Nanda Maharaja had spent the day fasting and worshiping. He had observed the sacred day of Ekadashi with devotion. When the time for Dvadashi came, he went to the Yamuna. He wanted to bathe before completing his fast. But the hour was very early, before sunrise. Nanda did not notice the danger of that time. He entered the waters of the sacred river. Darkness still lay over the bank. His family and the cowherds were nearby. No one expected what would happen next.
A servant of Varuna saw Nanda in the river. The servant considered bathing at that hour improper. He approached Nanda and took him beneath the water. From the bank the people saw Nanda disappear. They did not know where he had been taken. They cried out loudly to announce the trouble. The news quickly spread among the people of Vraja. All were attached to their caring leader. His absence filled them with anxiety. They called upon Krishna for help.
The cowherds called out to Krishna and Balarama. They told Them that Nanda had vanished in the Yamuna. Their cries expressed fear for his life. Krishna heard their appeal. He knew that Nanda was in Varuna's abode. He did not leave the residents alone with their worry. He approached the river water. Then He went after His father. The bank remained full of people waiting for news. Their hope was fixed on Krishna.
Beneath the waters was Varuna's abode. Nanda had been brought there by the servant. Varuna saw Krishna approaching. At once he bowed before Him with respect. He wished to receive his guest properly. With gratitude he welcomed His visit. He offered Him worship and gracious words. He knew Krishna had come for His father. Those present saw Varuna's reverence. Nanda wondered at everything he witnessed.
Varuna spoke to Krishna with humility. He said that the servant had acted without true understanding. Nanda had been brought because of the improper hour for bathing. Varuna asked forgiveness for that act. He did not wish Krishna's father to remain there against his will. He honored Nanda as Krishna's beloved father. He thanked Krishna for coming. Then he entrusted Nanda to his son. The meeting ended with respect and reconciliation. Krishna led His father toward home.
On the bank the residents were still waiting. They longed to see Nanda again with their own eyes. When Krishna and Nanda returned, their fear eased. The cowherds joyfully gathered around their leader. His family was comforted to see him safe. All were grateful that Krishna had brought him back. Nanda too was happy to be with them again. The scene of anxiety became a reunion. By the river voices of relief could be heard. For Vraja, what mattered most was that Nanda had returned alive.
Nanda told the cowherds what he had seen. He described the abode beneath the waters. He told them how Varuna had bowed before Krishna. He also spoke of the honor offered to Him. The residents listened in surprise. They knew Krishna as a beloved member of their families. The wondrous meeting revealed another aspect of His greatness. Yet their attachment to Him remained close and tender. They loved the boy who returned home with them. Nanda shared both his wonder and his joy.
The conversation awakened a longing among the residents. They wished to learn more about Krishna's divine abode. Krishna saw their sincere desire. His love for them did not depend on their knowledge. He decided to show them something wonderful. He led them toward the sacred water. There He granted them a vision beyond ordinary sight. In Gopala-campu's account they saw Goloka. It was a glimpse of His divine abode. The residents were filled with wonder.
Krishna then brought them back to their familiar world. They were together again in their beloved Vraja. The vision did not take away their love for Him. They continued to see Him as their own dear one. Nanda could embrace his son. The cowherds could speak with Him again. Their life together continued. Each carried the event as a precious memory. Wonder, concern, and gratitude came together in it. Krishna remained beside those who loved Him.
The story begins with Nanda's faithful fast. It continues through sudden fear beside the Yamuna. Krishna goes to the place where His father was taken. Varuna acknowledges his servant's mistake. Nanda returns to his family and friends. Then the residents glimpse Krishna's abode. Their closeness with Him remains alive. Krishna's strength is revealed through His care. The people of Vraja share the joy of their reunion. Thus ends this retelling from Gopala-campu.