Chapter 43

This chapter relates the description of the killing of the lordly

elephant Kuvalayapida by Krishna and Balarama, the two Lords'
entrance into the wrestling arena and their conversation with the
wrestler Canura.

After finishing their early-morning ritual duties, Rama and

Krishna, hearing the sound of the kettledrums playing rhythms
appropriate to a wrestling match, went forward to see the festivity.
At the entrance to the wrestling arena they encountered an elephant
names Kuvalayapida, whereupon Sri Krishna ordered the
elephant's keeper to give way, because otherwise He would make
Him and His elephant fear for their lives. The elephant keeper
became angered by these words and had His elephant attack
Krishna head-on.

The mighty elephant Kuvalayapida grabbed Lord Krishna with

His trunk, but the Lord struck it and then disappeared among His
four legs. Kuvalayapida became infuriated at not being able to see
Sri Krishna. Seeking Him out by His sense of smell, He again
seized the Lord. Sri Krishna escaped this grasp by force and began
to pull the elephant by His tail, following from behind this way and
that as He swung the animal from left to right and back again
repeatedly. After this, He let go of the tail and skillfully ran back
and forth until the confused elephant, trying to follow Him, fell to
the ground. When this happened, He himself fell down on the
ground only to immediatedly get up again and appear before the
animal in another spot. Thinking the Lord was still lying on the
ground, the elephant struck at the earth with His tusks. Eventually
He realized the futility of this and tried to chase after Sri Krishna.
The supreme Lord mukunda then made Kuvalayapida fall down
once more by taking hold of His trunk. Yanking out the elephant's
tusk, He used it to kill both the elephant and His keeper.
 All His limbs smeared with the elephant's blood and taking His
tusk on His shoulder as a weapon, Lord Sri Krishna became
unprecidentedly beautified. He thus entered the wrestling arena,
where the various classes of ordinary people saw Him in various
different ways. He appeared to the wrestlers like a lightning bolt,
to the common city dwellers as the best of humans, to the young
women as Cupid incarnate, to the cowherds as their own relative,
to the wicked kings as a punisher, to His parents as their infant, to
Kamsa as death in person, to the less intelligent as the total form of
the universe, to the yogis who were present as the absolute truth
and to the Vrsni dynasty as their supreme deity.

King Kamsa, hearing how Krishna and Balarama killed

Kuvalayapida, recognized that they were invincible. This filled
Him with anxiety. As all the members of the arena's audience
looked at Krishna and Balarama, their faces blossomed and they
began to speak to each other about such amazing pastimes of the
Lords as the lifting of Govardhana and the destruction of the
demon Baka. The people declared that Rama and Krishna are two
expansions of the supreme Lord sri hari Narayana who have
descended into the house of Vasudeva.

Canura then called out to Krishna and Balarama, telling them that
whereas they had practised the sport of wrestling with the cowherd
boys while tending the cows, therefore they must have become
very expert in the art. It was the prime duty of the two of them, He
continued, to follow the King's desire by exhibiting their playful
wrestling for His pleasure. Hearing this, sri Krishna replied with
the greatest satisfaction that although they are merely nomadic
forest folk, they are nonetheless subjects of the King of the Bhojas;
consequently they will show no hesitation in gratifying the King by
an appropriate exhibition of arm-to-arm wrestling. As soon as
Canura heared the Lord's reply, He invited Lord Krishna to a
match with himself, and the wrestler Mustika offered His challenge
to Lord Balarama.

TEXT 1

sri-suka uvaca
atha krsnas ca ramas ca
krta-saucau parantapa
malla-dundubhi-nirghosam
srutva drastum upeyatuh

TRANSLATION

Sukadeva Gosvami said: Krishna and Balarama then executed all

necessary purification, O tormentor of enemies, and when they
heard the resounding of kettledrums for the wrestling match, they
immediately went to see what was happening.

Sridhara Svami

In the forty-third chapter Krishna and Balarama kill the king of

elephants, display their beauty while entering the arena, and
discuss with Canura.

The two of them who, two days previously, had performed their
purification (saucam = suddhatvam), their relief from offense, as is
described: "Even after we have made known our own power by
breaking the bow and other feats, our parents have not secured
freedom. Kamsa is again trying to kill them. Therefore, even
though He is our maternal uncle, it will not be wrong for us to kill
Him." they assured their offenselessness by this reasoning.

The resounding of the wrestler's kettledrums, or else, the sound of

kettledrums playing wrestling meters.
Visvanatha Cakravarti

In the forty-third chapter the Lord kills the king of elephants,

causes a downpour of sweetness and opulence when He enters the
ground of the wrestling match, and speaks with Canura.

TEXT 2

ranga-dvaram samasadya
tasmin nagam avasthitam
apasyat kuvalayapidam
krsno 'mbastha-pracoditam

TRANSLATION

Reaching the entrance of the arena, Lord Krishna saw the elephant
named Kuvalayapida standing in the way, urged on by its keeper.

