Shloka 58
कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः
कृष्णो ऽपि युयुधे तेन लीलयैव जगन्मयः खेदाच् चालयता कोपान् निजशेखरकेसरम्
kṛṣṇo 'pi yuyudhe tena līlayaiva jaganmayaḥ khedāc cālayatā kopān nijaśekharakesaram
Kṛṣṇa too fought with him, yet only as divine play, for He is the Lord who pervades the whole universe. And when the opponent, pressed by fatigue, shook his head in anger, the mane-like locks upon His crested crown were tossed about.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Krishna manifests to destroy demonic tyranny centered in Kaṃsa’s court and to re-establish dharma in Mathurā and the Yādava realm.
Leela: Yuddha
Dharma Restored: Protection of the righteous and the public order in Mathurā by subduing violent adharma
Concept: Though engaging in humanlike contest, Krishna is jaganmaya—pervading the universe—so His actions are līlā, not limitation.
Vedantic Theme: Brahman
Application: Remember the divine immanence even in ordinary events; cultivate devotion that sees God’s play behind worldly struggle.
Vishishtadvaita: The Supreme is both transcendent and pervading (immanent) while retaining personal agency as Krishna.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
The verse frames Krishna’s combat as līlā—an action performed freely by the all-pervading Lord, not compelled by necessity—highlighting divine sovereignty even within worldly events.
By calling him jaganmaya, Parāśara identifies Krishna as the one whose being pervades the cosmos, so his deeds—like fighting—are expressions of the Supreme rather than ordinary human struggle.
Krishna is presented as the Supreme Reality acting in an embodied form; the narrative preserves bhakti-friendly heroism while grounding it in the metaphysics of the all-pervading Vishnu.