Narayaneeyam Dashakam 62

 

Narayaneeyam Dashakam 62

Worship of Govardhana Mountain

Click here to listen to Dashakam 62

One day, Krishna notices the cowherds busily preparing for their annual yajna in honour of Indra. Though omniscient, He approaches Nanda Maharaj with gentle curiosity and asks what all the festivity is about. Nanda explains warmly: Indra controls the rain, rain sustains the earth, and for cowherds whose entire wealth is their cattle, creatures that live on grass and water, rain is life itself.

Krishna's response is both sweet and quietly revolutionary. He gently challenges the idea that Indra is the true cause of rain, suggesting instead that it is the unseen merit, the accumulated karma of all living beings, that draws forth rain. He points to the great trees of the deep forest; they offer no tribute to Indra, yet receive rain abundantly. A higher cosmic law is at work, not the favour of any one deity.

He then makes a positive case since cows are the Gopas' greatest treasure, it is the Govardhana hill, which nurtures those cows with its grass and water, and the Brahmins who bless the community with wisdom and grace, who most deserve their reverence. He places the learned holy Brahmins even above the celestial devas in terms of living, immediate grace.

Moved by the beauty and reasonableness of Krishna's words, the cowherds perform the new yajna with great devotion. They honour the Brahmins, offer the sacrifice to Govardhana, and circumambulate the hill reverently. In a breathtaking moment, Krishna himself assumes the form of the mountain deity and accepts the offerings directly before the astonished community. He then speaks from within the mountain's form, assuring everyone that the hill will protect them even if Indra were to rage.

As the joyful community returns to Gokula, Indra learns that his annual yajna has been stopped. Though he knows exactly who Krishna is, the very source of his own exalted position, the quality of rajas (ego and passion) overwhelms him. He seethes if such disrespect to the devas goes unchecked, the glory of the divine assembly itself will crumble. Calling himself a treasury of terrible pride, he unleashes the pralaya clouds upon Vrindavana and mounts his great elephant Airavata in fury.

Bhattathiri pauses to observe with quiet irony that the guardians of the directions, fire, wind, and others, look on at Indra and laugh. Even great beings with divine knowledge are not immune to ego. The poet then marvels: "O Lord of the three worlds, whom does Your Maya not enchant?"

Krishna, calm and unperturbed, reassures the frightened cowherds that they have the grace of the Brahmins and the protection of Govardhana, and waits serenely for Indra to make his next move. The dasakam closes with Bhattathiri's own prayer to Guruvayurappa — the same Lord who calmed the cowherds to heal him completely of his afflictions.

Dasakam: 062 -- Slokam: 01

कदाचिद्गोपालान् विहितमखसम्भारविभवान्
निरीक्ष्य त्वं शौरे मघवमदमुद्ध्वंसितुमना: ।
विजानन्नप्येतान् विनयमृदु नन्दादिपशुपा-
नपृच्छ: को वाऽयं जनक भवतामुद्यम इति ॥१॥

kadaachidgOpaalaan vihita makhasambhaara vibhavaan

niriikshya tvaM shaure maghavamada mudhdvamsitumanaaH |

vijaanannapyetaan vinaya mR^idu nandaadi pashupaan

apR^ichChaH kO vaa(a)yaM janaka bhavataamudyama iti || 1

One day, Krishna notices the cowherd community busily gathering materials for their annual yajna in honour of Indra. Although He, as the omniscient Lord, knows exactly what is happening, He approaches Nanda Maharaj with gentle curiosity: "Oh father, what is all this great activity and preparation for?" Bhattathiri beautifully notes that Krishna, fully aware of the situation, still asked with soft humility a divine strategy to lead the conversation naturally toward a higher teaching.

Dasakam: 062 -- Slokam: 02

बभाषे नन्दस्त्वां सुत ननु विधेयो मघवतो
मखो वर्षे वर्षे सुखयति स वर्षेण पृथिवीम् ।
नृणां वर्षायत्तं निखिलमुपजीव्यं महितले
विशेषादस्माकं तृणसलिलजीवा हि पशव: ॥२॥

babhaaShe nandastvaaM suta nanu vidheyO maghavatO

makhO varShe varShe sukhayati sa varSheNa pR^ithiviim |

nR^iNaaM varShaayattaM nikhilamupajiivyaM mahitale

visheShaadasmaakaM tR^iNasalilajiivaa hi pashavaH || 2

Nanda explains that every year, they worship Indra because he controls the rain clouds. Rain sustains the earth, and for cowherds whose wealth is their cattle, creatures that live on grass and water, rain is quite literally life itself.