Sridhara Svami

Being spurred on by the elephant keeper (ambastha = hastipa).

Visvanatha Cakravarti

Being sent forward at that moment by the elephant keeper for the
purpose of doing harm.

TEXT 3

baddhva parikaram saurih

samuhya kutilalakan
uvaca hastipam vaca
megha-nada-gabhiraya

TRANSLATION
 Binding His dress securely and tying together His curling locks,
Lord Krishna addressed the elephant keeper in words as grave as
the rumbling of a cloud.

Sridhara Svami

Arranging His dress as suitable for a fight (parikaram =

yuddhocita- paridhanam).

Visvanatha Cakravarti

Arranging His dress means putting aside His jacket, binding up

His lower cloth with the belt around His waist, and making His
long garland rest over His shoulder. His curled locks, which at the
time of tying up His turban He had made turn back over into the
mass of His hair, now at the time of fighting, because He was
concerned that they might become scattered, He tied them up,
bound them tightly with His upper cloth. In the alternate reading
samuhya the long syllable is because of poetic license of the sages.

TEXT 4

ambasthambastha margam nau

dehy apakrama ma ciram
no cet sa-kunjaram tvadya
nayami yama-sadanam

TRANSLATION

O elephant keeper, elephant keeper, move aside at once and give

us way! if you do not, I will send you and your elephant both this
very day to the abode of Yamaraja.

Visvanatha Cakravarti
 The abode (sadanam = sadanam) of Yama. Actually, however, He
will attain liberation, which is called (yama-sadanam) because it is
attained (asadyate = prapyate) by yama or control of the mind.

TEXT 5

evam nirbhartsito 'mbasthah

kupitah kopitam gajam
codayam asa krsnaya
kalantaka-yamopamam

TRANSLATION

Thus reviled, the elephant keeper became angered. He drove His

angry elephant, who appeared equal to the combined forces of
time, death and Yamaraja, forward to attack Lord Krishna.

Sridhara Svami

Antaka is death, time is its cause, and Yamaraja is its controller;

that (elephant) who was comparable to these.

Visvanatha Cakravarti

Toward Krishna, to seize Krishna. That (elephant) who was

comparable to the famous Yama who rules over the humans and
others for whom time causes the end of the duration of their lives.
Thus is implied the assurance given to the fearful King (Kamsa)
that "therefore Krishna will not have the power to do anything to
Him."

TEXT 6

karindras tam abhidrutya

 karena tarasagrahit
karad vigalitah so 'mum
nihatyanghrisv aliyata

TRANSLATION

Running toward Sri Krishna, the lordly elephant violent seized

Him with His trunk. But Krishna slipped away from His trunk,
struck Him a blow, and disappeared among His legs.

Sridhara Svami

Falling out (vigalitah = vicyutah). Hitting Him with His fist, He

disappeared (aliyata = adrsyo babhuva).

Visvanatha Cakravarti

With His trunk (karena = sundena) He seized that Krishna, who

was standing fearlessly, in the middle portion of His body. And
then He, Krishna, struck Him, the elephant (amum = kunjaram),
struck Him in the trunk with His left fist, and when the elephant
lost control from that punch He slipped out from the trunk and
disappeared within His legs, which were like huge columns.

The use of the word anghrisu in the plural form can be explained
as follows: First He disappeared behind one leg, and when the
elephant used His sense of smell and tried to grab hold of Him He
disappeared behind another. When the elephant tried also to grab
Him there He disappeared behind yet another. In this manner, with
smiling lotus face and enjoying great amusement, He repeatedly
fooled the elephant, and thus exhibited to all the people His
wonderous sporting. Such is the implication here.

TEXT 7
 sankruddhas tam acaksano
ghrana-drstih sa kesavam
paramrsat puskarena
sa prasahya vinirgatah

TRANSLATION

Infuriated at not being able to see Kesava, the elephant used His
sense of smell to seek Him out. He once again seized hold of Him
with the end of His trunk, only to have the Lord forcibly free
himself.

Sridhara Svami

Acaksanah means "not seeing" (apasyan). He whose sight (drstih

= darsanam) was by His smelling (ghranam = avaghranam). it is
an established fact that with their sense of smell animals can
perceive even something inacessible to their eyes. Paramrsat
means "He seized" (dhrtavan), and puskarena means "with the end
of His trunk." He, Krishna, (freed himself) by force (prasahya =
balena).

Visvanatha Cakravarti

Not seeing Him (acaksanah = apasyan), seeing with His sense of

smell on account of being an animal, He found Him out by smell
and took hold of Him (paramrsat = tam jagraha) with the end of
His trunk (puskarena = sundagrena). Thus, desiring to exhibit
another of His sports to everyone, Krishna let Him seize Him once
to increase His courage. And then, when the elpephant was
thinking himself sucessful, He, Krishna, forcibly (prasahya = balat-
karena) released himself, saying, "so, you want to show your
strength?" and came out (from His grip).

