STEALING OF BOYS AND CALVES BY BRAHMA:
After the killing of the demon Aghasura, Krishna and his friends sat down on the banks of River Yamuna to have their lunch. They set free the calves to forage for green grass. The calves went deep into the forest and did not return for some time. Afraid of some mishap to their animals, the cowherd-boys wanted to go in search of the calves but Krishna told them to continue with their lunch and volunteered himself for the search. In the forest, Krishna was unable to find the calves; when he returned he saw that his friends had also vanished. In fact, Lord Brahma had stolen these calves and the cowherd boys, took them to a cave and made them asleep under the spell of his mystic power. He wished to see what Lord Krishna would do without the calves and cowherd boys. Through his divine powers, Krishna understood that this was the work of Lord Brahma. He decided to play a trick upon Lord Brahma himself.
(Picture courtesy -Google image)
Krishna made no effort to release his friends and the calves. Instead, he multiplied himself into the cowherd boys and calves duplicating their original forms and minds. Down to the minutest details he copied their dress, behavior, mannerism, color, voices and other characteristics. These divine forms of the Lord were so perfectly matched the original that no one could even sense a change. As the sun went down, these Krishna-gopas and Krishna-calves wended their way home along with Krishna. On entering the village, each Krishna-gopa bid farewell to Krishna and entered his house along with the Krishna-calves. Krishna had so perfectly copied each boy’s characteristics that not even their own mothers could find anything strange. The Krishna-calves too went straight to the mother-cows.
Krishna continued to sustain this Leela so that the people of Vrindavana were not aware that the original boys and calves were missing. Every morning the Krishna-gopas and Krishna-calves would go as usual to the pastures. The calves would graze and the Krishna-gopas would play together all the games that Krishna and the cowboys used to play. In the evening they would return home again. Except for one strange thing, life was normal at Vrindavana. Day by day the mothers began to feel an overwhelming love for their children caring for them lovingly in the evenings. They were reluctant to send them to the pastures in the morning. The cows too began to adore their calves more. They could not stop muzzling them and could not seem to stop licking them.
In this way Krishna enjoyed the lavish love and tender care of so many parents and animals at the same time and gave immeasurable happiness to all the mothers. All the other gods and celestial beings watched with wonder at these Supreme impersonifications and envied those fortunate enough to enjoy Krishna's divine manifestations.
One-day, as usual, Krishna, Balarama and the other Krishna-gopas took their calves to graze in the pastures. The cows were already grazing on the hill slopes of Goverdhana. Seeing their beloved calves they came rushing down the mountain to caress them and lick them with great joy. Balarama, who was watching all this, said to Krishna: "Krishna, do you know the reason why everybody has become more loving towards their children? Why even the cows cannot bear to be separated from their calves. And the strangest thing is that they all look like you to me." Krishna then narrated to Balarama the entire incident of Brahma hiding the boys and the animals.
By now a year was almost over. It was one year of our solar calculation but only a moment in Brahma’s calculation. When he came again after a moment, he saw all the boys and calves playing with Krishna as usual. He was greatly puzzled at this since he was certain that all the boys and calves taken away by him were still sleeping in the cave. Very soon Brahma realized that his mystic power was almost nothing as compared to the mystic power of Krishna – the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Just like the light of a candle which pales into insignificance in the face of the sun, so did the mystic of Lord Brahma become insignificant in front of Lord Krishna’s mystic. As soon as he acknowledged this, like a mist clearing he saw the dark-complexioned beloved face of Krishna in each of the boys and calves. To his eyes wherever he looked he could only see the four-armed Lord Vishnu in each one’s form.
Getting down from his vehicle, the swan, Brahmaji went thrice around Krishna and bowed low. "My Lord, your mystic is infinitely great and divine" he said and sang in praise of the Lord. He then released the cowherd boys and calves. Then seated on his swan he disappeared. The divine duplicates also vanished when the originals came back!.
The real cowherd boys (gopas) were now sitting in the same place from where Brahmaji had whisked them away. But he had cast a spell on them as a result of which they could not remember anything that had happened. The original calves also were grazing peacefully. To them, Krishna also appeared as he had been a year previously. Although he returned after one year, the cowherd boys thought that he had returned in a moment. While enjoying his lunch with the other boys, Krishna chuckled to himself about their not realizingt for one year they had all been involved in the mystic activities of Lord Brahma.
