Lord Krishna kills Kamsa
“Tatah sudamno bhavanam mala-karasya jagmatuh” (SB 10.41.43)
Krishna comes across a shop of a floweriest. The name of the shopkeeper was Sudama, its different, don’t confuse, Krishna was studying with Sudama and there is a Sridhama from Vrindavan. Krishna’s friend from Vrindavan is Sridhama and Sudama is from, you understand now. Sudama had gone with little chipped rice to Dwarka and they were studying together and this is yet another Sudama here. So immediately,
“tau drishtva sa samutthaya nanama shirasam” (SB 10.41.43)
So immediately he threw himself at the lotus feet of Krishna and Balarama, did whole padapuja and the prayers.
“Bhavantau kila vishvasya jagatah karanam param” (SB 10.41.46)
You are the cause of this entire creation.
“Avatirna avihamshena kshemaya ca bhavaya ca” (SB 10.41.46)
For the benefit of this whole world, you have appeared in this material existence. So he had full understanding of who these two prabhus are. He wasn’t like that washer man, who was dull headed, he had no clue saying, “Who do you think you are?” But this Sudama already knows who they were. “Oh! I know who you are, please accept my obeisance’s first of all.” Such a difference.
Ity abhipretya rajendra
sudama prita-manasah
shastaih su-gandhaih kusumair
mala viracita dadau (SB 10.41.49)
Sudama took two best flower garlands with fresh flowers, “shastaih su-gandhaih,” they were very very fragrant, “kusumair,” with nice flowers and offered them around the necks of Krishna and Balarama, Krishna and Balarama were highly pleased. They said, “Ask for a benediction, we are very pleased. Whatever boon you wish to have, just ask.” And this Sudama, he asked, “acalam bhaktim,” I want devotional service, what kind, steady, “acalam,” fixed up, I want to be fixed up in my devotional service. And two more things, and of course, bhakti unto whom,
“Tasminn evakhilatmani,” “tasminn evakhilatmani.”
That Supreme Personality of Godhead that is two of you are unto you. I want bhakti that is fixed, steady up.
Tad-bhaktesau ca sau hardam
bhutesau ca dayam param (SB 10.41.51)
And two more things, I want friendly relationship with the devotees of Krishna. I want to be friendly. What else? “Bhutesau ca dayam param,” I want to be kind, courteous with all living entities. If you wish, you may grant this boon. And both Lords were pleased, so they said, “tathastu.” We bless you.
Then they proceed with those blessings. As they continue, they come across another scene.
“Raja-pathena vrajan madhavah” ( SB 10.42.1)
Madhava, the husband of Lakshmi, Krishna is going by Rajapath. Getting closer to Kamsa’s palaces, there is some distance but much closer now. So, they see some lady, kind of bent, hunchbacked, kubja there. She has a plate and some sandalwood and other different pastes are there and she is kind of hurrying on that big wide road leading to Kamsa’s palace. By seeing her, Lord is first of all smiling, looking at her smiling, wants to establish some friendship, He wants some favour from this lady. And he is opening dialogue, breaking the ice, “ka tvam,” who are you, hey who are you?
“Anulepanam kashyam” (SB 10.42.2)
For whom are you carrying this chandan, pastes, all this, who is it meant for? We were thinking, if you could offer this to us, look we have nice clothes, right? Garland is also there, what is missing is chandan. Then we will go to the photographer, (laughs), so chandan was missing, so you have lots of chandan, is it possible that you apply some and if you did so then.
“Shreyas tatas te na cirad bhavishyati”
You know all good fortune will descend upon you quickly, you will see the result, reciprocation, if you offer this chandan.
“sairandhry uvaca.” Then the kubja says,
“dasy asmy aham sundara kamsa-sammat” (SB 10.42.3)
I am Kamsa’s maidservant, of king Kamsa, “trivikra-nama,” my name is Trivikra, naturally, they call me that way because I am bent in three places, not straight, tri– three, bent in three places. Oh! This chandan is meant, of course, for the Bhojapati, for the master of Bhoja dynasty, Kamsa but in fact I am thinking that, this would be nice offering for you, this sandalwood paste. You are most deserving candidates for this sandalwood. Saying so, she started applying the chandan all over the bodies, on face, on feet of the Lord. She had different colors of sandalwood. She offered, Krishna gets yellow colored chandan and Balarama gets blue, its a contrast, not matching their complexion but just contrast. So Krishna has yellow chandan and Balaram has blue one.
