Brahmā Steals the Calves

अन्यावतारनिकरेष्वनिरीक्षितं ते
भूमातिरेकमभिवीक्ष्य तदाघमोक्षे ।
ब्रह्मा परीक्षितुमनाः स परोक्षभावं
निन्येऽथ वत्सकगणान्प्रवितत्य मायाम्

anyāvatāranikareṣvanirīkṣitaṁ te bhūmātirekamabhivīkṣya tadāghamokṣe brahmā parīkṣitumanāḥ sa parokṣabhāvaṁ ninye'tha vatsakagaṇānpravitatya māyām

“Seeing the more-than-other-avatāras-not-seen unmatched-greatness in the killing of Agha, Brahmā, with mind to test you, hid himself; he carried off all the calves.”

वत्सानवीक्ष्य विवशे पशुपोत्करे ता
नानेतुकाम इव धातृमतानुवर्ती ।
त्वं सामिभुक्तकबळो गतवांस्तदानीं
भुक्तांस्तिरोधित सरोजभवः कुमारान्

vatsānavīkṣya vivaśe paśupotkare tā nānetukāma iva dhātṛmatānuvartī tvaṁ sāmibhuktakabaḻo gatavāṁstadānīṁ bhuktāṁstirodhita sarojabhavaḥ kumārān

“Not seeing the calves, the cowherd-children helpless, you who, like one wishing to lead them home, had finished half the meal, went out, and the disappeared ones you replaced.”

वत्सायितस्तदनु गोपगणायितस्त्वं
शिक्यादिभाण्डमुरळीगवलादिरूपः ।
प्राग्वद्विहृत्य विपिनेषु चिराय सायं
त्वं माययाथ बहुधा व्रजमाययाथ

vatsāyitastadanu gopagaṇāyitastvaṁ śikyādibhāṇḍamuraḻīgavalādirūpaḥ prāgvadvihṛtya vipineṣu cirāya sāyaṁ tvaṁ māyayātha bahudhā vrajamāyayātha

“By your own self, you became all the calves and all the cowherd-boys; by your own selves you returned to the cowherd-place. The mothers of all of them gave more milk to their own sons than ever; for they were now you.”

त्वामेव शिक्यागवलादिमयं दधानो
भूयस्त्वमेव पशुवत्सकबालरूपः ।
गोरूपिणीभिरपि गोपवधूमयीभि
रासादितोऽसि जननीभिरतिप्रहर्षात्

tvāmeva śikyāgavalādimayaṁ dadhāno bhūyastvameva paśuvatsakabālarūpaḥ gorūpiṇībhirapi gopavadhūmayībhi rāsādito'si jananībhiratipraharṣāt

“Even the cows poured milk down at the very sight of their calves; the mothers of the boys had unprecedented love at the sight of their sons. Such was your māyā that none of them suspected.”

जीवं हि किञ्चिदभिमानवशात्स्वकीयं
मत्वा तनूज इति रागभरं वहन्त्यः ।
आत्मानमेव तु भवन्तमवाप्य सूनुं
प्रीतिं ययुर्न कियतीं वनिताश्च गावः

jīvaṁ hi kiñcidabhimānavaśātsvakīyaṁ matvā tanūja iti rāgabharaṁ vahantyaḥ ātmānameva tu bhavantamavāpya sūnuṁ prītiṁ yayurna kiyatīṁ vanitāśca gāvaḥ

“For one full year you became cowherd-and-calf at once, sporting with yourself in the forest. Brahmā, returning at last, saw the mystery: every calf, every boy, was you.”

एवं प्रतिक्षणविजृम्भितहर्षभार
निश्शेषगोपगणलालितभूरिमूर्तिम् ।
त्वामग्रजोऽपि बुबुधे किल वत्सरान्ते
ब्रह्मात्मनोरपि महान्युवयोर्विशेषः

evaṁ pratikṣaṇavijṛmbhitaharṣabhāra niśśeṣagopagaṇalālitabhūrimūrtim tvāmagrajo'pi bubudhe kila vatsarānte brahmātmanorapi mahānyuvayorviśeṣaḥ

“By the rays of light radiating from each, with crowns and ornaments, with conches and discuses; with hands folded in worship, the host of the cosmos surrounding them. Brahmā fell at your feet.”

वर्षावधौ नवपुरातनवत्सपालान्
दृष्ट्वा विवेकमसृणे द्रुहिणे विमूढे ।
प्रादीदृशः प्रतिनवान्मकुटान्गदादि
भूषांश्चतुर्भुजयुजः सजलाम्बुदाभान्

varṣāvadhau navapurātanavatsapālān dṛṣṭvā vivekamasṛṇe druhiṇe vimūḍhe prādīdṛśaḥ pratinavānmakuṭāngadādi bhūṣāṁścaturbhujayujaḥ sajalāmbudābhān

“He praised you with a long hymn; he confessed his fault, asked your forgiveness. The fault he saw at last was that he, who had set this play in motion, did not know who he was playing with.”

प्रत्येकमेव कमलापरिलालिताङ्गान्
भोगीन्द्रभोगशयनान्नयनाभिरामान् ।
लीलानिमीलितदृशः सनकादियोगि
व्यासेवितान्कमलभूर्भवतो ददर्श

pratyekameva kamalāparilālitāṅgān bhogīndrabhogaśayanānnayanābhirāmān līlānimīlitadṛśaḥ sanakādiyogi vyāsevitānkamalabhūrbhavato dadarśa

“Pleased by his praise, you returned the original calves and boys, and bore your own play-form again. The cowherds and the families thought only an instant had passed.”

नारायणाकृतिमसंख्यतमान्निरीक्ष्य
सर्वत्र सेवकमपि स्वमवेक्ष्य धाता ।
मायानिमग्नहृदयो विमुमोह याव
देको बभूविथ तदा कबळार्धपाणिः

nārāyaṇākṛtimasaṁkhyatamānnirīkṣya sarvatra sevakamapi svamavekṣya dhātā māyānimagnahṛdayo vimumoha yāva deko babhūvitha tadā kabaḻārdhapāṇiḥ

“After this great play, with the cowherd-boys and the cattle increased, you went on with the herding of the forest, day after day.”

नश्यन्मदे तदनु विश्वपतिं मुहुस्त्वां
नत्वा च नूतवति धातरि धाम याते ।
पोतैः समं प्रमुदितैः प्रविशन्निकेतं
वातालयाधिप विभो परिपाहि रोगात्

naśyanmade tadanu viśvapatiṁ muhustvāṁ natvā ca nūtavati dhātari dhāma yāte potaiḥ samaṁ pramuditaiḥ praviśanniketaṁ vātālayādhipa vibho paripāhi rogāt

“Such you, lord, the player of the cosmic deception even on the creator: lord of the wind-house, save me.”