VedaVyasa
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Chapter 77
S'âlva and the Saubha-fortress Finished
(Lord Kṛṣṇa Slays the Demon Śālva)
This chapter describes how Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa disposed of Śālva, the master of deception, and destroyed his airship Saubha.
Having been removed from the battlefield, Pradyumna was extremely ashamed, and He ordered His driver to take His chariot once again into the presence of Dyumān. As Pradyumna fought with Dyumān, other Yadu heroes like Gada, Sātyaki, and Sāmba began to create havoc among Śālva's army. The battle continued in this way for twenty-seven days and nights.
When Lord Kṛṣṇa returned to Dvārakā, He found it under siege. At once He ordered Dāruka to drive Him onto the battlefield. Suddenly Śālva noticed the Lord and threw his spear at Kṛṣṇa's charioteer, but the Lord shattered the weapon into hundreds of pieces and pierced Śālva and his Saubha vehicle with numerous arrows. Śālva responded by shooting an arrow that struck Kṛṣṇa's left arm. Amazingly, the Lord dropped the Śārńga bow He was holding in His left hand. The demigods watching the battle cried out in alarm upon seeing the bow fall, while Śālva took the opportunity to insult Kṛṣṇa.
Lord Kṛṣṇa then struck Śālva with His club, but the demon, vomiting blood, disappeared. A moment later a man came before Lord Kṛṣṇa and, after offering Him obeisances, introduced himself as a messenger from mother Devakī. The man informed the Lord that His father, Vasudeva, had been kidnapped by Śālva. Upon hearing this, Lord Kṛṣṇa seemed to lament like an ordinary man. Śālva then led forward someone who looked just like Vasudeva, decapitated him and took the head with him into his Saubha airship. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, however, could understand the magic tricks of Śālva. Thus He pierced Śālva with a shower of arrows and struck the Saubha vehicle with His club, demolishing it. Śālva descended from his airplane and rushed toward Lord Kṛṣṇa to attack Him, but the Lord took up His Sudarśana disc and severed Śālva's head from his body.
With the killing of Śālva, the demigods in the sky played kettledrums in jubilation. The demon Dantavakra then took a vow to avenge his friend Śālva's death.
10.77.1
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Touching water, fastening His armor and picking up His bow He [Pradyumna] said to His charioteer: 'Take Me to where the warrior Dyumân is.'
Pradyumna was eager to rectify the discrepancy of His having left the battlefield when His chariot driver carried Him away unconscious.
10.77.2
pratihatya pratyavidhyān
nārācair aṣṭabhiḥ smayan
(2) With Dyumân devastating His troops struck the son of Rukminî back with a smile, counterattacking with eight nârâca arrows [iron types].
that Pradyumna challenged Dyumān, saying "Now see if you can strike Me!" After saying this and allowing Dyumān to shoot his weapons, Pradyumna released His own deadly arrows.
10.77.3
caturbhiś caturo vāhān
(3) He struck with four for the four horses, one for the driver, with two for the bow and flag and with one for his head.
10.77.4
(4) Gada, Sâtyaki, Sâmba and others finished off the army of the master of Saubha; all inside Saubha fell into the ocean with their throats cut.
10.77.5
nighnatām itaretaram
(5) The fight between the Yadus and the followers of S'âlva striking one another, that was thus tumultuous and fearsome, went on for twenty-seven days and nights.
10.77.6-7
(6-7) Krishna who upon the call of the son of Dharma had gone to Indraprastha [see 10.71] then, with the Râjasûya completed, with S'is'upâla being killed and with noticing very bad omens, took leave of the Kuru elders, the sages and Prithâ and her sons, and went to Dvârakâ.
10.77.8
āha cāham ihāyāta
ārya-miśrābhisańgataḥ
rājanyāś caidya-pakṣīyā
(8) He said to Himself: 'With Me accompanied by My illustrious elder brother coming to this place, may the kings siding with S'is'upâla well be attacking My city.'
10.77.9
(9) Kes'ava, when He saw king S'âlva's Saubha and the destruction going on of all that belonged to Him, arranged for the protection of the city and said to Dâruka:
Lord Kṛṣṇa placed Śrī Balarāma in a strategic position to guard the city, and He also appointed a special guard for Śrī Rukmiṇī and the other queens inside the palaces. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, by a secret route special soldiers conveyed the queens to safety inside Dvārakā.
10.77.10
(10) 'Bring Me My chariot o driver, and quickly take Me near S'âlva; and mind not to be outsmarted by this lord of Saubha, he's a great magician.'
10.77.11
(11) Thus commanded taking control drove he forward the chariot, so that, with Him arriving there, all of His troops and the soldiers of the opposing party caught sight of the emblem [of Garuda].
