Salvation of Trnavarta 33

the mantras of the Vedas. Here is the proof that the brahmanas were
qualified with all the brahminical symptoms. Maharaja Nanda also had full
faith in them. Therefore they were allowed to perform the ritualistic
ceremonies by chanting the Vedic mantras. There are many different
varieties of sacrifices recommended for different purposes, but the mantras
are all to be chanted by qualified brahmanas. And because in this age of
Kali such qualified brdhmanas are not available, all Vedic ritualistic
sacrifices are forbidden. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has therefore recom-
mended only one kind of sacrifice in this age—namely sankirtana yajiia, or
simply chanting the mahdmantra, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna,
Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

As the brdhmanas chanted the Vedic hymns and performed the ritualistic
ceremonies forthe second time, Nanda Maharaja again gave huge quantities
of grains and many cows to them. All the cows which were given in charity
were covered with nice gold-embroidered garments, and their horns were
bedecked with golden rings; the hooves were covered with silver plate, and
they wore garlands of flowers. He gave so many cows just for the welfare
of his wonderful child, and the brdhmanas in return bestowed their heart-
felt blessing. And the blessings offered by the able brdhmanas were never
to be baffled.

One day, shortly after this ceremony, when mother Yasoda was patting
her baby on her lap, the baby felt too heavy, and being unable to carry
Him, she unwillingly placed Him on the ground. After a while, she became
engaged in household affairs. At that time, one of the servants of Kamsa,
known as Trnavarta, as instructed by Kamsa, appeared there in the shape
of a whirlwind. He picked the child up on his shoulders and raised a great
dust storm all over Vrndavana. Because of this, everyone’s eyes became
covered within a few moments, and the whole area of Vrndavana became
densely dark so that no one could see himself or anyone else. During this
great catastrophe, mother Yasgoda could not see her baby, who was taken
away by the whirlwind, and she began to cry very piteously. She fell down
on the ground exactly like a cow who has just lost her calf. When mother
Yasoda was so piteously crying, all the cowherd women immediately came
and began to look for the baby, but they were disappointed and could not
find Him. The Trnavarta demon who took baby Krsna on his shoulder
went high in the sky, but the baby assumed such a weight that suddenly
he could not go any further, and he had to stop his whirlwind activities.
Baby Krsna made Himself heavy and began to weigh down the demon.
The Lord caught hold of his neck. Trnavarta felt the baby to be as heavy
as a big mountain, and he tried to get out of His clutches, but he was
