॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
14 May 2023, Sunday - Srimad Bhagavatam X.a43 - Sri Krishna kills Kuvalayapeeda who attacks him at the entrance of the Wrestling Arena. He then accepts the challenge from Chanura.
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Sri Krishna and Balarama bathed and readied themselves to proceed to the Wrestling Arena when they heard the proclamation of the public proceedings along with the beat of kettledrums. At the entrance to the Arena, they saw a huge elephant, the infamous Kuvalayapeeda, with its mahout blocking their way.
Sri Krishna calmly girded up his loins, tied the upper cloth around his waist, tied his long hair in a bunch at the back, and spoke to the mahout:
अम्बष्ठाम्बष्ठ मार्गं नौ देह्यपक्रम मा चिरम् । नो चेत्सकुञ्जरं त्वाद्य नयामि यमसादनम् ॥
T: In a voice that rumbled deep and loud like thunder, Sri Krishna spoke: “Oh, Mahout! Mr Mahout! Quickly give us the way by moving aside with your animal. Otherwise, I shall despatch your elephant as well as you to the domain of Death!”
Thus sternly warned, the mahout reacted with fury. He goaded the elephant, who looked like the embodiment of Death, to attack Sri Krishna. The elephant rushed and violently seized Sri Krishna with his trunk. But instantly, Sri Krishna managed to slip from the grasp, then he gave a terrific blow to the animal, and crawled out between the elephant’s legs.
Kuvalayapeeda was incensed at being unable to see Sri Krishna. Using his keen sense of smell, again he managed to snare Sri Krishna in his trunk, but again only to see him slip off by using force. Now it was Sri Krishna’s turn. He grabbed Kuvalayapeeda by his tail and dragged him around twenty-five yards (bow-lengths) like Garuda would play with his prey of a snake.
The elephant swerved right and left, trying to release himself, and Sri Krishna was seen swerving in the opposite way. The scene was reminiscent of a cowherd dragging a calf by his rope! Sri Krishna now jumped to the front, struck the elephant on his trunk hard, and ran hither and thither with the enraged tusker in hot pursuit. Soon, the elephant was unable to manoeuvre himself and fell down.
Now Sri Krishna fell to the ground in a feint, and Kuvalayapeeda thought his target was down and out. He rushed forward to goad his victim. But Sri Krishna rolled away in the nick of time, and the elephant, missing him, dug his tusks hard into the earth.
The elephant was non-plussed. But the mahout goaded him on, shouting, “Attack, Kill!” He again charged Sri Krishna. The Supreme Lord, killer of the demon Madhu, confronted the elephant as he attacked. Seizing his trunk with one hand, Sri Krishna threw him to the ground.
तमापतन्तमासाद्य भगवान्मधुसूदनः । निगृह्य पाणिना हस्तं पातयामास भूतले ॥
पतितस्य पदाऽऽक्रम्य मृगेन्द्र इव लीलया ।
दन्तमुत्पाट्य तेनेभं हस्तिपांश्चाहनद्धरिः॥
मृतकं द्विपमुत्सृज्य दन्तपाणिः समाविशत् । अंसन्यस्तविषाणोऽसृङ्मदबिन्दुभिरङ्कितः ।
विरूढस्वेदकणिकावदनाम्बुरुहो बभौ ॥
T: Bhagavan Sri Hari, as Sri Krishna, now grabbed the tusk of Kuvalayapeeda as he was coming up, and astoundingly flipped him to the ground. Lord Hari then climbed on to the elephant with the ease of a mighty lion, pulled out his tusk, and using it as a weapon, he quickly killed the beast and his keepers. Leaving the dead elephant aside, Sri Krishna held on to the tusk and entered the wrestling arena.
With the tusk poised on his shoulder, drops of the elephant’s blood and sweat sprinkled all over him, and his lotus face covered with fine drops of his own perspiration, the Lord shone with great beauty. Balarama had extracted the other tusk and followed, along with the cowherd boys.
मल्लानामशनिर्नृणां नरवरः स्त्रीणां स्मरो मूर्तिमान्
गोपानां स्वजनोऽसतां क्षितिभुजां शास्ता स्वपित्रोः शिशुः ।
मृत्युर्भोजपतेर्विराडविदुषां तत्त्वं परं योगिनां
वृष्णीनां परदेवतेति विदितो रङ्गं गतः साग्रजः ॥ १७॥
T: The poet Vyasa paints the gamut of emotions felt by all those assembled in the arena as they set their eyes on Bhagavan Sri Krishna accompanied by his elder brother.
