नियुद्धे तद्विनाश्नो भवद्भ्यां तोषितो ह्यहम् । दास्याम्यभिमतान्कामान्नान्यथैतौ महाबलौ
'If you destroy them in combat, I will be pleased and grant you whatever desires you wish; otherwise, these two are exceedingly strong.'
न्यायतोन्यायतो वापि भवद्भ्यां तौ ममाहितौ । हंताव्यौ तद्वधाद्रा ज्यं सामान्यं वां भविष्यति
'Whether by fair means or foul, those two, my enemies, must be killed by you; from their death, you will gain fame or a common reward.'
इत्यादिश्य स तौ मल्लौ ततश्चाहूय हस्तिपम् । प्रोवाचोच्चैस्त्वया मल्लसमाजद्वारि कुंजरः
Having thus instructed the wrestlers, he summoned the elephant keeper and loudly ordered, 'Let the elephant stand at the entrance to the wrestling arena.'
स्थाप्यः कुवलयापीडस्तेन तौ गोपदारकौ । घातनीयौ नियुद्धाय रंगद्वारमुपागतौ
'Kuvalayāpīḍa must be stationed there, and those cowherd boys, arriving at the arena gate for combat, must be killed.'
तमप्याज्ञाप्य दृष्ट्वा च सर्वान्मंचानुपाकृतान् । आसन्न मरणः कंसः सूर्योदयमुदैक्षत
After ordering him and seeing all the seats prepared, Kaṃsa, close to death, watched for the sunrise.
ततः समस्तमंचेषु नागरस्स तदा जनः । राजमंचेषु चारूढास्सह भृत्यैर्नराधिपाः
Then, upon all the seats, the citizens gathered, and the kings, along with their attendants, took their places on the royal seats.
मल्लप्राश्निकवर्गश्च रंगमध्यसमीपगः । कृतः कंसेन कंसोऽपि तुंगमंचे व्यवस्थितः
The group of wrestlers and spectators, positioned near the center of the arena, was arranged by Kaṃsa; Kaṃsa himself stood upon a lofty platform.
अंतःपुराणां मंचाश्च तथाऽन्ये परिकल्पिताः । अन्ये च वारमुख्यानामन्ये नागरयोषिताम्
Platforms for the women of the inner chambers were likewise prepared, as well as others for the chief courtesans and for the city women.
नंदगोपादयो गोपा मंचेष्वन्येष्ववस्थिताः । अक्रूरवसुदेवौ च मंचप्रांते व्यवस्थितौ
Nanda, the cowherds, and others were stationed on different platforms; Akrūra and Vasudeva stood at the edge of the platform.
नागरीयोषितां मध्ये देवकीपुत्रगर्द्धिनी । अंतकालेऽपि पुत्रस्य द्रक्ष्यामीति मुखं स्थिता
Among the city women was one, longing to see Devakī’s son, who, even at the final moment, kept her face fixed, thinking, 'I will see my son.'
वाद्यमानेषु तूर्येषु चाणूरे चातिवल्गति । हाहाकारपरे लोके ह्यास्फोटयति मुष्टिके
As the instruments played and Cāṇūra leapt about, the crowd, filled with shouts and cries, watched as Muṣṭika struck his hands together.
ईषद्धसंतौ तौ वीरौ बलभद्र जनार्दनौ । गोपवेषधरौ बालौ रंगद्वारमुपागतौ
Then those two heroes, Balabhadra and Janārdana, slightly smiling, dressed as cowherds and still boys, approached the entrance of the arena.
ततः कुवलयापीडो महामात्रप्रचोदितः । अभ्यधावत वेगेन हंतुं गोपकुमारकौ
Then Kuvalayāpīḍa, urged on by the chief mahout, rushed swiftly to kill the two cowherd boys.
हाहाकारो महाञ्जज्ञे रंगमध्ये द्विजोत्तम । बलदेवोऽनुजं दृष्ट्वा वचनं चेदमब्रवीत्
A great uproar arose in the midst of the arena, O best of twice-born; seeing his younger brother, Baladeva spoke these words:
हंतव्यो हि महाभाग नागोऽयं शत्रुचोदितः
This elephant, O greatly fortunate one, incited by the enemy, must be slain.
