Shloka 21
Kṛṣṇa Slays Kuvalayāpīḍa and Enters Kaṁsa’s Wrestling Arena
पिबन्त इव चक्षुर्भ्यां लिहन्त इव जिह्वया । जिघ्रन्त इव नासाभ्यां श्लिष्यन्त इव बाहुभि: ॥ २१ ॥ ऊचु: परस्परं ते वै यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् । तद्रूपगुणमाधुर्यप्रागल्भ्यस्मारिता इव ॥ २२ ॥
pibanta iva cakṣurbhyāṁ lihanta iva jihvayā jighranta iva nāsābhyāṁ śliṣyanta iva bāhubhiḥ
The people seemed to drink Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma with their eyes, lick Them with their tongues, smell Them with their nostrils, and embrace Them with their arms. Recalled to the Lords’ beauty, virtues, sweetness, and valor, they began describing these to one another according to what they had seen and heard.
Naturally, those who assembled in Mathurā for the wrestling festival had heard the latest news of Kṛṣṇa’s and Balarāma’s adventures in the city — how the Lords had broken the sacrificial bow, defeated the police and killed the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa. And now that the people were seeing Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma enter the arena, their greatest expectations were confirmed. Kṛṣṇa is the embodiment of all beauty, fame and opulence, and therefore those assembled in the wrestling arena became fully satisfied by glorifying what they had heard of Him and were now seeing.
FAQs
This verse describes devotees becoming so absorbed in Kṛṣṇa that their eyes, tongue, nose, and arms seem to “drink,” “taste,” “smell,” and “embrace” Him—showing intense devotional absorption (bhakti-rasa).
Because His beauty is portrayed as so captivating that ordinary seeing becomes like drinking nectar—an expression of the soul’s longing to take in Kṛṣṇa’s form without limit.
Cultivate mindful darśana and remembrance—regularly see Kṛṣṇa’s form (mūrti/śāstra descriptions), hear His līlās, and let the senses be engaged in devotion rather than distraction.