Gopala-campu
Gopal Champu
Chapter Thirteen - Binding Jarāsandha
O Kṛṣṇa! O Caitanya! O Rūpa and Sanātana! O Gopāla! O Raghunātha! O Vallabha who has attained Vraja! Please protect me! ||1||
[1] Having satisfied the desires of the residents of Vraja with Uddhava’s coming, we will now begin to satisfy their desires with Baladeva’s arrival.
[2] Madhukaṇṭha and Snigdhakaṇṭha have narrated two Campūs filled with stories of Kṛṣṇa from his birth, which intoxicate the minds of the saintly, and finally satisfied the desires of the people of Vraja by their attainment of Kṛṣṇa after the killing of Dantavakra, which brought them back to life. This event will be later narrated with the proof from scriptures like Hari-vaṁsa and Padma Purāṇa. This has been mentioned previously several times. All the other remaining stories will now be told.
[3-4] The next day when Nanda and others were waiting thirstily at the morning session, Madhukaṇṭha began to think. The time has come to describe Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes after going to Kubjā’s house, after having described other events.
“This pastime is not inappropriate from Kṛṣṇa—who is a wealth of compassion, showing ever-fresh mercy to persons like Pūtanā—after his mind became settled when Uddhava returned from Vraja and spoke consoling words. He performed this pastime to pacify Uddhava and others who were always eager that he go to Vraja to create happiness there. Śukadeva has not praised Kubjā’s love as being faultless because of a relation to lust whereas Śukadeva and others have extensively praised the Vraja gopīs’ prema in the highest terms. Kṛṣṇa accepted her love to emphasize the love of the gopīs which is universally praised as mahābhāva. Therefore this incident should not be described in the general and private (sakhīs’) assembly as it will cause embarrassment in both places.”
[5] After thinking this, he spoke aloud:
In this way Uddhava protected the people of Vraja.
[6] Desiring to hear about Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in Mathurā, everyone in Vraja gathered respectfully.
Nanda engaged two pairs of praiseworthy reciters of Purāṇas and dynasties as messengers, seeing that they were qualified.
[7] The messengers had to meet Kṛṣṇa privately through Uddhava’s arrangement, hear the news and return with it. We know that Kṛṣṇa knows everything within everyone. He is now the combination of all omniscient people (and therefore will understand our position).
[8] The first two messengers went and returned. They reported the establishment of well-being in all aspects and the sending of Akrūra to meet the Pāṇḍavas. They brought the following letter to Nanda.
“You pampered me in my infant years, and because of my fickle nature I ordered worship of Govardhana and it assisted me by its mercy (by rising up in my hands). Attractive Govardhana increases our happiness at all times. O father, you should worship that hill every year.” ||2||
[9] When the second pair of messengers went, they only departed––they did not return immediately because Jarāsandha, gathering armies of many kings, broke Mathurā by many assaults.
[10] When the two messengers did not return, the people of Vraja became frightened and began moving far from Vraja, avoiding it with great consternation. After a long time, the two messengers returned. When they returned, all were frightened to ask anything. When friends with uncertainty looked at their faces, the two replied with three words, “Fine, fine, fine.” Welcoming them and surrounding them, friends with servants and Nanda said, “Tell us first in summary and then let us hear the news in detail.”
[11] The two messengers said, “Having destroyed all his armies, your two sons caught Jarāsandha and made him miserable. They later freed him out of contempt. He disappeared because of shame and returned home.”
[12] When a great uproar arose with the people of Vraja as they shouted, “Speak of Kṛṣṇa, speak of Kṛṣṇa, the destroyer of obstacles!” Nanda said with tears and hair standing on end, “Please describe the details completely.”
[13] The two messengers said, “Kaṁsa had two wives, named Asti and Prāpti, who were the daughters of Jarāsandha. When their husband died they went to their father.”
[14] Nanda said, “Why did they go? Though they were widows, were they not trusted by the Yadus?”
[15] The messengers spoke with a laugh: “With tattered clothing, unbound hair over their breasts, faded faces and worn head-cloaks, they left Mathurā incognito like misfortune personified. Arrogant travelers coming to Mathurā, seeing them and asking about them, laughed loudly. The two, Asti and Prāpti, equivalent to Kaṁsa’s infamy, came to their father’s house.” ||3||
[16] Nanda said, “Let that be. When the two widows, angry as Caṇḍī, came to their father what did they say?”
[17] The messengers said, “They spoke about matters relating to being left without protection by their husband, indicating that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had acted unjustly.”
[18] Nanda said, “How is that?”
