Indra's Wrath and the Lifting of Govardhana

Verse 1 (vishnu.5.11.1)

श्रीपराशर उवाच । मखे प्रतिहते शक्रो मैत्रेयातिरुषान्वितः । संवर्त्तकं नाम गणं तोयदानामथाऽब्रवीत्

śrīparāśara uvāca makhe pratihate śakro maitreyātiruṣānvitaḥ saṁvarttakaṁ nāma gaṇaṁ toyadānāmathā'bravīt

Parashara said: "O Maitreya, his sacrifice thwarted, Shakra, filled with fury, then spoke to the host of clouds called Samvartaka."

Verse 2 (vishnu.5.11.2)

भोभो मेघा निशम्यैतद्वचनं गदतो मम । आज्ञानंतरमेवाशु क्रियतामविचारितम्

bhobho meghā niśamyaitadvacanaṁ gadato mama ājñānaṁtaramevāśu kriyatāmavicāritam

"'O clouds, hear these words of mine; the instant my command is given, act at once, without deliberation.'"

Verse 3 (vishnu.5.11.3)

नंदगोपस्सुदुर्बुद्धिर्गोपैरन्यैस्सहायवान् । कृष्णाश्रयं बलाध्मातो मखभंगमचीकरत्

naṁdagopassudurbuddhirgopairanyaissahāyavān kṛṣṇāśrayaṁ balādhmāto makhabhaṁgamacīkarat

"'Foolish Nandagopa, together with the other cowherds, sheltering behind Krishna and drunk on his strength, has wrecked my sacrifice.'"

Verse 4 (vishnu.5.11.4)

आजीवो याः परस्तेषां गावस्तस्य च कारणम् । तागावो वृष्टिपातेन पीड्यन्तां वचनान्मम

ājīvo yāḥ parasteṣāṁ gāvastasya ca kāraṇam tāgāvo vṛṣṭipātena pīḍyantāṁ vacanānmama

"'Those cows, their chief livelihood and the very cause of this offense — let them be tormented by a downpour of rain, at my word.'"

Verse 5 (vishnu.5.11.5)

अहमप्यद्रि शृंगाभं तुंगमारुह्य वारणम् । साहाय्यं वः करिष्यामि वाय्वम्बूत्सर्गयोजितम्

ahamapyadri śṛṁgābhaṁ tuṁgamāruhya vāraṇam sāhāyyaṁ vaḥ kariṣyāmi vāyvambūtsargayojitam

"'I too, mounted on my elephant, tall as a mountain peak, shall lend you aid, unleashing wind and water together.'"

Verse 6 (vishnu.5.11.6)

श्रीपराशर उवाच । इत्याज्ञप्तास्ततस्तेन मुमुचुस्ते बलाहकाः । वातवर्षं महाभीममभावाय गवां द्विज

śrīparāśara uvāca ityājñaptāstatastena mumucuste balāhakāḥ vātavarṣaṁ mahābhīmamabhāvāya gavāṁ dvija

Parashara said: "O brahmin, thus commanded, those storm-clouds unleashed a most terrible wind and rain, for the ruin of the cows."

Verse 7 (vishnu.5.11.7)

ततः क्षणेन पृथिवी ककुभॐबरमेव च । एकं धारामहासारपूरेणनाभवन्मुने

tataḥ kṣaṇena pṛthivī kakubhaoṁbarameva ca ekaṁ dhārāmahāsārapūreṇanābhavanmune

"O sage, in a moment the earth, the quarters, and the very sky became, under that great flood of rain, all one and the same."

Verse 8 (vishnu.5.11.8)

विद्युल्लताकषाघातत्रस्तैरिव घनैर्घनम् । नादापूरितदिक्चक्रैर्धारासारमपात्यत

vidyullatākaṣāghātatrastairiva ghanairghanam nādāpūritadikcakrairdhārāsāramapātyata

"As if terrified by the lash of lightning-creepers, the clouds, their roar filling the circle of the horizon, poured down torrent after torrent."

