
rūpāṇi ca sutasya te
guṇa-karmānurūpāṇi
tāny ahaṁ veda no janāḥ
Synonyms
Translation
For this son of yours there are many forms and names according to His transcendental qualities and activities. These are known to me, but people in general do not understand them.
Devanagari
Text
gopa-gokula-nandanaḥ
anena sarva-durgāṇi
yūyam añjas tariṣyatha
Synonyms
eṣaḥ — this child; vaḥ — for all of you people; śreyaḥ ādhāsyat — will act all-auspiciously; gopa-gokula-nandanaḥ — just like a cowherd boy born in a family of cowherd men as the son of the estate of Gokula; anena — by Him; sarva-durgāṇi — all kinds of miserable conditions; yūyam — all of you; añjaḥ — easily; tariṣyatha — will overcome.
Translation
To increase the transcendental bliss of the cowherd men of Gokula, this child will always act auspiciously for you. And by His grace only, you will surpass all difficulties.
Devanagari
Text
sādhavo dasyu-pīḍitāḥ
arājake rakṣyamāṇā
jigyur dasyūn samedhitāḥ
Synonyms
purā — formerly; anena — by Kṛṣṇa; vraja-pate — O King of Vraja; sādhavaḥ — those who were honest; dasyu-pīḍitāḥ — being disturbed by rogues and thieves; arājake — when there was an irregular government; rakṣyamāṇāḥ — were protected; jigyuḥ — conquered; dasyūn — the rogues and thieves; samedhitāḥ — flourished.
Translation
O Nanda Mahārāja, as recorded in history, when there was an irregular, incapable government, Indra having been dethroned, and when honest people were being harassed and disturbed by thieves, this child appeared in order to curb the rogues and to protect the people and enable them to flourish.
Devanagari
। नारयोऽभिभवन्त्येतान् विष्णुपक्षानिवासुरा: ॥ २१ ॥
Text
prītiṁ kurvanti mānavāḥ
nārayo ’bhibhavanty etān
viṣṇu-pakṣān ivāsurāḥ
Synonyms
ye — those persons who; etasmin — unto this child; mahā-bhāge — most auspicious; prītim — affection; kurvanti — execute; mānavāḥ — such persons; na — not; arayaḥ — their enemies; abhibhavanti — do overcome; etān — those who are attached to Kṛṣṇa; viṣṇu-pakṣān — the demigods, who always have Lord Viṣṇu on their side; iva — like; asurāḥ — the demons.
Translation
Demons cannot harm the demigods, who always have Lord Viṣṇu on their side. Similarly, any person or group attached to all-auspicious Kṛṣṇa cannot be defeated by enemies.
Purport
Śrīla Prabhupāda has especially indicated in this connection that just as Lord Kṛṣṇa’s associates could not be defeated by Kaṁsa, so His modern-day devotees will not be defeated by their demoniac opponents, nor will the Lord’s devotees be defeated by the internal enemies — the lusty, materialistic senses.
Devanagari
। श्रिया कीर्त्यानुभावेन तत्कर्मसु न विस्मय: ॥ २२ ॥
Text
nārāyaṇa-samo guṇaiḥ
śriyā kīrtyānubhāvena
tat-karmasu na vismayaḥ
Synonyms
tasmāt — therefore; nanda — O Nanda Mahārāja; kumāraḥ — child; ayam — this; nārāyaṇa-samaḥ — is as good as Nārāyaṇa; guṇaiḥ — by His qualities; śriyā — by His opulence; kīrtyā — especially by His name and fame; anubhāvena — and by His influence; tat — His; karmasu — concerning the activities; na — there is no; vismayaḥ — surprise.
Translation
Therefore, O Nanda Mahārāja, this child of yours is as good as Nārāyaṇa. In His transcendental qualities, opulence, name, fame and influence, He is exactly like Nārāyaṇa. Thus you should not be astonished by His activities.
