Sri Krishna Madbhagavatam
40. Kṛṣṇa Enters Mathurā
While
Akrūra was offering his prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord
disappeared from the water, exactly as an expert dramatic actor changes his
dress and assumes his original feature. After the Viṣṇu-mūrti disappeared, Akrūra got out of
the water. Finishing the rest of his ritualistic performance, he went near the
chariot of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa and was struck with wonder. Kṛṣṇa asked whether he had seen something
wonderful within the water or in space. Akrūra said, "My dear Lord, all
wonderful things that are happening within this world, either in the sky or in
the water or on the land, are factually appearing in Your universal form. So
when I have seen You, what wonderful things have I not seen?" This statement
confirms the Vedic version that one who knows Kṛṣṇa knows everything, and one who has
seen Kṛṣṇa has seen everything, regardless of how wonderful a thing may be.
"My dear Lord," Akrūra continued, "there cannot be anything more
wonderful than Your transcendental form. When I have seen Your transcendental
form, what is there left to see?"
While
Akrūra was offering his prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord
disappeared from the water, exactly as an expert dramatic actor changes his
dress and assumes his original feature. After the Viṣṇu-mūrti disappeared, Akrūra got out of
the water. Finishing the rest of his ritualistic performance, he went near the
chariot of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa and was struck with wonder. Kṛṣṇa asked whether he had seen something
wonderful within the water or in space. Akrūra said, "My dear Lord, all
wonderful things that are happening within this world, either in the sky or in
the water or on the land, are factually appearing in Your universal form. So
when I have seen You, what wonderful things have I not seen?" This
statement confirms the Vedic version that one who knows Kṛṣṇa knows everything, and one who has
seen Kṛṣṇa has seen everything, regardless of how wonderful a thing may be.
"My dear Lord," Akrūra continued, "there cannot be anything more
wonderful than Your transcendental form. When I have seen Your transcendental
form, what is there left to see?"
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After saying this, Akrūra immediately started the chariot. By the end
of the day, they had almost reached the precincts of Mathurā. When passing
from Vṛndāvana
to Mathurā, all passersby along the way who saw Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma could not
help but look at Them again and again. In the meantime, the other inhabitants
of Vṛndāvana,
headed by Nanda and Upananda, had already reached Mathurā by going through
forests and rivers, and they were awaiting the arrival of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. Upon
reaching the entrance to Mathurā, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma got down from the chariot and shook hands with Akrūra.
Kṛṣṇa
informed Akrūra, "You may go home now because We shall enter Mathurā
along with Our associates." Akrūra replied, "My dear Lord, I cannot
go to Mathurā alone, leaving You aside. I am Your surrendered servant. Please
do not try to avoid me. Please, come along with me, with Your elder brother
and cowherd boy friends, and sanctify my house. My dear Lord, if You come, my
home will be sanctified by the dust of Your lotus feet. The water emanating
from the perspiration of Your lotus feet, namely the Ganges, purifies
everyone, including the forefathers, the fire-god and all other demigods.
King Bali Mahārāja has become famous simply by washing Your lotus feet, and
all his relatives have achieved the heavenly planet due to his contact with
the Ganges water. Bali Mahārāja himself enjoyed all material opulences and
later on was elevated to the highest exalted position of liberation. The
Ganges water not only sanctifies the three worlds but is carried on the head
of Lord Śiva. O Supreme Lord of all lords! O master of the universe! I offer
my respectful obeisances unto You."
On hearing this, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, replied, "Akrūra,
I shall surely come to your home with My elder brother Balarāma, but only
after killing all the demons who are envious of the Yadu dynasty. In this way
I shall please all My relatives." Akrūra became a little disappointed by
these words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he could not disregard
the order. He therefore entered Mathurā and informed Kaṁsa about the arrival of Kṛṣṇa, and then he entered
his own home.
