Sri Garga Samhita
BY: SUN STAFF
Feb 02, CANADA (SUN) —
Canto Two, Volume Three
Chapter Twenty-three
Rasa-kridayam sankhacuda-vadhah
The Killing of Sankhacuda During the Rasa-dance Pastime
Text 1
sri-narada uvaca
atha krishno gopikabhir
lohajanghavanam yayau
vasanta-madhavibhis ca
latabhih sankulam nripa
Sri Narada said: O king, then Lord Krishna and the gopis went to Lohajanghavana forest, which was filled with flowering madhavi vines.
Text 2
tat-pushpa-dhama-nicayaih
sphurat-saugandhi-salibhih
sarvasam harina tatra
kabaryo gumphitas tatah
Lord Krishna decorated all the gopis' braids with the fragrant flowers there.
Text 3
bhramara-dhvani-samyukte
sugandhanila-vasite
kalindi-nikate krishno
vicacara priyanvitah
With His beloved, Lord Krishna walked by the Yamuna, which was filled with the sounds of bees and scented with a fragrant breeze.
Text 4
karillaih pilubhih syamais
tamalaih sankula-drumaih
maha-punyavanam krishno
yayau rasesvaro harih
Lord Krishna, the king of the rasa dance, walked there in a very sacred forest filled with karilla, pilu, and black tamala trees.
Text 5
tatra rasam samarebhe
rasesvarya samanvitah
giyamanas ca gopibhir
apsarobhir sva-rad iva
Singing, the Lord started a rasa dance with Radha, the queen of the rasa dance, and with the many gopis. He danced as Indra, the king of Svargaloka, dances with the apsaras.
Text 6
tatra citram abhud rajan
srinu tvam tan mukhan mama
sankhacudo nama yaksho
dhanadanucaro bali
O king, then a wonderful thing happened. Please hear of it from my mouth. There once was a very powerful yaksha named Sankhacuda, who was a follower of Kuvera.
Text 7
bhu-tale tat-samo nasti
gada-yuddha-visaradah
man-mukhad augrasenes ca
balam srutva mahotkatam
In fighting with a club no one was his equal on the surface of the earth. From my mouth he heard of Kamsa's great strength.
Text 8
laksha-bhara-mayim gurvim
gadam adaya yaksha-rat
sva-sakasan madhu-purim
ayayau canda-vikramah
Taking a great club that weighed a hundred thousand bharas, this very strong yaksha king left his own home and went to Mathura City.
Text 9
sabhayam asthitam praha
kamsam natva madoddhatah
gada-yuddham dehi mahyam
trailokya-vijayi bhavan
Filled with pride, he bowed before Kamsa in the royal assmebly and said, "O conqueror of the three worlds, please give a club-duel to me."
Text 10
aham daso bhaveyam vai
bhavams ca vijayi yadi
aham jayi codbhavantam
dasam sighram karomy aham
If You are victorious, I will become your servant. If I am victorious, I will make you my servant for a very long time.
Text 11
tathastu coktva kamsas tu
grihitva mahatim gadam
sankhacudena yuyudhe
ranga-bhumau videha-rat
O king of Videha, saying, "So be it," and taking up a very great club, in a fighting-ground Kamsa fought with Sankhacuda.
Text 12
tayos ca gadaya yuddham
ghora-rupam babhuva ha
tadanac catcata-sabdam
kala-megha-tadid-dhvani
They fought a terrible club-duel. The catcata sound of their blows was like the lightning of black clouds.
Text 13
susubhate ranga-madhye
mallau natye natav iva
ibhendrav iva dirghangau
mrigendrav iva codbhatau
The two fighters were very glorious. They were like two wrestlers in a fighting-ground, two dancers in a dance, two regal elephants, or two long-limbed lions.
Text 14
dvayos ca yudhyato rajan
paraspara-jigishaya
visphulingan ksharantyau dvau
gade curni-babhuvatuh
O king, as, each trying to defeat the other, they fought, sparks flew from their clubs. Their clubs were eventually broken into pieces.
Text 15
kamsah prakupitam yaksham
mushtinabhijaghana ha
sankhacudo 'pi tam kamsam
mushtina tam tatada ca
Then Kamsa punched the angry yaksha, and Sankhacuda punched Kamsa.
Text 16
mushtamushti tayor asid
dinanam sapta-vimsatih
dvayor akshina-balayor
vismayam gatayos tatah
They fought hand-to-hand for twenty-seven days. Neither one weakened. They were both amazed.
