Harivamsha — Chapter 51

HV 51.1

काले गच्छति सौम्यौ तौ दारकौ कृतनामकौ पञ्च संवत्सरान् प्राप्तौ शोभयानौ व्रजं मुहुः । कृष्णसंकर्षणौ चोभौ रिङ्गिनौ समपद्यताम्

kāle gacchati saumyau tau dārakau kṛtanāmakau pañca saṃvatsarān prāptau śobhayānau vrajaṃ muhuḥ | kṛṣṇasaṃkarṣaṇau cobhau riṅginau samapadyatām

As time passed, those two gentle boys, whose naming had been performed, reached five years, again and again gracing the cattle-station; and both Kṛṣṇa and Saṃkarṣaṇa came to be crawling about.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.2

ताव् अन्योन्यगतौ बालौ बाल्याद् एवैकतां गतौ एकमन्त्रधरौ कान्तौ बालचन्द्रार्कवर्चसौ

tāv anyonyagatau bālau bālyād evaikatāṃ gatau ekamantradharau kāntau bālacandrārkavarcasau

Those two boys, attached to each other, from childhood itself become one, holding a single counsel, lovely, with the radiance of the young moon and the sun,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.3

एकनिर्माणनिर्युक्ताव् एकशय्यासनाशनौ एकवेषधराव् एकं पुष्यमाणौ शिशुव्रतम्

ekanirmāṇaniryuktāv ekaśayyāsanāśanau ekaveṣadharāv ekaṃ puṣyamāṇau śiśuvratam

engaged in one and the same making (of things), sharing one bed, one seat, one food, wearing one dress, nurturing one and the same childhood observance,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.4

एककार्यान्तरगताव् एकदेहौ द्विधा कृतौ एकचर्यौ महावीर्याव् एकस्य शिशुतां गतौ

ekakāryāntaragatāv ekadehau dvidhā kṛtau ekacaryau mahāvīryāv ekasya śiśutāṃ gatau

united in one and the same undertaking, one body made into two, of one conduct, of great might, come to the childhood of one (and the same person),

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.5

एकप्रमाणौ लोकानां देववृत्तान्तमानुषौ कृत्स्नस्य जगतो गोपौ संवृत्तौ गोपदारकौ

ekapramāṇau lokānāṃ devavṛttāntamānuṣau kṛtsnasya jagato gopau saṃvṛttau gopadārakau

of one measure for the worlds, human in the manner of gods, the two cowherd boys became the herdsmen of the entire world.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

HV 51.6

अन्योन्यव्यतिषक्ताभिः क्रीडाभिर् अभिशोभितौ अन्योन्यकिरणग्रस्तौ चन्द्रसूर्याव् इवाम्बरे

anyonyavyatiṣaktābhiḥ krīḍābhir abhiśobhitau anyonyakiraṇagrastau candrasūryāv ivāmbare

Made splendid by their games interlaced with one another, like the moon and the sun in the sky, each swallowed up by the other's rays,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.7

विसर्पन्तौ तु सर्वत्र सर्पभोगभुजाव् उभौ रेजतुः पांशुदिग्धाङ्गौ दृप्तौ कलभकाव् इव

visarpantau tu sarvatra sarpabhogabhujāv ubhau rejatuḥ pāṃśudigdhāṅgau dṛptau kalabhakāv iva

and creeping everywhere, both with arms like serpents' coils, they shone, their limbs smeared with dust, like two proud elephant calves.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.8

क्वचिद् भस्मप्रदिग्धाङ्गौ करीषप्रोक्षितौ क्वचित् तौ तत्र परिधावेतां कुमाराव् इव पावकी

kvacid bhasmapradigdhāṅgau karīṣaprokṣitau kvacit tau tatra paridhāvetāṃ kumārāv iva pāvakī

Here with their limbs plastered with ashes, there sprinkled with cow-dung, the two ran about in that place like the two Kumāras, sons of Fire.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.9

