The Killing of the Demon Trinavarta

Verse 1 (bhagavata.10.7.1)

श्रीराजोवाच येन येनावतारेण भगवान् हरिरीश्वरः । करोति कर्णरम्याणि मनोज्ञानि च नः प्रभो ॥ १ ॥

śrī-rājovāca yena yenāvatāreṇa bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ karoti karṇa-ramyāṇi mano-jñāni ca naḥ prabho

The king said: O lord, in whichever incarnation Bhagavan Hari, the Supreme Controller, performs deeds that delight our ears and mind —

Verse 2 (bhagavata.10.7.2)

यच्छृण्वतोऽपैत्यरतिर्वितृष्णा सत्त्वं च शुद्ध्यत्यचिरेण पुंसः । भक्तिर्हरौ तत्पुरुषे च सख्यं तदेव हारं वद मन्यसे चेत् ॥ २ ॥

yac-chṛṇvato ’paity aratir vitṛṣṇā sattvaṁ ca śuddhyaty acireṇa puṁsaḥ bhaktir harau tat-puruṣe ca sakhyaṁ tad eva hāraṁ vada manyase cet

— hearing which, restlessness and craving fall away, the heart is swiftly purified, and devotion to Hari and friendship with His devotees awaken — if you think it fitting, tell me exactly that account, like a garland strung for me to wear.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.10.7.3)

अथान्यदपि कृष्णस्य तोकाचरितमद्भुतम् । मानुषं लोकमासाद्य तज्जातिमनुरुन्धतः ॥ ३ ॥

athānyad api kṛṣṇasya tokācaritam adbhutam mānuṣaṁ lokam āsādya taj-jātim anurundhataḥ

Now tell me also of Krishna's other wondrous childhood deeds, performed after He had taken birth in the world of men and was living according to the ways proper to that age.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.10.7.4)

श्रीशुक उवाच कदाचिदौत्थानिककौतुकाप्लवे जन्मर्क्षयोगे समवेतयोषिताम् । वादित्रगीतद्विजमन्त्रवाचकै- श्चकार सूनोरभिषेचनं सती ॥ ४ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca kadācid autthānika-kautukāplave janmarkṣa-yoge samaveta-yoṣitām vāditra-gīta-dvija-mantra-vācakaiś cakāra sūnor abhiṣecanaṁ satī

Shri Shuka said: Once, at the joyous Utthana festival, when the moon again stood in conjunction with His birth star, the chaste Yashoda, together with the women gathered there and with musicians, singers, and brahmanas chanting mantras, performed the bathing ceremony for her son.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.10.7.5)

नन्दस्य पत्नी कृतमज्जनादिकं विप्रैः कृतस्वस्त्ययनं सुपूजितैः । अन्नाद्यवासःस्रगभीष्टधेनुभिः सञ्जातनिद्राक्षमशीशयच्छनैः ॥ ५ ॥

nandasya patnī kṛta-majjanādikaṁ vipraiḥ kṛta-svastyayanaṁ supūjitaiḥ annādya-vāsaḥ-srag-abhīṣṭa-dhenubhiḥ sañjāta-nidrākṣam aśīśayac chanaiḥ

Nanda's wife, having completed the bathing rite, honored the brahmanas who had performed the auspicious ceremony with food, clothing, garlands, and choice cows. Then, seeing that the child had grown drowsy, she gently laid Him down to sleep.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.10.7.6)

औत्थानिकौत्सुक्यमना मनस्विनी समागतान् पूजयती व्रजौकसः । नैवाशृणोद् वै रुदितं सुतस्य सा रुदन् स्तनार्थी चरणावुदक्षिपत् ॥ ६ ॥

autthānikautsukya-manā manasvinī samāgatān pūjayatī vrajaukasaḥ naivāśṛṇod vai ruditaṁ sutasya sā rudan stanārthī caraṇāv udakṣipat

Absorbed in the bustle of the festival, the large-hearted Yashoda was busy honoring the assembled people of Vraja, and so did not hear her son crying. And the child, crying for her breast, kicked His little legs up into the air.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.10.7.7)

अधःशयानस्य शिशोरनोऽल्पक- प्रवालमृद्वङ्घ्रिहतं व्यवर्तत । विध्वस्तनानारसकुप्यभाजनं व्यत्यस्तचक्राक्षविभिन्नकूबरम् ॥ ७ ॥

adhaḥ-śayānasya śiśor ano ’lpaka- pravāla-mṛdv-aṅghri-hataṁ vyavartata vidhvasta-nānā-rasa-kupya-bhājanaṁ vyatyasta-cakrākṣa-vibhinna-kūbaram

