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Devanagari

Verse Text

Synonyms

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Purport

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Lord Balarāma Slays the Demon Pralamba

The killing of Pralambāsura is described in this chapter. While playing happily in Vṛndāvana, Lord Baladeva climbed up on the shoulders of the demon Pralamba and struck his head with His fist, destroying him.

Śrī Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma enacted Their pastimes, was even during the summer decorated with all the qualities of spring. At that time Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa would become absorbed in various sports, surrounded by Balarāma and all the cowherd boys. One day they were intently dancing, singing and playing when a demon named Pralamba entered their midst, disguised as a cowherd boy. The omniscient Lord Kṛṣṇa saw through the disguise, but even as He thought of how to kill the demon, He treated him as a friend.

Kṛṣṇa then suggested to His young friends and Baladeva that they play a game involving contending parties. Taking the role of leaders, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma divided the boys into two groups and determined that the losers would have to carry the winners on their shoulders. Thus when Śrīdāmā and Vṛṣabha, members of Balarāma’s party, were victorious, Kṛṣṇa and another boy in His party carried them on their shoulders. Pralambāsura thought that the unconquerable Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa would be too great an opponent to contend with, so the demon fought with Balarāma instead and was defeated. Taking Lord Balarāma on his back, Pralambāsura began to walk away very swiftly. But Balarāma became as heavy as Mount Sumeru, and the demon, unable to carry Him, had to reveal his true, demoniac form. When Balarāma saw this terrible form, He struck the demon a ferocious blow on the head with His fist. This blow shattered Pralambāsura’s head just as lightning bolts hurled by the king of the demigods shatter mountains. The demon repeatedly vomited blood and then fell upon the ground. When the cowherd boys saw Lord Balarāma return, they joyfully embraced and congratulated Him as the demigods showered garlands of flowers from the heavens and glorified Him.

Text 1

श्रीशुक उवाच
अथ कृष्ण: परिवृतो ज्ञातिभिर्मुदितात्मभि: ।
अनुगीयमानो न्यविशद्‌‌व्रजं गोकुलमण्डितम् ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca
atha kṛṣṇaḥ parivṛto
jñātibhir muditātmabhiḥ
anugīyamāno nyaviśad
vrajaṁ gokula-maṇḍitam

Synonyms

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; atha — next; kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; parivṛtaḥ — surrounded; jñātibhiḥ — by His companions; mudita-ātmabhiḥ — who were joyful by nature; anugīyamānaḥ — His glories being chanted; nyaviśat — entered; vrajam — Vraja; go-kula — by the herds of cows; maṇḍitam — decorated.

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Surrounded by His blissful companions, who constantly chanted His glories, Śrī Kṛṣṇa then entered the village of Vraja, which was decorated with herds of cows.

Text 2

व्रजे विक्रीडतोरेवं गोपालच्छद्ममायया ।
ग्रीष्मो नामर्तुरभवन्नातिप्रेयाञ्छरीरिणाम् ॥ २ ॥

vraje vikrīḍator evaṁ
gopāla-cchadma-māyayā
grīṣmo nāmartur abhavan
nāti-preyāñ charīriṇām

Synonyms

vraje — in Vṛndāvana; vikrīḍatoḥ — while the two of Them were sporting; evam — in this way; gopāla — as cowherd boys; chadma — of the disguise; māyayā — by the illusion; grīṣmaḥ — summer; nāma — thus designated; ṛtuḥ — the season; abhavat — came about; na — not; ati-preyān — very much favored; śarīriṇām — by embodied beings.

Translation

While Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were thus enjoying life in Vṛndāvana in the guise of ordinary cowherd boys, the summer season gradually appeared. This season is not very pleasing to embodied souls.

Purport

In Chapter Eighteen, of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrīla Prabhupāda comments as follows: “The summer season in India is not very much welcomed because of the excessive heat, but in Vṛndāvana everyone was pleased because summer there appeared just like spring.”

Text 3

स च वृन्दावनगुणैर्वसन्त इव लक्षित: ।
यत्रास्ते भगवान् साक्षाद् रामेण सह केशव: ॥ ३ ॥

sa ca vṛndāvana-guṇair
vasanta iva lakṣitaḥ
yatrāste bhagavān sākṣād
rāmeṇa saha keśavaḥ

Synonyms

saḥ — this (hot season); ca — nevertheless; vṛndāvana — of Śrī Vṛndāvana; guṇaiḥ — by the transcendental qualities; vasantaḥ — springtime; iva — as if; lakṣitaḥ — manifesting symptoms; yatra — in which (Vṛndāvana); āste — remains; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sākṣāt — personally; rāmeṇa saha — together with Lord Balarāma; keśavaḥ — Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Translation

Nevertheless, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead was personally staying in Vṛndāvana along with Balarāma, summer manifested the qualities of spring. Such are the features of the land of Vṛndāvana.

Text 4

यत्र निर्झरनिर्ह्रादनिवृत्तस्वनझिल्लिकम् ।
शश्वत्तच्छीकरर्जीषद्रुममण्डलमण्डितम् ॥ ४ ॥

yatra nirjhara-nirhrāda-
nivṛtta-svana-jhillikam
śaśvat tac-chīkararjīṣa-
druma-maṇḍala-maṇḍitam

Synonyms

yatra — in which (Vṛndāvana); nirjhara — of the waterfalls; nirhrāda — by the resounding; nivṛtta — stopped; svana — the sound; jhillikam — of the crickets; śaśvat — constant; tat — of those (waterfalls); śīkara — by the drops of water; ṛjīṣa — moistened; druma — of trees; maṇḍala — with the groups; maṇḍitam — decorated.

