With respect and comforting intentions (sam) Kamsa called Nanda and others. In this way he encouraged Nanda. "You, the king of Vraja, are the chief among my leaders. Though you have come from the village, is it from fear, that you did not associate intimately with me? Do not consider that your two sons’ breaking the bow was so bad. They showed their strength to me by doing so. I have heard that they are strong, so I have called them to see for myself. So do not be afraid. Quickly come forward." Nanda noticed that his two sons out of disrepect for Kamsa’s orders, had gone elsewhere that morning. Not waiting from them to come on their own, he sent some affectionate, closely related cowherd men to protect them and teach proper behavior. Having instructed them, he quickly brought them to the arena. Upananda and others quickly came forward and offered yogurt, ghee, cloth and gold coins. Not seeing any space on the platform of the king, they sat in another place at the order of Kamsa.

The elder cowherds were respectfully called by Kaṁsa, who dispatched Akrūra and other Bhoja relatives to invite them. On their own they did not want to enter, being in anxiety because of the breaking of the bow. He called them to pacify them, so that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would start fighting in the wrestling matches. It should be understood that by the will of Kṛṣṇa they were first brought to the spot when he killed the elephant, and then entered the wrestling arena. The cowherds all sat in one gallery, not separate galleries.

The elder cowherds were respectfully called by Kaṁsa, who dispatched Akrūra and other Bhoja relatives to invite them. On their own, they did not want to enter, being in anxiety because of the breaking of the bow. He called them to pacify them, so that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would start fighting in the wrestling matches. It should be understood that by the will of Kṛṣṇa they were first brought to the spot when he killed the elephant, and then entered the wrestling arena. The cowherds all sat in one gallery, not separate galleries. Vasudeva was seated at the front of that gallery. That is stated later. The cowherds who were not Kṛṣṇa’s companions were seated there. The cowherd boys went with Kṛṣṇa. This is mentioned later. vṛtau gopaiḥ katipayaiḥ: he was surrounded by some cowherd friends. (SB 10.43.16) Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Forty-second Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Breaking of the Sacrificial Bow." 10.43: Kṛṣṇa Kills the Elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21-22, 23, 24, 25, 26-27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 Chapter Summary This chapter tells how Lord Kṛṣṇa killed the lordly elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa, how Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma entered the wrestling arena and what Kṛṣṇa said to the wrestler Cāṇūra. After finishing Their early-morning rituals, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma heard kettledrums heralding the start of the wrestling match, and They went to see the festivities. At the gate of the wrestling arena They encountered an elephant named Kuvalayāpīḍa, who attacked Kṛṣṇa at the urging of his keeper. The mighty elephant grabbed at Kṛṣṇa with his trunk, but the Lord struck back and then disappeared from the beast's sight among his legs. Enraged at not being able to see Kṛṣṇa, Kuvalayāpīḍa sought Him out with his sense of smell and seized Him. But the Lord pulled loose. In this way Kṛṣṇa teased and tormented Kuvalayāpīḍa, finally yanking out one of his tusks and beating him and his keepers to death. Sprinkled with the elephant's blood and carrying one of his tusks on His shoulder as a weapon, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared unprecedentedly beautiful as He entered the wrestling arena. There the various classes of people saw Him in different ways, according to their specific relationship with Him. When King Kaṁsa heard how Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had killed Kuvalayāpīḍa, he realized They were invincible and became filled with anxiety. The members of the audience, on the other hand, became joyful as they reminded one another about the Lords' amazing pastimes. The people declared that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma must be two expansions of the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa who had descended into the house of Vasudeva. Cāṇūra then stepped forward and challenged Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to wrestle, saying King Kaṁsa wished to see such a match. Kṛṣṇa replied, "Although We are merely nomadic forest folk, We are nonetheless subjects of the King; thus We will not hesitate to please him with an exhibition of wrestling." As soon as Cāṇūra heard this, he suggested that Kṛṣṇa should wrestle him and that Balarāma should wrestle Muṣṭika.