Before Verses
Devanagari
Verse Text
Synonyms
Translation
Purport
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Swallowing the Forest Fire
This chapter describes how Lord Kṛṣṇa saved the cows and the cowherd boys from a great fire in the Muñjāraṇya forest.
One day the cowherd boys became absorbed in sporting and allowed the cows to wander into a dense forest. Suddenly a forest fire blazed up, and to escape its flames the cows took refuge in a grove of sharp canes. When the cowherd boys missed their animals, they went searching for them, following their hoofprints and the trail of blades of grass and other plants they had trampled or had broken with their teeth. Finally the boys found the cows and removed them from the cane forest, but by that time the forest fire had grown strong and was threatening both the boys and the cows. Thus the cowherd boys took shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the master of all mystic power, who told them to close their eyes. They did so, and in a moment He had swallowed up the fierce forest fire and brought them all back to the Bhāṇḍīra tree mentioned in the last chapter. Seeing this wonderful display of mystic potency, the cowherd boys thought Kṛṣṇa must be a demigod, and they began to praise Him. Then they all returned home.
Devanagari
श्रीशुक उवाच
क्रीडासक्तेषु गोपेषु तद्गावो दूरचारिणी: ।
स्वैरं चरन्त्यो विविशुस्तृणलोभेन गह्वरम् ॥ १ ॥
क्रीडासक्तेषु गोपेषु तद्गावो दूरचारिणी: ।
स्वैरं चरन्त्यो विविशुस्तृणलोभेन गह्वरम् ॥ १ ॥
Verse text
śrī-śuka uvāca
krīḍāsakteṣu gopeṣu
tad-gāvo dūra-cāriṇīḥ
svairaṁ carantyo viviśus
tṛṇa-lobhena gahvaram
krīḍāsakteṣu gopeṣu
tad-gāvo dūra-cāriṇīḥ
svairaṁ carantyo viviśus
tṛṇa-lobhena gahvaram
Synonyms
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; krīḍā — in their playing; āsakteṣu — while they were completely absorbed; gopeṣu — the cowherd boys; tat-gāvaḥ — their cows; dūra-cāriṇīḥ — wandering far away; svairam — independently; carantyaḥ — grazing; viviśuḥ — they entered; tṛṇa — for grass; lobhena — out of greed; gahvaram — a dense forest.
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: While the cowherd boys were completely absorbed in playing, their cows wandered far away. They hungered for more grass, and with no one to watch them they entered a dense forest.
Devanagari
अजा गावो महिष्यश्च निर्विशन्त्यो वनाद् वनम् ।
ईषीकाटवीं निर्विविशु: क्रन्दन्त्यो दावतर्षिता: ॥ २ ॥
ईषीकाटवीं निर्विविशु: क्रन्दन्त्यो दावतर्षिता: ॥ २ ॥
Verse text
ajā gāvo mahiṣyaś ca
nirviśantyo vanād vanam
īṣīkāṭavīṁ nirviviśuḥ
krandantyo dāva-tarṣitāḥ
nirviśantyo vanād vanam
īṣīkāṭavīṁ nirviviśuḥ
krandantyo dāva-tarṣitāḥ
Synonyms
ajāḥ — the goats; gāvaḥ — the cows; mahiṣyaḥ — the buffalo; ca — and; nirviśantyaḥ — entering; vanāt — from one forest; vanam — to another forest; īṣīkā-aṭavīm — a forest of canes; nirviviśuḥ — they entered; krandantyaḥ — crying out; dāva — because of a forest fire; tarṣitāḥ — thirsty.
Translation
Passing from one part of the great forest to another, the goats, cows and buffalo eventually entered an area overgrown with sharp canes. The heat of a nearby forest fire made them thirsty, and they cried out in distress.
Devanagari
तेऽपश्यन्त: पशून् गोपा: कृष्णरामादयस्तदा ।
जातानुतापा न विदुर्विचिन्वन्तो गवां गतिम् ॥ ३ ॥
जातानुतापा न विदुर्विचिन्वन्तो गवां गतिम् ॥ ३ ॥
Verse text
te ’paśyantaḥ paśūn gopāḥ
kṛṣṇa-rāmādayas tadā
jātānutāpā na vidur
vicinvanto gavāṁ gatim
kṛṣṇa-rāmādayas tadā
jātānutāpā na vidur
vicinvanto gavāṁ gatim
Synonyms
Translation
Not seeing the cows before them, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma and Their cowherd friends suddenly felt repentant for having neglected them. The boys searched all around, but could not discover where they had gone.
