Shloka 78
कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः
कंसे गृहीते कृष्णेन तद्भ्राताभ्यागतो रुषा सुनामा बलभद्रेण लीलयैव निपातितः
kaṃse gṛhīte kṛṣṇena tadbhrātābhyāgato ruṣā sunāmā balabhadreṇa līlayaiva nipātitaḥ
When Kaṃsa was seized by Kṛṣṇa, his brother Sunāmā rushed in, blazing with wrath; yet Balabhadra felled him effortlessly, as though in mere play.
Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Kṛṣṇa descends to destroy Kaṃsa and relieve the earth of tyrannical adharma while protecting devotees.
Leela: Yuddha
Dharma Restored: Removal of violent, illegitimate rule and protection of the righteous in Mathurā
Vishnu Form: Krishna
FAQs
The verse frames Balabhadra’s victory as līlā—showing that for the divine, even the suppression of violent opposition is effortless and serves the restoration of cosmic order (dharma).
By depicting Kṛṣṇa’s capture of Kaṃsa and Balabhadra’s immediate, playful subduing of Sunāmā, Parāśara emphasizes that hostile power collapses the moment it confronts the Lord’s ordained purpose.
Kṛṣṇa and Balabhadra function as agents of Vishnu’s supreme governance: tyrannical forces and their kin are neutralized without strain, highlighting the avatāra’s role in re-establishing dharma.