10.77.12
(12) When S'âlva, as the master of a practically completely destroyed army, saw Lord Krishna on the battlefield, hurled he his spear with a scary roar at Krishna's charioteer.
10.77.13
sāyakaiḥ śatadhācchinat
(13) In its flight illumining all directions like it was a great meteor, was it by Krishna midair swiftly cut in a hundred pieces.
10.77.14
avidhyac chara-sandohaiḥ
(14) Like the sun with its rays in the sky, pierced He him with six penetrating arrows and aimed He torrents of them at the Saubha-fortress that was moving about.
10.77.15
bibheda nyapatad dhastāc
(15) But when S'âlva struck S'auri's left arm, the arm with His bow, fell, most amazingly, the S'ârnga from the hand of S'ârngadhanvâ.
10.77.16
(16) While there from all the living beings witnessing arose a great cry of dismay, roared the lord of Saubha and said he this to Janârdana:
10.77.17-18
bhrātur bhāryā hṛtekṣatām
taḿ tvādya niśitair bāṇair
nayāmy apunar-āvṛttiḿ
yadi tiṣṭher mamāgrataḥ
(17-18) 'Since by You, o fool, right from under our eyes the bride of Your brother [nephew factually], a friend [S'is'upâla], was stolen [10.53] and he, my friend thus, in his heedlessness by You within the assembly was killed [10.74], will You Yourself, who are so convinced of Your invincibility, today with my sharp arrows be sent to the land of no return, if You dare to stand in front of me!'
10.77.19
(19) The Supreme Lord said: 'You moron, boast in vain not seeing death impending; heroes rather demonstrate their prowess, they don't prattle!'
10.77.20
(20) Thus having spoken struck the Supreme Lord S'âlva him infuriated with frightening power and speed with His club on the collarbone so that he trembling had to vomit blood.
10.77.21
śālvas tv antaradhīyata
puruṣaḥ śirasācyutam
devakyā prahito 'smīti
(21) But when he lifted His club again had S'âlva disappeared and appeared a moment later a man bowing his head before Krishna who lamenting spoke the words: 'Mother Devakî has sent me!
10.77.22
baddhvāpanītaḥ śālvena
(22) Krishna, o Krishna, o Mighty-armed One so full of love for Your parents, Your father has been captured and led away by S'âlva like it was a butcher taking a domestic animal to the slaughterhouse.'
10.77.23
vimanasko ghṛṇī snehād
(23) Hearing these disturbing words spoke Krishna, having assumed the nature of a human being, out of love with compassion [acting] disconsolate, like He was a normal man:
10.77.24
jitvājeyaḿ surāsuraiḥ
śālvenālpīyasā nītaḥ
(24) 'With Balarâma who is never confounded and invincibly defeats Sura and Asura, how could that petty S'âlva abduct My father; how mighty fate is!'
10.77.25
vasudevam ivānīya
kṛṣṇaḿ cedam uvāca saḥ
(25) With Govinda speaking thus came the master of Saubha closer to Krishna as if he was leading Vasudeva before Him and said he the following:
10.77.26
(26) 'This is the one who begot You and for whose sake You live in this world; I'll kill him right before Your eyes; save him if You can, You infant!'
10.77.27
evaḿ nirbhartsya māyāvī
khaḍgenānakadundubheḥ
(27) The magician thus mocking Him cut off the head of 'Ânakadundubhi' and climbed, taking the head, in the Saubha-vehicle that hovered in the sky.
10.77.28
tato muhūrtaḿ prakṛtāv upaplutaḥ
māyāḿ sa śālva-prasṛtāḿ mayoditām
(28) Even though He knew all about it was He for a moment absorbed in His normal faith of love for the ones dear to Him, but then it dawned on Him, with His great powers of perception, that it had been a demoniac, magic trick that by S'âlva was used according the designs of Maya Dânava.
10.77.29
(29) Alert on the battlefield as if He awoke from a dream seeing nor the messenger nor His father's body anywhere and noticing that His enemy sitting in his Saubha moved about in the sky, prepared Acyuta to kill him.
10.77.30
yat sva-vāco virudhyeta
(30) That is how some sages say it who don't reason correctly, o seer among the kings; they most certainly are contradicting themselves with what they say when they fail to remember the way it is [compare e.g. 10.3: 15-17; 10.11: 7; 10.12: 27; 10.31: *; 10.33: 37; 10.37: 23; 10.38: 10; 10.50: 29; 10.52: 7 and 10.60: 58].
If someone thinks that Lord Kṛṣṇa was actually bewildered by Śālva's magic and that the Lord was subjected to ordinary mundane lamentation, such an opinion is illogical and contradictory, since it is well known that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, transcendental and absolute. This will be further explained in the following verses.
