kaumara-kria-lila

The Playful Pastimes of Shri Gauranga's Childhood

 tatah kalena kiyata / janu-cankramana shishoh

 dtva praharam aptau tau / dampati kala-bhainah 1

   tatah - then; kalena - by time; kiyata - by so much; janu - knees; cankramanam - crawling; shishoh - of the child; dtva - having seen; praharam - bliss; aptau - got; tau - they two; dam-pati - wife and husband; kala - sweet; bhainah - speech.

  As time passed, the husband and wife delighted to see the child crawling on His knees, and to hear the melodious sound of His prattle.

 shona-padmabha-vadane / dvija-rajasya rashmayah

 susmite bhanti sadhuna / mano-dhvantapaharinah 2

   shona-padma - red lotus; abha - appearance; vadane - face; dvija-rajasya - of the king amongst the twice-born; rashmayah - rays; susmite - sweetly smiling; bhanti - shine; sadhunam - of the saints; manah - mind; dhvanta - darkness; apaharinah - taking away.

   That monarch among the twice-born had a face resembling a red lotus. By the rays beaming from His sweet smile, He dispelled all darkness from the minds of godly men.

 pura vibharty asau vishvam / iti cakre pita svayam

 shrimad-vishvambhara iti / nama tasya sushobhanam

   pura - in ancient times; vibharti - He maintains; asau - He; vishvam - universe; iti - thus; cakre - made; pita - father; svayam - intuitively; shrimat-vishvambharah - maintainer of the universe; iti - thus; nama - name; tasya - His; sushobhanam - very beautiful.

  He is the maintainer of the universe since time immemorial. Thus His father intuitively gave Him the very beautiful name, "Vishvambhara."

 tapta-kancana-gaurango / lasat-padmayatekanah

 prabhanjanambaro raupya-hari malalako harih 4

   tapta-kancana - molten gold; gaura-angah - golden body; lasat - shining; padma - lotus; ayata - spread; ikanah - eyes; prabhanjana - scattered; ambarah - garments; raupya - the beauty; hari - attractive; mala - clusters; alaka - curling locks; harih - the Lord who takes all evil far away.

  Shri Vishvambhara Hari's body was dazzling like molten gold. His sparkling eyes were wide-spread like the petals of a lotus. His garments were scattered and His beauty all-attractive. Curly locks clustered round His face, and His presence dispelled all inauspiciousness.

 raka-sudhakara-mukha / kala-vag-amtanvitah

 madhuraktir amukta-kankanangada-bhuanah 5

   raka - night; sudha-kara - nectar-maker, the moon; mukham - face; kala-vak - sweet words; amta - nectarean; anvitah - filled; madhura - sweet; aktih - appearance; amukta - loose; kankana - bangles; angada - armbands; bhuanah - decorations.

   His face resembled the moon as it spreads nectar throughout the night, and His charming speech also was nectarean. His appearance was thus altogether charming, enhanced still further by His ornaments, loose bangles and arm-bands.

 bhanga-hingula-raktabja-kara-pada-tala-shucih

 vavdhe kalaya nityam / shukla-pake iva dyu-rat 6

   bhanga-hingula - kunkuma powder; rakta - reddish; abja - lotus; kara - hands; pada - feet; tala - palms and soles; shucih - gleaming; vavdhe - increased; kalaya - by the phases; nityam - regularly; shukla-pake - in the waxing fortnight; iva - like; dyu-rat - lord of the night (the moon).

  The gleaming palms of His lotus hands and the soles of His lotus feet had the ruddy hue of kunkuma powder. Day by day, He grew swiftly like the moon, lord of the night, in its waxing fortnight.

 tatah kalena shonabhyam / padabhyam amita-dyutih

 atana-viraha-ja tapa / medinyah sanjahara sah 7

   tatah - then; kalena - with time; shonabhyam - by the reddish; padabhyam - feet; amita-dyutih - limitless luster; atana - walking; viraha-jam - born of separation; tapam - suffering; medinyah - of the earth; sanjahara - He withdrew; sah - He.