Translation

In Vṛndāvana, the loud sound of waterfalls covered the crickets’ noise, and clusters of trees constantly moistened by spray from those waterfalls beautified the entire area.

Purport

This and the following three verses describe how Vṛndāvana manifested the features of spring, even during the summer season.

Text 5

सरित्सर:प्रस्रवणोर्मिवायुना
कह्लारकुञ्जोत्पलरेणुहारिणा ।
न विद्यते यत्र वनौकसां दवो
निदाघवह्न्यर्कभवोऽतिशाद्वले ॥ ५ ॥

sarit-saraḥ-prasravaṇormi-vāyunā
kahlāra-kañjotpala-reṇu-hāriṇā
na vidyate yatra vanaukasāṁ davo
nidāgha-vahny-arka-bhavo ’ti-śādvale

Synonyms

sarit — of the rivers; saraḥ — and the lakes; prasravaṇa — (coming into contact with) the currents; ūrmi — and waves; vāyunā — by the wind; kahlāra-kañja-utpala — of the kahlāra, kañja and utpala lotuses; reṇu — the pollen; hāriṇā — which was taking away; na vidyate — there was not; yatra — in which; vana-okasām — for the residents of the forest; davaḥ — tormenting heat; nidāgha — of the summer season; vahni — by forest fires; arka — and the sun; bhavaḥ — generated; ati-śādvale — where there was an abundance of green grass.

Translation

The wind wafting over the waves of the lakes and flowing rivers carried away the pollen of many varieties of lotuses and water lilies and then cooled the entire Vṛndāvana area. Thus the residents there did not suffer from the heat generated by the blazing summer sun and seasonal forest fires. Indeed, Vṛndāvana was abundant with fresh green grass.

Text 6

अगाधतोयह्रदिनीतटोर्मिभि-
र्द्रवत्पुरीष्या: पुलिनै: समन्तत: ।
न यत्र चण्डांशुकरा विषोल्बणा
भुवो रसं शाद्वलितं च गृह्णते ॥ ६ ॥

agādha-toya-hradinī-taṭormibhir
dravat-purīṣyāḥ pulinaiḥ samantataḥ
na yatra caṇḍāṁśu-karā viṣolbaṇā
bhuvo rasaṁ śādvalitaṁ ca gṛhṇate

Synonyms

agādha — very deep; toya — whose water; hradinī — of the rivers; taṭa — upon the shores; ūrmibhiḥ — by the waves; dravat — liquefied; purīṣyāḥ — whose mud; pulinaiḥ — by the sandy banks; samantataḥ — on all sides; na — not; yatra — upon which; caṇḍa — of the sun; aṁśu-karāḥ — the rays; viṣa — like poison; ulbaṇāḥ — fierce; bhuvaḥ — of the earth; rasam — the juice; śādvalitam — the greenness; ca — and; gṛhṇate — take away.

Translation

With their flowing waves the deep rivers drenched their banks, making them damp and muddy. Thus the rays of the sun, which were as fierce as poison, could not evaporate the earth’s sap or parch its green grass.

Text 7

वनं कुसुमितं श्रीमन्नदच्चित्रमृगद्विजम् ।
गायन्मयूरभ्रमरं कूजत्कोकिलसारसम् ॥ ७ ॥

vanaṁ kusumitaṁ śrīman
nadac-citra-mṛga-dvijam
gāyan mayūra-bhramaraṁ
kūjat-kokila-sārasam

Synonyms

vanam — the forest; kusumitam — full of flowers; śrīmat — very beautiful; nadat — making sounds; citra — variegated; mṛga — animals; dvijam — and birds; gāyan — singing; mayūra — peacocks; bhramaram — and bees; kūjat — cooing; kokila — cuckoos; sārasam — and cranes.

Translation

Flowers beautifully decorated the forest of Vṛndāvana, and many varieties of animals and birds filled it with sound. The peacocks and bees sang, and the cuckoos and cranes cooed.

Text 8

क्रीडिष्यमाणस्तन् कृष्णो भगवान् बलसंयुत: ।
वेणुं विरणयन् गोपैर्गोधनै: संवृतोऽविशत् ॥ ८ ॥

krīḍiṣyamāṇas tat krṣṇo
bhagavān bala-saṁyutaḥ
veṇuṁ viraṇayan gopair
go-dhanaiḥ saṁvṛto ’viśat

Synonyms

krīḍiṣyamāṇaḥ — intending to play; tat — that (Vṛndāvana forest); kṛṣṇaḥ — Kṛṣṇa; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bala-saṁyutaḥ — accompanied by Balarāma; veṇum — His flute; viraṇayan — sounding; gopaiḥ — by the cowherd boys; go-dhanaiḥ — and the cows, who are their wealth; saṁvṛtaḥ — surrounded; aviśat — He entered.

Translation

Intending to engage in pastimes, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accompanied by Lord Balarāma and surrounded by the cowherd boys and the cows, entered the forest of Vṛndāvana as He played His flute.