10.77.31
jñānaiśvaryas tv akhaṇḍitaḥ
(31) The lamentation, bewilderment, affection or fear that are all the product of ignorance, simply do not relate to the infinite perception, knowledge and opulence of the Infinite One, do they?
"Lamentation, aggrievement and bewilderment are characteristics of conditioned souls, but how can such things affect the person of the Supreme, who is full of knowledge, power and all opulence? Actually, it is not at all possible that Lord Kṛṣṇa was misled by the mystic jugglery of Śālva. He was displaying His pastime of playing the role of a human being."
All the great Bhāgavatam commentators conclude that grief, illusion, attachment and fear, which arise out of ignorance of the soul, can never be present in the transcendental dramatic pastimes enacted by the Lord. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī gives many examples from Kṛṣṇa's pastimes to illustrate this point. For instance, when the cowherd boys entered the mouth of Aghāsura, Lord Kṛṣṇa was apparently astonished. Similarly, when Brahmā took away Lord Kṛṣṇa's cowherd boyfriends and calves, the Lord at first began to look for them as if He did not know where they were. Thus the Lord plays the part of an ordinary human being so as to relish transcendental pastimes with His devotees. One should never think the Personality of Godhead is an ordinary person, as Śukadeva Gosvāmī explains in this and the following verse.
10.77.32
(32) At His feet do those who encouraged by service in self-realization dispel the bodily concept of life that bewildered man since time immemorial and attain they in a personal relationship the eternal glory - how in the world can there be bewilderment for Him, the Supreme Destination of the Truthful?
As a result of fasting the body becomes weak, and one thinks, "I am emaciated." Similarly, sometimes a conditioned soul thinks, "I am happy" or "I am unhappy" — ideas based on the bodily concept of life. Simply by serving the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, however, devotees become free from this bodily concept of life. So how could such illusion possibly affect the Supreme Personality of Godhead at any time?
10.77.33
(33) And while S'âlva with great force was attacking Him with torrents of weapons, pierced Lord Krishna unerring in His prowess, with His arrows his armor, bow and crest-jewel and smashed He with His club the Saubha-vehicle of His enemy.
"Then Śālva thought that Kṛṣṇa had been bewildered by his mystic representations, he became encouraged and began to attack the Lord with greater strength and energy by showering volumes of arrows upon Him. But the enthusiasm of Śālva can be compared to the speedy march of flies into a fire. Lord Kṛṣṇa, by hurling His arrows with unfathomable strength, injured Śālva, whose armor, bow and jeweled helmet all scattered into pieces. With a crashing blow from Kṛṣṇa's club, Śālva's wonderful airplane burst into pieces and fell into the sea."
The fact that Śālva's insignificant mystic power could not bewilder Lord Kṛṣṇa is here emphatically demonstrated.
10.77.34
tat kṛṣṇa-hasteritayā vicūrṇitaḿ
(34) Shattered into thousands of pieces by the club wielded by Krishna's hand, fell it into the water. S'âlva thereupon abandoned, rose to his feet and rushed with his club in his hands forward to attack Acyuta.
10.77.35
vadhāya śālvasya layārka-sannibhaḿ
bibhrad babhau sārka ivodayācalaḥ
(35) Running toward Him carrying his club was his arm severed with a bhalla cutting arrow and held He, shining like a mountain against the rising sun, in order to kill S'âlva next up His disc-weapon that appeared exactly like the burst of light at the end of time.
10.77.36
jahāra tenaiva śiraḥ sa-kuṇḍalaḿ
(36) With it severed the Lord the head of that master of great magic, complete with earrings and crown, just like lord Indra with his thunderbolt did with Vritrâsura [see 6.12]. From his men then rose a loudly voiced 'alas, alas!'
10.77.37
nedur dundubhayo rājan
dantavakro ruṣābhyagāt
(37) With the sinner fallen and the Saubha-fortress destroyed by the club, sounded kettledrums in the sky, o King, played by groups of demigods. Next was it Dantavakra who furiously, in order to revenge his friends, ran forward.'
Thus end of the Tenth Canto, Seventy-seventh Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Lord Kṛṣṇa Slays the Demon Śālva."
Canto 10
Chapter 78
Dantavakra Killed and Romaharshana Beaten with a Blade of Grass
(The Killing of Dantavakra, Vidūratha and Romaharṣaṇa)
This chapter relates how Lord Kṛṣṇa killed Dantavakra and Vidūratha, visited Vṛndāvana, and then returned to Dvārakā. It also describes how Lord Baladeva killed the offensive Romaharṣaṇa Sūta.
