CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
After extinguishing the devastating fire, KášášŁáša, surrounded by His relatives, friends, cows, calves and bulls and glorified by His friendsâ singing, again entered VášndÄvana, which is always full of cows. While KášášŁáša and BalarÄma were enjoying life in VášndÄvana in the midst of the cowherd boys and girls, the season gradually changed to summer. The summer season in India is not very much welcomed because of the excessive heat, but in VášndÄvana everyone was pleased because summer there appeared just like spring. This was possible only because Lord KášášŁáša and BalarÄma, who are the controllers even of Lord BrahmÄ and Lord Ĺiva, were residing there. In VášndÄvana there are many falls which are always pouring water, and the sound is so sweet that it covers the sound of the crickets. And because water flows all over, the forest always looks very green and beautiful.
The inhabitants of VášndÄvana were never disturbed by the scorching heat of the sun or the high summer temperatures. The lakes of VášndÄvana are surrounded by green grasses, and various kinds of lotus flowers bloom there, such as the kahlÄra, kaĂąja and utpala, and the air blowing in VášndÄvana carries the aromatic pollen of those lotus flowers. When the particles of water from the waves of the YamunÄ, the lakes and the waterfalls touched the bodies of the inhabitants of VášndÄvana, they automatically felt a cooling effect. Therefore they were practically undisturbed by the summer season.
VášndÄvana is such a nice place. Flowers are always blooming, and there are even various kinds of decorated deer. Birds are chirping, peacocks are crowing and dancing, and bees are humming. The cuckoos there sing nicely in five kinds of tunes.
KášášŁáša, the reservoir of pleasure, blowing His flute, accompanied by His elder brother BalarÄma and the other cowherd boys and the cows, entered the beautiful forest of VášndÄvana to enjoy the atmosphere. They walked into the midst of newly grown leaves of trees whose flowers resembled peacock feathers. They were garlanded by those flowers and decorated with saffron chalk. Sometimes they were dancing and singing and sometimes wrestling with one another. While KášášŁáša danced, some of the cowherd boys sang and others played on flutes; some bugled on buffalo horns or clapped their hands, praising KášášŁáša, âDear brother, You are dancing very nicely.â Actually, all these boys were demigods descended from higher planets to assist KášášŁáša in His pastimes. The demigods garbed in the dress of the cowherd boys were encouraging KášášŁáša in His dancing, just as one artist encourages another with praise. Up to that time, neither BalarÄma nor KášášŁáša had undergone the haircutting ceremony; therefore Their hair was clustered like crowsâ feathers. They were always playing hide-and-seek with Their boyfriends or jumping or fighting with them. Sometimes, while His friends were chanting and dancing, KášášŁáša would praise them, âMy dear friends, you are dancing and singing very nicely.â The boys played at catching ball with fruits such as bael and Ämalaka. They played blindmanâs buff, challenging and touching one another. Sometimes they imitated the forest deer and various kinds of birds. They joked with one another by imitating croaking frogs, and they enjoyed swinging underneath the trees. Sometimes they would play amongst themselves like a king and his subjects. In this way, BalarÄma and KášášŁáša, along with all Their friends, played all kinds of sports and enjoyed the soothing atmosphere of VášndÄvana, full of rivers, lakes, rivulets, fine trees and excellent gardens filled with fruits and flowers.
Once while the boys were engaged in their transcendental pastimes, a great demon of the name PralambÄsura entered their company, desiring to kidnap both BalarÄma and KášášŁáša. Although KášášŁáša was playing the part of a cowherd boy, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead He could understand everythingâpast, present and future. So when PralambÄsura entered their company, KášášŁáša began to think how to kill the demon, but externally He received him as a friend. âO My dear friend,â He said, âit is very good that you have come to take part in our pastimes.â KášášŁáša then called all His friends and ordered them: âNow we shall play in pairs. We shall challenge one another in pairs.â With this proposal, all the boys assembled together. Some of them took the side of KášášŁáša, and some of them took the side of BalarÄma, and they arranged to play in duel. The defeated members in duel fighting had to carry the victorious members on their backs, as a horse carries its master. They began playing, and at the same time tended the cows as they proceeded through the BhÄášá¸ÄŤravana forest.
The party of BalarÄma, accompanied by ĹrÄŤdÄmÄ and VášášŁabha, came out victorious, and KášášŁášaâs party had to carry them on their backs through the BhÄášá¸ÄŤravana forest. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, KášášŁáša, being defeated, had to carry ĹrÄŤdÄmÄ on His back, and Bhadrasena carried VášášŁabha. Imitating their play, PralambÄsura, who appeared there as a cowherd boy, carried BalarÄma on his back. PralambÄsura was the greatest of the demons, and he had calculated that KášášŁáša was the most powerful of the cowherd boys.
In order to avoid the company of KášášŁáša, PralambÄsura carried BalarÄma far away. The demon was undoubtedly very strong and powerful, but he was carrying BalarÄma, who is compared to a mountain; therefore he began to feel the burden, and thus he assumed his real form. When he appeared in his real feature, he was decorated with a golden helmet and earrings and looked just like a cloud with lightning carrying the moon. BalarÄma observed the demonâs body expanding up to the limits of the clouds, his eyes dazzling like blazing fire and his mouth flashing with sharpened teeth. At first, BalarÄma was surprised by the demonâs appearance, and He began to wonder, âHow is it that all of a sudden this carrier has changed in every way?â But with a clear mind He could quickly understand that He was being carried away from His friends by a demon who intended to kill Him. Immediately He struck the head of the demon with His strong fist, just as the King of the heavenly planets strikes a mountain with his thunderbolt. Stricken by the fist of BalarÄma, the demon fell down dead, just like a snake with a smashed head, and blood poured from his mouth. When the demon fell, he made a tremendous sound, and it sounded as if a great hill were falling upon being struck by the thunderbolt of King Indra. All the boys then rushed to the spot. Astonished by the ghastly scene, they began to praise BalarÄma with the words âWell done! Well done!â All of them then embraced BalarÄma with great affection, thinking that He had returned from death, and they offered their blessings and congratulations. All the demigods in the heavenly planets became very satisfied and showered flowers on the transcendental body of BalarÄma, and they also offered their blessings and congratulations for His having killed the great demon PralambÄsura.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Eighteenth Chapter of KášášŁáša, âKilling the Demon PralambÄsura.â