क्वचिज् जानुभिर् उद्धृष्टैः सर्पमाणौ विरेजतुः क्रीडन्तौ वत्सशालासु शकृद्दिग्धाङ्गमूर्धजौ

kvacij jānubhir uddhṛṣṭaiḥ sarpamāṇau virejatuḥ krīḍantau vatsaśālāsu śakṛddigdhāṅgamūrdhajau

Sometimes, crawling on their scraped knees, the two shone forth, playing in the calf-pens with their limbs and hair smeared with dung.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.10

शुशुभाते श्रिया जुष्टाव् आनन्दजननौ पितुः जनं च विप्र कुर्वाणौ हसन्तौ च क्वचित् क्वचित्

śuśubhāte śriyā juṣṭāv ānandajananau pituḥ janaṃ ca vipra kurvāṇau hasantau ca kvacit kvacit

The two, endowed with beauty, shone brightly, causing joy to their father; and sometimes, O brahmin, they laughed and made the people (laugh) too.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.12

तौ बालकौ ललितकौ मूर्धजव्याकुलेक्षणौ रेजतुश् चन्द्रवदनौ दारकौ सुकुमारकौ ॥ ह्व्_५१।११ अतिप्रसक्तौ घोषेषु घोषम् आपूर्य दारकौ । अतिप्रसक्तौ तौ दृष्ट्वा सर्वव्रजविचारिणौ नाशक्नुवद् वारयितुम् नन्दगोपः सुदुर्मदौ

tau bālakau lalitakau mūrdhajavyākulekṣaṇau rejatuś candravadanau dārakau sukumārakau // HV_51.11 atiprasaktau ghoṣeṣu ghoṣam āpūrya dārakau | atiprasaktau tau dṛṣṭvā sarvavrajavicāriṇau nāśaknuvad vārayitum nandagopaḥ sudurmadau

Those two little boys, charming, their eyes covered by their hair, shone forth, moon-faced children, very tender. [51.11] The two children, over-attached to the cow-settlements, filling the settlement (with their play); seeing the two of them so over-attached, roaming the whole cattle-station, Nanda the cowherd could not restrain the two very unruly ones.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

HV 51.13

ततो यशोदा संक्रुद्धा कृष्णं कमललोचनम् उवाच शिशुरूपेण चरन्तं जगतः प्रभुम् । एहि वत्स पिब स्तन्यं दुर्वोढुं मम संप्रति ॥ एतावन्तम् इतः कालं क्वा गतो ऽसि गृहाद् बहिः । इत्य् आदाय करे पुत्रं गृहान् निर्वास्य सा रुषा । आनाय्य शकटीमूलं भर्त्सयन्ती पुनः पुनः

tato yaśodā saṃkruddhā kṛṣṇaṃ kamalalocanam uvāca śiśurūpeṇa carantaṃ jagataḥ prabhum | ehi vatsa piba stanyaṃ durvoḍhuṃ mama saṃprati || etāvantam itaḥ kālaṃ kvā gato 'si gṛhād bahiḥ | ity ādāya kare putraṃ gṛhān nirvāsya sā ruṣā | ānāyya śakaṭīmūlaṃ bhartsayantī punaḥ punaḥ

Then Yaśodā, greatly angered, said to lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, the lord of the world, who was moving about in the form of a child: "Come, child, drink the breast-milk; it is now hard for me to bear. Where have you gone, outside the house, all this long while from here?" So saying, taking her son by the hand, having driven him from the house in anger, she brought him to the foot of the cart, scolding him again and again.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.14

दाम्ना चैवोदरे बद्ध्वा प्रत्यबन्धद् उदूखले यदि शक्नोषि गच्छेति तम् उक्त्वा कर्म साकरोत् व्यग्रायाम् तु यशोदायाम् निर्जगाम ततो ऽङ्गणात्

dāmnā caivodare baddhvā pratyabandhad udūkhale yadi śaknoṣi gaccheti tam uktvā karma sākarot vyagrāyām tu yaśodāyām nirjagāma tato 'ṅgaṇāt

