The Killing of Kamsa 277
the ladies in the assembly were anxious for Him, He decided not to
continue wrestling but to kill the wrestlers immediately. The parents of
Krsna and Balarama, namely Nanda Maharaja, Yasoda, Vasudeva and
Devaki, were also very anxious because they did not know the unlimited
strength of their children. Lord Balarama was fighting with the wrestler
Mustika in the same way that Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
was fighting and wrestling with Caniira. Lord Krsna appeared to be cruel
to Caniira, and He immediately struck him thrice with His fist. The great
wrestler was jolted, to the astonishment of the audience. Canira then took
his last chance and attacked Krsna, just as one hawk swoops upon another.
Folding his two hands, he began to strike the chest of Krsna, but Lord
Krsna was not even slightly disturbed, no more than an elephant that is
hit by a flower garland. Krsna quickly caught the two hands of Canira and
began to wheel him around, and simply by this centrifugal action, Canira
lost his life. Krsna then threw him to the ground. Canira fell just like the
flag of Indra, and all his nicely decorated ornaments were scattered hither
and thither.

Mustika also struck Balarama, and Balarama returned the stroke with
great force. Mustika began to tremble, and blood and vomit flowed from
his mouth. Distressed, he gave up his vital force and fell down just as a tree
falls down in a hurricane. After the two wrestlers were killed, a wrestler
named Kita came forward. Lord Balarama immediately caught him in His
left hand and killed him nonchalantly. Another wrestler of the name Sala
came forward, and Krsna immediately kicked him and cracked his head.
Another wrestler named Togala came forward and was killed in the same
way. Thus all the great wrestlers were killed by Krsna and Balarama, and
the remaining wrestlers began to flee from the assembly out of fear for
their lives. All the cowherd boy friends of Krsna and Balarama approached
Them and congratulated Them with great pleasure. While drums beat and
they talked of the victory, the leg bells on the feet of Krsna and Balarama
tinkled.

All people gathered there began to clap in great ecstasy, and no one
could estimate the bounds of their pleasure. The brahmanas present began
to praise Krsna and Balarama ecstatically. Only Karmsa was morose; he
neither clapped nor offered benediction to Krsna. Kamsa resented the
drums’ being beaten for Krsna’s victory, and he was very sorry that the
wrestlers had been killed and had fled the assembly. He therefore imme-
diately ordered the drum playing to stop and began to address his friends
as follows: “I order that these two sons of Vasudeva be immediately
driven out of Mathura. The cowherd boys who have come with Them
