Krishna Establishes the City of Dvaraka

I offer my respects to my guru. May I use my intelligence to explain the second half of the tenth canto as I did the first part. In the fiftieth chapter, though the supreme lord defeats Jarasandha, he takes his people to Dvaraka out of fear of fight with Jarasandha the eighteenth time.

Krsna observed Jarasandha’s army which was like an ocean overflowing its banks, going beyond its limits and began to wonder. But did Krsna really worry about that? No, there is no necessity, because he is the cause of all causes, the great controller (karana), appearing in a human form (manusya). Then what did he begin wondering about? That is described in the next four verses.

“I will destroy all of this army which is a burden to the earth. Jarasandha should not be killed because he will eagerly gather another army (balam).”

“I have come as Krsna avatara with this purpose: for relieving the burden of the earth (destroying the armies), for protecting the devotees; and for killing the demons.”

“I also assume other bodies such as Varaha to protect religion and destroy irreligion.”

As Govinda was thinking in this way, suddenly two chariots came from Vaikuntha by his desire, and stood near him (upa stithau-stood near).

You are the lord of the Yadus who are defended (avantah) by you (tva). “:See the danger to the Yadus (yadunam) who are protected by you (tva avatam).”

The external meaning is “O lowest of men (purusa adhama), I am ashamed to fight with you, a mere boy (balena) , who hides yourself in Gokula as a vaisya (guptena). O fool (manda)! O killer of your uncle (bandu han)! I will not fight with you. Go away!”

The other meaning skilfully contained in the same words is as follows:

“O great personality to whom all others are inferior (purusadhama)! I will not fight with you for, in comparison to you Brahma is a child (bala ka) (there are two versions of this : balakenaiva and balenaikena), and you are the lord of all lords. I am ashamed to fight with you because I am not qualified. I do not desire to fight with you because you cannot be seen, being hidden within everyone (guptena). Oh most important one (amanda)! O destroyer of the bondage of the jiva (bandhu han)! ”

Thinking that his body was invincible, Jarasandha offered the alternative with satisfaction, “Give up your body, cut by my arrows, or you kill me.” Another meaning is: “Go away from me (mat) since I am so sinful, and go to Vaikuntha (svar), having left aside my body cut by arrows.”

As the wind covers the sun with clouds , or fire with dust, Jarasandha covered the two descendents of the Madhu dynasty (madhavau) with his armies. However, this was just an appearance, just as the nothing can cover the sun.

The women, being more attracted to Krsna than the men, were filled with intense grief (sucarpitah).

Seeing his own army afflicted by the fierce shower of arrows from the cloud of the enemy troops, Krsna drew his bow. In what manner? Continuously drawing arrows from his quiver one by one, he fixed them on the string, drew the string and then released them, thereby destroying all the chariots and other things. The word continuously (nirantaram) modifies all the verbs: to take up the arrows the arrows, string them to the bow, shoot them and destroy the chariots. Though the actions were in sequence they appeared to the onlookers to be happening all continuously. That is, Krsna appeared to be doing millions of actions at once. Thus the bow releasing arrows against the enemy troops surrounding Mathura on all sides appeared just like a circle of a fire brand when whirled around.

Rivers of blood flowed from the limbs of men, elephants, and horses severed by Krsna and Balarama (paraspram). The metaphor of the river is described. In that river the arms were snakes, the dead elephants were islands or high areas, the horses were crocodiles. The quivering crocodiles filled up the river. The rivers were dangerous with whirlpools of shields or wheels of chariots (acchurika). The big jewels and fine ornaments were the stones and gravel in the rivers. These rivers gave joy to the courageous (manasvina). Oh king (anga), the army of Jarasandha was hard to cross and dangerous like the ocean, with no opposite shore (durantaparam), with unlimited depth. It was too deep and too expansive to cross. In spite of all of this however, for Krsna and Balarama crossing this ocean was just play, and not a great effort at all.

“If Krsna is the lord of the universe, how can he derive any pleasure in fighting with insignificant jivas who are no equal to him? But if it were not so, then what would be the need of this description?” This verse answers the question.

“So what is astonishing in his fighting? For Krnsa, who appears in human body and performs activities like a human, it is suitable. There would be no relish for him if, as undying creator of the universe, he defeated Jarasandha in combat, as the match would be unequal. If however, appearing as a human, he defeated the strong Jarasandha as an equal, it would be astonishing.”

