SB 10.50.43 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

अष्टादशमसङ्ग्राम आगामिनि तदन्तरा । नारदप्रेषितो वीरो यवन: प्रत्यद‍ृश्यत ॥ ४३ ॥

Verse text

aṣṭādaśama saṅgrāma āgāmini tad-antarā nārada-preṣito vīro yavanaḥ pratyadṛśyata

Synonyms

aṣṭā — daśama — the eighteenth ; saṅgrāme — battle ; āgāmini — being about to happen ; tat — antarā — at that instant ; nārada — by the sage Nārada ; preṣitaḥ — sent ; vīraḥ — a fighter ; yavanaḥ — a barbarian (named Kālayavana) ; pratyadṛśyata — appeared .

Translation

Just as the eighteenth battle was about to take place, a barbarian warrior named Kālayavana, sent by Nārada, appeared on the battlefield.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Just as the eighteenth battle was about to take place, a barbarian warrior named Kālayavana, sent by Nārada, appeared on the battlefield. KB 10.50.43 While Jarāsandha was attempting his eighteenth attack, a Yavana king somewhere to the south of Mathurā became attracted by the opulence of the Yadu dynasty and also attacked the city. It is said that the King of the Yavanas, known as Kālayavana, was induced to attack by Nārada. This story is narrated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Once, Garga Muni, the priest of the Yadu dynasty, was taunted by his brother-in-law. When the kings of the Yadu dynasty heard the taunt they laughed at him, and Garga Muni became angry at the Yadu kings. He decided that he would produce someone who would be very fearful to the Yadu dynasty, so he pleased Lord Śiva and received from him the benediction of a son. He begot this son, Kālayavana, in the wife of a Yavana king. This Kālayavana inquired from Nārada, “Who are the most powerful kings in the world?” Nārada informed him that the Yadus were the most powerful. Thus informed, Kālayavana attacked the city of Mathurā at the same time that Jarāsandha tried to attack it for the eighteenth time.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Kālayavana suddenly became visible to the residents of Mathurā (pratyadṛśyate). In other words he came quickly. Viṣṇu Purāṇa explains how Nārada sent him. gārgyaṁ goṣṭhyāṁ dvijaṁ śyālaḥ ṣaṇḍa ity uktavān dvija / yadūnāṁ sannidhau sarve jahasur yādavās tadā // tataḥ kopa-parītātmā dakṣiṇā-patham etya saḥ / sutam icchaṁs tapas tepe yadu-cakra-bhayāvaham // ārādhayan mahā-devaṁ loha-cūrṇam abhakṣayat / dadau varaṁ ca tuṣṭo 'smai varṣe tu dvādaśe haraḥ // saṁtoṣayām āsa ca taṁ yavaneśo hy anātmajaḥ / tadyoṣit-saṁgamāc cāsya putro 'bhūd ali-sannibhaḥ // taṁ kālayavanaṁ nāma rāṣṭre sve yavaneśvaraḥ / abhiṣicya vanaṁ yāto vajragra-kaṭhinorasam // sa tu vīrya-madonmattaḥ pṛthivyāṁ balino nṛpān / apṛcchan nāradas tasmai kathayām āsa yādavān // Once, Gārgya was ridiculed by his brother-in-law as a eunuch, and when the Yādavas heard this they laughed heartily. Infuriated by their laughter, Gārgya set out for the south, and performed austerities while desiring a son who would bring terror to the Yādavas. He worshiped Mahādeva by eating powdered iron and after twelve years pleased Śiva. Having no son, through association with his wife he bore a son like a scorpion. Yavaneśvara, naming him Kālayavana, made him the king and went to the forest. His chest was as hard as the tip of thunderbolt. O king! Intoxicated with his strength he asked Nārada who was the strongest on earth. Nārada told him that the Yadus were the strongest. Instead of preṣitaḥ sometimes preritaḥ is seen.