Mucukunda's Departure and Balarama's Return to Vraja

Verse 1 (vishnu.5.24.1)

श्रीपराशर उवाच इत्थंस्तुतस्तदा तेन मुचुकुन्देन धीमता। प्राहेशः सर्वभूतानामनादिनिधनो हरिः

śrīparāśara uvāca itthaṁstutastadā tena mucukundena dhīmatā prāheśaḥ sarvabhūtānāmanādinidhano hariḥ

Parashara said: Thus praised by the wise Mucukunda, Hari, the Lord of all beings, without beginning or end, said —

Verse 2 (vishnu.5.24.2)

श्रीभगवानुवाच यथाभिवाञ्छितान्दिव्यान्गच्छलोकान्नराधिप। अव्याहतपरैश्वर्यो मत्प्रसादोपबृंहितः

śrībhagavānuvāca yathābhivāñchitāndivyāngacchalokānnarādhipa avyāhataparaiśvaryo matprasādopabṛṁhitaḥ

The Blessed Lord said: 'Go now, O lord of men, to whatever divine worlds you desire, your sovereignty unhindered, made full by my own grace.'

Verse 3 (vishnu.5.24.3)

भुक्त्वा दिव्यान्महाभोगान्भविष्यसि महाकुले। जातिस्मरो मत्प्रसादात्ततो मोक्षमवाप्स्यसि

bhuktvā divyānmahābhogānbhaviṣyasi mahākule jātismaro matprasādāttato mokṣamavāpsyasi

'Having enjoyed great celestial pleasures, you shall be born in an illustrious family, and, by my grace, remembering your former births, you shall thereafter attain liberation.'

Verse 4 (vishnu.5.24.4)

इत्युक्तः प्रणिपत्येशं जगतामच्युतं नृपः। गुहामुखाद्विनिष्क्रान्ततः स ददर्शाल्पकान्नरान्

ityuktaḥ praṇipatyeśaṁ jagatāmacyutaṁ nṛpaḥ guhāmukhādviniṣkrāntataḥ sa dadarśālpakānnarān

Parashara said: Thus addressed, the king bowed to Achyuta, the Lord of the world, and came forth from the mouth of the cave; and there he saw only a very few men remaining.

Verse 5 (vishnu.5.24.5)

ततः कलियुगं मत्वा प्राप्तं तप्तुं नृपस्तपः। नरनारायणस्थानं प्रययौ गन्धमादनम्

tataḥ kaliyugaṁ matvā prāptaṁ taptuṁ nṛpastapaḥ naranārāyaṇasthānaṁ prayayau gandhamādanam

Then, realizing that the Kali Age had now come, the king, resolved upon austerity, set out for Gandhamadana, the abode of Nara and Narayana.

Verse 6 (vishnu.5.24.6)

कृष्णोऽपि घातयित्वारिमुपायेन हि तद्बलम्। जग्राह मथुरामेत्य हस्त्यश्वस्यन्दनोज्ज्वलम्

kṛṣṇo'pi ghātayitvārimupāyena hi tadbalam jagrāha mathurāmetya hastyaśvasyandanojjvalam

Krishna too, having through stratagem brought about the destruction of that enemy's army, came to Mathura and took possession there of its wealth of elephants, horses, and gleaming chariots.

Verse 7 (vishnu.5.24.7)

आनीय चोग्रसेनाय द्वारवत्यां न्यवेदयत्। पराभिभवनिःशङ्कं बभूव च यदोः कुलम्

ānīya cograsenāya dvāravatyāṁ nyavedayat parābhibhavaniḥśaṅkaṁ babhūva ca yadoḥ kulam

Bringing it back, he made it over to Ugrasena, and presented Dwaraka before him; and the race of Yadu became wholly free of fear of any enemy's onslaught.

Verse 8 (vishnu.5.24.8)

बलदेवोऽपि मैत्रेय प्रशान्ताखिलविग्रहः। ज्ञातिदर्शनसोत्कण्ठः प्रययौ नन्दगोकुलम्

baladevo'pi maitreya praśāntākhilavigrahaḥ jñātidarśanasotkaṇṭhaḥ prayayau nandagokulam

O Maitreya, Baladeva too, now that every conflict had been settled, went, yearning to see his own kinfolk, to Nanda's Gokula.

Verse 9 (vishnu.5.24.9)

ततो गोपाश्च गोप्यश्च यथा पूर्वममित्रजित्। तथैवाभ्यवदत्प्रेम्णा बहुमानपुरःसरम्

tato gopāśca gopyaśca yathā pūrvamamitrajit tathaivābhyavadatpremṇā bahumānapuraḥsaram

Then the cowherds and cowherd women, just as before, welcomed that conqueror of enemies with love, and with the greatest of honor.

Verse 10 (vishnu.5.24.10)

स कैश्चित्संपरिष्वक्तः कांश्चिच्च परिषस्वजे। हास्यं चक्रे समं कैश्चिद्गोपैर्गोपीजनैस्तथा

sa kaiścitsaṁpariṣvaktaḥ kāṁścicca pariṣasvaje hāsyaṁ cakre samaṁ kaiścidgopairgopījanaistathā

By some he was embraced, and some he himself embraced; with certain of the cowherds and cowherd women he exchanged laughter too.