Dasakam: 062 -- Slokam: 03 

इति श्रुत्वा वाचं पितुरयि भवानाह सरसं
धिगेतन्नो सत्यं मघवजनिता वृष्टिरिति यत् ।
अदृष्टं जीवानां सृजति खलु वृष्टिं समुचितां
महारण्ये वृक्षा: किमिव बलिमिन्द्राय ददते ॥३॥

iti shrutvaa vaachaM piturayi bhavaanaaha sarasaM

dhigetannO satyaM maghavajanitaa vR^iShTiriti yat |

adR^iShTaM jiivaanaaM sR^ijati khalu vR^iShTiM samuchitaaM

mahaaraNye vR^ikshaaH kimiva balimindraaya dadate || 3

Krishna's response, described by Bhattathiri as sarasa (sweet and charming), is actually a quiet philosophical revolution. He asks whether it is really Indra who causes the rain? It is the adrishta, the accumulated merit, the invisible karma of all living beings that draws forth the rain appropriate to them. And as for tribute to Indra, he points to the great trees of the deep forest, do they offer any sacrifice to Indra? Yet they receive rain abundantly. The implication is gentle but clear, the rains come by a higher cosmic law, not by the favour of any one deity.

Dasakam: 062 -- Slokam: 04

इदं तावत् सत्यं यदिह पशवो न: कुलधनं
तदाजीव्यायासौ बलिरचलभर्त्रे समुचित: ।
सुरेभ्योऽप्युत्कृष्टा ननु धरणिदेवा: क्षितितले
ततस्तेऽप्याराध्या इति जगदिथ त्वं निजजनान् ॥४॥

idaM taavatsatyaM yadiha pashavO naH kuladhanaM

tadaajiivyaayaasau balirachalabhartre samuchitaH |

surebhyO(a)pyutkR^iShTaa nanu dharaNi devaaH kshititale

tataste(a)pyaaraadhyaa iti jagaditha tvaM nijajanaan ||4

Having softened the ground, Krishna now builds his case with love rather than argument. He says Cows are our greatest wealth and our entire livelihood. The hill that nurtures those cows with its grass and water, and the Brahmins who bless us with their wisdom and presence, these are the ones most worthy of our reverence. He places the Brahmins (dharaṇideva, the earthly gods) even above the celestial devas in terms of immediate, living grace. This is not a rejection of all worship; it is a redirecting of it toward what is immediate, real, and sustaining.

Dasakam: 062 -- Slokam: 05

भवद्वाचं श्रुत्वा बहुमतियुतास्तेऽपि पशुपा:
द्विजेन्द्रानर्चन्तो बलिमददुरुच्चै: क्षितिभृते ।
व्यधु: प्रादक्षिण्यं सुभृशमनमन्नादरयुता-
स्त्वमादश्शैलात्मा बलिमखिलमाभीरपुरत: ॥५॥

bhavadvaacham shrutvaa bahumatiyutaaste(a)pi pashupaaH

dvijendraanarchantO balimadaduruchchaiH kshitibhR^ite |

vyadhuH praadakshiNyaM subhR^ishamanamannaadarayutaa

stvamaadashshailaatmaa balimakhilamaabhiirapurataH || 5

The cowherds, won over by the beauty and reasonableness of Krishna's words, perform the new yajnam with great devotion. They honour the Brahmins, offer the yajna to Govardhana with reverence, and go around the hill in pradakshina. And then the crowning miracle, Krishna himself assumes the form of the mountain deity and accepts the offerings directly, right there before the astonished Gopa community.

Dasakam: 062 -- Slokam: 06

अवोचश्चैवं तान् किमिह वितथं मे निगदितं
गिरीन्द्रो नन्वेष स्वबलिमुपभुङ्क्ते स्ववपुषा ।
अयं गोत्रो गोत्रद्विषि च कुपिते रक्षितुमलं
समस्तानित्युक्ता जहृषुरखिला गोकुलजुष: ॥६॥

avOchashchaivaM taan kimiha vitathaM me nigaditaM

giriindrO nanveSha svabalimupabhunkte svavapuShaa |

ayaM gOtrO gOtradviShi cha kupite rakshitumalaM

samastaanityuktaa jahR^iShurakhilaa gOkulajuShaH || 6

From within the form of Govardhana, Krishna tells the cowherds: "Did you see? I told you no lie. The mountain has indeed received the offering itself. And know this, even if Indra were to rage against us, Govardhana himself will protect us all." The entire community of Gokula is filled with a surge of joy and confidence.

