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?
क्व यौवनोन्मुखीभूतसुकुमारतनुर्हरिः । क्व वज्रकठिनाभोगशरीरोऽयं महासुरः
How can Hari, whose tender body is just entering youth, be matched against this great demon, whose form is hard as thunder?
इमौ सुललितैरंगैर्वर्त्तेते नवयौवनौ । दैतेयमल्लाश्चाणूरप्रमुखास्त्वतिदारुणाः
These two, with their graceful limbs, are in the bloom of youth, while the demon wrestlers, led by Chanura, are exceedingly fierce.
नियुद्धप्राश्निकानां तु महानेष व्यतिक्रमः । यद्बालबलिनोर्युद्धं मध्यस्थैस्समुपेक्ष्यते
Indeed, this is a great transgression among those who judge wrestling matches: that a contest between a child and a strong man is witnessed in silence by the referees.
श्रीपराशर उवाच। इत्थं पुरस्त्रीलोकस्व वदतश्चालयन्भुवम् । ववल्ग बद्धकक्ष्यॐतर्जनस्य भगवान्हरिः
Śrī Parāśara said: Thus, as he spoke within the city, shaking the earth, the blessed Hari leapt, his belt fastened, amid the assembly of people.
बलभद्रो ऽपि चास्फोट्य ववल्गललितं तथा । पदेपदे तथा भूमिर्यन्न शीर्णा तदद्भुतम्
And Balabhadra too, striking the ground, leapt about gracefully; it was astonishing that the earth did not break at every step.
चाणूरेण ततः कृष्णो ययुधेऽमितविक्रमः । नियुद्धकुशलो दैत्यो बलभद्रे ण मुष्टिकः
Then Kṛṣṇa, of immeasurable prowess, fought with Cāṇūra, while the demon wrestler Muṣṭika, skilled in wrestling, engaged with Balabhadra.
सन्निपातावधूतैस्तु चाणूरेण समं हरिः । प्रक्षेपणैर्मुष्टिभिश्च कीलवज्रनिपातनैः
Hari contended with Cāṇūra, both hurling and striking with fists, blows like thunderbolts, and wrestling holds.
पादोद्धूतैः प्रमृष्टैश्च तयोर्युद्धमभून्महत्
Their great battle was fought with kicks, pushes, and grappling.
अशस्त्रमतिघोरं तत्तयोर्युद्धं सुदारुणम् । बलप्राणविनिष्पाद्यं समाजोत्सवसन्निधौ
That fight between the two, though weaponless, was exceedingly fierce and dreadful, displaying strength and vitality before the festival assembly.
यावद्यावच्च चाणूरो युयुधे हरिणा सह । प्राणहानिमवापाग्र्यां तावत्तावल्लवाल्लवम्
As long as Cāṇūra fought with Hari, so long did the cowherds and townspeople hold their breath, awaiting the outcome.
कृष्णोपि युयुधे तेन लीलयैव जगन्मयः । खेदाच्चालयता कोपान्निजकेसरश्खोरम्
Kṛṣṇa, the embodiment of the universe, fought with him playfully, and, out of fatigue and anger, shook his own lion-like mane.
बलक्षयं विवृद्धिं च दृष्ट्वा चाणूकृष्णयोः । वारयामास तूर्याणि कंसः कोपपरायणः
Seeing the decline and increase of strength in Cāṇūra and Kṛṣṇa, Kaṃsa, filled with wrath, ordered the musical instruments to stop.
मृदंगादिषु तूर्येषु प्रतिषिद्धेषु तत्क्षणात् । खे संगतान्यवाद्यंत देवतूर्याण्यनेकशः
At that moment, when the drums and other instruments were silenced, many divine instruments resounded together in the sky.
जय गोविंद चाणूरं जहि केशव दानवम् । अंतर्द्धानगता देवास्तमूचुरतिहर्षिताः
"Victory to Govinda! Slay the demon Cāṇūra, O Keśava!"—thus, the gods, hidden from view, joyfully spoke.
चाणूरेण चिरं कालं पीडित्वा मधुसूदनः । उत्पाट्य भ्रामयामास तद्वधाय कृतोद्यमः
After tormenting Cāṇūra for a long time, Madhusūdana, intent on his destruction, seized him and began to whirl him around.
भ्रामयित्वा शतगुणं दैत्यमल्लममित्रजित् । भूमावास्फोटयामास गगने गतजीवितम्
Having whirled the demon wrestler a hundred times, the conqueror of foes dashed him to the ground, his life already departed in the air.
भूमावास्फोटितस्तेन चाणूरः शतधाऽभवत् । रक्तस्रावमहापंकां चकार च तदा भुवम्
Struck to the ground by him, Cāṇūra was shattered into a hundred pieces, and at that moment, the earth became a great pool of blood.
बलदेवोऽपि तत्कालं मुष्टिकेन महाबलः । युयुधे दैत्यमल्लेन चाणूरेण यथा हरिः
At that time, mighty Baladeva fought with the demon wrestler Muṣṭika, just as Hari had with Cāṇūra.
सोऽप्येनं मुष्टिना मूर्ध्नि वक्षस्याहत्य जानुना । पातयित्वा धरापृष्ठे निष्पिपेष गतायुषम्
He struck him with his fist on the head, on the chest, and with his knee, then threw him down on the earth and crushed him as his life departed.
कृष्ण स्तोशलकं भूयो मल्लराजं महाबलम् । वाममुष्टिप्रहारेण पातयामास भूतले
Kṛṣṇa then struck the powerful wrestler king Tośalaka with his left fist and brought him down to the ground.