20 - The abduction of cows and calves and cowherds 

Narayana said - Once Madhava accompanied by Balabhadra and the boys while finishing their meals and decorating their heads with sandal paste, went to Vrundavana. 

The lord played with them for long. When all of them were engrossed in the sports, the cows and calves strayed away. 

At that point of time Brahma, the lord of creation thought of testing the competence of lord Krishna. He therefore stole away the cows, the calves and the cowherds and hid them somewhere. 

Understanding his move, Hari who is all knowledgeable and is the creator of the universe, created the cows, calves and the cowherds with the influence of Yogamaya. 

Thereafter lord Krishna who is well-versed in the divine play returned to his abode with the cows, Balabhadra and the cowherds. 

Thus, this process continued for one year. Daily he used to go to the bank of Yamuna with Balabhadra and cows and daily returned in the evening. 

Understanding this influence of the lord, Brahma felt ashamed and went to the lord in the Bhandira forest, who was resting under the shade of a tree. 

He found Krishna there surrounded by the cowherds like the moon surrounded by the constellation, which illumine.  

Lord Krishna was seated on a gem-studded lion throne comfortably and wore a serene smile on his face; he was clad in a yellow lower garment and his body was emitting divine lustre; he was wearing armlets, wristlets and anklets made of gems. His ears were adorned with a pair of kundalas. He was playful and could steal the mind of others. His limbs were plastered with sandal-paste, aguru, kasturi and saffron. 

The garlands of forest flowers adorned his body and his body had the complexion of new clouds with the youthfulness emerging out of the same. 

He had a crown of peacock feathers, and the garlands of jasmine flowers were decorated in it.  With the lustre of his limbs, the ornaments were shining. 

His face resembled the beauty of the full moon of the winter season. His lips resembled the ripe wood-apple, and the nose resembled the beak of Garuda. 

His eyes resembled the beauty of the mid-day lotus flower of the summer season, and his teeth resembled the beautiful jewels. The kaustubha gem adorned his chest. Having a look at the peaceful Krishna the lord of Radha, Brahma was extremely surprised, and he bowed in reverence to him. He started looking at him and bowed in reverence again and again. The form in which Brahma had visualised the lord in his heart, the same figure was found by him before him. The figure, which was present in the front, the same was at the back and on both sides. 

Oh sage! in Vrundavana he found everything like Krishna and meditating upon his form, Brahma sat out there. 

He visualised Krishna to be present in all the cows, the calves, the boys, the creepers, the trees and in the entire Vrundavana. Witnessing such a scene surprised Brahma who again meditated upon him. О sage, at that point of time Brahma could see nothing in the three worlds except lord Krishna; there were no trees, no mountains, no earth, no oceans, no gods, Gandharvas, sages, humans, soul, seeds of the universe, heaven and he himself. He was non-plussed. With the illusion of the lord, he found everything like himself. 

Not only this he could not find lord Krishna himself nor his creation; now everything was alike. There was no creation, and everything was like Krishna himself. Finding this Brahma was taken aback and was unable to speak. 

He then started thinking within himself, "Whom should I adore now? What should I do?"  Thereafter the creator of the universe staying there got ready to perform japam. 

He sat comfortably in yogasana, folded his hands, getting emotional, his eyes were filled with tears and became quite meek and humble.

He controlled by meditation the three veins, named ida, susumna, madhya, pingala, nalini and dhura. 

He than controlled the chakras in muladhara, svadhisthana, manipura, manohara, vaishuddha and paramajna. He then crossed the sat chakra and established the air in Brahmarandhra. Establishing the air, he then again arrived close to madhya vein turning that wind, the Vidhata linked the madhya vein and while doing this, he became stable and started reciting the ten-letter mantra given to him by Hari in earlier times. 

О sage, after meditating upon the lotus-like feet of Krishna for a muhurta, he visualised the glorious form of the lord in his heart in the lustre.  He had a beautiful form having two arms holding a flute in his hand, wearing pitambara, adorned with all the ornaments and the kundalas in the ears. Hari was having a smile on his face and looked anxious to bestow his grace on his devotees. 

The form he could visualise in Brahmarandhra, the same form could be seen by him in his heart. Witnessing such a surprise, he started praying to the lord. О sage, the knowledge of the stotra that was imparted to Brahma in earlier times, the same was recited by him with devotion quite humbly. 

Brahma said - I bow in reverence to the form of everything, the lord of everyone, cause of all the causes, beyond description and form of welfare. The one who is like the fresh cloud,  dark-complexioned, who remains uninvolved in spite of his remaining in all the creatures, who is  witness of all, the one who roams in the soul, is  all successful, pervades the whole world, remains  aloof from the world, the form of all, the seed of  all, eternal, the best of all, the base of all, all  powerful, adored by all, teacher of all, the cause  of all the welfares, the form of all the mantras, bestower of all the riches and prowess. He is endowed with all the riches and is also without them. I adore the lord who is all pervading and moves at will. 

Не is extremely powerful, the seed of prowess, the form of prowess, is like the boat of strength in the ocean of the universe, is quite merciful, beloved of the devotees and the great sailor. I adore him offering prayers, the one who is the form of self, secluded, uninvolved, as well as involved, is Brahman having all the qualities and even without them, the one who moves at will, I adore him. The one, who is the supreme god of all the organs of senses, the abode of all the organs of senses, the form of all the organs of senses and the one who happens to possess Virat form, I adore him. The one, who is the form of the Vedas, the creator of the Vedas, the form of post-Vedic literature and the mantras, I adore such a Parameshvara. 

He is the gist of all the essence, incomplete, inexplicable, independent and dependent, son of Yashoda, is adored by me. The one who resides in all the bodies, is invisible, beyond controversy, inaccessible even by deep meditation, the teacher of the intellectuals and the yogis. I adore him. He is the one who resides in the Rasamandala, is bliss of the divine dance and is always anxious for the same. He is the one who is served by the cowherdesses and is the lord of the earth, I adore him. The one who is the truth for the noble people and falsehood for the wicked people, the lord of the yogis, achievable by yogic practices and the one who is adored by Shiva, I adore him. 

The one who is the seed of mantras, the lord of the mantras, the bestower of the mantras and their reward besides being the form of the reward; the one who grants success in the mantras and is beyond everyone, I adore him.  The one who is the form of pleasure and pain, bestower of suspiciousness and the one who is the seed of welfare and bestows welfare, I bow before him. Thus, the creator of the universe adored lord Krishna and returned the cowherd boys to him. He then prostrated before him on the ground and started crying. Thereafter, О sage, he then opened his eyes and found Krishna there. 

The one who recites the stotra composed by Brahma with devotion every day, enjoying all the pleasures of the world ultimately proceeds to the abode of Hari, where he achieves the inaccessible slavehood of the lord. He than attains closeness of the lord and becomes his attendant. 

Narayana said -After the departure of Brahma, the creator of the universe, Sri Krishna returned to his place together with the cowherd boys. 

Though the cows, the calves and the boys returned to their home after one year, with the illusion of the lord they thought it to be a single day.

At that point of time the cowherds and cowherdesses could not guess anything. For a yogi everything is artificial and there is nothing old or new for him. Thus, I have narrated to you the story of lord Krishna which bestows welfare, pleasure, salvation, is auspicious and is always blissful.