The twelfth chapter describes Krsna playing with his friends and Aghasura. When the friends entered the mouth of Aghasura, Krsna followed them, and, enlarging his body, killed the demon. One day (kvacit) Krsna went out desiring to take a meal in the forest (vanasaya). Only Krsna’s name is mentioned, indicating that Rohini by force kept Balarama at home in order to bathe him and perform auspicious rites on his birthday

May the astonishing Lord who shines because of astonishing form, qualities and activities be merciful to me! In three chapters Śukadeva describes further pastimes of the kaumāra age. First he describes the killing of Aghāsura. I do not see why some people do not accept chapters 12-14 and the statements concerning Pūtanā (SB 10.6.35-40, SB 10.6.44), where it is stated that Pūtanā was liberated, since the stories are available in all places and there are explanations of them in ancient and modern commentaries such Vāsanābhāṣya, Sambandhokti, Vidvat-kāmadhenu, Śuka-manoharā, and Paramahaṁsa-priyā. If the chapters are not authoritative, based on proofs in one’s own sampradāya, the opposite conclusion can also be reached by proofs from other sampradāyas which accept it. Some will argue that names such as Aghabhit , like Mura-bhit, are not seen in the Bhāgavatam (and therefore the story of Aghāsura is interpolated). This is not an acceptable argument, for it is said: yan na vrajanty agha-bhido racanānuvādāc chṛṇvanti ye ’nya-viṣayāḥ kukathā mati-ghnīḥ Those who hear topics other than the glorification of Aghabhit, unworthy topics which destroy intelligence, cannot enter Vaikuṇṭha. SB 3.15.23 Aghabhidaḥ, meaning “destroyer of sin” has been used in the Bhāgavatam. Nor can one say that the pastime does not occurring in lists of the pastimes in the Bhāgavatam since Śrīdhara Svāmī in various places refers to this pastime. To say there are 332 chapters of Bhāgavatam, with omission of three chapters in the middle, is not acceptable to him. Nor should anything be omitted anywhere else. Thus when Śrīdhara Svāmī says dvātrimśat triśatāṁ ca yasya vilasat śākhā, he does not mention that the three chapters are not included or that three are omitted. Because he has commented on all the chapters and all the verses, in the phrase dvātrimśat triśatām, the meaning is actually thirty-two plus three and three hundred. Trisatam is a dvandva compound in which satam (hundreds) actually means three hundred by the rule kapiṣjala-ālabhana nyāya (accepting partridges), where the plural indicates three unless otherwise stated. If it is not accepted as a dvanda-samāsa the word should become triśatī if it means three hundred, and not triśatam. Nor should the chapters be rejected because they describe that demons attain liberation since there are many examples where Kṛṣṇa gives liberation to those he kills. āsurīṁ yonim āpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani | mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yānty adhamāṁ gatim || Taking birth as demons birth after birth, these fools, not contacting me, go to the lowest status of life, O son of Kuntī. BG 16.20 The verse says those who do not attain Kṛṣṇa enter into hell (whereas those who do contact him get liberated.) Therefore Bhāgavatam says: ye ca pralamba-khara-dardura-keśy-ariṣṭa- mallebha-kaṁsa-yavanāḥ kapi-pauṇḍrakādyāḥ | anye ca śālva-kuja-balvala-dantavakra- saptokṣa-śambara-vidūratha-rukmi-mukhyāḥ || ye vā mṛdhe samiti-śālina ātta-cāpāḥ kāmboja-matsya-kuru-sṛṣjaya-kaikayādyāḥ | yāsyanty adarśanam alaṁ bala-pārtha-bhīma- vyājāhvayena hariṇā nilayaṁ tadīyam || The demons headed by Pralambha, Dhenuka, Baka, Keśī, Ariṣṭa, the wrestlers, Kuvalayāpīḍa, Kaṁṣa, Kālayavana, Dvivida, Pauṇḍraka, Śālva, Narakāsura, Balvala, Dantavakra, the seven bulls, Śambara, Vidūratha and Rukmi, as well as those with bow in hand glorious in fighting on the battlefield, such as the Kāmbojas, Matsyas, Kurus, Sṛṣjayas, and Kaikayas will attain sāyujya or Vaikuṇṭha by the Lord or through his instruments Balarāma, Arjuna, Bhīma and others. SB 2.7.34-35 One cannot say “These pastimes did not take place since they are not mentioned in other Purāṇas.” The pastimes are clearly mentioned Padma Purāṇa, Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa and others. Furthermore places of these pastimes are well known in Vṛndāvana. It is also not a contradiction if the demons attain a destination similar to that of the devotees, since pure devotees do not value the liberation that the demons achieve at all. There are hundreds of statements like the following: nātyantikaṁ vigaṇayanty api te prasādaṁ kimv anyad arpita-bhayaṁ bhruva unnayais te Persons who have realized you do not regard attainment of impersonal liberation as your mercy, what to speak of attaining a material position like Indra which is subject to fear caused by the Lord raising his eyebrow. SB 3.15.48 Nor did Pūtanā become a mother equal to Yaśodā. This idea is rejected by those who understand the glorification of Yaśodā. Sad-veṣād iva pūtanāpi sa-kulā tvām eva devāpitā: you have already arranged to give yourself to Pūtanā and her family members in exchange for her disguising