CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
After taking Their baths and finishing all other morning duties, KášášŁáša and BalarÄma could hear the beating of the kettledrums in the wrestling arena. They immediately prepared Themselves to proceed to the spot to see the fun. When KášášŁáša and BalarÄma reached the gate of the wrestling arena, They saw a big elephant of the name KuvalayÄpÄŤá¸a being tended by a caretaker riding on its head. The caretaker was deliberately blocking Their entrance by keeping the elephant in front of the gateway. KášášŁáša could understand the purpose of the caretaker, and He prepared Himself by tightening His clothes before combating the elephant. He addressed the caretaker in a very grave voice, as resounding as a cloud: âYou miscreant caretaker, give way and let Me pass through the gate. If you block My way, I shall send you and your elephant to the house of death personified.â
The caretaker, being thus insulted by KášášŁáša, became very angry, and in order to challenge KášášŁáša, as was previously planned, he provoked the elephant to attack. The elephant then moved before KášášŁáša like inevitable death. It rushed toward Him and tried to catch Him with its trunk, but KášášŁáša very dexterously moved behind the elephant. Being able to see only to the end of its trunk, the elephant could not see KášášŁáša hiding behind its legs, but it tried to capture Him with its trunk. KášášŁáša again very quickly escaped capture, and He again ran behind the elephant and caught its tail. Holding the elephant by its tail, KášášŁáša began to pull it, and with very great strength He dragged it for at least twenty-five yards, just as Garuá¸a drags an insignificant snake. KášášŁáša pulled the elephant from this side to that, from right to left, just as He used to pull a calf by its tail in His childhood. After this, KášášŁáša went in front of the elephant and gave it a strong slap. He then slipped away from the elephantâs view and ran to its back. Then, falling down on the ground, KášášŁáša placed Himself in front of the elephantâs two legs and caused it to trip and fall. KášášŁáša immediately got up, but the elephant, thinking that He was still lying down, tried to push an ivory tusk through the body of KášášŁáša by forcibly stabbing it into the ground. Although the elephant was harassed and angry, the caretaker riding on its head tried to provoke it further. The elephant then rushed madly toward KášášŁáša. As soon as it came within reach, KášášŁáša caught hold of the trunk and pulled the elephant down. When the elephant and caretaker fell, KášášŁáša jumped up on the elephant, broke off one of its tusks, and with it killed the elephant and the caretaker also. After killing the elephant, KášášŁáša took the ivory tusk on His shoulder. Decorated with drops of perspiration and sprinkled with the blood of the elephant, He looked very beautiful, and thus He proceeded toward the wrestling arena. Lord BalarÄma took the other tusk of the elephant on His shoulder. Accompanied by Their cowherd boyfriends, They entered the arena.
When KášášŁáša entered the wrestling arena with BalarÄma and Their friends, He appeared differently to different people according to their different relationships (rasas) with Him. KášášŁáša is the reservoir of all pleasure and all kinds of rasas, both favorable and unfavorable. He appeared to the wrestlers exactly like a thunderbolt. To the people in general He appeared as the most beautiful personality. To the females He appeared to be the most attractive male, Cupid personified, and thus He increased their lust. The cowherd men who were present there looked upon KášášŁáša as their own kinsman, coming from the same village of VášndÄvana. The impious kᚣatriya kings who were present saw Him as the strongest ruler and their chastiser. To the parents of KášášŁáša, Nanda and YaĹodÄ, He appeared to be the most loving child. To Kaášsa, the king of the Bhoja dynasty, He appeared to be death personified. To the unintelligent, He appeared to be an incapable personality. To the yogÄŤs present, He appeared to be the Supersoul. To the members of the VášášŁáši dynasty He appeared to be the most celebrated descendant. Thus appreciated differently by different kinds of people present, KášášŁáša entered the wrestling arena with BalarÄma and His cowherd boyfriends. Having heard that KášášŁáša had already killed the elephant KuvalayÄpÄŤá¸a, Kaášsa knew beyond doubt that KášášŁáša was formidable. He thus became very much afraid of Him. KášášŁáša and BalarÄma had long arms. They were beautifully dressed, and They were attractive to all the people assembled there. They were dressed as if They were going to act on a dramatic stage, and They drew the attention of all people.
