Killing of Kaṁsa

Chapter Forty-four. Subject: "Killing of Kamsa."

In this way, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna, the killer of Madhusūdana, after such determination came in front of Canūra. Similarly, Lord Baladeva, the son of Rohini, also came in front of Mustika. Now these two pairs, first pair Krsna and Canūra and the second pair Baladeva and Mustika, joined themselves hand to hand, leg to leg, and each one of them began to press the other with a view to come out victorious. Thereafter, according to the wrestling art they joined their palm to palm, calf to calf, head to head, chest to chest. In this way, each one began to strike the other in order to come out victorious.

As the energy increased for fighting, the process of going around to push one..., from one place to another, again to capture one and sometimes to throw down on the ground, and sometimes leaving one go back side, and again rush him in the front side, in this way the fighting energy increased step by step. Picking up, then dragging off, then pushing on, joining the legs and hands together-all these different arts of wrestling were perfectly exhibited by the parties. And in order to come out victorious, one party tried his best to cut down his opponent to the best capacity.

But the audience in the wrestling arena were not very much satisfied, because the combatants were not of the same level. They considered Krsna and Balarama were merely boys, whereas the wrestlers Canūra and Mustika were the strongest wrestler, as solid as the stone. In this way, being compassionate in favor of Krsna and Balarama, they gathered together and began to talk as follows: "My dear friends, in this assembly there is injustice, because even in the front of the king the wrestling fighting is going on between two incompatible parties. The audience have lost their sense that they are encouraging this fighting between the strong and the weak. The Mustika and Canūra are just like thunderbolts, as strong as the great mountain, and Krsna and Balarama are two delicate boys of very, very tender age. In this assembly, therefore, the principle of justice has already gone. We should not therefore remain in this assembly of injustice.

"Persons who are aware of the civilized principles of justice, they should not have entered this arena of incompatible wrestling. Everyone taking part in this wrestling match are not very much enlightened, and therefore either they speak or do not speak, they are being subjected to the reaction of sinful activities. But still, my dear friends, just look on the face of Krsna. By the drops of perspiration on His face on account of His chasing His enemy, His face appears exactly like the lotus flower with drops of water."

Another said, "Don't you see how the face of Lord Balarama has turned very beautiful on account of pink reflection on His white face, because He is engaged in strong wrestling match with Mustika?" Another lady addressed his [her] friend and began to say, "My dear friend, just imagine how much fortunate is the land of Vrndavana, where the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself was present, being decorated with flower garlands and engaged in tending cows along with His brother, Lord Baladeva, as well as His cowherds boyfriends, simultaneously playing on His transcendental flute. The residents of Vrndavana are so much fortunate that they constantly can see the lotus feet of Krsna and Balarama, worshiped by big demigods like Lord Siva and the goddess of fortune also.

"We cannot of course estimate how much pious activities were executed by the damsels of Vrajabhūmi, the gopis, so that they are able to enjoy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by looking on His unparalleled beauty of transcendental body. There is no comparison of the beauty of the Lord, and nobody is on the higher or equal level of the Lord in the matter of their complexion and luster of the body. Krsna and Balarama are the reservoirs of all kinds of opulence, namely wealth, fame, beauty, knowledge, renunciation and strength. The gopis are so fortunate that they can see and think of Krsna twenty-four hour, beginning from the time of their milking the cows or husking the paddy or churning the butter in the morning, or being engaged in cleansing their house, mopping their floors, they are always absorbed in the thoughts of Krsna."

The instance of the gopis is a perfect example how one can continue Krsna consciousness even if he is in his different types of material engagement. By constantly being absorbed in the thought of Krsna, nobody can be affected by the contamination of material activities. The gopis are therefore perfectly in trance, samadhi, the highest perfectional point of mystic power. In the Bhagavad-gita, therefore, it is confirmed that anyone who is constantly in thought of Krsna is a first-class yogi amongst all kinds of yogis. "My dear friend, you must accept the gopis as the highest performer of pious activities. Otherwise, how they could achieve this opportunity of seeing Krsna both morning and evening while going to the pasturing ground with His cows and cowherds boyfriends, and again returning in the evening with them, playing on His flute and smiling very brilliantly?"

Next paragraph.