“Prasanno bhagavan kubjam trivakram rucirananam” ( SB 10.42.6)
So Lord being served was highly pleased with this Trivikra and is their turn now. She did her part and now it was their turn to do. Because they had mentioned, you just give us chandan and you will see what we do for you. And now they wanted to do that for her. And what did they do? (Maharaj instructs two devotees to do a drama related to the story, “stand up, its easy if we demonstrate it. This is Krishna, where is Kubja? Trivikra is bent in three places (laughter)).
So what Krishna did, the way it is described here, after playing his flute for a second or two, He placed His feet on her feet, okay, and He held her hair ( Maharaj laughs) with both the hands. (Hey down down down) and just gave her a lift up and she became very straight and she remained straight. (All devotees clap together). So that was the benediction of the Lord, and then she is also requesting as follows,
“ehi vara graham yamo
na tvam tyaktum ihotsahe prasida” (SB 10.42.10)
Let us go visit my home, she is proposing, and Lord has a mission to be accomplished. Doesn’t want to get distracted, said,
“eshyami te graham su-bhru” (SB 10.42.12)
Oh! For sure, Oh! Lady with su-bhru, nice eyebrows you have, certianly I would like to come, but not now, I would like to visit your home. And then their journey, their parikrama, their tour of Mathura continues.
“Tatah pauran pracchamano” (SB 10.42.15)
Krishna and Balarama enquired, aaee…sir, sir, you know, we are looking for that fire sacrifice, a dhanur yajna, is going on somewhere. Could you please tell us which way to go? This is a big town and they had heard its going to be a fire sacrifice, dhanur yajna. Dhanu, a bow, special bow of Kamsa. So they were given the direction, yes, yes, this way, not that way, Vrindavan is not this way.
“Karena vamena sa-lila uddhratam” (SB 10.42.17)
So they reached, where, Swaha!… Swaha!… Swaha!…, big yajna is going on. So many priests chanting Vedic mantras, fires, smoke, the mantras, a mystical experience going on, so many people have assembled because Kamsa wanted to give an impression that this is a festival time, a sacrifice time, so everyone is assembled around there and Krishna and Balarama, they are very very curious, so they go all the way, they are little children, so they are making their way through, pushing the people around. They wanted to go to the centre of the attraction, where does this end? What are they into? Where is this bow? Parshuram had given this bow, this was Indra’s bow given to Kamsa by Parshuram, when Kamsa was going all over the planet, universe also battling, fighting, defeating, conquering opposing elements and parties. He had pleased Parshuram who said, “Here, take this bow, I am pleased with you, and worship this,” so that bow was being worshiped by Kamsa’s men.
Kamsa was looking, preparations of the wrestling match, awaiting Lord’s arrival there. So what did this Krishna do? He picked up, he picked up the bow and tried to string the bow, for that you have to lift, so while stringing the bow, it was supposed to be very heavy, required hundreds of people to lift the bow. But this little 10 year, 11 year old boy, he rushed forward, he picked up the bow and he was stringing the bow, and in that process, the bow broke into two pieces. It is described like an elephant breaks the sugarcane, the long sugarcane, elephant likes to eat sugarcane, so with its trunk lifts and breaks sometimes, so as elephant does it so very easily, no big endeavor, on the part of elephant to break the sugarcane, so likewise Krishna also broke that heavy, very heavy bow just by lifting and attempting to string it.
“Dhanusao bhajyamanasya
shabdah khama rodasi dishah” (S.B 10.42.18)
So breaking of that bow, the sound of that spread all over, filling up the sky.
“Khama rodasi dishah”
And it was heard by Kamsa, “Shrutva Kamsa,” and as a result he became scared, because he was told, when Parshuram gave this bow to Kamsa, he was informed, although it is very heavy bow to handle and to pick it up and string it, but if it is ever done to the extent of breaking this bow, then Kamsa, you should understand that breaker of that bow will break your bones. (Devotees clap). You should understand that the same person would kill you. So Kamsa heard wherever he was, Oh! This is the sound of the breaking bow. Then he could see his death is getting closer, nearer. Although he was planning to kill Krishna and Balarama, on the contrary he was now smelling the presence of the death personified, very very much afraid. Already there were some guards there, at the place of sacrificial arena, at the same time, Kamsa sent some little army.