Lying beneath the cart, the infant struck it with His soft little feet, tender as fresh shoots, and the cart overturned in violence — the many vessels of various metals it carried were smashed and scattered, its wheels and axle wrenched apart, and its yoke-pole broken.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.10.7.8)

दृष्ट्वा यशोदाप्रमुखा व्रजस्त्रिय औत्थानिके कर्मणि याः समागताः । नन्दादयश्चाद्भुतदर्शनाकुलाः कथं स्वयं वै शकटं विपर्यगात् ॥ ८ ॥

dṛṣṭvā yaśodā-pramukhā vraja-striya autthānike karmaṇi yāḥ samāgatāḥ nandādayaś cādbhuta-darśanākulāḥ kathaṁ svayaṁ vai śakaṭaṁ viparyagāt

Seeing this, the women of Vraja, led by Yashoda, who had gathered for the utthana ceremony, together with Nanda and the others, were left bewildered by the strange sight, wondering how the cart could possibly have overturned on its own.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.10.7.9)

ऊचुरव्यवसितमतीन् गोपान्गोपीश्च बालकाः । रुदतानेन पादेन क्षिप्तमेतन्न संशयः ॥ ९ ॥

ūcur avyavasita-matīn gopān gopīś ca bālakāḥ rudatānena pādena kṣiptam etan na saṁśayaḥ

To the bewildered cowherds and gopis, the small children said, "It was this crying baby's foot that kicked it over — there is no doubt about it."

Verse 10 (bhagavata.10.7.10)

न ते श्रद्दधिरे गोपा बालभाषितमित्युत । अप्रमेयं बलं तस्य बालकस्य न ते विदुः ॥ १० ॥

na te śraddadhire gopā bāla-bhāṣitam ity uta aprameyaṁ balaṁ tasya bālakasya na te viduḥ

But the cowherds, taking this for mere childish talk, did not believe it; they had no idea of that child's immeasurable strength.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.10.7.11)

रुदन्तं सुतमादाय यशोदा ग्रहशङ्किता । कृतस्वस्त्ययनं विप्रैः सूक्तैः स्तनमपाययत् ॥ ११ ॥

rudantaṁ sutam ādāya yaśodā graha-śaṅkitā kṛta-svastyayanaṁ vipraiḥ sūktaiḥ stanam apāyayat

Fearing that some evil planet had attacked her son, Yashoda picked up the crying child, and after the brahmanas had performed a protective rite with Vedic hymns, let Him drink from her breast.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.10.7.12)

पूर्ववत् स्थापितं गोपैर्बलिभिः सपरिच्छदम् । विप्रा हुत्वार्चयांचक्रुर्दध्यक्षतकुशाम्बुभिः ॥ १२ ॥

pūrvavat sthāpitaṁ gopair balibhiḥ sa-paricchadam viprā hutvārcayāṁ cakrur dadhy-akṣata-kuśāmbubhiḥ

The strong cowherds set the cart upright again with all its contents just as before, and the brahmanas, having offered oblations into the fire, worshiped with curd, unbroken rice, kusha grass, and water.

Verse 13 (bhagavata.10.7.13)

येऽसूयानृतदम्भेर्षाहिंसामानविवर्जिताः । न तेषां सत्यशीलानामाशिषो विफलाः कृताः ॥ १३ ॥

ye ’sūyānṛta-dambherṣā- hiṁsā-māna-vivarjitāḥ na teṣāṁ satya-śīlānām āśiṣo viphalāḥ kṛtāḥ

The blessings of brahmanas who are free from envy, falsehood, pride, malice, and violence, and who are steadfast in truth, are never rendered fruitless.

Verse 14 (bhagavata.10.7.14)

इति बालकमादाय सामर्ग्यजुरुपाकृतैः । जलैः पवित्रौषधिभिरभिषिच्य द्विजोत्तमैः ॥ १४ ॥

iti bālakam ādāya sāmarg-yajur-upākṛtaiḥ jalaiḥ pavitrauṣadhibhir abhiṣicya dvijottamaiḥ

So thinking, Nanda took the child upon his lap, and the foremost of the brahmanas, chanting from the Sama, Rig, and Yajur Vedas, bathed Him with water purified by sacred herbs.

Verse 15 (bhagavata.10.7.15)

वाचयित्वा स्वस्त्ययनं नन्दगोपः समाहितः । हुत्वा चाग्निं द्विजातिभ्यः प्रादादन्नं महागुणम् ॥ १५ ॥

vācayitvā svastyayanaṁ nanda-gopaḥ samāhitaḥ hutvā cāgniṁ dvijātibhyaḥ prādād annaṁ mahā-guṇam

With full attention, Nanda had the auspicious hymns recited and offered oblations into the fire, and then gave the brahmanas food of the finest quality.

