Furious, Cāṇūra attacked Lord Vāsudeva with the speed of a hawk and struck His chest with both fists.

COMMENTARY

The women said, “Certainly there is irreligion (dharma vatikramaḥ) in this assembly (samājasya), so no one should stay here. Therefore we should immediately leave this place.”

 

|| 10.44.10 ||

na sabhāṁ praviśet prājñaḥ sabhya-doṣān anusmaran

abruvan vibruvann ajño naraḥ kilbiṣam aśnute

TRANSLATION

A wise person should not enter an assembly if he knows the participants there are committing acts of impropriety. And if, having entered such an assembly, he fails to speak the truth, speaks falsely or pleads ignorance, he will certainly incur sin.

COMMENTARY

Another group of women spoke, quoting the rules of the scriptures: “We have committed offense by coming here. If someone knows that there is injustice in an assembly and remains silent, or else speaks contrary to irreligious principles or acts as if ignorant saying, “I don’t know” even though one does in fact know; in any of these cases he will certainly incur sin. Therefore he should not enter the assembly.”

 

“This prohibition against entering the assembly is for the wise person who is concerned with worldly activities, but not for the wise person who is indifferent to such. For example, Mahābhārata explains that during the gambling match when Draupadī suffered her misfortune in the royal assembly, wise men such as Bhīṣma, who were concerned with worldly affairs, simply stood silently, whereas the learned Vidura, who was indifferent to ordinary affairs, exclaimed, ‘And you talk about religious duty!’ Thus all the wise persons in the wrestling arena are afraid of Kaṁsa, because they are overly attached to worldly affairs.”

 

|| 10.44.11 ||

valgataḥ śatrum abhitaḥ kṛṣṇasya vadanāmbujam

vīkṣyatāṁ śrama-vāry-uptaṁ padma-kośam ivāmbubhiḥ

TRANSLATION

Just see the lotus face of Kṛṣṇa as He darts around His foe! That face, covered with drops of perspiration brought on by the strenuous fight, resembles a lotus covered with dew.

COMMENTARY

“But Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma do not appear to be fatigued. There is no fault in this match since They are seen to be very strong.” Anticipating such an objection, the Mathurā ladies speak this verse. “See! Due to being pursued here and there by His opponent Kṛṣṇa is showing fatigue, and has perspiration all over His moon-like face.” Vadana-ambuja means moon face, since the word ambuja means lotus, moon or conch. Later in the verse Kṛṣṇa’s face is compared with a lotus.

 

|| 10.44.12 ||

kiṁ na paśyata rāmasya  mukham ātāmra-locanam

muṣṭikaṁ prati sāmarṣaṁ hāsa-saṁrambha-śobhitam

TRANSLATION

Don’t you see the face of Lord Balarāma, with its eyes copper-red from His anger toward Muṣṭika and its beauty enhanced by His laughter and His absorption in the fight?

COMMENTARY

The ladies said, “The reason for Balarāma’s anger (sāmarṣaṁ) is the fatigue brought about by Muṣṭika’s blows. Balarāma appeared splendid being absorbed in fighting and laughing.”

 

|| 10.44.13 ||

puṇyā bata vraja-bhuvo yad ayaṁ nṛ-liṅga

gūḍhaḥ purāṇa-puruṣo vana-citra-mālyaḥ

gāḥ pālayan saha-balaḥ kvaṇayaṁś ca veṇuṁ

vikrīdayāñcati giritra-ramārcitāṅghriḥ

TRANSLATION

How pious are the tracts of land in Vraja, for there the primeval Personality of Godhead, disguising Himself with human traits, wanders about, enacting His many pastimes! Adorned with wonderfully variegated forest garlands, He whose feet are worshiped by Lord Śiva and goddess Ramā vibrates His flute as He tends the cows in the company of Balarāma.

COMMENTARY

In this verse the wives of the yajñic brāhmaṇas in Vraja, or some ladies who share the same mentality, express their prema which is mixed with an awareness of Kṛṣṇa’s opulences (aiśvarya-jñāna) due to their torment of not having His association. Becoming intolerant of the unjust behavior of the onlookers, the ladies condemn the city of Mathurā because of their pain at seeing Kṛṣṇa in what they consider an unfair wrestling match. Thus they praise Vraja and its inhabitants, and by that criticize Mathurā and it residents.