TEXT 8
 pucche pragrhyati-balam
dhanusah panca-vimsatim
vicakarsa yatha nagam
suparna iva lilaya

TRANSLATION

Grabbing the mighty Kuvalayapida by the tail, Lord Krishna

playfully dragged Him the legnth of twenty five bows, as easily as
Garuda drags a snake.

Sridhara Svami

He took Him, dragging Him (vikarsa = akrsya nitavan) the

distance of twenty five bow legnths (dhanusah = dhanusam). He
dragged Him like whom dragging what? himself like Garuda
dragging the elephant who is like a snake. (the use of the words
yatha and iva) is similar to that in the verse avirasid yatha pracyam
disindur iva puskalah (Bhag. 10.3.8).

Visvanatha Cakravarti

He expertly (yatha = yathavat) dragged Him as far as the length of

twenty bows, of one hundred hands. At that time, it is implied, the
elephant could not maintain any sort of stability.

TEXT 9

sa paryavartamanena
savya-daksinato 'cyutah
babhrama bhramyamanena
go-vatseneva balakah

TRANSLATION
 As Lord acyuta held onto the elephant, who tried to turn away to
the left and then to the right, He was pulled along, swerving in the
opposite directions just like a young boy pulling the tail of a calf.

Sridhara Svami

The verse beginning sa paryavartamanena: When He would turn

around to the right to grab hold of Sri Krishna, who was holding
onto His tail, the elephant would thus make Him swerve to the left,
and when He turned to the left then He would make Him go right.
Thus (Krishna) moved about together with the elephant. Just as a
boy, namely that same Krishna, or else, some other boy, would be
moved about by a calf.

Visvanatha Cakravarti

And then, in order to let the elephant feel a little encouragement,

the Lord slightly slackened the force of His pulling, as stated by
this verse. sah refers to acyuta. together with the elephant who was
turning in various directions, He moved back and forth from left to
right (and vice versa); this means that, as the elephant was feeling
a bit encouraged, He would turn to the right to try to grab Krishna,
who was holding onto His tail, and at that time He would make the
Lord veer off to the left as He also moved (in the other direction).
And when He moved to the left, then (Krishna would be pulled) to
the right. Just as a strong child (is pulled about) by a calf who is
being pulled about in various directions.

TEXT 10

tato 'bhimukham abhyetya

paninahatya varanam
pradravan patayam asa
sprsyamanah pade pade
 TRANSLATION

Turning toward the elphant's face, Krishna slapped Him and then
ran around wildly. Kuvalayapida pursued the Lord and managed to
touch Him again and again with each step, but Krishna fooled Him
with His manouvers, causing the elephant to trip and fall.

Sridhara Svami

Running excellently in all directions (pradravan: pra = prakarsena

and a = samantatah), He made the elephant (varanam = gajam) fall
down. That is to say, He ran, fooling Him, in such a way as to
make Him fall down.

Visvanatha Cakravarti

Next, displaying another sport, He let go of the tail, as stated in

this verse beginning tatah. Mildly striking Him (ahatya = Isad eva
prahrtya) with His hand, since if He gave Him a proper blow it
would kill Him immediately and the game which was now begun
would not be carried to its completion. While running (pradravan),
which word indicates that even while He was running excellently
(prakarsena), He was running only (with) a little (speed). He was
showing himself to be running away in order to make the elephant
to feel more encouraged. thus, being touched by Him at each step,
He made Him fall down; to make Him fall down He himself
repeatedly slipped as if He were unable to run.

TEXT 11

sa dhavan kridaya bhumau

patitva sahasotthitah
tam matva patitam kruddho
dantabhyam so 'hanat ksitim
 TRANSLATION

Krishna, as He ran about, pretended to fall down on the ground

and immediately got up again. The infuriated elephant tried to gore
Him with His tusks, but ended up striking the earth instead.

Sridhara Svami

And furthermore, the verse beginning sa dhavan. The form ahanat

is equivalent to ahan.

Visvanatha Cakravarti

And then, in order to make the elephant get hit very hard on the
hard stone ground, He showed himself falling down but by His
swiftness avoided showing himself getting up; this is stated in the
verse beginning sah. Thinking Him fallen, He tried to kill Him. But
He simply struck the earth; falling down on His knees, He dug into
the earth. The reason for this (His failing to strike Krishna) is that
at the very fraction of a moment He was hurling His tusk, Krishna
got up and moved to another spot. therefore the phrase
sahasotthitah is used here, in accordance with the definition
atarkiteti sahasa ("the word sahasa can be used in the sense of
<inconceivable.>")

TEXT 12

sva-vikrame pratihate
kunjarendro 'ty-amarsitah
codyamano mahamatraih
krsnam abhyadravad rusa

TRANSLATION
 His prowess thus thwarted, the lordly elephant Kuvalayapida felt
extremely frustrated. The elephant keepers then spurred Him on
the run toward Krishna with ferocity.