Intent upon avenging the death of his friend Śālva, Dantavakra appeared on the battlefield with club in hand. Lord Kṛṣṇa took up His own club and came before him. Dantavakra then insulted the Lord with harsh words and struck Him a terrific blow on the head. Without budging in the slightest, Lord Kṛṣṇa bludgeoned Dantavakra's chest, shattering his heart. Dantavakra had a brother named Vidūratha, and he became distraught at Dantavakra's death. Taking up his sword, Vidūratha confronted Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but the Lord cut off Vidūratha's head with His Sudarśana disc. Lord Kṛṣṇa then visited Vṛndāvana for two months, and finally He returned to Dvārakā.
When Lord Baladeva heard that the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas were about to go to war, in order to remain neutral He left Dvārakā on the pretext of going on pilgrimage. The Lord bathed in sacred places such as Prabhāsa, Tritakūpa and Viśāla, and eventually He came to the holy Naimiṣāraṇya forest, where great sages were performing an extended fire sacrifice. While being worshiped by the assembled sages and offered a seat of honor, the Lord noticed that Romaharṣaṇa Sūta, sitting on the speaker's seat, had failed to stand in deference to Him. Greatly angered by this offense, Lord Balarāma killed Romaharṣaṇa by touching him with the tip of a blade of kuśa grass.
The assembled sages were disturbed by what Lord Baladeva had done, and they said to Him, "You have unknowingly killed a brāhmaṇa. Therefore, even though You are above the Vedic injunctions, we request You to set a perfect example for the general populace by atoning for this sin." Then Śrī Baladeva, following the Vedic maxim that "one's son takes birth as one's own self," granted to Romaharṣaṇa's son Ugraśravā the position of speaker of the Purāṇas, and in accordance with the sages' desires He promised Ugraśravā a long life with unfailing sensory capacity.
Wanting to do something more for the sages, Lord Baladeva promised to kill a demon named Balvala, who had been polluting their sacrificial arena. Finally, on the sages' advice, He agreed to go on a year-long pilgrimage of all the holy places in India.
10.78.1-2
pauṇḍrakasyāpi durmatiḥ
mahā-sattvo vyadṛśyata
(1-2) S'rî S'uka said: 'As an act of friendship to the deceased, S'is'upâla, S'âlva and Paundraka who had passed on to the next world, was all by himself, on foot with a club in his hand, o great king, the wicked one [Dantavakra, see 9.24: 37] seen who infuriated in his sheer physical power made the earth tremble under his feet.
10.78.3
sindhuḿ veleva pratyadhāt
(3) Seeing him coming His way took Lord Krishna quickly His club leaping down from His chariot and stopped He him in his tracks like the shore does with the sea.
"When Kṛṣṇa appeared before Dantavakra, his heroic march was immediately stopped, just as the great furious waves of the ocean are stopped by the beach."
10.78.4
(4) Raising his club said the king of Karûsha besotted to Mukunda: 'What a luck, what a luck to have today the sight of You crossing my path.
hat after having waited for three lifetimes, Dantavakra, formerly a gatekeeper in Vaikuṇṭha, could now return to the spiritual world. Therefore the transcendental meaning of his statement is: "How fortunate! How fortunate I am that today I can return to my constitutional position in the spiritual world!"
In the next verse, Dantavakra will refer to Kṛṣṇa as mātuleya, a maternal cousin. Dantavakra's mother, Śrutaśravā, was the sister of Kṛṣṇa's father, Vasudeva.
10.78.5
mitra-dhruń māḿ jighāḿsasi
(5) You as our maternal cousin Krishna, having been of violence with my friends, wish to kill me; therefore, You nice guy, will I kill You with my thunderbolt club
The ācāryas have given the following alternate grammatical division of the third line of this verse: atas tvāḿ gadayā amanda, in which case Dantavakra says, "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, You are amanda [not foolish], and therefore with Your powerful club You will now send me back home, back to Godhead." This is the inner meaning of this verse.
10.78.6
. (6) Only then, ignoramus, will I, who cares for his friends, with killing the enemy in the form of a family member that is like a disease in one's body, have paid my debt to my friends.'
According to the ācāryas, the word ajña indicates that in comparison to Lord Kṛṣṇa, no one is more intelligent. Further, the word bandhu-rūpam indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa is actually everyone's true friend, and vyādhim indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supersoul, the object of meditation within the heart, who takes away our mental distress. Furthermore, the ācāryas translate the word hatvā as jñātvā; in other words, by knowing Kṛṣṇa properly one can actually liberate all of one's friends.
10.78.7
kṛṣṇaḿ totrair iva dvipam
gadayātāḍayan mūrdhni
(7) Thus with harsh words harassing Krishna like one does an elephant with goads, roared he like a lion and stroke he Him with his club on the head.
10.78.8
gadayābhihato 'py ājau
kaumodakyā stanāntare
(8) Despite of being hit by the club did Krishna, the deliverer of the Yadus, not move an inch on the battlefield and dealt He with His Kaumodakî [His club] him a heavy blow in the middle of his chest.
