Lord Indra and Mother Surabhi Offer Prayers

Verse 1 (bhagavata.10.27.1)

श्रीशुक उवाच गोवर्धने धृते शैले आसाराद् रक्षिते व्रजे । गोलोकादाव्रजत्कृष्णं सुरभिः शक्र एव च ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca govardhane dhṛte śaile āsārād rakṣite vraje go-lokād āvrajat kṛṣṇaṁ surabhiḥ śakra eva ca

Śukadeva said: When the mountain Govardhana had been lifted and Vraja protected from the downpour, Surabhi came from Goloka to see Krishna, and Indra came as well.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.10.27.2)

विविक्त उपसङ्गम्य व्रीडीतः कृतहेलनः । पस्पर्श पादयोरेनं किरीटेनार्कवर्चसा ॥ २ ॥

vivikta upasaṅgamya vrīḍītaḥ kṛta-helanaḥ pasparśa pādayor enaṁ kirīṭenārka-varcasā

Approaching him in a solitary place, ashamed of the offense he had committed, Indra touched his feet with the crown that shone with the brilliance of the sun.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.10.27.3)

दृष्टश्रुतानुभावोऽस्य कृष्णस्यामिततेजसः । नष्टत्रिलोकेशमद इदमाह कृताञ्जलिः ॥ ३ ॥

dṛṣṭa-śrutānubhāvo ’sya kṛṣṇasyāmita-tejasaḥ naṣṭa-tri-lokeśa-mada idam āha kṛtāñjaliḥ

Having seen and heard of the immeasurable power of this Krishna, his pride at being lord of the three worlds now destroyed, he spoke as follows with folded hands.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.10.27.4)

इन्द्र उवाच विशुद्धसत्त्वं तव धाम शान्तंतपोमयं ध्वस्तरजस्तमस्कम् । मायामयोऽयं गुणसम्प्रवाहोन विद्यते तेऽग्रहणानुबन्धः ॥ ४ ॥

indra uvāca viśuddha-sattvaṁ tava dhāma śāntaṁ tapo-mayaṁ dhvasta-rajas-tamaskam māyā-mayo ’yaṁ guṇa-sampravāho na vidyate te grahaṇānubandhaḥ

Indra said: Your abode is pure goodness itself — tranquil, made of austerity, free of passion and darkness. This flow of the material qualities is born of maya; in you there is no bondage to its grasp.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.10.27.5)

कुतो नु तद्धेतव ईश तत्कृतालोभादयो येऽबुधलिङ्गभावाः । तथापि दण्डं भगवान् बिभर्तिधर्मस्य गुप्त्यै खलनिग्रहाय ॥ ५ ॥

kuto nu tad-dhetava īśa tat-kṛtā lobhādayo ye ’budha-linga-bhāvāḥ tathāpi daṇḍaṁ bhagavān bibharti dharmasya guptyai khala-nigrahāya

How, then, O lord, could there be in you the causes of those things — greed and the rest — which mark the ignorant? And yet the Lord bears the rod of punishment, to protect dharma and to curb the wicked.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.10.27.6)

पिता गुरुस्त्वं जगतामधीशोदुरत्ययः काल उपात्तदण्डः । हिताय चेच्छातनुभिः समीहसेमानं विधुन्वन् जगदीशमानिनाम् ॥ ६ ॥

pitā gurus tvaṁ jagatām adhīśo duratyayaḥ kāla upātta-daṇḍaḥ hitāya cecchā-tanubhiḥ samīhase mānaṁ vidhunvan jagad-īśa-māninām

You are the father, the teacher and the sovereign of the worlds, insurmountable time itself wielding the rod; and moved by your own will, taking forms as you please, you act for the good of all, breaking the pride of those who fancy themselves lords of the world.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.10.27.7)

ये मद्विधाज्ञा जगदीशमानिन-स्त्वां वीक्ष्य कालेऽभयमाशु तन्मदम् । हित्वार्यमार्गं प्रभजन्त्यपस्मयाईहा खलानामपि तेऽनुशासनम् ॥ ७ ॥

ye mad-vidhājñā jagad-īśa-māninas tvāṁ vīkṣya kāle ’bhayam āśu tan-madam hitvārya-mārgaṁ prabhajanty apasmayā īhā khalānām api te ’nuśāsanam

