Shloka 22
Pauṇḍraka’s False Vāsudeva Claim, His Death, and the Burning of Vārāṇasī by Sudarśana
तथा काशिपते: कायाच्छिर उत्कृत्य पत्रिभि: । न्यपातयत् काशिपुर्यां पद्मकोशमिवानिल: ॥ २२ ॥
tathā kāśī-pateḥ kāyāc chira utkṛtya patribhiḥ nyapātayat kāśī-puryāṁ padma-kośam ivānilaḥ
Demikian juga, dengan panah-panah-Nya Śrī Kṛṣṇa memisahkan kepala raja Kāśī dari tubuhnya dan menjatuhkannya ke kota Kāśī, bagaikan angin melemparkan kuntum teratai.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains why Kṛṣṇa threw Kāśirāja’s head into the city: “As he went off to battle, the King of Kāśī had promised the citizens: ‘My dear residents of Kāśī, today I will bring the enemy’s head into the midst of the city. Have no doubt of this.’ The King’s sinful queens had also boasted to their maids-in-waiting: ‘Today our master will certainly bring the head of the Lord of Dvārakā.’ Therefore the Supreme Lord threw the King’s head into the city to astonish the inhabitants.”
FAQs
This verse shows Bhagavān decisively removing the King of Kāśī, illustrating that when adharma and aggression rise against the Lord and His order, He protects dharma and ends the threat.
In the narrative, the King of Kāśī becomes aligned with hostility toward Krishna (in the aftermath of Pauṇḍraka’s offense). Krishna responds by defeating him, demonstrating the consequence of opposing the Lord.
It encourages aligning with dharma, avoiding envy and aggression toward the sacred, and trusting that harmful injustice is ultimately checked by a higher moral order.