Mandala
Srila Sanatan Gosvami:
One day, as Krishna was living in the town of Nandisvara, Akrura came to bring Him from Vraja to Mathura city on Kamsa's order.
When they heard this news, even the people in other places, and even the stones, wood, and other inanimate objects cried and broke into pieces.
At night hearing this news, all the people of Gokula lamented, crying and fainting again and again.
Yasoda, terrified of the demon Kamsa, and thinking her son her very life, with many loud complaints hid Krishna in a secluded place.
In the morning Akrura, with many arguments, convinced Nanda. Then Nanda convinced his crying wife and brought his son outside.
It was as if Nanda had broken the lives of the gopis as they loudly called out "Alas! Alas!', shamelessly cried, and gazed on Krishna.
Then poor Yasoda came outside. Wiping away the streams of her tears, she took her son's hand and as if making a gesture, placed it in the hand of Akrura.
She said to Nanda: "I trust no one but you. He who is more dear than life I place in your hand. Keep Him by your side. Return Him here, and place Him again in my hand."
When the pious lady, overcome with love for her son, and fainting again and again went, without Krishna, to her home, a great cry rose among the women of Vraja.
When this is remembered, even today, the rocks cry out, dry wood sheds tears, thunderbolts break into pieces, and, if it has not already given up its life, the world is at once plunged in an ocean of sorrow.
Again and again comforted by honest, simple Yasoda, the women of Vraja, their hearts drowning in an ocean of pain and grief, angrily said to her:
"O merciless one! O fool! How, after placing your own son in the paws of a tiger, can you, alone, enter your empty home, which should now be set in flames?"
Pushed by grief, rebuking her and the others, cursing Akrura, calling out to the Lord, and crying pitifully, they ran from their homes.
With these cries of intense grief and pain they made Akrura, Nanda, the gopa boys accompanying them, and their beloved Krishna standing on the chariot, cry, and they made all the people of Vraja faint.
Composing Himself, and seeing that the gopis had become as if dead, He who is the gopis' goal brought them again to life, descended from the chariot, and, unseen by anyone, went with them to the forest.
Composing himself, Kamsa's messenger Akrura, not seeing Krishna on the chariot, and feeling morose, convinced Balarama with many eloquent words.
He described how only for Krishna's sake Devaki, Vasudeva, and all the Yadavas had suffered.
Then Balarama, who is the son of Vasudeva and Rohini, with His uncle Akrura searched for His younger brother Krishna. By following the signs Krishna's footprints Balarama came to the right forest grove.
Balarama could see Krishna and the gopis from far away, Akrura called out so Krishna could hear his words.
Sriman Akrura said: Wicked Kamsa insults your poor, aged parents again and again! Again and again he raises his sword to kill them! They are plunged in fears, lamentations and pain! They are Your devotees! It is not right to ignore them!
All the Yadavas placed their eyes on my path! They suffer greatly! They have no other shelter! They are overcome with grief! Let not their hopes be destroyed! Let not the demigods, brahmanas, and others continue to fear Kamsa!
Again and again he praises the strength of his arms! He does not think the demigods have any power at all to crush him! He is always worshipped by demon-kings powerful as he!.
Sri Sarupa said: Placing blades of grass in his teeth, he spoke many sweet words. He who is named Akrura, and whose actions are very terrible, bowed down before the women of Vraja, one by one.
Sriman Akrura said: Don't kill they who were born in the Yadu family! Be kind to them, for they are filled with grief! O goddesses, Krishna's poor parents, who are imprisoned by Kamsa, should be rescued!
The gopis said: O, O thief! Liar! Follower of Kamsa! Where are the parents of He who is the son of Nanda and Yasoda? Don't kill Gokula village! Don't crush women!
Sri Sarupa said: Hearing of the wicked Kamsa's deeds and of how He Himself was the cause of His relatives' suffering, and seeing that Balarama agreed, Krishna comforted the gopis and, filled with rage and grief, left the forest grove.
Akrura was pleased. Encouraged by Balarama, he ran to bring the chariot.
Understanding that Krishna would now go to Mathura city, again and again gazing at His lotus face, frightened of the fire of separation from Him, crying, and falling at His feet, the gopis said to Krishna:
Lord, we cannot live without You! We have no shelter but You! Lord don't abandon Your maidservants! Please don't go!
For Your sake we made the forest our home and our homes a forest. We made enemies friends and friends enemies. We made poison nectar and nectar poison. Without You we will die!
Not seeing Your handsome smiling face, Your charming lotus feet, and Your chest worshipped by all splendours, we will slowly die!
