The Slaying of Dhenuka

Verse 1 (vishnu.5.8.1)

गाः पालयन्तौ च पुनः सहितौ बल-केशवौ । भ्रममाणौ वने तस्मिन् रम्यं तालवनं गतौ

gāḥ pālayantau ca punaḥ sahitau bala-keśavau bhramamāṇau vane tasmin ramyaṁ tālavanaṁ gatau

Once again, tending the cows together, Bala and Keshava, wandering through that forest, came to a lovely grove of palm trees.

Verse 2 (vishnu.5.8.2)

तत्तु तालवनं दिव्यं धेनुको नाम दानवः । मृगमांसकृताहारः सदाध्यास्ते खराकृतिः

tattu tālavanaṁ divyaṁ dhenuko nāma dānavaḥ mṛgamāṁsakṛtāhāraḥ sadādhyāste kharākṛtiḥ

That divine palm-grove was ever the haunt of a Danava named Dhenuka, who fed on deer-flesh and had the form of a donkey.

Verse 3 (vishnu.5.8.3)

तत्तु तालवन पक्क-फलसम्पत्समन्वितम् । दृष्ट्वा स्पृहान्विता गोपाः फलादानेऽब्रु वन्, वचः

tattu tālavana pakka-phalasampatsamanvitam dṛṣṭvā spṛhānvitā gopāḥ phalādāne'bru van, vacaḥ

Seeing that palm-grove rich with ripe fruit, the cowherds, longing for it, spoke of gathering some.

Verse 4 (vishnu.5.8.4)

हे राम! हे कृष्ण! सदा धेनुकेनैष रक्ष्यते । भूप्रदेशो यतस्तस्मात् पक्कानीमानि सन्ति वै

he rāma! he kṛṣṇa! sadā dhenukenaiṣa rakṣyate bhūpradeśo yatastasmāt pakkānīmāni santi vai

"O Rama! O Krishna! This ground is always guarded by Dhenuka — that is why these fruits stand here, ripe and untouched."

Verse 5 (vishnu.5.8.5)

फलानि पश्य तालानां गन्धामोदितदींशि च । वयमत्तुमभीप्सामः पात्यन्तां यदि रोचसे

phalāni paśya tālānāṁ gandhāmoditadīṁśi ca vayamattumabhīpsāmaḥ pātyantāṁ yadi rocase

"See these palm-fruits, filling the very sky with their fragrance — we long to eat them; knock them down, if it pleases you."

Verse 6 (vishnu.5.8.6)

इति गोपकुमाराणां श्रुत्वा सङ्कर्षणो वचः । कृष्णश्व पातयामास भुवि तालफलानि वै

iti gopakumārāṇāṁ śrutvā saṅkarṣaṇo vacaḥ kṛṣṇaśva pātayāmāsa bhuvi tālaphalāni vai

Hearing these words of the cowherd boys, Sankarshana and Krishna knocked the palm-fruits down to the ground.

Verse 7 (vishnu.5.8.7)

फलानां पततां शब्दमाकर्ण्य स दुरासदः । आजगाम सुदुष्टात्मा कोपादू दैतेयगर्द्दभः

phalānāṁ patatāṁ śabdamākarṇya sa durāsadaḥ ājagāma suduṣṭātmā kopādū daiteyagarddabhaḥ

Hearing the sound of the falling fruit, that unassailable, thoroughly evil-souled Daitya-donkey came charging up in fury.

Verse 8 (vishnu.5.8.8)

पद्भयामुभाभ्यां स तदा पश्विमाभ्यां बली बलम् । जघानोरसि ताभ्याञ्च स च तेनाप्यगृह्यत

padbhayāmubhābhyāṁ sa tadā paśvimābhyāṁ balī balam jaghānorasi tābhyāñca sa ca tenāpyagṛhyata

Then that mighty demon struck Bala's chest with both his hind legs; and Bala in turn seized hold of him.

Verse 9 (vishnu.5.8.9)

गृहीत्वा भ्रामणेनैव सोऽम्बरे गतजीवितम् । तस्मिन्नेव च चिक्षेप वेगेन तृणराजनि

gṛhītvā bhrāmaṇenaiva so'mbare gatajīvitam tasminneva ca cikṣepa vegena tṛṇarājani

Seizing him, by the mere whirling he made him lifeless in the air, and with that same force flung him onto the palm tree itself.

Verse 10 (vishnu.5.8.10)

ततः फलान्यनेकानि तालाग्रान्निपतन् खरः । पृथिव्यां पातयामास महावातोऽम्बुदानिव

tataḥ phalānyanekāni tālāgrānnipatan kharaḥ pṛthivyāṁ pātayāmāsa mahāvāto'mbudāniva

Then that donkey, falling from the crown of the palm, brought down many fruits with him, as a great wind brings down clouds.

Verse 11 (vishnu.5.8.11)

अन्यानप्यस्य वै ज्ञातीनागतान् दैत्यगर्द्दभान् । कृष्णाश्विक्षेप तालाग्र बलभद्रश्व लीलया

anyānapyasya vai jñātīnāgatān daityagarddabhān kṛṣṇāśvikṣepa tālāgra balabhadraśva līlayā

Other Daitya-donkey kinsmen of his who had come there, Krishna and Balabhadra likewise flung, in mere sport, to the crowns of the palm trees.

Verse 12 (vishnu.5.8.12)

क्षणेनालङ्कृता पृथ्वी पक्कस्तालफलैस्तथा । दैत्यगर्द्दभदेहैश्व मैत्रेय! शुशुभेऽधिकम्

kṣaṇenālaṅkṛtā pṛthvī pakkastālaphalaistathā daityagarddabhadehaiśva maitreya! śuśubhe'dhikam

O Maitreya, in a moment the earth, adorned now with ripe palm-fruit and with the bodies of the Daitya-donkeys, shone forth all the more.

Verse 13 (vishnu.5.8.13)

ततो गावो निराबाधास्तस्मिंस्तालवने द्रिज! नवशस्य सुख चेरुर्यन्न भुक्तमभूत् पुरा

tato gāvo nirābādhāstasmiṁstālavane drija! navaśasya sukha ceruryanna bhuktamabhūt purā

O brahmin, then the cows, free of all hindrance, grazed happily in that palm-grove on fresh growth that had never before been touched.