22 - Killing of Dhenukasura 

Narayana said- Once Krishna, the lord of Radhika accompanied by Balabhadra and other boys went to the tala forest which was filled with ripe fruits. Dhenukasura in the form of a donkey used to guard the forest trees. It possessed the strength of crores of lions and could reduce the pride of the gods to ashes. 

It had a mountain like body and both the eyes resembled well. His teeth resembled the plough shaft and the mouth looked like a mountain cave, his wavering and terrific tongue was a hundred feet in length and his navel looked like a pond. He uttered a terrific sound.

The boys were delighted at the sight of the tala forest and a smile appeared on their faces, playfully they spoke to Krishna. 

The boys said- О Krishna, the ocean of mercy and brother of the down-trodden, the lord of the universe, possessor of great strength, brother of Balabhadra and the best of the boys. О virtuous one, you kindly pay attention to our request for a moment. You love your devotees; all the children are suffering from hunger. 

You look at the delicious tala fruits in the forest. We intend to pluck the fruit and make the flowers of various colours to fall on to the earth by shaking the trees together with the ripe fruits. О Krishna, if you permit us, we can make an attempt. 

But the valorous demon Dhenuka in the form of a donkey is guarding the forest. He is invincible from the gods, is immensely valorous and beyond control. He happens to be the chief minister of (Kamsa and kills all the creatures. 

О lord of the universe, О best of the speakers, you only think over or request carefully and tell us whether our effort would be proper or improper. Whether we should make an attempt or not. On hearing the words of the boys, lord Madhusudana spoke to them in quite sweet and pleasant words. 

Sri Krishna said- О boys, when you always live with me then why should you be afraid of a demon; you go shake the tress and breaking them eat the fruit.

Getting the permission from Sri Krishna, the valorous boys because of being hungry climbed the trees for plucking the fruits.

О Narada, they started dropping many of the delicious, beautiful and ripe fruits and dropping them on the ground. 

The boys broke the trees and shook them badly. Some of them started making a noise while others started dancing. When the valorous boys got down from the trees and were about to move with the fruit, they found the valorous demon in the form of a donkey with a gigantic and terrific body creating a terrific sound rushing towards the boys. 

At the sight of the demon, all the boys started crying being terror-stricken uttering the name of Krishna again and again. 

They said, О Krishna, О ocean of mercy, you arrive here and save us. О Samkarshana you protect us other- wise this demon will kill us.

О Krishna, О Hari, О Murari, О Govinda, О Damodara, brother of the down-trodden, lord of all the cowherdesses, the lord of the cowherds, beyond measure, Narayana, you protect us in the ocean of universe. 

О lord of the down-trodden, О Madhava, there is no one else to take care of us at the time of fear and without fear, at the good and bad times or in pleasure and pain. There is no one else who could provide protection to us. Therefore, you protect us from the ocean of the universe. 

О ocean of the virtues, О Krishna, you are the only well-wisher of the devotees. We all the boys are getting terrified and therefore you protect us. He happens to be the lord of the race of demons by killing him you can increase the prestige of the gods. 

Finding the boys upset, the lord Krishna who is the remover of the danger, the one who showers grace on his devotees, accompanied by Balabhadra, reached near the boys. 

Wearing a smile on their faces both of them rushed to the boys and delightfully reassured them. 

Finding Krishna and Balabhadra there all the boys became fearless and they started dancing because the reciting of the name of the lord provides protection and complete welfare. 

Sri Krishna finding the demon denouncing the boys, Madhusudana spoke to mighty Balabhadra.

Sri Krishna said- He happens to be the son of immensely valorous demon Bali who was cursed in earlier times by Durvasa. With that curse he was turned into a donkey. 

О Balabhadra, he is extremely sinful and possesses great strength also. Therefore, he has to be killed by me. I shall kill him. You better protect these boys. 

Accompanied with the boys you move to a distant place. Thereafter Balabhadra at the command of Krishna moved with the boys to a distant place. 

But after swallowing Krishna, the inside of the body of the demon started burning because of the immense lustre of the lord; getting terrified the demon vomited out the illustrious lord. 