Text 9

प्रवालबर्हस्तबकस्रग्धातुकृतभूषणा: ।
रामकृष्णादयो गोपा ननृतुर्युयुधुर्जगु: ॥ ९ ॥

pravāla-barha-stabaka-
srag-dhātu-kṛta-bhūṣaṇāḥ
rāma-kṛṣṇādayo gopā
nanṛtur yuyudhur jaguḥ

Synonyms

pravāla — newly grown leaves; barha — peacock feathers; stabaka — bunches of small flowers; srak — garlands; dhātu — and colored minerals; kṛta-bhūṣaṇāḥ — wearing as their ornaments; rāma-kṛṣṇa-ādayaḥ — headed by Lord Balarāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa; gopāḥ — the cowherd boys; nanṛtuḥ — danced; yuyudhuḥ — fought; jaguḥ — sang.

Translation

Decorating themselves with newly grown leaves, along with peacock feathers, garlands, clusters of flower buds, and colored minerals, Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa and Their cowherd friends danced, wrestled and sang.

Text 10

कृष्णस्य नृत्यत: केचिज्जगु: केचिदवादयन् ।
वेणुपाणितलै: श‍ृङ्गै: प्रशशंसुरथापरे ॥ १० ॥

kṛṣṇasya nṛtyataḥ kecij
jaguḥ kecid avādayan
veṇu-pāṇitalaiḥ śṛṅgaiḥ
praśaśaṁsur athāpare

Synonyms

kṛṣṇasya nṛtyataḥ — while Kṛṣṇa was dancing; kecit — some of them; jaguḥ — sang; kecit — some; avādayan — accompanied musically; veṇu — with flutes; pāṇi-talaiḥ — and hand cymbals; śṛṅgaiḥ — with buffalo horns; praśaśaṁsuḥ — offered praise; atha — and; apare — others.

Translation

As Kṛṣṇa danced, some of the boys accompanied Him by singing, and others by playing flutes, hand cymbals and buffalo horns, while still others praised His dancing.

Purport

Wanting to encourage Śrī Kṛṣṇa, some of the cowherd boys openly praised His dancing.

Text 11

गोपजातिप्रतिच्छन्ना देवा गोपालरूपिणौ ।
ईडिरे कृष्णरामौ च नटा इव नटं नृप ॥ ११ ॥

gopa-jāti-praticchannā
devā gopāla-rūpiṇau
īḍire kṛṣṇa-rāmau ca
naṭā iva naṭaṁ nṛpa

Synonyms

gopa-jāti — as members of the cowherd community; praticchannāḥ — disguised; devāḥ — demigods; gopāla-rūpiṇau — who had assumed the forms of cowherd boys; īḍire — they worshiped; kṛṣṇa-rāmau — Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Rāma; ca — and; naṭāḥ — professional dancers; iva — just as; naṭam — another dancer; nṛpa — O King.

Translation

O King, demigods disguised themselves as members of the cowherd community and, just as dramatic dancers praise another dancer, worshiped Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, who were also appearing as cowherd boys.

Text 12

भ्रमणैर्लङ्घनै: क्षेपैरास्फोटनविकर्षणै: ।
चिक्रीडतुर्नियुद्धेन काकपक्षधरौ क्‍वचित् ॥ १२ ॥

bhramaṇair laṅghanaiḥ kṣepair
āsphoṭana-vikarṣaṇaiḥ
cikrīḍatur niyuddhena
kāka-pakṣa-dharau kvacit

Synonyms

bhramaṇaiḥ — with whirling about; laṅghanaiḥ — jumping; kṣepaiḥ — throwing; āsphoṭana — slapping; vikarṣaṇaiḥ — and dragging; cikṛīḍatuḥ — They (Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma) played; niyuddhena — with fighting; kāka-pakṣa — the locks of hair on the sides of Their heads; dharau — holding; kvacit — sometimes.

Translation

Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma played with their cowherd boyfriends by whirling about, leaping, hurling, slapping and fighting. Sometimes Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would pull the hair on the boys’ heads.

Purport

The ācāryas have explained this verse as follows: The word bhramaṇaiḥ indicates that the boys, pretending they were machines, would sometimes whirl about until they became dizzy. They would also sometimes jump about (laṅghanaiḥ). The word kṣepaiḥ indicates that sometimes they would hurl objects like balls or stones and that sometimes they would grab each other by the arms and throw one another about. Āsphoṭana means that sometimes they would slap one another’s shoulders or backs, and vikarṣaṇaiḥ indicates they would drag one another about in the midst of their play. By the word niyuddhena arm wrestling and other types of friendly fighting are indicated, and the word kāka-pakṣa-dharau means that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would sometimes grab the hair on the other boys’ heads in a playful manner.

Text 13

क्‍वचिन्नृत्यत्सु चान्येषु गायकौ वादकौ स्वयम् ।
शशंसतुर्महाराज साधु साध्विति वादिनौ ॥ १३ ॥

kvacin nṛtyatsu cānyeṣu
gāyakau vādakau svayam
śaśaṁsatur mahā-rāja
sādhu sādhv iti vādinau

Synonyms

kvacit — sometimes; nṛtyatsu — while they were dancing; ca — and; anyeṣu — others; gāyakau — the two of Them (Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma) singing; vādakau — both playing musical instruments; svayam — Themselves; śaśaṁsatuḥ — They praised; mahā-rāja — O great King; sādhu sādhu iti — “very good, very good”; vādinau — speaking.

