Krishna and Balarama Enter Mathura

In the forty first chapter, Krsna goes to see Mathura, and attracts all the women there. He kills Kamsa’s washerman and bestows boons to the weaver and the garland maker named Sudama.

Having shown Akrura his remarkable form in the water, he made that form disappear without asking Akrura. The disregard for Akrura is expressed by the use of the sixth case (tasya) instead of the second case (tam). Just as the players give up their costumes at the conclusion of a play, Krsna, after showing the eternal objects of Vaikuntha within the water, made that scene disappear. Krsna, seeing the astonishment on Akrura’s face and in his eyes, asked him, “It appears that you must have seen something very astonishing, for your eyes are wide with wonder and full of tears.”

“Krsna has shown me his own opulences (as described in the previous chapter verses 44-55).” Akrura came to this conclusion, when Krsna asked his question. With great joy he then spoke the truth. “Whatever remarkable things are on the earth, in the sky or water, they are all within your form as the universe. Seeing you before me, what more remarkable sight remains? Everything is seen by seeing you.”

“What was amazing was not all the things I saw within you, but that form which contained everything. I am gazing upon you, within whom all amazing things exist. There are many amazing things, but on the land and in the water, but I realize that your form standing before me is more amazing than all things of the universe. The form I see here is thousands of times more amazing than the sight of Vaikuntha with Sankarsana and all of Narayana’s attendants. O Brahman, you are the para brahma, the lord of all lords. By your mercy my foolishness of thinking that you are simply my brother’s son has disappeared.”

Gandini suta means Akrura.

Having seen Krsna and Balarama, the people on the road could not withdraw their eyes (na adaduh). Seeing them, they remained motionless.

Nanda and others remained standing, waiting for Krsna and Balarama to arrive. Not being able to keep up with the swift chariot of Akrura, they had given up the main road and taken a short cut. Thus they arrived earlier. As well, Akrura was delayed because of his bath in the Yamuna.

While seeming to smile, Krsna spoke to Akrura with humility (prasritam). He smiled in order to please Akrura, but actually he was full of grief on seeing the city of Mathura, because he remembered that he had left Vraja.

“You go ahead to your house in the city with the chariot. We will rest here (avamucya) and then we will see the city.”

“Let the inhabitants of Vraja, you and I go to our houses. I will not go to Kamsa and announce the news of your arrival now. How can I announce that he will die the day after tomorrow? I do not have a speck of fear from him, because I have seen your powers in the Yamuna. Also, there will be no lack of things in my house. Therefore let us all go there.”

“The water from washing the dust from your feet (yat saucena), which will fall in my house and on my head, will satisfy all the devas, agni and the pitras.”

“Bali Maharaja, by washing your feet, attained a position of great fame (slokya). He attained unequalled power and the destination of the pure devotees.”

Apah refers to the water of the Ganga. “That spiritual (sucayah) water of the Ganga, having washed your feet, which gave svarga (svar yata) to the descendants of Sagara and which Siva holds on his head, purifies the three worlds. “

“O devadeva, you shine among all the devatas. Today, illuminate my house. O jagannatha, you are the lord of the universe. As I am a member of the universe, please be present in my house today as the lord. O punya sravana kirtana, who purifies those who perform hearing and chanting, purify my house today. O yaduttama, o best of the Yadus, please come to my house, as I am also a Yadu. O uttamah sloka, famous as the deliverer of the fallen, please purify my fallen household.”

17.”O Akrura, you have correctly called me the best of the Yadus. Therefore first I will kill Kamsa, the violator of the Yadu clan, and then I will come to your house.”

In the afternoon, Krsna along with Balarama, surrounded by his cowherd friends (gopaih parivaritah), entered Mathura to see the city.

Four verses describe the city. The tall towers and gates as well as the gates of the houses were made of crystal. The door panels and outer doors were made of gold. The storerooms for grains (kostha) were made of brass and copper. Surrounded by moats, the city was difficult to enter.

The intersections were made of gold. There were mansions with large gardens and buildings for the different craftsmen to meet, as well as other dwellings. The rafters were inlaid with vaidurya and other jewels. The buildings echoed with the cries of the doves and peacocks which sat on the rafters, floors and balconies. According to Ksiraswami, valabhi refers to the peak of the roof, and according to Halayudha it refers to the roof. According to Trikanda it refers to the top storey of a building. In any case it refers to the top part of the building. Vedi refers to a terrace in front of a building surrounded by bricks for relaxing. The windows had lattices to let in fresh air. The floors (kuttima) were paved with mosaics of precious stones. There were main roads and lanes, lines of shops and courtyards.

