> > S'rîmad Bhâgavatam - Canto 10
> > Sanskrit, word-for-word and original translation of Swami Prabhupâda his pupils
> > (for the purports one will have to consult the books under the copyright of the BBT)

> > Canto 10: 'Summum Bonum'

> > *******

> > Chapter Twenty-eight: Krishna Rescues Nanda Mahârâja from the Abode of Varuna

> > ******

> > TEXT 1

> > s'rî-bâdarâyanir uvâca

> > ekâdas'yâm nirâhârah

> > samabhyarcya janârdanam

> > snâtum nandas tu kâlindyâm

> > dvâdas'yâm jalam âvis'at

> > s'rî-bâdarâyanih uvâca - S'rî Bâdarâyani (S'ukadeva Gosvâmî) said; ekâdas'yâm - on Ekâdas'î (the eleventh day of the lunar month); nirâhârah - fasting; samabhyarcya - having worshiped; janârdanam - Lord Janârdana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; snâtum - in order to bathe (before breaking the fast at its prescribed completion); nandah - Nanda Mahârâja; tu - but; kâlindyâm - in the river Yamunâ; dvâdas'yâm - on the twelfth day; jalam - the water; âvis'at - entered.

> > TRANSLATION

> > S'rî Bâdarâyani said: Having worshiped Lord Janârdana and fasted on the Ekâdas'î day, Nanda Mahârâja entered the water of the Kâlindî on the Dvâdas'î to take his bath.

> > ******

> > TEXT 2

> > tam grihîtvânayad bhrityo

> > varunasyâsuro 'ntikam

> > avajn'âyâsurîm velâm

> > pravishtham udakam nis'i

> > tam - him; grihîtvâ - seizing; anayat - brought; bhrityah - a servant: varunasya - of Varuna, the lord of the sea; asurah - demon; antikam - to the presence (of his master); avajn'âya - who had disregarded; âsurîm - the inauspicious ; velâm - time; pravishtham - having entered ; udakam - the water; nis'i - during the night.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Because Nanda Mahârâja entered the water in the dark of night, disregarding that the time was inauspicious, a demoniac servant of Varuna seized him and brought him to his master.

> > ******

> > TEXT 3

> > cukrus'us tam apas'yantah

> > krishna râmeti gopakâh

> > bhagavâms tad upas'rutya

> > pitaram varunâhritam

> > tad-antikam gato râjan

> > svânâm abhaya-do vibhuh

> > cukrus'uh - they called out loudly; tam - him, Nanda; apas'yantah - not seeing; krishna - O Krishna; râma - O Râma; iti - thus; gopakâh - the cowherd men; bhagavân - the Supreme Lord, Krishna; tat - that; upas'rutya - hearing; pitaram - His father; varuna - by Varuna; âhritam - taken away; tat - of Varuna; antikam - to the presence; gatah - went; râjan - my dear King Parîkchit; svânâm - of His own devotees; abhaya - of fearlessness; dah - the giver; vibhuh - the almighty Lord.

> > TRANSLATION

> > O King, not seeing Nanda Mahârâja, the cowherd men loudly cried out, "O Krishna! O Râma!" Lord Krishna heard their cries and understood that His father had been captured by Varuna. Therefore the almighty Lord, who makes His devotees fearless, went to the court of Varunadeva.

> > ******

> > TEXT 4

> > prâptam vîkshya hrishîkes'am

> > loka-pâlah saparyayâ

> > mahatyâ pûjayitvâha

> > tad-dars'ana-mahotsavah

> > prâptam - arrived; vîkshya - seeing; hrishîkes'am - Lord Krishna, the controller of the senses; loka - of that planet (the watery regions); pâlah - the presiding deity (Varuna); saparyayâ - with respectful offerings; mahatyâ - elaborate; pûjayitvâ - worshiping; âha - spoke; tat - of Lord Krishna; dars'ana - from the sight; mahâ - great; utsavah - jubilant pleasure.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Seeing that the Lord, Hrishîkes'a, had arrived, the demigod Varuna worshiped Him with elaborate offerings. Varuna was in a state of great jubilation upon seeing the Lord, and he spoke as follows.

> > ******

> > TEXT 5

> > s'rî-varuna uvâca

> > adya me nibhrito deho

> > 'dyaivârtho 'dhigatah prabho

> > tvat-pâda-bhâjo bhagavann

> > avâpuh pâram adhvanah

> > s'rî-varunah uvâca - S'rî Varuna said; adya - today; me - by me; nibhritah - is carried successfully; dehah - my material body; adya - today; eva - indeed; arthah - the goal of life; adhigatah - is experienced; prabho - O Lord; tvat - Your; pâda - the lotus feet; bhâjah - those who serve; bhagavan - O Supreme Personality; avâpuh - have achieved; pâram - the state of transcendence; adhvanah - of the path (of material existence) .