Translation

While the other boys were dancing, O King, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would sometimes accompany them with song and instrumental music, and sometimes the two Lords would praise the boys, saying, “Very good! Very good!”

Text 14

क्‍वचिद्ब‍िल्वै: क्‍वचित्कुम्भै: क्‍वचामलकमुष्टिभि: ।
अस्पृश्यनेत्रबन्धाद्यै: क्‍वचिन्मृगखगेहया ॥ १४ ॥

kvacid bilvaiḥ kvacit kumbhaiḥ
kvacāmalaka-muṣṭibhiḥ
aspṛśya-netra-bandhādyaiḥ
kvacin mṛga-khagehayā

Synonyms

kvacit — sometimes; bilvaiḥ — with bilva fruits; kvacit — sometimes; kumbhaiḥ — with kumbha fruits; kvaca — and sometimes; āmalaka-muṣṭibhiḥ — with palmfuls of āmalaka fruits; aspṛśya — with games such as tṛying to touch one another; netra-bandha — trying to identify another when one is blindfolded; ādyaiḥ — and so on; kvacit — sometimes; mṛga — like animals; khaga — and birds; īhayā — acting.

Translation

Sometimes the cowherd boys would play with bilva or kumbha fruits, and sometimes with handfuls of āmalaka fruits. At other times they would play the games of trying to touch one another or of trying to identify somebody while one is blindfolded, and sometimes they would imitate animals and birds.

Purport

Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī explains that the word ādyaiḥ, “by other such sports,” indicates such games as chasing one another and building bridges. Another pastime would occur at noon, while Lord Kṛṣṇa was taking rest. Nearby, the young cowherd girls would be passing by, singing, and Kṛṣṇa’s boyfriends would pretend to inquire from them about the price of milk. Then the boys would steal yogurt and other items from them and run away. Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Their friends would also play games in which they would cross the river in boats.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura further explains that the boys would play with fruits by throwing a few in the air and then throwing others to try to hit them. The word netra-bandha indicates a game in which one boy would approach a blindfolded boy from behind and place his palms over the blindfolded boy’s eyes. Then, simply by the feel of his palms, the blindfolded boy would have to guess who the other boy was. In all such games the boys put up stakes for the winner, such as flutes or walking sticks. Sometimes the boys would imitate the various fighting methods of the forest animals, and at other times they would chirp like birds.

Text 15

क्‍वचिच्च दर्दुरप्लावैर्विविधैरुपहासकै: ।
कदाचित् स्यन्दोलिकया कर्हिचिन्नृपचेष्टया ॥ १५ ॥

kvacic ca dardura-plāvair
vividhair upahāsakaiḥ
kadācit syandolikayā
karhicin nṛpa-ceṣṭayā

Synonyms

kvacit — sometimes; ca — and; dardura — like frogs; plāvaiḥ — with jumping; vividhaiḥ — various; upahāsakaiḥ — with jokes; kadācit — sometimes; syandolikayā — with riding in swings; karhicit — and sometimes; nṛpa-ceṣṭayā — with pretending to be kings.

Translation

They would sometimes jump around like frogs, sometimes play various jokes, sometimes ride in swings and sometimes imitate monarchs.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains the word nṛpa-ceṣṭayā as follows: In Vṛndāvana there was a particular place on the riverbank where people who wanted to cross the Yamunā would pay a small tax. At times the cowherd boys would assemble in this area and prevent the young girls of Vṛndāvana from crossing the river, insisting that they had to pay a customs duty first. Such activities were full of joking and laughter.

Text 16

एवं तौ लोकसिद्धाभि: क्रीडाभिश्चेरतुर्वने ।
नद्यद्रिद्रोणिकुञ्जेषु काननेषु सर:सु च ॥ १६ ॥

evaṁ tau loka-siddhābhiḥ
krīḍābhiś ceratur vane
nady-adri-droṇi-kuñjeṣu
kānaneṣu saraḥsu ca

Synonyms

evam — in this way; tau — the two of Them, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; loka-siddhābhiḥ — which are well known in human society; krīḍābhiḥ — with games; ceratuḥ — They wandered; vane — in the forest; nadī — among the rivers; adri — mountains; droṇi — valleys; kuñjeṣu — and groves; kānaneṣu — in the smaller forests; saraḥsu — along the lakes; ca — and.

Translation

In this way Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma played all sorts of well-known games as They wandered among the rivers, hills, valleys, bushes, trees and lakes of Vṛndāvana.

Text 17

पशूंश्चारयतोर्गोपैस्तद्वने रामकृष्णयो: ।
गोपरूपी प्रलम्बोऽगादसुरस्तज्जिहीर्षया ॥ १७ ॥

paśūṁś cārayator gopais
tad-vane rāma-kṛṣṇayoḥ
gopa-rūpī pralambo ’gād
asuras taj-jihīrṣayā

Synonyms

paśūn — the animals; cārayatoḥ — while the two of Them were herding; gopaiḥ — along with the cowherd boys; tat-vane — in that forest, Vṛndāvana; rāma-kṛṣṇayoḥ — Lord Rāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa; gopa-rūpī — assuming the form of a cowherd boy; pralambaḥ — Pralamba; agāt — came; asuraḥ — the demon; tat — Them; jihīrṣayā — with the desire of kidnapping.

