Chapter 85 - Kaṃsa is slain

Vyāsa said:

1. Thereafter, Kṛṣṇa saw a hump-backed lady in the prime of her youth, coming along the royal high-way with the vessel of unguent in her hand.

2. Kṛṣṇa gracefully said to her:—“O lady with the eyes like the blue lotus, to whom is this unguent being taken by you? Speak the truth.

3. She was addressed by him with love. She too had the feelings of love towards Kṛṣṇa. That hump-backed lady looked at him attentively and said gracefully.

The hump-backed lady said:

4. O loving one, why don’t you know me? I have been employed by Kaṃsa in the task of preparing unguents. I am well known as Naikavakrā.

5. The unguent ground and pasted by anyone else is not conducive to the delight of Kaṃsa. I am highly favoured by him and I am given much wealth too.

Śrīkṛṣṇa said:

6. May this fragrant unguent beautiful and befitting kings, be given to us at least as much as will suffice our bodies.

Vyāsa said:

7. On hearing that, she spoke to Kṛṣṇa with respect and eagerness “May it be taken.” She gave them unguent enough for their bodies.

8. Embellished and smeared with the unguents, the two leading mainly ones shone like a white and a black cloud adorned with the rain-bow.

9. Thereafter, Kṛṣṇa who was well conversant with the mode of suggestive talks and hints, talked to her lovingly, caught hold of her chin with two of his fingers and raised it up.

10. Kṛṣṇa then pulled both of her legs and made her straight. With the body straightened she became the most excellent one among women.

11. In a charming and graceful manner she caught hold of Kṛṣṇa by his robes and said in lingering words couched in love—‘Come to my house’.

12. “I will come to your house”, said Kṛṣṇa to her and bade her farewell. Looking at Rāma’s face he laughed aloud.

13. With their bodies embellished and smeared with unguents, clad in blue and yellow garments and with their handsome features enhanced by garlands of flowers of various colours—the two went towards the chamber of bows.

14-15. After occupying (the chamber) they asked the guards there, about the most excellent bow. When that was mentioned by the guards Kṛṣṇa immediately took up that bow and bent it. As he was stringing it, the bow broke and made a loud report. The whole of Mathura was filled with that sound.

16. When the bow was broken they were asked by the guards to explain. They hit the army of the guards and came out of the chamber.

17. After getting information of the return of Akrūra, and after hearing that a bow was broken, Kaṃsa said to Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika.

Kaṃsa said:

18. “The two cowherd boys have come. They are the destroyers of my life. Just in my presence they should be killed by you in a wrestling bout.

19. If they are destroyed in a mutual combat by you, I will be satisfied and will give you all desired benefits. This cannot be otherwise, O strong ones.

20. Whether by just or unjust means, these enemies of mine should be killed by you. By their death the kingdom will be common to you both.”

Vyāsa said:

21-23. After commanding the wrestlers thus, he called the mahout and told him loudly—“The intoxicated elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa should be placed by you at the entrance to the assembly. With that those two cowherd lads who will be coming to the stage door for the purpose of wrestling, should be killed.” After commanding him also thus and seeing that all the couches and cushioned seats had been brought, Kaṃsa whose death was imminent awaited sunrise.

24. Then all the citizens occupied the common couches and seats and the kings occupied the royal couches and sofas along with their attendants.

25. The wrestlers, umpires and judges were kept in the middle of the stage by Kaṃsa, very near him. Kaṃsa himself occupied a raised sofa.

26. Separate couches, seats and platforms were assigned to the residents of the royal harem, the chief courtesans and the ordinary ladies of the city.

27. Nandagopa and other cowherds were seated in their (specially reserved) couches. Akrūra and Vasudeva occupied extremities of the platform.

28. In the middle of the common ladies of the city was seated Devakī who was very fond of her son. Though it be the time of death, I shall see the face of my son.

29-31. The instruments of music were played; Cāṇūra jumped and bounced frantically, the common people shouted “Ha Ha”, Muṣṭika slapped and clapped his arms. After killing Kuvalayāpīḍa who was driven against them by the Elephant driver, Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa entered the stage. Proudly and playfully they looked on, like two lions in the midst of deer. Their limbs had been smeared with the ichor and the blood of elephant. The elephant’s tusks now became their excellent weapons.