herself as a devotee. (SB 10.14.35) Pūtanā is glorified only for assuming the dress of a mother to attain the Lord. This produces greater glorification of Yaśodā. She is glorified for attaining the position of a mother because she dressed like a mother. The problem is not resolved by saying that there were two souls in Pūtanā. According to the saying tat-saṁsargī ca paṣcamah she had fault. Thus there is no contradiction. Rather it produces the highest glorification of the devotees and their bhakti. This can be realized by the special mercy of the Lord. Thus Śukadeva says the topics are confidential. (SB 10.13.3) Enough of this. Let us return to the topic. Kṛṣṇa had a strong desire to picnic in the forest. The previous day he informed his friends that they would have breakfast prepared at home and they would carry the meal to the forest. This was the first time he desired to do this. Previously it was mentioned that he took breakfast and went to the forest. In this verse it says “One day he desired to eat in the forest.” After taking off his night clothing, washing his face and dressing in attractive clothing, he quickly rose to his feet, left the house and woke up the other boys. With a desire to have fun with the boys, he slowly left Vraja. These herders of calves were his friends. He woke them up with joy by the pleasing (cārunā) sound of his horn. The pleasing nature of the horn was its very svarūpa. He put the calves in front. He is called Hari because he was attractive to all the boys. He left Vraja in a special condition (vi—nirgataḥ)—without Balarāma. Though Balarāma desired to go on hearing the sound of the horn, and had heard of the plans from Kṛṣṇa, his mother made him perform ceremonies for safety at home on the instructions of astrologers. This was the main reason for him not being present there. The influence of the līlā-śakti to produce his absence in the pastimes was secondary, since Kṛṣṇa’s main reason for going was the picnic whereas the killing Aghāsura and Brahmā’s bewilderment was incidental. Each word, sentence, verse and topic in this pastime from beginning to end is filled with more wonder than anything previous. The pastime can be understood only by those with devotion. For fear of lengthening the discussion, nothing more will be said.

Three chapters now describe the kaumāra pastimes in order. The killing of Aghāsura is first described. Some followers of Madhvācārya, who take liberation as the supreme goal, with conservative mentalities, cannot tolerate the liberation of a demon by sucking a gopī’s breast and criticize statements like the description starting in SB 10.6.35 and SB 10.6.44 which say that Putanā attained liberation. This is not proper since the stories are available in many scriptures and these are respected by ancient and modern commentaries like Śrīdhara Svāmī. The place where Aghāsura was killed, the grazing ground and the place where Brahmā offered praises are well known in Vṛndāvana. The story is also in Padma Purāṇa. It is not contrary to the conclusions of the great devotees, since liberation is not desirable for the devotees. That is clear everywhere in Bhāgavatam. Gopīs who gave Kṛṣṇa their breast milk are similar to Yāśodā. They are dearest to the Lord, young and number in the thousands. That will become clear later. There is no contradiction. In these three chapters the extraordinary greatness of bhakti, devotees and the Lord and realization by the special mercy of the Lord is presented. This is confidential and is presented in the explanations of the devotees. Why discuss further? At some time, when Kṛṣṇa had reached five years of age, in the autumn on some day, he became determined (mano dadhat) to go to the forest. Though the boys had eaten breakfast at home, they took all ingredients of food to the forest. Kṛṣṇa, full of eternity, knowledge and bliss, has a form with limbs. Though there is no difference between his mind and other functions of his antaḥkaraṇa and Kṛṣṇa himself, distinction is made for certain purposes. This will be explained later. After giving up his night dress, washing his mouth, putting on clean cloth and ornaments after getting up, he left the bedroom and woke up his friends. Wanting to go with them, he left Vraja quietly. His horn had a beautiful sound, appropriate to wake up the boys with joy. Or he told them the previous day that the horn would be the signal to go for a picnic in the forest. Or cārunā indicates the attractive nature of the sound. It was always beautiful. He placed the calves in front. He attracted their hearts (hariḥ). He went alone, without Balarāma on that day. The reason will be explained later. What was astonishing that day was his determination to go to the forest for a picnic. Furthermore, he rose from bed without being called by his mother. And he personally woke up all the calves using the beautiful sound of his horn. And he went without his brother. And he put the calves in front. The sequence of words and phrases indicate progressively more astonishing facts. This is understood by the devotees. This will not be expanded for fear of lengthening the commentary.