Shloka 25
Pauṇḍraka’s False Vāsudeva Claim, His Death, and the Burning of Vārāṇasī by Sudarśana
शिर: पतितमालोक्य राजद्वारे सकुण्डलम् । किमिदं कस्य वा वक्त्रमिति संशिशिरे जना: ॥ २५ ॥
śiraḥ patitam ālokya rāja-dvāre sa-kuṇḍalam kim idaṁ kasya vā vaktram iti saṁśiśire janāḥ
Melihat sebiji kepala berhias anting terbaring di pintu istana, orang ramai menjadi bingung. Mereka bertanya, “Apakah ini? Wajah siapakah ini?”
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes as follows: “When the head of the King of Kāśī was thrown through the city gate, people gathered and were astonished to see that wonderful thing. When they found out that there were earrings on it, they could understand that it was someone’s head. They conjectured as to whose head it might be. Some thought it was Kṛṣṇa’s head because Kṛṣṇa was the enemy of Kāśirāja, and they calculated that the King of Kāśī might have thrown Kṛṣṇa’s head into the city so that the people might take pleasure in the enemy’s having been killed. But it was finally detected that the head was not Kṛṣṇa’s but that of Kāśirāja himself.”
FAQs
This verse shows how a shocking sight at Dvārakā’s gate created public confusion—highlighting how deceptive displays can bewilder even ordinary observers within the Lord’s pastimes.
Because the head appeared real and was ornamented with earrings, the citizens could not immediately identify whose face it was, so they doubted and questioned what had happened.
Do not make final judgments based only on dramatic appearances; seek clear knowledge and steady discernment, especially when fear or shock clouds perception.