FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.15.31

पुनरासाद्य संरब्ध उपक्रोष्टा पराक् स्थित: । चरणावपरौ राजन् बलाय प्राक्षिपद् रुषा ॥ ३१ ॥
punar āsādya saṁrabdha
[punar aasaadya samrabdha]
upakroṣṭā parāk sthitaḥ
[upakroshtaa paraak sthitah]
caraṇāv aparau rājan
[charanaav aparau raajan]
balāya prākṣipad ruṣā
[balaaya praakshipad rushaa]
punaḥ — again āsādya — approaching Him saṁrabdhaḥ — furious upakroṣṭā — the ass parāk — with his back toward the Lord sthitaḥ — standing caraṇau — two legs aparau — hind rājan — O King Parīkṣit balāya — at Lord Balarāma prākṣipat — he hurled ruṣā — with anger .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
punar āsādya saṁrabdha
punaḥ
again
āsādya
approaching Him
saṁrabdhaḥ
furious
upakroṣṭā parāk sthitaḥ
upakroṣṭā
the ass
parāk
with his back toward the Lord
sthitaḥ
standing
caraṇāv aparau rājan
caraṇau
two legs
aparau
hind
rājan
O King Parīkṣit
balāya prākṣipad ruṣā
balāya
at Lord Balarāma
prākṣipat
he hurled
ruṣā
with anger .
  • saṁrabdhaḥ — furious
    sam + rabdha — fully seized (by anger). Gauḍīya: saṁrabdha is a strong rage-word, used elsewhere for Hiraṇyakaśipu and Rāvaṇa. It signals the demon's last stand — fury preceding kill.
  • upakroṣṭā — the ass
    upa-kroṣṭṛ — literally one who brays nearby; an alternate name for ass. Gauḍīya: the Bhāgavatam uses synonyms for ass repeatedly — rāsabha, kroṣṭṛ, khara — perhaps to underscore how thoroughly Dhenuka's form is what he is.
  • parāk sthitaḥ — standing with his back toward the Lord
    parāk (turned away) + sthita (standing). The position of insolence. Gauḍīya: turning the back to Bhagavān is the very definition of saṁsāra in CC Madhya 20.117 — kṛṣṇa bhuli sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha. Dhenuka enacts it physically.
  • caraṇau aparau — hind legs
    caraṇa (foot) + apara (hind). Dual. The two hind legs. Gauḍīya: the rear-kick is asura-mode; the front-bow is bhakta-mode. The same limbs, differently directed, define disposition.
  • ruṣā — with anger
    Instrumental of ruṣ (anger). Gauḍīya: ruṣa, unlike saṁrabdha, is the act-tense of anger — the swinging blow. The demon's hind legs are tools of his ruṣa; Balarāma's hands are about to be tools of liberation.
Moving again toward Lord Balarāma, O King, the furious ass situated himself with his back toward the Lord. Then, screaming in rage, the demon hurled his two hind legs at Him.

The word upakroṣṭā indicates an ass and also one who is crying out nearby. Thus it is indicated herein that the powerful Dhenuka made horrible, angry sounds.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Moving again toward Lord Balarāma, O King, the furious ass situated himself with his back toward the Lord. Then, screaming in rage, the demon hurled his two hind legs at Him.
Commentary

Being angry (sanrabdhah), the donkey brayed (upakrosta) and showed his back to Balarama.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The donkey came close, braying (upakroṣṭā), turned his back to Balarāma and again kicked. O king (rājan) ! Śukadeva comforts the king who was saddened, worried about Balarāma because of his prema. Or the demon was shining (rājan) because of revealing his unlimited strength in anger.

Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomDaya (Compassion / Mercy)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Prema (Divine Love)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva
Dhenuka turns his back, screams in rage, and kicks at Balarāma with his hind legs. Some obstacles attack from behind, full of noise. Their disrespect is not power — it's bravado before the end.
Reflection Questions
  • What recent attack on me felt loud but actually had no real substance?
  • Where am I confusing volume with strength in something opposing me?

An ass turns its back to a king and kicks — the lowest form of attack, possible only to the lowest creature. Dhenuka, furious, presents his rear to Balarāma and hurls his hind legs. The verse documents the precise insolence the līlā will answer. Sometimes the Lord's response is calibrated to the offense's exact shape.

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