  As time passed, that limitlessly lustrous Lord began to walk. Thus whenever He withdraw from her surface his reddish soles, He made the earth goddess experience pangs of separation.

 tirtha-bhramana-shilasya / dvijasyanna janardanah

 bhuktva ta smarayam asa / nanda-geha-kutuhalam 8

   tirtha-bhramana - wandering to holy places; shilasya - whose practice; dvijasya - of the brahmana; annam - rice; jana-ardanah - who thrills the hearts of mankind; bhuktva - enjoyed; tam - Him; smarayam asa - reminded; nanda-geha - of the house of King Nanda; kutuhalam - festival.

  Gaura Janardana, who inspires the hearts of all men, thrice ate the rice cooked by a brahmana who was wandering on pilgrimage. He then reminded that brahmana of their previous association during the eternal festival within the house of Nanda Maharaja.

 vayasyair balakair sardha / viharas taru-palavaih

 ahatah shishavah sarve / vicakruh purato muda 9

   vayasyaih - with friends; balakaih - with the boys; sardham - together with; viharan - sporting; taru-palavaih - with the twigs of trees; ahatah - struck; shishavah - children; sarve - all; vicakruh - they contended in various ways; purata - before; muda - joyously.

  As He played with other little boys of the same age, all the children would duel with one another, using the twigs of trees for their weapons, and they derived much joy from those games.

 bhuvi tithan padaikena / janunanyasya januka

 pasparsha markati lila / kurvan mayarbhako harih 10

   bhuvi - on the earth; tithan - standing; pada-ekena - on one foot; januna - with the knee; anyasya - of another boy; janukam - knee; pasparsha - He touched; markatim - monkey; lila - play; kurvan - did; maya-arbhako - in the guise of a boy; harih - the dispeller of evil.

 

   Shri Hari, in the guise of an ordinary boy, would sometimes imitate the antics of monkeys. Standing with a single foot on the ground, He would touch the knee of another boy with His own knee.

 ekada dhartum atmanam / udyata janani rua

 vikya kopa-paripurno / bhajanani babhanja sah 11

   ekada - once; dhartum - to arrest; atmanam - Himself; udyatam - attempting; jananim - mother; rua - in anger; vikya - having seen; kopa-paripurnah - overwhelmed with anger; bhajanani - pots; babhanja - He broke; sah - He.

  Once seeing that His mother was exasperated with Him and was attempt-ing to restrain Him, Gaura Hari became filled with fury and broke all her clay pots.

 pura bhagne ca bhande 'ya / yashoda-pashu-rajjubhih

 babandha vepita tasya / bhayad vikya mukha shaci 12

   pura - formerly; bhagne - broken; ca - and; bhande - pot; ayam - this; yashoda - Shrimati Yashoda Devi; pashu-rajjubhih - with the ropes for cows; babandha - she bound; vepita - trembling; tasya - of Him; bhayat - out of fear; vikya - seeing; mukham - face; shaci - Shaci Devi.

  In ancient times this same child also broke pots. At that time Yashoda Mata bound Him with the ropes used for tying cows while BalaGopala trembled fearfully. But at present that same Yashoda, appearing as Shaci, trembled in fear to see the wrathful face of Vishvambhara.

 upary upari vinyasta / tyakta-md-bhanda-sahatau

 upavishyashucau deshe / matur agre jahasa sah 13

   upari upari - on the very top; vinyasta - deposited; tyakta - abandoned; mt - clay; bhanda - pots; sahatau - compacted; upavishya - sitting down; ashucau - in the unclean; deshe - place; matuh - of His mother; agre - in front; jahasa - He laughed; sah - He.

  Then, climbing on the very top of the dump of abandoned and smashed clay cooking pots, Gaura Hari sat down on that unclean spot in full view of His mother and laughed at her.

 ta dtva sa shaci praha / tyaja tata jugupsitam

 sthana shuddha punah snatva / mamankarohana kuru 14

   tam - Him; dtva - seeing; sa - She; shaci - Shaci; praha - said; tyaja - give up; tata - dear boy; jugupsitam - abominable; sthanam - place; shuddham - pure; punah - again; snatva - having bathed; mama - my; anka - lap; arohanam - climbing; kuru - do.

  Seeing Him, Shaci said, "My dear boy, please leave that impure place. When You have bathed and are again clean, come and sit on my lap."

 evam ukte tu ta praha / bhagavan sarva-tattva-vit

 dattatreyasya bhavaika-purnah sarva-jna-purakah 15

   evam - thus; ukte - having spoken; tu - indeed; tam - her; praha - He said; bhagavan - the all-opulent Lord; sarva-tattva-vit - knower of all truths; dattatreyasya - of Dattatreya; bhava - mood; eka - only; purnah - filled; sarva - all; jna - wise men; purakah - filler.