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After the departure of Akrūra, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the cowherd boys entered Mathurā to see the city. They
observed that the gate of Mathurā was made of first-class marble, very well
constructed, and the doors were made of pure gold. There were gorgeous gardens
all around, and the whole city was encircled by cannons so that no enemy could
enter very easily. They saw that all the crossings of the roads were decorated
with gold. And there were many rich men's houses, all appearing symmetrical, as
if constructed by one engineer. The houses were decorated with costly jewels,
and each and every house had nice compounds of trees, fruits and flowers. The
gardens, corridors and verandas of the houses were decorated with silk cloth
and embroidery work in jewels and pearls. In front of the balcony windows were
pigeons and peacocks walking and cooing. All the grain dealers' shops within
the city were decorated with different kinds of flowers and garlands, newly
grown grass and blossoming roses. The central doors of the houses were
decorated with waterpots filled with water, and a mixture of water and yogurt
was sprinkled all around. There were flowers decorated with burning lamps of
different sizes over the doors, and there were also decorations of fresh mango
leaves and silk festoons on all the doors of the houses.
When the news spread that Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the cowherd boys were within Mathurā City, all the
inhabitants gathered, and the ladies and girls immediately went up to the roofs
of the houses to see Them. They had been awaiting the arrival of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma with great
anxiety, and in their extreme eagerness to see Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, the ladies did not dress themselves very properly. Some
of them placed their dress in the wrong place. Some anointed their eyes on one
side only, and some wore ankle bells only on one leg or wore only one earring.
Thus in great haste, not even decorated properly, they came to see Kṛṣṇa from the roofs. Some of
them had been taking their lunch, but as soon as they heard that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were in the
city, they left their eating and ran to the roof. Some of them were in the
bathroom, taking their baths, but without properly finishing their baths, they
came to see Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma. Passing by very slowly and smiling, Lord Kṛṣṇa immediately stole their
hearts. He who is the husband of the goddess of fortune passed through the
street like an elephant. For a very long time the women of Mathurā had heard
about Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma and Their uncommon characteristics, and they were very much
attracted and eager to see Them. Now when they actually saw Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma passing on
the street and saw Them sweetly smiling, the ladies' joy reached the point of
ecstasy. When they actually saw Them with their eyes, they took Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma within their
hearts and began to embrace Them to their fullest desire. Their hairs stood up
in ecstasy. They had heard of Kṛṣṇa,
but they had never seen Him, and now their longing was relieved. After going up
on the roofs of the palaces of Mathurā, the ladies began to shower flowers upon
Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma. When the brothers were passing through the streets, all the
brāhmaṇas
in the neighborhood also went out with sandalwood and flowers and respectfully
welcomed Them to the city. All the residents of Mathurā began to talk among
themselves about the elevated and pious activities of the people of Vṛndāvana. The residents of
Mathurā were surprised at the pious activities the cowherd men in Vṛndāvana must have performed
in their previous lives to be able to see Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma daily as cowherd boys.
While Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma were passing in this way, They saw a washerman and dyer of
clothing. Kṛṣṇa was pleased to ask him for some nice clothing. He
also promised that if the washerman would deliver the nicest dyed cloth to Him,
he would be very happy, and all good fortune would be his. Kṛṣṇa was neither beggar nor was He in need of
clothing, but by this request He indicated that everyone should be ready to
offer Kṛṣṇa whatever He wants. That is the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Unfortunately, this washerman was a
servant of Kaṁsa and therefore could not appreciate the demand of
Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the
effect of bad association. He could have immediately delivered the clothing to
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who promised him all good fortune, but
being a servant of Kaṁsa, the sinful demon could not accept
the offer. Instead of being pleased, he was very angry and refused the Lord's
request saying, "How is it that You are asking clothing which is meant for
the King?" The washerman then began to instruct Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma: "My dear boys, in the future don't be so impudent as to ask
for things which belong to the King. Otherwise, You will be punished by the
government men. They will arrest You and punish You, and You will be in
difficulty. I have practical experience of this fact. Anyone who unlawfully
wants to use the King's property is very severely punished."
On hearing this, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī, became very angry at the
washerman, and striking him with the upper portion of His hand, He separated
the man's head from his body. The washerman fell down dead on the ground. In
this way Lord Kṛṣṇa confirmed the statement that every
limb of His body is capable of doing everything He likes. Without a sword, but
simply with His hand, He cut off the head of the washerman. This is proof that
the Supreme Lord is omnipotent. If He wants to do something, He can do it
without extraneous help.