Translation

While Rāma, Kṛṣṇa and Their cowherd friends were thus tending the cows in that Vṛndāvana forest, the demon Pralamba entered their midst. He had assumed the form of a cowherd boy with the intention of kidnapping Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.

Purport

Having described how Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma acted just like ordinary boys, Śukadeva Gosvāmī will now reveal one of the Lord’s transcendental pastimes that is beyond the range of human activity. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the demon Pralamba disguised himself as a particular cowherd boy who on that day had remained at home with duties to perform.

Text 18

तं विद्वानपि दाशार्हो भगवान् सर्वदर्शन: ।
अन्वमोदत तत्सख्यं वधं तस्य विचिन्तयन् ॥ १८ ॥

taṁ vidvān api dāśārho
bhagavān sarva-darśanaḥ
anvamodata tat-sakhyaṁ
vadhaṁ tasya vicintayan

Synonyms

tam — him, Pralambāsura; vidvān — knowing quite well; api — even though; dāśārhaḥ — the descendant of Daśārha; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sarva-darśanaḥ — the omniscient; anvamodata — accepted; tat — with him; sakhyam — friendship; vadham — the killing; tasya — of him; vicintayan — meditating upon.

Translation

Since the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, who had appeared in the Daśārha dynasty, sees everything, He understood who the demon was. Still, the Lord pretended to accept the demon as a friend, while at the same time seriously considering how to kill him.

Text 19

तत्रोपाहूय गोपालान् कृष्ण: प्राह विहारवित् ।
हे गोपा विहरिष्यामो द्वन्द्वीभूय यथायथम् ॥ १९ ॥

tatropāhūya gopālān
kṛṣṇaḥ prāha vihāra-vit
he gopā vihariṣyāmo
dvandvī-bhūya yathā-yatham

Synonyms

tatra — thereupon; upāhūya — calling; gopālān — the cowherd boys; kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; prāha — spoke; vihāra-vit — the knower of all sports and games; he gopāḥ — O cowherd boys; vihariṣyāmaḥ — let us play; dvandvī-bhūya — dividing into two groups; yathā-yatham — suitably.

Translation

Kṛṣṇa, who knows all sports and games, then called together the cowherd boys and spoke as follows: “Hey cowherd boys! Let’s play now! We’ll divide ourselves into two even teams.”

Purport

The word yathā-yatham means that Kṛṣṇa naturally wanted the two teams to be evenly matched so that there would be a good game. In addition to the pleasure of sporting, the purpose of the game was to kill the demon Pralamba.

Text 20

तत्र चक्रु: परिवृढौ गोपा रामजनार्दनौ ।
कृष्णसङ्घट्टिन: केचिदासन् रामस्य चापरे ॥ २० ॥

tatra cakruḥ parivṛḍhau
gopā rāma-janārdanau
kṛṣṇa-saṅghaṭṭinaḥ kecid
āsan rāmasya cāpare

Synonyms

tatra — in that game; cakruḥ — they made; parivṛḍhau — the two leaders; gopāḥ — the cowherd boys; rāma-janārdanau — Lord Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇa-saṅghaṭṭinaḥ — members of Kṛṣṇa’s party; kecit — some of them; āsan — became; rāmasya — of Balarāma; ca — and; apare — others.

Translation

The cowherd boys chose Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma as the leaders of the two parties. Some of the boys were on Kṛṣṇa’s side, and others joined Balarāma.

Text 21

आचेरुर्विविधा: क्रीडा वाह्यवाहकलक्षणा: ।
यत्रारोहन्ति जेतारो वहन्ति च पराजिता: ॥ २१ ॥

ācerur vividhāḥ krīḍā
vāhya-vāhaka-lakṣaṇāḥ
yatrārohanti jetāro
vahanti ca parājitāḥ

Synonyms

āceruḥ — they performed; vividhāḥ — various; krīḍāḥ — sports; vāhya — by the carried; vāhaka — the carrier; lakṣaṇāḥ — characterized; yatra — in which; ārohanti — climb; jetāraḥ — the winners; vahanti — carry; ca — and; parājitāḥ — the defeated.

Translation

The boys played various games involving carriers and passengers. In these games the winners would climb up on the backs of the losers, who would have to carry them.

Purport

Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī quotes the following relevant verse from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (5.9.12):

hariṇākrīḍanaṁ nāma
bāla-krīdaṇakaṁ tataḥ
prakrīḍatā hi te sarve
dvau dvau yugapad utpatan

“They then played the childhood game known as hariṇākrīḍanam, in which each boy paired off with an opponent and all the boys simultaneously attacked their respective rivals.”