Verse 9 (vishnu.5.11.9)

अंधकारीकृते लोके वर्षद्भिरनिशं घनैः । अधश्चोर्ध्वं च तिर्यक् च जगदाप्यमिवाभवत्

aṁdhakārīkṛte loke varṣadbhiraniśaṁ ghanaiḥ adhaścordhvaṁ ca tiryak ca jagadāpyamivābhavat

"With the clouds pouring down without cease, the world grew dark, and below, above, and on every side it seemed made wholly of water."

Verse 10 (vishnu.5.11.10)

गावस्तु तेन पतता वर्षवातेन वेगिना । धूताः प्राणाञ्जहुस्सन्नत्रिकसक्थिशिरोधराः

gāvastu tena patatā varṣavātena veginā dhūtāḥ prāṇāñjahussannatrikasakthiśirodharāḥ

"The cows, buffeted by that violent rain-wind, exhausted, their hips and thighs and necks sagging low, began to give up their lives."

Verse 11 (vishnu.5.11.11)

क्रोडेन वत्सानाक्रम्य तस्थुरन्या महामुने । गावो विवत्साश्च कृता वारिपूरेण चापराः

kroḍena vatsānākramya tasthuranyā mahāmune gāvo vivatsāśca kṛtā vāripūreṇa cāparāḥ

"O great sage, some cows stood pressing their calves close against their bodies; others were parted from their calves by the flood."

Verse 12 (vishnu.5.11.12)

वत्साश्च दीनवदना वातकंपितकंधराः । त्राहित्राहीत्यल्पशब्दाः कृष्णमूचुरिवातुराः

vatsāśca dīnavadanā vātakaṁpitakaṁdharāḥ trāhitrāhītyalpaśabdāḥ kṛṣṇamūcurivāturāḥ

And the calves, faces piteous, necks trembling in the wind, crying faintly, 'Save us, save us,' seemed, in their distress, to be calling out to Krishna himself.

Verse 13 (vishnu.5.11.13)

ततस्तद्गोकुलं सर्वं गोगोपीगोपसंकुलम् । अतीवार्त्तं हरिर्दृष्ट्वा मैत्रेयाचिंतयत्तदा

tatastadgokulaṁ sarvaṁ gogopīgopasaṁkulam atīvārttaṁ harirdṛṣṭvā maitreyāciṁtayattadā

O Maitreya, seeing that entire Gokula, thronged with cows, gopis, and cowherds, in such utter distress, Hari then reflected.

Verse 14 (vishnu.5.11.14)

एतत्कृतं महेंद्रे ण मखभंगविरोधिना । तदेतदखिलं गोष्ठं त्रातव्यमधुना मया

etatkṛtaṁ maheṁdre ṇa makhabhaṁgavirodhinā tadetadakhilaṁ goṣṭhaṁ trātavyamadhunā mayā

"'This has all been done by great Indra, enraged at the wreck of his sacrifice; so now I myself must save this whole settlement.'"

Verse 15 (vishnu.5.11.15)

इममद्रि महं धैर्यादुत्पाट्योरुशिखाघनम् । धारयिष्यामि गोष्ठस्य पृथुच्छत्रमिवोपरि

imamadri mahaṁ dhairyādutpāṭyoruśikhāghanam dhārayiṣyāmi goṣṭhasya pṛthucchatramivopari

"'With steady resolve I shall tear up this mountain, its vast peak brushing the clouds, and hold it over the cow-pen like a great umbrella.'"

Verse 16 (vishnu.5.11.16)

श्रीपराशर उवाच । इति कृत्वामतिं कृष्णो गोवर्द्धनमहीधरम् । उत्पाट्यैककरेणैव धारयामास लीलया

śrīparāśara uvāca iti kṛtvāmatiṁ kṛṣṇo govarddhanamahīdharam utpāṭyaikakareṇaiva dhārayāmāsa līlayā

Parashara said: "Having resolved thus, Krishna, uprooting Mount Govardhana with a single hand, held it aloft with effortless ease."