Devanagari
तृणैस्तत्खुरदच्छिन्नैर्गोष्पदैरङ्कितैर्गवाम् ।
मार्गमन्वगमन् सर्वे नष्टाजीव्या विचेतस: ॥ ४ ॥
मार्गमन्वगमन् सर्वे नष्टाजीव्या विचेतस: ॥ ४ ॥
Verse text
tṛṇais tat-khura-dac-chinnair
goṣ-padair aṅkitair gavām
mārgam anvagaman sarve
naṣṭājīvyā vicetasaḥ
goṣ-padair aṅkitair gavām
mārgam anvagaman sarve
naṣṭājīvyā vicetasaḥ
Synonyms
tṛṇaiḥ — by the blades of grass; tat — of those cows; khura — by the hooves; dat — and the teeth; chinnaiḥ — which were broken; goḥ-padaiḥ — with the hoofprints; aṅkitaiḥ — (by places in the ground) which were marked; gavām — of the cows; mārgam — the path; anvagaman — they followed; sarve — all of them; naṣṭa-ājīvyāḥ — having lost their livelihood; vicetasaḥ — in anxiety.
Translation
Then the boys began tracing out the cows’ path by noting their hoofprints and the blades of grass the cows had broken with their hooves and teeth. All the cowherd boys were in great anxiety because they had lost their source of livelihood.
Devanagari
मुञ्जाटव्यां भ्रष्टमार्गं क्रन्दमानं स्वगोधनम् ।
सम्प्राप्य तृषिता: श्रान्तास्ततस्ते सन्न्यवर्तयन् ॥ ५ ॥
सम्प्राप्य तृषिता: श्रान्तास्ततस्ते सन्न्यवर्तयन् ॥ ५ ॥
Verse text
muñjāṭavyāṁ bhraṣṭa-mārgaṁ
krandamānaṁ sva-godhanam
samprāpya tṛṣitāḥ śrāntās
tatas te sannyavartayan
krandamānaṁ sva-godhanam
samprāpya tṛṣitāḥ śrāntās
tatas te sannyavartayan
Synonyms
muñjā-aṭavyām — in the Muñjā forest; bhraṣṭa-mārgam — who had lost their way; krandamānam — crying; sva — their own; go-dhanam — cows (and other animals); samprāpya — finding; tṛṣitāḥ — who were thirsty; śrāntāḥ — and tired; tataḥ — then; te — they, the cowherd boys; sannyavartayan — turned them all back.
Translation
Within the Muñjā forest the cowherd boys finally found their valuable cows, who had lost their way and were crying. Then the boys, thirsty and tired, herded the cows onto the path back home.
Devanagari
ता आहूता भगवता मेघगम्भीरया गिरा ।
स्वनाम्नां निनदं श्रुत्वा प्रतिनेदु: प्रहर्षिता: ॥ ६ ॥
स्वनाम्नां निनदं श्रुत्वा प्रतिनेदु: प्रहर्षिता: ॥ ६ ॥
Verse text
tā āhūtā bhagavatā
megha-gambhīrayā girā
sva-nāmnāṁ ninadaṁ śrutvā
pratineduḥ praharṣitāḥ
megha-gambhīrayā girā
sva-nāmnāṁ ninadaṁ śrutvā
pratineduḥ praharṣitāḥ
Synonyms
tāḥ — they; āhūtāḥ — called; bhagavatā — by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; megha-gambhīrayā — as deep as a cloud; girā — with His voice; sva-nāmnām — of their own names; ninadam — the sound; śrutvā — hearing; pratineduḥ — they replied; praharṣitāḥ — greatly enlivened.
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead called out to the animals in a voice that resounded like a rumbling cloud. Hearing the sound of their own names, the cows were overjoyed and called out to the Lord in reply.