When, desiring to enjoy gopa pastimes, You go to Vrndavana Forest with Your friends, only by hoping that certainly You will return in the evening, can we somehow, painfully, pass the day.
When, following Kamsa's order and in the company of Kamsa's dear friend, You have gone far away to that city, how, filled with many fears, and worrying that You will suffer in a far-away place, will we live?
We don't know how hard it will be to kill Kamsa and his followers, or how long it will take to kill the sufferings of the people there, or whether You will remember us there?
When the gopis spoke these plaintive words everyone there wept and fainted.
Somehow regaining His composure, and wiping the tears from His and the gopis' eyes, the Lord spoke the following words in a voice choked with emotion.
The Lord said: I will very easily pacify this impotent Kamsa, who hates Me and My devotees. Have faith that I will soon return. O friends, do not cry and make things inauspicious.
Sri Sarupa said: Then Nanda, the gopas, Rohini, Sri Yasoda, the others, and the animals, all quickly came there.
With a great effort turning His glance from the gopis, Lord Hari, with His elder brother, climbed the chariot Akrura had quickly brought.
Seeing the gopis crying, fainting, falling to the ground, and turning the dust to mud with their tears, Yasoda cried pitifully.
Even though he was also unhappy at heart, Nanda, showing his eloquence, spoke words to comfort her.
Sri Nanda said: Don't think I go happily to that city, or that I believe Krishna is someone else's son, or that I will leave Krishna there and somehow return to Vraja without Him, or that I will be eager to stay long in that city.
Do I not know that without your son we people of Vraja cannot live for a moment? Know that as soon as Vasudeva and Devaki are released I will return with your son.
Sri Sarupa said: Comforted by him again and again with many promises, and now peaceful at heart, Yasoda comforted the gopis with many words.
Carefully pacifying them in many ways, she picked them up. The gopas climbed on their carts. Akrura made the chariot go.
Seeing Krishna leaving, unable to bear His separation, their dried-up mouths crying "Alas! Alas!", their steps faltering and their pitiful wailing filling all directions, the women of Vraja, ran after the chariot.
Some grabbed the chariot. Some threw themselves under the wheels. Some fainted. Some could not move.
Then the cows, bulls, calves, deer, and other animals, crying, and their faces washed with tears, surrounded the chariot.
Making a great sound, the birds flew in a circle above them. The leaves of the plants suddenly withered.
The trees and rocks fell from the great mountains, the lotuses withered, and the rivers, now very thin, flowed upstream.
Seeing the condition of His most beloved gopis, Krishna became filled with pain and grief. Unable to stop their crying, He Himself became washed in tears.
Fearing that Krishna might again jump from the chariot, or faint unconscious and fall from it, Akrura, the elder of the Vrsnis, affectionately held Him from behind.
Noticing that Krishna had fainted, Akrura, with the permission of Balarama, Nanda, and the others, with his whip made the chariot's horses, go very quickly.
Here and there the gopis would throw themselves before the horses, but Akrura would always make the chariot swerve and not hit them.
As the crying gopis looked on, Akrura stole the Lord from them as an eagle steals a piece of meat from kurari birds.
Akrura drove the horses so fast that soon no one could even see the chariot.
Each climbing on his own cart yoked with great bulls, Nanda and all the gopas quickly followed the chariot.
Akrura brought Lord Krishna to Brahma's lake on the path to Mathura. Considering Krishna to be the Supreme Lord descended to Earth, Akrura worshipped Krishna as Lord Narayana He offered Him many kinds of prayers. Akrura counselled Krishna with a constant flow of logical statements in regard to the suffering of the Yadavas, and in this way Akrura almost restored Krishna to a "normal" state.
Akrura hoped that being in Brahma's lake or Akrura tirtha, he would be able to remind Krishna of the vision of Vaikuntha Krishna had previously shown to the cowherds. Akrura thought that reminding Krishna of this would influence Krishna so he would remember the purpose he had descended to Earth (to protect the devotees and destroy the evil doers), and that when Krishna remembered this Krishna would agree to go to Mathura and kill the wicked demon Kamsa.
- Brhad Bhagavatamrtam
Krishna did not go to Mathura. Rather, Krishna presented himself to Akrura as Vishnu and this form of Vishnu went to Mathura on Akrura's chariot.
Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, 1.4.13
ataeva visnu takhana krsnera sarire
visnu-dvare kare Krishna asura-samhare
Lord Vishnu is present in the body of Lord Krishna, and Lord Krishna kills the demons through Him.
