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Vishnupurana 5.20.68

Viṣṇupurāṇa (critical edition) 5.20.68

Language
Sanskrit

5.20.68

cāṇūre nihate malle muṣṭike vinipātite
nīte kṣayaṃ tośalake sarve mallāḥ pradudruvuḥ //

As thus the women of the city conversed with one another, Hari, having tightened his girdle, danced in the ring, shaking the ground on which he trod. Balabhadra also danced, slapping his arms in defiance. Where the ground was firm, the invincible Krishńa contended foot to foot with Cháńúra. The practised demon Musht́ika was opposed by Balabhadra. Mutually entwining, and pushing, and pulling, and beating each other with fists, arms, and elbows, pressing each other with their knees, interlacing their arms, kicking with their feet, pressing with their whole weight upon one another, fought Hari and Cháńúra. Desperate was the struggle, though without weapons, and one for life and death, to the great gratification of the spectators. In proportion as the contest continued, so Cháńúra was gradually losing something of his original vigour, and the wreath upon his head trembled from his fury and distress; whilst the world-comprehending Krishńa wrestled with him as if but in sport. Beholding Cháńúra losing, and Krishńa gaining strength, Kansa, furious with rage, commanded the music to cease. As soon as the drums and trumpets were silenced, a numerous band of heavenly instruments was heard in the sky, and the gods invisibly exclaimed, "Victory to Govinda! Keśava, kill the demon Cháńúra!" Madhusúdana having for a long time dallied with his adversary, at last lifted him up, and whirled him round, with the intention of putting an end to him. Having whirled Cháńúra round a hundred times, until his breath was expended in the air, Krishńa dashed him on the ground with such violence as to smash his body into a hundred fragments, and strew the earth with a hundred pools of gory mire. Whilst this took place, the mighty Baladeva was engaged in the same manner with the demon bruiser Musht́ika. Striking him on the head with his fists, and on the breast with his knees, he stretched him on the ground, and pummelled him there till he was dead. Again, Krishńa encountered the royal bruiser Tomalaka, and felled him to the earth with a blow of his left hand. When the other athletæ saw Cháńúra, Musht́ika, and Tomalaka killed, they fled from the field; and Krishńa and Sankarshańa danced victorious on the arena, dragging along with them by force the cowherds of their own age. Kansa, his eyes reddening with wrath, called aloud to the surrounding people, "Drive those two cow-boys out of the assembly: seize the villain Nanda, and secure him with chains of iron: put Vasudeva to death with tortures intolerable to his years: and lay hands upon the cattle, and whatever else belongs to those cowherds who are the associates of Krishńa."

Horace Hayman Wilson 1840, The Vishnu Purana: A System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition

Translations (2)