Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 10 - Chapter 43

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 1 Sanskrit: श्रीशुक उवाचअथ कृष्णश्च रामश्च कृतशौचौ परन्तप । मल्लदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषं श्रुत्वा द्रष्टुमुपेयतु: ॥ १ ॥ ITRANS: śrī-śuka uvācaatha kṛṣṇaś ca rāmaś cakṛta-śaucau parantapamalla-dundubhi-nirghoṣaṁśrutvā draṣṭum upeyatuḥ Translation: Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O chastiser of enemies, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, having executed all necessary purification, then heard the kettledrums resounding at the wrestling arena, and They went there to see what was happening. Purport: Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains the words kṛta-śaucau, “having executed all necessary purification,” as follows: “Two days previously, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had executed Their purification, Their relief from offense [by performing heroic deeds]....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 2 Sanskrit: रङ्गद्वारं समासाद्य तस्मिन् नागमवस्थितम् । अपश्यत्कुवलयापीडं कृष्णोऽम्बष्ठप्रचोदितम् ॥ २ ॥ ITRANS: raṅga-dvāraṁ samāsādyatasmin nāgam avasthitamapaśyat kuvalayāpīḍaṁkṛṣṇo ’mbaṣṭha-pracoditam Translation: When Lord Kṛṣṇa reached the entrance to the arena, He saw the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa blocking His way at the urging of his keeper. Purport: The elephant-keeper revealed his malicious intent by blocking Lord Kṛṣṇa’s entrance into the arena.

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 3 Sanskrit: बद्ध्वा परिकरं शौरि: समुह्य कुटिलालकान् । उवाच हस्तिपं वाचा मेघनादगभीरया ॥ ३ ॥ ITRANS: baddhvā parikaraṁ śauriḥsamuhya kuṭilālakānuvāca hastipaṁ vācāmegha-nāda-gabhīrayā Translation: Securely binding up His clothes and tying back His curly locks, Lord Kṛṣṇa addressed the elephant-keeper with words as grave as the rumbling of a cloud. Purport: Lord Kṛṣṇa was obviously preparing for a fight. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the Lord put aside His jacket, tightened His belt and tied back His hair....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 4 Sanskrit: अम्बष्ठाम्बष्ठ मार्गं नौ देह्यपक्रम मा चिरम् । नो चेत् सकुञ्जरं त्वाद्य नयामि यमसादनम् ॥ ४ ॥ ITRANS: ambaṣṭhāmbaṣṭha mārgaṁ naudehy apakrama mā ciramno cet sa-kuñjaraṁ tvādyanayāmi yama-sādanam Translation: [Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] O driver, driver, move aside at once and let Us pass! If you don’t, this very day I will send both you and your elephant to the abode of Yamarāja!...