After this ghastly incident, the
employees of the washerman immediately dispersed, leaving the clothing. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma took possession of it and dressed
according to Their choice; the rest of the clothes were offered to the cowherd
boys, who also used them as they desired. What they did not use remained there.
They then continued to proceed. In the meantime, a devotee-tailor took the
opportunity of service and prepared some nice clothes from the cloth for Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. Thus being very nicely attired, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma looked like elephants dressed with
colored clothings on the full moon day of the dark moon. Kṛṣṇa was very much pleased with the tailor and gave
him the benediction of sārūpya-mukti, which means that after leaving his body,
he would be liberated and would attain a body exactly like fourhanded Nārāyaṇa's in the Vaikuṇṭha
planets. He also granted him that as long as he would live he would earn
sufficient opulence to be able to enjoy sense gratification. By this incident Kṛṣṇa proved that those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees will not be lacking material
enjoyment or sense gratification. They will have sufficient opportunity for
such things, but after leaving this life they will be allowed to enter the
spiritual planets of Vaikuṇṭhaloka or Kṛṣṇaloka,
Goloka Vṛndāvana.
After dressing nicely, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma went to a florist of the name
Sudāmā. As soon as They reached the precinct of his house, the florist
immediately came out and with great devotion fell down on his face to offer his
respectful obeisances. He offered a nice seat to Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma and asked his assistant to bring out flowers and betel nuts
smeared with pulp of candana. The florist's welcome greatly satisfied the Lord.
The florist very humbly and
submissively offered his prayers to the Lord, saying, "My dear Lord,
because You have come to my place, I think all my forefathers and all my
worshipable superiors are pleased and delivered. My dear Lord, You are the
supreme cause of all causes of this cosmic manifestation, but for the benefit
of the residents of this earthly planet, You have appeared with Your plenary
portion to give protection to Your devotees and annihilate the demons. You are
equally disposed as the friend of all living entities; You are the Supersoul,
and You do not discriminate between friend and enemy. Yet You are pleased to
give Your devotees the special result of their devotional activities. My Lord,
I am praying that You please tell me whatever You wish me to do, because I am
Your eternal servant. If You will allow me to do something, it will be a great
favor to me." The florist, Sudāmā, was greatly pleased within his heart by
seeing Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma in his place, and thus, as his
choicest desire, he made two exquisite garlands of various flowers and
presented them to the Lord. Both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were very pleased with
his sincere service, and Kṛṣṇa offered the florist His salutation
and benediction, which He is always prepared to bestow upon the surrendered
souls. When the florist was offered benediction, he begged from the Lord that
he might remain His eternal servant in devotional service and by such service
do good to all living creatures. By this, it is clear that a devotee of the
Lord in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not be simply satisfied by
his own advancement in devotional service; he must be willing to work for the
welfare of all others. This example was followed by the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana. It is therefore stated in their prayer,
lokānāṁ hitakāriṇau: Vaiṣṇavas,
or devotees of the Lord, are not selfish. Whatever benefit they derive from the
Supreme Personality of Godhead as benediction they want to distribute to all
other persons. That is the greatest of all humanitarian activities. Being
satisfied with the florist, Lord Kṛṣṇa not only gave him benediction for
whatever he wanted, but over and above that, He offered him all material
opulences, family prosperity, long duration of life, and whatever else his
heart desired within the material world.
41. The
Breaking of the Bow in the Sacrificial Arena
After leaving the florist's place, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma saw a hunchbacked young woman
carrying a dish of sandalwood pulp through the streets. Since Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasure, He wanted to
make all His companions joyous by cutting a joke with the hunchbacked woman. Kṛṣṇa addressed her, "O tall young woman, who are
you? Tell Me, for whom are you carrying this sandalwood pulp in your hand? I
think you should offer this sandalwood to Me, and if you do so I am sure you
will be fortunate." Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and He knew everything about the hunchback. By His inquiry He
indicated that there was no use in serving a demon; one had better serve Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and get rid of the result of sins.