Devanagari
तत: समन्ताद्देवधूमकेतु-
र्यदृच्छयाभूत् क्षयकृद् वनौकसाम् ।
समीरित: सारथिनोल्बणोल्मुकै-
र्विलेलिहान: स्थिरजङ्गमान् महान् ॥ ७ ॥
र्यदृच्छयाभूत् क्षयकृद् वनौकसाम् ।
समीरित: सारथिनोल्बणोल्मुकै-
र्विलेलिहान: स्थिरजङ्गमान् महान् ॥ ७ ॥
Verse text
tataḥ samantād dava-dhūmaketur
yadṛcchayābhūt kṣaya-kṛd vanaukasām
samīritaḥ sārathinolbaṇolmukair
vilelihānaḥ sthira-jaṅgamān mahān
yadṛcchayābhūt kṣaya-kṛd vanaukasām
samīritaḥ sārathinolbaṇolmukair
vilelihānaḥ sthira-jaṅgamān mahān
Synonyms
tataḥ — then; samantāt — on all sides; dava-dhūmaketuḥ — a terrible forest fire; yadṛcchayā — suddenly; abhūt — appeared; kṣaya-kṛt — threatening destruction; vana-okasām — for all those present in the forest; samīritaḥ — driven; sārathinā — by its chariot driver, the wind; ulbaṇa — terrible; ulmukaiḥ — with meteorlike sparks; vilelihānaḥ — licking; sthira-jaṅgamān — all moving and nonmoving creatures; mahān — very great.
Translation
Suddenly a great forest fire appeared on all sides, threatening to destroy all the forest creatures. Like a chariot driver, the wind swept the fire onward, and terrible sparks shot in all directions. Indeed, the great fire extended its tongues of flame toward all moving and nonmoving creatures.
Purport
Just as Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the cowherd boys were about to take their cows back home, the forest fire previously mentioned raged out of control and surrounded all of them.
Devanagari
तमापतन्तं परितो दवाग्निं
गोपाश्च गाव: प्रसमीक्ष्य भीता: ।
ऊचुश्च कृष्णं सबलं प्रपन्ना
यथा हरिं मृत्युभयार्दिता जना: ॥ ८ ॥
गोपाश्च गाव: प्रसमीक्ष्य भीता: ।
ऊचुश्च कृष्णं सबलं प्रपन्ना
यथा हरिं मृत्युभयार्दिता जना: ॥ ८ ॥
Verse text
tam āpatantaṁ parito davāgniṁ
gopāś ca gāvaḥ prasamīkṣya bhītāḥ
ūcuś ca kṛṣṇaṁ sa-balaṁ prapannā
yathā hariṁ mṛtyu-bhayārditā janāḥ
gopāś ca gāvaḥ prasamīkṣya bhītāḥ
ūcuś ca kṛṣṇaṁ sa-balaṁ prapannā
yathā hariṁ mṛtyu-bhayārditā janāḥ
Synonyms
tam — that; āpatantam — setting upon them; paritaḥ — on all sides; dava-agnim — the forest fire; gopāḥ — the cowherd boys; ca — and; gāvaḥ — the cows; prasamīkṣya — intensely watching; bhītāḥ — afraid; ūcuḥ — they addressed; ca — and; kṛṣṇam — Lord Kṛṣṇa; sa-balam — and Lord Balarāma; prapannāḥ — taking shelter; yathā — as; harim — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mṛtyu — of death; bhaya — by fear; arditāḥ — troubled; janāḥ — persons.
Translation
As the cows and cowherd boys stared at the forest fire attacking them on all sides, they became fearful. The boys then approached Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma for shelter, just as those who are disturbed by fear of death approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The boys addressed Them as follows.
Devanagari
कृष्ण कृष्ण महावीर हे रामामोघविक्रम ।
दावाग्निना दह्यमानान् प्रपन्नांस्त्रातुमर्हथ: ॥ ९ ॥
दावाग्निना दह्यमानान् प्रपन्नांस्त्रातुमर्हथ: ॥ ९ ॥
Verse text
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-vīra
he rāmāmogha vikrama
dāvāgninā dahyamānān
prapannāṁs trātum arhathaḥ
he rāmāmogha vikrama
dāvāgninā dahyamānān
prapannāṁs trātum arhathaḥ
Synonyms
Translation
[The cowherd boys said:] O Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa! Most powerful one! O Rāma! You whose prowess never fails! Please save Your devotees, who are about to be burned by this forest fire and have come to take shelter of You!
