Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.44.22-23
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Remains Unshaken
“No more shaken by the demon’s mighty blows than an elephant struck with a flower garland, Lord Kṛṣṇa grabbed Cāṇūra by his arms, swung him around several times and hurled him onto the ground with great force. His clothes, hair and garland scattering, the wrestler fell down dead, like a huge festival column collapsing.”
What the purport teaches
- Cāṇūra’s mighty blows did not shake Lord Kṛṣṇa, just as a flower garland would not shake an elephant.
- Kṛṣṇa seized Cāṇūra by his arms, swung him around and hurled him to the ground. The wrestler fell down dead, with his clothes, hair and garland scattering.
- Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains the comparison to a festival column: in Bengal, people erect a tall, human-shaped column decorated with flags and banners. Cāṇūra fell as such a column might fall.
Try this today
Reread the opening comparison and spend a quiet moment appreciating Kṛṣṇa’s unshaken strength.
Ask yourself
How does the image of an elephant struck with a garland deepen my appreciation of Kṛṣṇa’s strength?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.