Devanagari
दूतं च प्राहिणोन्मन्द: कृष्णायाव्यक्तवर्त्मने ।
द्वारकायां यथा बालो नृपो बालकृतोऽबुध: ॥ ३ ॥
Verse text
dūtaṁ ca prāhiṇon mandaḥ
kṛṣṇāyāvyakta-vartmane
dvārakāyāṁ yathā bālo
nṛpo bāla-kṛto ’budhaḥ
Synonyms
dūtam
—
a messenger
;
ca
—
and
;
prāhiṇot
—
he sent
;
mandaḥ
—
slow-witted
;
kṛṣṇāya
—
to Lord Kṛṣṇa
;
avyakta
—
inscrutable
;
vartmane
—
whose path
;
dvārakāyām
—
at Dvārakā
;
yathā
—
as
;
bālaḥ
—
a boy
;
nṛpaḥ
—
king
;
bāla
—
by children
;
kṛtaḥ
—
made
;
abudhaḥ
—
unintelligent .
Translation
Thus slow-witted King Pauṇḍraka sent a messenger to the inscrutable Lord Kṛṣṇa at Dvārakā. Pauṇḍraka was acting just like an unintelligent child whom other children are pretending is a king.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Thus slow-witted King Pauṇḍraka sent a messenger to the inscrutable Lord Kṛṣṇa at Dvārakā. Pauṇḍraka was acting just like an unintelligent child whom other children are pretending is a king.
KB 10.66.3
When children are playing, they sometimes select a “king” amongst themselves, and the selected child may think that he is actually the king. Similarly, many foolish persons, due to ignorance, select another fool as God, and then the rascal actually considers himself God, as if God could be created by childish play or by the votes of men. Under this false impression, thinking himself the Supreme Lord, Pauṇḍraka sent his messenger to Dvārakā to challenge the position of Kṛṣṇa.
Purport
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the reason Śukadeva Gosvāmī here mentions for the second time that Pauṇḍraka sent a message to Lord Kṛṣṇa is that the great sage is astonished at Pauṇḍraka’s extreme foolishness.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The statement "he sent a messenger" of the first verse is repeated in this verse to indicate astonishment at Paundraka’s foolishness. He was just like a child who is imagined be a king by other children.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Not only did he think this, but he sent a messenger to Dvārakā, which was filled with devatās, sages and kings. He is again called a fool out of amusement. He was completely foolish (mandaḥ) since he thought he was the Lord just as a foolish child is made into a king by other children and believes it. He sent the messenger to Kṛṣṇa whose path is not clear. Thus it was suitable to send such a message, since it was impossible for him to know the truth about Kṛṣṇa. Pauṇḍraka was foolish like a child.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Not only did he think this, but he sent a messenger to Dvārakā. He is again called a fool out of amusement. He was completely foolish or the lowest human (mandaḥ) because Kṛṣṇa was invisible to the non-devotees (avyakta-rūpāya). Or he sent him a message, though Kṛṣṇa was clearly the Lord (āvyakta-rūpāya) since he manifested all powers. Another version has avyakta-vartmane: his path is not visible, since Pauṇḍraka could not understand the truth about him. Or this shows Pauṇḍraka’s foolishness. He thought himself to be the Lord just as a child thinks himself a king, made a king by other boys. Or he was like a child, unintelligent.