  After she had spoken thus, the all-opulent Personality of Godhead, who is conversant with all truths, who gives wisdom to all wise men, spoke the philosophy which had formerly been propounded by Dattatreya, the avadhuta sage.

 shnu shucir ashucir va kalpana-matram etat / kiti-jala-pavanagni-vyoma-vitta jagad dhi

 vitata-vibhava-purvadvaita-padabja eko / harir iha karunabdhir bhati nanyat pratihi 16

   shnu - hear; shuci - clean; ashuci- unclean; va - or; kalpana-matram - simply imagination; etat - this; kiti - earth; jala - water; pavana - air; agni - fire; vyoma - space; vittam - known; jagat - the cosmos; hi - indeed; vitata - expanded; vibhava - manifested; purva - formerly; advaita - nondifferentiated; pada-abja - lotus foot; ekah - one; harih - the dispeller of evil; iha - in this world; karuna - mercy; abdhih - ocean; bhati - shines; na - not; anyat - other; pratihi - have faith.

  "Hear me! The concept of cleanliness or uncleanliness is simply imaginary. This universe is known to be composed of earth, water, fire, air and space and there is but one source, Shri Hari. From His non-dual lotus feet the universe was formerly manifested and distributed. He is an ocean of mercy, and forever illuminates this world. There is no one beyond Him. Just have faith in Lord Hari.

 atah pavitra evasmi / napavitrah kathancana

 janihi matar nanya tva / shanka kartum iharhasi 17

   atah - hence; pavitrah - pure; eva - certainly; asmi - I am; na - not; apavitrah - impure; kathancana - at any time; janihi - just understand; matah - Mother; na - not; anyam - other; tvam - you; shankam - anxiety; kartum - to do; iha - in this regard; arhasi - You ought.

  "Hence I am in a purified state and am not at any time contaminated. Just understand this, Mother. You should have no further doubts in this matter."

 evam ukte sute va ta / kare sanghya satvara

 aniya snapayam asa / svar-nadi-svaccha-vaibhih 18

   evam - thus; ukte - having spoken; sute - the son; va - indeed; tam - Him; kare - by the hand; sanghya - grabbing; sa-tvara - with speed; aniya - leading; snapayam asa - bathed; sva-nadi - of the river that flows from the spiritual world, the Ganga; svaccha - crystalline; vaibhih -by the waters.

  After her son had spoken in this way, Shaci Mata clasped His hand, and leading Him away, bathed Him in the crystal-clear waters of the sky-Ganga.

 atha katipaye kale / mukta-md-bhanda-sahatau

 upavita suta vikya / shaci vagbhir atadayat 19

   atha - then; katipaye kale - after some time; mukta - thrown out; mt-bhanda - clay pots; sahatau - compacted; upavitam - seated; sutam - son; vikya - seeing; shaci - Shaci; vagbhih - with words; atadayat - struck.

  Then after a short time had passed, she again saw her son sitting on the heap of clay cooking-pots, and she chastised Him:

 apavitre niiddhe 'pi / sthane tva manda-dhih katham

 tithasiti vacah shrutva / matuh krodha-samanvitah 20

 shrimad-vishvambharah praha / mudhe nasty ashucir kvacit

 ukta mayaitat purva te / tat ki ma tva vigarhasi 21

   apavitre - in the impure place; niiddhe - having been forbidden; api - although; sthane - in that place; tvam - You; manda-dhih - stupid; katham - why?; tithasi - You are staying; iti - thus; vacah - statement; shrutva - having heard; matuh - from His mother; krodha-samanvitah - full of anger; shrimat-vishvambharah - Shri Vishvambhara; praha - said; mudhe - O foolish woman!; na asti - it is not; ashucih - unclean; kvacit - in any way; uktam - said; maya - by Me; etat - this; purvam - before; te - to you; tat - that; kim - why?; mam - me; tvam - you; vigarhasi - rebuke.

