Shloka 8
Pauṇḍraka’s False Vāsudeva Claim, His Death, and the Burning of Vārāṇasī by Sudarśana
उवाच दूतं भगवान् परिहासकथामनु । उत्स्रक्ष्ये मूढ चिह्नानि यैस्त्वमेवं विकत्थसे ॥ ८ ॥
uvāca dūtaṁ bhagavān parihāsa-kathām anu utsrakṣye mūḍha cihnāni yais tvam evaṁ vikatthase
Setelah menikmati gurauan dalam dewan, Bhagavān berkata kepada utusan: “Wahai bodoh, senjata dan lambang yang kau banggakan itu akan Aku lepaskan benar-benar.”
The Sanskrit word utsrakṣye means “I will hurl, throw, let loose, abandon, etc.” Foolish Pauṇḍraka demanded that Lord Kṛṣṇa give up His powerful weapons, such as the disc and the club, and here the Lord replies, utsrakṣye mūḍha cihnāni: “Yes, fool, I will indeed let loose these weapons when we meet on the battlefield.”
FAQs
This verse shows Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa directly confronting boastful pride: arrogance rooted in external “marks” or power is ultimately stripped away by the Lord, who upholds dharma.
The messenger delivered taunting, derisive words; Kṛṣṇa replies that the very basis of such bragging—those identifying ‘insignia’ of false confidence—will be cast down, signaling the defeat of the aggressor behind the message.
Don’t build identity on status-symbols or intimidation. Respond to mockery with steady principle and truth, and let genuine character—not external badges—define strength.