9 - Festivities of Nanda's son 

Narada said- Vasudeva placed Krishna in the palace of Yashoda and returned to his abode.  Thereafter, how were the festivities for the birth of Krishna performed and for how long? You kindly narrate to me the story about his childhood. 

In the Goloka the lord had promised to Radha but then how could the lord fulfil that promise?

O lord, the account of Vrundavana and the sight of the divine dance there, you kindly describe in detail, the Rasalila and the water-sports.

What type of tapas had Nanda, Yashoda and Rohini performed? Where was Balabhadra born earlier to his becoming the brother of the lord Krishna. The divine story of Hari has been compared with the block of nectar. Particularly by listening to the story of lord Hari from the mouth of the poet, one is infested with devotion and it always appeals as new whenever one listens to it. Therefore, you kindly describe the divine dance performed by Krishna from your own mouth in the poetic narrations, one listen to the performance indirectly but wherever one listens to the experience, one’s witnesses with his own eyes, it is considered to be the best. 

Because of you’r being the amsha of lord Krishna you happen to be the teacher of the yogis. The one who belongs to a particular amsha, he remains happy with the same.

You are described about the lotus-like feet of lord in which both of you had merged. Therefore, you happen to be the clean amsha of the lord of Goloka and yourself also as great he is.

Narayana said- Brahma, Shiva, Sesha, Ganesha, Kurma, Dharma, myself, the Nara and Karttikeya happen to be the nine gods who emerged from the amsha of Krishna. 

Alas, who can describe the glory of the lord of Goloka. I am myself not quite aware of him nor do the Vedas know about him then, what to say of the other intellectuals? 

О sage, Varaha, Vamana, Kalki, Bauddha, Kapila and Matsya also were the amsha of the lord. Besides them, there are various other incarnations who happen to be the amsha of Krishna. 

Kurma, Nursimha, Rama and Virat of Sveta dvipa are the amsha of lord Vishnu. Lord Krishna happen to be the great soul. He himself dwells in the Vaikuntha as well as the Goloka. In Vaikuntha ha, he is known to be the husband of Kamala having four arms and in Goloka he appears in the form of Krishna having two arms only and is known as the husband of Radha. 

All the yogis always meditate upon the same tejas. There could be no tejas without a Tejasvi. 

О Brahmana, now I am going to highlight about the tapas of Yashoda, Nanda and Rohini as a result of which they could see the face of the lord (in the form of a son.) you listen to me.  Nanda happened to be Drona who was the best of the Vasus and his chaste wife known as Dharare-appeared on earth as Yashoda. 

Rohini happened to be the mother of the serpents in earlier birth. Now I am going to narrate the life stories of all of them, which you please listen. О sage, once the chaste Dhara and Drona performed tapas over the Gandhamadana mountain in the asrama of Gautama for ten thousand years. They continued tapas on the bank of the Suprabha river in a secluded place for achieving lord Krishna. 

Thereafter both Drona and Dhara finding themselves unable to achieve audience, became unattached and prepared a fire alter to bum themselves in the same. 

Finding them ready to bum themselves there was a divine voice from the sky saying. "O best of Vasus, you will have an audience with lord Krishna on earth in Gokula in the form of a son.  Even the yogis are unable to have a look at him.  He is beyond the comprehension of most of the intellectuals and is adored by Brahma even.” 

On hearing this both Dhara and Drona retreated to their respective abodes and in the next birth they had the lord as their son. 

Thus, the stories of Nanda and Yashoda have been narrated by me which are quite secret and beyond the gods. Now I am going to narrate the story of Rohini which you please listen.

О sage, once during the menstrual period Aditi the mother of gods sent a message to Kashyapa, she clads herself in beautiful garments and adorned herself with best of gems-studded ornaments after taking bath. Then looking at the mirror, she decorated herself variously. 

Besides a spot of kasthuri, she also adorned her forehead with the vermilion, her ears with gems studded kundalas decorated herself variously and also wore the pearl in her nose. Her face resembled the full moon of winter season and her eyes resembled the lotus flower of winter season.  She had curved eye-brows and collyrium was applied to her eyes. She had beautiful teeth resembling the seeds of pomegranate. Her face was quite illumining. Her lips resembled the ripe fruit of wood apple and with her serene smile, she could attract the minds of sages. Looking at her face in the mirror she was lodged in her abode and suffering from passion started anxiously looking towards the path from which her husband was to arrive. 

In the meantime, she came to know that Kashyapa was enjoying life with Kadru placing his head on her breasts. 

Thereafter she felt disgusted but in spite of her getting infested with passion, she did not pronounce a curse on her husband but she pronounced a curse of Kadru. "This lady well versed in the Dharma has not proved herself worthy of a temple and had indulged herself in the destruction of dharma, therefore, getting deprived of the heaven she would go to the earth and be born in the human race.” On hearing these words from the mouth of messengers Kadru also pronounced a curse on Aditi the mother of the gods thus, "she also would be born on earth and suffer from old age in the human race." 

Thereafter Kashyapa tried to convince Kadru, the mother of the serpents, "O lady with a serene smile, at the time you move on to the earth I shall also accompany you. Therefore, shedding all the fears, you be happy." Because on earth, you will be able to witness the lord in the form of your son. Thus, speaking Kashyapa went to the abode of Aditi. 

Reaching there Kashyapa fulfilled the desire of Aditi as a result of which Mahendra was born out of her womb. 