 

They said, “How astonishing it is (bata)! Materialistic people cannot understand (gūḍhaḥ) the human-like form (nṛ-liṅga) that Kṛṣṇa displays in Vraja. Kṛṣṇa wanders around engaging in various playful activities according to His own desires. We in Mathurā are most unfortunate because we simply persecute Him like this, and these people are simply watching. Though Vraja is just a forest, it is most fortunate, for there Kṛṣṇa played His flute and blissfully engaged in pastimes as the Vrajavāsīs looked on with bliss.”

 

This is the implication of their words. The word añcati (wanders) is in the present tense because the women thought that Kṛṣṇa would return to Vraja. Actually however, the words cleverly establish here that the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa are eternal, as confirmed in the scriptures.

 

|| 10.44.14 ||

gopyas tapaḥ kim acaran yad amuṣya rūpaṁ

lāvaṇya-sāram asamordhvam ananya-siddham

dṛgbhiḥ pibanty anusavābhinavaṁ durāpam

ekānta-dhāma yaśasaḥ śrīya aiśvarasya

TRANSLATION

What austerities must the gopīs have performed! With their eyes they always drink the nectar of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s form, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equaled or surpassed. That loveliness is the only abode of beauty, fame and opulence. It is self-perfect, ever fresh and extremely rare.

COMMENTARY

“Those who have accrued heaps of pious activities are born in the land of Vraja! Among them, the gopīs are the best.” That is expressed in this verse.

 

The ladies said, “What austerities did the gopīs do? If anyone is omniscient, then please tell us what austerities they performed. We will perform the same austerities and be born as gopīs in Vraja. They drink the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s beauty while we at the arena drink the poison of His injuries. We sit here, filled with fever from the tips of our nails to the tips of our hair.”

 

By mentioning that as a result of austerities the gopīs could see the beauty of Kṛṣṇa’s form, they also indicate that it resulted in being embraced by Kṛṣṇa’s arms, which could not be expressed in words on that occasion.

 

The ladies said, “One should not say that Kṛṣṇa is most excellent because of His superior beauty. Rather, the essence of all beauty is His very svarūpa (lāvaṇya sāram).”

 

But, it may be objected, since Kṛṣṇa’s form is being exhibited on the earth, which is inferior to His own spiritual realms, therefore the beauty of Lord Nārāyaṇa in Mahā Vaikuṇṭha, the best of worlds, must be even sweeter than this. To this objection the ladies reply with the word asamordhvam, indicating that there is no beauty even equal to this, what to speak of any greater. But then from where did Kṛṣṇa acquire this beauty? This they answer with the word ananya-siddham (self-perfect), meaning that such beauty is innate in Kṛṣṇa.

 

That may be so, but if the gopīs are constantly seeing this one form, it will no longer be so amazing after some time. The ladies reply, “Kṛṣṇa’s form becomes newer at every moment (anusava-abhinavam). It is forever increasingly amazing.”

 

So, if this is the case then the women of all other lands should also go there and take pleasure in seeing Kṛṣṇa. “No,” the ladies reply, “This form is unattainable even for goddess Lakṣmī.”

 

Granted, Kṛṣṇa’s beauty is His super excellent quality. But Nārāyaṇa and others possess the full measure of six opulences and are designated as Bhagavān. The ladies counter this objection by saying ekānta-dhāma, “Kṛṣṇa alone is the exclusive abode and topmost reservoir of all the six opulences beginning with fame (yaśasaḥ), beauty (śriyaḥ) and so on.”

 

|| 10.44.15 ||

yā dohane ’vahanane mathanopalepa

preṅkheṅkhanārbha-ruditokṣaṇa-mārjanādau

gāyanti cainam anurakta-dhiyo ’śru-kaṇṭhyo

dhanyā vraja-striya urukrama-citta-yānāḥ

TRANSLATION

The ladies of Vraja are the most fortunate of women because, with their minds fully attached to Kṛṣṇa and their throats always choked up with tears, they constantly sing about Him while milking the cows, winnowing grain, churning butter, gathering cow dung for fuel, riding on swings, taking care of their crying babies, sprinkling the ground with water, cleaning their houses, and so on. By their exalted Kṛṣṇa consciousness they automatically acquire all desirable things.

 

COMMENTARY

“And even while doing household chores, the gopīs were not stopped from drinking the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness.” That is the intent of this verse.