The citizens of MathurÄ City who saw KášášŁáša, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, became very much pleased and began to look on His face with insatiable glances, as if they were drinking the nectar of heaven. Seeing KášášŁáša gave them so much pleasure that it appeared as if they were not only drinking the nectar of seeing His face but were also smelling the aroma and licking up the taste of His body and were embracing Him and BalarÄma with their arms. They began to talk among themselves about the two transcendental brothers. For a long time they had heard of the beauty and activities of KášášŁáša and BalarÄma, but now they were personally seeing Them face to face. They thought that KášášŁáša and BalarÄma were two plenary incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, NÄrÄyaáša, who had appeared in VášndÄvana.
The citizens of MathurÄ began to recite KášášŁášaâs pastimesâHis birth as the son of Vasudeva, His being taken into the care of Nanda MahÄrÄja and his wife in Gokula, and all those events leading to His coming to MathurÄ to favor them. They spoke of the killing of the demon PĹŤtanÄ, as well as the killing of TášášÄvarta, who came as a whirlwind. They also recalled the deliverance of the twin brothers from within the yamala-arjuna trees. The citizens of MathurÄ spoke among themselves: âĹaáš khacĹŤá¸a, KeĹÄŤ, DhenukÄsura and many other demons were killed by KášášŁáša and BalarÄma in VášndÄvana. KášášŁáša also saved all the cowherd men of VášndÄvana from a devastating fire. He chastised the KÄliya snake in the water of the YamunÄ, and He curbed the false pride of the heavenly king, Indra. KášášŁáša held up the great Govardhana Hill in one hand for seven continuous days and saved all the people of Gokula from incessant rain, hurricane and hailstorm.â They also began to remember other enlivening activities: âThe damsels of VášndÄvana were so much pleased by seeing KášášŁášaâs beauty and participating in His activities that they forgot the troubles of material existence. By seeing KášášŁáša and thinking of Him, they forgot all sorts of fatigue.â The MathurÄ citizens discussed the dynasty of Yadu, saying that because of KášášŁášaâs appearance in this dynasty the Yadus would remain the most celebrated family in the whole universe. The citizens of MathurÄ then began to talk about BalarÄma. They spoke of His very beautiful lotus-petal eyes, and they remarked of Him, âThis boy has killed the Pralamba demon and many others also.â While they were thus talking about the activities of KášášŁáša and BalarÄma, they heard the vibrations of different bands announcing the wrestling match.
The famous wrestler CÄášĹŤra then began to talk with KášášŁáša and BalarÄma. âMy dear KášášŁáša and BalarÄma,â he said, âwe have heard about Your past activities. You are great heroes, and therefore the King has called You. We have heard that Your arms are very strong. The King and all the people present here desire to see a display of Your wrestling abilities. A citizen should be obedient and please the mind of the ruling king; acting in that way, the citizen attains all kinds of good fortune. One who does not care to act obediently is made unhappy because of the kingâs anger. You are cowherd boys, and we have heard that while tending Your cows in the forest, You enjoy wrestling with each other. We wish, therefore, for You to join with us in wrestling so that all the people present here, including the King, will be pleased.â
KášášŁáša immediately understood the purpose of CÄášĹŤraâs statements, and He prepared to wrestle with him. But according to the time and circumstances, He spoke as follows: âYou are a subject of the King of the Bhojas, and you live in the jungle. We are also indirectly his subjects, and We try to please him as far as possible. This offer of wrestling is a great favor of his, but the fact is that We are simply boys. We sometimes play in the forest of VášndÄvana with Our friends who are Our own age. We think that to combat persons of equal age and strength is good for Us, but to fight great wrestlers like you would not be good for the audience. It would contradict their religious principles.â KášášŁáša thus indicated that the celebrated, strong wrestlers should not challenge KášášŁáša and BalarÄma to fight.
In reply to this, CÄášĹŤra said, âMy dear KášášŁáša, we can understand very well that You are neither a child nor a young man. You are transcendental to everyone, as is Your big brother, BalarÄma. You have already killed the elephant KuvalayÄpÄŤá¸a, who was capable of fighting thousands of other elephants. You have killed him in a wonderful way. Because of Your strength, it behooves You to compete with the strongest wrestlers amongst us. I therefore wish to wrestle with You, and Your elder brother, BalarÄma, will wrestle with Muᚣášika.â
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Forty-third Chapter of KášášŁáša, âThe Killing of the Elephant KuvalayÄpÄŤá¸a.â