Krsna saw the houses with doors decorated with full water pots decorated with flowers smeared with yogurt and sandalwood paste and five other auspicious elements, flags, cloth, lamps, mango leaves, and banana and betel nut trees hanging with fruits. The pots were placed in the following manner: on both sides of the door on piles of raw rice the pots were placed. Around the pots were spread various flowers. Silk cloth was wrapped around the neck of the pots, and mango leaves placed in the mouths of the pots. Lamps on gold trays were places over this. On either side of each pot were banana trees. In front and behind each pot was a betel nut tree. The flags were leaning on the pots.

In order to see Krsna and Balaram enter Mathura on the wide road, the women of Mathura came forward in groups (samiyuh). Others climbed onto the roof tops.

This verse and the next describe the eagerness of the women of Mathura. They put their clothing and ornaments on in reverse manner. They forgot to put on one of the pair of earrings and bangles and went to Krsna. Thus they appeared with only one earring and one anklet. Some women had kajal on one eye only.

Some gave up eating their meals, some interrupted ceremonies such as wedding rites and left without circumambulating their husbands. Others, being massaged with oil by assistants, gave up the massage. Others without completing their bath, left. Others who were attentively feeding their babies, even those just born, gave them up and left.

Krsna is described as sri-ramana to indicate that he gave pleasure to the women of Mathura with his beauty (sri). By the beauty of his body (atmana), the women’s eyes derived complete bliss (utasavam). He stole their minds. This indicates that by giving them enjoyment of the eyes, they became thrilled, and without their noticing, he then stole the jewel of their minds.

Their hearts melted on looking at Krsna. They developed great interest in Krsna because of his sprinkling of nectar in the form of his sweet smiles and glances. They embraced the embodiment of bliss (ananda murti) who they had obtained in their minds through the glancing from just one of their eyes. By this they removed their unlimited sorrow generated from the absence of Krsna.

The women began to shower flowers in the form of their smiles, or showered the flowers in the form of actions indicating their love.

The word paurah refers to the women living in the city (pura) of Mathura.

One who washes clothing is called rajakah. If he also dyes clothing he is called rangakara.

Udvrtta means one who has deviated (ut) from good conduct (vrtta). “O ill mannered boys! Have you ever worn such clothing?” By the cleverness of Sarasvati the washerman’s words also mean the opposite: “O boys of excellent (utkrsta) character (vrtta), who herd cows on Govardhana, will you wear these material clothes? That can never be! Therefore, why do you want to don the clothes of an impure king even in play?”

The normal meaning of the verse is clear. However, there is another meaning. “O bhagavan, who on the pretext of taking three steps of land, claimed the body of Bali (Balisa)! You should not request in this way if you want to keep me alive, just as Bali fell into danger by giving in charity. If I give you the cloth, I will not live beyond today. The servants of the king will bind up that person who is not afraid of Kamsa (drptam), and after informing Kamsa, they will kill him and loot his house.”

The followers of the washerman dropped the baskets of clothing (vasah kosan) and fled.

The vayakah is one who weaves using bamboo. He dressed Krsna and Balarama in soft silk cloth of gold color embedded with jewels and ornaments, suitable for wresters who after massaging their bodies, dress them in soft cloth.

Krsna and Balarama were decorated with cloth suitable for their different colored bodies. They appeared like young elephants, one white and the other black (sitetarah) at a festival.

Pleased, Krsna immediately endowed the weaver with alert senses, memory, power, strength and a spiritual body of a cowherd.

After dressing and putting on ornaments one puts on a garland. This verse

describes putting on garlands.

“Though you are equal to all, you show special mercy to your devotees (bhajantam bhajator api). As Krsna says in Gita, samo’ham sarva bhutesu, but ye bhajanti to mam bhaktya, mayi ye tesu capy aham. Actually, you are merciful to that person who worships you , whether he is brahmana or dog eater, without regard for birth or caste. Because of this, you have satisfied me, a garland maker, and the weaver.”

“O Sudama, do whatever you intend to do. That is my order. It will be very good if you do that.” Understanding that Krsna’s order would be to get a garland, since that was the garland makers job and desire, he gave an excellent garland, extremely fragrant, attractive, soft, of pleasing flowers. The singular is used, though he gave two garlands, one to each brother, because he selected the best garland among all his garlands for Krsna without others noticing.

They gave the garland maker strength, power, wealth and beauty though he did not desire them. This was a response to his enthusiastic desire to give to Krsna and Balarama. In all cases, affection for the Lord’s devotee is the dominant rule.