Text 17
sankhacudam sangrihitva
kamso daityadhipo bali
balac cikshepa sahasa
vyomni tam sata-yojanam
Grabbing Sankhacuda, the powerful demon-king Kamsa suddenly threw him eight-hundred miles into the sky.
Text 18
sankhacudah prapatitah
kincid vyakula-manasah
kamsam grihitva nabhasi
cikshepayuta-yojanam
When Sankhacuda fell he was a somewhat disturbed. Grabbing Kamsa, Sankhacuda threw him eighty-thousand miles into the sky.
Text 19
akasat patitah kamsah
kincid vyakula-manasah
yaksham grihitva sahasa
patayam asa bhu-tale
When Kamsa fell he was a somewhat disturbed. Grabbing the yaksha Sankhacuda, Kamsa suddenly threw him to the ground.
Text 20
sankhacudas tam grihitva
pothayam asa bhu-tale
evam yuddhe sampravritte
cakampe bhumi-mandalam
Then Sankhacuda grabbed Kamsa and threw him to the ground. As they fought in this way, the circle of the earth trembled.
Text 21
munindrah sarva-vit sakshad
gargacaryah samagatah
rangeshu vanditas tabhyam
kamsam prahorjaya gira
Then Garga Acarya, the all-knowing king of sages, came to the fighting-ground. The two fighters both offered respectful obeisances to him. With strong words he spoke to Kamsa.
Text 22
sri-garga uvaca
yuddham ma kuru rajendra
viphalo 'yam rano 'tra vai
tvat-samano hy ayam virah
sankhacudo maha-balah
Sri Garga said: O king of kings, don't continue this fight. This fight has no meaning. The powerful warrior Sankhacuda is your equal.
Text 23
tava mushti-praharena
bhrisam airavato gajah
janubhyam dharanim sprishtva
kasmalam paramam yayau
The blows of your fists have made the elephant Airavata faint. His knees now touch the ground.
Text 24
anye 'pi balino daitya
mushtina te mritim gatah
sankhacudo na patitah
sandeho nasti tac chrinu
Other powerful demons would have died from your punches, but Sankhacuda has not even fallen. Of this there is no doubt. Please hear the reason.
Text 25
paripurnatamo yo vai
so 'pi tvam ghatayishyati
tathainam sankhacudakhyam
sivasyapi varorjitam
As the Supreme Personality of Godhead is destined to kill you, so He will also kill Sankhacuda, and as you are very strong by Lord Siva's blessings, so is he.
Text 26
tasmat prema prakartavyam
sankhacude yadudvaha
yaksha-rat ca tvaya kamse
kartavyam prema niscitam
Therefore, O king of the Yadus, you should make friends with Sankhacuda, and you, O king of the yakshas should make friends with Kamsa.
Text 27
sri-narada uvaca
gargenoktau tada tau dvau
militvapi parasparam
paramam cakratuh pritim
sankhacuda-yadudvahau
Sri Narada said: In this way, by Garga Muni's words, Sankhacuda and Kamsa became great friends.
Text 28
atha kamsam anujnapya
griham gantum samudyatah
gacchan marge 'srinod ratrau
rasa-ganam manoharam
Then Sankhacuda invited Kamsa to his home. Traveling on the road at night, they heard the beautiful singing of the rasa dance.
Text 29
tala-sabdanusarena
sampraptau rasa-mandale
rasesvarya samam rase
'pasyad rasesvaram harim
Following the sounds of the karatalas, they came to the rasa-dance circle, where they saw Sri Radha, the queen of the rasa dance, and Lord Krishna, the king of the rasa dance, . . .
Text 30
sri-radhayalankrita-vama-bahum
svacchanda-vakri-krita-dakshinanghrim
vamsi-dharam sundara-manda-hasam
bhru-mandalair mohita-kama-rasim
. . . whose left arm was decorated by Sri Radha, whose left foot was playfully tilted, who held a flute, who had a handsome and gentle smile, whose eyebrows bewildered many multitudes of Kamadevas, . . .
Text 31
vrajangana-yutha-patim vrajesvaram
su-sevitam camara-cchatra-kotibhih
vijnaya krishnam hy ati-komalam sisum
gopim samahartum alam mano 'karot
. . . who was the master of Vraja and Vraja's girls, and who was served with ten million parasols and camaras. Thinking Krishna only a fragile boy, Sankhacuda decided to kidnap one of the gopis.
