Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana Book 10 Chapter 37:22-34

Book 10: Thirty-seven Chapter (First Half)

Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 10: Chapter 37: Verses 22-34 I shall then behold the extermination of a number of Aksauhinis (in the course of the great Mahabharata war) by Yourself as Arjuna's charioteer and assuming the role of Kala (the Time-Spirit) actually bent on the dissolution of this (visible) universe. We approach (for protection) the almighty Lord (in You), who is pure consciousness personified, who has fully achieved all His ends by virtue of His being established in His own (blissful) existence, whose desire never fails to yield its fruit and by whose effulgence (in the form of consciousness) the stream of the three Gunas (in the shape of the world-process), having its origin in Maya, is ever shut out from Him. I bow to You, the self-dependent almighty Lord who has evolved this (varied) creation out of all these differentiated categories (the Mahat-tattva etc.) brought forth by His own Maya (creative energy), and who has now for the sake of sport assumed a human semblance as the foremost of the Yadus, the Vrsnis and the Satvatas. Sri Suka continued : Having thus bowed low to Sri Krsna, the Lord of the Yadus, and gladly permitted by Him, the sage Narada, the foremost of the Lord's devotees, who was filled with ecstatic delight at His sight, departed (for his abode in Satyaloka). Having made short work of the demon Kesi in a (personal) combat, Lord Sri Krsna (the Protector of cows) too continued to tend the cattle as usual in the company of the cowherd boys, who were (deeply) attached to Him, bringing delight (thereby) to (the entire) Vraja. (26) Once, while pasturing the cattle on the mountain heights, the cowherd boys played various games of (cleverly) smuggling others' goods under the guise of thieves and guards. Of them some played the part of thieves and others acted as watchmen, 0 protector of men; while still others of the Gopas played the role of rams. In this way they sported fearlessly. Maya's son. Vyoma (a demon), who was adept in great conjuring tricks and who made his appearance there in the guise of a cowherd boy, often playing the part of a thief, carried away many cowherd boys that were playing the role of rams. Laying down each cowherd boy he carried away into a mountain cave, the mighty demon closed its entrance with a (large) slab. (In this way only) four or five (of the Gopas) remained (outside the cave). Perceiving that work of the demon, Sri Krsna, who affords protection to the righteous, forcibly seized Him even as he was carrying away the cowherd boys, just as a lion would seize a wolf. Resuming his natural (demoniac) form, resembling a huge mountain, the powerful demon, who was feeling pained by the grip, sought to extricate himself but could not. Catching hold of the demon by the arms and dashing him to the ground, Sri Krsna (the immortal Lord), made short work of him by gagging him and squeezing his windpipe while the gods in heaven stood looking on. Having broken asunder the rock that blocked the mouth of the cave and rescuing the cowherd boys from their uncomfortable situation, and being glorified by the gods as well as the Gopas, the Lord withdrew to His (realm of) Vraja. Thus ends the thirty-seventh discourse entitled "The demon Vyoma slain," in the first half of Book Ten of the great and glorious Bhagavata-Purana, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Samhita.