Devanagari
नूनं त्वद्बान्धवा: कृष्ण न चार्हन्त्यवसादितुम् ।
वयं हि सर्वधर्मज्ञ त्वन्नाथास्त्वत्परायणा: ॥ १० ॥
वयं हि सर्वधर्मज्ञ त्वन्नाथास्त्वत्परायणा: ॥ १० ॥
Verse text
nūnaṁ tvad-bāndhavāḥ kṛṣṇa
na cārhanty avasāditum
vayaṁ hi sarva-dharma-jña
tvan-nāthās tvat-parāyaṇāḥ
na cārhanty avasāditum
vayaṁ hi sarva-dharma-jña
tvan-nāthās tvat-parāyaṇāḥ
Synonyms
nūnam — certainly; tvat — Your; bāndhavāḥ — friends; kṛṣṇa — our dear Śrī Kṛṣṇa; na — never; ca — and; arhanti — deserve; avasāditum — to suffer destruction; vayam — we; hi — moreover; sarva-dharma-jña — O perfect knower of the nature of all beings; tvat-nāthāḥ — having You as our Lord; tvat-parāyaṇaḥ — devoted to You.
Translation
Kṛṣṇa! Certainly Your own friends shouldn’t be destroyed. O knower of the nature of all things, we have accepted You as our Lord, and we are souls surrendered unto You!
Devanagari
श्रीशुक उवाच
वचो निशम्य कृपणं बन्धूनां भगवान् हरि: ।
निमीलयत मा भैष्ट लोचनानीत्यभाषत ॥ ११ ॥
वचो निशम्य कृपणं बन्धूनां भगवान् हरि: ।
निमीलयत मा भैष्ट लोचनानीत्यभाषत ॥ ११ ॥
Verse text
śrī-śuka uvāca
vaco niśamya kṛpaṇaṁ
bandhūnāṁ bhagavān hariḥ
nimīlayata mā bhaiṣṭa
locanānīty abhāṣata
vaco niśamya kṛpaṇaṁ
bandhūnāṁ bhagavān hariḥ
nimīlayata mā bhaiṣṭa
locanānīty abhāṣata
Synonyms
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; vacaḥ — the words; niśamya — hearing; kṛpaṇam — pitiful; bandhūnām — of His friends; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; hariḥ — Hari; nimīlayata — just close; mā bhaiṣṭa — do not be afraid; locanāni — your eyes; iti — thus; abhāṣata — He spoke.
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Hearing these pitiful words from His friends, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa told them, “Just close your eyes and do not be afraid.”
Purport
This verse clearly reveals the simple, sublime relationship between Kṛṣṇa and His pure devotees. The Absolute Truth, the supreme almighty Lord, is actually a young, blissful cowherd boy named Kṛṣṇa. God is youthful, and His mentality is playful. When He saw that His beloved friends were terrified of the forest fire, He simply told them to close their eyes and not be afraid. Then Lord Kṛṣṇa acted, as described in the next verse.
Devanagari
तथेति मीलिताक्षेषु भगवानग्निमुल्बणम् ।
पीत्वा मुखेन तान्कृच्छ्राद् योगाधीशो व्यमोचयत् ॥ १२ ॥
पीत्वा मुखेन तान्कृच्छ्राद् योगाधीशो व्यमोचयत् ॥ १२ ॥
Verse text
tatheti mīlitākṣeṣu
bhagavān agnim ulbaṇam
pītvā mukhena tān kṛcchrād
yogādhīśo vyamocayat
bhagavān agnim ulbaṇam
pītvā mukhena tān kṛcchrād
yogādhīśo vyamocayat
Synonyms
tathā — all right; iti — thus speaking; mīlita — closing; akṣeṣu — their eyes; bhagavān — the Supreme Lord; agnim — the fire; ulbaṇam — terrible; pītvā — drinking; mukhena — with His mouth; tān — them; kṛcchrāt — from the danger; yoga-adhīśaḥ — the supreme controller of all mystic power; vyamocayat — delivered.
Translation
“All right,” the boys replied, and immediately closed their eyes. Then the Supreme Lord, the master of all mystic power, opened His mouth and swallowed the terrible fire, saving His friends from danger.
Purport
The cowherd boys were suffering from extreme fatigue, hunger and thirst, and were about to be consumed by a horrible forest fire. All this is indicated here by the word kṛcchrāt.