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 5 Sanskrit: एवं निर्भर्त्सितोऽम्बष्ठ: कुपित: कोपितं गजम् । चोदयामास कृष्णाय कालान्तकयमोपमम् ॥ ५ ॥ ITRANS: evaṁ nirbhartsito ’mbaṣṭhaḥkupitaḥ kopitaṁ gajamcodayām āsa kṛṣṇāyakālāntaka-yamopamam Translation: Thus threatened, the elephant-keeper became angry. He goaded his furious elephant, who appeared equal to time, death and Yamarāja, into attacking Lord Kṛṣṇa. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 6 Sanskrit: करीन्द्रस्तमभिद्रुत्य करेण तरसाग्रहीत् । कराद्विगलित: सोऽमुं निहत्याङ्‍‍‍‍‍घ्रिष्वलीयत ॥ ६ ॥ ITRANS: karīndras tam abhidrutyakareṇa tarasāgrahītkarād vigalitaḥ so ’muṁnihatyāṅghriṣv alīyata Translation: The lord of the elephants charged Kṛṣṇa and violently seized Him with his trunk. But Kṛṣṇa slipped away, struck him a blow and disappeared from his view among his legs. Purport: Lord Kṛṣṇa struck the elephant with His fist and then disappeared among his legs....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 7 Sanskrit: सङ्‌क्रुद्धस्तमचक्षाणो घ्राणद‍ृष्टि: स केशवम् । परामृशत् पुष्करेण स प्रसह्य विनिर्गत: ॥ ७ ॥ ITRANS: saṅkruddhas tam acakṣāṇoghrāṇa-dṛṣṭiḥ sa keśavamparāmṛśat puṣkareṇasa prasahya vinirgataḥ Translation: Infuriated at being unable to see Lord Keśava, the elephant sought Him out with his sense of smell. Once again Kuvalayāpīḍa seized the Lord with the end of his trunk, only to have the Lord forcefully free Himself....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 8 Sanskrit: पुच्छे प्रगृह्यातिबलं धनुष: पञ्चविंशतिम् । विचकर्ष यथा नागं सुपर्ण इव लीलया ॥ ८ ॥ ITRANS: pucche pragṛhyāti-balaṁdhanuṣaḥ pañca-viṁśatimvicakarṣa yathā nāgaṁsuparṇa iva līlayā Translation: Lord Kṛṣṇa then grabbed the powerful Kuvalayāpīḍa by the tail and playfully dragged him twenty-five bow-lengths as easily as Garuḍa might drag a snake. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 9 Sanskrit: स पर्यावर्तमानेन सव्यदक्षिणतोऽच्युत: । बभ्राम भ्राम्यमाणेन गोवत्सेनेव बालक: ॥ ९ ॥ ITRANS: sa paryāvartamānenasavya-dakṣiṇato ’cyutaḥbabhrāma bhrāmyamāṇenago-vatseneva bālakaḥ Translation: As Lord Acyuta held on to the elephant’s tail, the animal tried to twist away to the left and to the right, making the Lord swerve in the opposite direction, as a young boy would swerve when pulling a calf by the tail....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 10 Sanskrit: ततोऽभिमुखमभ्येत्य पाणिनाहत्य वारणम् । प्राद्रवन् पातयामास स्पृश्यमान: पदे पदे ॥ १० ॥ ITRANS: tato ’bhimakham abhyetyapāṇināhatya vāraṇamprādravan pātayām āsaspṛśyamānaḥ pade pade Translation: Kṛṣṇa then came face to face with the elephant and slapped him and ran away. Kuvalayāpīḍa pursued the Lord, managing to touch Him again and again with each step, but Kṛṣṇa outmaneuvered the elephant and made him trip and fall....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 11 Sanskrit: स धावन् क्रीडया भूमौ पतित्वा सहसोत्थित: । तं मत्वा पतितं क्रुद्धो दन्ताभ्यां सोऽहनत्क्षितिम् ॥ ११ ॥ ITRANS: sa dhāvan kṛīdayā bhūmaupatitvā sahasotthitaḥtam matvā patitaṁ kruddhodantābhyāṁ so ’hanat kṣitim Translation: As Kṛṣṇa dodged about, He playfully fell on the ground and quickly got up again. The raging elephant, thinking Kṛṣṇa was down, tried to gore Him with his tusks but struck the earth instead....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 12 Sanskrit: स्वविक्रमे प्रतिहते कुञ्जरेन्द्रोऽत्यमर्षित: । चोद्यमानो महामात्रै: कृष्णमभ्यद्रवद् रुषा ॥ १२ ॥ ITRANS: sva-vikrame pratihatekuñjarendro ’ty-amarṣitaḥcodyamāno mahāmātraiḥkṛṣṇam abhyadravad ruṣā Translation: His prowess foiled, the lordly elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa went into a frenzied rage out of frustration. But the elephant-keepers goaded him on, and he furiously charged Kṛṣṇa once again. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 13 Sanskrit: तमापतन्तमासाद्य भगवान् मधुसूदन: । निगृह्य पाणिना हस्तं पातयामास भूतले ॥ १३ ॥ ITRANS: tam āpatantam āsādyabhagavān madhusūdanaḥnigṛhya pāṇinā hastaṁpātayām āsa bhū-tale Translation: The Supreme Lord, killer of the demon Madhu, confronted the elephant as he attacked. Seizing his trunk with one hand, Kṛṣṇa threw him to the ground. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 14 Sanskrit: पतितस्य पदाक्रम्य मृगेन्द्र इव लीलया । दन्तमुत्पाट्य तेनेभं हस्तिपांश्चाहनद्धरि: ॥ १४ ॥ ITRANS: patitasya padākramyamṛgendra iva līlayādantam utpāṭya tenebhaṁhastipāṁś cāhanad dhariḥ Translation: Lord Hari then climbed onto the elephant with the ease of a mighty lion, pulled out a tusk, and with it killed the beast and his keepers. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 15 Sanskrit: मृतकं द्विपमुत्सृज्य दन्तपाणि: समाविशत् । अंसन्यस्तविषाणोऽसृङ्‌मदबिन्दुभिरङ्कित: । विरूढस्वेदकणिकावदनाम्बुरुहो बभौ ॥ १५ ॥ ITRANS: mṛtakaṁ dvipam utsṛjyadanta-pāṇiḥ samāviśataṁsa-nyasta-viṣāṇo ’sṛṅ-mada-bindubhir aṅkitaḥvirūḍha-sveda-kaṇikāvadanāmburuho babhau Translation: Leaving the dead elephant aside, Lord Kṛṣṇa held on to the tusk and entered the wrestling arena. With the tusk resting on His shoulder, drops of the elephant’s blood and sweat sprinkled all over Him, and His lotus face covered with fine drops of His own perspiration, the Lord shone with great beauty....