“Balam ca kamsa-prahitam” (S.B 10.42.21)
As bow was broken into two pieces, Krishna kept one and gave other to Balarama, Balarama, you take this. And those guards and everyone was coming, they are the culprits. This boy, he broke the bow, so they are trying to reach him, trying to kill him. As they were approaching, coming towards Krishna and Balarama, they were just smashing them with bows, breaking their heads, (Maharaj laughs), it was very heavy but not for Krishna and Balarama. Hitting and all the soldiers crushed to death. So everyone was just lying flat there, anyone coming in their direction was being dispatched to Yamapuri, it was going straight to abode of Yamaraj. Lord is kind also, so all this ended and Lords are continuing their trip of Mathura and more people are watching their beauty, appreciating, praying, worshipping and wondering, possibly, these are two Demigods. They have appeared on the earth and they are visiting this earth now, our town Mathura.
“Menire vibudhottamau” (S.B 10.42.22)
These are the thoughts of some of the residents of Mathura, so what happens at this juncture, it was getting late afternoon, towards the evening, so Krishna and Balarama, cowherd boys, they returned to the camp where all the carts were parked and the elderly men were looking after their belongings and milk products and taking care of bulls. Krishna and Balarama go to the camp and spent the night there.
“Ushatus tama sukham ratrim
gyatva kamsa-cikarshitam” (S.B 10.42.25)
It was night, pitch dark, furious Krishna and Balarama, very well know the whole evil plan of Kamsa, still inspite of all the information that they had received from Akrura and now they were experiencing that their lives were in danger, they were the target of Kamsa, but “sukham ratrim,” they had good night, good rest, they were not disturbed by what Kamsa was planning.
And its the next day, the day of wrestling match now,
“ranga-dvaram samasadya”
They go straight to wrestling match arena, grounds, it was on a hill top, so as they wanted to enter, were very close to the main gate, hundreds and thousands of the residents of Mathura town and Vrajamadal, whole district of Mathura had assembled to watch the wrestling match. They were waiting for Krishna and Balarama and some more wrestlers to come, some last minute preparations were going on. As Krishna and Balarama came, they are still outside, towards the entrance and the Kuvalayapida, they see huge, monstrous elephant, big size (sound of elephant in background), his name was Kuvalayapida. He was not one of those, we know, we have elephants everywhere in circus, in South Africa elephants everywhere on planet but this elephant was just very extraordinary.
This elephant was captured by who is that Kamsa’s father in law? Jarasandha, Jarasandha sent one hundred thousand other elephants with one hundred thousand of elephant riders riding on their back to corner and catch this Kuvalayapida in Vindhyachal, central India and with lots of endevour, they were able to, one hundred thousand elephants were used to catch this, bring under control this Kuvalayapida. When Jarasandha married his two daughters, Asthi and Prapti to Kamsa, he gave this elephant as a dowry, Kanyadaan and some more daan, Kamsa knew power of this elephant, and was confident enough that it would kill Krishna and Balarama. So strategically this Kuvalayapida was planted before the entrance of arena. So Krishna and Balarama came there and they say,
“Uvaca hastipam vacha
megha-nada-gabhiraya” (SB 10.43.3)
Krishna spoke immediately and his speech is described as megha-nada-gabhiraya, thundering,thundering, rumbling of the clouds. With deep voice Krishna addressed the hastipam, the elephant rider.
“Ambastah ambastah margam nau
dehya apakrama ma ciram
no cet kunjaram tvadya
nayami yama-sadanam” (SB 10.43.4)
They say ambastah, ambastah. Oh! Elephant keeper, Oh! Elephant keeper,
“margam nau dehya apakrama ma ciram,” please put elephant on side, we want to go, don’t block our path.
“No cet kunjaram tvadya
nay?mi yama-sadanam”
And if you delay in following our instructions or orders, then, ma ciram, immediately, we will send you to abode of Yamaraj. Hurry up.
“Evam nirbhartsito ambasthah
kupitah kopitam gajam
codayam asa krishanaya
kalantaka-yamopamam” (SB 10.43.5)
When that elephant keeper heard these two boy ordering and challenging, hey, get elephant out of way. It was not a little dog (maharaj laughs), it was an elephant, elephant does not get out people’s way, people have to get out of the way, not that you get elephant out of the way, elephant stays were elephant is and people go. So these two prabus, no, no, why on the way, on the side, clear the path, if you don’t, we have informed you the destination. So elephant rider became very very angry and not only had he become angry, he made the elephant angry, he enraged the elephant. And so elephant rushed forward in the direction of these two boys standing there, the elephant is hastily, speedily running, the elephant is like a big mountain there, and two boys are standing there, elephant is rushing and as elephant moved forward, elephant got hold of Krishna in his trunk, but Krishna quickly managed to slip away from the grip of elephant, Krishna hid himself underneath the elephant.
