Defeat of Dhenukasura

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pada-samvahanam” is called “pada-samvahanam,” massaging the feet.

Kecit tasya mahatmanah
apare hata-papmano
vyajanaih samavajayan
(S.B 10.15.17)

They make fanning, “vyajanaih,” take some leaves, make little fan, (Maharaj is asking the audience looking at the painting of Krishna, Balaram and cowherd boys is someone fanning there? Must be, otherwise, this painting is incomplete). They fan Krishna.

anye tad-anurapanih
manojnani mahatmanah
gayanti sma maha-raja
(S.B 10.15.18)

Some sing, glorifying, yes, some singing is going on, chanting the glories of Krishna, so this is one scene, there are different, different scenes. Taking a look of different scenes from the spiritual sky, looking through different windows from different angles and then we get to see, we are seeing, looking at the spiritual sky, this is out of this world. What we are seeing is, is this in this world? This is out of the World; this is in the spiritual sky.

Shukadev Goswami

evam nigghunatma-gatih sva-mayaya
gopatmajatvam caritair vidambayan
(S.B 10.15.19)

He is Supreme Personality of Godhead, “rama-lalita-pada-pallavo.” That rama-laxmi.

laxmi sahastra sata sambhrama sevya manan

100’s and 1000’ of Laxmis are so anxious to serve the lotus feet of this Lord, but now He has taken the position of just a cowherd boy and He is just playing with them. But sometimes, Krishna also exhibits His, He is not one of them, He is someone extraordinary, Supreme, most powerful, so that exhibition is also there, He is different from them. By making that point, now Shukadev Goswami is going to describe that particular past time where Krishna and Balarama exhibited there extraordinary power by battling with Dhenukasur. Hari…

Sridama nama gopalo
rama-kesavayoh sakha
” (S.B 10.15.20)

So, Sridhama was one of the cowherd boys, Gopal and he was a sakha and introduction is he is sakha of Krishna and Keshav. What an introduction?

Jai! Sri Sri Guar Nitai Ki Jai!

They are the friends of Krishna and Balarama, this Sridama is.

subala-stokakrishanadya
gopah premnedam abruvan
” (S.B 10.15.20)

So, Sridama is addressing all the assembled friends there, especially he is addressing Krishna and Balarama, says,

My dear Balarama… Balarama… Balarama Maha-baahu

You are very powerful, your baahu, you are very strong. And Krishna

krishna dushta-nibarhana” (S.B 10.15.21)

You are expert in killing the demons, he says, not far from here, there is a forest where there are Tala trees, it’s a Talavana, very close to here is the Talavana.

phalani tatra bhurini” (S.B 10.15.22)

There are lots of fruits there, so while this presentation and the appeal is being made to Krishna and Balarama, they were in, what is that forest? Madhubana, near to Talabana, they were in Madhubana and they were proposing, not far from here, near here, there is a forest, Tala trees are there, “bhurini,” so many fruits, and the fruits are falling, ripe fruits, “phalam,” “galitam phalam,” galitam, they are just falling and there is no one to eat them, there is no one to eat those fruits. And how could they eat, there is this Dhenuka.

dhenukena duratmanah

He is dusta, this demon, rascal and he is “avaruddhani,” always stopping people, a big stumbling block and he is a

khara-rupa-dhrik” (S.B 10.15.23)

He has the form of ass, he is in the form of a big ass and he is not alone there,

atma-tulya-balair anyair” (S.B 10.15.23)

There are so many other friends also he has, they are also equally powerful, they always surround him. And if someone goes there, you know there was a news that, some people found out that some human beings were also eaten up by this Dhenukasur and since then no one dares to go that side and even no one can eat those fruits, no animals go there, even the birds are not flying over that forest, they are so scared of this demon.

vidyante abhukta-purvanih
phalani surabhani ca
” (S.B 10.15.25)

The fruits are so fragrant, you could smell, Krishna and Balarama, “Don’t you smell, smell them.” As the wind is blowing from that Talabana and carrying the aroma, that’s how Sridama is reminded of those fruits.

prayaccha tani nah krishna
gandha-lobhita-cetasam
” (S.B 10.15.26)

Could you please offer those fruits to us. Oh! Krishna and Balarama, is it possible?