He looked at the lord when he was emerging out of his body being extremely beautiful, peaceful and having divine lustre. At the sight of Krishna, he was reminded of the events of his earlier birth. He then recognised himself as well as the one who happens to be the cause of the universe. Looking at the illustrious lord they started offering prayer to him.

The demon said- With your amsha you appeared in the form of Vamana who became a beggar in the yajna of my fathers; you happen to be the usurper of his kingdom and glory and had bestowed the kingship of the underworld to my father. 

You are devoted to Bali, are quite valorous, the lord of everyone, while your devotees are loved by you; therefore, you kindly relieve a sinful person like me from this form of a donkey. 

O lord of the universe, I had achieved this form because of the curse of Durvasa who had also foretold me about death at your hands. 

O lord of the universe, О giver of the salvation, you shoot the extremely sharp chakra or sixteen arrows for killing me and provide me the salvation. 

О lord, you had also appeared from your amsha as an incarnation of Varaha and redeemed this earth, saved the Vedas and killed Hiranyaksha. 

You are complete Paramatma and killing Hiranyakashipu bestowed your grace on Prahlada and took to the form of Nrusimha for the protection of the gods.

O ocean of mercy, you appeared from your amsha in the form of a fish and protected the Vedas and providing knowledge to the king saved the Brahmanas. 

You also appeared in the form of a tortoise from your amsha and also appeared in the form of Sesha and carried the load of the entire universe over your head.

For the redemption of Janaki, you were born as Rama, the son of Dasharatha. Constructing a bridge on the ocean, you killed Ravana having ten faces. 

О lord of the universe, with your rays you appeared as Parashurama the son of Jamadagni, relieved the earth of the

Kapila was born from your amsha who happened to be the teacher of siddhas and was the propounded of Yogashastras bestowing the divine knowledge to his mother. 

Nara-Narayana the best of the sages was also born of your amsha. In the form of Dharamputra you expanded the universe. 

Presently you have yourself appeared in the form of Krishna and you happen to be the seed of all the eternal incarnations. 

You are the life of Yashoda, eternal increase the delight of Nanda the lord of the lives of the cowherdesses and are dearer to Radha than her life you are the son of Vasudeva, peaceful, remover of the pain of Devaki, born without human contact, possessor of all the riches, remover of the burden of the earth, providing the graceful place to Putana like a mother. You are merciful and are the one who provided salvation to skylark, Keshi, Pralamba and myself. 

You move at will, are beyond qualities, remover or the fear or the devotees, О lord of Radhika, be pleased with me and grant me redemption. 

О lord, you kindly provide salvation to me from the ocean of the universe and the form of a donkey. I happen to be the foolish son of your devotee. You provide redemption to me. 

The one whose glory cannot be recited by the Vedas, Brahma and other gods and the sages how can a person like me offer prayer to such a lord, who was earlier a demon and now a donkey. 

О ocean of mercy, now move in such a way by which I shall not have to be born on earth, who would desire to return to his come after looking at your feet? 

The one who is adored by Brahma, the same lord is being adored by a mere donkey, which is quite laughable because the lord bestows this grace equally on all. 

Thus, speaking the demon stood before the lord, his face was looking quite graceful and satisfied. The one who recites this stotra composed by the demon he achieves the place of Hari the fortunes and his closeness without much effort. He achieves the devotion of lord during this world and ultimately, he attains the inaccessible place of Hari besides learnings, riches, the best of poetry, sons and grandsons beside the glory. Narayana said- the merciful lord on hearing the prayer of the Daitya Krishna started thinking in his mind as to how to kill such devotee of mine. 

Thus, thinking the lord, himself made his memory to vanish because the one who offers prayer cannot be killed and only the one, who uttered harsh words, is killed by the lord, this has been provided in the scriptures. 

Influenced by the illusion of lord Vishnu the demon forgot about himself and harsh words dwelt in his throat. 

Thereafter the demon desirous of his immediate death, having lost his wisdom, was filled with anger and his lips started fluttering in rage. Me then spoke to lord Hari. 

Deity a said- О son of a human, devoid of wisdom you indeed intend to die at my hands. I can dispatch you to the place of Yama today. 

