Verse Text
yathā –
vande kuḍmalitāṣjalir muhur ahaṁ vīraṁ mayūra-dhvajaṁ
yenārdhaṁ kapaṭa-dvijāya vapuṣaḥ kaṁsa-dviṣe ditsatā |
kaṣṭaṁ gadgadikākulo ’smi kathanārambhād aho dhīmatā
sollāsaṁ krakacena dāritam abhūt patnī-sutābhyāṁ śivaḥ ||51||
Translation
An example: I offer my respects with folded hands to Mayūradhvaja. [Note: King Mayūradhvaja’s son took the sacrificial horse of Yudhiṣṭhira for his fathers sacrifice. Kṛṣṇa disguised himself as a brāhmaṇa, and Arjuna as his son. They came to the king and Kṛṣṇa, disguised as a brāhmaṇa, told him that his son was to be married, but in the forest was attacked by lion. The lion agreed to free the son on the condition that King Mayūradhvaja should offer to the lion half his body. The King agreed, but then his wife offered her body, since she was considered the left half of the King. Kṛṣṇa said the lion wanted the right half. The King agreed to give his right half, and ordered his son and wife to cut him in two. Tears flowed from the King’s left eye. Kṛṣṇa said He could not accept this offering since it was made unwillingly. The king answered that his tears were not because of grief on dying, but the left side was crying because it was disappointed on not being offered to the brāhmaṇa as well. Hearing of such merciful nature in the King, Kṛṣṇa gave up his disguise and embraced the King. Mayūradhvaja completed his sacrifice, and then let the horse go to Yudhiṣṭhira’s sacrifice.] Alas! Desiring to offer half of his body to Kṛṣṇa disguised as a brāhmaṇa, he ordered his wife and son to cleave his head with a saw. Oh! In telling this tale, my voice chokes up.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The incidental sentence starting the word kaṣṭaṁ, which is inserted within the other statement (garbhitatvam), may be regarded as a literary fault. But actually it indicates a good quality, since it nourishes astonishment. The Sāhitya-darpaṇa says the same thing in verse 7.27: garbhitatvam api guṇaḥ kvāpi: interior statements are sometimes an asset. Garbitatvam means a statement enclosed within another statement.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
One devotee has described his feelings about the charity exhibited by King Mayūradhvaja: “I am faltering even to speak about the activities of Mahārāja Mayūradhvaja, to whom I offer my respectful obeisances.” Mayūradhvaja was very intelligent, and he could understand why Kṛṣṇa came to him once, in the garb of a brāhmaṇa. Kṛṣṇa demanded from him half of his body, to be sawed off by his wife and son, and King Mayūradhvaja agreed to this proposal. On account of his intense feeling of devotional service, King Mayūradhvaja was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, and when he understood that Kṛṣṇa had come in the garb of a brāhmaṇa, he did not hesitate to part with half of his body. This sacrifice of Mahārāja Mayūradhvaja for Kṛṣṇa’s sake is unique in the world, and we should offer our all-respectful obeisances to him.