Killing the Demon Pralambasura 133

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, Krsna, 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 cal-
culated that Krsna was the most powerful of the cowherd boys.

In order to avoid the company of Krsna, 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 ap-
pearance, 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 then 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 sreat demon Pralambasuta.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Eighteenth Chapter of
Krsna, “Killing the Demon Pralambasura.”
