Dvivida Vadha

Dvivida was a powerful vānara chief. He was a friend of Narakāsura, a brother of Mainda, and a minister of Sugrīva. To avenge Narakāsura, whom Kṛshṇa had killed, he spread ruin over the land. He burned cities and villages, smashed settlements with mountain peaks, flooded the coast, and fouled the yajña fires of the ṛshis. At last he came upon Balarāma on Raivataka hill, insulted him, and was killed by him in battle. Balarāma then returned to Dvārakā.

Dvivida’s rampage

Dvivida was well known among the vānaras. He was a friend of the great Narakāsura, a brother of Mainda, and a minister of Sugrīva. He had the strength of ten thousand elephants. Narakāsura had been killed by Kṛshṇa, and Dvivida wished to repay his debt to him. So he brought ruin to the Ānarta country and the lands around it.

He set fire to cities, villages, mines and cowherd settlements. He tore up mountain peaks and threw them down on the homes of people, crushing them to rubble. He stood in the middle of the ocean, lifted masses of water with both hands, and flooded all the settlements on the coast. In the āśramas (forest homes) of the great ṛshis he broke down the trees and fouled the yajña fires with his own filth. He seized men and women and shut them inside mountain caves. He sealed the entrances with great boulders, the way one seals a beehive. In this way he terrified the women of good families all over the land.

Dvivida meets Balarāma

One day the proud Dvivida heard sweet music and followed the sound to the slopes of Raivataka mountain. There he found Bhagavān Balarāma, every limb perfectly beautiful, wearing a garland of lotuses. He sat among a group of young women. His eyes were red and unsteady with wine, and he shone like a great bull elephant in rut. Dvivida climbed into a tree, shook the branches loudly to be noticed, and made the chattering sounds of a monkey.

The gopīs (cowherd women) were lively and fond of jokes. They laughed loudly at the vānara’s boldness. This made Dvivida bolder. He came right up to the women, drew his brows together, bared his teeth, made more crude gestures and sounds, and showed them his hindquarters to insult them.

Balarāma was watching and could not let this pass. He threw a stone at Dvivida. Dvivida dodged it, laughing, then seized Balarāma’s wine vessel and smashed it. Balarāma’s anger rose. The strong and wicked Dvivida then tore at Balarāma’s garments, mocked him, and heaped more insults on him.

The battle on Raivataka hill

Balarāma saw Dvivida’s pride and knew how he had terrified the people. His anger blazed. He took up his plough (hala) and his club (sunanda) and got ready to fight. Dvivida tore up a great tree, charged, and smashed it down on Balarāma’s head. Balarāma stood as still as a mountain, caught the falling tree, and struck Dvivida with his sunanda club.

Dvivida was hit on the head and bled. He blazed like a mountain streaked with red ore, but he paid no heed to the blow. He tore up another tree, stripped it of its leaves, and struck Balarāma again. Balarāma cut that tree into a hundred pieces with his plough. Dvivida struck with yet another tree, and that too was broken into a hundred pieces. This went on, tree after tree thrown and tree after tree destroyed, until the whole forest on the hill stood bare. Then Dvivida rained boulders down on Balarāma, but Balarāma ground every rock to powder with his sunanda.

At last Dvivida came close, made two fists, and struck Balarāma on the chest. Balarāma threw aside his plough and club. He seized Dvivida by the collar with both hands and struck him on the jaw. Dvivida vomited blood and crashed to the ground. As he fell, the hillside shook, and its rocky ledges and trees tumbled down. The devas, siddhas and great ṛshis in the sky rained flowers and cried: “Victory! Obeisance! Well done!”

Return to Dvārakā

Balarāma had destroyed Dvivida, the tormentor of the world. All the people praised him and celebrated, and he returned to Dvārakā.

The Vishṇu Purāṇa account

The Vishṇu Mahā Purāṇa, in the Pañcamāṃśa, Chapter 36, also tells of Dvivida’s death, with more detail about the scene. Balarāma was not alone when Dvivida came. He was enjoying himself on Raivataka hill with Revatī, his wife, and drinking the divine Vāruṇī wine.

The Vishṇu Purāṇa says that Dvivida not only mocked and insulted Balarāma but also took away his weapons and mounts. When Balarāma answered him, he fought with the full power of Ādiśesha awakened. The plough and club are described there as forms of cosmic power, and not only as weapons. After Dvivida’s death, the Vishṇu Purāṇa mentions Revatī’s relief and the joy of the people.

Sources

• Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 10th Skanda, Chapter 67
• Vishṇu Mahā Purāṇa, Pañcamāṃśa, Chapter 36