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.
अयं हि सर्वलोकस्य विष्णोरखिलजन्मनः । अवतीर्णो महीमंशो नूनं भारहरो भुवः
Indeed, he is a great portion of Vishnu, the source of all beings, descended to earth, surely to relieve the burden of the world.
इत्येवं वर्णिते पौरै रामे कृष्णे च तत्क्षणात् । उरस्तताप देवक्याः स्नेहस्नुतपयोधरम्
As the townspeople thus described Rama and Krishna, at that very moment Devaki's breast, moist with affection, throbbed with emotion.
महोत्सवमिवासाद्य पुत्राननविलोकनात् । युवेव वसुदेवोऽभूद्विहायाभ्यागतां जराम्
Having attained the great joy of seeing his sons' faces, Vasudeva became youthful again, as if old age had left him.
विस्तारिताक्षियुगलो राजांतःपुरयोषिताम् । नागरस्त्रीसमूहश्च द्र ष्टुं न विरराम तम्
The women of the royal inner chambers gazed with wide, unblinking eyes, and the city ladies' groups did not cease looking at him.
सख्यः पश्यत कृष्णस्य मुखमत्यरुणेक्षणम् । गजयुद्धकृतायासस्वेदांबुकणिकाचितम्
Friends, look at Krishna's face, with its deeply reddish eyes, adorned with drops of sweat from the exertion of the elephant fight.
विकासिशरदंभोजमपश्यामजलोक्षितम् । परिभूयं स्थितं जन्म सफलं क्रियतां दृशः
We see his face like a blooming autumn lotus, moistened with water, standing above all; let our eyes be fulfilled by this birth.
श्रीवत्सांकं महद्धाम बालस्यैतद्विलोक्यताम् । विपक्षक्षपणं वक्षो भुजयुग्मं च भामिनि
Behold, O beautiful one, the great splendor of the boy marked with the Srivatsa; his chest, the destroyer of foes, and his pair of arms.
किं न पश्यसि दुग्धेंदुमृणालधवलाकृतिम् । बलभद्र मिमं नीलपरिधानमुपागतम्
Why do you not see Balabhadra, whose form is white as milk, the moon, and lotus stalks, now arrived wearing blue garments?
वल्गतामुष्टिकेनैव चाणूरेण तथा सखि । क्रीडतो बलभद्र स्य हरेर्हास्यं विलोक्यताम्
See Balabhadra playing, O friend, with Mustika and Chanura, and behold the smile of Hari.
सख्यः पश्यत चाणूरं नियुद्धार्थमयं हरिः । समुपैति न संत्यत्र किं वृद्धा मुक्तकारिणः
Friends, look—Hari approaches Chanura for wrestling; there is no hesitation here—are the elders permitting this?