One should not argue that Krsna’s human form is not his svarupa, because the scriptures say. “The para brahma has a human form.” (Gopal tapani upanisad) and “The purna brahma full of highest bliss has become the friend of Yasoda and Nanda.” Sb 10.14. 32

30.Balarama seized Jarasandha, whose army was killed and whose life airs alone remained. (hata anika avasista asum).

Balarama tied up Jarasandha, his enemy who was almost dead (hata aratim). With a desire to let Jarasandha repeatedly gather together the armies who were a burden to the earth and should be killed, Govinda prevented Balarama from doing so.

Jarasandha was ashamed because he was considered by others to be valiant and therefore should have died in battle. His friends stopped him from doing austerities by giving philosophical teachings and material moral precepts. The philosophical advice was, “Your sorrow of defeat is a result of your karma, destined as writing on your forehead, so how could you avoid defeat?” The smrti scriptures say, “Inevitably you must enjoy the results of acts committed.”

By a double meaning the same statement gives advice according to moral precepts. “If your defeat was due to prarabdha karma, then why should you be ashamed? It cannot be avoided in that case. Can an intelligent person think that you are weaker than the whimpy Yadavas? Therefore, in victory over them there is no glory, and in defeat there is no shame. If the lion of Jarasandha defeats the black deer Krsna, you do not gain pre eminence .Even if you do not win, you do not get a bad name. This we know for sure. In victory or defeat the warrior should not be proud or miserable. What to speak then where the enemy is so inferior? This is scriptural.”

The son of Brhadratha, Barhadratha or Jarasandha, went to Magadha.

Mukunda went (understood but not written in the verse) into Mathura, where he was greeted as described in this verse.

This verse describes the city.

The completion of this verse is understood to be “He entered the city, being sprinkled with flowers.” However the grammar is changed from prabhau pravisati (locative absolute) in verse 37 to prabhuh pravisat (the Lord entered Mathura). Or else the subject of this verse is in the next verse prabhuh pradisat (the Lord gave to Ugrasena).

Krsna presented Ugrasena with all the ornaments from the bodies of the soldiers which had fallen on the battlefield (ayodhana gatam).

Jarasandha had such an army (Tavati aksauhini balah) of twenty three aksauhinis.

The Vrsnis destroyed (aksinvan) his army.

According to the Visnu Purana, Kalayavana was sent by Narada Muni. Once the son of Garga, Gargya, was called jokingly a eunuch by his brother in law. Hearing this the Yadavas laughed loudly. Angry at their laughing, Garya went south, and with a vow to get a son who would be the terror of the yadus, he ate powered iron, and worshipped Siva for twelve years. Getting the boon from Siva, he returned home satisfied, and gave birth to a son through the wife of the childless king of the Yavanas. Kalayavana was the son born to him. Kalayavana, ferocious as Siva the destroyer, asked Narada, “On this earth who are most powerful kings now? “ Narada said, “The Yadavas are the most powerful.” Thus he appeared in Mahtura, sent by Narada.

Krsna, out of affection for the Yadavaas, began to worry. “The Yadus have calamity on both sides, from Kalayavana and Jarasandha.”

“If Jarasandha comes while we two are fighting with Kalayavana (asya), he may kill them or take them away to his city.”

He built a fortress within the ocean measuring twelve yojanas. Eight yavas equals one angula. Twelve angulas make one tala. Three talas make one hasta. Two hasta make on kisku. Two kiskus make one dhanu. Two thousand dhanus make one krosa. Two krosas make one yojana. Within the fort, Krsna built a city.

In that city was seen the knowledge of Visvakarma, manifest as his skill in architecture. This is described in three and half verses. It was constructed with main roads, side roads, yards and houses not extending beyond their designated areas. There were stables of silver, brass and iron, and houses with gold kalasas and spires of rubies and other jewels. It had temples (vastospatinam grha) and towers (valabhi). The city became especially beautiful with the residences of Krsna (yadudeva).

He established the parijata tree there. This is in the past tense in relation to Sukadeva and Pariksit’s conversation.

Kuvera is the lord of treasure (nidhi patih). His treasures are padma nidhi, mahapadma nidhi, matsa nidhi, kurma nidhi, udaka nidhi, nila nidhi , mukunda nidhi and sankha nidhi. The masters of the directions gave their own particular wealth.

By the power of yogamaya potency he brought the citizens of Mathura to Dvaraka. This is described in the Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda. “While the residents of Mathura were in deep sleep Janardana picked them up and placed them suddenly in Dvaraka. When they woke up they saw that they were sitting with wives and children in golden houses.”

He consulted with Balarama, saying, “You stay here for a short time, and by this strategy I will have someone kill him.”