तेषु पौरा जानपदा ब्रह्मक्षत्रपुरोगमाः । यथोपजोषं विविशू राजानश्च कृतासनाः
Among them, townspeople, villagers, and leaders of Brahmins and Kshatriyas entered according to their status, and the kings took their seats.
कंसः परिवृतोऽमात्यै राजमञ्च उपाविशत् । मण्डलेश्वरमध्यस्थो हृदयेन विदूयता
Surrounded by his ministers, Kamsa sat on the royal platform, in the midst of the regional rulers, his heart agitated.
वाद्यमानेसु तूर्येषु मल्लतालोत्तरेषु च । मल्लाः स्वलङ्कृताः दृप्ताः सोपाध्यायाः समाविशन्
As the trumpets and drums played, the wrestlers, well adorned and proud, entered with their teachers.
चाणूरो मुष्टिकः कूतः शलस्तोशल एव च । त आसेदुरुपस्थानं वल्गुवाद्यप्रहर्षिताः
Chanura, Mushtika, Kuta, Shala, and Toshala approached the stage, delighted by the sweet music.
नन्दगोपादयो गोपा भोजराजसमाहुताः । निवेदितोपायनास्ते एकस्मिन् मञ्च आविशन्
The cowherds led by Nanda, summoned by the king of the Bhojas, offered their gifts and entered together upon a single platform.
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां दशमस्कन्धे पूर्वार्धे मल्लरङोपवर्णनं नाम द्विचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-second chapter, entitled 'Description of the Wrestling Arena,' in the first half of the tenth book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the great Purāṇa, the scripture of the supreme renunciates.
कुवलयापीडवधः; भगवतो मल्लशाखायां प्रवेशः; चाणूरेणसह संवादश्च - श्रीशुक उवाच - ( अनुष्टुप् ) अथ कृष्णश्च रामश्च कृतशौचौ परन्तप । मल्लदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषं श्रुत्वा द्रष्टुमुपेयतुः
Śuka said: Then Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, having purified themselves, O subduer of enemies, heard the booming sound of the wrestling drums and came to witness.
रङ्गद्वारं समासाद्य तस्मिन् नागमवस्थितम् । अपश्यत्कुवलयापीडं कृष्णोऽम्बष्ठप्रचोदितम्
Approaching the entrance to the arena, Kṛṣṇa saw Kuvalayāpīḍa stationed there, urged on by the elephant keeper.
बद्ध्वा परिकरं शौरिः समुह्य कुटिलालकान् । उवाच हस्तिपं वाचा मेघनादगभीरया
Śauri, fastening his belt and brushing aside his curly locks, spoke to the elephant keeper in a voice deep as thunder.
अम्बष्ठाम्बष्ठ मार्गं नौ देह्यपक्रम मा चिरम् । नो चेत्सकुञ्जरं त्वाद्य नयामि यमसादनम्
O elephant keeper, give us passage and do not delay; otherwise, today I shall send you and your elephant to the abode of Yama.
एवं निर्भर्त्सितोऽम्बष्ठः कुपितः कोपितं गजम् । चोदयामास कृष्णाय कालान्तक यमोपमम्
Thus rebuked, the elephant keeper, enraged, incited the furious elephant against Kṛṣṇa, a beast as dreadful as Death himself.
करीन्द्रस्तमभिद्रुत्य करेण तरसाग्रहीत् । कराद् विगलितः सोऽमुं निहत्याङ्घ्रिष्वलीयत
The lordly elephant rushed at him and seized him forcefully with its trunk; slipping from its grasp, he struck it and moved beneath its feet.
सङ्क्रुद्धस्तमचक्षाणो घ्राणदृष्टिः स केशवम् । परामृशत् पुष्करेण स प्रसह्य विनिर्गतः
Enraged, the elephant fixed its gaze and scent upon Keśava, touched him with its trunk, but he escaped its grasp.
पुच्छे प्रगृह्यातिबलं धनुषः पञ्चविंशतिम् । विचकर्ष यथा नागं सुपर्ण इव लीलया
Grabbing its tail, he dragged the mighty elephant twenty-five bows' length, as Garuḍa would playfully drag a serpent.
स पर्यावर्तमानेन सव्यदक्षिणतोऽच्युतः । बभ्राम भ्राम्यमाणेन गोवत्सेनेव बालकः
Achyuta, turning it left and right, spun the elephant around as a child would spin a calf.
ततोऽभिमखमभ्येत्य पाणिनाऽऽहत्य वारणम् । प्राद्रवन् पातयामास स्पृश्यमानः पदे पदे
Then, approaching head-on, he struck the elephant with his hand, causing it to stagger and fall, as he touched it step by step.
स धावन् क्रीडया भूमौ पतित्वा सहसोत्थितः । तं मत्वा पतितं क्रुद्धो दन्ताभ्यां सोऽहनत् क्षितिम्
The elephant, rising swiftly from the ground in play, thinking itself fallen, struck the earth in anger with its tusks.