  "You dull-brained boy! Why are You sitting in that contaminated place, although I have already forbidden You to do so?" Hearing these words from His mother, Shri Vishvambhara replied angrily, "O foolish woman! As I explained to you before, this place is not in the least impure. So why do you scold Me?"

 ity uktva vadane tasya / itaka prahinot rua

 tadaghatena vyathita / murcchita nipapata sa 22

   iti - thus; uktva - speaking; vadane - at the face; tasyah - her; itakam - brick; prahinot - threw; rua - with anger; tada - then; ghatena - by that blow; vyathita - agitated; murcchita - fainted; nipapata - she fell; sa - she.

  So saying He angrily threw a fragment of brick at her face. Becoming agitated on account of that blow, Shaci Mata fainted and tumbled to the ground.

 tada sarvah samagatya / striyas ta shitalair jalaih

 sishicuh sma tada tatra / harir manuya-karma-kt 23

 agatya prarurodashu / matar matar iti svayam

 shri-hasta tan-mukhe nyasya / sarva-duhkhapaharakam 24

   tada - then; sarvah - all; samagatya - coming together; striyah - women; ta - her; shitalaih - cool; jalaih - with water; sishicuh - they sprinkled; sma - did; tada - then; tatra - there; harih - the remover of sin; manuya-karma-kt - doing the actions of a man; agatya - coming; praruroda - cried loudly; ashu - quickly; matah matah - Mother! Mother!; iti - thus; svayam - impulsively; shri-hastam - graceful hand; tat-mukhe - on her face; nyasya - placing; sarva-duhkha - all sorrows; apaharakam - taker away.

  Then all the women came there and sprinkled Shaci with cool water. and Shri Hari, enacting the role of a human child, quickly came to her loudly crying, "Mata! Mata!" Affectionately He placed His graceful hand upon her face and thus alleviated all pain from her heart.

 tatah prabuddha sa sadyah / kroe ktva suta shaci

 mumoda vatsalativa / putra-snehativihvala 25

   tatah - thereafter; prabuddha - conscious; sa - she; sadyah - suddenly; kroe - on her lap; ktva - did; sutam - son; shaci - Shaci; mumoda - took pleasure; vatsala - maternal; ativa - intense; putra-sneha - affection for her son; ati-vihvala - very much overwhelmed.

  At that Shaci Devi suddenly became fully conscious, and taking her son on her lap she became filled with intense maternal affection and delighted in Him, oblivious to all else. 

 tato jagad-guru praha / kacid dharsha-parayana

 parihasa-para matre / narikela-phala-dvayam 26

 samaniya prayacchasyai / tada sustha bhaviyati

 na cet mariyati tada / kim upaya kariyasi 27

   tatah - then; jagat-gurum - to the spiritual master of the universe; praha - said; kacit - some lady; harsha-parayana - given to bliss; parihasa - joking; para - absorbed; matre - to His mother; narikela - coconut; phala-dvayam - two fruits; samaniya - collect; prayaccha - give; asyai - to her; tada - then; sustha - well; bhaviyati - she will be; na - not; cet - if; mariyati - she will die; tada - then; kim - what; upayam - means; kariyasi - You will do.

   Then one light-hearted lady said jokingly to the spiritual master of the cosmos, "If You can pick two coconuts and give them to Your mother, then she will be well. Otherwise she will die. But how can a little boy like You do this?!"

 iti kasya vacah shrutva / matur ankat tvaranvitah

 nirgaty aniya sa dadau / narikela-phala-dvayam 28

   iti - thus; kasyah - of that lady; vacah - words; shrutva - hearing; matuh - of His mother; ankat - from her lap; tvara - speed; anvitah - full of; nirgati - went; aniya - bringing; sah - He; dadau - gave; narikela-phala-dvayam - two coconuts.

  At hearing these words from the lady, Gaura Hari speedily scrambled down from His mother's lap and went out of the house. Immediately He  returned bearing two coconuts, and gave them to Shaci Mata.

 tat-kala-patanad ambu-yukta-vnta-yuga harih

 tad dtva vismitah procuh / kutah prapta tvaya katham 29

   tat-kala - that very moment; patanat - cut down; ambu-yukta - filled with water; vnta - with leaf and stem; yugam - pair; harih - Lord Hari; tat - that; dtva - having seen; vismitah - amazed; procuh - said; kutah - where; praptam - got; tvaya - by You; katham - how.