Verse 11 (vishnu.5.24.11)

प्रियाण्यनेकान्यवदन् गोपास्तत्र हलायुधम्। गोप्यश्च प्रेमकुपिताः प्रोचुःसेर्ष्यमथापराः

priyāṇyanekānyavadan gopāstatra halāyudham gopyaśca premakupitāḥ procuḥserṣyamathāparāḥ

There the cowherds spoke many affectionate words to Halayudha, while the gopis, vexed with love, and some others speaking with jealousy, said —

Verse 12 (vishnu.5.24.12)

गोप्यः पप्रच्छुरपरा नागरीजनवल्लभम्। कच्चिदास्ते सुखं कृष्णश्चलप्रेमलवात्मकः

gopyaḥ papracchuraparā nāgarījanavallabham kaccidāste sukhaṁ kṛṣṇaścalapremalavātmakaḥ

Other gopis asked: 'Is Krishna, the beloved of the city women, whose love proves so fickle and so fleeting, faring well and happy?'

Verse 13 (vishnu.5.24.13)

अस्मच्चेष्टामपहसन्न कच्चित्पुरयोषिताम्। सौभाग्यमानमधिकं करोति क्षणसौहृदः

asmacceṣṭāmapahasanna kaccitpurayoṣitām saubhāgyamānamadhikaṁ karoti kṣaṇasauhṛdaḥ

'Does he not, laughing at our plight, only heighten still further the good fortune of the city-women, that Krishna of such momentary friendships?'

Verse 14 (vishnu.5.24.14)

कच्चित्स्मरति नः कृष्णो गीतानुगमनं कलम्। अप्यसौ मातरं द्रष्टु सकृदप्यागमिष्यति

kaccitsmarati naḥ kṛṣṇo gītānugamanaṁ kalam apyasau mātaraṁ draṣṭu sakṛdapyāgamiṣyati

'Does Krishna even remember us, and how we would follow behind him, singing our sweet songs? Will he ever come, even once, just to see his own mother?'

Verse 15 (vishnu.5.24.15)

अथ वा किं तदालापैः क्रियन्तामपराः कथाः। यस्यास्मभिर्विना तेन विनास्माकं भविष्यति

atha vā kiṁ tadālāpaiḥ kriyantāmaparāḥ kathāḥ yasyāsmabhirvinā tena vināsmākaṁ bhaviṣyati

'But then, what use is all this talk? Let some other story be told; for us, life without him is unbearable — yet for him, life without us shall mean nothing at all.'

Verse 16 (vishnu.5.24.16)

पिता माता तथा भ्राता भर्ता बन्धुजनश्च किम्। न त्यक्तस्तत्कृतेऽस्माभिरकृतज्ञध्वजो हि सः

pitā mātā tathā bhrātā bhartā bandhujanaśca kim na tyaktastatkṛte'smābhirakṛtajñadhvajo hi saḥ

'What indeed are father, mother, brother, husband, and kinsfolk to him? For his very sake we ourselves did not abandon these ties — and yet he goes on bearing the very banner of ingratitude.'

Verse 17 (vishnu.5.24.17)

तथापि कच्चिदालापमिहागमनसंश्रयम्। करोति कृष्णो वक्तव्यं भवता राम नानृतम्

tathāpi kaccidālāpamihāgamanasaṁśrayam karoti kṛṣṇo vaktavyaṁ bhavatā rāma nānṛtam

'And yet, O Rama, surely Krishna speaks of coming here at least sometimes — whatever you tell us of it, we shall know is not untrue.'

Verse 18 (vishnu.5.24.18)

दामोदरोऽसौ गोविन्दः पुरस्त्रीसक्तमानसः। अपेतप्रीतिरस्मासु दुर्दर्शः प्रतिभाति नः

dāmodaro'sau govindaḥ purastrīsaktamānasaḥ apetaprītirasmāsu durdarśaḥ pratibhāti naḥ

'That Damodara, that Govinda, his mind now fixed upon the women of the city, seems to us to have lost all affection for us — even the sight of us now seems distasteful to him.'

Verse 19 (vishnu.5.24.19)

आमन्त्रितश्च कृष्णेति पुनर्दामोदरेति च। रुरुदुः सस्वरं गोप्यो हरिणा हृतचेतसः

āmantritaśca kṛṣṇeti punardāmodareti ca ruruduḥ sasvaraṁ gopyo hariṇā hṛtacetasaḥ

At being addressed now as 'Krishna,' now again as 'Damodara,' those gopis, their very hearts stolen away by Hari, broke into loud weeping.

Verse 20 (vishnu.5.24.20)

संदेशैः साममधुरैः प्रेमगर्भैरगर्वितैः। रामेणाश्वासिता गोप्यः कृष्णस्यातिमनोहरैः

saṁdeśaiḥ sāmamadhuraiḥ premagarbhairagarvitaiḥ rāmeṇāśvāsitā gopyaḥ kṛṣṇasyātimanoharaiḥ

With conciliatory words, sweet and free of pride, brimming with love, and utterly enchanting messages from Krishna, Rama consoled those gopis.

Verse 21 (vishnu.5.24.21)

गोपैश्च पूर्ववद्रामः परिहासमनोहराः। कथाश्चकार रेमे च सह तैर्व्रजभूमिषु

gopaiśca pūrvavadrāmaḥ parihāsamanoharāḥ kathāścakāra reme ca saha tairvrajabhūmiṣu

And with the cowherds, just as before, Rama exchanged delightful, playful talk, and sported joyfully with them there across the land of Vraja.