(No commentaries)

TEXT 13

tam apatantam asadya

bhagavan madhusudanah
nigrhya panina hastam
patayam asa bhu-tale

TRANSLATION

The supreme Lord, killer of the demon madhu, confronted the

elephant as He attacked. Firmly taking hold of His trunk with one
hand, He threw Him to the ground.

Visvanatha Cakravarti

And then, seeing that the time was late, He wrapped up His
playing with Him, as described in the verse beginning tam. With
His hand, with simply one hand, His left, nonchalantly. Firmly
seizing (nigrhya = nitaram grhitva) His "hand" or trunk.

TEXT 14

patitasya padakramya
mrgendra iva lilaya
dantam utpatya tenebham
hastipams cahanad dharih

TRANSLATION
 Lord Hari put His foot on the elephant, climbing upon Him with
ease just like a mighty lion. He then pulled out His tusk and used it
to kill Him and His keepers.

(No commentaries)

TEXT 15

mrtakam dvipam utsrjya

danta-panih samavisat
amsa-nyasta-visano 'srn-
mada-bindubhir ankitah
virudha-sveda-kanika-
vadanamburuho babhau

TRANSLATION

Leaving the dead elephant aside, Lord Ksrna kept the tusk in His
hand and entered the wrestling arena. At that time He appeared
beautiful with the tusk draped on His shoulder, drops of the
elphant's blood and sweat sprinkled all over Him and His lotus face
covered with the exuding fine mist of His own perspiration.

Sridhara Svami

He entered the arena, and at that time He shone with the beauty of
a hero. How did He appear? With the elephant's tusk (visanah =
gaja-dantah) placed on His shoulder, marked all over (paritah) with
drops of blood (asrjah = raktasya) and mada (the fluid excited
elephants excrete from their foreheads), and with His lotus face
characterized by exuding (virudhah = udgatah) small drops of
perspiration.

Visvanatha Cakravarti
 Amsa-nyasta-visana means with the elephant's tusk placed on His
shoulder. Marked all over with drops of blood and mada. His lotus
face characterized by the exuding small drops of perspiration, just
like drops of fog, His form shone with the beauty of the mood of
heroism (vira-rasa-sriya).

TEXT 16

vrtau gopaih katipayair

baladeva-janardanau
rangam vivisatu rajan
gaja-danta-varayudhau

TRANSLATION

My dear King, accompanied by a number of cowherd boys, Lord

Baladeva and Lord Janardana, each equipped with one of the
elephant's tusks as their weapon of choice, entered the arena.

Sridhara Svami

And He did not enter merely alone, but surrounded by cowherd

boys.
Visvanatha Cakravarti

Amsa-nyasta-visana means with the elephant's tusk placed on His

shoulder.

TEXT 17

mallanam asanir nrnam nara-varam strinam smaro murtiman

gopanam
sva-jano 'satam ksiti-bhujam sasta sva-pitroh sisuh mrtyur
bhoja-pater virad avidusam tattvam param yoginam vrsninam
para-devateti vidito rangam gatah sagrajah
 TRANSLATION

When Krishna entered the arena with His elder brother, the
various classes present there all recognized Him in different ways.
The wrestlers saw Him as a lightning bolt, the men as the best of
males, the women as Cupid in person, the cowherds as their own
relative, the impious kings as the agent of their punishment, His
parents as their infant child, the King of Bhojas as death, the
untintelligent as the supreme Lord's material universal form, the
yogis as the absolute truth and the Vrsnis as their supreme
worshipable deity.

Sridhara Svami

And then the supreme Lord, whose personal form embodies all the
many different rasas such as conjugal affection, appeared
beautifully, but not in all His aspects to each and all, as stated in
the verse beginning mallanam. To the wrestlers and other ignorant
viewers He was recognized in ten different ways, and thus entered
arena along with His elder brother; such is the logical sequence of
the words. The particular moods manifest to the wrestlers and so
on are ennumerated one after another in the following verse:

raudro 'dbhutas ca srngaro

hasyam viro daya tatha
bhayanakas ca bibhatsah
santah sa-prema-bhaktikah

"(There are ten different moods:) fury (perceived by the wrestlers),

wonder (by the men), conjugal attraction (the women), laughter
(the cowherds), chivalry (the kings), mercy (His parents), terror
(Kamsa), ghastliness (the unintelligent), peaceful neutrality (the
yogis) and loving devotion (the Vrsnis).
 For the unintelligent He is virat in that He is glowing spotlessly
(vikala), in an unprecidented manner; this indicates the mood of
ghastliness. And the spotlessness (of His effulgence) will be
described later on in the words kva vajra-sara-sarvangau.