О boy, having reached in my tala forest, you want to escape alive. You will not be able to return home nor would you be able to meet your relatives. Kamsa, Jarasandha and Naraka could not be equated with me. Even the gods tremble in fear with the hearing of my name who is there like me on the earth. 

Shiva the destroyer of the universe cannot destroy me. Even Brahma, Vishnu and the god of death are not in a position to cause any harm to me. 

Breaking my tala trees and dropping the fruits, on what basis are you feeling so proud. О son, tell me truthfully who are you? You are quite charming and beautiful. Why have you arrived here to offer your life to me? Thus, speaking the valorous demon who was standing at the death’s door, lifted Krishna on his head and threw him at a distance, by making him fall on the ground. He them struck him with his horns. But with the touch of the body of Krishna his horns were broken. 

О sage, after the breaking of the horns, the demon was annoyed and he caught hold of Krishna in order to chew him. But while doing so all his teeth were broken. 

With the lustre of Krishna his mouth was burnt out and he swallowed him at once. He then started burning with anger and went on digging earth with his hoofs. 

Moving his tail, creating deafening sound he rushed towards the boys who started running away. 

Thereafter Balabhadra pushed the powerful demon aside and struck him with a fist result of which the demon was fainted.

Regaining consciousness in a moment, he went towards the lord and was again fainted with the blow of the fist by Balabhadra. On regaining consciousness, he felt painful, but still he got up and in fear he started dropping urine and refuse.

After resting for a while, the valorous and highly strong demon lifted Govinda on his head and started roaming about. 

Moving him in a circular manner again and again, he then dropped him on the ground. Thereafter Madhava uprooted a tala tree and threw it at him. 

The pain he had suffered after having been struck at the head, the same amount of pain was felt by him with the striking of the tala tree at him. 

The lord than lifted up the Govardhana mountain and threw it at him. О great sage, the king of the mountain fell on the demon with great force. 

With the striking of the mountain, the valorous demon was fainted and all. his limbs were wounded. He vomited blood. 

After regaining consciousness in a moment, the demon got up at once and lifting up the mountain he threw it at Madhava. 

Madhusudana on the other hand finding the mountain approaching him with great force hold it with right hand like the sugar-cane. 

Thereafter he placed the mountain at its original place moulding the ear of the demon in his hand, the lord threw him away at a distance.

The demon took a high jump and then surrounded the lord and thereafter he started digging the earth with the hoofs.

The great asura held the lord with great force, raised him on his head and he went up in the sky up to a lakh of yojanas with the speed of a mind,

They fought in first space for a Prahara. Thereafter Krishna was held by him tightly and he descended on earth. 

Thereafter both of them fought for a muhurta on the ground. Thereafter lord Krishna smilingly praised the demon delightfully. 

He said, О best of the demons, you happen to be the son of Bali, who has been a great devotee of mine. Your life is graceful. Therefore, we should meet with welfare and redemption.

And audience with me results in the seed of welfare and the salvation. You achieved the best of the places; with good deeds beyond all of them. 

The lord while thus speaking remembered the Sudarshana-chakra which was like the crores of suns and illumining. He held that chakra having sixteenth spokes which was illumining like crores of suns. Holding the chakra in his hand he moved it in a circular manner and shot it at the demons. With the striking of chakra, the head of demon was severed who couldn't be killed by Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. 

The head of the demon fell down on the ground and looked like the lustre of hundreds of suns. 

The lustre merging from the demon’s head, finding the lustre in the feet of the lord rushed towards it and merged in the same. Thus, the great Danava achieved salvation. 

At that point of time the gods remaining in the sky beside the sages felt delighted and showered Parijata flowers. 

The dundhubhis were sounded in the heaven and the apsaras started dancing, the Gandharvas started singing and the sages offered prayer.

Balarama the best of the valorous people, also started praising the lord and all the boys started dancing in delight. 

The happy boys offered to Balarama and Krishna, the sweet and delicious fruits and consumed them also. 

О Brahma, killing the Danava and consuming the fruits Sri Krishna and Balarama together with the boys went back to their abodes.