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.
चाणूरे नहते मल्ले मुष्टेके विनिपातिते । नीते क्षयं तोशलके सर्वे मल्लाः प्रदुद्रु वुः
When Cāṇūra was struck down in wrestling and Muṣṭika was felled, and Tośalaka was brought to his end, all the wrestlers fled.
ववल्गतुस्ततो रंगे कृष्णसंकर्षणावुभौ । समानवयसो गोपान्बलादाकृष्य हर्षितौ
Then, both Kṛṣṇa and Saṃkarṣaṇa joyfully leapt into the arena, seizing cowherds of equal age by force.
कंसोऽपि कोपरक्ताक्षः प्राहोच्चैर्व्यायतान्नरान् । गोपावेतौ समाजौघान्निष्क्राम्येतां बलादितः
Kaṃsa, his eyes red with anger, loudly commanded the guards: 'Drive out these two cowherds and the crowds from this assembly by force!'
नंदोऽपि गृह्यतां पापो निर्गलैरायसैरिह । अवृद्धार्हेण दंडेन वसुदेवोऽपि बध्यताम्
'Seize Nanda, the wicked one, here with iron chains! And bind Vasudeva as well with a punishment fit for the unaged!'
वल्गंति गोपाः कृष्णेन ये चेमे सहिताः पुरः । गावो निगृह्य तामेषां यच्चास्ति वसु किंचन
'Restrain the cows of these cowherds who are with Kṛṣṇa here, and take whatever wealth they possess!'
एवमाज्ञापयानं तु प्रहस्य मधुसूदनः । उत्प्लुत्यारुह्य तं मंचं कंसं जग्राह वेगतः
As Kaṃsa was thus giving orders, Madhusūdana laughed, sprang up, mounted the platform, and swiftly seized Kaṃsa.
केश्ष्वोआ!कृष्य विगलत्किरीटमवनीतले । स कंसं पातयामास तस्योपरि पपात च
Grasping his hair, pulling him so that his crown fell to the ground, he threw Kaṃsa down and fell upon him.
अश्षोजगदाधारगुरुणा पततोपरि । कृष्णेन त्याजितः प्राणानुग्रसेनात्मजो नृपः
Struck by the mighty bearer of the world as he fell, Kaṃsa, son of Ugrasena, was deprived of life by Kṛṣṇa.
नृतस्य केश्षोउ! तदा गृहीत्वा मधुसूदनः । चकर्ष देहं कंसस्य रंगमध्ये महाबलः
Then Madhusūdana, seizing Kaṃsa by the hair, dragged his body into the midst of the arena, the mighty one.
गौरवेणातिपतता परिघातेन कृष्यता । कृता कंसस्य देहेन वेगेनेव महांभसः
By the force of the blow and the dragging, Kaṃsa's body was made to resemble a great river surging with speed.