Å›rÄ«-Å›uka uvÄca
ekadÄ deva-yÄtrÄyÄá¹
gopÄlÄ jÄta-kautukÄḥ
anobhir anaá¸ud-yuktaiḥ
prayayus te 'mbikÄ-vanam
Å›rÄ«-Å›ukaḥ uvÄca - ÅšrÄ« Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said; ekadÄ - once; deva - (to worship) the demigod, Lord Åšiva; yatrÄyÄm - on a trip; gopÄlÄḥ - the cowherd men; jÄta-kautukÄḥ - eager; anobhiḥ - with wagons; anaá¸ut - to oxen; yuktaiḥ - yoked; prayayuḥ - went forth; te - they; ambikÄ-vanam - to the AmbikÄ forest.
Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said: One day the cowherd men, eager to take a trip to worship Lord Åšiva, traveled by bullock carts to the AmbikÄ forest.
According to ÅšrÄ«la JÄ«va GosvÄmÄ«, the word ekadÄ here indicates the occasion of Åšiva-rÄtri. He further mentions that AmbikÄvana is in Gujarat province, near the city of Siddhapura. ÅšrÄ«la ViÅ›vanÄtha CakravartÄ« ṬhÄkura adds that the departure of the cowherd men specifically took place on the fourteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight of the month of PhÄlguna. ÅšrÄ«la ViÅ›vanÄtha CakravartÄ« also quotes authorities who claim that AmbikÄvana lies on the bank of the SarasvatÄ« River, northwest of MathurÄ. AmbikÄvana is notable because within it are deities of ÅšrÄ« Åšiva and his wife, goddess UmÄ.
