CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
VášndÄvana was always absorbed in the thought of KášášŁáša. Everyone remembered His pastimes and was constantly merged in the ocean of transcendental bliss. But the material world is so contaminated that even in VášndÄvana the asuras, or demons, tried to disturb the peaceful situation.
Once a demon named AriᚣášÄsura entered the village in the form of a great bull with a gigantic body and huge horns, digging up the earth with his hooves. When the demon entered VášndÄvana, the whole land appeared to tremble, as if there were an earthquake. He roared fiercely, and after digging up the earth on the riverside, he entered the village proper. The fearful roaring of the bull was so piercing that some of the pregnant cows and women had miscarriages. Its body was so big, stout and strong that a cloud hovered over its body just as clouds hover over mountains. AriᚣášÄsura entered VášndÄvana with such a fearful appearance that just on seeing this great demon all the men and women were afflicted with great fear, and the cows and other animals fled the village.
The situation became very terrible, and all the inhabitants of VášndÄvana began to cry, âKášášŁáša! KášášŁáša, please save us!â KášášŁáša saw that the cows were running away, and He immediately replied, âDonât be afraid. Donât be afraid.â He then appeared before AriᚣášÄsura and said, âYou lowest of living entities! Why are you frightening the inhabitants of Gokula? What will you gain by this action? If you have come to challenge My authority, then I am prepared to fight you.â In this way, KášášŁáša challenged the demon, and the demon became very angry by the words of KášášŁáša. KášášŁáša stood before the bull, resting His hand on the shoulder of a friend. The bull proceeded toward KášášŁáša in anger. Digging the earth with his hooves, AriᚣášÄsura lifted his tail, and it appeared that clouds were hovering about the tail. His eyes were reddish and moving in anger. Pointing his horns at KášášŁáša, he charged Him just like the thunderbolt of Indra. But KášášŁáša immediately caught his horns and tossed him away, just as a gigantic elephant repels a small inimical elephant. Although the demon was perspiring and appeared very tired, he took courage and got up. Again he charged KášášŁáša with great force and anger. While rushing toward KášášŁáša, he breathed very heavily. KášášŁáša again caught his horns and immediately threw him to the ground, breaking his horns. KášášŁáša then began to kick his body, just as one squeezes a wet cloth on the ground. Being thus kicked by KášášŁáša, AriᚣášÄsura rolled over and began to move his legs violently. Bleeding from the mouth and passing stool and urine, his eyes starting from their sockets, he passed to the kingdom of death.
The demigods in the celestial planets showered flowers on KášášŁáša for His wonderful achievement. KášášŁáša was already the life and soul of the inhabitants of VášndÄvana, and after killing this demon in the shape of a bull, He became the cynosure of all eyes. With BalarÄma, He triumphantly entered VášndÄvana village, and the inhabitants glorified Him and BalarÄma with great jubilation. When a person performs some wonderful feat, his kinsmen and relatives and friends naturally become jubilant.
It was after this incident that the great sage NÄrada disclosed to Kaášsa the secret of KášášŁáša. NÄrada Muni is generally known as deva-darĹana, which means that he can be seen only by demigods or persons on the same level with the demigods. But NÄrada visited Kaášsa, who was not at all on the level of the demigods, and allowed Kaášsa to see him. Of course, Kaášsa also saw KášášŁáša, what to speak of NÄrada Muni. But unless one sees the Lord or His devotees with purified eyes, one cannot derive the actual benefit. Of course, anyone who associates with a pure devotee derives imperceptible benefit, which is called ajĂąÄta-sukášti. One cannot understand how he is making progress, yet he makes progress by seeing the devotee of the Lord. NÄrada Muniâs mission was to finish things quickly. KášášŁáša appeared in order to kill the demons, and Kaášsa was the chief among them. NÄrada wanted to expedite things; therefore, he immediately approached Kaášsa with all the real information. âYou are to be killed by the eighth son of Vasudeva,â NÄrada told Kaášsa. âThat eighth son is KášášŁáša. You were misled by Vasudeva into believing that the eighth issue of Vasudeva was a daughter. Actually, the daughter was born to YaĹodÄ, the wife of Nanda MahÄrÄja, and Vasudeva exchanged his son for the daughter, so you were misled. KášášŁáša is the son of Vasudeva, as is BalarÄma. Being afraid of your atrocious nature, Vasudeva has tactfully hidden Them in VášndÄvana, out of your sight.â NÄrada further informed Kaášsa, âKášášŁáša and BalarÄma have been living incognito in the care of Nanda MahÄrÄja. All the asuras, your companions who were sent to VášndÄvana to kill different children, were killed by KášášŁáša and BalarÄma.â
