Shloka 3
Pauṇḍraka’s False Vāsudeva Claim, His Death, and the Burning of Vārāṇasī by Sudarśana
दूतं च प्राहिणोन्मन्द: कृष्णायाव्यक्तवर्त्मने । द्वारकायां यथा बालो नृपो बालकृतोऽबुध: ॥ ३ ॥
dūtaṁ ca prāhiṇon mandaḥ kṛṣṇāyāvyakta-vartmane dvārakāyāṁ yathā bālo nṛpo bāla-kṛto ’budhaḥ
Raja Pauṇḍraka yang tumpul akal itu mengutus seorang utusan kepada Śrī Kṛṣṇa di Dvārakā, Tuhan yang jalan-Nya sukar diselami; dia bertindak seperti budak bodoh yang dipermain oleh budak-budak lain seolah-olah raja.
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the reason Śukadeva Gosvāmī here mentions for the second time that Pauṇḍraka sent a message to Lord Kṛṣṇa is that the great sage is astonished at Pauṇḍraka’s extreme foolishness.
FAQs
It means Kṛṣṇa’s ways and movements are beyond ordinary material understanding—His actions cannot be fully grasped by those who judge Him with mundane logic.
In his delusion and pride, Pauṇḍraka challenged Kṛṣṇa and tried to assert a false identity; this verse highlights the foolishness behind sending such a message to the Supreme Lord.
It warns against ego-driven decisions and bad counsel—when pride blinds intelligence, one may challenge realities far greater than oneself; humility and discernment protect one from self-made ruin.