SB 10.36.22-23 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.36.22-23

भो भो निशम्यतामेतद् वीरचाणूरमुष्टिकौ । नन्दव्रजे किलासाते सुतावानकदुन्दुभे: ॥ २२ ॥ रामकृष्णौ ततो मह्यं मृत्यु: किल निदर्शित: । भवद्‌भ्यामिह सम्प्राप्तौ हन्येतां मल्ललीलया ॥ २३ ॥

bho bho niśamyatām etad

[bho bho nishamyataam etad]

vīra-cāṇūra-muṣṭikau

[veera-chaanoora-mushtikau]

nanda-vraje kilāsāte

[nanda-vraje kilaasaate]

sutāv ānakadundubheḥ

[sutaav aanakadundubheh]

rāma-kṛṣṇau tato mahyaṁ

[raama-krishnau tato mahyam]

mṛtyuḥ kila nidarśitaḥ

[mrityuh kila nidarshitah]

bhavadbhyām iha samprāptau

[bhavadbhyaam iha sampraaptau]

hanyetāṁ malla-līlayā

[hanyetaam malla-leelayaa]

Word-for-word

bhoḥ bhoḥ — my dear (advisers) niśamyatām — please listen etat — to this vīra — O heroes cāṇūra - muṣṭikau — Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika nanda - vraje — in the cowherd village of Nanda kila — indeed āsāte — are living sutau — the two sons ānakadundubheḥ — of Vasudeva rāma - kṛṣṇau — Rāma and Kṛṣṇa tataḥ — from Them mahyam — my mṛtyuḥ — death kila — indeed nidarśitaḥ — has been indicated bhavadbhyām — by you two iha — here samprāptau — brought hanyetām — They should be killed malla — of wrestling līlayā — on the pretext of the sport .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

bho bho niśamyatām etad

bhoḥ bhoḥ

my dear (advisers)

niśamyatām

please listen

etat

to this

vīra-cāṇūra-muṣṭikau

vīra

O heroes

cāṇūra - muṣṭikau

Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika

nanda-vraje kilāsāte

nanda - vraje

in the cowherd village of Nanda

kila

indeed

āsāte

are living

sutāv ānakadundubheḥ

sutau

the two sons

ānakadundubheḥ

of Vasudeva

rāma-kṛṣṇau tato mahyaṁ

rāma - kṛṣṇau

Rāma and Kṛṣṇa

tataḥ

from Them

mahyam

mṛtyuḥ kila nidarśitaḥ

mṛtyuḥ

death

kila

indeed

nidarśitaḥ

has been indicated

bhavadbhyām iha samprāptau

bhavadbhyām

by you two

iha

here

samprāptau

brought

hanyetāṁ malla-līlayā

hanyetām

They should be killed

malla

of wrestling

līlayā

on the pretext of the sport .

Important Words

cāṇūra - muṣṭikau — Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika (dual)
Kaṁsa addresses his two top wrestlers in the dual — the very form in which they will die, paired, at Kṛṣṇa's and Balarāma's hands in the arena.
nanda - vraje — in the cowherd village of Nanda
Nanda-Vraja — Mahārāja Nanda's cowherd settlement. Kaṁsa, the asura, names the most sacred place in Gauḍīya cosmography matter-of-factly as a location to send killers to.
ānakadundubheḥ — of Ānakadundubhi (Vasudeva)
Vasudeva's epithet — at his birth, divine drums sounded (ānaka-dundubhi). The name marks Vasudeva as the prophesied father of the avatāra; Kaṁsa uses the name because it is etched in his fear.
rāma - kṛṣṇau — Rāma and Kṛṣṇa (dual)
Always paired in this chapter as a unit. Gauḍīya theology: never separate them — Balarāma is Kṛṣṇa's ādi-rūpa, His first expansion, in every līlā beside Him.
malla - līlayā — on the pretext of wrestling play
Malla (wrestler) + līlā (play). Tragic irony: Kaṁsa uses the word līlā for his murder-plot, not knowing that what he is staging will indeed be līlā — but Kṛṣṇa's, not his.

My dear heroic Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika, please hear this. Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, the sons of Ānakadundubhi [Vasudeva], are living in Nanda’s cowherd village. It has been predicted that these two boys will be the cause of my death. When They are brought here, kill Them on the pretext of engaging Them in a wrestling match.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

My dear heroic Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika, please hear this. Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, the sons of Ānakadundubhi [Vasudeva], are living in Nanda's cowherd village. It has been predicted that these two boys will be the cause of my death. When They are brought here, kill Them on the pretext of engaging Them in a wrestling match.

Commentary

My death has been indicated by Narada (nidarsinta).

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

He repeats the words bho bho so that they pay attention. Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika were his main ministers so he addresses them. He calls them courageous (vīra) to incite them. The singular form (vīra) is approved by Śrīdhara Svāmī. The plural form vīrāḥ is also seen. O courageous warriors! O Cānūra! O Muṣṭika! Kila means certainly. The statement is supported by Nārada’s words. Nārada had told Kaṁsa about the arrangements before the birth of Kṛṣṇa. “Nārada has said that I will certainly (kila) die because of these two. They should be brought here since in Vraja you will not be able to kill them because of the strength of the place. Kill them through a wrestling match. Otherwise it will be impossible to kill them.” There is another meaning however. They should be brought here (hanyatām).

Related values & verses

Related values

Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)

Personal Guidance

Kaṁsa tells Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika to kill Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma under the pretext of a wrestling match. Deception loves the disguise of fair play; appearances of sport often cover schemes of harm.

Reflection Questions

Where does something in your life still get framed as 'fair' though its design is harmful?
What 'wrestling match' would you stop entering if you saw its real purpose?

Analogy

The wrestling-match is the demon's idea of a clever frame: kill the boys in public, on a pretext, with cheering crowds. He has no idea the same crowd will become the audience that recognizes Kṛṣṇa as the original wrestler-warrior. His plot is the stage Bhagavān asked for.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io