The Killing of Dantavakra, Viduratha and Romaharsana

In the seventy eighth chapter, Krsna kills Dantavakra and Viduratha. Balarama kills the son of Romaharsana while going on pilgrimage.

Two verses describe how Dantavakra went about taking revenge for the death of his friends. Though they were not present, out of friendship he wanted to complete their death rites by killing Krsna.

Seeing his opponent on foot, Krsna also dismounted from his chariot (avaplutya), stopping Dantavakra as the shore (vela) stops the ocean waves.

Dantavakra born in Karusa (karsuah) raised his club. The hidden meaning of the verse is as follows: He, his arrogance gone (duramah), spoke to Mukunda (giver of liberation), who would give him liberation in his third birth. “Now (adya) in this third birth due to the curse of a brahmana, I am seeing my master who gives liberation. This is very very auspicious (distya).” Distya is repeated twice in jubilation.

Dantavakra’s mother, Srutasrava, was the sister of Vasudeva. Thus he is Krsna’s cousin on his mother’s side (matuleya). “Though you are my Lord, you have now appeared as my cousin. It is proper that you desire to kill me, who is envious of his own cousin. Oh, intelligent one (amanda), striking me with your club Kaumodaki, which is like a thunderbolt, I will attain you (hanisye). Describing your club in this way is to attract the common people. Actually however, killing me, who in comparison am very insignificant, the thunderbolt club will reveal your personal strength.”

That person who attains you by thinking of you delivers his friends. O person for whom nothing remains unknown (ajna) Being affectionate to my friends, I will free myself of debt to them, by delivering them also, by knowing you, who seem to be an enemy in the common eye but are actually a friend, who are the supreme object of meditation (vyadhim), and are the supersoul situated in the body (deha caram) Vyadhim can also mean one who rids one of all suffering and sickness.

7.Releasing his harsh words to cause injury, he then beat Krsna on the head with his club, as an ankusa strikes an elephant in the head. In this verse the events are described according to material vision.

For materialists like Duryodhana and others Krsna’s victories were not amazing. For men of material vision it appeared that Krsna was defeated two or three times by Jarasandha and others after leaving Mathura. In the Padma Purana Uttara Khanda there are details giving concerning the slaying of Dantavakra. This is given in prose.

“Hearing that Sisupala was killed, Dantavakra came to Mathura to fight with Krsna. Hearing about this, Krsna mounted his chariot and went to Mathura. Day and night the two of them fought at the gate of Mathura. Krsna beat him with his club. Struck all over his body, like a mountain hit by thunderbolts, he fell on the earth and died. He attained the abode of the Lord with an eternal blissful form similar to the Lord’s, which is the goal of the yogis. Thus Jaya and Vijaya, for the purpose of pastimes of the Lord on the pretext of the curse of the kumara brothers, appeared on earth three times, were killed by the Lord and at the end of the three births attained liberation.”

Krsna heard about Dantavakra from Narada who travels at the speed of the mind. After killing Sisupala and before entering Dvaraka, by traveling on his chariot that went at the speed of the mind, he came to Mathura and saw Dantavakra there. Even today on the side of Mathura facing Dvaraka there is a village which Vajranabha populated called Datiha, a local corruption of the sanskrt dantavakra ha, “killing of dantavakra.” In the Padma Purana there is further description in verse and prose.

“After killing him Krsna crossed the Yamuna and came to Nanda Vraja. Greeting and consoling his joyful parents, he was embraced by them, soaking his body in treir tears. He offered his respects to the elder gopas by bowing down, and satisfied everyone there with cloth and ornaments. On the beautiful bank of the Yamuna embellished with auspicious trees, Kesava enjoyed with the gopis at night. Dressed as a cowherd boy, the Lord stayed there for two months immersed in deep love because of the happiness he derived from those pastimes. Then all the cowherd men along with their wives and children, with transcendental forms mounted an airplane and went to the supreme Vaikuntha planet by Vasudeva’s mercy. Krsna , after giving to all the inhabitants of Vraja his supreme abode, entered Dvaraka while being praised by the devatas in the sky.”

This is explained by some verses in the Bhagavatamrta. Crossing over the Yamuna means he bathed in the Yamuna. After killing the demon it was proper to bathe before going to Vraja. Sending the inhabitants of Vraja to Vaikuntha means that Krsna sent just the amsas of Nanda and others, such as Drona and Dhara, who had appeared in this world, to Vaikuntha, for Krsna is eternally performing pastimes in Vrndavana with his devotees of Gokula, who are the dearest among all dear devotees. Padma Purana says that the cowherds went with their wives and children. The children refers to Krsna, Subala, Sridama and other young boys. Wives refers to Yasoda, Kirtida and others. All those who were situated in Vrajamandala went to Goloka, which is the supreme Vaikuntha planet. They attained deva forms (divyarupa) which were suitable for Goloka where stately pastimes take place. But this is different form Gokula where they have forms like humans. As the inhabitants of Ayodhya went to Vaikuntha in their bodies during Rama’s appearance, so during Krsna’s appearance those living in Vraja went in those bodies to the spiritual world.

