Krishna, the reservoir of pleasure, blowing His flute, accompanied by His elder brother Balarama and other cowherd boys and cows, entered the beautiful forest of Vrndavana to enjoy the atmosphere. They walked into the midst of newly grown leaves of trees whose flowers resembled peacock feathers. Balarama and Krishna, along with all their friends, played all kinds of sports and enjoyed the soothing atmosphere of Vrndavana, full of rivers, lakes, rivulets, fine trees and excellent fruits and flowers.
Once while they were engaged in their transcendental pastimes, a great demon of the name Pralambasura entered their company, desiring to kidnap both Balarama and Krishna. Krishna began to think how to kill the demon, but externally He received him as a friend. "O My dear friend," He said. "It is very good that you have come to take part in our pastimes." Krishna then called all His friends and ordered them: "Now we shall play in pairs. We shall challenge one another in pairs." With this proposal, all the boys assembled together. Some of them took the side of, Krishna and some of them took the side of Balarama, and they arranged to play in duel. The defeated members in duel fighting had to carry the victorious members on their backs. They began playing, and at the same time tended the cows as they proceeded through the Bhandiravana forest. The party of Balarama, accompanied by Sridama and Vrsabha, came out victorious, and Krsna's party had to carry them on their backs through the Bhandiravana forest. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, being defeated, had to carry Sridama on His back, and Bhadrasena carried Vrsabha. Imitating their play, Pralambasura, who appeared there as a cowherd boy, carried Balarama on his back. Pralambasura was the greatest of the demons, and he had calculated that Krsna was the most powerful of the cowherd boys.
In order to avoid the company of Krishna, Pralambasura carried Balarama far away. The demon was undoubtedly very strong and powerful, but he was carrying Balarama, who is compared with a mountain; therefore he began to feel the burden, and thus he assumed his real form. When he appeared in his real feature, he was decorated with a golden helmet and earrings and looked just like a cloud with lightning carrying the moon. Balarama observed the demon's body expanding up to the limits of the clouds, his eyes dazzling like blazing fire and his mouth flashing with sharpened teeth. At first, Balarama was surprised by the demon's appearance, and He began to wonder, "How is it that all of a sudden this carrier has changed in every way?" But with a clear mind He could quickly understand that He was being carried away from His friends by a demon who intended to kill Him. Immediately He struck the head of the demon with His strong fist, just as the King of the heavenly planets strikes a mountain with his thunderbolt. Being stricken by the fist of Balarama, the demon fell down dead, just like a snake with a smashed head, and blood poured from his mouth. When the demon fell, he made a tremendous sound, and it sounded as if a great hill were falling upon being struck by the thunderbolt of King Indra. All the boys then rushed to the spot. Being astonished by the ghastly scene, they began to praise Balarama with the words, "Well done, well done." All of them began to embrace Balarama with great affection, thinking that He had returned from death, and they offered their blessings and congratulations. All the demigods in the heavenly planets became very satisfied and showered flowers on the transcendental body of Balarama, and they also offered their blessings and congratulations for His having killed the great demon Pralambasura.
Dasakam: 057 -- Slokam: 01
रामसख: क्वापि दिने कामद भगवन् गतो भवान् विपिनम् ।
सूनुभिरपि गोपानां धेनुभिरभिसंवृतो लसद्वेष: ॥१॥
सूनुभिरपि गोपानां धेनुभिरभिसंवृतो लसद्वेष: ॥१॥
raamasakha kvaapi dine kaamada bhagavan gatO bhavaan vipinam |
suunubhirapi gOpaanaaM dhenubhirabhisanvR^itO lasadveShaH ||1.
O Lord! Thou the fulfiller of wishes, one day in bedecked attire, with Balarama, went to the forest. The sons of the Gopas and the cows also surrounded and followed Thee.
Dasakam: 057 -- Slokam: 02
सन्दर्शयन् बलाय स्वैरं वृन्दावनश्रियं विमलाम् ।
काण्डीरै: सह बालैर्भाण्डीरकमागमो वटं क्रीडन् ॥२॥
काण्डीरै: सह बालैर्भाण्डीरकमागमो वटं क्रीडन् ॥२॥
sandarshayan balaaya svairaM bR^indaavanashriyaM vimalaam |
kaaNDiiraiH saha baalai-rbhaaNDiirakamaagamO vaTaM kriiDan ||2
Joyfully showing the scenic beauty of Vrindaavana to Balaraama, accompanied by the cowherd boys, carrying a staff in a playful mood, Thou reached the banyan tree called Bhaandeeraka.
Dasakam: 057 -- Slokam: 03
दैत्य: प्रलम्बनामा प्रलम्बबाहुं भवन्तमापेदे ॥३॥
taavattaavaka nidhanaspR^ihayaaluH gOpamuurtiradayaaluH |
daityaH pralambanaamaa pralambabaahuM bhavantamaapede ||3
Then, the pitiless demon approached Thee in the disguise of a Gopa, desiring to kill Thee, who are with long arms.