And having bound him at the belly with a rope, she tied him fast to the mortar; saying to him, "Go, if you can!" she went about her work. But while Yaśodā was busy, he then went out from the courtyard.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.15

शिशुलीलां ततः कुर्वन् कृष्णो विस्मापयन् व्रजम् सो ऽङ्गणान् निःसृतः कृष्णः कर्षमाण उदूखलम्

śiśulīlāṃ tataḥ kurvan kṛṣṇo vismāpayan vrajam so 'ṅgaṇān niḥsṛtaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ karṣamāṇa udūkhalam

Then Kṛṣṇa, performing childish play and astonishing the cattle-station, went out from the courtyard, dragging the mortar.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.16

स यमाभ्याम् प्रवृद्धाभ्याम् अर्जुनाभ्यां चरन् वने निश्चक्राम शिशुर् मध्यात् कर्षमाण उदूखलम्

sa yamābhyām pravṛddhābhyām arjunābhyāṃ caran vane niścakrāma śiśur madhyāt karṣamāṇa udūkhalam

Moving in the forest, the child went out between two full-grown twin arjuna trees, dragging the mortar.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.17

तत् तस्य कर्षतो बद्धम् तिर्यग् गतम् उदूखलम् लग्नं ताभ्यां समूलाभ्याम् अर्जुनाभ्यां चकर्ष ह

tat tasya karṣato baddham tiryag gatam udūkhalam lagnaṃ tābhyāṃ samūlābhyām arjunābhyāṃ cakarṣa ha

As he dragged it, that bound mortar went sideways and got caught between the two arjuna trees, and he dragged them along with their roots.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.18

ताव् अर्जुनौ कृष्यमाणौ तेन बालेन रंहसा समूलविटपौ भग्नौ स तु मध्ये जहास वै

tāv arjunau kṛṣyamāṇau tena bālena raṃhasā samūlaviṭapau bhagnau sa tu madhye jahāsa vai

Those two arjuna trees, dragged with force by that child, were broken with their roots and branches; and he in the middle laughed.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.19

निदर्शनार्थं गोपानां दिव्यं स्वबलम् आस्थितः तद् दाम तस्य बालस्य प्रभावाद् अभवद् दृढम्

nidarśanārthaṃ gopānāṃ divyaṃ svabalam āsthitaḥ tad dāma tasya bālasya prabhāvād abhavad dṛḍham

For the sake of a demonstration to the cowherds he had resorted to his own divine power; that rope became firm by the might of that child.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.20

यमुनातीरमार्गस्था गोप्यस् तं ददृशुः शिशुम् क्रन्दन्त्यो विस्मयन्त्यश् च यशोदानिकटं ययुः

yamunātīramārgasthā gopyas taṃ dadṛśuḥ śiśum krandantyo vismayantyaś ca yaśodānikaṭaṃ yayuḥ

Cowherd women who were on the road along the Yamunā's bank saw that child, and crying out and amazed they went into Yaśodā's presence.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.21

तास् तु संभ्रान्तवदना यशोदाम् ऊचुर् अङ्गनाः एह्य् आगच्छ यशोदेति संभ्रमे किं विलम्बसे

tās tu saṃbhrāntavadanā yaśodām ūcur aṅganāḥ ehy āgaccha yaśodeti saṃbhrame kiṃ vilambase

Those women, their faces agitated, said to Yaśodā: "Come, come here, Yaśodā! Why do you delay in this alarm?

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.22

यौ ताव् अर्जुनवृक्षौ तु व्रजे सत्योपयाचितौ ताव् एतौ तव पुत्रस्य पतिताव् उपरि द्रुमौ । पुत्रस्योपरि ताव् एतौ पतितौ ते महीरुहौ

yau tāv arjunavṛkṣau tu vraje satyopayācitau tāv etau tava putrasya patitāv upari drumau | putrasyopari tāv etau patitau te mahīruhau

"Those two arjuna trees in the cattle-station, to which vows were truly made — those very two trees have fallen upon your son; those two trees have fallen upon your son,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.24

