अजातशत्रुः पृतनां गोपीथाय मधुद्विषः ।
परेभ्यः शङ्कितः स्नेहात्प्रायुङ्क्त चतुरङ्गिणीम् ॥३२॥

ajÄta-Å›atruḥ pá¹›tanÄá¹
gopÄ«thÄya madhu-dviá¹£aḥ
parebhyaḥ Å›aá¹…kitaḥ snehÄt
prÄyuá¹…kta catur-aá¹…giṇīm

 ajÄta-Å›atruḥ - MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira, who was no one's enemy; pá¹›tanÄm - defensive forces; gopÄ«thÄya - for giving protection; madhu-dviá¹£aḥ - of the enemy of Madhu (ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa); parebhyaḥ - from others (enemies); Å›aá¹…kitaḥ - being afraid of; snehÄt - out of affection; prÄyuá¹…kta - engaged; catuḥ-aá¹…giṇīm - four defensive divisions.


Text

MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira, although no one’s enemy, engaged four divisions of defense [horse, elephant, chariot and army] to accompany Lord Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of the asuras [demons]. The MahÄrÄja did this because of the enemy, and also out of affection for the Lord.

Purport

Natural defensive measures are horses and elephants combined with chariots and men. Horses and elephants are trained to move to any part of the hills or forests and plains. The charioteers could fight with many horses and elephants by the strength of powerful arrows, even up to the standard of the brahmÄstra (similar to modern atomic weapons). MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira knew well that Kṛṣṇa is everyone’s friend and well-wisher, and yet there were asuras who were by nature envious of the Lord. So out of fear of attack from others and out of affection also, he engaged all varieties of defensive forces as bodyguards of Lord Kṛṣṇa. If required, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself was sufficient to defend Himself from the attack of others who counted the Lord as their enemy, but still He accepted all the arrangements made by MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira because He could not disobey the King, who was His elder cousin. The Lord plays the part of a subordinate in His transcendental sporting, and thus sometimes He puts Himself in the care of YaÅ›odÄmÄtÄ for His protection in His so-called helplessness of childhood. That is the transcendental lÄ«lÄ, or pastime of the Lord. The basic principle for all transcendental exchanges between the Lord and His devotees is exhibited to enjoy a transcendental bliss for which there is no comparison, even up to the level of brahmÄnanda.