Fools like me, who fancy themselves lords of the world, seeing you fearless even before time itself, swiftly give up that very pride, and, free of conceit, take at once to the path of the noble — so even the striving of the wicked becomes, in truth, your own instruction to them.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.10.27.8)

स त्वं ममैश्वर्यमदप्लुतस्यकृतागसस्तेऽविदुषः प्रभावम् । क्षन्तुं प्रभोऽथार्हसि मूढचेतसोमैवं पुनर्भून्मतिरीश मेऽसती ॥ ८ ॥

sa tvaṁ mamaiśvarya-mada-plutasya kṛtāgasas te ’viduṣaḥ prabhāvam kṣantuṁ prabho ’thārhasi mūḍha-cetaso maivaṁ punar bhūn matir īśa me ’satī

You alone, O Lord, are fit to forgive me — drowned as I was in the intoxication of my power, offending you without knowing your greatness, my mind bewildered. Let my understanding, O lord, never again become so impure.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.10.27.9)

तवावतारोऽयमधोक्षजेहभुवो भराणामुरुभारजन्मनाम् । चमूपतीनामभवाय देवभवाय युष्मच्चरणानुवर्तिनाम् ॥ ९ ॥

tavāvatāro ’yam adhokṣajeha bhuvo bharāṇām uru-bhāra-janmanām camū-patīnām abhavāya deva bhavāya yuṣmac-caraṇānuvartinām

This descent of yours here, O transcendent one, is for the destruction of the warlords whose great weight burdens the earth, and, O god, for the good of those who follow at your feet.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.10.27.10)

नमस्तुभ्यं भगवते पुरुषाय महात्मने । वासुदेवाय कृष्णाय सात्वतां पतये नमः ॥ १० ॥

namas tubhyaṁ bhagavate puruṣāya mahātmane vāsudevāya kṛṣṇāya sātvatāṁ pataye namaḥ

Obeisance to you, the Lord, the Supreme Person, the great soul; obeisance to Vasudeva's son Krishna, lord of the Satvatas.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.10.27.11)

स्वच्छन्दोपात्तदेहाय विशुद्धज्ञानमूर्तये । सर्वस्मै सर्वबीजाय सर्वभूतात्मने नमः ॥ ११ ॥

svacchandopātta-dehāya viśuddha-jñāna-mūrtaye sarvasmai sarva-bījāya sarva-bhūtātmane namaḥ

To him who takes on a body by his own free will, whose very form is pure knowledge — to the all, the seed of all, the self within all beings — obeisance.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.10.27.12)

मयेदं भगवन् गोष्ठनाशायासारवायुभिः । चेष्टितं विहते यज्ञे मानिना तीव्रमन्युना ॥ १२ ॥

mayedaṁ bhagavan goṣṭha- nāśāyāsāra-vāyubhiḥ ceṣṭitaṁ vihate yajñe māninā tīvra-manyunā

My lord, this was my own doing — proud and fiercely angered when my sacrifice was disrupted, I strove to destroy your cow-station with torrential rain and wind.

Verse 13 (bhagavata.10.27.13)

त्वयेशानुगृहीतोऽस्मि ध्वस्तस्तम्भो वृथोद्यमः । ईश्वरं गुरुमात्मानं त्वामहं शरणं गतः ॥ १३ ॥

tvayeśānugṛhīto ’smi dhvasta-stambho vṛthodyamaḥ īśvaraṁ gurum ātmānaṁ tvām ahaṁ śaraṇaṁ gataḥ

By you, O lord, I have been shown grace, my pride broken, my effort made futile. To you, the supreme controller, the teacher, my very self, I have come for refuge.

Verse 14 (bhagavata.10.27.14)

श्रीशुक उवाच एवं सङ्कीर्तितः कृष्णो मघोना भगवानमुम् । मेघगम्भीरया वाचा प्रहसन्निदमब्रवीत् ॥ १४ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca evaṁ saṅkīrtitaḥ kṛṣṇo maghonā bhagavān amum megha-gambhīrayā vācā prahasann idam abravīt

Śukadeva said: Thus praised by Indra, the Lord Krishna smiled and spoke to him in a voice as deep as the thunder-clouds.