The woman replied to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Śyāmasundara, dear beautiful dark
boy, You may know that I am engaged as maidservant of Kaṁsa. I am supplying him pulp of sandalwood daily.
The King is very pleased with me for supplying this nice thing, but now I see
that there is no one who can better be served by this pulp of sandalwood than You
two brothers." Being captivated by the beautiful features of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, Their talking, Their smiling, Their
glancing and other activities, the hunchbacked woman began to smear the pulp of
sandalwood over Their bodies with great satisfaction and devotion. The two
transcendental beggars, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, were naturally
beautiful and had beautiful complexions, and They were nicely dressed in
colorful garments. The upper portions of Their bodies were already very
attractive, and when the hunchbacked woman smeared Their bodies with sandalwood
pulp, They looked even more beautiful. Kṛṣṇa
was very pleased by this service, and He began to consider how to reward her.
In other words, in order to draw the attention of the Lord, the Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee has to serve Him in great love
and devotion. Kṛṣṇa cannot be pleased by any action other
than transcendental loving service unto Him. Thinking like this, Lord Kṛṣṇa pressed the feet of the hunchbacked woman with
His toes and, capturing her cheeks with His fingers, gave her a jerk in order
to make her straight. At once the hunchbacked woman looked like a beautiful
straight girl, with broad hips, thin waist and very nice, well shaped breasts.
Since Kṛṣṇa was pleased with the service of the hunchbacked
woman, and since she was touched by Kṛṣṇa's hands, she became the most
beautiful girl among women. This incident shows that by serving Kṛṣṇa the devotee immediately becomes elevated to the
most exalted position. In all respects, devotional service is so potent that
anyone who takes to it becomes qualified with all godly qualities. Kṛṣṇa was attracted to the hunchbacked woman not for
her beauty but for her service; as soon as she rendered service, she
immediately became the most beautiful woman. A Kṛṣṇa
conscious person does not have to be qualified or beautiful; after becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious and rendering service unto Kṛṣṇa, he becomes very qualified and beautiful.
When the woman was turned by Kṛṣṇa's favor into an exquisitely beautiful young girl, she naturally felt very much obliged to Kṛṣṇa, and she was also attracted by His beauty. Without hesitation, she caught the rear part of His cloth and began to snatch it. She smiled flirtatiously and admitted that she was agitated by lusty desires. She forgot that she was on the street and before the elder brother of Kṛṣṇa and His friends.
When the woman was turned by Kṛṣṇa's favor into an exquisitely beautiful young girl, she naturally felt very much obliged to Kṛṣṇa, and she was also attracted by His beauty. Without hesitation, she caught the rear part of His cloth and began to snatch it. She smiled flirtatiously and admitted that she was agitated by lusty desires. She forgot that she was on the street and before the elder brother of Kṛṣṇa and His friends.
She frankly proposed to Kṛṣṇa: "My dear hero, I cannot leave You in this
way. You must come to my place. I am already very much attracted to Your
beauty, so I must receive You well, for You are the best among males. You must
also be very kind upon me." In plain words she proposed that Kṛṣṇa come to her home and satisfy her lusty desires. Kṛṣṇa, of course, felt a little bit embarrassed in
front of His elder brother, Balarāma, but He knew that the girl was simple and
attracted; therefore He simply smiled at her words. Looking towards His cowherd
boy friends, He replied to the girl, "My dear beautiful girl, I am very
much pleased by your invitation, and I must come to your home after finishing
My other business here. Such a beautiful girl like you is the only means of
solace for a person like Me, for I am away from home and not married.
Certainly, as a suitable girl friend, you can give us relief from all kinds of
mental agitation." Kṛṣṇa satisfied the girl in this way with
sweet words. Leaving her there, He began to proceed down the street of the
marketplace where the citizens were prepared to receive Him with various kinds
of presentations, especially betel nuts, flowers and sandalwood.
