Śaṅkhacūḍa and Sudarśana

The thirty-fourth chapter of the tenth Skanda of the Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa records two separate events that belong together in theme. The first took place during the pilgrimage of the gopas to Ambikāvana. A vidyādhara (a celestial being) named Sudarśana, who lived as a serpent because of a śāpa (curse), seized Nanda, Kṛshṇa’s foster father, in the dark. Kṛshṇa’s touch freed him. In the second event, a being named Śaṅkhacūḍa, a servant of Kubera, carried off gopikās at night while the gopas slept. Kṛshṇa ran after him, killed him, and gave his gem-crest to Balarāma.

The Sudarśana episode

The gopas, the gopīs and Nanda made a pilgrimage for Bhagavān Śiva to Ambikāvana in the Kurudeśa. After they had finished their devotions and their fast, Nanda kept the prescribed Ekādaśī rite. Early in the morning, before dawn, Nanda went to the river to bathe.

While he was in the river in the dark, a huge python wrapped itself around him and began to drag him under. Nanda cried out for Kṛshṇa. The gopas heard him and came running, but they could do nothing against the great serpent.

Kṛshṇa came and put his foot on the serpent’s body. At that touch, the touch of the feet of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa, the serpent form melted away at once. A shining celestial being stood there: a vidyādhara named Sudarśana. He was bright in a divine form and was free at last from the śāpa that had bound him.

Sudarśana told his story to Kṛshṇa and the gathering. He was a vidyādhara who had once been very proud. He had laughed at the Aṅgiras ṛshis for how they looked and for their austerities. The ṛshis answered his disrespect with a śāpa: he was to take the form of a great serpent and stay in that form until the feet of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa touched him and set him free. That freedom had now come.

Sudarśana offered his respects and rose to the celestial realm.

The Śaṅkhacūḍa episode

Separately, in the nights of the rāsa season, the gopas slept while the gopikās were gathered near Kṛshṇa. A being named Śaṅkhacūḍa then came. He is described as a servant (dāsa) of Kubera and wore a large gem-crest on his head. He began to carry off groups of gopikās from the gathering in the forest, dragging them away while the gopas slept. The gopikās cried out for Kṛshṇa.

Kṛshṇa and Balarāma answered at once and ran after Śaṅkhacūḍa at great speed. Śaṅkhacūḍa fled with the gopikās. Kṛshṇa told Balarāma to stay with the gopikās, and he went on alone with the chase. He soon caught up with Śaṅkhacūḍa, struck him with his fist and killed him. He took the bright gem-crest from Śaṅkhacūḍa’s head and brought it to Balarāma as a gift.

Sources

• Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 10th Skanda, Chapter 34