Visvanatha Cakravarti

And now, this supreme Lord, who is declared in the sruti to be the
great original form of all rasa (maha-rasa-svarupa) manifests
himself there, within the arena, to the various different kinds of
people present according to their particular mentalities. By
describing this it is demonstrated that He is the personified
essential purport of all the upanisads, in this verse.

On the part of the wrestlers such as Canura, whose bodies are like
mountains, He has been perceived as like lightning; such a logical
sequence of the words is to be construed throughout in this verse.
The forms in the genetive case are sometimes used with
instrumental case meaning and sometimes are used with the sense
of relationship. Even though His body is extremely tender, cool
and gentle, He is perceived by the wrestlers, whose minds are
contaminated by envy, as if His body were lightning, just as
mountains see lightning as most cruel, tormenting and harsh. this
is similar to the way persons whose sense of taste is distorted by a
bilious imbalance consider a sugar candy ball to be very bitter.
Thus even persons who were present in the same place there with
Him in the assembly saw Him, they did not appreciate His true
identity as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that means
that what they experienced was not true rasa but only rasabhasa.

For the men, those of Mathura, who because of being free from
envy were from their very birth endowed with a generalized mood
of pure love, (He appeared as) the best of men, as the most
excellent by His amazing qualities, pastime activities and so on,
which are extraordinary among mankind. These (men of Mathura)
whose minds were situated in pure goodness appreciated His true
identity of the best of males, and thus their experience was in the
mood of astonishment (vismaya-rasa).

For the women, the young women, distingushed from His mother
and so on, (He appeared as) Cupid. This indicates that since lust
focused upon Krishna is not mundane and since these women,
being residents of Mathura, possesed pure love of God,
consequently they appreciated His true identity as the original
Cupid, so that among them (He manifested) the mood of conjugal
affection (ujjvala-rasa). By the use of the word murtiman in this
context, applied as a modifying adjective, is subtly implied that
this particular svarupa is the original from which the others expand
(angi).

For the cowherds He appeared as their relative, since for certain

they appreciated His true identity as the friend of the cowherds.
Thus among them He manifested the moods of friendship (sakhya-
rasa) and humor (hasya-rasa). For the impure, impious, kings,
which implies that they were offenders against the Lord's devotees
because they were usurping the earth when she possessed saintly
persons upon her, He appeared as the punisher, as the agent of their
destruction. Thus, since being the destroyer is not the svarupa of
Krishna, who is the well-wisher of all and the reservoir of all
pleasure, these persons, like the wrestlers, could not appreciate His
true identity. Among them He manifested (rasabhasa) in the mood
of anger (raudra).

For His parents, meaning either nanda and Vasudeva, or else

Vasudeva and Devaki, He appeared as an infant, indicating that
they appreciated His svarupa, since being the son of nanda and
being the son of Vasudeva are both His true identity. Thus they
were experiencing the mood of parental love (vatsalya-rasa) and
also, because they saw that there persons present who wanted to
hurt Him, the mood of compassion (karuna-rasa).

For the King of the Bhojas, Kamsa, He was death. Since being
death is not the svarupa of Krishna, whose nature is to pour down
rains of sweet, intoxicating nectar, thus His real identity was not
appreciated by Kamsa. For Him the Lord manifested a dim
reflection of transcendental taste in the mood of fright
(bhayanaka).

For the ignorant, Kamsa's priests and other offenders, He appeared

as virat, a particular ordinary person. Such bewildered persons
might say, "Just see, what sort of supreme Lord is this? We don't
here in the Vedas that God pursues other men's wives or that He
slaughters cows and other creatures. at this moment His limbs are
contaminated with the bones and blood of some living being,
which is wicked for even ordinary men. Thus He is repulsive to
our eyes." since such extremely sinful persons thus engaged (in
criticizing) had not attraction for Krishna, being untintelligent and
even more fallen than demons such as Kamsa, the mood He
manifested among them was the rasabhasa of ghastliness
(bibhatsa).

For the yogis, such as sanaka, He was the supreme truth in person,
the param brahma, which indicates that they did appreciate His
true identity. He manifested among them the mood of neutrality
(santa-rasa). For the Vrsnis He was their supreme deity, the
worshipable Supreme Personality of Godhead. thus they
appreciated His svarupa in the mood of servitude (dasya-rasa).

In this manner, since among the ten kinds of persons present, four
kinds, being inimical, were unable to appreciate the transcendental
moods of relationship with Him, thus (the remaining) six classes of
persons relished eight rasas. thus the statement that raso vai sah
rasah hy ayam labdhvanandi bhavati ("When one's transcendental
mood approaches Him, the reservoir of all loving moods, one
becomes filled with ecstaty") becomes certain, in as much that
Krishna himself is displayed in the tenth Canto on the stage of the
wrestling arena in Mathura as rasa itself. The proper explanation
of the above statement of sruti on the topic of rasa is that even one
who is already in ecstasy becomes ecstatic upon achieving this
Krishna, rasa personified, and becomes himself a reservoir of
ecstasy (ananda-bhumavan).

