॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
15 May 2023, Monday - Srimad Bhagavatam X.a44 - After the wrestlers are killed by Sri Krishna and Balarama, Kamsa orders his soldiers to finish them off and destroy Nanda, Vasudeva etc. Sri Krishna then attacks Kamsa and kills him.
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श्रीशुक उवाच
एवं चर्चितसङ्कल्पो भगवान्मधुसूदनः । आससादाथ चाणूरं मुष्टिकं रोहिणीसुतः ॥
T: Sage Shuka narrated: "Having decided so, Bhagavan took on Chanura and Balarama engaged with Mushtika in wrestling."
हस्ताभ्यां हस्तयोर्बद्ध्वा पद्भ्यामेव च पादयोः । विचकर्षतुरन्योन्यं प्रसह्य विजिगीषया ॥
अरत्नी द्वे अरत्निभ्यां जानुभ्यां चैव जानुनी । शिरः शीर्ष्णोरसोरस्तावन्योन्यमभिजघ्नतुः ॥परिभ्रामणविक्षेपपरिरम्भावपातनैः । उत्सर्पणापसर्पणैश्चान्योन्यं प्रत्यरुन्धताम् ॥
उत्थापनैरुन्नयनैश्चालनैः स्थापनैरपि । परस्परं जिगीषन्तावपचक्रतुरात्मनः ॥
T: "Seizing each other’s hands and locking legs, they wrestled intensely. Blows to fists with fists, knees with knees, head against head, torso against torso went on. Each caught his opponent, dragging him in circles, shoving, crushing, throwing him down, chasing him, and so on. The wrestlers were hurting the opponents as much as suffering blows to themselves, relentless for victory."
The battle drew women and others who had gathered close to the arena. They were gasping and lamenting that the young and slender boys were being forced to contend with much bigger and stronger professional wrestlers. They cried, "This is Adharma! This is against the fair rules of a competition! We shall not remain here as mute witnesses and share in the sin of such evil contests. Look at Sri Krishna's tender face with sweat running down like dew drops on a lotus! Look at Balarama's copper red-eyes as he fights furiously! The boys are smiling as they wrestle with these mountain-like giants of rock-hard men in such an unequal contest!"
"Bhagavan Sri Krishna, worshipped even by Brahma and Shiva, has sanctified Vraja with his holy feet. The women of Vraja are so blessed to be close to him." And so on. These lamentations were heard as far away as in their prison cell by Vasudeva and Devaki, who grieved for their tender sons.
Sri Krishna now felt enough was enough and he should end the fight. He rained such thunderbolts of blows that Chanura's limbs were crushed. Chanura in turn attacked Sri Krishna with a terrific blow to his chest, which the Lord miraculously simply brushed aside! Sri Krishna now grabbed Chanura by his arms and swung him around violently several times and dashed him to the ground as the wrestler's clothes and hair flew into disarray. Chanura collapsed like a palatial column and lay dead. Similarly, Mushtika was dealt with by Balarama and he vomited blood as he fell down dead like a tree felled by a stormy wind.
Three other powerful wrestlers pounced on Sri Krishna and Balarama but were despatched to the world of Yama instantly by the brothers who tore them down. The rest of the wrestlers ran away to save themselves.
Kamsa now shouted in rage: "Oh, soldiers, drive these two wicked sons of Vasudeva out of Mathura! Confiscate all the Gopas' property and arrest Nanda! Kill that evil fool, Vasudeva! Let me go kill that old fool Ugrasena (Kamsa's father!) and his associates who sympathise with our enemies!"
These orders that Kamsa shouted now provoked Sri Krishna into extreme rage. He leapt up to the throne and attacked Kamsa even as Kamsa drew his sword and shield to hurt Sri Krishna.
तं खड्गपाणिं विचरन्तमाशु श्येनं यथा दक्षिणसव्यमम्बरे ।
समग्रहीद्दुर्विषहोग्रतेजा यथोरगं तार्क्ष्यसुतः प्रसह्य ॥
प्रगृह्य केशेषु चलत्किरीटं निपात्य रङ्गोपरि तुङ्गमञ्चात् ।
तस्योपरिष्टात्स्वयमब्जनाभः पपात विश्वाश्रय आत्मतन्त्रः ॥
तं सम्परेतं विचकर्ष भूमौ हरिर्यथेभं जगतो विपश्यतः ।
हा हेति शब्दः सुमहांस्तदाभूदुदीरितः सर्वजनैर्नरेन्द्र ॥
T: As Kamsa swerved sideways with raised sword and shield like a hawk trying to strike and dodge, Sri Krishna was extremely powerful and caught him like Garuda would a snake. He knocked off Kamsa's crown, caught him by his hair, and hurled him from his high altar onto the wrestling mat. Bhagavan Vishnu, with His lotus navel, who holds the entire universe in His being, now leapt up and landed fiercely on Kamsa's chest. Kamsa died instantly. The people assembled saw the Lord dragging the dead king's corpse like a lion drags the carcass of an elephant he has killed. They raised an uproar, "Ha! Ha! What has happened!"
Now Sage Shuka says something very important!
स नित्यदोद्विग्नधिया तमीश्वरं पिबन् वदन् वा विचरन् स्वपन् श्वसन् ।
ददर्श चक्रायुधमग्रतो यतस्तदेव रूपं दुरवापमाप ॥
T: "Kamsa, full of anxiety anticipating his death at the hands of Bhagavan, had eaten, drunk, walked, slept, and breathed of nothing but Bhagavan with His Sudarshana Chakra and His other weapons. Bhagavan was constantly in front of him day and night for years now. This was an incomparably intense meditation, albeit in dread, of the Lord! So we should understand that Kamsa now assumed identity with the Lord (यतस्तदेव रूपं दुरवापमाप )!"
Kamsa's eight brothers came to attack Sri Krishna. Balarama finished them off with a huge Parigha in one blow.
The gods assembled above, with Brahma, Shiva and others, were chanting Bhagavan's praises and sounding kettledrums in celebration of the restoration of good and the eradication of evil. They showered flowers on Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Their queens danced in the skies.
Meanwhile, the queens of Kamsa and his brothers rushed to their husbands' dead bodies, lamenting about losing their protectors and becoming widows. They felt that the city had lost all its lustre. They could not help lamenting that Kamsa had brought about this fate only by his constant misdeeds. How could he survive after going against Lord Sri Krishna who is the protector and sustainer of all!?
Sri Krishna consoled them. He arranged for all the funeral rites to be performed as per rules. Then Sri Krishna and Balarama went quickly to release their parents in their prison cell. They bowed low to Devaki and Vasudeva.
देवकी वसुदेवश्च विज्ञाय जगदीश्वरौ । कृतसंवन्दनौ पुत्रौ सस्वजाते न शङ्कितौ ॥
Sage Shuka says that the father and mother felt a strange emotion, not merely that of parents, but those in the presence of the two incarnations of the supreme Bhagavan who had come to rescue them. Therefore they stood with their palms joined in salutation.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