10.78.9
dharaṇyāḿ nyapatad vyasuḥ
(9) With his heart shattered by the club vomiting blood fell he lifeless to the ground with his hair, arms and legs spread wide.
10.78.10
(10) Then, o king, entered before all living beings to see, just as with S'is'upâla [see 10.74: 45], an amazing, very subtle light Lord Krishna.
10.78.11
āgacchad asi-carmābhyām
ucchvasaḿs taj-jighāḿsayā
(11) Next came Vidûratha, his brother, plunged in sorrow about his relative, with sword and shield forward, breathing heavily in his desire to kill Him.
10.78.12
tasya cāpatataḥ kṛṣṇaś
(12) Of him attacking was next by Krishna with the razor-sharp edge of His cakra, o king of kings, sliced off the head complete with its helmet and earrings.
10.78.13-15
dantavakraḿ sahānujam
hatvā durviṣahān anyair
vidyādhara-mahoragaiḥ
apsarobhiḥ pitṛ-gaṇair
kusumair abhivarṣitaḥ
viveśālańkṛtāḿ purīm
(13-15) Thus having killed the for others insurmountable S'âlva and his Saubha-fortress along with Dantavakra and his younger brother Vidûratha, was He praised by gods and men, sages and the perfected, heavenly singers and scientists, the great of excellence and the dancing girls, the forefathers and the keepers of the wealth as well as the venerable and the mighty who all sang His glory showering flowers the moment He with the most eminent Vrishnis around Him entered His decorated capital.
10.78.16
evaḿ yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇo
nirjito jayatīti saḥ
(16) It is thus that the Controller of Yoga, Krishna the Supreme Lord and Master of the Living Being is victorious; it is to those whose vision is animalistic that He seems to suffer defeat [*].
Concerning the killing of Dantavakra, the Uttara-khaṇḍa (279) of the Padma Purāṇa contains further details in the following prose passage: atha śiśupālaḿ nihataḿ śrutvā dantavakraḥ kṛṣṇena saha yoddhuḿ mathurām ājagāma. kṛṣṇas tu tac chrutvā ratham āruhya mathurām āyayau. "Then, hearing that Śiśupāla had been killed, Dantavakra went to Mathurā to fight against Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa, moreover, heard of this, He mounted His chariot and went to Mathurā."
Tayor dantavakra-vāsudevayor aho-rātraḿ mathurā-dvāri sańgrāmaḥ samavartata. kṛṣṇas tu gadayā taḿ jaghāna. sa tu cūrṇita-sarvāńgo vajra-nirbhinno mahīdhara iva gatāsur avani-tale nipapāta. so 'pi hareḥ sārūpyeṇa yogi-gamyaḿ nityānanda-sukha-daḿ śāśvataḿ paramaḿ padam avāpa: "Between the two of them — Dantavakra and Lord Vāsudeva — there then began a battle at the gate of Mathurā that lasted all day and night. Finally Kṛṣṇa struck Dantavakra with His club, at which point Dantavakra fell lifeless to the ground, all his limbs smashed like a mountain shattered by a lightning bolt. Dantavakra achieved the liberation of gaining a form equal to the Lord's, and thus he also achieved the Lord's eternal, supreme abode, attainable by perfect yogīs, which bestows the happiness of everlasting spiritual bliss."
Itthaḿ jaya-vijayau sanakādi-śāpa-vyājena kevalaḿ bhagavato līlārthaḿ saḿsṛtāv avatīrya janma-traye 'pi tenaiva nihatau janma-trayāvasāne muktim avāptau: "So it was that Jaya and Vijaya — apparently because of being cursed by Sanaka and his brothers but actually to facilitate the Supreme Lord's pastimes — descended to this material world and in three consecutive lifetimes were killed by the Lord Himself. Then, at the completion of these three lifetimes, they attained liberation."
In this passage of the Padma Purāṇa the words kṛṣṇas tu tac chrutvā, "when Kṛṣṇa heard of this," indicate that the Lord heard from Nārada, who travels as swiftly as the mind, that Dantavakra had gone to Mathurā. Therefore immediately after killing Śālva, without first entering Dvārakā, the Lord reached the vicinity of Mathurā in a single moment on His chariot, which also moves as swiftly as the mind, and there He saw Dantavakra. Thus it is that even today, by the gate of Mathurā facing the direction of Dvārakā, there is a village known in the vernacular as Datihā, a name derived from the Sanskrit dantavakra-ha, "killer of Dantavakra." This village was founded by Kṛṣṇa's great-grandson Vajra.
