Lord Balarama Slays Pralambhasura

This chapter describes the summer season, how Krsna carried Dama on his shoulders, and how Pralamba carried Balarama.

Herding the cows was a pretense for going to the forest and playing with the other boys. By cheating materialistic men with this pretense, Krsna and Balarama played with the young girls. That Balarama had separate gopis is described in Ananda Vrndavana Campu. This will also be described later in Bhagavatam.

In four verses the similarity of summer to spring is described. During the summer in Vrndavana, the sound of waterfalls (nirjahrana nirhrada) covered the sound of the crickets. It was decorated with groups of trees constantly touched by drops of water from the waterfalls.

Vrndavana was cool in the summer because of the breezes rising from the waves of the rivers. The winds, which were like thieves stealing unnoticed and silently the pollen from the lotuses, blew gently , full of fragrance, and gave relief from the heat. Though the summer sun usually dries up everything, it did not do so in Vrndavana. Thus the places was full of tender green grass

One reason for absence of the heat of the sun was mentioned previously: the tall trees giving shade. This verse mentions another reason. The sun could not dry up the mud (purisyah) on the bank of the deep flowing rivers mixed with the green grass.

Here Balarama is also addressed as gopa to indicate that even he became absorbed in his identity as an ordinary cowherd boy.

In this verse krsnasya nrtatah is the same as krsne nrtyati, genitive absolute in place of locative absolute. When Krsna began dancing, some sang, some played flutes, some played karatalas, and some blew horns, while others gave praise.

If they came in their natural forms the devatas would be recognized as such and be worshiped by the boys. Therefore they came as cowherd boys, like Krsna and Balarama. In this way Siva, Narada and other devas disguised as cowherd boys, came to taste the pastimes. The word gopala rupin indicates that Krsna and Balarama eternally have the forms of cowherd boys.

The boys played by making sounds with their palms in their arm pits (asphotanaih), and engaging in arm wrestling (niyuddhena). According to Sridhara Swami kaka paksa dharu means the hair remaining on the sides of the head after the cudakarana ceremony. Others say it means hair tied in three braids. Others say it means locks hanging in front of the ears.

They threw bilva fruits, kumbha fruits and amalaki at each other. They trying to touch each other and avoiding being touched. They approached each other from behind unnoticed, trying to put their hands over the other boys’ eyes. If they succeeded in doing so they won. The prize was a flute or stick. They imitated various animals and the cries of various birds and beasts.

From the third day of the waxing phase of sravana month they would play on swings (syandolika). Acting like kings and taking fees at the toll gate, they would obstruct the young girls with the intention of taking their hands.

Droni means the valleys between the mountains.

While Balarama and Krsna were engaged in herding the cows, Pralambha approached in the form of a cowherd boy. He took the form of one of the boys who stayed home that day for other work. He approached with a desire to take Krsna and Balarama away.

Krsna accepted Pralambha as a cowherd boy, thinking, “I will now kill him in this way.”

Parivrdhau means the two heroes. Some went to the side of Krsna and the others to the side of Balarama.

It was an appearance of play (bahya vahaka). The purpose is described. The person who was found after hiding himself would be the loser and have to carry the victor on his shoulders.

They came to a place with a banyan tree called bhandiraka. It was convenient to use the branches of the banyan to mount on the shoulders of the defeated boys. Though that was the most convenient place, they mounted on each others shoulders near that place.

Thinking that Krsna would be difficult to conquer, Pralambha went on Krsna’s side in order to take Balarama away. Pralambah carried Balarama in a different direction from the place he was supposed to carry him. He went somewhere else to escape from the sight of Krsna.

Only with great difficulty was he able to carry Balrama (ut vahan ) because Balarama became heavier than mount sumeru. He became heavy when he saw Pralambha taking him off to a different place. Being unable to carry Balarama he slowed down. Instead of showing his strength in that false body as a cowherd, he showed a huge body dressed in gold, which was like the moon shining through a cloud lit by lightning.

When Balarama showed fear, Krsna, who wanted to see some fun, injected into Balarama knowledge of his godly powers. He regained his memory. In the Visnu Purana, Krsna says to Balarama to help him recollect his powers, “O soul of all, secret of all secrets, why are you acting like a human now?” He struck the enemy who was taking him away as if stealing some wealth (artham) in the heavens (vihayasa), just as Indra strikes a mountain with his thunderbolt. Balarama was like Indra, the demon was like the mountain and blow of his fist was like a thunderbolt.

The demon was fell down, as if afflicted by the disease of epilepsy (apasmrtih). As he died he let out a terrible sound.

The cowherd boys began to praise Balarama (tam) who was worthy of praise (arham).