Kṛṣṇa Kills Dantavakra; Balarāma’s Pilgrimage and the Slaying of Romaharṣaṇa
एवं रूक्षैस्तुदन् वाक्यै: कृष्णं तोत्रैरिव द्विपम् । गदया ताडयन्मूर्ध्नि सिंहवद् व्यनदच्च स: ॥ ७ ॥
evaṁ rūkṣais tudan vākyaiḥ kṛṣṇaṁ totrair iva dvipam gadayātāḍayan mūrdhni siṁha-vad vyanadac ca saḥ
ดังนั้นด้วยถ้อยคำหยาบกร้าน ราวกับใช้ตะขอแหลมทิ่มช้าง ดันทวักระก่อกวนพระศรีกฤษณะ แล้วใช้กระบองฟาดพระเศียรและคำรามดุจสิงห์
This verse shows an asuric mentality: Śālva tries to wound Kṛṣṇa with rude words, comparing verbal cruelty to an elephant-goad—yet Kṛṣṇa remains the steady object of devotion, unaffected by such hostility.
In the battlefield narrative of Canto 10, Śālva, driven by arrogance and enmity, attempts to intimidate Kṛṣṇa through both physical attack (mace blow) and psychological aggression (lion-like roar).
Avoid using speech as a weapon; harsh words can be as harmful as physical blows. Cultivate steadiness and restraint—especially when provoked—following the ideal of remaining composed amid aggression.