FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.54.6

तेषां तद्विक्रमं वीरा गदसङ्कर्षणादय: । अमृष्यमाणा नाराचैर्जघ्नुर्हयगजान् रथान् ॥ ६ ॥
teṣāṁ tad-vikramaṁ vīrā
[teshaam tad-vikramam veeraa]
gada-saṅkarṣanādayaḥ
[gada-sankarshanaadayah]
amṛṣyamāṇā nārācair
[amrishyamaanaa naaraachair]
jaghnur haya-gajān rathān
[jaghnur haya-gajaan rathaan]
Word-for-word
teṣām — by them (the opposing kings) tat — that vikramam — show of prowess vīrāḥ — the heroes gada — Gada, the younger brother of Lord Kṛṣṇa saṅkarṣaṇa — Lord Balarāma ādayaḥ — and others amṛṣyamāṇāḥ — not tolerating nārācaiḥ — with arrows made of iron jaghnuḥ — they struck haya — horses gajān — elephants rathān — and chariots .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
teṣāṁ tad-vikramaṁ vīrā
teṣām
by them (the opposing kings)
tat
that
vikramam
show of prowess
vīrāḥ
the heroes
gada-saṅkarṣanādayaḥ
gada
Gada, the younger brother of Lord Kṛṣṇa
saṅkarṣaṇa
Lord Balarāma
ādayaḥ
and others
amṛṣyamāṇā nārācair
amṛṣyamāṇāḥ
not tolerating
nārācaiḥ
with arrows made of iron
jaghnur haya-gajān rathān
jaghnuḥ
they struck
haya
horses
gajān
elephants
rathān
and chariots .
Important Words
  • saṅkarṣaṇa — Lord Balarāma
    From sam + √kṛṣ, 'one who draws together' — He who drew the foetus from Devakī's womb to Rohiṇī. Gauḍīyas worship Saṅkarṣaṇa as Kṛṣṇa's mūla prakāśa, the first manifestation of Bhagavān's own self for service — hence His role here as Kṛṣṇa's elder protector.
  • gada — Gada, Kṛṣṇa's younger brother
    Son of Vasudeva by Sunāmā. The Bhāgavatam consistently honors the lesser-known Yadu heroes alongside Balarāma — bhakti-history is not a one-Person show; the entire family of the Lord shares in His protection of the devotee.
  • vīrāḥ — the heroes
    Plural of vīra. Vīra-rasa in Gauḍīya śāstra is one of the sapta-gauṇa-rasas — secondary to mādhurya but real. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes need warriors as much as cowherds; both serve the same Person.
  • amṛṣyamāṇāḥ — not tolerating
    Present participle middle of √mṛṣ. The Yādava heroes refuse to tolerate insult to Kṛṣṇa — this 'kṛṣṇa-aparādha-asahanam' is, for Gauḍīyas, the third of the six signs of śaraṇāgati (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa).
  • nārācaiḥ — with iron arrows
    Nārāca — fully-iron shafts, the heaviest grade. The metallurgy detail is not ornament; the Bhāgavatam wants the reader to feel the weight of what the Yadus bring to defend Kṛṣṇa's choice.
The heroes of the Lord’s army, headed by Gada and Saṅkarṣaṇa, could not tolerate the aggression of the opposing kings. Thus with iron arrows they began to strike down the enemy’s horses, elephants and chariots.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The heroes of the Lord's army, headed by Gada and Saṅkarṣaṇa, could not tolerate the aggression of the opposing kings. Thus with iron arrows they began to strike down the enemy's horses, elephants and chariots.
Commentary

Not being able to tolerate such courage in the enemy, or then not being able to tolerate the courage in the enemy, they destroyed their chariots and horses with arrows.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The word vikramam (courage) is used to indicate the very nature of the enemy warriors, such as the word blue in blue lotus indicates the lotus’s nature. Gada and others could not tolerate the enemies’ courage. Gada is mentioned first because out of great devotion he was in front. Since the horses travelled the fastest, they were first to receive the arrows. The elephants were next. Last, they destroyed all the chief chariots with a desire for complete victory.

Related values & verses
Related values
Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Bhakti (Devotion)Titiksha (Forbearance / Endurance)Mardava (Gentleness)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Dhairya (Composure / Courage)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God)Vinaya (Humility / Modesty)
Related verses
SB 1.2BG 15.7 BG 2.60 BG 12.6 BG 5.4 BG 12.5 BG 6.47 BG 9.34 BG 18.43
Concepts
Jiva
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The heroes — Gada and Saṅkarṣaṇa leading — cannot tolerate the aggression and strike down the enemy's horses, elephants, chariots with iron arrows. Sometimes 'cannot tolerate' is precisely the right warrior virtue.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do you tolerate aggression toward what scripture says you should defend?
  • What intolerance might be the right virtue in a current situation?
Analogy

Like a father's elder brother stepping in when a younger relative is insulted, Saṅkarṣaṇa and Gada strike down the offending mounts — their fury is not their own, it is the household's protective instinct around Kṛṣṇa and His bride.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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