The killing of Chakatasura
The asura Chakatasura, who had taken the shape of a cart, was destroyed by the baby Krishna as the latter was left near the cart to the baby Krishna.
कदापि जन्मर्क्षदिने तव प्रभो निमन्त्रितज्ञातिवधूमहीसुरा ।
महानसस्त्वां सविधे निधाय सा महानसादौ ववृते व्रजेश्वरी ॥१॥
kadaa(a)pi janmarkshadine tava prabhO nimantritaj~naati vadhuu mahiisuraa |
mahaanasastvaaM savidhe nidhaaya saa mahaanasaadau vavR^ite vrajeshvarii || 16 ||
The verse narrates what took place during the birthday of Krishna. As the queen of Vraja, Ma Yashoda had invited lots of relatives, women and honourable elders to the celebration. She was cooking in the kitchen, and put baby Krishna close to a large cart as she made the feast. The domestic scene, the buzz of visitors, the coziness of a family reunion, the nurturing multitasking of Yashoda keeping Krishna by her side, yet managing the duties of a host, is beautifully described in the first sloka of the Dashakam.
ततो भवत्त्राणनियुक्तबालकप्रभीतिसङ्क्रन्दनसङ्कुलारवै: ।
विमिश्रमश्रावि भवत्समीपत: परिस्फुटद्दारुचटच्चटारव: ॥२॥
tatO bhavattraaNa niyukta baalaka prabhiiti sankrandana sankulaaravaiH |
vimishramashraavi bhavatsamiipataH parisphuTaddaaru chaTachchaTaaravaH || 2 ||
In this verse we see a sudden commotion around the spot where Krishna was kept. The children who were assigned to keep watch over Him became terrified and began crying aloud. Their terrified screams were haunting the air and joining another unpleasant noise–a whistle-clean crack of wood, which was splitting open with a terrible crack. This ruckus and this indisputable clatter of something being broken was all on the right next door to the place where baby Krishna lay. The verse reflects the tension, confusion, and immediate feeling of danger that all people in the area might have felt.
ततस्तदाकर्णनसम्भ्रमश्रमप्रकम्पिवक्षोजभरा व्रजाङ्गना: ।
भवन्तमन्तर्ददृशुस्समन्ततो विनिष्पतद्दारुणदारुमध्यगम् ॥३॥
tatastadaakarNana sambhrama shrama prakampi vakshOjabharaa vrajaanganaaH |
bhavantamantardadR^ishussamantatO viniShpataddaaruNa daarumadhyagam || 3 ||
The women of Vraja, hearing the terrifying noises came rushing at once. The shock and fear made their body shake as they rushed along. Having arrived there they beheld a terrifying scene: Krishna was sitting serenely in the centre of two massive fragments of a wooden edifice that had just separated with a tremendous crash. The shloka embodies the dramatic irony between the panic of the women and the utterly unharmed composed figure of Krishna in the middle of the destruction.
शिशोरहो किं किमभूदिति द्रुतं प्रधाव्य नन्द: पशुपाश्च भूसुरा: ।
भवन्तमालोक्य यशोदया धृतं समाश्वसन्नश्रुजलार्द्रलोचना: ॥४॥
shishOrahO kiM kimabhuuditi drutaM pradhaavya nandaH pashupaashchabhuusuraaH |
bhavantamaalOkya yashOdayaa dhR^itaM samaashvasannashru jalaardralOchanaaH || 4 ||
Nanda, Gopas, and the village elders hastened to the spot in alarm, asking themselves what could have befallen the baby Krishna. They feared and rushed to see the child. Once there, they found that Yashoda was safely holding Krishna in her arms. The view immediately relaxed them, and their eyes were filled with tears of relief. The verse presents a scene of a great fear melting away into tremendous gratitude and emotional outburst.
कस्को नु कौतस्कुत एष विस्मयो विशङ्कटं यच्छकटं विपाटितम् ।
न कारणं किञ्चिदिहेति ते स्थिता: स्वनासिकादत्तकरास्त्वदीक्षका: ॥५॥
kaskO nu kautaskuta eSha vismayO vishankaTaM yachChakaTaM vipaaTitam |
na kaaraNaM ki~nchidiheti te sthitaaH svanaasikaadattakaraasvadiikshakaaH || 5 ||
The Gopas stood shocked and confused, as they crowded round the wrecked cart. They asked themselves: Who did this? How did such a heavy cart get crushed up like this? There was nothing to see, no assailant, no mishap they could tell. And, with increasing suspicion and curiosity, they stood motionlessly, with their hands upon their noses–the habit of close examination–and attempted to look closely at Krishna and to see what had happened.