Dasakam: 062 -- Slokam: 07 

परिप्रीता याता: खलु भवदुपेता व्रजजुषो
व्रजं यावत्तावन्निजमखविभङ्गं निशमयन् ।
भवन्तं जानन्नप्यधिकरजसाऽऽक्रान्तहृदयो
न सेहे देवेन्द्रस्त्वदुपरचितात्मोन्नतिरपि ॥७॥
 

paripriitaa yaataaH khalu bhavadupetaa vrajajuShO

vrajaM yaavattaavannija makhavibhangaM nishamayan |

bhavantaM jaanannapyadhika rajasaa(a)(a)kraantahR^idayO

na sehe devendrastvaduparachitaatmOnnatirapi || 7

As the joyful community returns to Gokula alongside Krishna, Indra learns that his annual yajna has been stopped. Though Indra knows who Krishna truly is, the very source of his own elevated position, the quality of rajas (passionate ego) overwhelms him. His pride cannot accept this. He is, despite his divine stature, a being still subject to the three gunas, and here, rajas takes hold.

 

Dasakam: 062 -- Slokam: 08

मनुष्यत्वं यातो मधुभिदपि देवेष्वविनयं
विधत्ते चेन्नष्टस्त्रिदशसदसां कोऽपि महिमा ।
ततश्च ध्वंसिष्ये पशुपहतकस्य श्रियमिति
प्रवृत्तस्त्वां जेतुं स किल मघवा दुर्मदनिधि: ॥८॥

manuShyatvaM yaatO madhubhidapi deveShvavinayaM

vidhatte chennaShTasitradashasadasaaM kO(a)pi mahimaa |

tatashcha dhvamsiShye pashupahatakasya shriyamiti

pravR^ittastvaaM jetuM sa kila maghavaa durmadanidhiH || 8

Seething, Indra reasons, "This Vishnu, born as a human, has shown disrespect to the devas. If such behaviour goes unchecked, the glory of the divine assembly itself will be diminished. I must destroy this cowherd boy's prosperity." Bhattathiri calls Indra a durmadanidhi, a treasury of terrible pride, as he begins his preparations for revenge.

Dasakam: 062 -- Slokam: 09 

त्वदावासं हन्तुं प्रलयजलदानम्बरभुवि
प्रहिण्वन् बिभ्राण; कुलिशमयमभ्रेभगमन: ।
प्रतस्थेऽन्यैरन्तर्दहनमरुदाद्यैविंहसितो
भवन्माया नैव त्रिभुवनपते मोहयति कम् ॥९॥

tvadaavaasaM hantuM pralayajaladaanambarabhuvi

prahiNvan bibhraaNaH kulishamayamabhrebhagamanaH |

pratasthe(a)nyairantardahana marudaadyairvihasitO

bhavanmaayaa naiva tribhuvanapate mOhayatikam || 9

Indra unleashes the pralaya clouds, the clouds of great dissolution, upon Vrindavana, commanding them to inundate Gokula. He himself mounts his great elephant Airavata and rides forth in fury. Yet Bhattathiri observes with quiet irony the guardians of the directions, fire, wind, and others look on and laugh. They see through the futility of it. And then the poet pauses in wonder: "O Lord of the three worlds, whom does your Maya not enchant? Even the greatest can be deluded by your divine illusion."

Dasakam: 062 -- Slokam:10

सुरेन्द्र: क्रुद्धश्चेत् द्विजकरुणया शैलकृपयाऽ-
प्यनातङ्कोऽस्माकं नियत इति विश्वास्य पशुपान् ।
अहो किन्नायातो गिरिभिदिति सञ्चिन्त्य निवसन्
मरुद्गेहाधीश प्रणुद मुरवैरिन् मम गदान् ॥१०॥

surendraH kruddhashchet dvijakaruNayaa shailakR^ipayaa(a)-

pyanaatankO(a)smaakaM niyata iti vishvaasya pashupaan |

ahO kinnaayaatO giribhiditi sanchintya nivasan

marudgehaadhiisha praNuda muravairin mama gadaan ||10

In the final verse, Krishna reassures the frightened cowherds, "We have the grace of the Brahmins and the protection of Govardhana, let there be no fear of Indra's wrath." Having steadied their hearts, He waits calmly for Indra to make his next move. Bhattathiri then turns directly to his Guruvayurappa with the closing invocation  O Killer of Mura, O Lord of Guruvayur, please completely cure me of my afflictions.

Om Namo Narayanaya!