श्रीशुक उवाच ।
अथ कृष्णश्च रामश्च कृतशौचौ परन्तप ।
मल्लदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषं श्रुत्वा द्रष्टुमुपेयतुः ॥ १॥
रङ्गद्वारं समासाद्य तस्मिन् नागमवस्थितम् ।
अपश्यत्कुवलयापीडं कृष्णोऽम्बष्ठप्रचोदितम् ॥ २॥
बद्ध्वा परिकरं शौरिः समुह्य कुटिलालकान् ।
उवाच हस्तिपं वाचा मेघनादगभीरया ॥ ३॥
अम्बष्ठाम्बष्ठ मार्गं नौ देह्यपक्रम मा चिरम् ।
नो चेत्सकुञ्जरं त्वाद्य नयामि यमसादनम् ॥ ४॥
एवं निर्भर्त्सितोऽम्बष्ठः कुपितः कोपितं गजम् ।
चोदयामास कृष्णाय कालान्तकयमोपमम् ॥ ५॥
करीन्द्रस्तमभिद्रुत्य करेण तरसाग्रहीत् ।
कराद्विगलितः सोऽमुं निहत्याङ्घ्रिष्वलीयत ॥ ६॥
सङ्क्रुद्धस्तमचक्षाणो घ्राणदृष्टिः स केशवम् ।
परामृशत्पुष्करेण स प्रसह्य विनिर्गतः ॥ ७॥
पुच्छे प्रगृह्यातिबलं धनुषः पञ्चविंशतिम् ।
विचकर्ष यथा नागं सुपर्ण इव लीलया ॥ ८॥
स पर्यावर्तमानेन सव्यदक्षिणतोऽच्युतः ।
बभ्राम भ्राम्यमाणेन गोवत्सेनेव बालकः ॥ ९॥
ततोऽभिमुखमभ्येत्य पाणिनाऽऽहत्य वारणम् ।
प्राद्रवन् पातयामास स्पृश्यमानः पदे पदे ॥ १०॥
स धावन् क्रीडया भूमौ पतित्वा सहसोत्थितः ।
तं मत्वा पतितं क्रुद्धो दन्ताभ्यां सोऽहनत्क्षितिम् ॥ ११॥
स्वविक्रमे प्रतिहते कुञ्जरेन्द्रोऽत्यमर्षितः ।
चोद्यमानो महामात्रैः कृष्णमभ्यद्रवद्रुषा ॥ १२॥
तमापतन्तमासाद्य भगवान्मधुसूदनः ।
निगृह्य पाणिना हस्तं पातयामास भूतले ॥ १३॥
पतितस्य पदाऽऽक्रम्य मृगेन्द्र इव लीलया ।
दन्तमुत्पाट्य तेनेभं हस्तिपांश्चाहनद्धरिः ॥ १४॥
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Śrī Śuka began again : Having finished Their bath etc., the next day, and hearing the loud noise of the wrestlers and the din of kettledrums, O chastiser of foes, Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma went to see the tournament. (1)
Having duly reached the entrance of the amphitheatre, Śrī Kṛṣṇa saw stationed there the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa as directed by its driver. (2)
Tightening the cloth round His waist (by way of preparation for an encounter) and tying up His curly locks, Śrī Kṛṣṇa (a scion of Śūra) challenged the keeper (as follows) in a voice deep as the rumbling of clouds:—(3)
"O driver, O driver! allow us passage; clear out without delay. If not, I shall presently despatch you alongwith the elephant to the abode of Death." (4)
Threatened thus, the driver full of rage goaded the elephant—which had (already) been enraged and which looked like Yama (the chastiser of beings subject to the ravages of Time)—towards Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (5)
Running towards Him, the lordly elephant quickly seized Śrī Kṛṣṇa with its trunk. He (however) slipped off from (the coils of) the trunk and, striking it (with His fist), disappeared in the midst of its legs. (6)
Failing to perceive Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Ruler even of Brahmā and Lord Śiva), the infuriated animal, which could discover things through scent, caught hold of the Lord with the end of its trunk. He (however) forcibly escaped from its hold. (7)
Tightly seizing the mighty elephant by the tail, He (then) violently pulled it by way of sport to a distance of twenty-five bows (or a hundred cubits) without pausing even as Garuḍa (possessed of beautiful wings) would drag a cobra. (8)
(Keeping hold of its tail all the while) the immortal Lord whirled with the elephant, which was being caused to revolve contrariwise when it turned either to the left or to the right (in order to catch hold of Śrī Kṛṣṇa), even as a boy would with a calf that was (similarly) made to revolve (by him). (9)
Then, advancing in front of the elephant and striking it with His hand, the Lord in His attempt to throw it down ran swiftly (before it) so close that He looked as though being touched by it at every step. (10)