One day, as Krishna was living in the town of Nandisvara, Akrura came to bring Him from Vraja to Mathura city on Kamsa's order.
When they heard this news, even the people in other places, and even the stones, wood, and other inanimate objects cried and broke into pieces.
At night hearing this news, all the people of Gokula lamented, crying and fainting again and again.
Yasoda, terrified of the demon Kamsa, and thinking her son her very life, with many loud complaints hid Krishna in a secluded place.
In the morning Akrura, with many arguments, convinced Nanda. Then Nanda convinced his crying wife and brought his son outside.
It was as if Nanda had broken the lives of the gopis as they loudly called out "Alas! Alas!', shamelessly cried, and gazed on Krishna.
Then poor Yasoda came outside. Wiping away the streams of her tears, she took her son's hand and as if making a gesture, placed it in the hand of Akrura.
She said to Nanda: "I trust no one but you. He who is more dear than life I place in your hand. Keep Him by your side. Return Him here, and place Him again in my hand."
When the pious lady, overcome with love for her son, and fainting again and again went, without Krishna, to her home, a great cry rose among the women of Vraja.
When this is remembered, even today, the rocks cry out, dry wood sheds tears, thunderbolts break into pieces, and, if it has not already given up its life, the world is at once plunged in an ocean of sorrow.
Again and again comforted by honest, simple Yasoda, the women of Vraja, their hearts drowning in an ocean of pain and grief, angrily said to her:
"O merciless one! O fool! How, after placing your own son in the paws of a tiger, can you, alone, enter your empty home, which should now be set in flames?"
Pushed by grief, rebuking her and the others, cursing Akrura, calling out to the Lord, and crying pitifully, they ran from their homes.
With these cries of intense grief and pain they made Akrura, Nanda, the gopa boys accompanying them, and their beloved Krishna standing on the chariot, cry, and they made all the people of Vraja faint.
Composing Himself, and seeing that the gopis had become as if dead, He who is the gopis' goal brought them again to life, descended from the chariot, and, unseen by anyone, went with them to the forest.
Composing himself, Kamsa's messenger Akrura, not seeing Krishna on the chariot, and feeling morose, convinced Balarama with many eloquent words.
He described how only for Krishna's sake Devaki, Vasudeva, and all the Yadavas had suffered.
Then Balarama, who is the son of Vasudeva and Rohini, with His uncle Akrura searched for His younger brother Krishna. By following the signs Krishna's footprints Balarama came to the right forest grove.
Balarama could see Krishna and the gopis from far away, Akrura called out so Krishna could hear his words.
Sriman Akrura said: Wicked Kamsa insults your poor, aged parents again and again! Again and again he raises his sword to kill them! They are plunged in fears, lamentations and pain! They are Your devotees! It is not right to ignore them!
All the Yadavas placed their eyes on my path! They suffer greatly! They have no other shelter! They are overcome with grief! Let not their hopes be destroyed! Let not the demigods, brahmanas, and others continue to fear Kamsa!
Again and again he praises the strength of his arms! He does not think the demigods have any power at all to crush him! He is always worshipped by demon-kings powerful as he!.
Sri Sarupa said: Placing blades of grass in his teeth, he spoke many sweet words. He who is named Akrura, and whose actions are very terrible, bowed down before the women of Vraja, one by one.
Sriman Akrura said: Don't kill they who were born in the Yadu family! Be kind to them, for they are filled with grief! O goddesses, Krishna's poor parents, who are imprisoned by Kamsa, should be rescued!
The gopis said: O, O thief! Liar! Follower of Kamsa! Where are the parents of He who is the son of Nanda and Yasoda? Don't kill Gokula village! Don't crush women!
Sri Sarupa said: Hearing of the wicked Kamsa's deeds and of how He Himself was the cause of His relatives' suffering, and seeing that Balarama agreed, Krishna comforted the gopis and, filled with rage and grief, left the forest grove.
Akrura was pleased. Encouraged by Balarama, he ran to bring the chariot.
Understanding that Krishna would now go to Mathura city, again and again gazing at His lotus face, frightened of the fire of separation from Him, crying, and falling at His feet, the gopis said to Krishna:
Lord, we cannot live without You! We have no shelter but You! Lord don't abandon Your maidservants! Please don't go!
For Your sake we made the forest our home and our homes a forest. We made enemies friends and friends enemies. We made poison nectar and nectar poison. Without You we will die!
Not seeing Your handsome smiling face, Your charming lotus feet, and Your chest worshipped by all splendours, we will slowly die!