Devanagari
ततश्च तेऽक्षीण्युन्मील्य पुनर्भाण्डीरमापिता: ।
निशम्य विस्मिता आसन्नात्मानं गाश्च मोचिता: ॥ १३ ॥
निशम्य विस्मिता आसन्नात्मानं गाश्च मोचिता: ॥ १३ ॥
Verse text
tataś ca te ’kṣīṇy unmīlya
punar bhāṇḍīram āpitāḥ
niśamya vismitā āsann
ātmānaṁ gāś ca mocitāḥ
punar bhāṇḍīram āpitāḥ
niśamya vismitā āsann
ātmānaṁ gāś ca mocitāḥ
Synonyms
Translation
The cowherd boys opened their eyes and were amazed to find not only that they and the cows had been saved from the terrible fire but that they had all been brought back to the Bhāṇḍīra tree.
Devanagari
कृष्णस्य योगवीर्यं तद् योगमायानुभावितम् ।
दावाग्नेरात्मन: क्षेमं वीक्ष्य ते मेनिरेऽमरम् ॥ १४ ॥
दावाग्नेरात्मन: क्षेमं वीक्ष्य ते मेनिरेऽमरम् ॥ १४ ॥
Verse text
kṛṣṇasya yoga-vīryaṁ tad
yoga-māyānubhāvitam
dāvāgner ātmanaḥ kṣemaṁ
vīkṣya te menire ’maram
yoga-māyānubhāvitam
dāvāgner ātmanaḥ kṣemaṁ
vīkṣya te menire ’maram
Synonyms
Translation
When the cowherd boys saw that they had been saved from the forest fire by the Lord’s mystic power, which is manifested by His internal potency, they began to think that Kṛṣṇa must be a demigod.
Purport
The cowherd boys of Vṛndāvana simply loved Kṛṣṇa as their only friend and exclusive object of devotion. To increase their ecstasy, Kṛṣṇa displayed to them His mystic potency and saved them from a terrible forest fire.
The cowherd boys could never give up their ecstatic loving friendship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, rather than considering Kṛṣṇa to be God, after they saw His extraordinary power they thought that perhaps He was a demigod. But since Lord Kṛṣṇa was their beloved friend, they were on the same level with Him, and thus they thought that they too must be demigods. In this way Kṛṣṇa’s cowherd friends became overwhelmed with ecstasy.
Devanagari
गा: सन्निवर्त्य सायाह्ने सहरामो जनार्दन: ।
वेणुं विरणयन् गोष्ठमगाद् गोपैरभिष्टुत: ॥ १५ ॥
वेणुं विरणयन् गोष्ठमगाद् गोपैरभिष्टुत: ॥ १५ ॥
Verse text
gāḥ sannivartya sāyāhne
saha-rāmo janārdanaḥ
veṇuṁ viraṇayan goṣṭham
agād gopair abhiṣṭutaḥ
saha-rāmo janārdanaḥ
veṇuṁ viraṇayan goṣṭham
agād gopair abhiṣṭutaḥ
Synonyms
gāḥ — the cows; sannivartya — turning back; sāya-ahne — in the late afternoon; saha-rāmaḥ — together with Lord Balarāma; janārdanaḥ — Śrī Kṛṣṇa; veṇum — His flute; viraṇayan — playing in a specific way; goṣṭham — to the cowherd village; agāt — He went; gopaiḥ — by the cowherd boys; abhiṣṭutaḥ — being praised.
Translation
It was now late in the afternoon, and Lord Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Balarāma, turned the cows back toward home. Playing His flute in a special way, Kṛṣṇa returned to the cowherd village in the company of His cowherd friends, who chanted His glories.
Devanagari
गोपीनां परमानन्द आसीद् गोविन्ददर्शने ।
क्षणं युगशतमिव यासां येन विनाभवत् ॥ १६ ॥
क्षणं युगशतमिव यासां येन विनाभवत् ॥ १६ ॥
Verse text
gopīnāṁ paramānanda
āsīd govinda-darśane
kṣaṇaṁ yuga-śatam iva
yāsāṁ yena vinābhavat
āsīd govinda-darśane
kṣaṇaṁ yuga-śatam iva
yāsāṁ yena vinābhavat
Synonyms
Translation
The young gopīs took the greatest pleasure in seeing Govinda come home, since for them even a moment without His association seemed like a hundred ages.
Purport
After saving the cowherd boys from the blazing forest fire, Kṛṣṇa saved the cowherd girls from the blazing fire of separation from Him. The gopīs, headed by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, have the greatest love for Kṛṣṇa, and even a single moment’s separation from Him seems like millions of years to them. The gopīs are the greatest devotees of God, and their specific pastimes with Kṛṣṇa will be described later in this work.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Nineteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Swallowing the Forest Fire.”