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati

The one supreme Lord Sri Krishnacandra is the embodiment of all

the various rasas, such as conjugal love, expressed in such Vedic
statements as raso vai sah rasam hy evayam labdhvanandi bhavati.
This is made apparent in the present verse. The meaning of the
word rasa is described as follows:

vyatitya bhavana-vartma
yas camatkara-bhara-bhuh
hrdi sattvojjvale badham
svadate sa raso matah

"That which is properly relished within the perfectly purified heart

imbued with full-blown pure goodness or sthayi-bhava when the
path of ordinary understanding is transcended, and which has at its
foundation an immensity of wonder, is called rasa."

Neutrality, servitude, friendship, paternity and conjugal love are

the five main rasas, and humor, amazement, chivalry, compassion,
fury, fear and disgust are the seven minor ones. thus there are
altogether twelve rasas. The exclusive object of all twelve is Sri
Krishna.

Those who hitherto neglectled Sri Krishna as an ordinary child

because of their abundant false pride in their own heroism-- such
wrestlers as Canura and Mustika-- now began to see Sri Krishna as
just like lightning. This is an instance of the mood of raudra-rasa.
The men who were sitting in the audience saw Him as the very
best of men, which is the example of the mood of wonder or
amazement. The young women, excepting Yasoda, Devaki and His
other mothers, saw Him as the original Cupid personified, which
exemplifies conjugal affection. The cowherd boys headed by
sridama saw Him as one of their own, a friend of the same age as
them; they are the prototypes of the rasas of friendship and humor.

The impious kings saw Him as the wielder of punishment, so that

they exemplify vira-rasa. The Lord's elders, such as Devaki,
Vasudeva and nanda, saw Him as an infant, which makes them
exemplars of parental and compassionate affection. The Lord's
enemies, headed by Kamsa, saw Him as death, making them
examples of the mood of bhayanaka or fear, and unintelligent
persons saw Him as the material Virat-rupa; this exemplifies the
rasa of ghastliness. The yogis saw Him as the supreme Brahman,
as the example of neutrality, and the Yadus saw Him as their
supreme deity, which makes the embodiment of the mood of
servitude.

TEXT 18

hatam kuvalayapidam
drstva tav api durjayau
kamso manasy api tada
bhrsam udvivije nrpa

TRANSLATION

When Kamsa saw Kuvalayapida dead and the two brothers

undefeatable, He became exceedingly anxious, O King.

Sridhara Svami
Udvivije means "He became frightened."

Visvanatha Cakravarti

Manasvy api (as an alternate reading for manasy api) means "even
though a great hero." Or else, even though before He was agitated
with anxiety, now He became completely overtaken by anxiety.

TEXT 19

tau rejatu ranga-gatau maha-bhujau

vicitra-vesabharana-srag-ambarau
yatha natav uttama-vesa-dharinau
manah ksipantau prabhaya niriksatam

TRANSLATION

The two mighty-armed Lords appeared splendidly arrayed with

variegated ornaments, garlands and clothing, just like a pair of
excellently costumed actors. With their effulgences they perturbed
the minds of all onlookers.

Sridhara Svami

"Like a pair of actors" shows their fearlessness.

Visvanatha Cakravarti

They stood touching (sprsantau, an alternate reading for

ksipantau) (the onlookers') minds, embracing the mind and
adhering to it.

TEXT 20
 niriksya tav uttama-purusau jana
manca-sthita nagara-rastraka nrpa
praharsa-vegotkaliteksanananah
papur na trpta nayanais tad-ananam

TRANSLATION

O King, looking upon them, the two supreme Personalities, the

eyes and faces of the people sitting in the audience from the city
and the suburbs blossomed broadly. With their eyes they drank
from the Lords' faces without becoming satiated.

Sridhara Svami

Whose eyes became expanded wide (utkalita = ujjrmbhita) by the

force of their joy, they drank the faces of the two of them, yet still
they were not satiated. That is to say, they did not become relieved
of their hankering.

Visvanatha Cakravarti

By swiftness of their joy, (like) the speed of the sunrise, the

lotuses of their eyes and faces bloomed (utkalitani = vikasitani).
They drank the sweetness of His face.

TEXTS 21-22

pibanta iva caksurbhyam

lihanta iva jihvaya
jighranta iva nasabhyam
slisyanta iva bahubhih

ucuh parasparam te vai

yatha-drstam yatha-srutam
tad-rupa-guna-madhurya-
 pragalbhya-smarita iva

TRANSLATION

While looking at Krishna and Balarama, the people seemed to be

drinking them with their eyes, licking them with their tongues,
smelling them with their noses and embracing them with their
arms. Reminded of their beauty, character, charm and bravery,
they began to describe to each other these features of the two Lords
according to what they had heretofore seen and heard.