While running, the Lord sportfully toppled down on the ground and immediately got up (and stood aside). Taking Him to be fallen (yet) the angry elephant struck the ground with its tusks. (11)
Infuriated at its prowess having been frustrated and being urged by its keepers, the lordly elephant ran towards Śrī Kṛṣṇa in rage. (12)
Approaching the elephant (even) as it came rushing, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Slayer of the demon Madhu), caught hold of its trunk with His hand and hurled it down to the ground. (13)
Treading on the fallen animal like a lion (the king of beasts), and sportfully extracting its tusks Śrī Hari killed with it the elephant as well as its keepers. (14) (1-14)
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मृतकं द्विपमुत्सृज्य दन्तपाणिः समाविशत् ।
अंसन्यस्तविषाणोऽसृङ्मदबिन्दुभिरङ्कितः ।
विरूढस्वेदकणिकावदनाम्बुरुहो बभौ ॥ १५॥
वृतौ गोपैः कतिपयैर्बलदेवजनार्दनौ ।
रङ्गं विविशतू राजन् गजदन्तवरायुधौ ॥ १६॥
मल्लानामशनिर्नृणां नरवरः स्त्रीणां स्मरो मूर्तिमान्
गोपानां स्वजनोऽसतां क्षितिभुजां शास्ता स्वपित्रोः शिशुः ।
मृत्युर्भोजपतेर्विराडविदुषां तत्त्वं परं योगिनां
वृष्णीनां परदेवतेति विदितो रङ्गं गतः साग्रजः ॥ १७॥
हतं कुवलयापीडं दृष्ट्वा तावपि दुर्जयौ ।
कंसो मनस्व्यपि तदा भृशमुद्विविजे नृप ॥ १८॥
तौ रेजतू रङ्गगतौ महाभुजौ
विचित्रवेषाभरणस्रगम्बरौ ।
यथा नटावुत्तमवेषधारिणौ
मनः क्षिपन्तौ प्रभया निरीक्षताम् ॥ १९॥
निरीक्ष्य तावुत्तमपूरुषौ जना
मञ्चस्थिता नागरराष्ट्रका नृप ।
प्रहर्षवेगोत्कलितेक्षणाननाः
पपुर्न तृप्ता नयनैस्तदाननम् ॥ २०॥
पिबन्त इव चक्षुर्भ्यां लिहन्त इव जिह्वया ।
जिघ्रन्त इव नासाभ्यां श्लिष्यन्त इव बाहुभिः ॥ २१॥
ऊचुः परस्परं ते वै यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् ।
तद्रूपगुणमाधुर्यप्रागल्भ्यस्मारिता इव ॥ २२॥
एतौ भगवतः साक्षाद्धरेर्नारायणस्य हि ।
अवतीर्णाविहांशेन वसुदेवस्य वेश्मनि ॥ २३॥
एष वै किल देवक्यां जातो नीतश्च गोकुलम् ।
कालमेतं वसन् गूढो ववृधे नन्दवेश्मनि ॥ २४॥
पूतनानेन नीतान्तं चक्रवातश्च दानवः ।
अर्जुनौ गुह्यकः केशी धेनुकोऽन्ये च तद्विधाः ॥ २५॥
गावः सपाला एतेन दावाग्नेः परिमोचिताः ।
कालियो दमितः सर्प इन्द्रश्च विमदः कृतः ॥ २६॥
सप्ताहमेकहस्तेन धृतोऽद्रिप्रवरोऽमुना ।
वर्षवाताशनिभ्यश्च परित्रातं च गोकुलम् ॥ २७॥
गोप्योऽस्य नित्यमुदितहसितप्रेक्षणं मुखम् ।
पश्यन्त्यो विविधांस्तापांस्तरन्ति स्माश्रमं मुदा ॥ २८॥
वदन्त्यनेन वंशोऽयं यदोः सुबहुविश्रुतः ।
श्रियं यशो महत्वं च लप्स्यते परिरक्षितः ॥ २९॥
अयं चास्याग्रजः श्रीमान् रामः कमललोचनः ।
प्रलम्बो निहतो येन वत्सको ये बकादयः ॥ ३०॥
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Leaving the dead elephant (where it was), the Lord duly entered the amphitheatre, tusk in hand. Stained with drops of blood as well as with those of ichor and with a tusk resting against one of His shoulders and His lotus-like face bedecked with drops of sweat appearing on it, He looked (most) charming. (15)
Surrounded by a few Gopas and with the tusks of the elephant for Their excellent weapons, Baladeva and Śrī Kṛṣṇa (who is solicited by the people) entered the amphitheatre, O king ! (16)
Present in the amphitheatre by the side of Balarāma (His elder brother), the Lord appeared as a thunderbolt to the wrestlers, a jewel among men to the male persons, love incarnate to the ladies (other than the elderly ones), a kinsman to the cowherds (of Vraja), a chastiser to the vile princes, a (mere) child to His parents, death (personified) to Karhsa (the ruler of the Bhojas), as deficient in strength and immature of body to the ignorant, the supreme Reality to the Yogis and the highest Divinity to the Vṛṣṇis. (17)