दृढेन दाम्ना तत्रैव बद्धो वत्स इवोदरे जहास मध्ये वृक्षाभ्यां तव पुत्रः स बालकः ॥ ह्व्_५१।२३ प्रहसन्न् एव वृक्षाभ्यां मध्ये क्रीडन्न् इवाङ्गणे । उत्तिष्ठ गच्छ दुर्मेधे मूढे पण्डितमानिनि पुत्रम् आनय जीवन्तुं मुक्तं मृत्युमुखाद् इव

dṛḍhena dāmnā tatraiva baddho vatsa ivodare jahāsa madhye vṛkṣābhyāṃ tava putraḥ sa bālakaḥ // HV_51.23 prahasann eva vṛkṣābhyāṃ madhye krīḍann ivāṅgaṇe | uttiṣṭha gaccha durmedhe mūḍhe paṇḍitamānini putram ānaya jīvantuṃ muktaṃ mṛtyumukhād iva

"bound there at the belly with a strong rope like a calf, your son, that boy, laughed between the two trees, [51.23] laughing indeed between the two trees as if playing in the courtyard. Get up, go, you dull-witted, deluded woman who thinks herself wise; bring back your son alive, released as it were from the mouth of death!"

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.25

सा भीता सहसोत्थाय हाहाकारं प्रकुर्वती तं देशम् अगमद् यत्र पतितौ तौ महाद्रुमौ

sā bhītā sahasotthāya hāhākāraṃ prakurvatī taṃ deśam agamad yatra patitau tau mahādrumau

Frightened, rising up at once and uttering cries of woe, she went to that place where those two great trees had fallen.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.26

ददर्श ताभ्यां सा मध्ये द्रुमाभ्याम् आत्मजं शिशुम् दाम्ना निबद्धम् उदरे कर्षमाणम् उदूखलम्

dadarśa tābhyāṃ sā madhye drumābhyām ātmajaṃ śiśum dāmnā nibaddham udare karṣamāṇam udūkhalam

She saw her own son, the child, between those two trees, bound at the belly with the rope, dragging the mortar.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.27

सगोपीगोपवृद्धश् च सयुवा च व्रजस् तदा पर्यगच्छत् ततो द्रष्टुं गोपेषु महद् अद्भुतम्

sagopīgopavṛddhaś ca sayuvā ca vrajas tadā paryagacchat tato draṣṭuṃ gopeṣu mahad adbhutam

Then the whole cattle-station, with its cowherd women, cowherds, elders and young men, gathered round to see the great marvel among the cowherds.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.28

जजल्पुस् ते यथाकामं गोपा वनविचारिणः जजल्पुर् जातसंभ्रान्ता सर्वे विस्मितचेतसः । केनेमौ पातितौ वृक्षौ घोषस्यैवाग्रपादपौ

jajalpus te yathākāmaṃ gopā vanavicāriṇaḥ jajalpur jātasaṃbhrāntā sarve vismitacetasaḥ | kenemau pātitau vṛkṣau ghoṣasyaivāgrapādapau

The cowherds who roam the forest chattered as they pleased; all of them, become alarmed and amazed in mind, chattered: "By whom have these two trees been felled, the foremost trees of the settlement itself?

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.29

विना वातं विना वर्षं विद्युत्प्रपतनं विना विना हस्तिकृतं दोषम् केनेमौ पातितौ द्रुमौ

vinā vātaṃ vinā varṣaṃ vidyutprapatanaṃ vinā vinā hastikṛtaṃ doṣam kenemau pātitau drumau

"Without wind, without rain, without a lightning-strike, without damage done by an elephant — by whom have these two trees been felled?