That evening the cowherd boys returned home and told the others how Krishna had saved them yet again from the jaws of death. They related how he had killed the demon Aghasura. The boys actually spoke of the event which had taken place a year ago but which they thought was only a few hours earlier. Day by day the people of Vrindavana spoke lovingly of the deeds of Krishna even though they continued to be unaware of his divine nature.
भूमातिरेकमभिवीक्ष्य तदाघमोक्षे ।
ब्रह्मा परीक्षितुमना: स परोक्षभावं
निन्येऽथ वत्सकगणान् प्रवितत्य मायाम् ॥१॥
anyaavataaranikareShvaniriikshitaM te
bhuumaatirekamabhiviikshya tadaaghamOkshe |
brahmaa pariikshitumanaaH sa parOkshabhaavaM
ninye(a)tha vatsakagaNaan pravitatya maayaam || 1
Brahma watching you give salvation to Aghasura, And observing your great power which was not seen in other incarnations, Decided to test you and using his power of delusion , Caused the entire of herd of calves vanish from there.
नानेतुकाम इव धातृमतानुवर्ती ।
त्वं सामिभुक्तकबलो गतवांस्तदानीं
भुक्तांस्तिरोऽधित सरोजभव: कुमारान् ॥२॥
vatsaanaviikshya vivashe pashupOtkaretaan
aanetukaama iva dhaatR^imataanuvartii |
tvaM saamibhukta kabalO gatavaamstadaaniiM
bhuktaamstirOdhita sarOjabhavaH kumaaraan || 2
The Gopa boys were worried by the disappearance of the calves. As though trying to bring them back, You left your half finished meal and as if to obey Brahma’s wish,Started searching for the calves and then that Brahma hide ,The Gopa boys also with their half finished mealsWitnessing the indisputable power of Thy glory, during the liberation of the demonAgha, hitherto not seen in any of Thy other incarnations, Brahma, with his mind determined to test Thee, used his power of delusion, (Maya), and caused the calfherds to disappear from view.
Dasakam: 052 -- Slokam: 03
वत्सायितस्तदनु गोपगणायितस्त्वंशिक्यादिभाण्डमुरलीगवलादिरूप: ।
प्राग्वद्विहृत्य विपिनेषु चिराय सायं
त्वं माययाऽथ बहुधा व्रजमाययाथ ॥३॥
vatsaayita stadanu gOpagaNaayitastvaM
shikyaadi bhaaNDa muralii gavalaadiruupaH |
praagvadvihR^itya vipineShu chiraaya saayaM
tvaM maayayaa(a)tha bahudhaa vrajamaayayaatha || 3
Dasakam: 052 -- Slokam: 04
त्वामेव शिक्यगवलादिमयं दधानोभूयस्त्वमेव पशुवत्सकबालरूप: ।
गोरूपिणीभिरपि गोपवधूमयीभि-
रासादितोऽसि जननीभिरतिप्रहर्षात् ॥४॥
tvaameva shikya gavalaadimayaM dadhaanO
bhuuyastvameva pashuvatsaka baalaruupaH |
gOruupiNiibhirapi gOpavadhuumayiibhiH
aasaaditO(a)si jananiibhiratipraharShaat ||4
Thou alone were in the form of the slings and horns held by the gopaa boys who were also Thou alone in their form. The cows and calves were also Thy form alone. The mothers, that is, the Gopikas and cows received the gopa boys and the calves with great joy and love.
Dasakam: 052 -- Slokam: 05
जीवं हि कञ्चिदभिमानवशात्स्वकीयंमत्वा तनूज इति रागभरं वहन्त्य: ।
आत्मानमेव तु भवन्तमवाप्य सूनुं
प्रीतिं ययुर्न कियतीं वनिताश्च गाव: ॥५॥
jiivaM hi ka~nchidabhimaana vashaatsvakiiyaM
matvaa tanuuja iti raagabharaM vahantyaH |
aatmaanameva tu bhavantamavaapya suunuM
priitiM yayurnakiyatiiM vanitaashcha gaavaH || 5
While before this happened , the Gopis and cows ,Due to the self centeredness of the soul , Were greatly loving them as their children,But when they got you who is the God himself as their child,
They were drowned in ecstasy and great joy.
They were drowned in ecstasy and great joy.