Finding (the elephant) Kuvalayāpiḍa killed and also perceiving the two Brothers difficult to conquer, Karhsa, though self-possessed, felt much terrified at that time, O protector of men! (18)
Decorated in a queer fashion, decked with quaint jewels and garlands and clad in weird garments and captivating the mind of the lookers-on with Their brilliance, the two mighty-armed Brothers shone in the amphitheatre like a pair of actors dressed in an excellent garb. (19)
Gazing on the aforesaid foremost Persons, the people of the city as well as of the country, who were seated on the galleries, O protector of men, and whose eyes and faces were blooming with an outburst of ecstatic joy, drank in the beauty of Their countenance with (the cup of) their eyes, but did not feel sated. (20)
They seemed to drink off (the beauty of) the two Brothers with their eyes, to lick Them with their tongue, to inhale Them with their nostrils and to clasp Them with their arms. (21)
As though put in mind of Their story by (the sight of) Their comeliness of form, excellences, loving disposition and intrepidity, the onlookers spoke to one another (as follows) in the light of whatever they had actually seen and whatever they had heard (of the two Brothers):—(22)
“Actually descended through a part of Lord Śrī Hari Himself, who has His abode in water (in the form of Nārāyaṇa), these two Brothers have appeared on this earth in the house of Vasudeva. (23)
This (younger) One (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) was, it is understood, born as a matter of fact of Devakī and taken to Gokula (for fear of being killed by Karhsa). Dwelling all this time incognito he grew up (to this age) at the residence of Nanda. (24)
By Him was put to an end Pūtanā as well as the demon (Tṛṇāvarta,) who appeared in the form of a whirlwind, the demigod (Śaṅkhacūḍa), the demons Keśī (who came in the form of a horse) and Dhenuka (who lived in the guise of a donkey) and others of that class, and the two Arjuna trees uprooted. (25)
By this Boy were the cows along with their keepers rescued from a forest fire, the snake Kāliya subdued and Indra (the ruler of the gods) rid of his pride when Govardhana (the chief of the mountains) was borne by Him on one hand for a week and (the land of) Vraja protected from rain, storm and strokes of lightning. (26-27)
Beholding with joy His ever-cheerful and smiling face enlivened with penetrating glances the cowherd women overcame agonies of various kinds without any effort. (28)
The wise declare that, protected in every way by the yonder Boy, this race of Yadu will become very well-known and attain prosperity, renown and glory. (29)
And here is His elder brother, the glorious Balarāma of lotus-like eyes, by whom was slain Pralamba as well as the demon who came disguised as a calf and others of whom Baka was the foremost. (30)
- Although the demons Vatsa and Baka were slain by Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Dhenuka by Bala, the people of Mathurā were evidently misinformed that the former two had been killed by Bala and the last-named by Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
(15-30)
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जनेष्वेवं ब्रुवाणेषु तूर्येषु निनदत्सु च ।
कृष्णरामौ समाभाष्य चाणूरो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ ३१॥
हे नन्दसूनो हे राम भवन्तौ वीरसम्मतौ ।
नियुद्धकुशलौ श्रुत्वा राज्ञाऽऽहूतौ दिदृक्षुणा ॥ ३२॥
प्रियं राज्ञः प्रकुर्वन्त्यः श्रेयो विन्दन्ति वै प्रजाः ।
मनसा कर्मणा वाचा विपरीतमतोऽन्यथा ॥ ३३॥
नित्यं प्रमुदिता गोपा वत्सपाला यथा स्फुटम् ।