 

The ladies said, “While milking the cows and doing other chores, such as swinging or sprinkling water on the ground, the Vraja-gopīs would sing about Kṛṣṇa’s name, form and qualities and have visions of Him. In this way, they taste the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa with both their tongues and their eyes without interruption. Exalted personalities like Brahmā keep Kṛṣṇa in their minds. Kṛṣṇa Himself, however, due to being completely attached (anurakta-dhiyaḥ) to the Vraja-gopīs, always carries them in His heart (urukrama citta yānāh). This shows the supremacy of the gopīs’ good fortune.”

 

|| 10.44.16 ||

prātar vrajād vrajata āviśataś ca sāyaṁ

gobhiḥ samaṁ kvaṇayato ’sya niśamya veṇum

nirgamya tūrṇam abalāḥ pathi bhūri-puṇyāḥ

paśyanti sa-smita-mukhaṁ sa-dayāvalokam

TRANSLATION

When the gopīs hear Kṛṣṇa playing His flute as He leaves Vraja in the morning with His cows or returns with them at sunset, the young girls quickly come out of their houses to see Him. They must have performed many pious activities to be able to see Him as He walks on the road, His smiling face mercifully glancing upon them.

COMMENTARY

The ladies said, “When Kṛṣṇa goes to the forest from Vraja in the morning and returns in the evening, the gopīs hear His flute and run out of their houses. They meet Kṛṣṇa in the small groves situated along the cow paths. Seeing that they are suffering due to separation, Kṛṣṇa mercifully glances upon them to fulfill their desires. This is the fortune of the women of Vraja.”

 

|| 10.44.17 ||

evaṁ prabhāṣamāṇāsu strīṣu yogeśvaro hariḥ

śatruṁ hantuṁ manaś cakre bhagavān bharatarṣabha

TRANSLATION

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] As the women spoke thus, O hero of the Bhāratas, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the master of all mystic power, made up His mind to kill His opponent.

COMMENTARY

Though the ladies were talking among themselves, Kṛṣṇa, being the best of yogīs (yogeśvaro hariḥ) could hear it. Thus He decided to kill Cāṇūra, in order to keep these ladies, who were very much attached to Him, from suffering.

 

|| 10.44.18 ||

sa-bhayāḥ strī-giraḥ śrutvā putra-sneha-śucāturau

pitarāv anvatapyetāṁ putrayor abudhau balam

TRANSLATION

Out of affection for the two Lords, Their parents [Devakī and Vasudeva] became overwhelmed with sorrow when they heard the women’s fearful statements. They grieved, not knowing their sons’ strength.

COMMENTARY

Pitarāv refers to Kṛṣṇa parents, Vasudeva and Devakī, or His two fathers Nanda and Vasudeva. Lamenting over the situation, Kṛṣṇa’s parents thought, “Why didn’t we keep our sons at home? When leaving Vraja why didn’t we tell Akrūra not to bring Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to this wrestling arena? Why did we allow Them to participate in this corrupt exhibition?”

 

The parental affection of Kṛṣṇa’s mother and father covered their awareness of their son’s incomparable strength and thus they felt remorse. There is the suggestion that this ignorance of their son’s powers was temporary.

 

|| 10.44.19 ||

tais tair niyuddha-vidhibhir vividhair acyutetarau

yuyudhāte yathānyonyaṁ tathaiva bala-muṣṭikau

TRANSLATION

Lord Balarāma and Muṣṭika, expertly displaying numerous wrestling techniques, battled each other in the same way that Lord Kṛṣṇa and His opponent did.

COMMENTARY

Just as Kṛṣṇa and Cāṇūra (acyutetarau) fought with each, so Balarāma fought with Muṣṭika.

 

|| 10.44.20 ||

bhagavad-gātra-niṣpātair vajra-nīṣpeṣa-niṣṭhuraiḥ

cāṇūro bhajyamānāṅgo muhur glānim avāpa ha

TRANSLATION

The harsh blows from the Supreme Lord’s limbs fell like crushing lightning bolts upon Cāṇūra, breaking every part of his body and causing him more and more pain and fatigue.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa injured Cāṇūra’s limbs with hard blows crushing like lightning bolts.

 

|| 10.44.21 ||

sa śyena-vega utpatya muṣṭī-kṛtya karāv ubhau

bhagavantaṁ vāsudevaṁ kruddho vakṣasy abādhata

TRANSLATION