That Krsna went from Dvaraka to Vraja is also approved by the Bhagavatam. Yarhi ambujaksa pasasara bho bhavan kurun madhun vatha suhrd didrksaya sb1.11.9 when you leave the kurus with a desire to see your friends… Krsna had agreed that balarama also should go to Vraja, but Vasudeva, Devaki and the elders prevented that. This has been explained in two previous verses of the bhagavatamrta.

After killing Salva and hearing from Narada privately that Dantavakra had come to Mathura, without entering Dvaraka, he considered to go there alone to kill him so there would be no objection from anyone, and after killing him he would take the opportunity to meet his friends in Vraja. This he considered after remembering the hint given by Uddhava (Sb10. 71.9) to return to Vraja after killing Jarasandha. Going to Vraja and removing his pain of separation, he united the two forms which appeared after he killed Kamsa ( one returning to Vraja and another staying in Mathura), and after two months he again withdrew that Vraja lila from the eyes of the world, and went with his father and other inhabitants to Vaikuntha. He went with them to Goloka in one perfect form, which was seen by the inhabitants of svarga and other upper planets. In another most perfect form he enjoyed eternally pastimes with them in Vraja, which was not visible to anyone in the material world, In another form he went alone on his chariot back to Dvaraka.

The people of Mathura saw Krsna kill Dantavakra, meet the inhabitants of Vraja, and then return to Dvaraka. They were filled with astonishment on seeing that the people of Vraja had all suddenly disappeared.

But how is it that Krsna, who took the cowherds of Vraja in their bodies to Vaikuntha could make the inhabitants of Dvaraka undergo the difficulties of the Mausala lila (killing each other)? Considering that Pariksit would ask this and become sad, as he identified with the Yadus, Sukadeva did not tell him this story from the Padma Purana. He vaguely suggests the story however by the use of the word iti after the verb vivesa, thereby meaning “he finally entered Dvaraka with his associates, after having performed other pastimes that are already known, so I will not mention them.” . Otherwise iti has no function there at all. As we do not see any other descriptions of how the Vraja lila ended, he description of this according to the Padma Purana should be accepted as true by all.

According to the Vaisnava Tosani, the order of the pastimes is as follows: going to Kuruksetra on the occasion of the eclipse, the rajasuya sacrifice, the gambling match between Yudhisthira and the Kauravas, the Pandavas’ exile to the forest, the killing of Salva and Dantavakra, going to Vraja and the disappearance of Vraja lila.

Krsna killed the demons up until Viduratha, and then gave up his sword. But Balarama did this only after killing Balvala and the son of roma harsana. Hearing that the kauravas wanted to fight the Pandavas Balarama thought, “ I have friendship with Duryodhana and Yudhisthira. They will both invite me on their side. Whose side should I choose?” Thus he left on the pretext of bathing in holy places.

He went to the sarasvati flowing in the opposite direction.

Cakram here refers to Cakra tirtha.

He went to the holy places along the Yamuna and Ganga.

He saw Romaharsana the pupil of Vyasadeva (maharseh).

He was sitting higher than the Brahmanas present because he was the speaker.

He is surpassing the brahmanas and myself, by sitting on a high seat and not even standing in respect.

Perhaps he is doing so out of ignorance. No, that cannot be because he is the pupil of Vyasa deva (rser bhagavato bhutva sisyo).

His study of scriptures has not produced good qualities such as peacefulness.

“He may offend the brahmanas and such, but how can you, the Lord, who are supposed to be without anger and pride, kill him?”

“ I appear in this world with this purpose Those devoid of dharma are the most sinful. They deserve to be killed by me, showing my own possession of dharma.”

28.Because there was no means of preventing his death (bhavitvat), he killed him with a piece of kusa grass.

We granted him the boon of no fatigue and long life for the duration of the sacrifice.

Just as an ignorant man may act, you have acted, but for you there is not possibility of sinful intention because you are the master of yoga.

If you do some purification for killing the brahmana, it is just to teach the common people and nothing more, because you are self appointed ( ananya coditah).

I will carry out this atonement (nirvesam) for killing the brahmana.

Since the brahmanas are my mouth, I should not do anything which will break your promise. Speak so that I can follow your instructions. Ask for long life, strength (sattvam) or sharpness of the senses.

You should arrange things in such a way that your weapon, strength and killing as well as our words remain true.

In this verse Balarama fulfills their request. The Vedas say, “You are born from my limbs, you are born from my heart. You my son are myself. May you live a hundred years.” Therefore Romaharsana’s son, Ugrasrava should be your reciter of puranas, and he will be blessed with long life and energy. Therefore because Romaharsana remains dead, the weapon and his death persist, but at the same time in the form of his son, his long life and energy according to your words remains as well.

First I should give something to you wise brahmanas who give instruction on atonement. After that, you should after thinking carefully prescribe for me some atonement, as I am ignorant.

On every dark moon day (parvani parvani) he contaminates our sacrifice.

In this verse they prescribe the atonement. Gong around India (paritya), undergoing penance (caritva) for one year, (not difficult because you can control the senses and concentrate the mind (susamahitah), you will be purified.