Lord Krsna, the Supersoul of every living being, when He understood that the ladies and women assembled in the assembly were too much anxious for Him, at that time He decided not to continue the wrestling anymore, but kill the wrestler immediately. While the ladies were discussing about the injustice of the wrestling match, the parents of Krsna and Balarama, namely Nanda Maharaja, Yasoda, Vasudeva and Devaki, they became very much anxious about the life of their boys because they did not know the unlimited strength of their children. Lord Baladeva also was fighting with the Mustika wrestler exactly in the same manner as Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was fighting and wrestling with Canūra.

Then Lord Krsna appeared to be very cruel upon Canūra, and immediately stroke him thrice by fist. The great wrestler become loosened in this bodily construction and by the abhorrence of the audience. The Canūra wrestler then took his last chance and slashed upon Krsna, just like the hawk bird falls upon another. In this way, folding his two hands, he began to strike on the chest of Krsna, but Lord Krsna was not even slightly disturbed by such striking, exactly like the elephant who is stroken by a flower garland is never disturbed. Krsna took this opportunity of capturing the Canūra wrestler by his two hands and began to wheel him all round. Simply by this centrifugal action, the life of Canūra became immediately finished, Krsna immediately thrown him on the ground. Canūra fell on the ground exactly like the flag of Indra, and all his nicely decorated ornaments become scattered hither and thither.

In this way, the Mustika wrestler also stroke Baladevaji, and Baladevaji also returned the stroke with great force, and thus the Mustika wrestler began to tremble and ooze out blood vomiting from the mouth, and thus being too much distressed, he gave up his vital force and fell down exactly like the tree falls down on account of hurricane. After the two wrestlers, namely Canūra and Mustika, being killed, then another wrestler, of the name Kūta, came forward, and Lord Balarama immediately caught him by His left hand, and with great negligence He killed him immediately.

After this, another wrestler, of the name Sala, came forward, and Krsna immediately kicked on his head and the head became cracked. Thereafter another wrestler came, whose name is Tosala. He was also killed in the same way without any difficulty. In this way all the great wrestlers, namely Canūra, Mustika, Kūta, Sala, Tosala, were killed by Krsna and Balarama. The remaining wrestlers, out of the fear of their life, began to flee away from the assembly. All the cowherds boyfriends of Krsna and Balarama then approached Them and began to congratulate, and Krsna and Balarama in great pleasure were enjoying the company of His friends. While trumpet for Their victory was being beaten, the leg bells on the foot of Krsna and Balarama were also tingling.

All people gathered there began to clap in great ecstasy, and nobody could estimate the bounds of their pleasure. And the brahmanas who were present in the camp, they also began to eulogize Krsna and Balarama with great ecstasy. Only Kamsa, he was morose and he neither clapped, neither offered any benediction to Krsna, because Kamsa did not like that the triumphant drum should be beaten on account of Krsna's victory. He was, rather, sorry that all the wrestlers were killed and the remaining wrestlers fled away from the assembly. Therefore he immediately stopped all such band playing and began to address his men as follows: "I order that these two sons of Vasudeva must be immediately driven out of Mathura, and all the cowherds boy who have come with Him should be plundered and taken away all their riches. And so far Nanda Maharaja is concerned, he should immediately be arrested and be killed for his cunning behavior. And the rascal Vasudeva should also be killed without any delay, and so also my father, Ugrasena, who has always supported my enemies against my will."

When Kamsa was speaking nonsense like this, Lord Krsna became very much angry upon him, and thusly, within a second He jumped over the high sitting dais of the king Kamsa. Kamsa was already ready for his being attacked by Krsna, and he also knew from the beginning that He was the supreme cause of his death. He immediately took out his sword from the sheath to…, for protection, and was ready to answer the challenge of Krsna with his sword and shield. When Kamsa was wielding his sword up and down, hither and thither, Lord Krsna, the supreme powerful, immediately caught hold of him with great force. After this, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is shelter of the complete creation and from whose lotus navel the whole creation is manifested, immediately moved the helmet from the head of Kamsa and captured his long hair by His hand. With great force Lord Krsna dragged Kamsa from his seat to the wrestling dais, and when he fell down, Krsna immediately got over his chest and thus began to strike him over and over again. Simply by the strokes of His fist, Kamsa lost his vital force. And Lord Krsna, in order to make believe His parents that Kamsa is already killed, He began to drag him exactly like the lion who drags the elephant after killing it.

Immediately there was a great roaring sound from all sides, expressing their jubilation and lamentation differently. From the very beginning since the day Kamsa heard that he would be killed by the eighth son of Devaki, he was always thinking of Krsna with His wheel in the hand. And because he was always very much afraid of his death, he was thinking of Krsna in that form twenty-four hours, without any stoppage-even while he was eating, while he was walking, while he was breathing. Naturally he got the advantage of being liberated. In the Bhagavad-gita there is a statement, sada tad-bhava-bhavitaḥ [Bg 8.6].

