Mathura – Part 4
Please note, this is one of my old videos. For complete information watch the video at the bottom of the page.
The Killing of Kuvalayapida
When he heard how the washerman was beheaded, the guards killed, and the bow broken, Kamsa became filled with fear. From that moment Kamsa saw many evil omens. The left side of his body trembled. In dreams he saw his limbs broken. Then he could not sleep.
Then he dreamed of being attacked by ghosts, of being anointed with oil, of walking about naked, of being garlanded with roses, and of rising south on a buffalo. Rising in the morning, he called for his servants and had them make arrangements for the day’s wrestling festival.
Before the royal assembly building was a sports arena with a huge field and many golden pillars. There were golden awnings decorated with pearls, great stairways, golden viewer’s boxes, and a great field.
In the splendid, golden, jasmine-decorated royal box was Indra’s throne holding a great circle of cushions. Over the throne was a splendid parasol graceful as the circle of the moon, and by it were swan fans and camaras with diamond handles.
It was ten hastas (one hasta is the distance between the elbow and the middle finger) high and was made by Vishvakarma. At that moment Kamsa ascended the throne. He was like a lion on a mountaintop.
Suddenly the singers sang, the dancing-girls danced, and the mridangas, paöahas, talas, bheryas, nakas, and other musical instruments were sounded.
In the many grandstands and viewers boxes many kings, provincial governors, and the people of the city, observed the wrestling games.
Then Canura, Mushtaka, Kuöa, Shala, and Toshala entered and began to fight each other with clubs.
Called forward by Kamsa, King Nanda and the other gopas bowed their heads and placed their gifts before him. Then they went to their own box.
Many offerings also came to Kamsa from Banasura, Jarasandha, Naraka, Shambara, and many other kings. Krishna and Balarama, who seemed to be ordinary human boys, also approached the arena to see the wrestling games.
Seeing the maddened elephant Kuvalayapida anointed with gomutra, sindura, and musk, decorated with jewel earrings, and its ichor flowing, blocking the entrance to the arena, in a deep voice Lord Krishna said to the elephant trainer: “Sir, please pull back this great elephant, and give Me a path as I wish. If you do not, I will throw you and your elephant to the ground”.
Angered, the elephant-trainer made the elephant, trumpeting in all directions, charge Lord Krishna, the son of Nanda.
The regal elephant grabbed Krishna in its trunk and lifted Him high, but in a moment Krishna slipped from the elephant’s grasp. As He used to do among the trees in Vrindavana’s forests, Krishna, quickly going here and there, played hide-and-seek behind the elephant’s legs.
Pushing its trunk between its legs, the elephant grabbed Krishna. Pressing the trunk hard with both hands, Krishna ran behind the elephant.
Its trunk and body twisted into an awkward position, the disoriented elephant tried to grab Krishna, but Krishna punched it with His fist and ran to the front.
When Lord Krishna fled and the elephant chased Him through Mathura City, there was great uproar.
Then very powerful Lord Balarama grabbed the elephant’s tail and with both arms dragged it here and there as Garuda drags a snake.
Laughing, Lord Krishna grabbed the elephant’s trunk and pulled it with both hands as one pulls the rope in a well. Pulled in both directions by Krishna and Balarama, the elephant was in great distress. Seven elephant trainers quickly came to its rescue.
Then other trainers brought three hundred elephants to kill Lord Krishna. As Lord Balarama watched, Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, approached the elephant maddened by the pinching goad, grabbed it by the trunk, whirled around and around, and finally threw it to the ground as a small child throws a kamandalu.
As the saintly people of Mathura watched and the trainer fled, the elephant suddenly died.
An effulgence left the elephant’s dead body and suddenly entered Lord Krishna, who is dark as a monsoon cloud. Then very powerful Krishna and Balarama uprooted the elaphant’s tusks and with them as weapons attacked the elephant-trainers as two lions attack a flock of deer.
I will also explain the previous birth of Kuvalayapida: Bali’s son was Mandagati, who was as strong as 100,000 elephants. Once upon a time he went out to search for people to wrestle with amongst the human beings. Like a mad elephant he crushed people with his two arms and as he rushed on the old sage named Trita fell in the path of his arms. This made the sage angry, so the sage cursed him, saying: “O rude fool! Like a mad elephant you are crushing people on the earth, so go and become an elephant!” Hearing the curse of the sage Mandagati prayed for redemption, so the sage said: “My words are never in vain, therefore at the end of Dvapara Yuga you will achieve liberation at the hand of Sri Krishna!”. Following the curse of the sage he took birth as an elephant at the Vindhya-mountains, and his name was Kuvalayapida.
Vishrama Ghata / Vishranti-tirtha
After Lord Sri Krishna killed Kamsa He took rest here, hence the glories of this place are peerless. When Lord Chaitanya visited Mathura, He first came to this place to bathe and take rest.
In Sri Caitanya Caritamrta it says: “When the Lord approached Mathura and saw the city, He offered His prostrated obeisances in great ecstatic love. When He entered the city He bathed in Visranti Tirtha and saw Krishna’s birthplace and the Kesava temple, where He offered His obeisances”.
In ancient times, Lord Varahadeva, after lifting the earth from the Garbha Ocean and slaying the demon Hiranyaksha, also came here and rested. While He was resting at this place, Lord Varahadeva spoke about the glories of Vraja Mandala to the goddess Bhumi Devi, the mother earth, and these descriptions of the holy Dhama were recorded in the Adi-varaha Purana. The word ‘vishrama’ or ‘vishranti’ means ‘to rest’ or a ‘resting place’.
The Skanda Purana says. “One who bathes here will destroy all his sins and be freed from the agony and misery of the material world”. The Padma Purana says. “Bathing at Vishrama Ghata, is one hundred times more superior to bathing in the Ganges River at the triveni-sangam during the Magh-mela.” In the Mathura Mahatmya it says. “Bathing at Keshi Ghata is one hundred times more beneficial than bathing in the river Ganges, but to bathe at Vishrama Ghata, is one hundred times more beneficial than bathing at Keshi Ghata.” In the Saura Purana it says. “Vishranti-tirtha destroys all sins and offers rest from the fatigue of wandering through the desert of material existence. Anyone who bathes here and worships Achyuta will be released from the fire of material existence and attain immortality.” The Adi-varaha Purana says, “Hey Devi! Vishranti-tirtha is renowed throughout the three worlds. A person becomes worshipable in Vaikuntha-dhama if he takes bath here. Lord Gatashrama (Narayana) is situated here in this beautiful place.” Also situated around the vicinity of Vishrama Ghata are a number of important temples including those dedicated to : Yamunaji, Krishna-Balarama, Vasudeva-Devaki, Annapurna Devi, The Yamaraja-Yamuna Mandira, and Gatashram Narayana Mandira, as well as the famous Dwarkadisha Mandira.