Text 22

वहन्तो वाह्यमानाश्च चारयन्तश्च गोधनम् ।
भाण्डीरकं नाम वटं जग्मु: कृष्णपुरोगमा: ॥ २२ ॥

vahanto vāhyamānāś ca
cārayantaś ca go-dhanam
bhāṇḍīrakaṁ nāma vaṭaṁ
jagmuḥ kṛṣṇa-purogamāḥ

Synonyms

vahantaḥ — carrying; vāhyamānāḥ — being carried; ca — and; cārayantaḥ — tending; ca — also; go-dhanam — the cows; bhāṇḍīrakam nāma — named Bhāṇḍīraka; vaṭam — to the banyan tree; jagmuḥ — they went; kṛṣṇa-puraḥ-gamāḥ — led by Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Translation

Thus carrying and being carried by one another, and at the same time tending the cows, the boys followed Kṛṣṇa to a banyan tree known as Bhāṇḍīraka.

Purport

Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī quotes the following verses from Śrī Harivaṁśa (Viṣṇu-parva 11.18-22), which describe the banyan tree:

dadarśa vipulodagra-
śākhinaṁ śākhināṁ varam
sthitaṁ dharaṇyāṁ meghābhaṁ
nibiḍaṁ dala-sañcayaiḥ

gaganārdhocchritākāraṁ
parvatābhoga-dhāriṇam
nīla-citrāṅga-varṇaiś ca
sevitaṁ bahubhiḥ khagaiḥ

phalaiḥ pravālaiś ca ghanaiḥ
sendracāpa-ghanopamam
bhavanākāra-viṭapaṁ
latā-puṣpa-sumaṇḍitam

viśāla-mūlāvanataṁ
pāvanāmbhoda-dhāriṇam
ādhipatyam ivānyeṣāṁ
tasya deśasya śākhinām

kurvāṇaṁ śubha-karmāṇaṁ
nirāvarṣam anātapam
nyagrodhaṁ parvatāgrābhaṁ
bhāṇḍīraṁ nāma nāmataḥ

“They saw that best of all trees, which had many long branches. With its dense covering of leaves, it resembled a cloud sitting on the earth. Indeed, its form was so large that it appeared like a mountain covering half the sky. Many birds with charming blue wings frequented that great tree, whose dense fruits and leaves made it seem like a cloud accompanied by a rainbow or like a house decorated with creepers and flowers. It spread its broad roots downward and carried upon itself the sanctified clouds. That banyan tree was like the lordly master of all other trees in that vicinity, as it performed the all-auspicious functions of warding off the rain and the heat of the sun. Such was the appearance of that nyagrodha tree known as Bhāṇḍīra, which seemed just like the peak of a great mountain.”

Text 23

रामसङ्घट्टिनो यर्हि श्रीदामवृषभादय: ।
क्रीडायां जयिनस्तांस्तानूहु: कृष्णादयो नृप ॥ २३ ॥

rāma-saṅghaṭṭino yarhi
śrīdāma-vṛṣabhādayaḥ
krīḍāyāṁ jayinas tāṁs tān
ūhuḥ kṛṣṇādayo nṛpa

Synonyms

rāma-saṅghaṭṭinaḥ — the members of Lord Balarāma’s party; yarhi — when; śrīdāma-vṛṣabha-ādayaḥ — Śrīdāmā, Vṛṣabha and others (such as Subala); krīḍāyām — in the games; jayinaḥ — victorious; tān tān — each of them; ūhuḥ — carried; kṛṣṇa-ādayaḥ — Kṛṣṇa and the members of His party; nṛpa — O King.

Translation

My dear King Parīkṣit, when Śrīdāmā, Vṛṣabha and the other members of Lord Balarāma’s party were victorious in these games, Kṛṣṇa and His followers had to carry them.

Text 24

उवाह कृष्णो भगवान् श्रीदामानं पराजित: ।
वृषभं भद्रसेनस्तु प्रलम्बो रोहिणीसुतम् ॥ २४ ॥

uvāha kṛṣṇo bhagavān
śrīdāmānaṁ parājitaḥ
vṛṣabhaṁ bhadrasenas tu
pralambo rohiṇī-sutam

Synonyms

uvāha — carried; kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śrīdāmānam — His devotee and friend Śrīdāmā; parājitaḥ — being defeated; vṛṣabham — Vṛṣabha; bhadrasenaḥ — Bhadrasena; tu — and; pralambaḥ — Pralamba; rohiṇī-sutam — the son of Rohiṇī (Balarāma).

Translation

Defeated, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa carried Śrīdāmā. Bhadrasena carried Vṛṣabha, and Pralamba carried Balarāma, the son of Rohiṇī.

Purport

One may ask how Bhagavān, the Supreme Lord, can be defeated by His boyfriends. The answer is that in His original form, God has a most playful nature and occasionally enjoys submitting to the strength or desire of His loving friends. A father may sometimes playfully fall down on the ground when struck by his beloved little child. These acts of love give pleasure to all parties. Thus Śrīdāmā agreed to ride on Lord Kṛṣṇa’s shoulders to please his beloved friend, who happened to be Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Text 25

अविषह्यं मन्यमान: कृष्णं दानवपुङ्गव: ।
वहन् द्रुततरं प्रागादवरोहणत: परम् ॥ २५ ॥

aviṣahyaṁ manyamānaḥ
kṛṣṇaṁ dānava-puṅgavaḥ
vahan drutataraṁ prāgād
avarohaṇataḥ param

Synonyms

aviṣahyam — invincible; manyamānaḥ — considering; kṛṣṇam — Lord Kṛṣṇa; dānava-puṅgavaḥ — that foremost demon; vahan — carrying; druta-taram — very quickly; prāgāt — he went off; avarohaṇataḥ param — beyond the place marked for climbing down.