In the same section of the Padma Purāṇa, these statements follow: kṛṣṇo 'pi taḿ hatvā yamunām uttīrya nanda-vrajaḿ gatvā sotkaṇṭhau pitarāv abhivādyāśvāsya tābhyāḿ sāśru-sekam ālińgitaḥ sakala-gopa-vṛddhān praṇamya bahu-vastrābharaṇādibhis tatra-sthān santarpayām āsa. "And after killing him [ Vidūratha], Kṛṣṇa crossed the Yamunā and went to the cowherd village of Nanda, where He honored and consoled His aggrieved parents. They drenched Him with tears and embraced Him, and then the Lord offered obeisances to the elder cowherd men and gratified all the residents with abundant gifts of clothing, ornaments and so on."
kālindyāḥ puline ramye
"Lord Keśava sported continuously with the cowherd women on the Kālindī's charming bank, which was filled with pious trees. Thus the Supreme Lord, assuming the appearance of a cowherd, resided there for two months, enjoying the pleasure of intimate pastimes in various moods of loving reciprocation."
Atha tatra-sthā nanda-gopādayaḥ sarve janāḥ putra-dārādi-sahitā vāsudeva-prasādena divya-rūpa-dharā vimānam ārūḍhāḥ paramaḿ vaikuṇṭha-lokam avāpuḥ. kṛṣṇas tu nanda-gopa-vrajaukasāḿ sarveṣāḿ nirāmayaḿ sva-padaḿ dattvā divi deva-gaṇaiḥ saḿstūyamāno dvāravatīḿ viveśa: "Then, by Lord Vāsudeva's grace, Nanda and all the other residents of that place, together with their children and wives, assumed their eternal, spiritual forms, boarded a celestial airplane and ascended to the supreme Vaikuṇṭha planet [Goloka Vṛndāvana]. Lord Kṛṣṇa, however, after bestowing on Nanda Gopa and all the other inhabitants of Vraja His own transcendental abode, which is free of all disease, traveled through the sky and returned to Dvārakā as demigods chanted His praises."
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī comments as follows on this passage in his Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (1.488-89):
vrajeśāder aḿśa-bhūtā
kṛṣṇas tān eva vaikuṇṭhe
preṣṭhebhyo 'pi priyatamair
vṛndāraṇye sadaivāsau
"Since Droṇa and other demigods had previously descended to earth to merge as partial expansions into the King of Vraja and other devotees of Vṛndāvana, at this time it was these demigod expansions whom Lord Kṛṣṇa sent off to Vaikuṇṭha. Lord Hari is perpetually enjoying pastimes in Vṛndāvana with His intimate devotees, the residents of Gokula, who are dearer to Him than even His most dear other devotees."In the passage of the Padma Purāṇa, the word putra in the phrase nanda-gopādayaḥ sarve janāḥ putra-dārādi-sahitāḥ ("Nanda Gopa and the others, together with their children and wives") refers to such sons as Kṛṣṇa, Śrīdāmā and Subala, while the word dāra refers to such wives as Śrī Yaśodā and Kīrtidā, the mother of Rādhārāṇī. The phrase sarve janāḥ ("all the people") refers to everyone living in the district of Vraja. Thus they all went to the topmost Vaikuṇṭha planet, Goloka. The phrase divya-rūpa-dharāḥ indicates that in Goloka they engage in pastimes appropriate to demigods, not those suited to humans, as in Gokula. Just as during Lord Rāmacandra's incarnation the residents of Ayodhyā were transported to Vaikuṇṭha in their selfsame bodies, so in this incarnation of Kṛṣṇa the residents of Vraja attained to Goloka in theirs.
Lord Kṛṣṇa's journey from Dvārakā to Vraja is confirmed by the following passage of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.11.9): yarhy ambujākṣāpasasāra bho bhavān kurūn madhūn vātha suhṛd-didṛkṣayā/ tatrābda-koṭi-pratimaḥ kṣaṇo bhavet. "O lotus-eyed Lord, whenever You go away to Mathurā, Vṛndāvana or Hastināpura to meet Your friends and relatives, every moment of Your absence seems like a million years." Lord Kṛṣṇa had been harboring a desire to go see His friends and relatives in Vraja ever since Lord Baladeva had gone there, but His mother, father and other elders in Dvārakā had refused to give Him permission. Now, however, after the killing of Śālva, when Kṛṣṇa heard from Nārada that Dantavakra had gone to Mathurā, no one could object to the Lord's going there immediately without first entering Dvārakā. And after killing Dantavakra, He would have the opportunity to meet with His friends and relatives living in Vraja.
