Canto Ten - Chapter 43

Śrī Śuka said: O subduer of enemies, after completing Their morning purification, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma heard the resounding wrestling drums and went to see the spectacle.

Reaching the arena gate, Kṛṣṇa saw the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa stationed there and urged forward by its keeper.

Śauri tightened His clothing about His waist, swept back His curling locks, and addressed the elephant keeper in a voice deep as the rumbling of clouds.

'Elephant keeper, elephant keeper, clear the way for us! Move aside without delay, or today I shall send you and your elephant to Yama's abode.'

Rebuked in this way, the enraged keeper provoked the already furious elephant, which resembled Time, Death, and Yama combined, and drove it at Kṛṣṇa.

The lord of elephants charged Him and swiftly seized Him with its trunk. Kṛṣṇa slipped free, struck the elephant, and disappeared beneath its legs.

Unable to see Keśava, the infuriated elephant searched by smell and found Him with the tip of its trunk, but Kṛṣṇa forcibly escaped again.

Seizing the immensely powerful elephant by its tail, He playfully dragged it twenty-five bow-lengths, as Garuḍa might drag a serpent.

As the elephant turned left and right, Acyuta circled in the opposite direction, like a child being turned by a calf whose tail he holds.

Then Kṛṣṇa came directly before the elephant, struck it with His hand, and ran away. Allowing it to touch Him at every step, He made it stumble and fall.

As He ran in play, Kṛṣṇa fell to the ground and instantly rose again. Thinking Him still fallen, the enraged elephant struck the earth with its tusks.

Its prowess frustrated, the lord of elephants became unbearably furious. Urged on by its keepers, it charged Kṛṣṇa in rage.

As it attacked, Bhagavān Madhusūdana met it, seized its trunk with one hand, and threw it to the ground.

Playfully stepping upon the fallen elephant like a lion, Hari tore out a tusk and used it to kill both the beast and its keepers.

Leaving the elephant dead, Kṛṣṇa entered the arena carrying the tusk. With it resting upon His shoulder, His body marked by drops of blood and ichor, and beads of perspiration appearing upon His lotus face, He shone magnificently.

O King, Balarāma and Janārdana entered the arena surrounded by a few cowherd boys, carrying the excellent elephant tusks as Their weapons.

Entering the arena with His elder brother, Kṛṣṇa appeared as a thunderbolt to the wrestlers, the finest man to ordinary people, embodied Love to the women, a kinsman to the cowherds, a chastiser to wicked kings, a child to His parents, death to the Bhoja king, the cosmic form to the ignorant, the Supreme Reality to yogīs, and the supreme deity to the Vṛṣṇis.

O King, when Kaṃsa saw Kuvalayāpīḍa dead and the two brothers still unconquerable, his heart became violently agitated.

The mighty-armed brothers shone upon entering the arena in Their colorful garments, ornaments, garlands, and robes. Like actors in the finest costumes, Their radiance captivated the minds of all who watched.

O King, the city and country people seated upon the platforms beheld those two supreme Persons. Their faces and eyes opened wide beneath a surge of delight, and they drank in the brothers' faces without ever becoming satisfied.

They seemed to drink Them with their eyes, lick Them with their tongues, smell Them with their nostrils, and embrace Them with their arms.

As Their beauty, virtues, sweetness, and boldness awakened remembrance, the people told one another everything they had seen and heard about Them.

'These two are direct expansions of Bhagavān Hari, Nārāyaṇa Himself, who descended into Vasudeva's household.'

'This one was born to Devakī and taken to Gokula, where He remained hidden all this time and grew up in Nanda's home.'

'He brought Pūtanā and the whirlwind demon to their ends, along with the twin arjuna trees, the Guhyaka, Keśī, Dhenuka, and many others like them.'

'He rescued the cows and cowherds from the forest fire, subdued the serpent Kāliya, and stripped Indra of his pride.'

'With one hand He held up the foremost mountain for seven days, protecting Gokula from rain, wind, and lightning.'

'Constantly beholding His joyful face, smiling glances, and expressions, the gopīs happily cross beyond every kind of suffering and weariness.'

'They say that protected by Him, this dynasty of Yadu will become exceedingly renowned and attain prosperity, fame, and greatness.'

'This splendid lotus-eyed Rāma is His elder brother. He killed Pralamba, Vatsaka, and the demons headed by Baka.'

As the people spoke in this way and the instruments resounded, Cāṇūra addressed Kṛṣṇa and Rāma.

'Son of Nanda, and You, Rāma, the two of You are regarded as heroes skilled in wrestling. Hearing this, the king summoned You because he wished to see Your prowess.'

'Subjects who please their king in thought, action, and speech obtain prosperity, while those who act otherwise meet the opposite result.'

'Everyone knows that the ever-joyful cowherd boys graze their cows in the forest while amusing themselves with wrestling.'

'Therefore let You and us bring pleasure to the king. Then all beings will be pleased with us, for the king embodies all beings.'

Hearing this, Kṛṣṇa welcomed the proposed contest, for wrestling pleased Him. He replied with words suited to the time and place.

'We too are subjects of the Bhoja king, though we dwell in the forest. We always seek to please him; for us, that is the highest favor.'

'But we are still boys, so we should play with others of equal strength. The contest should be properly matched, lest adharma stain those assembled in this wrestling hall.'

Cāṇūra said: You are no child or mere youth, nor is Balarāma. You are foremost among the strong, for in play You killed an elephant possessing the strength of a thousand elephants.

Therefore the two of You should fight powerful opponents; there is no unfairness here. Descendant of Vṛṣṇi, display Your prowess against me, while Balarāma fights Muṣṭika.