[19-21] The messengers said, “They said as follows: ‘Out of curiosity Kaṁsa brought the two boys through Akrūra. First they killed the dyer, broke the bow without fighting, and killed Kuvalayāpīḍa near the king’s gate while playing. Kaṁsa appeared splendid for a long time while excitedly watching the wrestling contest between the two boys and his wrestlers. They killed all the incompetent wrestlers. Let that be. They then killed the king with little effort. Ah! What should we say, with burnt faces? They pulled him by his hair.’”
[22] Nanda said, “Then what happened?”
[23] They said, “Their father could not tolerate this. With the zeal of Yamarāja, in order to deal with the intolerable Yadus, he surrounded beautiful, well-protected Mathurā on all sides with twenty-three akṣauhiṇīs under his control. What more can be said? Except for Bhīṣma and the Pāṇḍavas, all the kṣatriya kings from the Himalayas, Vindhyas and Sindhu appeared there with bows in their hands.”
[24] Nanda asked fearfully, “Then what happened?”
[25] The messengers said, “In great fear, as if afflicted by a forest fire, in great distress, the Yadus came before Kṛṣṇa, the result of their dynasty’s austerities, shining like the moon.”
[26] Nanda said, “Ha! The Yadus fell into misfortune.”
[27-29] The messengers said, “Hear what happened next. Thinking those armies to be like grass, Kṛṣṇa thought to himself, ‘As I have desired, fate has made arrangements. I have desired to punish all those who disobey the Vedas. Somewhere or other, the violent should be killed. Except for Jarāsandha I will gather and kill all these assembled ignorant armies. In order to kill all the demons I will not kill Jarāsandha first: A person should keep one crow cawing to kill all the crows.’” ||4||
[30] Knowing Balarāma agreed, Kṛṣṇa desired a suitable chariot. Suddenly a chariot equipped with cakra, conch, bow, club, lotus house and sitting place, carrying a flag with Garuḍa’s insignia, appeared from the sky with four horses which did not wander from the path and with a charioteer (Dāruka). Balarāma saw another even more remarkable chariot with plough, pestle, and a flag with a tāla tree insignia.
[31] Everyone said in astonishment, “What happened next?”
[32] Nanda said, “We have seen such astonishing events from Kṛṣṇa’s childhood. Nārāyaṇa is helping him. Now, please say what happened next.”
[33] The messengers said:
Seeing that war was unavoidable, gathering all the necessary weapons for warfare, putting on armor, the two faced the enemy with a few friends. Displaying amazing strength, they emerged from the fortress. As they emerged from the fort, the two appeared like the moon and sun arising from the edge of the Eastern Mountain. When they blew their conches they appeared like monsoon and autumn clouds. The sound was like deep roaring for their friends and like thunder for their enemies. Hear about another astonishing event.
The two boys were very tender and the enemy was frightening. But in the battle their qualities reversed. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma became frightening and the enemy became frightened. ||5||
Seeing Kṛṣṇa, Jarāsandha became frightened, but making a show of ignoring that fear, he displayed pride. ||6||
Leaving Kṛṣṇa aside, Jarāsandha fought with Balarāma. That bad strategy produced the Śiva-fever weapon after rejecting the Viṣṇu-fever weapon. ||7||
[34] When Jarāsandha spoke disrespectful words out of fear, Kṛṣṇa laughed loudly and spoke:
na vai śūrā vikatthante darśayanty eva pauruṣam |
na gṛhnīmo vaco rājan nāturasya mumūrṣataḥ ||
Real heroes do not simply boast but rather show their prowess in action. We cannot take seriously the words of one who is full of anxiety and who wants to die. SB 10.50.19
[35] What he said was quite proper. “The warrior does not boast. Boasting words demean one’s strength. Your boasting reveals your weakness. This way of fighting does not reveal bravery but the desire for death. This is befitting a sick man, not a great king. Since we see you are not steady, now we will not accept your proposition that we kill you.”
[36] Nanda said, “Then what happened?”
[37] The two messengers said, “Just as Kṛṣṇa criticized him, he criticized Kṛṣṇa. Since Jarāsandha promised to fight with Balarāma, he surrounded the two with twenty-three akṣauhiṇīs.”
[38] Nanda said in fear, “Then what happened?”
[39] They said:
As the sun dissipates icy fog, the two made them all powerless by their powers. All the armies became useless. Kṛṣṇa, accepting to be their enemy to destroy the darkness caused by their weapons, became a thunder bolt against the enemies who were like elephants. Disturbed by the immense clouds of dust, losing all knowledge of the events, suddenly not seeing the two chariots with insignia of Garuḍa and the tāla tree, the women in a distant place simultaneously fainted.