वनेषु मल्लयुद्धेन क्रीडन्तश्चारयन्ति गाः ॥ ३४॥
तस्माद्राज्ञः प्रियं यूयं वयं च करवाम हे ।
भूतानि नः प्रसीदन्ति सर्वभूतमयो नृपः ॥ ३५॥
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While the people were talking thus and trumpets were loudly sounding, Cāṇūra (the foremost of the king's wrestlers) accosted Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and spoke (to Them) as follows:—(31)
"O Kṛṣṇa (Nanda's darling), O Balarāma, both of you are esteemed (by the people) as heroes ! On hearing of you as skilled in wrestling, you have been invited (to participate in the tournament) by the king, who has been eager to see you. (32)
Subjects doing precisely by thought, word and deed what is agreeable to their king attain to prosperity indeed; while those acting otherwise than this meet with contrary results. (33)
It is well-known how cowherds, from the time they begin to tend calves, daily pasture their cows with great joy in woodlands, diverting themselves with wrestling. (34)
Therefore, let yourselves as well as ourselves, O boys, do what is liked by the king. (If the king is pleased, all) beings will be pleased with us; (for) the king is an embodiment of all creatures." (35) (31-35)
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तन्निशम्याब्रवीत्कृष्णो देशकालोचितं वचः ।
नियुद्धमात्मनोऽभीष्टं मन्यमानोऽभिनन्द्य च ॥ ३६॥
प्रजा भोजपतेरस्य वयं चापि वनेचराः ।
करवाम प्रियं नित्यं तन्नः परमनुग्रहः ॥ ३७॥
बाला वयं तुल्यबलैः क्रीडिष्यामो यथोचितम् ।
भवेन्नियुद्धं माधर्मः स्पृशेन्मल्लसभासदः ॥ ३८॥
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Hearing the aforesaid speech (of Cāṇūra) and welcoming it, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who regarded wrestling (with him) as something to His liking, gave the following reply, which was appropriate to the occasion and place (of the dialogue):—(36)
"We too, who dwell in the woods, as well as yourselves are the subjects of this king of the Bhojas. Let us (all therefore) always do what would please him; through such behaviour his infinite grace will descend on us. (37)
Youngsters as we are, we shall (however) sport with those who are our equals in strength. Let there be a well-matched wrestling bout, so that no sin (of allowing an unequal match) may attach to those present in the assembly, O (great) wrestler ! (38) (36-38)
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चाणूर उवाच ।
न बालो न किशोरस्त्वं बलश्च बलिनां वरः ।
लीलयेभो हतो येन सहस्रद्विपसत्त्वभृत् ॥ ३९॥
तस्माद्भवद्भ्यां बलिभिर्योद्धव्यं नानयोऽत्र वै ।
मयि विक्रम वार्ष्णेय बलेन सह मुष्टिकः ॥ ४०॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां
दशमस्कन्धे पूर्वार्धे कुवलयापीडवधो नाम त्रिचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः ॥ ४३॥
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Cāṇūra replied : You are neither a youngster nor a lad; nor is Bala, the foremost of the mighty, of such description, by both of whom the elephant (Kuvalayāpiḍa), that possessed the strength of a thousand elephants, was disposed of in (mere) sport. (39)
Therefore, you both should (unhesitatingly) contend with powerful rivals; there will be no unrighteousness involved in your doing so. Show your prowess against me, O scion of Vṛṣṇi, and let Muṣṭika try his strength with Bala. (40)
Thus ends the forty-third discourse entitled "The elephant Kuvalayāpiḍa killed (by Śrī Kṛṣṇa)," in the first half of Book Ten of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Sarhhitā. (39-40)
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