32. Afterwards there was a tumultuous loud sound all over the stage, along with the wonder of the people—“O this is Kṛṣṇa. O this is Balarāma.”

33. “This is the boy by whom the terrible ogress Pūtanā had been killed; he by whom the cart had been upset and the pair of Arjuna trees were broken.”

34. “This is the boy who mounted the serpent Kāliya and danced; this is he by whom the great mountain Govardhana was lifted up and held for seven nights.”

35. “Here is seen that Kṛṣṇa the noble lord, by whom the wicked asuras Ariṣṭa, Dhenuka and Keśin were playfully slain.”

36. “This lad of great arms is Balarāma, his elder brother. He sportingly goes ahead delighting the minds and eyes of the womenfolk.”

37. “It is he who is mentioned by wise men who survey the topics in the Purāṇas as follows “Gopāla will redeem the entire Yādava family”.

38. “He is that part of Viṣṇu which has incarnated on the Earth; of Viṣṇu who is identical with everyone; of Viṣṇu who is the source of origin of everything. Indeed he is the dispeller of burden of the Earth”.

39. When Rāma and Kṛṣṇa were described thus, the breasts of Devakī instantaneously exuded milk due to affection.

40. On seeing his sons, Vasudeva felt as if he was witnessing a great festival. Due to delight he dispelled the old age that had descended on him.

41. The ladies of the royal harem and the ordinary ladies of the city made their eyes wider. They never ceased from looking at him.

The woman said:

42-50. O friends, see the face of Kṛṣṇa with the eyes resembling the lotus. It is embellished by drops of sweat due to his exertion in his battle with the elephant. It is like the full blown autumnal lotus with the snow drops clinging to it.

O eyes, may your birth be made fruitful (by looking at him).

O beautiful lady, may the chest of this boy he looked at. It has attacked even imperishable beings. (?); it is marked by Śrīvatsa scar; it is the abode of universe and it is competent to destroy enemies. May his pair of arms too be seen. O immature lady, don’t you see this Balarāma whose face is white as the lotus stalk? He has come here with a blue garment. Balarāma is put on an equal footing with Muṣṭika who swaggers as well as with Cāṇūra, O friend; Just, see this, please. O friends see Kṛṣṇa approaches Cāṇūra for a mutual combat. Are there no elderly persons here who will do what is proper? Where is Kṛṣṇa of a very tender body who is just approaching his youth? Where is that great Asura whose body is as hard and tough as an adamant? The two fresh youths stay on the stage with their graceful charms. But the asura-like wrestlers, Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika are excessively terrible. It is highly improper on the part of judges and umpires to function at this wrestling bout because an unequal fight between a boy and a strong person has been arranged for (?) by these umpires.

Vyāsa said:

51-52. Even as the womenfolk of the city were talking like this, lord Kṛṣṇa generated much delight in them. He entered the stage making the ground quake. Balarāma clapped his arms and bounced gracefully. The fact that the ground did not crumble down at every step was a great wonder.

53. Kṛṣṇa of unmeasured valour fought with Cāṇūra. Muṣṭika the asura who was an expert in wrestling, fought with Balarāma.

54-55. Kṛṣṇa fought with Cāṇūra. The duel was very terrible and awful without any weapon being used. Other recourses were Sannipātas (causing the opponent to fall down), Avadhūtas (Shaking up), Kṣepaṇas (Hurlings), Muṣṭis (Fisting) Kīlavajranipātana (hitting with the elbows and knees as though with a thunderbolt?) and neat thrusts with the feet.

56-57. (Defective) In the course of that festival of assemblies they had to show their strength. The more Cāṇūra fought with Kṛṣṇa, the loss of vital breath he sustained was the more. He did not get any kinsman to encourage him. Kṛṣṇa, identical with the universe fought with him playfully.

58-63. On seeing the decreasing power of Cāṇūra and the increasing power of Kṛṣṇa, Kaṃsa was dejected and angry. To get some respite the infuriated Kaṃsa waved his hand and stopped instrumental music. When thus Mṛdaṅgas (drums) and other instruments were suspended, the instruments of Devas in the sky, were played instantaneously. “Be victorious, O Kṛṣṇa kill Cāṇūra, O Keśava. Devas who remained hidden to the view eulogised thus in their delight. After playing with Cāṇūra for some time, Kṛṣṇa lifted him up and whirled him in his attempt to kill him. After whirling the asura wrestler in the sky for a hundred times, the conqueror of foes dashed him on the ground (though he had died even in the atmosphere itself. When he was hit on the ground Cāṇūra’s body broke into a hundred pieces.

