The Killing of Kesi and Vyoma

The thirty seventh chapter describes the killing of Kesi, Narada praising Krsna’s future pastimes, the thieving activities of Vyomasura, and the killing of Vyomasura.

Krsna called out to the demon who had been sent by Kamsa. Kesi made the earth tremble with the stomping of his hooves. Shaking his mane, he disturbed the clouds and the deva’s airplanes. His neighing instilled fear in all people. His tail hair (balah) disturbed the sky.

Seeing Krsna, Kesi, whom others could not approach (durasadam), what to speak of defeating him (duratyayah), charged at Krsna.

When Kesi kicked him, Krsna grabbed his extended legs with his hands, twirled him around, and threw him far off. Krsna remained in the same place.

When Kesi regained consciousness (labhda sanjna) he got up, and, opening his mouth, ran at Krsna. But Krsna just laughed. Showing his left thumb, Krsna said, “Do you want to eat something? Here , eat this.” He then thrust his left arm into Kesi’s open mouth, in order to destroy his life, just as a snake easily enters a hole to kill a mouse.

“How could the arm of Krsna, tender as the stem of a blue lotus, enter the mouth of Kesi, filled with fierce teeth?” As Pariksit was anxious about this, the verse answers.

With the touch of Krsna’s arm, all those teeth fell out, like objects touched by red hot iron. Moreover, though Krnsa’s arm is as soft as the lotus stem, when it touched Kesi, Kesi felt it as hard and hot as a thunderbolt, just as a jaundiced person perceives sugar candy as bitter. Krsna’s arm began to grow within Kesi’s mouth, just as Krsna expanded his body in Aghasura’s mouth.

Expelling stool (landam), Kesi expired.

Kesi’s body burst like an over-ripe melon. In spite of killing the big demon, Krsna was not proud, since he did it very easily. The devas sprinkled flowers and also water to relieve Krsna of fatigue.

9.Narada began to praise Krsna in order to request him to show his Mathura pastimes, after having completed his Vraja pastimes. He is called bhagavata pravara because he fulfilled the exalted desires (pra+ vara) of the devotees of Mathura. He spoke to Krsna who performs actions like killing Kesi without being harmed (aklishtena karmanam).

Narada called out Krsna’s name twice out of great bliss, remembering himself as just a reflection of bhakti, who chants the names and praises of the Lord. Krsna is a person with a mind that cannot be measured or understood (aprameya atma). Who can understand your mind, for sometimes you are in Vraja giving bliss to your parents, and somtimes you are in Mathura, giving bliss to your parents there. As you are the controller of Yogamaya (yogesa) you can stay in both places without difficulty. As you are the master of the universe (jagadisvara) you must kill the demons who are a burden to the earth. As Nanda’s son, you spread your fame through various mantras, but now you should reveal good fortune of Vasudeva. Therefore come and live in Mathura and relieve all your devotees there from fear of Kamsa, because you are the best fulfiller of desires (pravara) and the best among the yadus (satvatam). You can do anything (prabho).

“I act according to my desires. So why do you make a request from me?”

“You are the supersoul within me (tvam atma) . You give me the inspiration to request you, so what can I do?”

You exist not only in me but in all living entities. (sarva bhutanam). You reside secretly like fire within wood. Just as you rest in the caves of Govardhana as Nanda’s son, so you rest within the heart as the supersoul. Though you are resting in the heart, you are the witness of everything. (saksi) This is because you are the greatest person (mahapurusa), with the strength to accomplish anything. However, above great persons there can be others with more power. But you are the supreme lord, with powers greater than anyone else.

12.”If you had not created myself, my intelligence and the rest of the universe, then I would not be able to make any request from you.” With this intention he speaks.

You are independent (atma asrayah) and by your energies who are not different from you (atmana), you create the elements starting from mahat tattva. As you create this world using mahat tattva, you also inspire all people of the world to try to fulfill their desires. In this way, today I am trying to make requests to you.

Therefore I have come today to make a request. You are the creator (sa) mentioned in the previous verse, and have appeared to protect the devotees and destroy the demon who are acting as kings.

You have destroyed this demon for the benefit of the people (distya).

I am speaking about the pastimes that you perform in the future by seeing them in previous yugas.

Sankha refers to Pancajanya. An outline of the future events is given, not all the pastimes. I will see you receive the Syamantaka jewel along with your wife Jambatai (bharyaya). I will see you deliver the brahmana’s son from the city of Mahakala.

I will see you who destroy the universe in the form of time carry out the pastime of destruction of the armies.

After describing the future pastimes of Krsna, Narada offers his respects in two verses. I offer my respects to you, the Lord, concentrated Brahman or spiritual essence, the object of pure realization. All the desires of the devotees reside completely in you who exist eternally along with your associates. You fulfill all those desires because of your mercy. By your or your devotees’ energy, all the influence of material gunas is daily destroyed.

There is no one like you. You have the power to control all others (isvara). You are not under the shelter of anyone and all others must take shelter of you. (svasrayam). (He thus describes the power of the Lord as not being dependent on any other person.) You create this variegated universe by your dependent maya. Your only object is play. But today you will accept combat with the human Kamsa, becoming enemy of Kamsa just as you became enemy of Kesi, Kamsa’s very life. I offer respects to you. All this is your play, in order protect the Yadus,Vrsnis and Satvatas.”

The boys acted out hiding stolen objects as thieves and protectors of herds of sheep.

They played without fear. They were without fear because whoever was stolen and whoever stole, and all the protectors as well, were friends.

Vyomasura stole away almost all of the cowherd boys acting as sheep.

Finally only four or five boys playing sheep were left.

Krsna caught vyomasura just as a lion (hari) attacks a wolf.

He strangled Vyomasura just as one strangles a sacrificial animal, just as Vyomasura had tried to kill the cowherd boys by suffocating them in the cave by blocking the opening.