Krishna and Balarama, they hid the 4 legs, the big body, the elephant has small eyes and Krishna and Balarama, they were underneath, right underneath and elephant is kind of figure it out, where are the boys, they were in front of me, but where are they now, he is trying to identify. So quickly Krishna goes behind the elephant, catches hold of the tail of elephant and he is trying to pull behind and immediately elephant realized. Oh! These boys are at the back there, Krishna has held the tail and he is trying to pull and he managed pulling elephant.
“Dhanushah panca-vimshatim”
This is way of measuring the dhanus, the bow, whatever the length of the bow is so 25 lengths of the bow length that much they pulled him behind and,
“nagam suparna iva lilaya” (SB 10.43.8)
Like a Garuda, he plays with the snake, pulls the snake by the tail by back any way, so as Garuda could paly with the snakes, likewise Krishna was playing with this elephant, pulling and pushing, anything he wishes to do he was able to do, so much strength. And then from the back Krishna comes in front. Krishna and Kuvalayapida are face to face with,
“tato abhimukham abhyetya
paninahatya varanam” (SB 10.43.10)
Krishna gave a big, big slap to the elephant, He slapped the elephant.
“Sa dhavan kridaya bhumau
patitva sahasotthitah” (SB 10.43.11)
So the elephant collapsed on ground and Krishna manage to climb up on the body of the elephant and he pulled the tusks of elephant and uprooted them, again gave one to Balarama and they both started beating the elephant with his own tusks. They were beating and beating till elephant was no more. Hari Bol! Hari Bol!
This is even more detail, they not only killed the elephant but the elephant rider sent him to his destination.
“Tenebham hastipam cahanad dharih” (SB 10.43.14)
Hari killed hastipa, care taker of elephant and with this now Krishna and Balarama having lots of fun all around the town, day before, that town they entered, arena they come to the wrestling match. Kamsa has a big throne, he is seated, he is the king, the whole audience sitting there, thousands of them and Krishna and Balarama walk in, they walk in with tusks. So Kamsa got the news, what happened to the Kuvalayapida, hey look! Look! Those are the tusks of my elephant (laughs), he was hoping nothing else worked that, Kesi and Yomasura, there were so many attempts before attempting to kill Krishna, mala lilaya while wrestling, the wrestling match.
So all other attempts failed and finally Krishna and Balarama is there walking in with the tusks and wrestling begins, (drama was arranged by devotees on the lila, so Maharaj said he would not go in details of it). People were looking. Its unfair, look, size so many persons in the audience. No! No! This is not fair. No ! No! This is not a match, this is not fair, stop this, these little children and the giant size of other wrestlers.
So Chanura and Mustika and Shala and Toshala and Kuta, they are five of them, the five brothers, they were all wrestlers. And Kamsa had on time gone to their capital, he challenged all the five wrestlers, lets wrestle, let’s have a fight, if you defeat me, I will be your slave but in case I become victorious, you come to my capital I will engage you. So Kamsa, he was very powerful person, powerful demon, so he defeated all these 5 brothers, one by one. Chanura and Mustika and Shala and Toshala, Kuta. So they all had come to Mathura, and they were acting as ministers also. Kamsa had given them post and now he was using them to fight with Krishna and Balarama. So that also did not work. Wrestlers were not only defeated but killed and the next thing Krishna’s target was. Kamsa was on a big throne there, so Krishna climbs up, goes there drags him down and not much effort He had to do, he was able to kill him, big blows where there. So after Kamsa was killed, he had eight brothers, they came running to take revenge and Balarama killed all of them, all the brothers of Kamsa killed by Balarama.
There was nice music, cowherd boys were dancing to the tune of the music and everyone was being entertained, also became a big celebration for the devotees of the Lord. The demigods were again, the biggest demon ever killed, they did praising, praying, glorifying the Lord, singing, dancing and it was a great jubilation, a big celebration. Of course, the close family members, they got together, they were all lamenting and crying, so Krishna also goes, Krishna is also a family member, so he also joins the family members.Aasti, Prapti, the wives and others, Krishna was also crying.(Maharaj make crying sound, oh! Uncle) (laughter). You know I am doing drama but Krishna was not doing drama, he was seriously, his lamentation over the loss of his uncle. Krishna plays all roles perfectly, so as a family member, he was joining the family members, then we also understand here that, Krishna dragged body of Kamsa, took it all the way to Jamuna, to the Vishram Ghat and took some rest there.
JAI………….
HARI HARI
HARE KRISHNA……
HARE KRISHNA ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
HARIBOL……..