64-68. He made the Earth marshy and slushy with the flow of blood.

At that time Balarāma of great strength fought with Muṣṭika in the same manner as Kṛṣṇa fought with the asura Cāṇūra. He too hit his head and chest with his fist and knee. He threw him on the ground, and killed him. Thereafter, with a flow of his left fist Kṛṣṇa made Tośalaka of great strength, the king of wrestlers, fall on the ground. When the wrestler Cāṇūra was killed, when Muṣṭika had been struck down and when Tośalaka was slain the other wrestlers ran away. Then Kṛṣṇa and Saṃkar-ṣaṇa jumped and bounced on the stage.

69. They dragged other cowherds of the same age to themselves in their delight. With his eyes turned red Kaṃsa spoke to his men who had gathered in large.

70. Let these two cowherds be forcibly removed from the the assembled group. Let the sinful Nanda be seized and bound with fetters.

71. Let Vasudeva also be punished in the same manner as one not old. Let all these cowherds too who vaunt and swagger along with Kṛṣṇa, be punished suitably.

72-77. Let their cows and wealth be taken away?

When Kaṃsa was commanding thus Kṛṣṇa laughed. With great speed he jumped on to the couch and seized Kaṃsa. When he caught hold of his hair his crown dropped down. Kṛṣṇa felled Kaṃsa on the ground and himself fell over him. Kaṃsa, son of Ugrasena, was deprived of his vital breath as Kṛṣṇa with his enormous weight fell on him. Being the support of entire universe Kṛṣṇa had that enormous weight. Catching hold of the hair of the dead Kaṃsa, Kṛṣṇa of great strength dragged the body of Kaṃsa to the middle of the stage. It was itself very great and weighty. A weighty thing fell over it. Further it was dragged. Thus Kaṃsas’s body was disfigured due to the speed activity of noble Kṛṣṇa. When Kaṃsa was thus killed, his brother came there furiously.

78-80. Sunāmā (i.e. the brother of Kaṃsa) was playfully thrown on the ground by Balarāma. On seeing the king of Mathurā contemptuously killed by Kṛṣṇa, there was a great hue and cry everywhere around the stage.

Immediately Kṛṣṇa of great arms accompanied by Balarāma touched the feet of Vasudeva and Devakī. Vasudeva and Devakī lifted him up and they themselves bowed to him and stood steady as they remembered his words at the time of his nativity.

Vasudeva said:

81. Be pleased, O lord of Devas, O most excellent one, O lord, O Keśava, favouring us you have lifted us up.

82. Since after being propitiated by me the lord has incarnated in my house for destroying the wicked ones, thereby our race is sanctified.

83. You remain within living beings. You are stationed within living beings, O soul of everyone, it is from you that the past and future function, invariably.

84. O Acyuta, identical with Devas, O incomprehensible and unimaginable one, you are worshipped in the course of a Yajña. O lord of Yajñas, you are the Yajña and the performer of Yajña.

85. O son of Devakī, the fact that out of affection, my mind is full of vague notions in respect of you is great deception.

86. You are the maker of all living beings. You have neither beginning nor end. Where is the tongue pertaining to me, a mere human being, which says—‘O son’.

87. By what expedient, excepting Māyā, will that person be born of us, O lord of the Universe, that person from whom all this universe has evolved?

88. How can that lord be borne by a female human being, that lord in whom the entire universe consisting of mobile and immobile beings has been established? How can he be made to lie down in the womb or in the lap?

89. O great lord, be pleased. Protect the universe. Since you are having the partial incarnation you are not my son, O soul of the great lord, O lord of the universe, why do you delude the mind of every one from Brahman to an ordinary tree.

90. My eyes had been deluded by Māyā. I had the feeling “Here is my son.” Much afraid of Kaṃsa at that time, you were taken to the cowherds’ colony. O lord of cows, you entered then my intellect, even as I was afraid and agitated due to the enemies.

91. You are Viṣṇu, O lord, you have attained what cannot be attained by Rudras, Maruts, Aśvins and Indra for rendering help to the worlds. Our great delusion had surrounded us hitherto.