स्वविक्रमे प्रतिहते कुंजरेन्द्रोऽत्यमर्षितः । चोद्यमानो महामात्रैः कृष्णमभ्यद्रवद् रुषा
When its strength was checked, the great elephant, furious and urged on by its keepers, charged at Kṛṣṇa in rage.
तमापतन्तमासाद्य भगवान् मधुसूदनः । निगृह्य पाणिना हस्तं पातयामास भूतले
As it rushed upon him, the Lord Madhusūdana seized its trunk with his hand and threw it down to the ground.
पतितस्य पदाऽऽक्रम्य मृगेन्द्र इव लीलया । दन्तमुत्पाट्य तेनेभं हस्तिपांश्चाहनद्धरिः
Stepping upon the fallen elephant, as a lion would in sport, he tore out its tusk and with it struck the elephant keeper.
मृतकं द्विपमुत्सृज्य दन्तपाणिः समाविशत् । अंसन्यस्तविषाणोऽसृङ् मदबिन्दुभिरङ्कितः । विरूढस्वेदकणिका वदनाम्बुरुहो बभौ
Leaving the dead elephant behind, holding its tusk, he entered, with the tusk resting on his shoulder, marked by drops of blood and ichor, his lotus face radiant with beads of sweat.
वृतौ गोपैः कतिपयैः बलदेवजनार्दनौ । रङ्गं विविशतू राजन् गजदन्तवरायुधौ
Accompanied by a few cowherds, Baladeva and Janārdana entered the arena, O King, wielding the elephant's tusks as their weapons.
( शार्दूलविक्रीडित ) मल्लानामशनिर्नृणां नरवरः स्त्रीणां स्मरो मूर्तिमान् । गोपानां स्वजनोऽसतां क्षितिभुजां शास्ता स्वपित्रोः शिशुः । मृत्युर्भोजपतेर्विराडविदुषां तत्त्वं परं योगिनां । वृष्णीनां परदेवतेति विदितो रङ्गं गतः साग्रजः
To the wrestlers, he was a thunderbolt; among men, the foremost man; to women, embodied Cupid; to the cowherds, a kinsman; to the wicked rulers, a chastiser; to his parents, a child; to King Bhoja, death; to the wise, the cosmic form; to the yogis, the Supreme Truth; to the Vṛṣṇis, the Supreme Deity—thus known, he entered the arena with his elder brother.
( अनुष्टुप् ) हतं कुवलयापीडं दृष्ट्वा तावपि दुर्जयौ । कंसो मनस्व्यपि तदा भृशमुद्विविजे नृप
O King, seeing Kuvalayāpīḍa slain, those two unconquerable ones, even the resolute Kaṃsa became greatly disturbed in mind.
( मिश्र ) तौ रेजतू रङ्गगतौ महाभुजौ विचित्रवेषाभरणस्रगम्बरौ । यथा नटावुत्तमवेषधारिणौ मनः क्षिपन्तौ प्रभया निरीक्षताम्
Those two, possessing mighty arms, shone as they entered the arena, adorned with varied garments, ornaments, garlands, and cloth, like expert actors assuming supreme roles, captivating the minds of all who beheld them with their radiance.
निरीक्ष्य तावुत्तमपूरुषौ जना मञ्चस्थिता नागरराष्ट्रका नृप । प्रहर्षवेगोत्कलितेक्षणाननाः पपुर्न तृप्ता नयनैस्तदाननम्
O King, seeing those two supreme persons, the citizens and country folk seated on platforms gazed with eyes and faces stirred by the surge of delight, and with their eyes they could not be satisfied by beholding those faces.
( अनुष्टुप् ) पिबन्त इव चक्षुर्भ्यां लिहन्त इव जिह्वया । जिघ्रन्त इव नासाभ्यां श्लिष्यन्त इव बाहुभिः
It was as if they drank with their eyes, licked with their tongues, smelled with their noses, and embraced with their arms.
ऊचुः परस्परं ते वै यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् । तद् रूपगुणमाधुर्य प्रागल्भ्यस्मारिता इव
They spoke among themselves, recalling as they had seen and heard, the beauty, virtues, sweetness, and boldness, as if reminded anew.
एतौ भगवतः साक्षात् हरेर्नारायणस्य हि । अवतीर्णाविहांशेन वसुदेवस्य वेश्मनि
These two are indeed direct incarnations of the Lord, Hari, Nārāyaṇa himself, who have descended in part into the house of Vasudeva.
एष वै किल देवक्यां जातो नीतश्च गोकुलम् । कालमेतं वसन् गूढो ववृधे नन्दवेश्मनि
He was truly born of Devakī, then brought to Gokula, and, dwelling there in secret for this time, grew up in the house of Nanda.