Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 21
Pauṇḍraka’s False Vāsudeva Claim, His Death, and the Burning of Vārāṇasī by Sudarśana
इति क्षिप्त्वा शितैर्बाणैर्विरथीकृत्य पौण्ड्रकम् । शिरोऽवृश्चद् रथाङ्गेन वज्रेणेन्द्रो यथा गिरे: ॥ २१ ॥
iti kṣiptvā śitair bāṇair virathī-kṛtya pauṇḍrakam śiro ’vṛścad rathāṅgena vajreṇendro yathā gireḥ
主奎师那如此讥诮普安德拉迦，以锐箭毁其战车，使其失车；继而以苏达尔沙那神轮斩下其首，如因陀罗以金刚杵削落山巅。
FAQs
In this verse, Śukadeva describes how Kṛṣṇa defeated Pauṇḍraka in battle, disarmed him, and then severed his head with the Sudarśana cakra, showing the Lord’s protection of dharma and the futility of posing as God.
Pauṇḍraka was an arrogant imposter claiming divine identity; after disabling him in combat, Kṛṣṇa used His disc to decisively end the threat, likened here to Indra’s thunderbolt splitting a mountain.
It warns against ego-driven imitation and spiritual fraud, and it encourages discernment and humility—recognizing true divinity and aligning one’s actions with dharma rather than pride.