Verse 16 (bhagavata.10.7.16)

गावः सर्वगुणोपेता वासःस्रग्रुक्ममालिनीः । आत्मजाभ्युदयार्थाय प्रादात्ते चान्वयुञ्जत ॥ १६ ॥

gāvaḥ sarva-guṇopetā vāsaḥ-srag-rukma-mālinīḥ ātmajābhyudayārthāya prādāt te cānvayuñjata

For his son's welfare, he gave away cows perfect in every quality, adorned with cloth, garlands, and gold necklaces; and the brahmanas, accepting them, gave their blessings in return.

Verse 17 (bhagavata.10.7.17)

विप्रा मन्त्रविदो युक्तास्तैर्याः प्रोक्तास्तथाशिषः । ता निष्फला भविष्यन्ति न कदाचिदपि स्फुटम् ॥ १७ ॥

viprā mantra-vido yuktās tair yāḥ proktās tathāśiṣaḥ tā niṣphalā bhaviṣyanti na kadācid api sphuṭam

The blessings given by those brahmanas, learned in the mantras and disciplined in yoga, could never, under any circumstance, prove fruitless.

Verse 18 (bhagavata.10.7.18)

एकदारोहमारूढं लालयन्ती सुतं सती । गरिमाणं शिशोर्वोढुं न सेहे गिरिकूटवत् ॥ १८ ॥

ekadāroham ārūḍhaṁ lālayantī sutaṁ satī garimāṇaṁ śiśor voḍhuṁ na sehe giri-kūṭavat

One day, as the devoted Yashoda was fondling her son seated on her lap, she suddenly found His weight unbearable — heavy as the peak of a mountain.

Verse 19 (bhagavata.10.7.19)

भूमौ निधाय तं गोपी विस्मिता भारपीडिता । महापुरुषमादध्यौ जगतामास कर्मसु ॥ १९ ॥

bhūmau nidhāya taṁ gopī vismitā bhāra-pīḍitā mahā-puruṣam ādadhyau jagatām āsa karmasu

Astonished and overwhelmed by that weight, the cowherd woman set Him down upon the ground, turned her thoughts for a moment to the Supreme Person, and then returned to her household duties.

Verse 20 (bhagavata.10.7.20)

दैत्यो नाम्ना तृणावर्तः कंसभृत्यः प्रणोदितः । चक्रवातस्वरूपेण जहारासीनमर्भकम् ॥ २० ॥

daityo nāmnā tṛṇāvartaḥ kaṁsa-bhṛtyaḥ praṇoditaḥ cakravāta-svarūpeṇa jahārāsīnam arbhakam

Then a demon named Trinavarta, a servant of Kamsa sent by him for this very purpose, took the form of a whirlwind and swept away the child as He sat there.

Verse 21 (bhagavata.10.7.21)

गोकुलं सर्वमावृण्वन् मुष्णंश्चक्षूंषि रेणुभिः । ईरयन् सुमहाघोरशब्देन प्रदिशो दिशः ॥ २१ ॥

gokulaṁ sarvam āvṛṇvan muṣṇaṁś cakṣūṁṣi reṇubhiḥ īrayan sumahā-ghora- śabdena pradiśo diśaḥ

Enveloping the whole of Gokula in dust and blinding every eye, he set every direction ringing with a tremendous and terrible sound.

Verse 22 (bhagavata.10.7.22)

मुहूर्तमभवद् गोष्ठं रजसा तमसावृतम् । सुतं यशोदा नापश्यत्तस्मिन् न्यस्तवती यतः ॥ २२ ॥

muhūrtam abhavad goṣṭhaṁ rajasā tamasāvṛtam sutaṁ yaśodā nāpaśyat tasmin nyastavatī yataḥ

For a moment the whole cow-pen was shrouded in darkness by the dust storm, and Yashoda could not find her son at the very place where she had set Him down.

Verse 23 (bhagavata.10.7.23)

नापश्यत्कश्चनात्मानं परं चापि विमोहितः । तृणावर्तनिसृष्टाभिः शर्कराभिरुपद्रुतः ॥ २३ ॥

nāpaśyat kaścanātmānaṁ paraṁ cāpi vimohitaḥ tṛṇāvarta-nisṛṣṭābhiḥ śarkarābhir upadrutaḥ

Pelted by the pebbles that Trinavarta hurled about, no one could see even themselves, much less anyone else — everyone was thrown into utter confusion.