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.31

अहो बत न शोभेतां विमूलाव् अर्जुनाव् इमौ इमौ निपतितौ भूमौ वितोयौ जलदाव् इव ॥ ह्व्_५१।३० यदीमौ घोषरचितौ घोषकल्याणकारिणौ । नन्दगोप प्रसन्नौ ते द्रुमाव् एवंगताव् अपि यत्र ते दारको मुक्तो विमूलाभ्याम् अविक्षतः

aho bata na śobhetāṃ vimūlāv arjunāv imau imau nipatitau bhūmau vitoyau jaladāv iva // HV_51.30 yadīmau ghoṣaracitau ghoṣakalyāṇakāriṇau | nandagopa prasannau te drumāv evaṃgatāv api yatra te dārako mukto vimūlābhyām avikṣataḥ

"Alas, indeed, these two arjunas, torn up by the roots, are no fine sight; these two have fallen to the ground like rainless clouds. [51.30] If these two, planted by the settlement and doing good to the settlement, are gracious to you, Nanda the cowherd, even though the trees have come to this state — since your child has been released unhurt by the two uprooted trees.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

HV 51.32

औत्पातिकम् इदं घोषे तृतीयं वर्तते त्व् इह पूतनाया निपातश् च द्रुमयोः शकटस्य च

autpātikam idaṃ ghoṣe tṛtīyaṃ vartate tv iha pūtanāyā nipātaś ca drumayoḥ śakaṭasya ca

This is the third portentous thing occurring here in the cowherd settlement: the falling of Pūtanā, of the two trees, and of the cart.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.33

अस्मिन् स्थाने निवेशो ऽयं घोषस्यास्य न विद्यते उत्पाता ह्य् अत्र दृश्यन्ते कथयन्तो नशोभनम्

asmin sthāne niveśo 'yaṃ ghoṣasyāsya na vidyate utpātā hy atra dṛśyante kathayanto naśobhanam

There is no (proper) settling of this cowherd station in this place, for portents are seen here, declaring what is not good.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.35

नन्दगोपस् तु सहसा मुक्त्वा कृष्णम् उदूखलात् निवेश्य चाङ्के सुचिरं मृतं पुनर् इवागतम् ॥ ह्व्_५१।३४ नातृप्यत् प्रेक्षमाणो वै कृष्णं कमललोचनम् । ततो यशोदां गर्हन् वै नन्दगोपो विवेश ह स च गोपजनः सर्वो घोषम् एव जगाम ह

nandagopas tu sahasā muktvā kṛṣṇam udūkhalāt niveśya cāṅke suciraṃ mṛtaṃ punar ivāgatam // HV_51.34 nātṛpyat prekṣamāṇo vai kṛṣṇaṃ kamalalocanam | tato yaśodāṃ garhan vai nandagopo viveśa ha sa ca gopajanaḥ sarvo ghoṣam eva jagāma ha

But Nanda the cowherd quickly freed Kṛṣṇa from the mortar and set him on his lap for a long while, (the child) as though come back again after dying; and he was not satisfied gazing at the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa. Then Nanda the cowherd went in, reproaching Yaśodā; and all those cowherd folk went off to the cowherd station.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.36

स च तेनैव नाम्ना तु कृष्णो वै दामबन्धनात् येन दाम्ना निबद्धो ऽसाव् उदरे सुदृढं व्रजे । घोषे दामोदर इति गोपीभिः परिगीयते

sa ca tenaiva nāmnā tu kṛṣṇo vai dāmabandhanāt yena dāmnā nibaddho 'sāv udare sudṛḍhaṃ vraje | ghoṣe dāmodara iti gopībhiḥ parigīyate

And by that very name, from the binding with the rope — by which rope he was bound very tightly about the belly in the cow-station — Kṛṣṇa is sung of by the cowherd women in the settlement as "Dāmodara" (rope-bellied).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

HV 51.37

एतद् आश्चर्यभूतं हि बालस्यासीद् विचेष्टितम् कृष्णस्य भरतश्रेष्ठ घोषे निवसतस् तदा

etad āścaryabhūtaṃ hi bālasyāsīd viceṣṭitam kṛṣṇasya bharataśreṣṭha ghoṣe nivasatas tadā

This wondrous deed, O best of the Bharatas, was the doing of the child Kṛṣṇa while he was then dwelling in the cowherd settlement.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition