Shloka 6
Chapter 54
तेषां तद्-विक्रमं वीरा गद-सङ्कर्षणादयः ।
अमृष्यमाणा नाराचैर् जघ्नुर् हय-गजान् रथान् ॥
teṣāṃ tad-vikramaṃ vīrā gada-saṅkarṣanādayaḥ / amṛṣyamāṇā nārācair jaghnur haya-gajān rathān //
Unable to tolerate the opponents’ prowess, the heroic warriors—Gada, Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma) and others—felled the enemy’s horses, elephants, and chariots with iron arrows.
This verse depicts the swift martial response of the Yādava heroes who accompany Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The Bhagavatam often portrays dharmic warfare as disciplined and decisive: when aggressors threaten the Lord’s mission—here, the safe bringing of Rukmiṇī—Kṛṣṇa’s associates act powerfully to neutralize the enemy’s capacity to attack. The phrase “amṛṣyamāṇā” (unable to tolerate) indicates righteous indignation—not petty anger, but intolerance for arrogance and violence directed against the Lord and His devotees. By targeting horses, elephants, and chariots, they dismantle the enemy’s military apparatus, illustrating strategic intelligence alongside valor. The mention of Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma) is significant: as Kṛṣṇa’s elder brother and primary expansion, He embodies strength in the service of dharma. Gada and the other Yādavas represent how divine will operates through devoted agents. The theological lesson is that bhakti is not weakness; devotion includes courage, protection of the innocent, and readiness to oppose adharma when required. For practitioners, the verse can be read inwardly as well: when hostile impulses (fear, pride, aggression) rise, one must, with the help of sādhana and saintly support, strike at their “vehicles”—the habits and supports that empower them—so devotion can proceed unobstructed.
FAQs
Gada is a prominent Yādava warrior, and Saṅkarṣaṇa is Balarāma, Krishna’s elder brother; both are leading protectors of Krishna’s mission in the Rukmini-harana narrative.
They strategically dismantled the enemy’s fighting capacity, stopping the hostile pursuit and protecting Krishna and Rukmini.
Bhakti includes courage and protecting dharma; practically, it teaches removing the supports of harmful tendencies and standing firm with righteous strength in Krishna’s service.