कुमारकस्यास्य पयोधरार्थिन: प्ररोदने लोलपदाम्बुजाहतम् ।
मया मया दृष्टमनो विपर्यगादितीश ते पालकबालका जगु: ॥६॥
kumaarakasyaasya payOdharaarthinaH prarOdane lOlapadaambujaahatam |
mayaa mayaa dR^iShTamanO viparyagaaditiisha te paalaka baalakaa jaguH || 6 ||
The boys who had been sent on guard of baby Krishna cried out:
“As this little one started crying out for milk he kicked with his little, fidgety lotus-like foot. I saw with my own eyes –the cart broke with that kick.”
The caretakers informed that the cause was neither mysterious nor external. They directly associated the breaking of the cart to the playful kick of Krishna as he cried over his mother.
भिया तदा किञ्चिदजानतामिदं कुमारकाणामतिदुर्घटं वच: ।
भवत्प्रभावाविदुरैरितीरितं मनागिवाशङ्क्यत दृष्टपूतनै: ॥७॥
bhiyaa tadaa kinchidajaanataamidaM kumaarakaaNaaM atidurghaTaM vachaH |
bhavatprabhaavaavidurairitiiritaM manaagivaashankyata dR^iShTapuutanaiH || 7 ||
The children of Gokulam, still scared and disoriented by what they had seen, related the event in their simple, naive language. Their story was unbelievable, even impossible, given their age and little knowledge. Bhattathiri narrates “O Kesav, the men, who, without any real knowledge of Your divine power, had at first doubted or rejected what the children were saying. But those who had seen with their own eyes the huge fallen body of Putana, could not altogether disregard the account of the children.
प्रवालताम्रं किमिदं पदं क्षतं सरोजरम्यौ नु करौ विरोजितौ।
इति प्रसर्पत्करुणातरङ्गितास्त्वदङ्गमापस्पृशुरङ्गनाजना: ॥८॥
pravaalataamraM kimidaM padaM kshataM sarOjaramyau nu karau virOjitau |
iti prasarpatkaruNaatarangitaa stvadangamaapaspR^ishuranganaajanaaH || 8 ||
O Mukund, the women of Gokulam ran to You with heavy hearts, and as and held your little body. They looked at Your reddish feet, and asked whether they were bruised. They felt Your lotus-like hands, and it seemed to them that they were hurt after striking Putana. Swayed by maternal love and tenderness, they crowded around You, each member taking turns examining You, to make sure You were not hurt.
अये सुतं देहि जगत्पते: कृपातरङ्गपातात्परिपातमद्य मे ।
इति स्म सङ्गृह्य पिता त्वदङ्गकं मुहुर्मुहु: श्लिष्यति जातकण्टक: ॥९॥
aye sutaM dehi jagatpateH kR^ipaa tarangapaataatparipaatamadya me |
iti sma sangR^ihya pitaa tvadangakaM muhurmuhuH shliShyati jaatakaNTakaH || 9 ||
Overwhelmed with relief, and trembling from his emotions after seeing the fallen cart, Nanda repeatedly took Little Krishna into his arms and prayed to the Supreme Being to protect him. Over and over he held Him tight. He kept shivering with fear and shock from what had just happened. He kept clinging to Little Krishna, and never wanted to let go.
अनोनिलीन: किल हन्तुमागत: सुरारिरेवं भवता विहिंसित: ।
रजोऽपि नो दृष्टममुष्य तत्कथं स शुद्धसत्त्वे त्वयि लीनवान् ध्रुवम् ॥१०॥
anOniliinaH kila hantumaagataH suraarirevaM bhavataa vihimsitaH |
rajO(a)pi nO dR^iShTamamuShya tatkathaM sa shuddhasattve tvayi liinavaandhruvam || 10 ||
The elders of Gokulam believed the demon had tried secretly to kill you, but your divine power destroyed him and there was nothing left of him except for what could be perceived through perception as physical residue. They questioned where he could have gone, and they determined that he must have disintegrated or dissolved into your pure, divine, and universal essence.
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