Passage 7

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In plain words

"I cannot bear it; it is as if I had a shock; I cannot stand it any longer": so in many ways He went on making a show of lamenting. They asked what the way to cure it was. "If someone brings the dust of the feet of a supreme devotee and puts it on the head, this pain of Mine will be cured," He said. As the saying goes, "At that hour the brāhmaṇa … ," Nārada entered. Satyabhāmā, Rukmiṇī and Jāmbavatī too caught hold of Nārada. "Nārada! Nārada! Never have we seen this pain. You try something to cure Kṛṣṇa's pain," they said. Nārada too asked Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa gave the answer. "When the dust of the feet of any supreme devotee is put on My head, this pain of Mine will go down," He said. At once Nārada said, "There is Satyabhāmā, such a supreme devotee, is there not? She can give the dust of her feet, can she not?" Satyabhāmā wrung her hands. "Alas, I am the wife, Kṛṣṇa is my husband. To put the dust of the wife's feet on the husband's head is a great offence, is it not. Hell will be my lot. I cannot go through this hell. I will not give the dust of my feet," she said. Rukmiṇī too gave the same answer. The two of them together caught hold of Nārada. "Are there greater devotees in the world than you, swami? You can give the dust of your feet, can you not?" they said. Nārada said, "Mother, in a moment I reach Vaikuṇṭha and behold Mahāviṣṇu. In a moment I reach Kailāsa and behold Īśvara. In a moment I reach heaven and enjoy every delight. By the name of Govinda alone I pervade everywhere and enjoy all Ānanda. … if I put the dust of my feet on Kṛṣṇa's head, I will go to hell. All this attainment of mine will be lost to me. I will not give it," he said. Put the dust of a devotee's feet on the head of God! This is a great sin! Such discrimination there is among these devotees. Next he said. This drama of Kṛṣṇa's grew more and more. "Ah, ah, I cannot bear it," He was saying, and crying out. Nārada asked: "If You tell me where the right medicine for this is, I will go and fetch it," he said. "Bring the dust of the Gopīs' feet; I will surely be cured," He said. In a moment he went to Gokula. Making up a song as he went along through the bazaar, calling the Name, "Govinda! Dāmodara!", by the time he arrived all the Gopīs heard Nārada's voice and all came out. Coming out: "How is our Gopāla? Where are you coming from? Are you coming from Mathurā? Is Gopāla well?" they kept asking, a shower of questions. Sorrowfully Nārada says, "Gopīs, Kṛṣṇa is in great pain. In all this long time I have never once seen Him suffer such pain. I have come here for medicine, to cure this pain," he said. The Gopīs listened. "What! Kṛṣṇa has a headache? Is it hurting Him so much? Tell us, is there medicine in our Gokula to cure this pain?