Chapter 7 - Destruction of the Cart and Tṛṇāvarta

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

[The Vṛndāvana edition includes the following two verses from the texts of Bhāgavata Candrikā and Padaratnāvalī:]

Śrī Śuka said:

0(A). A In this way, achieving a number of feats (like the liberation of Pūtanā, by way of sportive activities as a child) which brought joy and happiness to Gopas and their wives, Viṣṇu, the exterminator of the wicked, grew up in the house of Nanda.

0(B). Thus (as narrated in the previous chapters) grew up in Nanda’s house Kṛṣṇa (Viṣṇu), the destroyer of the wicked people, giving delight day and night to the cowherds and their wives.

The King (Parīkṣit) urged:

1. whatever (sportive) acts the glorious Lord Hari, the Supreme Ruler, does in whatever incarnation (like the Fish, the Tortoise etc. the accounts of which are narrated by you) they are pleasing to the ear and fascinating to our minds, Oh Master.

2. May it please you to favour us by narrating that very fascinating account (of Lord Hari’s deeds), by listening to which (the feeling of I despondency and the various cravings (which generate it) fade away (leaving no trace behind), the mind gets purified in a short time, and devotion unto Lord Hari and friendly feelings towards his votaries are engendered.

3. Do you describe to us any other marvellous deed of Kṛṣṇa as a child who, after his descent in the human (form and) world, enacted (imitated) the ways of human beings.

[Padaratnāvalī’s text and Vṛndāvana edition:]

3(A). Oh Master! You are gracious unto us. So out of mercy towards me, be pleased to describe in details (Kṛṣṇa’s sportive acts in childhood) which (completely) annihilate all sins, Oh past-master in Dharma!

Śrī Śuka said:

4. One day (at the end of the third month), when the constellation (Rohiṇī) that presided at the birth of Kṛṣṇa was in ascendance, and coincided with the ceremonial festive ablution to celebrate the infant’s (Kṛṣṇa’s) turning in the bed was to take place, the chaste lady Yaśodā performed the rite of auspicious bathing of the child in the assemblage of Gopa women (who visited her house for this occasion), while musical instruments were played, songs were sung and benedictory Mantras were being chanted (by Brāhmaṇas).

5. When the infant’s bath and toilet were over, and Brāhmaṇas who were duly honoured with liberal gifts of (sumptuous) food, garments, garlands and cows of their choice, pronounced the auspicious benediction (with Vedic Mantras), Yośodā (the generous wife of liberal Nanda) seeing her child’s eyes closing in sleep, gently put him to bed (in a cradle under a cart).

6. With her mind full of enthusiasm on the festive occasion of Krṣṇa’s turning in bed, the ṇoble-minded lady, who was busy in receiving with honour the inhābitants of Vraja who came to (congratulate her) on that occasion, did not hear the crying of her child who, wishing to suck his mother, kicked up his tiny feet.

7. Being hit by the small feet, delicate like tender shoots of the baby that was lying beneath, the cart was overturned with its upside down, and all the pots of bell-metal containing various liquid delicacies (and other sweets) were crushed and the wheels, the axle tree were overturned and its yoke shattered.

8. Noticing it (the overturned position of the cart) Yaśodā and other women of Vraja who assembled there for the festive occasion (of Kṛṣṇa’s turning in the bed) and Nanda and other cowherds as well, were perplexed at that marvellous sight and wondered, “How this cart could automatically be overturned?”

[Bhāgavata Candrikā and Padaratnāvalī’s text and Vṛndāvana edition:]

8(A). Speaking thus and arguing about its cause in a perplexed manner, the people of Vraja surrounded the cart in a distressed mood, as it were.

9. Childern (playing nearby) told the Gopas and their wives whose minds were confused and uncertain (about the cause of overturning of the cart)—

“There is absolutely no doubt that it was upturned with the foot (kick) by this (Kṛṣṇa) while crying”.

10. But the Gopas disbelieved it as mere prattle of children, as they did not know the immeasurable might of that baby.

11. Taking up her son, Yaśodā who suspected the trouble of evil spirits, made Brāhmaṇas to recite the benedictory Vedic hymns (to drive out the spirits), and to bless the child, and gave him suck.

12. Brāhmaṇas offered oblations to fire (to propitiate the presiding deities of planets).^[1] When powerful Gopas assembled (the parts of) the cart as before along with the metal pots of dairy products etc., they worshipped it with curds, unbroken rice-grains, Kuśa grass and water^[2] (as that was the symbol of their calling and the abode of Lakṣmī).

13. “The benedictions uttered by those who are truthful by nature and completely free from jealousy, falsehood, hypocrisy, intolerance, violence and pride, never become fruitless.”