Sridhara Svami

(Text 21) this is further described by the verse beginning pibantah.

As if embracing (slisyantah = parisvangam kurvantah); so, it is
implied, was their appearance.

(Text 22) "as seen," the breaking of the bow and so on, and "as
hard," the lifting of Govardhana and so on-- without going beyond
these various topics (they discussed); that is to say, they spoke
following these topics. And also (they discussed what they
experienced) by direct perception-- the two Lords' beauty adorned
with the elephant's tusk and so on; their qualities of heroism and so
on; their sweetness in their smiling, speaking and so on; and their
bodlness (pragalbhyam). By these they were as if made to
remember (smarita iva = smaranam prapita iva).

Visvanatha Cakravarti

The phrases "as if drinking..." and so on express the various

symptoms of the expanding of their eyes, the movement of their
nostrils and their smelling deeply with their wide open noses and
the waving of their arms. The spoke without going outside of what
they had seen, such as the breaking of the bow, and what they had
heard, such as the lifting of Govardhana. They were made to
remember His forms such as His dark-blueness and His holding in
His hand the tusk smeared with blood, His qualities such as His
heroism, His varieties of sweetness such as His laughter and
sidelong glances, and His boldness as in His lack of hesitation in
breaking the bow. By these opulent displays and so on of His
which they had heard about they were made to remember. (the last
part of this sentence I cannot make out: ity anadhikarartham.)

TEXT 23

etau bhagavatah saksad

dharer Narayanasya hi
avatirnav ihamsena
vasudevasya vesmani

TRANSLATION

The people said: these two are certainly expansions of the

supreme Lord hari Narayana who have descended to this world in
the home of Vasudeva.

Sridhara Svami

The statements of the amazed people are related by the eight

verses beginning etau (texts 23-30).

Visvanatha Cakravarti

"As plenary expansions" is stated because this is what they who

were present there perceived.

TEXT 24

esa vai kila devakyam

jato nitas ca gokulam
 kalam etam vasan gudho
vavrdhe nanda-vesmani

TRANSLATION

This Krishna took birth from mother Devaki and was brought to
Gokula, where He has remained incognito for all this time,
growing up in the house of King nanda.

Sridhara Svami

The word kila can be applied to all these verses.

TEXT 25

putananena nitantam
cakravatas ca danavah
arjunau guhyakah kesi
dhenuko 'nye ca tad-vidhah

TRANSLATION

He caused Putana to meet her death and also the whirlwind demon
trnavarta. He pulled down the twin arjuna trees and killed
sankhacuda, Kesi, dhenuka and other similarly demonic persons.

Sridhara Svami

The Guhyaka is sankhacuda, and "others" means such demons as

aghasura.

Visvanatha Cakravarti

The Gukyaka is sankhacuda.

 TEXT 26

gavah sa-pala etena

davagneh parimocitah
kaliyo damitah sarpa
indras ca vimadah krtah

TRANSLATION

He saved the cows and their keepers from the forest fire, subdued
the serpent Kaliya and removed the false pride of Lord indra.

(No commentaries)
TEXT 27

saptaham eka-hastena
dhrto 'dri-pravaro 'muna
varsa-vatasanibhyas ca
paritratam ca gokulam

TRANSLATION

For an entire week He held up the best of mountains with a single

hand, protecting the inhabitants of Gokula from the rain, wind and
hail.

(No commentaries)

TEXT 28

gopyo 'sya nitya-mudita-

hasita-preksanam mukham
pasyantyo vividhams tapams
taranti smasramam muda
 TRANSLATION

By seeing His perpetually cheerful, smiling face, which never

showed signs of fatigue, the gopis overcame all sorts of distress
and experienced great happiness.

Sridhara Svami

The face which was asramam, meaning either "slightly fatigued"

or "free from fatigue." Or else, they crossed over in such a away as
to receive shelter (yatha asramam bhavati).

Visvanatha Cakravarti

Of Him, Krishna. The various (distresses) such the prohibitions

and scoldings of their husbands, mothers-in-law and other
relatives.

TEXT 29

vadanty anena vamso 'yam

yadoh su-bahu-visrutah
sriyam yaso mahatvam ca
lapsyate pariraksitah

TRANSLATION

It is said that under His protection the dynasty of Yadu will

become extremely famous and will gain wealth, glory and power.

Sridhara Svami

Protected by Him, the dynasty of Yadu is becoming very much

famous and will achieve opulence and so forth; this they say.
Visvanatha Cakravarti

(Repeats

Sridhara Svami.)