"To the wrestlers, he appeared as a lightning bolt (a force of nature beyond a wrestler’s grasp). To the people in general, he appeared as a supreme human being. To the women, he looked like the God of Love, Manmatha. The cowherds of Gokula seated behind King Nanda saw him as one of their own. The kings siding with Kamsa in his misdeeds saw him as the supreme punisher. Nanda and Yashoda felt only parental love towards their boy. Kamsa, the king of Bhojas, saw him as Death! To the simple folk unlettered in scriptures, he appeared as the Universal God. The Yogis saw him as the Eternal Universal Truth to be realized. All the Vrishnis felt here was their God for their worship."
Kamsa was all angst when Kuvalayapeeda was killed. He realised that these brothers seemed invincible. His anxiety was extreme.
Arrayed with variegated ornaments, garlands and garments, just like a pair of excellently costumed actors, the two mighty-armed brothers shone splendidly in the arena. Indeed, They overpowered the minds of all onlookers with their radiance. People were wide-eyed seeing these two divinities. They drank in their presence in various ways. Their eyes drank their beauty, their tongues tasted them, their nostrils smelt their fragrance, their arms embraced them, all of course within their minds.
एतौ भगवतः साक्षाद्धरेर्नारायणस्य हि । अवतीर्णाविहांशेन वसुदेवस्य वेश्मनि ॥
एष वै किल देवक्यां जातो नीतश्च गोकुलम् ।
कालमेतं वसन् गूढो ववृधे नन्दवेश्मनि ॥
T: “These two boys are certainly incarnations of Bhagavan Sri Hari Narayana who have descended on earth in the home of Vasudeva. Sri Krishna was born to Devaki and was at once brought to Gokula, where he grew up in concealment in the home of Nanda.”
"Sri Krishna put an end to Putana, and Trinavarta; he demolished the Arjuna trees, and killed Shankhachuda, Keshi, Dhenuka and others!”
“Didn’t Sri Krishna save the Gopas from the forest fire, tame the serpent Kaliya, and quell the pride of Indra by holding aloft Govardhana for a whole week!? How he protected the citizens of Gokula for a whole week from rain, wind and hail!”
“The Gopis overcame all kinds of distress and experienced great happiness by seeing Sri Krishna’s face, which is always cheerful with smiling glances and ever free of fatigue.”
“It is said that under Sri Krishna’s full protection, the Yadu dynasty will become extremely famous and attain wealth, glory and power!”
“Sri Krishna’s lotus-eyed elder brother, Balarama, is no less in divinity! He has killed Pralamba, Vatsaka, Baka and other demons!”
***
While the people were chatting like this and the musical instruments were being played loudly, the wrestler Chanura addressed the brothers with the following words.
“Oh Krishna, son of Nanda, and oh Rama! You two are well respected by courageous men and are both skilful at wrestling. Having heard of your prowess, the King has called you here, wanting to see your prowess for himself. The subjects of the King who try to please him with their thoughts, acts and words are sure to achieve good fortune, but those who fail to do so will suffer the opposite fate. It is well known that cowherd boys are always joyful as they tend their calves and that the boys playfully wrestle with each other while grazing their animals in the various forests.”
“Therefore, boys, let’s do what the King wants. Everyone will be pleased with us, for the king symbolizes all living beings.”
Hearing this, Sri Krishna, who liked to wrestle and welcomed the challenge, replied with words chosen appropriately to suit the time and place.
Sri Krishna said, “Although we are forest-dwellers, we are also subjects of the Bhoja king. We must fulfil his desires, for such behaviour will benefit us most. But we are just young boys and should play with those of equal strength. The wrestling match must go on properly so that Adharma does not taint this august assembly.”
Chanura responded: “Come on, Krishna! You aren’t really a child or even a young man, and neither is Balarama, the strongest of the strong. After all, you playfully killed an elephant with the strength of a thousand other elephants! Therefore you two should fight powerful wrestlers. There’s certainly nothing unfair about that. You, Krishna can show your prowess against me, and Balarama can fight with Mushtika!”
***
॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
