FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.33

क्रीडन् वने निशि निशाकररश्मिगौर्यां रासोन्मुख: कलपदायतमूर्च्छितेन । उद्दीपितस्मररुजां व्रजभृद्वधूनां हर्तुर्हरिष्यति शिरो धनदानुगस्य ॥ ३३ ॥
krīḍan vane niśi niśākara-raśmi-gauryāṁ
[kreedan vane nishi nishaakara-rashmi-gauryaam]
rāsonmukhaḥ kala-padāyata-mūrcchitena
[raasonmukhah kala-padaayata-moorchchitena]
uddīpita-smara-rujāṁ vraja-bhṛd-vadhūnāṁ
[uddeepita-smara-rujaam vraja-bhrid-vadhoonaam]
hartur hariṣyati śiro dhanadānugasya
[hartur harishyati shiro dhanadaanugasya]
krīḍan — while engaged in His pastimes vane — in the forest of Vṛndāvana niśi — nocturnal niśākara — the moon raśmi-gauryām — white moonshine rāsa-unmukhaḥ — desiring to dance with kala-padāyata — accompanied by sweet songs mūrcchitena — and melodious music uddīpita — awakened smara-rujām — sexual desires vraja-bhṛt — the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi vadhūnām — of the wives hartuḥ — of the kidnappers hariṣyati — will vanquish śiraḥ — the head dhanada-anugasya — of the follower of the rich Kuvera.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
krīḍan vane niśi niśākara-raśmi-gauryāṁ
krīḍan
while engaged in His pastimes
vane
in the forest of Vṛndāvana
niśi
nocturnal
niśākara
the moon
raśmi-gauryām
white moonshine
rāsonmukhaḥ kala-padāyata-mūrcchitena
rāsa-unmukhaḥ
desiring to dance with
kala-padāyata
accompanied by sweet songs
mūrcchitena
and melodious music
uddīpita-smara-rujāṁ vraja-bhṛd-vadhūnāṁ
uddīpita
awakened
smara-rujām
sexual desires
vraja-bhṛt
the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi
vadhūnām
of the wives
hartur hariṣyati śiro dhanadānugasya
hartuḥ
of the kidnappers
hariṣyati
will vanquish
śiraḥ
the head
dhanada-anugasya
of the follower of the rich Kuvera.
When the Lord was engaged in His pastimes of the rāsa dance in the forest of Vṛndāvana, enlivening the sexual desires of the wives of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana by sweet and melodious songs, a demon of the name Śaṅkhacūḍa, a rich follower of the treasurer of heaven [Kuvera], kidnapped the damsels, and the Lord severed his head from his trunk.

We should carefully note that the statements described herein are the statements of Brahmājī to Nārada, and he was speaking to Nārada of events that would happen in the future, during the advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The pastimes of the Lord are known to the experts who are able to see past, present and future, and Brahmājī, being one of them, foretold what would happen in the future. The killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa by the Lord is a more recent incident, after the rāsa-līlā, and not exactly a simultaneous affair. In the previous verses we have seen also that the Lord’s engagement in the affairs of the forest fire was described along with His pastimes of punishing the Kāliya snake, and similarly the pastimes of the rāsa dance and the killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa are also described herein. The adjustment is that all these incidents would take place in the future, after the time when it was being foretold by Brahmājī to Nārada. The demon Śaṅkhacūḍa was killed by the Lord during His pastimes at Horikā in the month of Phālguna, and the same ceremony is still observed in India by the burning of the effigy of Śaṅkhacūḍa one day prior to the Lord’s pastimes at Horikā, generally known as Holi.

Generally the future appearance and the activities of the Lord or His incarnations are foretold in the scriptures, and thus the pseudo incarnations are unable to cheat persons who are in knowledge of the events as they are described in the authoritative scriptures.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Inclined to perform the rāsa dance, Kṛṣṇa will sport in the night made white by the rays of the moon, and will cut off the head of Śaṅkhacūḍa, follower of Kuvera, who will attempt to steal the cowherd men’s wives whose love for Kṛṣṇa was incited by the modulations coming from the sweet, low melodies of his flute.
Commentary

What kind of night will it be? It will be made white by the rays of the moon. Inclined to perform the rāsa dance, he will sport. On another day in the future, the killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa will take place. It is mentioned together with the rāsa dance because it will take place near the place of the rāsa dance on another day. He will cut off the head of Śaṅkhacūḍa who will steal the wives of the cowherd men (vraja-bhṛt), whose love for Kṛṣṇa will be excited by the modulations coming from low, sweet songs. Or, he will perform rāsa dance in the middle of the night, after killing Śaṅkhacūḍa, since it is first mentioned that he will become inclined to the rāsa dance (rasonmukhaḥ).

Even during the most intimate rāsa dance, when a demon kidnapped damsels, the Lord acted decisively to protect them. Sweetness and severity coexist in Him. Love does not mean softness toward what harms the beloved.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I confusing love with softness toward what is harming my loved ones?
  • What do I need to act decisively against, without giving up tenderness?
📝 My note

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