Kṛṣṇa next inquired from the citizens as to the location of the place of sacrifice. Kaṁsa had arranged for the sacrifice called Dhanur-yajña, and to designate this particular sacrifice he had placed a big bow near the sacrificial altar. The bow was very big and wonderful and resembled the rainbow in the sky. Within the sacrificial arena, this bow was protected by many constables and watchmen engaged by King Kaṁsa. As Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma approached the bow, they were warned not to go nearer, but Kṛṣṇa ignored this warning. He forcibly went up and immediately took the big bow in His left hand. After stringing the bow in the presence of the crowd, He drew it and broke it at the middle into two parts, exactly as an elephant breaks sugar cane in the field. Everyone present appreciated Kṛṣṇa's power. The sound of the bow cracking filled both sky and land and was heard by Kaṁsa. When Kaṁsa heard what had happened, he began to fear for his life. The caretaker of the bow, who was standing by watching, became very angry. He ordered his men to take up weapons, and he began to rush towards Kṛṣṇa, shouting, "Arrest Him! Kill Him! Kill Him!" Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were surrounded. When They saw the threatening motions of the guards, they became angry, and taking up the two pieces of the broken bow, They began to beat off all the caretaker's men. While this turmoil was going on, Kaṁsa sent a small group of troops to assist the caretakers, but both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma fought with them and also killed them.
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After this, Kṛṣṇa did not proceed further into the
sacrificial arena but went out the gate and proceeded towards Their resting
camp. Along the way, He visited various places in Mathurā City with great
delight. Seeing the activities and wonderful prowess of Kṛṣṇa, all the citizens of Mathurā began
to consider the two brothers to be demigods who had come down to Mathurā, and
they all looked upon Them with great astonishment. The two brothers strolled
carefree in the street, not caring for the law and order of Kaṁsa.
When evening came,
Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, with Their cowherd
boy friends, went to the outskirts of the city where all their cars were
assembled. Thus Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma gave some preliminary hints of Their arrival to Kaṁsa, and he could understand what
severe type of danger was awaiting him the next day in the sacrificial arena.
When Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were going from Vṛndāvana to Mathurā, the inhabitants
of Vṛndāvana had imagined the great
fortune of the citizens of Mathurā in being able to see the wonderful beauty
of Kṛṣṇa, who is worshiped by His pure
devotees as well as the goddess of fortune. The fantasies of the residents of
Vṛndāvana were actually realized, for
the citizens of Mathurā became fully satisfied by seeing Kṛṣṇa.
When Kṛṣṇa returned to His camp, He was taken
care of by servants who washed His lotus feet, gave Him a nice seat and
offered Him milk and palatable dishes of foodstuffs. After taking supper and
thinking of the next day's program, He very peacefully began to take rest.
Thus He passed the night there.
On the other side,
when Kaṁsa came to understand about the
breaking of his wonderful bow and the killing of the caretaker and soldiers
by Kṛṣṇa, he could partially realize the
power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He could realize that the eighth
son of Devakī had appeared and that now his death was imminent. Thinking of
his imminent death, he could not rest the entire night. He began to have many
inauspicious visions, and he could understand that both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, who had approached
the precincts of the city, were his messengers of death. Kaṁsa began to see various kinds of
inauspicious signs, both awake and dreaming. When he looked in the mirror he
could not see his head, although the head was actually present. He could see
the luminaries in the sky in double, although there was only one set
factually. He began to see holes in his shadow, and he could hear a high
buzzing sound within his ears. All the trees before him appeared to be made
of gold, and he could not see his own footprints in dust or muddy clay. In
dream he saw various kinds of ghosts being carried in a carriage drawn by
donkeys. He also dreamed that someone gave him poison, and he was drinking
it. He dreamed also that he was going naked with a garland of flowers and was
smearing oil all over his body. Thus, as Kaṁsa saw various signs of death both
awake and sleeping, he could understand that death was certain, and thus in
great anxiety he could not rest that night. Just after the night expired, he
busily arranged for the wrestling match.
The wrestling arena
was nicely cleansed and decorated with flags, festoons and flowers, and the
match was announced by the beating of kettledrums. The platform appeared very
beautiful due to streamers and flags. Different types of galleries were
arranged for respectable persons--kings, brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas. The various kings had
reserved thrones, and others had arranged seats also. Kaṁsa finally arrived, accompanied by
various ministers and secretaries, and he sat on the raised platform
especially meant for him. Unfortunately, although he was sitting in the
center of all governing executive heads, his heart was palpitating in fear of
death. Cruel death evidently does not care even for a person as powerful as
Kaṁsa. When death comes, it does not
care for anyone's exalted position.