Purport
Nanda here reports to the cowherd men the concluding remarks of Garga Muni, who spoke at the secret birth ceremony of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Devanagari
Text
garge ca sva-gṛhaṁ gate
manye nārāyaṇasyāṁśaṁ
kṛṣṇam akliṣṭa-kāriṇam
Synonyms
iti — thus speaking; addhā — directly; mām — me; samādiśya — advising; garge — Gargācārya; ca — and; sva-gṛham — to his home; gate — going; manye — I consider; nārāyaṇasya — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa; aṁśam — an empowered expansion; kṛṣṇam — Kṛṣṇa; akliṣṭa-kāriṇam — who keeps us free from misery.
Translation
[Nanda Mahārāja continued:] After Garga Ṛṣi spoke these words to me and returned home, I began to consider that Kṛṣṇa, who keeps us free from trouble, is actually an expansion of Lord Nārāyaṇa.
Devanagari
Text
garga-gītaṁ taṁ vrajaukasaḥ
muditā nandam ānarcuḥ
kṛṣṇaṁ ca gata-vismayāḥ
Synonyms
Translation
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Having heard Nanda Mahārāja relate the statements of Garga Muni, the residents of Vṛndāvana became enlivened. Their perplexity was gone, and they worshiped Nanda and Lord Kṛṣṇa with great respect.
Purport
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains that in this verse the word ānarcuḥ indicates that the residents of Vṛndāvana honored Nanda and Kṛṣṇa with such offerings as fragrances, garlands and garments brought from their homes. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura adds that the residents of Vṛndāvana honored Nanda and Kṛṣṇa with loving offerings of jewels and gold coins. Apparently, Lord Kṛṣṇa was playing in the forest when this conversation took place, so when He returned home the residents of Vṛndāvana encouraged Him by decorating Him with beautiful yellow garments, necklaces, armlets, earrings and crowns, and by shouting, “All glories, all glories to the jewel of Vṛndāvana!”
Devanagari
Text
sīdat-pāla-paśu-striy ātma-śaraṇaṁ dṛṣṭvānukampy utsmayan
utpāṭyaika-kareṇa śailam abalo līlocchilīndhraṁ yathā
bibhrad goṣṭham apān mahendra-mada-bhit prīyān na indro gavām
Synonyms
deve — when the demigod Indra; varṣati — caused rain; yajña — of his sacrifice; viplava — due to the disturbances; ruṣā — out of anger; vajra — with lightning bolts; aśma-varṣa — hail; anilaiḥ — and winds; sīdat — suffering; pāla — the cowherds; paśu — animals; stri — and women; ātma — Himself; śaraṇam — being their only shelter; dṛṣṭvā — seeing; anukampī — very compassionate by nature; utsmayan — smiling broadly; utpāṭya — picking up; eka-kareṇa — in one hand; śailam — the hill, Govardhana; abalaḥ — a small child; līlā — in play; ucchilīndhram — a mushroom; yathā — just as; bibhrat — He held; goṣṭham — the cowherd community; apāt — He protected; mahā-indra — of King Indra; mada — of the false pride; bhit — the destroyer; prīyāt — may He be satisfied; naḥ — with us; indraḥ — the Lord; gavām — of the cows.
Translation
Indra became angry when his sacrifice was disrupted, and thus he caused rain and hail to fall on Gokula, accompanied by lightning and powerful winds, all of which brought great suffering to the cowherds, animals and women there. When Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is by nature always compassionate, saw the condition of those who had only Him as their shelter, He smiled broadly and lifted Govardhana Hill with one hand, just as a small child picks up a mushroom to play with it. Holding up the hill, He protected the cowherd community. May He, Govinda, the Lord of the cows and the destroyer of Indra’s false pride, be pleased with us.
Purport
The word indra means “lord” or “king.” Thus in this verse Kṛṣṇa is pointedly called indro gavām, “the Lord of the cows.” In fact, He is the real Indra, the real ruler, of everyone, and the demigods are merely His servants, representing His supreme will.
It is apparent from this and the previous verses in this chapter that Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lifting of Govardhana Hill made quite an impression on the simple cowherd men of Vṛndāvana, and they repeatedly remembered this feat. Certainly anyone who soberly and objectively considers the activities of young Kṛṣṇa will surrender to Him and become His eternal devotee in loving devotional service. That is the rational conclusion one should come to after reading this chapter.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Twenty-sixth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Wonderful Kṛṣṇa.”