SB 10.15.21
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Please note: The synonyms, translation and purport of this verse were composed by disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda
TEXT 21
- rāma rāma mahā-bāho
- kṛṣṇa duṣṭa-nibarhaṇa
- ito 'vidūre su-mahad
- vanaṁ tālāli-saṅkulam
SYNONYMS
rāma rāma — O Rāma: mahā-bāho-O mighty-armed one; kṛṣṇa — O Kṛṣṇa; duṣṭa-nibarhaṇa — O eliminator of the miscreants; itaḥ — from here; avidūre — not far; su-mahat — very expansive; vanam — a forest; tāla-āli — with rows of palm trees; saṅkulam — filled.
Translation and purport composed by disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda
TRANSLATION
[The cowherd boys said:] O Rāma, Rāma, mighty-armed one! O Kṛṣṇa, destroyer of the miscreants! Not far from here is a very great forest filled with rows of palm trees.
PURPORT
As stated in the Śrī Varāha Purāṇa:
- asti govardhanaṁ nāma
- kṣetraṁ parama-durlabham
- mathurā-paścime bhāge
- adūrād yojana-dvayam
"Not far from the western side of Mathurā, at a distance of two yojanas [sixteen miles], is the holy place named Govardhana, which is most difficult to attain." It is also stated in the Varāha Purāṇa:
- asti tāla-vanaṁ nāma
- dhenakāsura-rakṣitam
- mathurā-paścime bhāge
- adūrād eka-yojanam
"Not far from the western side of Mathurā, one yojana away [eight miles], is the forest known as Tālavana, which was guarded by Dhenukāsura." Thus it appears that the Tālavana forest is located midway between Mathurā and Govardhana Hill. The forest of Tālavana is described in the Śrī Hari-vaṁśa as follows:
- sa tu deśaḥ samaḥ snigdhaḥ
- su-mahān kṛṣṇa-mṛttikaḥ
- darbha-prāyaḥ sthulī-bhūto
- loṣṭra-pāṣāṇa-varjitaḥ
"The land there is even, smooth and very expansive. The earth is black, densely covered with darbha grass and devoid of stones and pebbles."