The Breaking of the Sacrificial Bow

Krsna addressed Kubja as a beautiful women, in a joking mood with his own internal motives. “Who are you? For whom are you taking the ointments?”

Kubja said ”I am a servant.” Because nothing else is mentioned, the statement implies, “I am your servant.” However, that is not mentioned explicitly because then it would an untrue statement, since she gave the ointments to both Krsna and Balarama. “O handsome one!” She addresses in the singular form to indicate her desire for Krsna. However she then addresses both of them (yuvam) to hide her strong desire. Trivakra indicates that she was bent in the neck, chest and waist. “I am engaged only in preparing body ointments for Kamsa and nothing more.” By this statement she indicates her purity, not being engaged in any bodily service or relationship with Kamsa.

Kubja, overpowered by the beauty (rupa), skilful actions (pesala) and sweetness, gave the ointment to Krsna and Balarama.

Krsna and Balarama appeared splendid when their complexions changed suitable to their moods, by the application of the yellow and blue colored ointments.

7.Pressing down on the front of her feet with his two feet, he held her chin with two upward pointing fingers and pulled her body up.

From that time onward, Kubja had a straight body.

“Others are courageous in upholding dharma, but you are expert in destroying the dharma of women (he vira).”

Krsna said, “You have told me to come. Are you inviting me for dinner?”

“No, that is not my intention. I cannot tolerate leaving you”.

“All the people on the street would laugh and make wrong assumptions about your speech. Therefore do not speak like this.”

“You have made my mind crazy. If you ask how this has come about, I must say that is because of your touching me. It is not my fault but yours.”

Looking at Balarama and the cowherd boys, Krsna said, “O elder brother, o friends! Are your faces not brimming with laughter? Then do not look upon this woman. Hasya rasa has come to join you, knowing that you are in a humorous mood.”

Or smiling, he could be saying “This woman of Mathura, expert in joking affairs, is now showing her nature.”

Krsna then spoke, conveying to Kubja that he was accepting her, and conveying to Balarama and others that he was evading a worldly woman. “O beautiful woman, your house takes away the mental sorrows of all men.” He spoke of all men to joke with her. “After doing my work of killing Kamsa , I will certainly come to your house.” In this way he indicated the time that he would come. “You are the supreme shelter of us unmarried men.” Krsna, though one person, used the plural (nah) to produce respect for himself as a prince in Kubja’s mind. “We are travelers.” By this he hints that in Gokula, his own village he has many gopis who are attracted to him, but in Mathura he does not know anyone. Only she is attracted to him here. Thus he hints that he is attracted to her. On the otherhand, expressing himself to Balarama and others, by the use of the plural, and using the word “travelers” and describing her as one who relieves men of distress (adhi), using phrases indicating her as an ignorant, low woman, he criticizes her.

He sent her away with sweet words (madhvya vanya). He was worshiped by various merchants on the road.

The wives of the merchants were the best of devotees. There are ten stages of kama: attraction by sight, attraction by the heart, determination, sleeplessness, wasting away, loss of interest in other objects, absence of shame, madness, loss of consciousness and death. Though these symptoms manifest in stages, at this time they manifested all at once by seeing Krsna. “Who are we? Where are we? What are we doing?” they were unable to properly understand this. In this way they manifested symptoms of loss of shame. Because of the impulse of kama they became thin, and thus the bangles and clothing fell from their bodies (wasting away). Loosening of their hair was due to rolling on the ground, trembling and stretching the limbs, which are all signs of madness (unmada). Standing like painted pictures indicates the ninth state of loss of consciousness. Because the tenth state, death is inauspicious, it does not usually manifest in those expressing prema.

Krsna took the bow with great force (prasahya).

In front of the onlookers Krsna broke the bow, as if calling out to them, “ O people, your king was worshipping this famous bow. But just by the touch of my hand it has broken, as if eaten away by termites.”

Wanting to catch Krsna and his friends, they surrounded him saying, “Kill him, kill him.” However the same words can mean, “Men like us should be killed.”

Taking the two broken pieces of bow, they killed the guards.

When Krsna had left Vraja for Mathura, the women of Vraja predicted, “It will be an auspicious morning for the women of Mathura, and a morning filled with sorrow for us. The blessings of their priests have become successful, and the blessings of ours have failed. When Krsnsa enters the city they will taste with their glances the sweetness of his moonlike face, his sweet smiles.”

Sukadeva, being of the same emotional state as the gopis, overcome with sorrow due to remembrance of their separation from Krsna, made Pariksit recollect the previous condition. When Krsna was leaving for Mathura, the gopis gave the following blessing. “Today the women of Mathura will enjoy great happiness that we should enjoy. That has come true, as the women of Mathura gaze at Krsna’s body.” How could this not come true? Desiring the shelter of beauty of those limbs, to make herself more beautiful (since Krsna’s limbs are the ornament of all ornaments), the goddess of all beauty of the three worlds, gave up all other men who desire her.”

Servants washed Krsna and Balarama’s feet. They ate rice sprinkled with milk from dear cows with calves in Vraja, which had been placed by Yasoda on the stove in the cart. They slept soundly, though knowing that the next day Kamsa wanted to kill them. They slept soundly, not hearing the words of their fearful father Nanda, “O my children what have you foolishly done today? Why did you break the bow they were worshiping and then kill the guards? I do not know what angry Kamsa will do tomorrow. Why did I bring you two brothers here?”

Hearing that the killing of the guards and troops was nothing but play for Krsna and Balarama, while waking and sleeping, Kamsa saw many signs like messengers of impending death.

28.-31. The inauspicious omens are explained in three verses. Though he saw his reflection in the mirror, the reflection had no head. The moon and other planets appeared double without objects intervening which could cause that phenomena. There were holes in his shadow. He could not hear his heart beat when he covered his ears. Trees appeared golden in color. He could not see his footprints in the earth and dust. These were omens perceived in waking state. The omens in his dreams were: being embraced by ghosts, riding a donkey, drinking poison, seeing a naked man covered in oil, wearing a garland of java flowers, passing by. In this way he saw many astonishing things both in waking and sleeping states.

“When the night broke and the sun rose from the water” refers to a vedic verse. “May the red eyed, most excellent, omniscient sun, rising up from the great ocean, purify the universe.”

Kamsa’s servants decorated the arena with auspicious pots and other things. They began to beat the drums with sticks.

They sat down comfortably (yatha upajosam).

He sat down, while his heart trembled (viduyata).

The instruments played music in rhythms suitable for wrestling.

The wrestlers sat down in the wrestling arena (upasthanam).

With respect and comforting intentions (sam) Kamsa called Nanda and others. In this way he encouraged Nanda. “You, the king of Vraja, are the chief among my leaders. Though you have come from the village, is it from fear, that you did not associate intimately with me? Do not consider that your two sons’ breaking the bow was so bad. They showed their strength to me by doing so. I have heard that they are strong, so I have called them to see for myself. So do not be afraid. Quickly come forward.”

Nanda noticed that his two sons out of disrepect for Kamsa’s orders, had gone elsewhere that morning. Not waiting from them to come on their own, he sent some affectionate, closely related cowherd men to protect them and teach proper behavior. Having instructed them, he quickly brought them to the arena. Upananda and others quickly came forward and offered yogurt, ghee, cloth and gold coins. Not seeing any space on the platform of the king, they sat in another place at the order of Kamsa.