Text 25

TRANSLATION
In the Tala forest are sweet-smelling fruits no one has ever tasted. Indeed, even now we can smell the fragrance of the tala fruits spreading all about.

Text 26

TRANSLATION
O Krishna! Please get those fruits for us. Our minds are so attracted by their aroma! Dear Balarama, our desire to have those fruits is very great. If You think it's a good idea, let's go to that Tala forest.

Text 27

TRANSLATION
Hearing the words of Their dear companions, Krishna and Balarama laughed and, desiring to please them, set off for the Talavana surrounded by Their cowherd boyfriends.

Text 28

TRANSLATION
Lord Balarama entered the Tala forest first. Then with His two arms He began forcefully shaking the trees with the power of a maddened elephant, causing the tala fruits to fall to the ground.

Text 29

TRANSLATION
Hearing the sound of the falling fruits, the ass demon Dhenuka ran forward to attack, making the earth and trees tremble.

Text 30

TRANSLATION
The powerful demon rushed up to Lord Baladeva and sharply struck the Lord's chest with the hooves of his hind legs. Then Dhenuka began to run about, braying loudly.

Text 31

TRANSLATION
Moving again toward Lord Balarama, O King, the furious ass situated himself with his back toward the Lord. Then, screaming in rage, the demon hurled his two hind legs at Him.

Text 32

TRANSLATION
Lord Balarama seized Dhenuka by his hooves, whirled him about with one hand and threw him into the top of a palm tree. The violent wheeling motion killed the demon.

Posted by Rathi Krishna dasa at 12:27 PM | Permalink

Text 27

TRANSLATION
It is only by contact with the self that one's vital breath, intelligence, mind, friends, body, wife, children, wealth and so on are dear. Therefore what object can possibly be more dear than one's own self?

Text 28

TRANSLATION
You should thus return to the sacrificial arena, because your husbands, the learned brahmanas, are householders and need your assistance to finish their respective sacrifices.

Text 29

TRANSLATION
The wives of the brahmanas replied: O almighty one, please do not speak such cruel words. Rather, You should fulfill Your promise that You always reciprocate with Your devotees in kind. Now that we have attained Your lotus feet, we simply wish to remain here in the forest so we may carry upon our heads the garlands of tulasi leaves You may neglectfully kick away with Your lotus feet. We are ready to give up all material relationships.

Posted by Rathi Krishna dasa at 10:45 PM | Permalink

Note: Today's class is on Saturday due to Srila Dhanurdhara Swami's travel schedule.

Text 19

TRANSLATION
In this way the Supreme Lord, whose soft lotus feet are personally attended by the goddess of fortune, concealed His transcendental opulences by His internal potency and acted like the son of a cowherd. Yet even while enjoying like a village boy in the company of other village residents, He often exhibited feats only God could perform.

Text 20

TRANSLATION
Once, some of the cowherd boys -- Sridama, the very close friend of Rama and Krishna, along with Subala, Stokakrishna and others -- lovingly spoke the following words.

Text 21

TRANSLATION
[The cowherd boys said:] O Rama, Rama, mighty-armed one! O Krishna, destroyer of the miscreants! Not far from here is a very great forest filled with rows of palm trees.

Text 22

TRANSLATION
In that Talavana forest many fruits are falling from the trees, and many are already lying on the ground. But all the fruits are being guarded by the evil Dhenuka.

Text 23

TRANSLATION
O Rama, O Krishna! Dhenuka is a most powerful demon and has assumed the form of an ass. He is surrounded by many friends who have assumed a similar shape and who are just as powerful as he.

Text 24

TRANSLATION
The demon Dhenuka has eaten men alive, and therefore all people and animals are terrified of going to the Tala forest. O killer of the enemy, even the birds are afraid to fly there.

Posted by Rathi Krishna dasa at 12:26 PM | Permalink

Text 24

TRANSLATION
Lord Krishna, who witnesses the thoughts of all creatures, understood how those ladies had abandoned all worldly hopes and come there simply to see Him. Thus He addressed them as follows with a smile upon His face.

Text 25

TRANSLATION
[Lord Krishna said:] Welcome, O most fortunate ladies. Please sit down and make yourselves comfortable. What can I do for you? That you have come here to see Me is most appropriate.

Text 26

TRANSLATION
Certainly expert personalities, who can see their own true interest, render unmotivated and uninterrupted devotional service directly unto Me, for I am most dear to the soul.

Posted by Rathi Krishna dasa at 10:27 PM | Permalink

Text 18

TRANSLATION
My dear King, other boys would sing enchanting songs appropriate to the occasion, and their hearts would melt out of love for the Lord.

Posted by Rathi Krishna dasa at 12:37 PM | Permalink