Astonishment and Chivalry 372
are an expert only in eating. You have defeated Subala only because
he is weak and You adopted cheating means. Don’t advertise Yourself
to bea great fighter by such action. You have advertised Yourself as a
serpent, and I am the peacock who will now defeat You.” The pea-
cock is the ablest enemy of the serpent.

In such fighting between friends, when the self-advertisement be-
comes personal, learned scholars say it is sub-ecstasy. When there is a
roaring challenge, certain kinds of movement for fighting, enthusiasm,
no weapons and assurance given to frightened witnesses—all these
chivalrous activities are called sub-ecstasy.

One friend addressed Krsna in this manner: “My dear Madhu-
siidana, You know my strength, yet You are encouraging Bhadrasena,
and not me, to challenge mighty Baladeva. By this action You are
simply insulting me because my arms are as strong as the bolts of the

ate!”

° A devotee once said, ““My dear Lord Krsna, may Your challenger,
Sridima, become glorious for his chivalrous activities, such as vibrat-
ing like a thunder cloud and roaring like a lion. May all glories go to
Sridama’s chivalrous activities!” Chivalrous activities in the matter of
fighting, charity, mercy and execution of religious rituals are called
constitutional; whereas the expression of pride, emotions, endurance,
kindness, determination, jubilation, enthusiasm, jealousy and remem-
brance are called unconstitutional. When Stokakrsna, one of the many
friends of Krsna, was fighting with Him, his father chastised him for
fighting with Krsna, who was the life and soul of all residents of
Vrndavana. Upon hearing these chastisements, Stokakrsna stopped
his fighting. But Krsna continued to challenge him, and thus, in order
to meet the challenge, Stokakrsna took his pole and began to display
his dexterity by whirling it.

Once Sridima challenged Bhadrasena and said to him, “My dear
friend, you needn’t be afraid of me yet. I shall first of all defeat
our brother Balarama, then I shall beat Krsna, and then I shall come
to you.” Bhadrasena therefore left the party of Balarama and joined
Krsna, and he agitated his friends as much as the Mandara Hill had
agitated the whole ocean. By his roaring sounds he deafened all his
friends, and he enthused Krsna with his chivalrous activities.