14-15. With this conviction, the cowherd Nanda took up the child and got it sprinkled with water sanctified with sacred mantras from the Sāma, Ṛg and Yajur-Vedas, by the best of Brāhmaṇas. Making the Brāhmaṇas pronounce the prescribed benedictory hymns (Svastyayana) and offering oblations to fire, Nanda with a serene mind, gave them a heavy feast (of rich, delicious articles of food).

16. For the all-round prosperity of the child, Nanda donated to them cows possessing all good (and auspicious) qualities, adorned them with cloth, garlands and necklaces of gold coins. And Brāhmaṇas, on their part, pronounced blessings to the child.

17. It is obvious that whatever benedictions are pronounced by Brāhmaṇas who are well-versed in Vedas and devoted to God shall never turn out to be fruitless.

18. On one day, the pious lady seated the child in her lap and was fondling him. But (suddenly) she was not able to bear the weight of the Baby, as if it was heavy like a mountain peak.

19. The cowherdess being oppressed with the burden (of the child), was astonished and placed him on the ground. She contemplated on the Supreme Lord not knowing that the whole universe is contained in his body and set about her work.

20. A demon called Tṛṇāvarta in the service of Kaṃsa was specially detailed and deputed (to kill Kṛṣṇa). Assuming the form of a whirl-wind, he carried away the child that was sitting.

21. He enveloped the whole of Gokula with a cloud of dust and blinded the eyes (of the inhabitants). He made the quarters and intermediate points tremble with his extremely terrible roar.

22. For an hour or so the whole of Gokula was covered with (a cloud of) dust and darkness. Yaśodā could not see her son at the place where she kept him.

23. Being assailed by sand particles wafted by Tṛṇāvarta, nobody could see himself or another person in that blinding confusion.

24. Thus not being able to find the trace of her son in the heavy downpour of dust caused by the whirlwind of vehement velocity, the helpless mother (Yaśodā), brooding over him, tenderly began to bewail in the most pitiable manner, and dropped down to the ground like unto a cow bereaved of her calf.

25. When the vehemence of the stormy wind and of the dust-shower abated, the Gopīs (cowherd-women) heard the lamentations of Yaśodā. Not finding Nanda’s son there, they were extremely tormented at heart, and broke out crying with their faces flooded with tears.

26. Having assumed the form of a whirlwind, Tṛṇāvarta carried away Kṛṣṇa to the skies. But in consequence of his having been compelled to bear the (unbearably) stupendous weight of Kṛṣṇa, he could not proceed further (beyond a certain height) and his velocity abated (to a stand-still).

27. Due to his extraordinary weight, the Asura thought him to be a mountain. As he was tightly gripped at the throat by him, he could not disengage himself from that wonderful (superhuman) child.

28. Being tightly clasped at the throat with extraordinary pressure, he was rendered motionless. His eyes came out of their sockets. Withan indistinct groan he fell dead on the ground at Vraja, with the child dangling from his neck.

29. The bewailing women who assembled there saw the terrible demon falling from the sky on a rock, getting all his limbs shattered like the city (Tripura) cleft by the arrow of Rudra.

30. Astonished to see Kṛṣṇa dangling on the chest of the demon, they picked him up and restored him to his mother. Finding him safe and sound in body though carried away through the sky by the demon, and getting him back unscathed from the jaws of death, Gopīs and Gopas headed by Nanda were verily filled with rapturous delight.

31. “Oh! How miraculous! This child, carried by the demon, and (practically) brought to its end (death), has come back safe! While the blood-thirsty wicked (demon) was killed under the weight of his own sins, and a pious soul is saved from fear due to his even-ness of attitude (towards all).

32. Oh! What austere penance, what adoration to Lord Viṣṇu, what charitable acts in public interest (like building of temples or tanks), what sacrificial performances, what deeds benevolent to living beings have been done by us that (by virtue of which) the child which was as good as dead, has been fortunately restored to us, bringing delight to us, his kinsfolk.”

33. Amazed at the frequent recurrence of such miracles in that big forest (Gokula), Nanda highly esteemed the (parting) words of Vasudeva.

34. One day the beautiful lady (Yaśodā) placed the child on her lap, and being overcome with motherly affection made him suck her breast overflowing with milk.

35-36. When his sucking was almost over, she was caressing his face which was beaming with graceful smile. And Lo! Oh King! When he yawned she saw the following in his mouth:

The sky, the firmament above and the earth below, host of luminaries, the cardinal points, the Sun, the Moon, the firegod, the wind-god, oceans, continents, mountains and their daughters (i.e. rivers), forests and the mobile and immobile creation.

37. Perceiving suddenly the whole of the universe (in his mouth) she was seized with tremor. The lady with eyes resembling those of fawns, closed her eyes, and stayed greatly astonished.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Or: the offerings of bali (cooked rice) were distributed to eight directions—Bhāvāratha Dīpikā

[2]:

Or: with unbroken rice mixed with curds and sprinkling water with Kuśa grass (VT.)