Which means a person who is always absorbed in thought of something gets his next life according to that thinking. So Kamsa was thinking of Krsna with His wheel. Krsna with His wheel means Narayana form-not only with wheel, but also conchshell, lotus flower and club.

Therefore, according to the opinion of authorities, Kamsa after death attained sarūpya-mukti. Sarūpya-mukti means liberation attaining the form of Narayana as the Visnudūtas. In the Vaikuntha planet, all the inhabitants have the same feature of the body as Narayana. In other words, Kamsa after his death got the liberation of being promoted in the Vaikuntha-loka.

In this instance we can understand that a person who thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead even as enemy, he also gets liberation and place in Vaikuntha planet, and what to speak of the pure devotees who are always absorbed in the thought of Krsna. What to speak of Kamsa, who was always thinking of Krsna; even an enemy of Krsna who is suddenly killed by Krsna, he also gets liberation and is placed in the impersonal brahmajyoti situation. The Supreme Personality of Godhead being all-good, anyone thinking of Him either as enemy or as friend gets liberation. But the liberation of the devotee and the liberation of the enemy are not the same. His enemies, generally they get liberation of sayujya, and sometimes sarūpya.

After the death of Kamsa, he had eight brothers, headed by Kahka. All of them were younger than him, and when they learned that their elder brother is killed, all of them combined together rushed toward Krsna to kill Him in great anger. Kamsa and his brothers all were Krsna's maternal uncles. They are all brothers of Krsna's mother, Devaki. Krsna killed Kamsa. That means He killed His maternal uncle, which is against the regulation of Vedic injunction. But Kamsa could not be killed by anyone else except Krsna; therefore, He was obliged to kill him. But so far his other eight brothers were concerned, Baladeva took the charge of killing them.

Although Krsna is independent of all Vedic injunctions, still, only in inevitable cases He violates the Vedic injunction. Balarama's mother, Rohini, although she was wife of Vasudeva, she did not happen to be the sister of Kamsa; therefore all other Kamsa's brother were taken charge for killing by Baladeva. He therefore immediately took some weapon available, most probably the tusk of the elephant which He carried. With that weapon He killed all the eight brothers one after another, exactly like a lion kills a flock of deers.

When Krsna and Balarama thus corroborated Their statement of appearance, namely, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears for giving protection to the pious and for killing the impious demons who are always enemies of the demigods, the demigods from the higher planetary system began to shower flowers, congratulating the action of Krsna and Balarama. Amongst the demigods there were such powerful personalities like Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, and all of them joined together in exhibiting their jubilation on this occasion. From the heavenly planets there were beating of drums, showering of flowers, and the wives of the demigods began to dance in ecstasy.

Next paragraph.

Then the wives of Kamsa and other eight brothers became too much aggrieved on account of their husbands' death, and all of them began to shed tears like torrents of rain and striking on their forehead on account of death of their respective husbands. All the dead bodies were lying on state, as it is usual for the royal orders, and all their wives were crying very loudly, embracing their respective bodies of husband. The wives of Kamsa and his brothers began to lament, addressing the dead bodies: "My dear husband, you are so kind. You are the protector of your dependents. Now, after your death, we are also dead, along your home and children, as we are no more looking very auspicious. Similarly, on account of your death the auspicious functions which were to take here as the sacrifice of bow, now the whole thing is spoiled.

"My dear husband, you ill-treated with persons who were faultless, and as a result of such action you have gained this condition of life. This is the inevitable, because a person who abuses another innocent person must be punished by the laws of nature. We know that Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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…action you have gained this condition of life. This is inevitable, because a person who abuses another innocent person must be punished by the laws of nature. We know that Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is the supreme master of everything, He is the supreme enjoyer of everything; therefore, anyone who neglects His authority can never be happy-ultimately meets death like you."

Next paragraph.

After this, Krsna being very much kind and affectionate to His aunts began to solace them as it was possible. Then all the ritualistic ceremonies after death were performed, were conducted under the personal supervision of Krsna because He happened to be the nephew of all the dead princes. After finishing this business, Krsna and Balarama immediately released Their father Vasudeva and Devaki, who were interned by Kamsa. Krsna and Balarama…

[break] …on their feet and offered prayers to Their parents, because they suffered so much trouble because Krsna was their son.