Shloka 18
Aghāsura-vadha: The Killing and Deliverance of Aghāsura
दृष्ट्वा तं तादृशं सर्वे मत्वा वृन्दावनश्रियम् । व्यात्ताजगरतुण्डेन ह्युत्प्रेक्षन्ते स्म लीलया ॥ १८ ॥
dṛṣṭvā taṁ tādṛśaṁ sarve matvā vṛndāvana-śriyam vyāttājagara-tuṇḍena hy utprekṣante sma līlayā
Melihat rupa raksasa itu yang menakjubkan seperti ular sawa besar, semua budak gembala menyangkanya sebagai pemandangan indah kemuliaan Vṛndāvana. Lalu mereka membayangkan mulutnya yang ternganga seperti mulut ular besar, tanpa takut, seolah patung untuk lila permainan mereka.
Some of the boys, upon seeing this wonderful phenomenon, thought that it was in fact a python, and they were fleeing from the spot. But others said, “Why are you fleeing? It is not possible that a python like this is staying here. This is a spot of beauty for sporting.” This is what they imagined.
FAQs
This verse shows the cowherd boys treating a potentially deadly sight as mere play, because in Vṛndāvana under Kṛṣṇa’s presence even danger is transformed into līlā.
They saw an extraordinary form and, assuming it was part of Vṛndāvana’s wondrous scenery, imagined it as a gaping-mouthed serpent—an innocent, playful misreading of a hidden threat.
It teaches cultivating trust in Bhagavān’s protection: with steady bhakti, fear lessens and challenges are met with composure rather than panic.