When, desiring to enjoy gopa pastimes, You go to Vrndavana Forest with Your friends, only by hoping that certainly You will return in the evening, can we somehow, painfully, pass the day.
When, following Kamsa's order and in the company of Kamsa's dear friend, You have gone far away to that city, how, filled with many fears, and worrying that You will suffer in a far-away place, will we live?
We don't know how hard it will be to kill Kamsa and his followers, or how long it will take to kill the sufferings of the people there, or whether You will remember us there?
When the gopis spoke these plaintive words everyone there wept and fainted.
Somehow regaining His composure, and wiping the tears from His and the gopis' eyes, the Lord spoke the following words in a voice choked with emotion.
The Lord said: I will very easily pacify this impotent Kamsa, who hates Me and My devotees. Have faith that I will soon return. O friends, do not cry and make things inauspicious.
Sri Sarupa said: Then Nanda, the gopas, Rohini, Sri Yasoda, the others, and the animals, all quickly came there.
With a great effort turning His glance from the gopis, Lord Hari, with His elder brother, climbed the chariot Akrura had quickly brought.
Seeing the gopis crying, fainting, falling to the ground, and turning the dust to mud with their tears, Yasoda cried pitifully.
Even though he was also unhappy at heart, Nanda, showing his eloquence, spoke words to comfort her.
Sri Nanda said: Don't think I go happily to that city, or that I believe Krishna is someone else's son, or that I will leave Krishna there and somehow return to Vraja without Him, or that I will be eager to stay long in that city.
Do I not know that without your son we people of Vraja cannot live for a moment? Know that as soon as Vasudeva and Devaki are released I will return with your son.
Sri Sarupa said: Comforted by him again and again with many promises, and now peaceful at heart, Yasoda comforted the gopis with many words.
Carefully pacifying them in many ways, she picked them up. The gopas climbed on their carts. Akrura made the chariot go.
Seeing Krishna leaving, unable to bear His separation, their dried-up mouths crying "Alas! Alas!", their steps faltering and their pitiful wailing filling all directions, the women of Vraja, ran after the chariot.
Some grabbed the chariot. Some threw themselves under the wheels. Some fainted. Some could not move.
Then the cows, bulls, calves, deer, and other animals, crying, and their faces washed with tears, surrounded the chariot.
Making a great sound, the birds flew in a circle above them. The leaves of the plants suddenly withered.
The trees and rocks fell from the great mountains, the lotuses withered, and the rivers, now very thin, flowed upstream.
Seeing the condition of His most beloved gopis, Krishna became filled with pain and grief. Unable to stop their crying, He Himself became washed in tears.
Fearing that Krishna might again jump from the chariot, or faint unconscious and fall from it, Akrura, the elder of the Vrsnis, affectionately held Him from behind.
Noticing that Krishna had fainted, Akrura, with the permission of Balarama, Nanda, and the others, with his whip made the chariot's horses, go very quickly.
Here and there the gopis would throw themselves before the horses, but Akrura would always make the chariot swerve and not hit them.
As the crying gopis looked on, Akrura stole the Lord from them as an eagle steals a piece of meat from kurari birds.
Akrura drove the horses so fast that soon no one could even see the chariot.
Each climbing on his own cart yoked with great bulls, Nanda and all the gopas quickly followed the chariot.
Akrura brought Lord Krishna to Brahma's lake on the path to Mathura. Considering Krishna to be the Supreme Lord descended to Earth, Akrura worshipped Krishna as Lord Narayana He offered Him many kinds of prayers. Akrura counselled Krishna with a constant flow of logical statements in regard to the suffering of the Yadavas, and in this way Akrura almost restored Krishna to a "normal" state.
Akrura hoped that being in Brahma's lake or Akrura tirtha, he would be able to remind Krishna of the vision of Vaikuntha Krishna had previously shown to the cowherds. Akrura thought that reminding Krishna of this would influence Krishna so he would remember the purpose he had descended to Earth (to protect the devotees and destroy the evil doers), and that when Krishna remembered this Krishna would agree to go to Mathura and kill the wicked demon Kamsa.
- Brhad Bhagavatamrtam
Krishna did not go to Mathura. Rather, Krishna presented himself to Akrura as Vishnu and this form of Vishnu went to Mathura on Akrura's chariot.
Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, 1.4.13
ataeva visnu takhana krsnera sarire
visnu-dvare kare Krishna asura-samhare
Lord Vishnu is present in the body of Lord Krishna, and Lord Krishna kills the demons through Him.