vanchasti mahati rama
gamyatam yadi rocate
” (S.B 10.15.26)

We love those fruits, we are strongly willing, wanting those fruits, well it’s up to you. Finally it is up to you, if you like, you could take us there, we could take those fruits.

evam suhrud-vacah shrutva” (S.B 10.15.27)

When these words of his dear friend, which were on behalf of other friends, were heard by Krishna, Krishna, who is always anxious to do good to his friends.

suhrut-priya-cikirshaya
prahasya jagmatur gopair
vritau talavanam prabhu
” (S.B 10.15.27)

He smiled, He laughed, He heard of this demon and they like challenges, Krishna and Balarama, so they smilingly, they want to face the challenge. So Krishna and Balarama are now proceeding to Talabana and all the cowherd boys are saying,

“Let’s go, lets go. Haribol… Haribol… Haribol…” (Devotees responding Haribol… Haribol… Haribol…) They are all exicited. Come along, come along. (Devotees saying chalo… chalo… haribol… haribol…) Everyone has entered these pastimes.

balah pravishya bahubhyam
talan samparikampayan
” (S.B 10.15.28)

So they now reach the forest of Talabana and as soon as they entered, Balarama is the first one, he has held a big tree with both of his strong arms and he started shaking the tree.

phalani patayam masa
matam-gaja ivaujasa
” (S.B 10.15.28)

As if he is a big elephant, strong elephant, power like that, elephant could just break the branches and tress, they could uproot the trees. In Padyatra India, we had (laughs) elephant with us many times and he would do such things. One time he picked me up (laughs) (devotees laughing), I could, first time I could imagine (laughs) the strength (laughs), firsthand experience I had as he held my hand. So Balarama’s strength, so strong, Balarama, like that he started shaking the tree and the fruits are falling down and the cowherd boys are, they were about to pick them up and eat them but this demon came running.

nishamyasura-sabhah
abhyadhavat kshiti-talam
sa-nagam parikampayan
” (S.B 10.15.29)

This Dhenukasur, he was very heavy, like a small mountain, and he came running, the whole, as if there was earthquake, the whole earth was trembling and everything was moving and shaking and he was not alone, so many of his friends were around and accompanying, so this demon came running. And first thing this Dhenukasur did was, right in the chest of Balarama, he just hit and well that happened once.

dvabhyam padbhyam balam bali” (S.B 10.15.29)

Dhenukasur means he is ass, he is donkey, so their weapon is what? Especially the hind legs, since the face of the donkey was away from Balarama and his feet was towards Balarama, went closer to Balarama and with his hind legs, he hit Balarama in his chest. But Balarama is so strong, he did not budge an inch, he just stood there.

punar asadya

It became very furious, this demon and with more strength now, this time he hurled his hind feet and one more time, he hits the chest of Balarama. Now Balarama wants to do something, so now He is going to use the same technique as Krishna had used, the technique for killing Vatsasur. So Balarama held the hind legs of the demon Dhenukasur and “bhramayan,” he is whirling round more and more, faster and faster and shoooo! Jai! (Loud applause). It fell on the top of a tree there and he is still there, he lost his life.

Chikshepa trana-rajagre” (S.B 10.15.32)

The tall Tala tree, on the top of the tree, he fell but because he was very heavy demon, the tree is shaking and that tree fell on the nearby tree, and then that fall on nearby tree and like that the whole Tala forest was flat, all tress fell everywhere. Then the friends had come. (Laughs) The demon friends, they were also taken care off, they were also picked up and thrown. And “tatha,” this always happens, the Demigods, they always come to appreciate and glorify the Lord, they throw flowers, showers of flowers.

Here it goes this heavenly flowers are Californian flowers. (Devotes laugh) Just check out, lots of Demigods are up there.

/strong, we had (laughs) elephant with us many times and he would do such things. One time he picked me up (laughs) (devotees laughing), I could, first time I could imagine (laughs) the strength (laughs), firsthand experience I had as he held my hand. So /strong

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  1. APARNA KARALE

    JAY KRISNA

  2. jayabhadra

    jai gurudev

  3. JAYABHADRA

    HARE KRISHNA ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

  4. JAYABHADRA

    HARI,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

  5. jayabhadra dd

    jai