Srimad Bhagavatam – day 748
Srikrishna uplifts Shankachuda
Krishna Narayana
Maharishi Śuka continued, “In this way, Nanda was rescued from the jaws of death. Seeing this phenomenal deed, the residents of Brindavan remained dumbfounded”.
The Gopikas had already realized the transcendence of the Lord. Now the cowherds witnessed it first-hand. In front of their eyes, a huge python had caught Nanda. With the touch of Krishna’s feet, Nanda was released from the python’s clutches. Right from the moment of birth, Krishna had been accomplishing sensational deeds leaving them speechless. Due to frequent delusion, they would forget that He was the Supreme Lord himself. A few of them still considered him to have supernatural powers but never believed that He was the Supreme Lord.
“Having completed the Shivaratri austerities in Ambika Vana, all of them returned to Brindavan. Recounting the incident which took place in Ambika Vana, they spent their time joyfully.
One night, the Supreme Lord Krishna who was accompanied by Balarama, sported with the Gopikas in the forests near Brindavan. The valour shown by the Supreme Lord is magnificent, isn’t it? The Gopikas had unflinching devotion, unsurpassed love together with fear towards Balarama and Krishna”.
Love for the Lord should be accompanied by devotion and fear. Only then it is complete in all aspects. Mere devotion is inadequate. A certain degree of fear should be embedded in that devotion. This alone paves the way to liberation.
“Hence, they melodiously, delightfully and beautifully sang in praise of Krishna, fully aware that He was the Supreme Lord himself. Krishna and Balarama wore pure clothes and decorated themselves in all finery, smeared sandal paste on their bodies and wore the garland of forest flowers.
Night set in. Moon, who is the Lord for all the star constellations, arrived in the sky. The bees were intoxicated due to the sweet fragrance of the jasmines that pervaded the entire area. Cool breeze carried the scents of the night-lotuses from the pond. Fascinated by the beauty of the night, Balarama and Krishna extolled it. Matching their voices both during the ascending and descending scale of notes, they sang melodiously filling the minds and ears of all living entities with bliss. They also played the flute.
Deluded by the song sung by these brothers, the Gopikas forgot themselves and their existence. Their bodies horripilated and they went into a trance. They could not even realize that their upper garments as well as the flowers that adorned their braid had loosened.
Balarama and Krishna wandered through the forest unrestrainedly singing as if they were intoxicated. Around that time, Shankachuda, one of the attendants of Lord Kubera, arrived there and unmindful of the presence of Balarama and Krishna, behaved arrogantly. With his arrival, the Gopikas began to tremble and they shrieked frightfully. Unashamedly Shankachuda began to drive these women, who were under the protection of Balarama and Krishna, into the northern direction.
Shrieking loudly, “Hey Krishna, hey Balarama, please protect us. Yearning to hear your music we have stepped out of our homes and now are caught in the clutches of this demon. Kindly rescue us O Lord. O Krishna, please come to our aid”.
Just as a lion sprints in order to catch its prey, the brothers chased the demon who was fleeing with the women-folk. Loudly re-assuring the women, “Do not be afraid”, they dashed behind the demon who was mighty enough to carry away thousands of ladies simultaneously. The brothers uprooted two huge Arjuna trees and ran behind the demon quickly. After a short chase, they caught up with Shankachuda, the worst among the followers of Lord Kubera.
Seeing the two brothers who akin to the Lord of death had approached him, the dim-witted foolish Shankachuda trembled frightfully. Leaving behind the Gopikas he ran quickly in order to save his life. Nevertheless, Srikrishna continued to chase him wherever he ran”.
Angered with the vile deed of the demon, Srikrishna was carrying the uprooted Arjuna tree in his hand as he chased him.
“Srikrishna had determined to pluck out the jewel that illumined on the head of Shankachuda, which He could achieve only upon getting hold of Shankachuda. Balarama however remained beside the panic-stricken women in order to re-assure and protect them.
Srikrishna ran swiftly and approaching the demon, gave him a huge blow on his face while simultaneously plucking the jewel glittering on his head. The demon fell dead. In this way, Srikrishna killed Shankachuda and returned back with the glittering jewel chudamani.
Even as all the Gopikas were witnessing, Srikrishna lovingly handed over this jewel to his elder brother Balarama.
With this the thirty-fourth chapter of the tenth canto comes to an end.
Krishna Vasudeva