Canto Ten - Chapter 45

Śrī Śuka said: Knowing that His parents had understood the truth about Him, the Supreme Person spread His own bewildering māyā over them so that such awareness would not persist.

The foremost of the Sātvatas approached His parents with His elder brother. Bowing humbly, He pleased them by respectfully addressing them as 'Mother' and 'Father.'

'Dear Father and Mother, because of us, although you always longed for us, you never received the joys that parents obtain from their sons during infancy, childhood, and adolescence.'

'Cruelly deprived by fate, We could not live near you and enjoy the happiness with which children residing in their parents' home are lovingly indulged.'

'This body, from which all the aims of human life may be attained, is produced and nourished by one's parents. A mortal cannot repay his debt to them even in a hundred years.'

'A son capable of doing so who fails to support his parents with his person and wealth is made to eat his own flesh after death.'

'One who is able but fails to maintain his mother, aged father, faithful wife, infant son, spiritual teacher, a brāhmaṇa, or a person who has sought his shelter is dead even while breathing.'

'Because We were powerless under Kaṃsa and always lived with anxious hearts, these days passed fruitlessly, for We could not honor you.'

'Therefore, dear Father and Mother, please forgive Us. We were under another's control and could not serve you, though you were severely afflicted by that malicious man.'

Śrī Śuka said: Bewildered by these words of Hari, the Soul of the universe who appeared as a human through His māyā, the parents placed the two brothers upon their laps, embraced Them, and attained great joy.

Bound by the cords of affection, they bathed the brothers with streams of tears. O King, overcome with emotion and their throats choked by tears, they could say nothing.

After thus comforting His parents, Bhagavān Devakī's son installed His maternal grandfather Ugrasena as king of the Yadus.

He said, 'Great King, please command us and all your subjects. Because of Yayāti's curse, the Yadus may not occupy the royal throne.'

'While I attend upon you as your servant, even the gods and other celestial beings will bow and bring you tribute. What need, then, to speak of earthly kings?'

The Creator of the universe then called back from every direction all His relatives and kinsmen who had fled in terror of Kaṃsa, including the Yadus, Vṛṣṇis, Andhakas, Madhus, Dāśārhas, Kukuras, and others.

He honored and reassured those who had been weakened by living in foreign lands, settled them again in their own homes, and satisfied them with abundant wealth.

Protected by the arms of Kṛṣṇa and Saṅkarṣaṇa, their desires fulfilled and the fever of distress relieved by Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, those perfected people rejoiced in their homes.

Day after day they joyfully beheld Mukunda's lotus face, always radiant and splendid, its smiling and compassionate glance resting upon them.

Even the elderly there became youthful and endowed with exceptional strength and vigor, for again and again they drank with their eyes the nectar of Mukunda's lotus face.

Then, O lord of kings, Bhagavān Devakī's son and Saṅkarṣaṇa approached Nanda, embraced him, and spoke as follows.

'Father, you and Mother Yaśodā have nourished and tenderly cared for Us with great affection. Indeed, parents cherish their children even more than their own selves.'

'Those two are truly father and mother who nourish as their own sons children abandoned by relatives unable to maintain and protect them.'

'Dear Father, all of you should now return to Vraja. After bringing happiness to Our well-wishers here, We shall come to see you and Our relatives who are suffering from love for Us.'

After speaking these consoling words to Nanda and the people of Vraja, Bhagavān Acyuta respectfully honored them with garments, ornaments, valuable vessels, and other gifts.

Thus addressed, Nanda embraced the two brothers. Overwhelmed with love and his eyes brimming with tears, he departed for Vraja with the cowherds.

Then, O King, Vasudeva, the son of Śūra, had the family priest and other brāhmaṇas properly perform the twice-born initiation rites for his sons.

After worshiping those well-adorned brāhmaṇas, he gave them as sacrificial gifts beautifully decorated cows wearing golden necklaces and linen garlands, together with their calves.

The noble Vasudeva remembered the cows he had mentally donated at the time of Kṛṣṇa and Rāma's birth but which Kaṃsa had unrighteously seized, and he now gave those cows as well.

Having received Their initiatory rites and attained the status of twice-born youths, the two exemplary brothers accepted the vow of Gāyatrī from Garga, the spiritual preceptor of the Yadu dynasty.

The two Lords of the universe are the source of all branches of knowledge and are omniscient. Yet by Their human conduct They concealed Their pure knowledge, which did not depend upon instruction from anyone else.

Then, desiring to reside in the home of a teacher, They approached Sāndīpani, a native of Kāśī who was living in the city of Avantī.

The self-controlled brothers approached Their guru and rendered him faultless service. With devotion They demonstrated the proper conduct of disciples, honoring him as they would the Supreme Lord.

Satisfied by Their service, offered with pure intent, the eminent brāhmaṇa guru taught Them all the Vedas together with their ancillary disciplines and the Upaniṣads.

He also taught the secret lore of archery, the principles of dharma and jurisprudence, the science of logical inquiry, and the sixfold science of statecraft.

O King, those two foremost of the best of men, who are Themselves the originators of all knowledge, fully mastered every subject merely upon hearing it explained once.

In sixty-four days and nights the disciplined brothers learned the corresponding sixty-four arts. O King, They then asked Their teacher to choose his fee.

O King, the brāhmaṇa recognized Their astonishing greatness and superhuman intelligence. After consulting with his wife, he requested the return of their son, who had died in the great ocean at Prabhāsa.

Saying, 'So be it,' the two mighty chariot warriors of irresistible prowess mounted Their chariot and reached Prabhāsa. They approached the shore and sat there briefly, whereupon the ocean recognized Them and brought offerings of worship.

Bhagavān said to the ocean, 'Quickly return Our guru's son, the boy whom you swallowed here with your mighty waves.'

The ocean said: O Lord Kṛṣṇa, I did not take him. A great demon named Pañcajana, who moves beneath my waters, dwells here in the form of a conch.

'The boy was surely taken by him.' Hearing this, the Lord swiftly entered the water and killed the demon, but He did not find the child within his belly.

Taking the conch that had grown from the demon's body, Kṛṣṇa returned to the chariot. He then traveled to Saṃyamanī, the beloved city of Yama.

Janārdana went there with Halāyudha and sounded His conch. Hearing its mighty resonance, Yama, the lord who disciplines created beings, came forth.

With devotion Yama offered the two brothers elaborate worship. Bowing before Kṛṣṇa, the indwelling refuge of every being's heart, he said, 'O all-pervading Lord, although You two appear as human beings in play, what may I do for You?'

Śrī Bhagavān said: 'Great King, this place received Our guru's son because of the bondage created by his own karma. Respecting My command, bring him here.'

Yama replied, 'So be it,' and brought the guru's son. The two foremost Yadus returned the child to Their teacher and said, 'Please choose another boon.'

The guru said: My dear sons, You have perfectly paid the fee due to Your teacher. What desire could remain unfulfilled for a teacher who has disciples such as You?

'Return to Your home, O heroes. May Your fame purify the world, and may the Vedic hymns remain ever fresh in Your remembrance both here and hereafter.'

Thus permitted by Their guru, They returned to Their city upon Their chariot, which moved with the speed of the wind and thundered like a rain cloud.

All the citizens rejoiced upon seeing Rāma and Janārdana after many days without Them, like people who have recovered treasure they had lost.