Text 32
sri-bahulasva uvaca
kim babhuva tato rase
sankhacude samagate
etan me bruhi viprendra
tvam paravara-vittamah
Sri Bahulasva said: What happened when Sankhacuda came to the rasa dance. Please tell me that, O king of brahmanas, O best of the wise.
Text 33
sri-narada uvaca
vyaghrananam krishna-varnam
tala-vriksha-dasocchritam
bhayankaram lalaj-jihvam
drishtva gopyo 'pi tatrasuh
Sri Narada said: When the gopis saw fearsome Sankhacuda, who was black, tall as ten palm trees, and who had a tiger's face with a lolling tongue, they became afraid.
Text 34
dudruvuh sarvato gopyo
mahan kolahalo 'bhavat
ha-ha-karas tadaivasic
chankhacude samagate
When Sankhacuda came there was a great commotion. Crying, "Alas! Alas!" the gopis ran in all directions.
Text 35
satacandrananam gopim
grihitva yaksha-rat khalah
dudravasuttaram asam
nihsankah kama-piditah
Fearless, and tortured by lust, the demon Sankhacuda grabbed Satacandranana-gopi and ran to the north.
Text 36
rudantim krishna krishneti
krosantim bhaya-vihvalam
tam anvadhavac chri-krishnah
sala-hasto rusha bhrisam
As terrified Satacandranana-gopi screamed, "Krishna! Krishna!" Sri Krishna, a sala tree in His hand, angrily chased the demon.
Text 37
yaksho vikshya tam ayantam
kritantam iva durjayam
gopim tyaktva jivitecchuh
pradravad bhaya-vihvalah
Seeing Krishna approaching like invicible death, the yaksha demon became afraid, left the gopi behind, and ran for his life.
Text 38
yatra yatra gato dhavan
sankhacudo maha-khalah
tatra tatra gatah krishnah
sala-hasto bhrisam rusha
Wherever the great demon Sankhacuda ran, angry Krishna, a sala tree in His hand, followed.
Text 39
himacala-tatam praptah
salam udyamya yaksha-rat
tasthau tat-sammukhe rajan
yuddha-kamo viseshatah
O king, when he came to the Himalayas, Sankhacuda uprooted a sala tree and, eager for a fight, stood before Krishna.
Text 40
tasmai cikshepa bhagavan
sala-vriksham bhujaujasa
tena ghatena patito
vriksho vata-hato yatha
With His mighty arm the Lord threw the sala tree at him. The demon fell like a tree struck by a hurricane.
Text 41
punar utthaya vaikuntham
mushtina tam jaghana ha
jagarga sahasa dushto
nadayan mandalam disam
Getting up, the demon punched Krishna and roared with a great sound that echoed in the circle of the directions.
Text 42
grihitva tam harir dorbhyam
bhramayitva bhujaujasa
patayam asa bhu-prishthe
vatah padmam ivoddhritam
Grabbing him with His powerful arms, Krishna whirled the demon around and threw him to the ground as a hurricane uproots and throws a lotus flower.
Text 43
sankhacudas tam grihitva
pothayam asa bhu-tale
evam yuddhe sampravritte
cakampe bhumi-mandalam
Then Sankhacuda grabbed Krishna and threw Him to the ground. As they fought in this way the circle of the earth shook.
Text 44
mushtina tac-chiras chittva
tasmac cuda-manim harih
jagraha madhavah sakshat
sukriti sevadhim yatha
With a great punch Krishna severed the demon's head. Then, as a pious man takes the great treasure he has earned, Krishna took the jewel from the demon's crown.
Text 45
taj-jyotir nirgatam dirgham
dyotayan mandalam disam
sridamni sri-krishna-sakhe
linam jatam vraje nripa
O king, an effulgence left the demon's body and for a long time lit up the circle of the directions until it finally entered Sri Krishna's friend Sridama, who was born in Vraja.
Text 46
evam hatva sankhacudam
bhagavan madhusudanah
mani-panih punah sighram
ayayau rasa-mandalam
Thus killing Sankhacuda, Lord Krishna, the jewel in His hand, returned to the circle of the rasa dance after a long time.
Text 47
candrananayai ca manim
dattva tam dina-vatsalah
punar gopi-ganaih sardham
rasam cakre harih svayam
After giving that jewel to Candranana-gopi, Lord Krishna continued His rasa dance with the gopis.