The same Aditi appeared as Devaki on earth and Kadru the mother of the serpents was known as Rohini. Kashyapa happened to be Vasudeva the father of Krishna. 

O sage, I have revealed the entire secret of you. I am now going to narrate the story of the birth of Baladeva, which you please listen. He was Ananta, imperishable having thousands of snake-hoods and the incarnation of the lord.  Rohini happened to the beloved of Vasudeva.

О sage, with the permission of Vasudeva for the protection of Samkarshana from Kamsa, she went to Gokula. 

At that point of time at the command of lord Krishna, Yogamaya, extracted the foetus of Nanda from the womb of Devaki and transplanted it into the womb of Rohini. 

After doing so the goddess went to Kailasa.  With the passage of time Rohini gave birth to a son who happened to be the amsha of Krishna. He had the complexion of the molten silver and quite glorious. The lord himself had a serene smile on the face and possessed the divine lustre. 

With the birth of Baladeva, all the gods were delighted and big drums were beaten in the heaven besides other musical instrument were also played upon there.

Getting immensely pleased the gods shouted the slogan of victory, blowing on the conches at the same time. Nanda on the other hand getting delighted distributed enormous riches to the Brahmanas. 

With the severing of the cord by the mid-wife, the child was bathed, the cowherdesses adorned with all the ornaments started shouting the slogan of victory.

Nanda gracefully celebrated the occasion of the birth of a son. Thereafter getting pleased, Yashoda distributed riches to the cowherdesses as well as the Brahmanas besides other articles like oil, vermilion etc. О son, I have thus narrated to you the story about the tapas of Nanda and Yashoda besides the birth of Balabhadra, and the story of Rohini. Now I am going to narrate to you about the festivities following the birth of Krishna in the house of Nanda. You listen it. 

The hearing of life-stories of Krishna bestows pleasure, salvation, knowledge of sattva’s, removes the cycle of birth and death besides old age. They happen to be the life of Vaisnavas, remover of all the misfortunes and bestows the devotion of the lord. О sage, Vasudeva placing Krishna in the abode of Nanda and carrying the girl-child in her place, he returned to his abode with pleasure. I have recited the story in detail earlier and also about the girl-child. 

Presently you listen to the story of Krishna while, he stayed in Gokula. After the departure of Vasudeva, Nanda and Yashoda found in the pleasant labour-room which happened to be the home of victory, the child Krishna possessing the dark complexion placed on the ground.

He was quite beautiful and without robes and was looking at the kalasha placed at the top of the house. The lustre of his face put to shame, the lustre of the moon and both his eyes were life the blue lotus flower. Sometimes he cried and sometimes he laughed, the particles of dust were found over his limbs. Both his hand was placed over the ground and both his lotus-like feet looked like the mass of love. 

Looking at the lord, Nanda felt delighted with his wife. Thereafter, the mid-wife bathed the son with the warm water, the cord of the child was severed the delightful cowherdesses started shouting the slogans of victory. They had stiff pelvic region, moving breasts and all the cowherdesses assembled there. All the girls, the female friends and the wives of Brahmanas reached the labour-room and started looking at the child. They delightfully started blessing him. 

Some of the ladies earned the child in their lap and started kissing him. Many of the cowherdesses remained there. Nanda then took his bath and was clad in new garments and performed all the traditional rites with a pleasant mind, fed the Brahmanas, the scriptures of welfare were recited, the musical instrument were played upon and the beggars were distributed the riches. Thereafter Nanda with a delightful mind gave away riches in charity to the Brahmanas. 

О sage, he also distributed several precious gems besides the diamonds and coral. He gave away in charity seven mountain like heaps of Sesamum, hundred heaps of gold, mountains of paddy besides cloth a thousand of beautiful cows, curd, milk, sugar, batter, ghee, honey, sweets, best of sweet balls, tasteful modakas, irrigated land, steed which could move with the speed of wind betel and the oil. He also deputed Brahmanas for the protection of the labour-room. 

Thereafter deputing the Brahmanas well versed in the mantras and the old cowherdesses, he arranged for the recitation of the name of Hari which bestows welfare. 

He also arranged the adoration of the gods with deep devotion. Thereafter Nanda, arrived in the palace whose mind was filled with delight and be stood at the end, besides being blissful. 

The Brahmanas well-versed in the Vedas holding flowers in their hands started blessing the king who arrived there urgently. 

The people well-versed in astrology, who had truthful speech, holding the books in their hands, also arrived in the abode of Nanda. 

Many of the young maidens besides the old ladies, the wives of the Brahmanas, the boys and the girls also arrived there with smiling faces.

Nanda on his part distributed several types of riches, gems, costumes and a thousand cows. 

Nanda expressed his humility while bowing in reverence to all of them, who blessed him variously looking at the newly born child. Thus, Nanda the lord of vratas, collecting all the materials, celebrated the birth of the son and the astrologer highlighted the good and the bad effect of the planets according to the child horoscope. 

Thereafter, the child started growing in the abode of Nanda, like the moon of the bright fortnight. In the abode of Nanda, Kalachakra was sucking the breast of his mother, о sage, at that point of time, Rohini also participated in the festivities and also delightfully distributed oil, vermilion, betel and enormous riches to the ladies present there. All of them blessed the child over his head and went back to their respective abodes. Only Nanda, Yashoda, and Rohini remained in the palace.