Birth of Sree Krishna

Thereupon appeared, imbued with all good qualities, the most beauteous time
Of the birth-star of the Birth-less, with serene planets, stars and meteors.

The quarters rejoiced, the clear sky became star-lit;
On the Earth, towns, villages, pastures and mines overflowed with every blessing.

The streams flowed with a pellucid current, the lakes were decked with beautiful lotuses,
The rows of flowery woods resounded with the melodious notes of birds and hum of bees.

The winds blew, pleasant to touch, laden with holy incense and pure;
The sacrificial fires of the twice-born burnt tranquilly with a full and steady flame.

The minds of the pious, ere-long oppressed by the foes of gods, were gladdened;
At the birth of the Un-born celestial drums beat harmonious music,
Celestial singers (kinnaras and gandharbas) joined in song, the choir of perfect beings
sent up hymns of praise,

And toward the ocean slowly the heavy-laden clouds muttered thunder
At the birth of Janardana in the gathering gloom of dark night.

The In-dweller, Vishnu, appeared in the pure, unalloyed heart of Devaki,
Likest the full moon rising in the quarters of the East.

And Vasudeva saw that marvellous Boy, with the lotus eyes, four-armed, holding the conch,
club and other weapons,
Marked with the sign of Sribatsa, the gem koustuva adorning the neck, in yellow robe,
beauteous with the hue of the dense cloud,
The great profusion of curls lit up with the glory of the effulgence of the most precious jewels
that studded the crest and pendant,
And adorned with the most exquisite belt, armlets and brace-lets.

Whereupon Anakadundhubi surveying Hari, his son, with eyes expanded wide with wonder,
Rendered oblivious of everything by joy at the happy event of the Appearance of Krishna,
(mentally) bathed and gave away as present ten thousand kine to the twice-born.

Then, assured that He was, indeed, the Supreme Being Himself, bending low with palms
joined he of pure understanding,
Freed from fear, aware of God’s omnipotence, thus, O Bharata, addressed in prayer
the Lord Whose effulgence irradiated the lying-in chamber.

Vasudeva said -

“ Lord, Thyself hast appeared, - the Being Himself Who is beyond Nature,
Embodiment of unalloyed bliss, Seer of the inmost minds of all;

Who having first created by His own power this world made up of the three qualities,
Without being within, yet is conceived as pervading it;-

As the unchangeable primordial principles, in association with chamgeable qualities,
being different and of various potentiality, produce the world,-
And thus combining and producing appear as auxiliary, though unchanged and unchangeable
existing before the birth of the world:

So Thou, conceived by the pure intelligence as possessed of transcendental qualities, art free
from all mundane qualities;
And being perfectly uncovered, there is neither exterior nor interior of all that are of Thee, or of Thyself, the Soul of everything.

He who affirms as true the objects of his own selfish enjoyments, does so through foolishness
and ignorance of his real self;
Such speculation is nothing but empty words - accepting as true that which is utterly
rejected by the Scriptures.

From Thee, O Lord - Who transcends all effort, change and quality - the birth, maintenance
and destruction of this world are said to proceed:
In Thee, the Supreme Lord, there is no contradiction, all qualities serving Thee as Their source.

Such art Thou Who, for the maintenance of the threefold world by thy Own power,
wear’st the white colour of Thine,
The red permeated by rajas for the purpose of creation and the black hue of tamas
for the destruction of the world.

Thou, the Infinitude, the Supreme Lord of the Universe, in order to protect this earth
hast appeared in my house;
Thou wilt destroy the armies led by the wearers of the insignia of Kings served by crores
of Asuras.

Lord of the gods, this churl, forewarned of Thy birth in my house, killed our children that
were born before Thee.
And is even now approaching with brandished weapons, hearing of Thy advent from the
lips of messengers.”