> > TRANSLATION

> > S'rî Varuna said: Now my body has fulfilled its function. Indeed, now the goal of my life is achieved, O Lord. Those who accept Your lotus feet, O Personality of Godhead, can transcend the path of material existence.

> > ******

> > TEXT 6

> > namas tubhyam bhagavate

> > brahmane paramâtmane

> > na yatra s'rûyate mâyâ

> > loka-srishthi-vikalpanâ

> > namah - obeisances; tubhyam - unto You; bhagavate - unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; brahmane - the Absolute Truth; parama-âtmane - the Supreme Soul; na - not; yatra - in whom; s'rûyate - is heard of; mâyâ - the illusory, material energy; loka - of this world; srishthi - the creation; vikalpanâ - which arranges.

> > TRANSLATION

> > My obeisances unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Soul, within whom there is no trace of the illusory energy, which orchestrates the creation of this world.

> > ******

> > TEXT 7

> > ajânatâ mâmakena

> > mûdhenâkârya-vedinâ

> > ânîto 'yam tava pitâ

> > tad bhavân kshantum arhati

> > ajânatâ - by one who was ignorant; mâmakena - by my servant; mûdhena - foolish; akârya-vedinâ - not knowing his proper duty; ânîtah - was brought; ayam - this person; tava - Your; pitâ - father; tat - that; bhavân - Your good self; kshantum arhati - should please forgive.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Your father, who is sitting here, was brought to me by a foolish, ignorant servant of mine who did not understand his proper duty. Therefore, please forgive us.

> > ******

> > TEXT 8

> > mamâpy anugraham krishna

> > kartum arhasy as'esha-drik

> > govinda nîyatâm esha

> > pitâ te pitri-vatsala

> > mama - to me; api - even; anugraham - mercy; krishna - O Lord Krishna; kartum arhasi - please do; as'esha - of everything; drik - O You who see; govinda - O Govinda; nîyatâm - may he be taken; eshah - this; pitâ - father; te - Your; pitri- vatsala - O You who are most affectionate to Your parents.

> > TRANSLATION

> > O Krishna, O seer of everything, please give Your mercy even to me. O Govinda, You are most affectionate to Your father. Please take him home.

> > ******

> > TEXT 9

> > s'rî-s'uka uvâca

> > evam prasâditah krishno

> > bhagavân îs'vares'varah

> > âdâyâgât sva-pitaram

> > bandhûnâm câvahan mudam

> > s'rî-s'ukah uvâca - S'rî S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said; evam - thus; prasâditah - satisfied; krishnah - Lord Krishna; bhagavân - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; îs'vara - of all controllers; îs'varah - the supreme controller; âdâya - taking; agât - went; sva-pitaram - His father; bandhûnâm - to His relatives; ca - and; âvahan - bringing; mudam - pleasure.

> > TRANSLATION

> > S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: Thus satisfied by Lord Varuna, S'rî Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord of lords, took His father and returned home, where their relatives were overjoyed to see them.

> > ******

> > TEXT 10

> > nandas tv atîndriyam drishthvâ

> > loka-pâla-mahodayam

> > krishne ca sannatim teshâm

> > jn'âtibhyo vismito 'bravît

> > nandah - Nanda Mahârâja; tu - and; atîndriyam - not seen before; drishthvâ - seeing; loka-pâla - of the controlling deity of the (ocean) planet, Varuna; mahâ- udayam - the great opulence; krishne - unto Krishna; ca - and; sannatim - the offering of obeisances; teshâm - by them (Varuna and his followers); jn'âtibhyah - to his friends and relatives; vismitah - amazed; abravît - spoke.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Nanda Mahârâja had been astonished to see for the first time the great opulence of Varuna, the ruler of the ocean planet, and also to see how Varuna and his servants had offered such humble respect to Krishna. Nanda described all this to his fellow cowherd men.

> > ******

> > TEXT 11

> > te cautsukya-dhiyo râjan

> > matvâ gopâs tam îs'varam

> > api nah sva-gatim sûkshmâm

> > upâdhâsyad adhîs'varah

> > te - they; ca - and; autsukya - full of eagerness; dhiyah - their minds; râjan - O King Parîkchit; matvâ - thinking; gopâh - the cowherd men; tam - Him; îs'varam - the Supreme Lord; api - perhaps; nah - to us; sva-gatim - His own abode; sûkshmâm - transcendental; upâdhâsyat - is going to bestow; adhîs'varah - the supreme controller.

