Krishna Narayana

Mixed emotions were floating in the amphitheatre where the wrestling match was being conducted. While some wept seeing small boys being made to fight gigantic mountain-sized wrestlers, some outrightly condemned it as unrighteous. Some remained neutral enjoying each scene as it unfolded while some others, who sympathized with Kamsa, were eagerly awaiting the death of the boys in the hands of the wrestlers. Some were impatiently waiting for Krishna to overpower his opponent and were puzzled that he was taking more time than necessary to win this combat. In reality, it was no case of match-fixing; it was a match that was genuinely being fought on righteous terms.

“Some in the audience said, ‘Undoubtedly those seated in this assembly are tainted with the sin caused due to watching an unrighteous match. one should never remain at that place where unrighteousness is ruling. It is better we depart from here.

na sabhāḿ praviśet prājñaḥ sabhya-doṣān anusmaran

abruvan vibruvann ajño naraḥ kilbiṣam aśnute

A wise person who is aware of the deficiencies within the participants should never enter that assembly wherein unrighteousness rules. This is because after entering such assembly if he fails to speaks truth, utters falsehood or remains neutral, he is also tainted with sin. As such we have erred by coming here’.”

We should attend only those gatherings that are righteous. In an unrighteous gathering, the person lands in trouble irrespective of whom he decides to side with. In case he chooses to remain neutral too, he lands into trouble.

They continued, ‘Just observe the lotus face of Krishna and Cānura’s hair as they run around fighting. Look how Krishna runs trying to overpower His opponent. His face that is filled with drops of perspiration resembles the tender lotus which contains droplets of water on it.

Do you see Balarama’s face which, with eyes slightly red due to anger towards Muṣṭika and with his laughter, is illumining? Totally engrossed in fight, he appears to be strained.

The two lads are running around their opponents without giving a chance to be caught in their grip. How shamelessly the gigantic monsters are stomping the land with their humungous feet and are relentlessly chasing the two little brothers.

Aha! How fortunate are the lands in Gokula! This is because the Supreme Lord Srihari, whose feet are worshipped by Lord Shiva, the resident of Kailasa, and by Mother Lakshmi, has donned a human incarnation and wanders incognito in those sacred lands. Accompanied by Balarama, He wanders through the forests in that land wearing garlands made of forest-flowers, tending to cows, playing the flute and playfully engaging in many sports.

What wondrous penance the Gopikas would have performed in the past! As a result of their penance they were able to drink with their eyes the nectar called the lovely face and form of Srikrishna, which is of unparalleled beauty. There is nothing that can match the loveliness in this face which appears to turn lovelier by the minute. No jewel in this creation can ever match such beauty, which is beyond any form of comparison. His lovely form is the eternal abode for prosperity, renown, splendour and lordliness.

Those feet which are devotionally washed by Lord Brahma and worshipped ardently by Lord Shiva are today running in this stadium”.

Aha! His face looks divine when He is afraid. It looks divine when He smiles. It is grand when He is angry. It looks fabulous when He sweats. It is captivating with droplets of blood dripping from it. The half-broken ornaments hanging from His neck look adorable. When He wears the peacock-feather, He looks handsome. Without the peacock-feather also He looks handsome. When He held the tusk in his hand, He looked adorable. Without it in His hand now, He still looks adorable. Whatever may be the dress or the ornament- He looks divine.

“How fortunate are the Gopikas of Brindavan. Due to feelings of love, their intellects were filled with Krishna. What to say of their devotion! Even to this minute, they are thinking exclusively about Him alone’- in this way, the ladies seated in the amphitheatre were commenting as they watched the combat”.

People who sided with Kamsa were similarly praising Cānura and Muṣṭika and predicting their victory over the two boys. They were saying, ‘Look at how wonderfully Cānura and Muṣṭika are handling the two lads. They are making the boys run all over the ground such that they get tired. Thereafter they will catch the boys and crush them as one would crush a deer’.

Initially all of them were stupefied at the sight of the Lord in their midst. For some time, their mind remained focussed on Him alone. Thereafter their mind began to wander again towards their inherent natures.

“Some in the audience said, ‘He is the Lord who has measured the three worlds with His feet’. With such thoughts, their eyes welled up with tears. Those cowherds who had arrived from Brindavan along with Nanda were weeping seeing little Krishna combating the mighty Cānura. In their anxiety over his welfare, their voices chocked. They turned emotional.

Meanwhile, the residents of Mathura thought, ‘Aha! The fortune of the ladies of Brindavan is beyond all measure. Irrespective of the work at hand their mind remains focussed on Him alone. While milking the cows, pounding paddy, sprinkling water, churning yoghurt, pacifying the crying infant, rocking the swing, gardening, bathing their children, sweeping, mopping, bathing and during all other activities they continue to sing the glories of their beloved Lord Srikrishna.

dhanyā vraja-striya urukrama-citta-yānāḥ

In the early hours of the morning, Krishna leaves for the forest along with the cows. During Sunset he plays the flute as He returns home. The Gopikas who are truly blessed, run out of their homes upon hearing the flute and observe His smiling face as He enters the hamlet. The Lord too would look at them with compassion’.

Even as the ladies were discussing thus amongst themselves, Srikrishna the destroyer of sinners, made up his mind to kill His opponent. He is the Lord of all mystical powers.

Devaki and Vasudeva, the parents of Balarama and Krishna, had been imprisoned by Kamsa. The fearful words spoken by the ladies seated in the amphitheatre reached their ears”.

In fact, even Krishna and Balarama heard these fearful utterances of the women seated in the audience.