Verse 15 (bhagavata.10.27.15)

श्रीभगवानुवाच मया तेऽकारि मघवन् मखभङ्गोऽनुगृह्णता । मदनुस्मृतये नित्यं मत्तस्येन्द्र श्रिया भृशम् ॥ १५ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca mayā te ’kāri maghavan makha-bhaṅgo ’nugṛhṇatā mad-anusmṛtaye nityaṁ mattasyendra-śriyā bhṛśam

The Lord said: O Indra, it was I, out of grace toward you, who broke your sacrifice — so that you, so utterly intoxicated by the glory of being Indra, would always remember me.

Verse 16 (bhagavata.10.27.16)

मामैश्वर्यश्रीमदान्धो दण्डपाणिं न पश्यति । तं भ्रंशयामि सम्पद्भ्यो यस्य चेच्छाम्यनुग्रहम् ॥ १६ ॥

mām aiśvarya-śrī-madāndho daṇḍa pāṇiṁ na paśyati taṁ bhraṁśayāmi sampadbhyo yasya cecchāmy anugraham

One blinded by the intoxication of power and wealth does not see me standing near with rod in hand; whomever's welfare I truly desire, I bring down from his prosperity.

Verse 17 (bhagavata.10.27.17)

गम्यतां शक्र भद्रं वः क्रियतां मेऽनुशासनम् । स्थीयतां स्वाधिकारेषु युक्तैर्वः स्तम्भवर्जितैः ॥ १७ ॥

gamyatāṁ śakra bhadraṁ vaḥ kriyatāṁ me ’nuśāsanam sthīyatāṁ svādhikāreṣu yuktair vaḥ stambha-varjitaiḥ

Go now, Indra, may good come to you; carry out my command. Remain in your own office, joined with your peers, but free of pride.

Verse 18 (bhagavata.10.27.18)

अथाह सुरभिः कृष्णमभिवन्द्यमनस्विनी । स्वसन्तानैरुपामन्त्र्य गोपरूपिणमीश्वरम् ॥ १८ ॥

athāha surabhiḥ kṛṣṇam abhivandya manasvinī sva-santānair upāmantrya gopa-rūpiṇam īśvaram

Then the noble Surabhi, having bowed to Krishna, addressed the Lord — who stood before her in the form of a cowherd — together with her own offspring, the cows.

Verse 19 (bhagavata.10.27.19)

सुरभिरुवाच कृष्ण कृष्ण महायोगिन् विश्वात्मन् विश्वसम्भव । भवता लोकनाथेन सनाथा वयमच्युत ॥ १९ ॥

surabhir uvāca kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-yogin viśvātman viśva-sambhava bhavatā loka-nāthena sa-nāthā vayam acyuta

Surabhi said: O Krishna, Krishna, greatest of yogis, soul of the universe, source of the universe! Through you, lord of all worlds, we now have a true master, O infallible one.

Verse 20 (bhagavata.10.27.20)

त्वं नः परमकं दैवं त्वं न इन्द्रो जगत्पते । भवाय भव गोविप्रदेवानां ये च साधवः ॥ २० ॥

tvaṁ naḥ paramakaṁ daivaṁ tvaṁ na indro jagat-pate bhavāya bhava go-vipra devānāṁ ye ca sādhavaḥ

You are our highest deity; you, O lord of the world, be our Indra too, for the good of the cows, the brahmanas, the gods, and all who are righteous.

Verse 21 (bhagavata.10.27.21)

इन्द्रं नस्त्वाभिषेक्ष्यामो ब्रह्मणा चोदिता वयम् । अवतीर्णोऽसि विश्वात्मन् भूमेर्भारापनुत्तये ॥ २१ ॥

indraṁ nas tvābhiṣekṣyāmo brahmaṇā coditā vayam avatīrṇo ’si viśvātman bhūmer bhārāpanuttaye

Instructed by Brahma, we shall now install you as our Indra; for you have descended, O soul of the universe, to lift the burden from the earth.