> > TRANSLATION

> > [Hearing about Krishna's pastimes with Varuna,] the cowherd men considered that Krishna must be the Supreme Lord, and their minds, O King, were filled with eagerness. They thought, "Will the Supreme Lord bestow upon us His transcendental abode?"

> > ******

> > TEXT 12

> > iti svânâm sa bhagavân

> > vijn'âyâkhila-drik svayam

> > sankalpa-siddhaye teshâm

> > kripayaitad acintayat

> > iti - such; svânâm - of His personal devotees; sah - He; bhagavân - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vijn'âya - understanding; akhila-drik - the seer of everything; svayam - Himself; sankalpa - of the imagined desire; siddhaye - for the realization; teshâm - their; kripayâ - compassionately; etat - this (as follows in the next verse); acintayat - thought.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Because He sees everything, Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, automatically understood what the cowherd men were conjecturing. Wanting to show His compassion to them by fulfilling their desires, the Lord thought as follows.

> > ******

> > TEXT 13

> > jano vai loka etasminn

> > avidyâ-kâma-karmabhih

> > uccâvacâsu gatishu

> > na veda svâm gatim bhraman

> > janah - people; vai - certainly; loke - in the world; etasmin - this; avidyâ - without knowledge; kâma - because of desires; karmabhih - by activities; ucca - among superior; avacâsu - and inferior; gatishu - destinations; na veda - does not recognize; svâm - his own; gatim - destination; bhraman - wandering.

> > TRANSLATION

> > [Lord Krishna thought:] Certainly people in this world are wandering among higher and lower destinations, which they achieve through activities performed according to their desires and without full knowledge. Thus people do not know their real destination.

> > ******

> > TEXT 14

> > iti san'cintya bhagavân

> > mahâ-kâruniko harih

> > dars'ayâm âsa lokam svam

> > gopânâm tamasah param

> > iti - in these words; san'cintya - considering to Himself; bhagavân - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mahâ-kârunikah - the most merciful; harih - Lord Hari; dars'ayâm âsa - showed; lokam - the planet, Vaikunthha; svam - His own; gopânâm - to the cowherd men; tamasah - material darkness; param - beyond.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Thus deeply considering the situation, the all-merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari revealed to the cowherd men His abode, which is beyond material darkness.

> > ******

> > TEXT 15

> > satyam jn'ânam anantam yad

> > brahma-jyotih sanâtanam

> > yad dhi pas'yanti munayo

> > gunâpâye samâhitâh

> > satyam - indestructible; jn'ânam - knowledge; anantam - unlimited; yat - which; brahma - the absolute; jyotih - effulgence; sanâtanam - eternal; yat - which; hi - indeed; pas'yanti - see; munayah - sages; guna - the modes of material nature; apâye - when they subside; samâhitâh - absorbed in trance.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Lord Krishna revealed the indestructible spiritual effulgence, which is unlimited, conscious and eternal. Sages see that spiritual existence in trance, when their consciousness is free of the modes of material nature.

> > ******

> > TEXT 16

> > te tu brahma-hradam nîtâ

> > magnâh krishnena coddhritâh

> > dadris'ur brahmano lokam

> > yatrâkrûro 'dhyagât purâ

> > te - they; tu - and; brahma-hradam - to the lake known as Brahma-hrada; nîtâh - brought; magnâh - submerged; krishnena - by Krishna; ca - and; uddhritâh - lifted out; dadris'uh - they saw; brahmanah - of the Absolute Truth; lokam - the transcendental planet; yatra - where; akrûrah - Akrûra; adhyagât - saw; purâ - previously.

> > TRANSLATION

> > The cowherd men were brought by Lord Krishna to the Brahma-hrada, made to submerge in the water, and then lifted up. From the same vantage point that Akrûra saw the spiritual world, the cowherd men saw the planet of the Absolute Truth.

> > ******

> > TEXT 17

> > nandâdayas tu tam drishthvâ

> > paramânanda-nivritâh

> > krishnam ca tatra cchandobhih

> > stûyamânam su-vismitâh

> > nanda-âdayah - the cowherd men headed by Nanda Mahârâja; tu - and; tam - that; drishthvâ - seeing; parama - supreme; ânanda - by ecstasy; nivritâh - overwhelmed with joy; krishnam - Lord Krishna; ca - and; tatra - there; chandobhih - by the Vedic hymns; stûyamânam - being praised; su - very much; vismitâh - surprised.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Nanda Mahârâja and the other cowherd men felt the greatest happiness when they saw that transcendental abode. They were especially amazed to see Krishna Himself there, surrounded by the personified Vedas, who were offering Him prayers.

> > Back to the running text