Translation

Considering Lord Kṛṣṇa invincible, that foremost demon [Pralamba] quickly carried Balarāma far beyond the spot where he was supposed to put his passenger down.

Purport

Pralamba wanted to carry Balarāma out of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s sight so that he could cruelly attack Him.

Text 26

तमुद्वहन् धरणिधरेन्द्रगौरवं
महासुरो विगतरयो निजं वपु: ।
स आस्थित: पुरटपरिच्छदो बभौ
तडिद्‌‌द्युमानुडुपतिवाडिवाम्बुद: ॥ २६ ॥

tam udvahan dharaṇi-dharendra-gauravaṁ
mahāsuro vigata-rayo nijaṁ vapuḥ
sa āsthitaḥ puraṭa-paricchado babhau
taḍid-dyumān uḍupati-vāḍ ivāmbudaḥ

Synonyms

tam — Him, Lord Baladeva; udvahan — carrying high; dharaṇi-dhara-indra — like the king of the mountains, Sumeru; gauravam — whose weight; mahā-asuraḥ — the great demon; vigata-rayaḥ — losing his momentum; nijam — his original; vapuḥ — body; saḥ — he; āsthitaḥ — becoming situated in; puraṭa — golden; paricchadaḥ — having ornaments; babhau — he shone; taḍit — like lightning; dyu-mān — flashing; uḍu-pati — the moon; vāṭ — carrying; iva — just as; ambu-daḥ — a cloud.

Translation

As the great demon carried Balarāma, the Lord became as heavy as massive Mount Sumeru, and Pralamba had to slow down. He then resumed his actual form — an effulgent body that was covered with golden ornaments and that resembled a cloud flashing with lightning and carrying the moon.

Purport

Here the demon Pralamba is compared to a cloud, his golden ornaments to lightning within that cloud, and Lord Balarāma to the moon shining through it. Great demons can assume various forms by exerting their mystic power, but when the Lord’s spiritual potency curtails their power, they can no longer maintain an artificial form and must again manifest their actual, demoniac body. Lord Balarāma suddenly became as heavy as a great mountain, and although the demon tried to carry Him high on his shoulders, he could not go on.

Text 27

निरीक्ष्य तद्वपुरलमम्बरे चरत्
प्रदीप्तद‍ृग् भ्रुकुटितटोग्रदंष्ट्रकम् ।
ज्वलच्छिखं कटककिरीटकुण्डल-
त्विषाद्भ‍ुतं हलधर ईषदत्रसत् ॥ २७ ॥

nirīkṣya tad-vapur alam ambare carat
pradīpta-dṛg bhru-kuṭi-taṭogra-daṁṣṭrakam
jvalac-chikhaṁ kaṭaka-kirīṭa-kuṇḍala-
tviṣādbhutaṁ haladhara īṣad atrasat

Synonyms

nirīkṣya — seeing; tat — of Pralambāsura; vapuḥ — the body; alam — quickly; ambare — in the sky; carat — moving; pradīpta — blazing; dṛk — his eyes; bhru-kuṭi — of his frown upon his eyebrows; taṭa — on the edge; ugra — terrible; daṁṣṭrakam — his teeth; jvalat — fiery; śikham — hair; kaṭaka — of his armlets; kirīṭa — crown; kuṇḍala — and earrings; tviṣā — by the effulgence; adbhutam — astonishing; hala-dharaḥ — Lord Balarāma, the carrier of the plow weapon; īṣat — a little; atrasat — became frightened.

Translation

When Lord Balarāma, who carries the plow weapon, saw the gigantic body of the demon as he moved swiftly in the sky — with his blazing eyes, fiery hair, terrible teeth reaching toward his scowling brows, and an amazing effulgence generated by his armlets, crown and earrings — the Lord seemed to become a little frightened.

Purport

Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī explains Lord Baladeva’s so-called fear as follows: Balarāma was playfully acting out the role of an ordinary cowherd boy, and to maintain the mood of this pastime He appeared slightly disturbed by the horrible demoniac body. Also because the demon had appeared as a cowherd boyfriend of Kṛṣṇa’s and because Kṛṣṇa had accepted him as a friend, Baladeva was slightly apprehensive about killing him. Balarāma could also have been worried that since this cowherd boy was actually a demon in disguise, at that very moment another such demon might have been attacking Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Thus the omniscient and omnipotent Supreme Lord Balarāma exhibited the pastime of becoming slightly nervous in the presence of the horrible demon Pralamba.

Text 28

अथागतस्मृतिरभयो रिपुं बलो
विहायसार्थमिव हरन्तमात्मन: ।
रुषाहनच्छिरसि द‍ृढेन मुष्टिना
सुराधिपो गिरिमिव वज्ररंहसा ॥ २८ ॥

athāgata-smṛtir abhayo ripuṁ balo
vihāya sārtham iva harantam ātmanaḥ
ruṣāhanac chirasi dṛḍhena muṣṭinā
surādhipo girim iva vajra-raṁhasā

Synonyms

atha — then; āgata-smṛtiḥ — remembering Himself; abhayaḥ — without fear; ripum — His enemy; balaḥ — Lord Balarāma; vihāya — leaving aside; sārtham — the company; iva — indeed; harantam — kidnapping; ātmanaḥ — Himself; ruṣā — angrily; ahanat — He struck; śirasi — upon the head; dṛḍhena — hard; muṣṭinā — with His fist; sura-adhipaḥ — the king of the demigods, Indra; girim — a mountain; iva — just as; vajra — of his thunderbolt weapon; raṁhasā — with the swiftness.