Verse 22 (bhagavata.10.27.22)

श्रीशुक उवाच एवं कृष्णमुपामन्त्र्य सुरभिः पयसात्मनः । जलैराकाशगङ्गाया ऐरावतकरोद्धृतैः ॥ २२ ॥

śṛī-śuka uvāca evaṁ kṛṣṇam upāmantrya surabhiḥ payasātmanaḥ jalair ākāśa-gaṅgāyā airāvata-karoddhṛtaiḥ

Śukadeva said: Having thus addressed Krishna, Surabhi bathed him in her own milk,

Verse 23 (bhagavata.10.27.23)

इन्द्रः सुरर्षिभिः साकं चोदितो देवमातृभिः । अभ्यसिञ्चत दाशार्हं गोविन्द इति चाभ्यधात् ॥ २३ ॥

indraḥ surarṣibhiḥ sākaṁ codito deva-mātṛbhiḥ abhyasiñcata dāśārhaṁ govinda iti cābhyadhāt

and Indra, together with the divine sages and urged on by the mothers of the gods, anointed him with the waters of the heavenly Ganga drawn up in Airavata's trunk, calling him Govinda.

Verse 24 (bhagavata.10.27.24)

तत्रागतास्तुम्बुरुनारदादयोगन्धर्वविद्याधरसिद्धचारणाः । जगुर्यशो लोकमलापहं हरेः सुराङ्गनाः सन्ननृतुर्मुदान्विताः ॥ २४ ॥

tatrāgatās tumburu-nāradādayo gandharva-vidyādhara-siddha-cāraṇāḥ jagur yaśo loka-malāpahaṁ hareḥ surāṅganāḥ sannanṛtur mudānvitāḥ

There came Tumburu, Narada and others — Gandharvas, Vidyadharas, Siddhas and Charanas — and sang the glory of Hari, which washes away the world's impurity, while the wives of the gods danced together, filled with joy.

Verse 25 (bhagavata.10.27.25)

तं तुष्टुवुर्देवनिकायकेतवोह्यवाकिरंश्चाद्भुतपुष्पवृष्टिभिः । लोकाः परां निर्वृतिमाप्नुवंस्त्रयोगावस्तदा गामनयन् पयोद्रुताम् ॥ २५ ॥

taṁ tuṣṭuvur deva-nikāya-ketavo hy avākiraṁś cādbhuta-puṣpa-vṛṣṭibhiḥ lokāḥ parāṁ nirvṛtim āpnuvaṁs trayo gāvas tadā gām anayan payo-drutām

The foremost of the celestial hosts sang his praises and showered him with wondrous rains of flowers; all three worlds attained supreme delight, and the cows then flooded the earth with streams of their own milk.

Verse 26 (bhagavata.10.27.26)

नानारसौघाः सरितो वृक्षा आसन् मधुस्रवाः । अकृष्टपच्यौषधयो गिरयोऽबिभ्रनुन्मणीन् ॥ २६ ॥

nānā-rasaughāḥ sarito vṛkṣā āsan madhu-sravāḥ akṛṣṭa-pacyauṣadhayo girayo ’bibhran un maṇīn

The rivers flowed with streams of every kind of savour, the trees ran with honey, the herbs ripened without ploughing, and the mountains bore forth their jewels.

Verse 27 (bhagavata.10.27.27)

कृष्णेऽभिषिक्त एतानि सर्वाणि कुरुनन्दन । निर्वैराण्यभवंस्तात क्रूराण्यपि निसर्गतः ॥ २७ ॥

kṛṣṇe ’bhiṣikta etāni sarvāṇi kuru-nandana nirvairāṇy abhavaṁs tāta krūrāṇy api nisargataḥ

O joy of the Kurus, when Krishna was thus anointed, all these creatures — even those cruel by nature — became free of enmity.

Verse 28 (bhagavata.10.27.28)

इति गोगोकुलपतिं गोविन्दमभिषिच्य सः । अनुज्ञातो ययौ शक्रो वृतो देवादिभिर्दिवम् ॥ २८ ॥

iti go-gokula-patiṁ govindam abhiṣicya saḥ anujñāto yayau śakro vṛto devādibhir divam

Having thus anointed Govinda, lord of the cows and of Gokula, Indra, granted leave, departed for heaven, surrounded by the gods and others.