101 - Yajnopavita of Balarama and Krishna

 Narayana said- As soon as the gods and the sages completed the mental prayer of Krishna, they spotted Krishna clad in pitambara standing in the court-yard.

 O sage, as the fresh clouds appear with lightening and the line of sky-larks, similarly lord Krishna was standing there wearing the garland of jasmine flowers.

He had a circular spot of kasturi painted on his forehead and it looked like the moon among the clouds.

Thereafter at the arrival of the auspicious time when the lord of lagna was in the high position looked upon and favourable by the stars who were casting their glance. At the point of time, bowing to the command of the Brahmanas, he started, the ceremony by reciting the welfare mantras.

After offering a hundred gold coins to the Brahmanas, he bowed before Indra, the sages and the family priest, besides Ganesha, Surya, Agni, Siva and Parvati with utmost devotion. He adored them with sixteen types of offerings together with all the gods.

Then with the reciting of the Vedic hymns, the bodies of both the brothers were plastered with fragrant material. Thereafter the gods, the Dikpalas, nine planets were adored together with the sixteen mothers by making five-fold offerings, the ghee was poured on them, seven times. 

Thereafter adoring the king of Cedi, he moved forward and completed the Vruddhi-sraddha and adored some other gods also. Thereafter he performed the yajna has prescribed in the Vedas, after which both Krishna and Balarama were adorned with yajnopavita. The sage Sandipani bestowed the Gayatrl hymn to both the boys. First of all Parvati gave the jewels. The father Vasudeva gave him a garland of gems together with the garland of white flowers and Durvagrass. Aditi, Diti, Devaki, Yashoda, Rohini, Savitri, Sarasvati and other goddesses also offered him the bhiksha in gems and pearls. 

The daughters of the gods, Nagas, the chaste woman, the princesses and the damsels of the relatives, offered the bhiksha, with their eyes filled with affection. 

Thereafter Indrani, Varunani, the spouse of the wind god, Rohini, the spouse of Kubera, Svaha, Rati also gave him the gem-studded ornament as bhiksha. Both Balabhadra and Krishna accepted the offerings and distributed them among Garga and their teacher. After completion of the ceremonies according to the Vedic traditions, the teacher Garga was presented with the dakshina. 

The gods and the Brahmanas were respectfully offered the food. Then all the people who had arrived to participate in the yajna variously offered blessings to Sri Krishna and Baladeva and went back to their abodes. After completion of the auspicious ceremonies Nanda and Yashoda took the boys in their laps and started kissing their faces. At that point of time both Nanda and Yashoda became emotional and started sobbing. Sri Krishna then somehow reassured them and spoke to them. 

Sri Krishna said- "O mother Yashoda and О father, both of you reached here delightfully, you happen to be our mother who has brought us up and you happen to be our real father.

О father, we are moving to the abode of the sage Sandipani in order to achieved learnings.

After our return from that place, after a long time, we shall surely come to you. О mother, it is the time alone which accepts and also creates differences. So much so, the separation, meeting, the pleasure and pain and the welfare are all managed by the time itself. I have imparted the knowledge of tattvas to the respected father. He would surely narrate to you the secret of the same. 

Thus speaking Krishna, the lord of the universe went to the court of Vasudeva. Remaining there for sometime, both of them went to the abode of the teacher Sandipani, thereafter both Nanda and Yashoda humbly spoke to Vasudeva and Devaki and got ready to depart. 

At that point of time Devaki offered to Nanda several types of gems and jewels, gold, rubies, diamond, costumes, sanctified by fire. Vasudeva and Krishna presented Nanda with white horses, elephants and the chariot made of gold. 

At the time of their departure all the Brahmanas, Devaki and other damsels, Vasudeva, Akrura and Uddhava delightfully followed them. 

Reaching the bank of river Yamuna, all of them started crying with grief, thus after talking with one and other they returned to their abodes.

О sage, at the command of Vasudeva, the widow Kunti also returned to her abode with her sons and the gems given to her by Vasudeva. Vasudeva and Devaki also gave away enough of gems and jewels, costumes, gold, silver, rubies, sapphire and various types of sweets to the Brahman as and the bards for the welfare to their sons. 

Thereafter the festivities were gracefully performed which included the recitation of the Vedas and the name of the lord, serving food to the Brahmanas. Thereafter the gems, jewels, sapphire and precious stones besides the costumes were distributed to the relatives as gifts.