  The two coconuts had clearly been felled that very moment together with leaf and stem. Seeing this, the ladies were amazed and inquired of the boy, "Oh! Where did You get them and how?"

 tato hunktibhih sarva / varayitva maha-manah

 vatsa-gotra-dhvajo matre / dadau smera-mukhambujam 30

   tatah - then; hunktibhih - with His loud crying; sarvah - all the ladies; varayitva - preventing; maha-manah - great mind; vatsa - calf; gotra-dhvajah - flag of His dynasty; matre - to His mother; dadau - presented; smera - cupid; mukha -face; ambu-jam - born from the water (a lotus).

  Then the very clever Vishvambhara, whose ancestral flag bears a calf, with loud cries baffled the curious ladies' questions and presented to His mother His smiling face, which resembles the blossoming lotus.

 athanyac chnu viryani / vicitrani mahatmanah

 lokottarani sadhuni / mayinah paramatmanah 31

   atha - then; anyat - other; shnu - hear; viryani - potent; vicitrani - wonderful; mahatmanah - of the magnanimous; loka-uttarani - superhuman; sadhuni - virtuous; mayinah - of the mystic; parama-atmanah - of the Supersoul.

  Now please hear further of the potent, astonishing, superhuman and virtuous activities of the magnanimous Lord. He is is the supreme mystic who expands Himself as the all-pervasive Supersoul.

 ratrau kadacit sasupta / shaci purna janair iva

 paramalakya savigna / kroa-stha sva-suta shaci 32

 shankita preayam asa / pati-gehe tvaranvita

 pujita pathi devaish ca / shrimad-vishvambhara harim 33

   ratrau - at night; kadacit - once; sasupta - soundly asleep; shaci - Shaci Devi; purnam - filled; janaih - with people; iva - as if; parama - of a high nature; alakya - slightly visible; savigna - perturbed; kroa-stham - situated in her lap; sva-sutam - her own son; shaci - Shaci Devi; shankita - anxious; preayam asa - she sent; pati-gehe - to the room of her husband; tvara-anvita - speedily; pujitam - worshipped; pathi - on the way; devaih - by the demigods; ca - and; shrimat-vishvambharam - Shri Vishvambhara; harim - the remover of sin.

  Once, while Shaci Devi was resting, she saw that her home was apparently filled with people of a very exalted nature, who were only slightly visible. Being much perturbed and anxious for her son who was lying in her lap, she hastily sent Him to her husband's room. On the way, Shri Vishvambhara Hari was offered worship by the demigods.

 pathi prayatasya sutasya padayoh / suriktayor nupura-nisvana muhuh

 shrutva sa-shankah kim ida kutah svana / vatsyah shaci praha shaci ca vatsyam 34

   pathi - on the path; prayatasya - of He who was going; sutasya - of her son; padayoh - of His two feet; su-riktayoh - very clearly; nupura - ankle bells; nisvanam - sound; muhuh - repeatedly; shrutva - having heard; sa-shankah - with anxiety; kim - what?; idam - this; kutah - whence?; svanam - sound; vatsyah - father; shacim - to Shaci; praha - said; shaci - Shaci; ca - and; vatsyam - to the father.

  While their son was walking through the courtyard, His parents heard very distinctly the sound of anklebells ringing on His feet, although He was not been wearing any. Confused, Jagannatha and Shaci asked one another, "What is that? Where is that sound coming from?"

 gate samipa tanaye 'ti-vismito / dtva surikta suta-pada-pankajam

 kutah shruta nupura-mangala-svana / suta samalingya muda yayau dvijah 35

   gate - gone; samipam - nearby; tanaye - to His son; ati-vismitah - very mystified; dtva - having seen; su-riktam - very clearly; suta-pada - the feet of His son; panka-jam - lotus; kutah - whence?; shrutam - heard; nupura - ankle bells; mangala-svanam - auspicious sound; sutam - son; samalingya - warmly embracing; mudam - joyously; yayau - went; dvijah - the brahmana.

  When Jagannatha came in front of his son, he was even more mystified, for he saw very clearly that His lotus feet were without anklebells as before. He wondered, "Whence did that melodious sound of anklebells come?" With great affection the brahmana warmly embraced His son and thereby tasted transcendental bliss.

   Thus ends the Sixth Sarga entitled "The Playful Pastimes of Shri Gauranga's Childhood," in the First Prakrama of the great poem Shri Chaitanya Carita.