Verse 17 (vishnu.5.11.17)

गोपांश्चाह हसञ्छौरिस्समुत्पाटितभूधरः । विशध्वमत्रत्वरिताः कृतं वर्षनिवारणम्

gopāṁścāha hasañchaurissamutpāṭitabhūdharaḥ viśadhvamatratvaritāḥ kṛtaṁ varṣanivāraṇam

"Shauri, the mountain now uprooted, said to the cowherds, laughing: 'Come in quickly — the rain has been turned aside.'"

Verse 18 (vishnu.5.11.18)

सुनिवातेषु देश्षोउ! यथा जोषमिहास्यताम् । प्रविश्यतां न भेतव्यं गिरिपाताच्च निर्भयैः

sunivāteṣu deśṣou! yathā joṣamihāsyatām praviśyatāṁ na bhetavyaṁ giripātācca nirbhayaiḥ

"'Settle in the sheltered spots here at your ease; enter without fear — have no dread that the mountain will fall.'"

Verse 19 (vishnu.5.11.19)

इत्युक्तास्तेन ते गोपा विविशुर्गोधनैस्सह । शकटारोपितैर्भांडैर्गोप्यश्चासारपीडिताः

ityuktāstena te gopā viviśurgodhanaissaha śakaṭāropitairbhāṁḍairgopyaścāsārapīḍitāḥ

So told, the rain-battered cowherds entered with their cattle-wealth and their cart-loaded goods, and the gopis too.

Verse 20 (vishnu.5.11.20)

कृष्णोपि तं दधारैव शैलमत्यंतनिश्चलम् । व्रजौकवासिभिर्हर्षविस्मिताक्षैर्निरीक्षितः

kṛṣṇopi taṁ dadhāraiva śailamatyaṁtaniścalam vrajaukavāsibhirharṣavismitākṣairnirīkṣitaḥ

"And Krishna held that mountain absolutely still, watched by the people of Vraja with eyes wide in joy and wonder."

Verse 21 (vishnu.5.11.21)

गोपगोपीजनैर्हृष्टैः प्रीतिविस्तारितेक्षणैः । संस्तूयमानचरितः कृष्णश्शैलमधारयत्

gopagopījanairhṛṣṭaiḥ prītivistāritekṣaṇaiḥ saṁstūyamānacaritaḥ kṛṣṇaśśailamadhārayat

"Praised by the joyful gopis and cowherds, their eyes widened with love, Krishna went on holding up the mountain."

Verse 22 (vishnu.5.11.22)

सप्तरात्रं महामेघा ववर्षुर्नंदगोकुले । इंद्रे ण चोदिता विप्र गोपानां नाशकारिणा

saptarātraṁ mahāmeghā vavarṣurnaṁdagokule iṁdre ṇa coditā vipra gopānāṁ nāśakāriṇā

"O brahmin, impelled by Indra, bent on the cowherds' ruin, the great clouds rained upon Nanda's Gokula for seven nights."

Verse 23 (vishnu.5.11.23)

ततो धृते महाशैले परित्राते च गोकुले । मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञो बलभिद्वारयामास तान्घनान्

tato dhṛte mahāśaile paritrāte ca gokule mithyāpratijño balabhidvārayāmāsa tānghanān

"Then, the great mountain held up and Gokula thus safe, Indra, his vow proven false, called back those clouds."

Verse 24 (vishnu.5.11.24)

व्यभ्रे नभसि देवेंद्रे वितथात्मवचस्यथ । निष्क्रम्य गोकुलं हृष्टं स्वस्थानं पुनरागमत्

vyabhre nabhasi deveṁdre vitathātmavacasyatha niṣkramya gokulaṁ hṛṣṭaṁ svasthānaṁ punarāgamat

"When the sky had cleared of cloud and the lord of the gods's own word had failed, the joyful people of Gokula came out from under the mountain and returned to their own places."

Verse 25 (vishnu.5.11.25)

मुमोच कृष्णोपि तदा गोवर्द्धनमहाचलम् । स्वस्थाने विस्मितमुखैर्दृष्टस्तैस्तु व्रजौकसैः

mumoca kṛṣṇopi tadā govarddhanamahācalam svasthāne vismitamukhairdṛṣṭastaistu vrajaukasaiḥ

Krishna too then set great Mount Govardhana back down in its own place, before the astonished eyes of the people of Vraja.