TEXT 30

ayam casyagrajah sriman

ramah kamala-locanah
pralambo nihato yena
vatsako ye bakadayah

TRANSLATION

This elder brother of His, Lord Balarama, is the proprietor of all

transcendental opulences. He has killed Pralamba, Vatsaka, Baka
and other demons.

Sridhara Svami

The confused statements about (Lord Balarama's being the killer

of) Dhenuka, Vatsasura and Bakasura is because of misinformation
within the ordinary people's opinions.

Visvanatha Cakravarti

(Repeats Sridhara Svami.)

TEXT 31

janesv evam bruvanesu

turyesu ninadatsu ca
krsna-ramau samabhasya
 canuro vakyam abravit
TRANSLATION

While the people were talking in this manner and the musical
instruments played resoundingly, the wrestler Canura spoke up,
addressing Krishna and Balarama as follows.

Sridhara Svami

While the people were talking like this, Canura, who could not
tolerate it, spoke up.

TEXT 32

he nanda-suno he Rama
bhavantau vira-sammatau
niyuddha-kusalau srutva
rajnahutau didrksuna

TRANSLATION

O son of nanda, O Rama, You two are well respected by heroic

athletes are skillful fighters. Hearing this, the King, wanting to see
for himself, has called You here.

Visvanatha Cakravarti

"Fighting" means arm-to-arm wrestling.

TEXT 33

priyam rajnah prakurvatyah

sreyo vindanti vai prajah
manasa karmana vaca
viparitam ato 'nyatha
 TRANSLATION

Subjects of the King who carry out His pleasure with their
thoughts, acts and words are sure to win the greatest benefit. those
who fail to do so will suffer the opposite result.

(No commentaries)

TEXT 34

nityam pramudita gopa

vatsa-pala yatha-sphutam
vanesu malla-yuddhena
kridantas carayanti gah

TRANSLATION

For certain cowherd boys engaged in tending the calves are

always joyful and play at wrestling with each other while grazing
their animals in the various forests.

Visvanatha Cakravarti

Answering the question "how is that the two of us are expert in

fighting?" (Canura) speaks the verse beginning nityam.

TEXT 35

tasmad rajnah priyam yuyam

vayam ca karavama He
bhutani nah prasidanti
sarva-bhuta-mayo nrpah

TRANSLATION
Therefore, what do you say? Let us do what is the King's pleasure.
Everyone will be satisfied with us, because the King embodies
within himself all living beings.

Sridhara Svami

He Krishna, let us do what pleases the King. When the King is

pleased all living beings also become pleased.

TEXT 36

tan nisamyabravit krsno

desa-kalocitam vacah
niyuddham atmano 'bhistam
manyamano 'bhinandya ca

TRANSLATION

Hearing this, Lord Ksrna responded with words appropriate to the

time and place. He himself felt the desire to fight, and
acknoweldged this in His reply.

(No commentaries)
TEXT 37

praja bhoja-pater asya

vayam capi vane-carah
karavama priyam nityam
tan nah param anugrahah

TRANSLATION
 Lord Krishna said: although forest dwellers, we are also subjects
of the King of the Bhojas. The greatest source of mercy for us will
be to always gratify His desires.

(No commentaries)
TEXT 38

bala vayam tulya-balaih

kridisyamo yathocitam
bhaven niyuddham madharmah
sprsen malla-sabha-sadah

TRANSLATION

We are just young boys, and should play at fighting with those of
equal stregnth. The fight must go on in a proper way so that
irrelgion does not taint the respectable spectators of this wrestling
match.

Sridhara Svami

The fight, the arm-to-arm wrestling, should go on in a proper way.

Irreligion should not touch (ma sprset = na sprset) the people who
have the privilege of being in the wrestling assembly. Or else, this
is a vocative, "O wrestler."

Visvanatha Cakravarti

Irreligion should not touch those who are privileged to be in the

wrestling assembly; therefore, He implies, we will play with boys,
because otherwise irreligion will accrue.

TEXT 39
 canura uvaca
na balo na kisoras tvam
balas ca balinam varah
lilayebho hato yena
sahasra-dvipa-sattva-bhrt

TRANSLATION

Canura said: You are not really a child or even a young man, and
neither is that strongest of the strong, Balarama. After all, it was
You who killed the elephant who possessed the strength of a
thousand other elephants.

Sridhara Svami

(Kuvalayapida), who furthermore had the stregnth of a thousand

elephants.

TEXT 40

tasmad bhavadbhyam balibhir

yoddhavyam nanayo 'tra vai
mayi vikrama varsneya
balena saha mustikah

TRANSLATION

So You two should fight with powerful wrestlers; there is no

injustice in that. Show me You prowess, O descendant of Vrsni,
and Mustika can fight with Balarama.

Sridhara Svami
 With strong persons like myself. anaya means "irreligion." show
Your prowess (vikrama = parakramam kuru). The implied thought
by logical connection is "Mustika should be shown His prowess."