Dasakam: 057 -- Slokam: 04
जानन्नप्यविजानन्निव तेन समं निबद्धसौहार्द: ।
वटनिकटे पटुपशुपव्याबद्धं द्वन्द्वयुद्धमारब्धा: ॥४॥
jaanannapyavijaananniva tena samaM nibaddhasauhaardaH |
vaTanikaTe paTupashupavyaabaddhaM dvandvayuddhamaarabdhaaH ||4
In spite of knowing full well of his intention and his disguise to cheat Thee, ThouBefriended him and began to play the game of duel fight, organised by the smartcowherd boys, near the banyan tree.
Dasakam: 057 -- Slokam: 05
गोपान् विभज्य तन्वन् सङ्घं बलभद्रकं भवत्कमपि ।
त्वद्बलभीरुं दैत्यं त्वद्बलगतमन्वमन्यथा भगवन् ॥५॥
gOpaan vibhajya tanvan sanghaM balabhadrakaM bhavatkamapi |
tvad balabhiitaM daityaM tvadbalagata manvamanyathaa bhagavan ||5
O Lord! Thou divided the cowherd boys into two teams led by Balaraama and Thyself. The Asura was aware of Thy strength and being afraid wanted to join Thy team, to which Thou agreed.
कल्पितविजेतृवहने समरे परयूथगं स्वदयिततरम् ।
श्रीदामानमधत्था: पराजितो भक्तदासतां प्रथयन् ॥६॥
kalpita vijetR^ivahane samare parayuuthagaM svadayitataram |
shriidaamaanamadhatthaaH paraajitO bhaktadaasataaM prathayan ||6
In accordance with the rules of the game, that the winner should be carried on the backof the loser, Thou, who lost the fight, carried Thy best friend, Sridaama, (who was inthe winning team), on Thy back, thus demonstrating Thy affection for Thy devotees.
Dasakam: 057 -- Slokam: 07
एवं बहुषु विभूमन् बालेषु वहत्सु वाह्यमानेषु ।
रामविजित: प्रलम्बो जहार तं दूरतो भवद्भीत्या ॥७॥
evaM bahuShu vibhuuman baaleShu vahatsu vaahyamaaneShu |
raamavijitaH pralambO jahaara taM duuratO bhavadbhiityaa ||7
Oh Lord of Infinite Glory ! Thus the many cowherd boys were carrying and were being carried. In the course, Pralamba was defeated by Balaraama and so he carried Balaraama far away from Thy sight out of fear of Thee.
Dasakam: 057 -- Slokam: 08 त्वद्दूरं गमयन्तं तं दृष्ट्वा हलिनि विहितगरिमभरे ।
दैत्य: स्वरूपमागाद्यद्रूपात् स हि बलोऽपि चकितोऽभूत् ॥८॥
tvadduuraM gamayantaM tandR^iShTvaa halini vihita garimabhare |
daityaH svaruupamaagaadyadruupaat sa hi balO(a)pi chakitO(a)bhuut ||8
Seeing that he had been carried a long distance away from Thee, Balarama, increasedthe weight of his body as much as he could. The demon, (unable to bear the weight),donned his real form, seeing which, even the powerful Balarama, was alarmed.
Dasakam: 057 -- Slokam: 09उच्चतया दैत्यतनोस्त्वन्मुखमालोक्य दूरतो राम: ।
विगतभयो दृढमुष्ट्या भृशदुष्टं सपदि पिष्टवानेनम् ॥९॥
uchchatayaa daityatanOstvanmukhaM aalOkya duuratO raamaH |
vigatabhayO dR^iDhamuShTyaa bhR^ishaduShTaM sapadi piShTavaanenam ||9
As the demon was very tall, Balarama, seated on his shoulders, saw Thy face clearly,even from that distance and with his fear gone, by sighting Thee, he struck that mostcruel of demons with his sturdy fist and crushed him, instantly.
Dasakam: 057 -- Slokam: 10हत्वा दानववीरं प्राप्तं बलमालिलिङ्गिथ प्रेम्णा ।
तावन्मिलतोर्युवयो: शिरसि कृता पुष्पवृष्टिरमरगणै: ॥१०॥
hatvaa daanavaviiraM praaptaM balamaalilingitha peramNaa |
taavanmilatOryuvayOH shirasi kR^itaa puShpavR^iShTiramaragaNaiH ||10
आलम्बो भुवनानां प्रालम्बं निधनमेवमारचयन् ।
कालं विहाय सद्यो लोलम्बरुचे हरे हरे: क्लेशान् ॥११॥
aalambO bhuvanaanaaM praalambaM nidhanamevaM aarachayan |
kaalaM vihaaya sadyO lOlambaruche hare hareH kleshaan ||11
Oh Hari ! Oh Lord, who art the Support of the Worlds, shining with the lustre of blackbees ! Oh Guruvayurappa who destroyed Pralamba thus ! May Thou, soon remove myafflictions, without further loss of time.