Seeing the enemy arrows falling like showers from the clouds upon his troops, Kṛṣṇa drew his Śārṅga bow at leisure and drove away the cloud of those arrows by the wind caused by the twanging of his bow string. ||8||
The armor of both parties became useless as it fell from their bodies. The enemy could not avoid being slaughtered. Kṛṣṇa’s troops warded them off from a distance with their arrows. ||9||
Kṛṣṇa crushed the host of kings composed of useless enemies. He became joyful, with hairs standing on end when fearful Jarāsandha came close. ||10||
When Kṛṣṇa pulled arrows from his quiver and shot them, people thought that he had divided himself into a million, ten million or a hundred million forms to shoot all those arrows. In that battle the limbs of the enemy were severed and lay scattered about. The competitive spirit of the enemy could be seen (though without success). ||11||
It was not astonishing that Kṛṣṇa was a cloud, his bow was a rainbow and his arrows were lightning bolts in that battle. The blood of the enemies was a river, and human bodies, horses and camels were like fish. ||12||
Seeing the pestle in Balarāma’s hand, the enemy laughed loudly with open mouths, “He is a village boy!” Later they lay dead with open mouths because Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma quickly crushed them with their strength. ||13||
The women of the city said, “The twenty-three akṣauhiṇīs quickly started the war and were quickly defeated.” Then nothing was left, because Kṛṣṇa alone appeared in front of everyone after defeating everyone. ||14||
All those killed by Kṛṣṇa’s arrows or Balarāma’s pestle were thrown by Balarāma into the river of blood using his plough. ||15||
[40] When all were killed—their pride crushed with the destruction of many cruel warriors—just as a lion pursues an elephant, Balarāma pursued Jarāsandha, without a chariot, who was trying to flee. Balarāma quickly grabbed the only surviving warrior, just as a lion grabs a running dog. Capturing him, he brought him to the slaughtering ground and bound him up with a noose to destroy his strength.
[41] Jarāsandha was bound with human ropes to insult him. But while all were watching, Kṛṣṇa released him because of his desire to destroy countless persons related to him.
[42] Though released, his neck remained bent as if still bound up. He fled and made attempts to perform austerities. With withered body, he went on a lonely path, without weapons or chariot. He was recognized by a person of his own city carrying a strong axe. He offered Jarāsandha respects and his full affection. But Jarāsandha felt ashamed. By word of mouth it was heard that many kings, feeling sympathy for him, met with him, coming from wherever they had fled. They made him give up the idea of performing austerities. They spoke to him.
“Understand that if a few Yadu troops could defeat our unlimited warriors, it is the work of fate. That is their strength. We think it has become stronger after many births. You are a king. You have a young body. Going to the forest does not suit you. Austerity in the forest which gives suffering, for protecting other people, is not proper.” ||16-17||
[43] Nanda said, “Let that be. Please glorify the activities of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.”
[44] The messengers said:
With their armies Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma entered the dense array of enemy troops. They were not injured at all. ||18||
[45] When victory was achieved, some gave up shyness, some gathered in joy. All the Yadus brought Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma home with a desire to celebrate.
[46] Becoming greatly joyful at seeing this prowess, through Uddhava we received permission from Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to tell you these events and then we came here.
[47] After recounting the messengers’ words, Madhukaṇṭha said, “Repeatedly Jarāsandha attempted to rid the world of the Yadus. The Yadus fought many battles with him. This was reported in Vraja by the two messengers. Some of the relevant details will be told.”
[48] Saying this, Madhukaṇṭha became choked up. Nanda, bringing Kṛṣṇa near, embraced him. The bards of Vraja then recited the following verses.
Hearing about the death of his son-in-law from his two daughters, Jarāsandha quickly came to Mathurā. Seeing him, Kṛṣṇa spoke while thinking of Balarāma. ||19||
“It is good that Jarāsandha has eagerly come.” From the heavens Kṛṣṇa obtained weapons and chariots. He considered them lucky signs. ||20||
Along with his brother he fought and defeated the enemy and tied up Jarāsandha. Just as the sun destroys snow, Kṛṣṇa destroyed the enemy armies. ||21||
From the broken bodies of the enemy, blood flowed like rivers. What more should be said? Kṛṣṇa caught Jarāsandha and tied him up nicely. ||22||
In this way sixteen times he defeated Jarāsandha and killed many others. Now he appears in Vraja, glancing upon it, nourishing the place with showers of nectar. ||23||
[49] Madhukaṇṭha then spoke in the assembly of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa:
“When the women of Vraja, his beloved gopīs, heard of his battle with the enemies, they forgot their suffering and their hearts began to tremble. O Rādhā! It is confirmed that the enemies of the devotees have been conquered, and he has now returned. He plays, engaging in newer and newer pastimes with you.” ||24-25||
[50] As previously, having pleased the listeners, the two reciters endowed with all good qualities went to their residences. Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa together entered their abode of love for accomplishing their fixed pastimes while feeling united and attained their desires fully.