इत्युक्तस्सोऽग्रजेनाथ बलदेवेन वै द्विज । सिंहनादं ततश्चक्रे माधवः परवीरहा
Thus addressed by his elder, Baladeva, O brāhmaṇa, Mādhava, destroyer of enemy heroes, then let out a lion’s roar.
करेण करमाकृष्य तस्य केशिनिषूदनः । भ्रामयामास तं शौरिरैरावतसमं बले
Grasping the elephant’s trunk with his hand, Keśini’s slayer, the mighty Śauri, whirled him about with strength equal to Airāvata.
ईशोपि सर्वजगतां बाललीलानुसारतः । क्रीडित्वा सुचिरं कृष्णः करिदंतपदांतरे
The Lord of all worlds, following the play of childhood, Krishna sported for a long time between the elephant’s tusks.
उत्पाट्य वामदंतं तु दक्षिणेनैव पाणिना । ताडयामास यंतारं तस्यासीच्छतधा शिरः
Then, tearing out the left tusk with his right hand, he struck the mahout, whose head was instantly shattered into a hundred pieces.
दक्षिणं दंतमुत्पाट्य बलभद्रो ऽपि तत्क्षणात् । स रोषस्तेन पार्श्वस्थान् गजपालानपोथयत्
At that moment, Balabhadra also tore out the right tusk and, enraged, struck the elephant keepers standing nearby.
ततस्तूत्प्लुत्य वेगेन रौहिणेयो महाबलः । जघान वामपादेन मस्तके हस्तिनं रुषा
Then, leaping swiftly, the mighty son of Rohiṇī struck the elephant’s head with his left foot in anger.
स पपात हतस्तेन बलभद्रे ण लीलया । सहस्राक्षेण वज्रेण ताडितः पर्वतो यथा
Struck thus by Balabhadra in sport, the elephant fell dead, as a mountain struck by Indra’s thunderbolt.
हत्वा कुवलयापीडं हस्त्यारोहप्रचोदितम् । मदासृगनुलिप्तांगौ हस्तिदंतवरायुधौ
Having slain Kuvalayāpīḍa, urged on by the elephant driver, their bodies smeared with blood and ichor, armed with the best of elephant tusks—
मृगमध्ये यथा सिंहौ गर्वलीलावलोकिनौ । प्रविष्टौ सुमहारंगं बलभद्र जनार्दनौ
Like two lions among deer, gazing about with playful pride, Balabhadra and Janārdana entered the great arena.
हाहाकारो महाञ्जज्ञे महारंगे त्वनंतरम् । कृष्णोऽयं बलभद्रो यमिति लोकस्य विस्मयः
A great outcry arose in the vast arena, as people marveled, saying, 'This is Krishna, and that is Balabhadra!'
सोऽयं येन हता घोरा पूतना बालघातिनी । क्षिप्तं तु शकटं येन भग्नौ तु यमलार्जुनौ
This is he by whom the dreadful, child-killing Putana was slain; by whom the cart was hurled, and the twin Arjuna trees were broken.
सोयं यः कालियं नागं ममर्दारुह्य वालकः । धृतो गोवर्द्धनो येन सप्तरात्रं महागिरिः
This is the boy who subdued the serpent Kaliya by climbing upon him; who held up the great mountain Govardhana for seven nights.
अरिष्टो धेनुकः केशी लीलयैव महात्मना । निहता येन दुर्वृत्ता दृश्यतामेष सोऽच्युतः
Arishta, Dhenuka, and Keshi—those wicked ones—were effortlessly slain by this high-souled one; behold, this is Achyuta.
अयं चास्य महाबाहुर्बलभद्रो ऽग्रतोऽग्रजः । प्रयाति लीलया योषिन्मनोनयननंदनः
And here is his mighty-armed elder brother, Balabhadra, proceeding ahead with playful ease, a delight to the eyes and hearts of women.
अयं स कथ्यते प्राज्ञैः पुराणार्थविशारदैः । गोपालो यादवं वंशं मग्नमभ्यद्धरिष्यति
This very one is proclaimed by the wise, skilled in the meaning of the Puranas, as the cowherd who will uplift the Yadava lineage, now sunk low.