Makaranda Madhukar Anand Mahendale Festshrift

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 72

The Justification of Krsna's Annihilation of His Own Clan
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dance, they fight with sins', since the Padma Purana says that, by the clapping of hands while dancing in front of the Lord, the sins in one's person fly away like so many birds. Similarly, tomararstibhiḥ (with clubs and lances) is interpreted differently to mean the destruction of ignorance': Tomara= tau+mara. Tau=tauti, i.e. it goes to cover the svarūpa-jñāna (knowledge of the essence); mara=mārayati, causes to die. So tomara is that which causes the svarūpa-jñāna to die, i.e., tomara means ignorance Rsayah=risanti=nāśayanti, 'they destroy'. So the Yādavas fight with six kinds of prapattis, which destroy ignorance (RR, VD on 11.30.14).
Verse 11.30.15 says that, having accosted (sametya) each other with their chariots, elephants, etc. (rathakuñjarādibhih), as well as with donkeys, camels, bulls...and men (kharostrgobhih....naraih), all of which carried flying banners (patatpatākaih), the Yādavas killed (nyahan) each other with arrows (saraih). However, going beyond this mundane menaing, RR and VD interpret the verse in a spiritual sense : The Yādavas mutually tasted (sametya=āsvādyatvena sametya=āsvādya) the Vaisnava śāstras like the Bhāgavata, which are comparable to the storehouse (kuñjara=kośa) of the components (ratha=avayava) of bhakti. 34 From these śāstras blessings (patāka=saubhāgya) in the form of Krsna's grace flow out (patantyaḥ=nissarantyah). Thus fortified by these śāstras,, the Yādavas encountered (sametya) men (nara) who were like donkeys, camels, etc. They made these men listen to the Bhagavata etc.—and this (making to listen) was made to flow like water (śara=jala).35 By these means, the Yadavas killed (nyahan) these men's dependence on sensual objects, which (dependence) had a nature similar to that of donkeys, camels etc. In other words, the Yādavas destroyed the karman and avidyā characteristic of the Kali age, and through this victory over Kali, saved these men. The commentators justify the peculiar meanings they have given to some of the words in this verse by quoting the dictionaries of Hemacandra, Medini and Viśva (RR, VD, on 11.30.15) Similarly, verse 11.30.16, which outwardly mentions duels between various couples, such as Pradyumna and Sāmba, is interpreted differently to mean : Each of these couples, namely Pradyumna and Samba, Akrüra and Bhoja, etc. came together in twos (samiyatuh) in order to discuss with each other the highest truth (paramārtha) with regard