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When everything was complete, the
wrestlers, who were to exhibit their skills before the assembly, walked into
the arena. They were decorated with bright ornaments and dress. Some of the
famous wrestlers were Cāṇūra, Muṣṭika, Śala, Kūṭa and Tośala. Being enlivened by the
musical concert, they passed through with great alacrity. All the respectable
cowherd men who came from Vṛndāvana, headed by Nanda, were also welcomed by Kaṁsa. After presenting Kaṁsa with the milk products they had
brought with them, the cowherd men also took their respective seats by the side
of the King, on a platform especially meant for them.
42. The
Killing of the Elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa
After taking Their baths and finishing
all other morning duties, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma could hear the beating
of the kettledrums in the wrestling camp. They immediately prepared Themselves
to proceed to the spot to see the fun. When Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma reached the gate of the wrestling camp, They saw a big elephant of
the name Kuvalayāpīḍa being tended by a caretaker. The
caretaker was deliberately blocking Their entrance by keeping the elephant in
front of the gateway. Kṛṣṇa could understand the purpose of the
caretaker, and He prepared Himself by tightening His dress before combating the
elephant. He began to address the caretaker in a very grave voice, as
resounding as a cloud: "You miscreant caretaker, give way and let Me pass
through the gate. If you block My way, I shall send you and your elephant to
the house of death personified."
The caretaker, being thus insulted by Kṛṣṇa, became very angry, and in order to challenge Kṛṣṇa, as was previously planned, he provoked the elephant
to attack. The elephant then moved before Kṛṣṇa
like inevitable death. It rushed towards Him and tried to catch Him with its
trunk, but Kṛṣṇa very dexterously moved behind the elephant. Being
able to see only to the end of its nose, the elephant could not see Kṛṣṇa hiding behind its legs, but it tried to capture
Him with its trunk. Kṛṣṇa again very quickly escaped capture,
and He again ran behind the elephant and caught its tail. Holding the elephant
by its tail, Kṛṣṇa began to pull it, and with very great strength He
dragged it for at least twenty-five yards, just as Garuḍa
drags an insignificant snake. Kṛṣṇa pulled the elephant from this side to
that, from right to left, just as He used to pull the tail of a calf in His
childhood. After this, Kṛṣṇa went in front of the elephant and
gave it a strong slap. He then slipped away from the elephant's view and ran to
its back. Then, falling down on the ground, Kṛṣṇa
placed Himself in front of the elephant's two legs and caused it to trip and
fall. Kṛṣṇa immediately got up, but the elephant, thinking
that He was still lying down, tried to push an ivory tusk through the body of Kṛṣṇa by forcibly stabbing it into the ground. Although
the elephant was harassed and angry, the caretaker riding on its head tried to
provoke it further. The elephant then rushed madly towards Kṛṣṇa. As soon as it came within reach, Kṛṣṇa caught hold of the trunk and pulled the elephant
down. When the elephant and caretaker fell, Kṛṣṇa
jumped up on the elephant's back and broke it and killed the caretaker also.
After killing the elephant, Kṛṣṇa took an ivory tusk on His shoulder.
Decorated with drops of perspiration and sprinkled with the blood of the
elephant, He felt very blissful, and thus He began to proceed towards the
wrestling camp. Lord Balarāma took the other tusk of the elephant on His
shoulder. Accompanied by Their cowherd boy friends, They entered the arena.
When Kṛṣṇa
entered the wrestling arena with Balarāma and Their friends, He appeared
differently to different people according to their different relationships
(rasas) with Him. Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasure and
all kinds of rasas, both favorable and unfavorable. He appeared to the
wrestlers exactly like a thunderbolt. To the people in general He appeared as
the most beautiful personality. To the females He appeared to be the most
attractive male, Cupid personified, and thus increased their lust. The cowherd
men who were present there looked upon Kṛṣṇa as
their own kinsman, coming from the same village of Vṛndāvana.
