Shloka 22
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 each sense acts as if it could fully take Him in—eyes “drink” His form, tongue “licks” His sweetness, nose “smells” His fragrance, and arms “embrace” Him—showing intense devotional absorption (bhakti-rasa).
In the Kaṁsa arena narrative, Kṛṣṇa’s beauty and presence overwhelm the onlookers; Śukadeva depicts their ecstatic attraction poetically, showing how Kṛṣṇa captivates the heart through darśana.
Cultivate mindful darśana and remembrance—see the Lord’s form (in deity or sacred imagery), hear His names, and engage the senses in devotion so attraction to Kṛṣṇa steadily replaces distraction.