Verse 24 (bhagavata.10.7.24)

इति खरपवनचक्रपांशुवर्षे सुतपदवीमबलाविलक्ष्य माता । अतिकरुणमनुस्मरन्त्यशोचद् भुवि पतिता मृतवत्सका यथा गौः ॥ २४ ॥

iti khara-pavana-cakra-pāṁśu-varṣe suta-padavīm abalāvilakṣya mātā atikaruṇam anusmaranty aśocad bhuvi patitā mṛta-vatsakā yathā gauḥ

Thus, amid that fierce whirlwind's storm of dust, the helpless mother, unable to find any trace of her son, fell upon the ground in bitter grief, remembering Him with pitiful longing, like a cow that has lost her calf.

Verse 25 (bhagavata.10.7.25)

रुदितमनुनिशम्य तत्र गोप्यो भृशमनुतप्तधियोऽश्रुपूर्णमुख्यः । रुरुदुरनुपलभ्य नन्दसूनुं पवन उपारतपांशुवर्षवेगे ॥ २५ ॥

ruditam anuniśamya tatra gopyo bhṛśam anutapta-dhiyo ’śru-pūrṇa-mukhyaḥ rurudur anupalabhya nanda-sūnuṁ pavana upārata-pāṁśu-varṣa-vege

Hearing her weeping, the other gopis too were struck with deep grief, their faces streaming with tears; and even as the fury of the dust storm at last subsided, unable to find Nanda's son, they wept along with her.

Verse 26 (bhagavata.10.7.26)

तृणावर्तः शान्तरयो वात्यारूपधरो हरन् । कृष्णं नभोगतो गन्तुं नाशक्नोद् भूरिभारभृत् ॥ २६ ॥

tṛṇāvartaḥ śānta-rayo vātyā-rūpa-dharo haran kṛṣṇaṁ nabho-gato gantuṁ nāśaknod bhūri-bhāra-bhṛt

Trinavarta, who had assumed the whirlwind's form and carried Krishna up into the sky, found his speed checked — under so great a weight, he could go no farther.

Verse 27 (bhagavata.10.7.27)

तमश्मानं मन्यमान आत्मनो गुरुमत्तया । गले गृहीत उत्स्रष्टुं नाशक्नोदद्भुतार्भकम् ॥ २७ ॥

tam aśmānaṁ manyamāna ātmano guru-mattayā gale gṛhīta utsraṣṭuṁ nāśaknod adbhutārbhakam

Taking Him for a mere boulder because of His heaviness, and now himself seized by the throat, the demon found he could neither carry that wondrous child further nor cast Him off.

Verse 28 (bhagavata.10.7.28)

गलग्रहणनिश्चेष्टो दैत्यो निर्गतलोचनः । अव्यक्तरावो न्यपतत्सहबालो व्यसुर्व्रजे ॥ २८ ॥

gala-grahaṇa-niśceṣṭo daityo nirgata-locanaḥ avyakta-rāvo nyapatat saha-bālo vyasur vraje

Rendered motionless by the grip on his throat, his eyes bulging, unable even to cry out, the demon fell lifeless to the ground of Vraja, the child falling with him.

Verse 29 (bhagavata.10.7.29)

तमन्तरिक्षात् पतितं शिलायां विशीर्णसर्वावयवं करालम् । पुरं यथा रुद्रशरेण विद्धं स्त्रियो रुदत्यो ददृशुः समेताः ॥ २९ ॥

tam antarikṣāt patitaṁ śilāyāṁ viśīrṇa-sarvāvayavaṁ karālam puraṁ yathā rudra-śareṇa viddhaṁ striyo rudatyo dadṛśuḥ sametāḥ

The weeping women who had gathered there saw that terrible demon lying on a rock where he had fallen from the sky, his body shattered limb from limb — as if he were Tripura, pierced through by Rudra's arrow.

Verse 30 (bhagavata.10.7.30)

प्रादाय मात्रे प्रतिहृत्य विस्मिताः कृष्णं च तस्योरसि लम्बमानम् । तं स्वस्तिमन्तं पुरुषादनीतं विहायसा मृत्युमुखात् प्रमुक्तम् । गोप्यश्च गोपाः किल नन्दमुख्या लब्ध्वा पुनः प्रापुरतीव मोदम् ॥ ३० ॥

prādāya mātre pratihṛtya vismitāḥ kṛṣṇaṁ ca tasyorasi lambamānam taṁ svastimantaṁ puruṣāda-nītaṁ vihāyasā mṛtyu-mukhāt pramuktam gopyaś ca gopāḥ kila nanda-mukhyā labdhvā punaḥ prāpur atīva modam

In wonder, they lifted Krishna from the demon's chest and carried Him back to His mother — utterly unharmed, though the man-eater had swept Him through the sky, and freed now from the very jaws of death. The gopis and gopas, with Nanda foremost among them, were overjoyed to have Him back.