The kṣatriya kings who were present saw Him as the
strongest ruler. To the parents of Kṛṣṇa, Nanda and Yaśodā, He appeared to be
the most loving child. To Kaṁsa, the king of the Bhoja dynasty, He
appeared to be death personified. To the unintelligent, He appeared to be an
incapable personality. To the yogīs present, He appeared to be the Supersoul.
To the members of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty He appeared to be the most
celebrated descendant. Thus appreciated differently by different kinds of men
present, Kṛṣṇa entered the wrestling arena with Balarāma and His
cowherd boy friends. Having heard that Kṛṣṇa
had already killed the elephant, Kuvalayāpīḍa,
Kaṁsa knew beyond doubt that Kṛṣṇa
was formidable. He thus became very much afraid of Him. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had long hands. They were
beautifully dressed, and They were attractive to all the people assembled
there. They were dressed as if They were going to act on a dramatic stage, and
They drew the attention of all people
The citizens of Mathurā began to recite Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, His birth as the son of Vasudeva, His being taken into the care of Nanda Mahārāja and his wife in Gokula, and all those events leading to His coming to Mathurā. They spoke of the killing of the demon Pūtanā, as well as the killing of Tṛṇāvarta, who came as a whirlwind. They also recalled the deliverance of the twin brothers from within the yamala arjuna trees. The citizens of Mathurā spoke among themselves: "Śaṅkhāsura, Keśī, Dhenukāsura and many other demons were killed by Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma in Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa also saved all the cowherd men of Vṛndāvana from devastating fire. He chastised the Kāliya snake in the water of Yamunā, and He curbed the false pride of the heavenly King, Indra. Kṛṣṇa held up the great Govardhana Hill in one hand for seven continuous days and saved all the people of Gokula from incessant rain, hurricane and windstorm." They also began to remember other enlivening activities: "The damsels of Vṛndāvana were so pleased by seeing Kṛṣṇa's beauty and participating in His activities that they forgot the purpose of material existence. By seeing and thinking of Kṛṣṇa, they forgot all sorts of material fatigue." The Mathurā citizens discussed the dynasty of Yadu, saying that because of Kṛṣṇa's appearance in this dynasty, the Yadus would remain the most celebrated family in the whole universe. While they were thus talking about the activities of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, they heard the vibrations of different bands announcing the wrestling match.
The famous wrestler Cāṇūra then began to talk with Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. "My dear Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma," he said, "we have heard about Your past activities. You are great heroes, and therefore the King has called You. We have heard that Your arms are very strong. The King and all the people present here desire to see a display of Your wrestling abilities. A citizen should be obedient and please the mind of the ruling king; acting in that way, the citizen attains all kinds of good fortune. One who does not care to act obediently is made unhappy because of the king's anger. You are cowherd boys, and we have heard that while tending Your cows in the forest, You enjoy wrestling with each other. We wish, therefore, for You to join with us in wrestling so that all the people present here, along with the King, will be pleased."
Kṛṣṇa immediately understood the purpose of Cāṇūra's statements, and He prepared to wrestle with him. But according to the time and circumstances, He spoke as follows: "You are the subject of the King of Bhoja, and you live in the jungle. We are also indirectly his subjects, and We try to please him as far as possible. This offer of wrestling is a great favor of his, but the fact is that We are simply boys. We sometimes play in the forest of Vṛndāvana with Our friends who are Our own age. We think that to combat persons of equal age and strength is good for Us, but to fight great wrestlers like you would not be good for the audience. It would contradict their religious principles." Kṛṣṇa thus indicated that the celebrated, strong wrestlers should not challenge Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to fight.
In reply to this, Cāṇūra said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, we can understand that You are neither a child nor a young man. You are transcendental to everyone, as is Your big brother, Balarāma. You have already killed the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa, who was capable of fighting and defeating other elephants. You have killed him in a wonderful way. Because of Your strength, it behooves You to compete with the stronger wrestlers amongst us. I therefore wish to wrestle with You, and Your elder brother, Balarāma, will wrestle with Muṣṭika."
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My humble salutations H H Swami Sri Prabhupada ji, Sri Krishnalilas
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