Translation

Remembering the actual situation, the fearless Balarāma understood that the demon was tṛying to kidnap Him and take Him away from His companions. The Lord then became furious and struck the demon’s head with His hard fist, just as Indra, the king of the demigods, strikes a mountain with his thunderbolt weapon.

Purport

Lord Balarāma’s powerful fist came crashing down upon the demon’s head, just as a huge lightning bolt comes crashing into a mountain, cracking its stone surface into pieces. The words vihāya sārtham iva may also be divided vihāyasā artham iva, meaning that the demon was flying in the sky on the cosmic path, vihāyas, with the purpose of carrying off Balarāma, who was his artham, or object of pursuit.

Text 29

स आहत: सपदि विशीर्णमस्तको
मुखाद् वमन् रुधिरमपस्मृतोऽसुर: ।
महारवं व्यसुरपतत् समीरयन्
गिरिर्यथा मघवत आयुधाहत: ॥ २९ ॥

sa āhataḥ sapadi viśīrṇa-mastako
mukhād vaman rudhiram apasmṛto ’suraḥ
mahā-ravaṁ vyasur apatat samīrayan
girir yathā maghavata āyudhāhataḥ

Synonyms

saḥ — he, Pralambāsura; āhataḥ — struck; sapadi — at once; viśīrṇa — split; mastakaḥ — his head; mukhāt — from his mouth; vaman — vomiting; rudhiram — blood; apasmṛtaḥ — unconscious; asuraḥ — the demon; mahā-ravam — a great noise; vyasuḥ — lifeless; apatat — he fell; samīrayan — sounding; giriḥ — a mountain; yathā — as; maghavataḥ — of Lord Indra; āyudha — by the weapon; āhataḥ — hit.

Translation

Thus smashed by Balarāma’s fist, Pralamba’s head immediately cracked open. The demon vomited blood from his mouth and lost all consciousness, and then with a great noise he fell lifeless on the ground, like a mountain devastated by Indra.

Text 30

द‍ृष्ट्वा प्रलम्बं निहतं बलेन बलशालिना ।
गोपा: सुविस्मिता आसन्साधु साध्विति वादिन: ॥ ३० ॥

dṛṣṭvā pralambaṁ nihataṁ
balena bala-śālinā
gopāḥ su-vismitā āsan
sādhu sādhv iti vādinaḥ

Synonyms

dṛṣṭvā — seeing; pralambam — Pralambāsura; nihatam — killed; balena — by Lord Balarāma; bala-śālinā — who is by nature very powerful; gopāḥ — the cowherd boys; su-vismitāḥ — most astonished; āsan — became; sādhu sādhu — “very wonderful, very wonderful”; iti — these words; vādinaḥ — speaking.

Translation

The cowherd boys were most astonished to see how the powerful Balarāma had killed the demon Pralamba, and they exclaimed, “Excellent! Excellent!”

Text 31

आशिषोऽभिगृणन्तस्तं प्रशशंसुस्तदर्हणम् ।
प्रेत्यागतमिवालिङ्‌‌ग्य प्रेमविह्वलचेतस: ॥ ३१ ॥

āśiṣo ’bhigṛṇantas taṁ
praśaśaṁsus tad-arhaṇam
pretyāgatam ivāliṅgya
prema-vihvala-cetasaḥ

Synonyms

āśiṣaḥ — benedictions; abhigṛṇantaḥ — offering profusely; tam — to Him; praśaśaṁsuḥ — they praised; tat-arhaṇam — Him who was worthy of such; pretya — having died; āgatam — come back; iva — as if; ālingya — embracing; prema — out of love; vihvala — overwhelmed; cetasaḥ — their minds.

Translation

They offered Balarāma profuse benedictions and then glorified Him, who deserves all glorification. Their minds overwhelmed with ecstatic love, they embraced Him as if He had come back from the dead.

Text 32

पापे प्रलम्बे निहते देवा: परमनिर्वृता: ।
अभ्यवर्षन् बलं माल्यै: शशंसु: साधु साध्विति ॥ ३२ ॥

pāpe pralambe nihate
devāḥ parama-nirvṛtāḥ
abhyavarṣan balaṁ mālyaiḥ
śaśaṁsuḥ sādhu sādhv iti

Synonyms

pāpe — the sinful; pralambe — Pralambāsura; nihate — being killed; devāḥ — the demigods; parama — extremely; nirvṛtāḥ — satisfied; abhyavarṣan — showered; balam — Lord Balarāma; mālyaiḥ — with flower garlands; śaśaṁsuḥ — they offered prayers; sādhu sādhu iti — crying “excellent, excellent.”.

Translation

The sinful Pralamba having been killed, the demigods felt extremely happy, and they showered flower garlands upon Lord Balarāma and praised the excellence of His deed.

Purport

Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Eighteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Lord Balarāma Slays the Demon Pralamba.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN

Lord Balarāma Slays the Demon Pralamba

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