FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.34.31

अविदूर इवाभ्येत्य शिरस्तस्य दुरात्मन: । जहार मुष्टिनैवाङ्ग सहचूडमणिं विभु: ॥ ३१ ॥
avidūra ivābhyetya
[avidoora ivaabhyetya]
śiras tasya durātmanaḥ
[shiras tasya duraatmanah]
jahāra muṣṭinaivāṅga
[jahaara mushtinaivaanga]
saha-cūḍa-maṇiṁ vibhuḥ
[saha-chooda-manim vibhuh]
avidūre — nearby iva — as if abhyetya — coming toward śiraḥ — the head tasya — of him durātmanaḥ — the wicked one jahāra — took away muṣṭinā — with His fist eva — simply aṅga — my dear King saha — together with cūḍa - maṇim — the jewel upon his head vibhuḥ — the almighty Lord .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
avidūra ivābhyetya
avidūre
nearby
iva
as if
abhyetya
coming toward
śiras tasya durātmanaḥ
śiraḥ
the head
tasya
of him
durātmanaḥ
the wicked one
jahāra muṣṭinaivāṅga
jahāra
took away
muṣṭinā
with His fist
eva
simply
aṅga
my dear King
saha-cūḍa-maṇiṁ vibhuḥ
saha
together with
cūḍa - maṇim
the jewel upon his head
vibhuḥ
the almighty Lord .
  • avidūre iva — as if from nearby
    A-vidūra (not far) + iva (as if). Kṛṣṇa was at a great distance, yet closes it 'as if' He were close. Gauḍīyas read: Bhagavān is never functionally far from His devotees' enemies — geography does not bind the protector of the prapanna.
  • durātmanaḥ — of the wicked-souled one
    Dur (bad) + ātman (soul, self). The demon is durātman — not because his ātman is intrinsically corrupt (every ātman is part of Bhagavān) but because its embodiment and conduct are. Gauḍīya tattva: jīva is eternally Kṛṣṇa-dāsa; corruption is in the upādhi.
  • muṣṭinā — with the fist
    Muṣṭi = clenched fist. Kṛṣṇa kills Śaṅkhacūḍa without weapon — His hand alone. Gauḍīyas mark the rasa: the same hand that pulled at Yaśodā's saree, lifted the butter, played the flute, here ends a demon. Bhagavān's body is multifunctional grace.
  • vibhuḥ — the almighty, all-pervading Lord
    From vi-√bhū = pervade, become great. Vibhu in its highest sense applies only to Bhagavān (Śiva in v. 2 was vibhu within his jurisdiction). The verse closes the demon's chapter with Bhagavān's true title, leaving no ambiguity about who acted.
The mighty Lord overtook Śaṅkhacūḍa from a great distance as if from nearby, my dear King, and then with His fist the Lord removed the wicked demon’s head, together with his crest jewel.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The mighty Lord overtook Śaṅkhacūḍa from a great distance as if from nearby, my dear King, and then with His fist the Lord removed the wicked demon's head, together with his crest jewel.
Commentary

Balarama stayed with the gopis, tired from running, comforting and protecting them.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Though Kṛṣṇa was far away he caught up with the demon as if he were close. It was not proper to kill him from the back as he was quickly running away. But he could kill the thief (durāttmanaḥ) while he was fleeing, if it was not from the back. He killed him with his fist, not with a śāla tree or any other means, and with only one fist. This means he did it without effort since he was the Lord (vibhuḥ). Cūḍa-maṇim with saha should be in the instrumental case but for meter it is in the accusative. Or he took off his head and the jewel at once (saha).

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Though far away, Kṛṣṇa appeared near and faced him. It was improper to kill a fleeing person from behind. Or he appeared on all sides, since it was improper to kill him from behind. He was wicked because he had taken the women. He removed the head along with the jewel with one fist only. It did not take effort since he was the Lord (vibhuḥ). Aṅga is an address expressing joy. Or he removed his head at the same time as the jewel. This shows that killing him took no effort. He killed him for the jewel.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)Bhakti (Devotion)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
From a distance Kṛṣṇa overtakes the demon and with His fist removes his head and crest jewel together. The Lord's reach is not constrained by space; what looks far from us is not far from Him.
Reflection Questions
  • What threat feels too 'far away' from the Lord's reach in your imagination?
  • Where have you mistaken distance for absence?

From a great distance — but as if from arm's reach — Kṛṣṇa overtakes Śaṅkhacūḍa and removes his head with a single fist, jewel and all. Bhagavān's reach is non-Euclidean; the bhakta-protector is everywhere His own are threatened. One fist for one demon: no over-engineered weaponry, just the hand that once held butter.

📝 My note

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