Gopal and the Little Braid That Wouldn’t Grow (Dhaurikau Pay Pijai)

1 pushtikirtan.com Gopal and the Little Braid That Wouldn’t Grow

2 pushtikirtan.com Before We Begin Shri Vallabh This story is inspired by one kirtan from pushtikirtan.com. These kirtans express the divine experiences of Pushtimargiya poets. The pictures are based on their descriptions. This little book is for younger children who cannot yet read or understand the kirtans, so they may experience a little of their beauty and divinity. This is story is an adaptation inspired by the kirtans. We do not claim that it is an authentic account. Please forgive any mistakes.

3 pushtikirtan.com Mother Yashoda held out milk to her little Gopal. It was milk from the white cow. Her beautiful boy was close beside her, and she coaxed him to drink. There was something she wanted to tell him about his little braid.

4 pushtikirtan.com “Drink, Gopal, and your little braid will grow,” Mother told him. A little braid, growing longer! That was her loving promise to her beautiful son. As she oϜered him the milk, she spoke of how he would grow, too.

5 pushtikirtan.com “Among all the children, your head will rise the highest,” she said. Little Gopal drank the milk Mother gave him. She looked at her son with such love: her beautiful child, with his little braid and so much growing still ahead.

6 pushtikirtan.com Mother spoke of the other children of Vraj, too. They would grow as they watched him, she said, and the little calves would grow as well. Her words held Gopal and the children and the calves together, while she kept oϜering him milk.

7 pushtikirtan.com One moment, Mother gave Gopal his milk. The next, her ϥngers felt his hair. Had the little braid grown yet? She checked, then went on feeding him. Milk, and another gentle touch: Mother kept trying, with all her love for her little boy.

8 pushtikirtan.com But the little braid was still little. It had not grown longer after all. Yashoda looked at Gopal and smiled. There he was beside her, her beautiful son, with the same small braid—while his mother smiled over the milk and all her loving coaxing.

9 pushtikirtan.com Original Kirtan and English Meaning Dhaurikau Pay Pijai · Surdas · Raag Asavari English below: an original translation prepared for this book. धौरʅकौ पय पीजै हो गोपाल जासाȒ तेरʅ बैनी बढ़ै । Drink the white cow’s milk, Gopal, so that your little braid may lengthen. सब ल र ȫ कनमȈ सु न ȯ सुंदर सुत तुव श ȳ र अ ध Ȱ क चढ़ै ॥१॥ Listen, beautiful son: among all the children, your head will stand highest. दे ख ȵ दे ख ȵ और Ŀजबा ल ȳ क ब ल ȳ और बƮ बढ़ै ॥ Watching you, the other children of Vraj will Ϩourish, and the calves will grow too. कंस केशी सब बै र ȫ नके उर अनु द Ȭ न अनल दढ़ै ॥२॥ Day by day, a ϥercer ϥre will blaze in the hearts of Kansa, Keshi, and all your foes. छ Ȱ नु अँचवत छ Ȱ नुहʈ छ Ȱ नु टटोवत एेसेही जनन रढ़ै । A sip, then a touch to the hair, again and again: so Mother lovingly coaxes him. सूरदास मु स ȳ काय यशोदा श ȳ रतȈ काड़ʅ न कढ़ै ॥३॥ Surdas says: Yashoda smiles; the little braid still does not reach any farther from his head. Source text and original cover illustration: pushtikirtan.com