Shloka 20
Pauṇḍraka’s False Vāsudeva Claim, His Death, and the Burning of Vārāṇasī by Sudarśana
त्याजयिष्येऽभिधानं मे यत्त्वयाज्ञ मृषा धृतम् । व्रजामि शरनं तेऽद्य यदि नेच्छामि संयुगम् ॥ २० ॥
tyājayiṣye ’bhidhānaṁ me yat tvayājña mṛṣā dhṛtam vrajāmi śaranaṁ te ’dya yadi necchāmi saṁyugam
« Insensé ! Aujourd’hui je te ferai renoncer au Nom qui est le Mien et que tu as usurpé mensongèrement ; et si je ne désirais pas te combattre, alors je viendrais chercher refuge auprès de toi. »
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes as follows: “Now, Pauṇḍraka, I shall force you to give up this false representation. You wanted Me to surrender unto you. Now this is your opportunity. We shall fight, and if I am defeated and you become victorious, I shall certainly surrender unto you.”
FAQs
Here ‘abhidhāna’ refers to a public title or reputation a person carries; the speaker says he will renounce a designation he considers falsely maintained due to the other person.
The line is spoken as a pointed challenge: refusing battle is portrayed as abandoning kṣatriya spirit, so the speaker implies that only by seeking protection (shelter) could one avoid combat.
It highlights integrity and accountability: do not uphold a false image, and face duties honestly rather than avoiding responsibility while claiming honor.