Thinking like this, and also remembering Uddhava's allusion to the gopīs in the words gāyanti te viśada-karma (Bhāg. 10.71.9), He went to Vraja, dispelling the feelings of separation of the inhabitants. For two months Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoyed in Vṛndāvana just as before, previous to His leaving there to kill Kaḿsa in Mathurā. Then, at the end of two months, He withdrew His Vraja pastimes from mundane eyes by taking the demigod portions of His parents and other relatives and friends to Vaikuṇṭha. Thus, in one complete plenary manifestation He went to Goloka in the spiritual world, in another He remained perpetually enjoying in Vraja while invisible to material eyes, and in yet another He mounted His chariot and returned alone to Dvārakā. The people of Śaurasena province thought that after killing Dantavakra Kṛṣṇa had paid a visit to His parents and other dear ones and now was returning to Dvārakā. The people of Vraja, on the other hand, could not understand where He had suddenly disappeared to, and so they were totally astonished.
Furthermore, Śukadeva considered that Parīkṣit Mahārāja might think, "How is it that the same Kṛṣṇa who caused the cowherds to attain Vaikuṇṭha in their selfsame bodies also caused the residents of Dvārakā to attain such an inauspicious condition in the course of His mauṣala-līlā?" Thus the King might consider the arrangement unfair because of his own affinity for the Yadus. That is why Śukadeva Gosvāmī did not allow him to hear this pastime, which, as mentioned above, is related in the Uttara-khaṇḍa of Śrī Padma Purāṇa.
In Śrī Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī, Sanātana Gosvāmī's commentary on the Tenth Canto, we find the following sequential list of pastimes: First was the journey on the occasion of the solar eclipse, then the Rājasūya assembly, then the gambling match and attempted disrobing of Draupadī, then the Pāṇḍavas' exile to the forest, then the killing of Śālva and Dantavakra, then Kṛṣṇa's visit to Vṛndāvana, and finally the winding up of the Vṛndāvana pastimes.
10.78.17
tīrthābhiṣeka-vyājena
(17) Lord Râma hearing of the preparations of the Kurus and Pândavas for battle, known as a neutral, departed saying He was going to bathe in holy places.
Both Duryodhana and Yudhiṣṭhira were dear to Lord Balarāma, and so to avoid an awkward situation He departed. Furthermore, after killing the demon Vidūratha, Lord Kṛṣṇa put aside His weapons, but Lord Balarāma still had to kill Romaharṣaṇa and Balvala to finish relieving the earth of her burden of demons.
10.78.18
(18) Having bathed at Prabhâsa and having honored the demigods and sages, forefathers and human beings, went He surrounded by brahmins to the Sarasvatî where she flows westward to the sea.
10.78.19-20
pṛthūdakaḿ bindu-saras
tritakūpaḿ sudarśanam
(19-20) O son of Bharata, He visited the broad body of water of Bindu-saras, Tritakûpa, Sudars'ana, Vis'âla and Brahma-tîrtha, Cakra-tîrtha, the Sarasvatî where she flows eastward and all [the holy places] along the Yamunâ and the Ganges as well as the Naimisha forest where the rishis were involved in the performance of an elaborate sacrifice [see also 1.1: 4].
10.78.21
munayo dīrgha-satriṇaḥ
praṇamyotthāya cārcayan
(21) Recognizing Him upon His arrival greeted they who were engaged in the sacrifice Him, properly standing up and bowing down to pay homage.
10.78.22
so 'rcitaḥ sa-parīvāraḥ
kṛtāsana-parigrahaḥ
(22) When He together with His entourage had been worshiped and had accepted a seat, noticed He that the disciple [Romaharshana, see also 1.4: 22] of the greatest of sages [Vyâsa] had remained seated.
10.78.23
akṛta-prahvaṇāñjalim
adhyāsīnaḿ ca tān viprāḿś
cukopodvīkṣya mādhavaḥ
(23) Upon seeing that the sûta [a son of a mixed marriage of a brahmin father and kshatriya mother] who hadn't bowed down or joined his palms, was sitting higher than the rest of the learned, became the sweet Lord angry:
Romaharṣaṇa had failed to greet Lord Balarāma in any of the standard ways for welcoming a superior personality. Also, despite being of a lower caste, he sat in a seat above the assembly of exalted brāhmaṇas.
10.78.24
dharma-pālāḿs tathaivāsmān
(24) 'Because he, born a pratiloma, sits higher than these learned ones and also higher than Me, the Protector of the Religion, deserves he it to die, being so arrogant.
10.78.25-26
ṛṣer bhagavato bhūtvā
setihāsa-purāṇāni
adāntasyāvinītasya
naṭasyevājitātmanaḥ
(25-26) After as a disciple of the Lord among the sages [Vyâsa thus] in full having studied the many Itihâsas, Purânas and S'âstras about the religion, has he, not in control with himself, vainly missing the humble and not having subdued his mind thinking himself a scholarly authority, become like an actor not leading to good qualities in making a sham of them.
One might argue that Romaharṣaṇa committed an innocent mistake when he failed to recognize Lord Balarāma, but such an argument is refuted here by Lord Balarāma's strong criticism.