Verse 31 (bhagavata.10.7.31)

अहो बतात्यद्भुतमेष रक्षसा बालो निवृत्तिं गमितोऽभ्यगात् पुनः । हिंस्रः स्वपापेन विहिंसितः खलः साधुः समत्वेन भयाद् विमुच्यते ॥ ३१ ॥

aho batāty-adbhutam eṣa rakṣasā bālo nivṛttiṁ gamito ’bhyagāt punaḥ hiṁsraḥ sva-pāpena vihiṁsitaḥ khalaḥ sādhuḥ samatvena bhayād vimucyate

"Ah, how truly wondrous — this child, whom the demon carried off to destroy, has come back to us! The cruel and wicked one has been destroyed by his own sin, while the innocent, simply by their innocence, are freed from fear."

Verse 32 (bhagavata.10.7.32)

किं नस्तपश्चीर्णमधोक्षजार्चनं पूर्तेष्टदत्तमुत भूतसौहृदम् । यत्सम्परेतः पुनरेव बालको दिष्टया स्वबन्धून् प्रणयन्नुपस्थितः ॥ ३२ ॥

kiṁ nas tapaś cīrṇam adhokṣajārcanaṁ pūrteṣṭa-dattam uta bhūta-sauhṛdam yat samparetaḥ punar eva bālako diṣṭyā sva-bandhūn praṇayann upasthitaḥ

"What austerities we must once have performed, what worship of the Transcendent Lord, what public works and acts of charity, what goodwill toward all beings — that this child, having gone to the very door of death, has by good fortune returned to fill his kinsmen with love once more!"

Verse 33 (bhagavata.10.7.33)

दृष्ट्वाद्भुतानि बहुशो नन्दगोपो बृहद्वने । वसुदेववचो भूयो मानयामास विस्मितः ॥ ३३ ॥

dṛṣṭvādbhutāni bahuśo nanda-gopo bṛhadvane vasudeva-vaco bhūyo mānayām āsa vismitaḥ

Having witnessed so many wonders at Brihadvana, the astonished Nanda gave full credence once more to the words Vasudeva had once spoken to him.

Verse 34 (bhagavata.10.7.34)

एकदार्भकमादाय स्वाङ्कमारोप्य भामिनी । प्रस्नुतं पाययामास स्तनं स्नेहपरिप्लुता ॥ ३४ ॥

ekadārbhakam ādāya svāṅkam āropya bhāminī prasnutaṁ pāyayām āsa stanaṁ sneha-pariplutā

One day that tender mother took the child up and set Him on her lap, and overflowing with love, let Him drink from her breast, which flowed freely with milk.

Verse 35 (bhagavata.10.7.35)

पीतप्रायस्य जननी सुतस्य रुचिरस्मितम् । मुखं लालयती राजञ्जृम्भतो ददृशे इदम् ॥ ३५ ॥

pīta-prāyasya jananī sutasya rucira-smitam mukhaṁ lālayatī rājañ jṛmbhato dadṛśe idam

O King, as her son had almost finished nursing, and while she was tenderly gazing at His beautifully smiling face, He gave a yawn — and this is what she then beheld.

Verse 36 (bhagavata.10.7.36)

खं रोदसी ज्योतिरनीकमाशाः सूर्येन्दुवह्निश्वसनाम्बुधींश्च । द्वीपान् नगांस्तद्दुहितृर्वनानि भूतानि यानि स्थिरजङ्गमानि? ॥ ३६ ॥

khaṁ rodasī jyotir-anīkam āśāḥ sūryendu-vahni-śvasanāmbudhīṁś ca dvīpān nagāṁs tad-duhitṝr vanāni bhūtāni yāni sthira-jaṅgamāni

The sky, the heavens and earth, the hosts of stars, all the directions, the sun, moon, fire, wind and oceans, the continents, the mountains with their daughter-rivers, the forests, and every being that moves and every being that does not —

Verse 37 (bhagavata.10.7.37)

सा वीक्ष्य विश्वं सहसा राजन् सञ्जातवेपथुः । सम्मील्य मृगशावाक्षी नेत्रे आसीत्सुविस्मिता ॥ ३७ ॥

sā vīkṣya viśvaṁ sahasā rājan sañjāta-vepathuḥ sammīlya mṛgaśāvākṣī netre āsīt suvismitā

— seeing this whole universe suddenly displayed before her, O King, that doe-eyed mother trembled, and closing her eyes, was overcome with utter astonishment.