Dasakam: 052 -- Slokam: 06
एवं प्रतिक्षणविजृम्भितहर्षभार-निश्शेषगोपगणलालितभूरिमूर्तिम् ।
त्वामग्रजोऽपि बुबुधे किल वत्सरान्ते
ब्रह्मात्मनोरपि महान् युवयोर्विशेष: ॥६॥
evaM pratikshaNa vijR^imbhita harShabhaara
niHsheSha gOpagaNa laalita bhuuri muurtim |
tvaamagrajO(a)pi bubudhe kila vatsaraante
brahmaatmanOrapi mahaan yuvayOrvisheShaH || 6
In this manner, day by day, every moment the Gopas served Thee in Thy many forms with ever increasing joy. Even Thy elder brother Balaraam could not relies that it was Thou in the various forms till the end of one year. Though Thou two are in reality of the nature of Brahman, there is a vast difference. Thou are special
Dasakam: 052 -- Slokam: 07
वर्षावधौ नवपुरातनवत्सपालान्दृष्ट्वा विवेकमसृणे द्रुहिणे विमूढे ।
प्रादीदृश: प्रतिनवान् मकुटाङ्गदादि
भूषांश्चतुर्भुजयुज: सजलाम्बुदाभान् ॥७॥
varShaavadhau nava puraatana vatsa paalaan
dR^iShTvaa vivekamasR^iNe druhiNe vimuuDhe |
praadiidR^ishaH pratinavaan makuTaangadaadi
bhuuShaamshchaturbhuja yujaH sajalaambudaabhaan || 7
At the end of one year, Brahma, was extremely perplexed as he could not distinguish which set of cowherds and calves were the old ones and which were the new ones. Thou revealed to him Thy showed to him, each and everyoneof Thy new forms, adorned with crown, shoulder ornaments etc. and having four arms and the radiance of the rain bearing clouds.
Dasakam: 052 -- Slokam: 08
प्रत्येकमेव कमलापरिलालिताङ्गान्भोगीन्द्रभोगशयनान् नयनाभिरामान् ।
लीलानिमीलितदृश: सनकादियोगि-
व्यासेवितान् कमलभूर्भवतो ददर्श ॥८॥
pratyekameva kamalaa parilaalitaangaan
bhOgiindra bhOgashayanaan nayanaabhiraamaan |
liilaa nimiilitadR^ishaH sanakaadi yOgi
vyaasevitaan kamalabhuurbhavatO dadarsha || 8
The lotus born Brahmaa saw each one of them as Thee alone. As Him whose limbs were caressed by Godess Lakshmi ; everyone of them reclining on the bed of the serpent Adisesha; each form with eyes shut in the trance of Yogic sleep; each form being worshipped by the sages Sanaka and others; seeing all these charming poses, Brahma was convinced of Thy identity.
Dasakam: 052 -- Slokam: 09
नारायणाकृतिमसंख्यतमां निरीक्ष्य
सर्वत्र सेवकमपि स्वमवेक्ष्य धाता ।
मायानिमग्नहृदयो विमुमोह याव-
देको बभूविथ तदा कबलार्धपाणि: ॥९॥
सर्वत्र सेवकमपि स्वमवेक्ष्य धाता ।
मायानिमग्नहृदयो विमुमोह याव-
देको बभूविथ तदा कबलार्धपाणि: ॥९॥
naaraayaNaakR^itiM asankhyatamaaM niriikshya
sarvatra sevakamapi svamavekshya dhaataa |
maayaa nimagna hR^idayO vimumOha yaavat
ekO babhuuvitha tadaa kabalaardhapaaNiH || 9
Brahma saw the innumerable forms of Naaraayana everywhere. He saw himself as an attendent. His mind was totally overpowered by Maayaa and he was completely confused. Then Thou became one, holding a half eaten ball of rice in hand.
Dasakam: 052 -- Slokam:1 0
नश्यन्मदे तदनु विश्वपतिं मुहुस्त्वांनत्वा च नूतवति धातरि धाम याते ।
पोतै: समं प्रमुदितै: प्रविशन् निकेतं
वातालयाधिप विभो परिपाहि रोगात् ॥१०॥
nashyanmade tadanu vishvapatimmuhustvaaM
natvaa cha nuutavati dhaatari dhaama yaate |
pOtaiH samaM pramuditaiH pravishanniketaM
vaataalayaadhipa vibhO paripaahi rOgaat ||10
Oh Lord ! Then Brahma, with his pride, destroyed, bowed down to Thee,repeatedly,and singing Thy praises, heartily, left for his Satyaloka. Thou came back to Brindaavana, with all the calves and cowherd lads, who were most happy. Oh!Guruvayurappa ! May Thou save me from illness.