As soon as Kaášsa got this information from NÄrada Muni, he took out his sharp sword and prepared to kill Vasudeva for his duplicity. But NÄrada pacified him. âYou are not to be killed by Vasudeva,â he said. âWhy are you so anxious to kill him? Better try to kill KášášŁáša and BalarÄma.â But in order to satisfy his wrath, Kaášsa arrested Vasudeva and his wife and shackled them in iron chains. Acting on the new information, Kaášsa immediately called for the KeĹÄŤ demon and asked him to go to VášndÄvana immediately to kill BalarÄma and KášášŁáša. In actuality, Kaášsa asked KeĹÄŤ to go to VášndÄvana to be killed by KášášŁáša and BalarÄma and thus get salvation. Then Kaášsa called for his expert elephant trainers, as well as for the wrestlers CÄášĹŤra, Muᚣášika, Ĺala, ToĹala, etc., and he told them, âMy dear friends, try to hear me attentively. At Nanda MahÄrÄjaâs place in VášndÄvana there are two brothers, KášášŁáša and BalarÄma. They are actually two sons of Vasudeva. As you know, I have been destined to be killed by KášášŁáša; there is a prophecy to this effect. Now I am requesting you to arrange for a wrestling match. People from different parts of the country will come to see the festival. I will arrange to get those two boys here, and you will try to kill Them in the wrestling arena.â
Wrestling matches are still enjoyed by people in northern India, and it appears from the statements of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam that five thousand years ago wrestling was also popular. Kaášsa planned to arrange such a wrestling competition and to invite people to visit. He also told the trainers of the elephants, âBe sure to bring the elephant named KuvalayÄpÄŤá¸a and keep him at the gate of the wrestling arena. Try to capture KášášŁáša and BalarÄma on Their arrival and have the elephant kill Them.â
Kaášsa also advised his friends to arrange to worship Lord Ĺiva by offering animal sacrifices and performing the sacrifice called Dhanur-yajĂąa and the sacrifice performed on the fourteenth day of the moon, known as CaturdaĹÄŤ. This date falls three days after EkÄdaĹÄŤ, and it is set aside for the worship of Lord Ĺiva. One of the plenary portions of Lord Ĺiva is called KÄlabhairava. This form of Lord Ĺiva is worshiped by demons who offer animals killed before him. The process is still current in India in a place called VaidyanÄtha-dhÄma, where demons offer animal sacrifices to the deity of KÄlabhairava. Kaášsa belonged to this demoniac group. He was also an expert diplomat, and so he quickly arranged for his demon friends to try to kill KášášŁáša and BalarÄma.
He then called for AkrĹŤra, one of the descendants in the family of Yadu, in which KášášŁáša was born as the son of Vasudeva. When AkrĹŤra came to see Kaášsa, Kaášsa very politely shook hands with him and said, âMy dear AkrĹŤra, actually I have no better friend than you in the Bhoja and Yadu dynasties. You are the most munificent person, so as a friend I am begging charity from you. Actually I have taken shelter of you exactly as King Indra takes shelter of Lord Viᚣášu. I request you to go immediately to VášndÄvana and find the two boys named KášášŁáša and BalarÄma. They are the sons of Nanda MahÄrÄja. Take this nice chariot, especially prepared for the boys, and bring Them here immediately. That is my request to you. Now, my plan is to kill these two boys. As soon as They come in the gate, there will be a giant elephant named KuvalayÄpÄŤá¸a waiting, and possibly he will be able to kill Them. But if somehow or other They escape, They will next meet the wrestlers and will be killed by them. That is my plan. And after killing these two boys, I shall kill Vasudeva and Nanda, who are supporters of the VášášŁáši and Bhoja dynasties. I shall also kill my father, Ugrasena, and his brother Devaka, because they are actually my enemies and are hindrances to my diplomacy and politics. Thus I shall get rid of all my enemies. JarÄsandha is my father-in-law, and I have a great monkey friend named Dvivida. With their help it will be easy to kill all the kings on the surface of the earth who support the demigods. This is my plan. In this way I shall be free from all opposition, and it will be very pleasant to rule the world without obstruction. You may know also that Ĺambara, NarakÄsura and BÄášÄsura are my intimate friends, and when I begin this war against the kings who support the demigods, they will help me considerably. Surely I shall be rid of all my enemies. Please go immediately to VášndÄvana and encourage the boys to come here to see the beauty of MathurÄ and take pleasure in the wrestling competition.â
After hearing this plan of Kaášsaâs, AkrĹŤra replied, âMy dear King, your plan is very excellently made to counteract the hindrances to your diplomatic activities. But you should maintain equilibrium, for the result of your activities may be fruitful or may not be fruitful. After all, man proposes, God disposes. We may make very great plans, but unless they are sanctioned by the supreme authority, they will fail. Everyone in this material world knows that the supernatural power is the ultimate disposer of everything. One may make a very great plan with his fertile brain, but he must know that he will be subjected to the fruits, misery and happiness. But I have nothing to say against your proposal. As a friend, I shall carry out your order and bring KášášŁáša and BalarÄma here, as you desire.â
After instructing his friends in various ways, Kaášsa retired, and AkrĹŤra went back to his home.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Thirty-sixth Chapter of KášášŁáša, âKaášsa Sends AkrĹŤra for KášášŁáša.â