10.78.27
vadhyā me dharma-dhvajinas
(27) It is for this purpose indeed that I descended in this world: to annihilate those who pose as religious but factually are most sinful.'
Lord Balarāma was not prepared to overlook Romaharṣaṇa's offense. The Lord had descended specifically to eliminate those who claim to be great religious leaders but do not even respect the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
10.78.28
(28) Saying this much, was he by the Supreme Lord, because He [being on a pilgrimage] also had stopped to kill the impious, inevitable as it was, beaten with the tip of a blade of grass that He as the Master held in His hand.
Lord Balarāma had avoided taking part in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, and yet because of His position, the reestablishment of religious principles was His prime duty. Considering these points, He killed Romaharṣaṇa Sūta simply by striking him with a kuśa straw, which was nothing but a blade of grass. If someone questions how Lord Balarāma could kill Romaharṣaṇa Sūta simply by striking him with a blade of kuśa grass, the answer is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by the use of the word prabhu (master). The Lord's position is always transcendental, and because He is omnipotent He can act as He likes without being obliged to follow the material laws and principles. Thus it was possible for Him to kill Romaharṣaṇa Sūta simply by striking him with a blade of kuśa grass.''
10.78.29
(29) 'Ohhh, ohhh' said all the sages and said in distress to Sankarshana deva: 'You committed an irreligious act o Master.
10.78.30
āyuś cātmāklamaḿ tāvad
(30) Along with a long life and freedom from physical worries have we granted him the masters seat until the sacrifice is completed, o Darling of the Yadus.
Although Romaharṣaṇa was not a brāhmaṇa, having been born of a mixed marriage, he was invested with that status by the assembled sages and thus given the brahmāsana, the seat of the chief officiating priest.
10.78.31-32
ajānataivācaritas
yogeśvarasya bhavato
nāmnāyo 'pi niyāmakaḥ
sańgraho 'nanya-coditaḥ
(31-32) Though of course, for You, Master of Mystic Power, scriptural injunctions do not lay down the law, have You unknowingly perpetrated something that equals the destruction of a brahmin; but if for this killing of a brahmin You atone, o Purifyer of the World, will the people in general, being inspired by no other, benefit by Your example.'
10.78.33
lokānugraha-kāmyayā
(33) The Supreme Lord said: 'I, desirous to show compassion to the common people, will perform the atonement for the damage done; please do tell Me what the prescribed ritual coming first would be.
10.78.34
dīrgham āyur bataitasya
(34) Oh, please say the word, and by My mystic power I shall restore the long life, strength and sensory power you promised [him].'
10.78.35
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ
(35) The sages said: 'Please, o Râma, arrange it so that as well the potency of killing by means of Your [grass] weapon as what we said remains intact.'
10.78.36
iti vedānuśāsanam
(36) The Supreme Lord said: 'The child born, so instruct the Vedas, is one's self indeed, therefore should his son [Sûta Gosvâmî, see 1.2: 1] be the speaker [of the Purâna, endowed] with a long life, strong senses and physical power [see also **].
the following Vedic verse to illustrate the principle enunciated here by Lord Balarāma:
ańgād ańgāt sambhavasi
hṛdayād abhijāyase
"You have taken birth from my various limbs and have arisen from my very heart. You are my own self in the form of my son. May you live through a hundred autumns." This verse appears in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa (14.9.8.4) and the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (6.4.8).10.78.37
brūtāhaḿ karavāṇy atha
ajānatas tv apacitiḿ
(37) O best of sages, please tell Me what you desire, I shall do it, and again, please o intelligent ones think of what the proper atonement would be, for I have no idea.'
Lord Balarāma here sets a perfect example for people in general by humbly submitting Himself before the qualified brāhmaṇas.
10.78.38
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ
ilvalasya suto ghoro
(38) The rishis said: 'The fearsome demon Balvala who is Ilvala's son gets here every new moon and contaminates our sacrifice.
First the sages tell Lord Balarāma the favor they would like Him to do for them.
10.78.39
surā-māḿsābhivarṣiṇam
(39) The best service to us is to defeat that sinner, o descendant of Das'ârha, who pours upon us pus, blood, feces, urine, wine and meat.
10.78.40
(40) Thereafter should You, for twelve months doing penance, serenely travel around the land of Bhârata [India] and find purification by bathing at the holy places.'
that the word viśudhyasi means that Lord Balarāma would achieve spotless fame by setting such a perfect example for the people in general. "The brāhmaṇas could understand the purpose of the Lord, and thus they suggested that He atone in a manner which would be beneficial for them."
Thus end of the Tenth Canto, Seventy-eighth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Killing of Dantavakra, Vidūratha and Romaharṣaṇa."
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