SB 10.66.41

SB 10.66.41

Devanagari

चक्रं च विष्णोस्तदनुप्रविष्टं वाराणसीं साट्टसभालयापणाम् । सगोपुराट्टालककोष्ठसङ्कुलां सकोशहस्त्यश्वरथान्नशालिनीम् ॥ ४१ ॥

Verse text

cakraṁ ca viṣṇos tad-anupraviṣṭaṁ vārānasīṁ sāṭṭa-sabhālayāpaṇām sa-gopurāṭṭālaka-koṣṭha-saṅkulāṁ sa-kośa-hasty-aśva-rathānna-śālinīm

Synonyms

cakram the disc ; ca and ; viṣṇoḥ of Lord Viṣṇu ; tat it (the fire demon) ; anupraviṣṭam entering in pursuit ; vārāṇasīm Vārāṇasī ; sa with ; aṭṭa raised porches ; sabhā its assembly halls ; ālaya residences ; āpaṇām and marketplaces ; sa with ; gopura gateways ; aṭṭālaka watchtowers ; koṣṭha and warehouses ; saṅkulām crowded ; sa with ; kośa banks ; hasti for elephants ; aśva horses ; ratha chariots ; anna and grains ; śālinīm with the buildings .

Translation

Lord Viṣṇu’s disc also entered Vārāṇasī, in pursuit of the fiery demon, and proceeded to burn the city to the ground, including all its assembly halls and residential palaces with raised porches, its numerous marketplaces, gateways, watchtowers, warehouses and treasuries, and all the buildings housing elephants, horses, chariots and grains.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Lord Viṣṇu's disc also entered Vārāṇasī, in pursuit of the fiery demon, and proceeded to burn the city to the ground, including all its assembly halls and residential palaces with raised porches, its numerous marketplaces, gateways, watchtowers, warehouses and treasuries, and all the buildings housing elephants, horses, chariots and grains. KB 10.66.41 Following just behind the fiery demon, the Sudarśana cakra also entered Vārāṇasī. This city had been very opulent and great for a very long time. Even now, the city of Vārāṇasī is opulent and famous, and it is one of the important cities of India. There were then many big palaces, assembly houses, marketplaces and gates, with large and very important monuments by the palaces and gates. Lecturing platforms could be found at each and every crossroads. There were buildings that housed the treasury, elephants, horses, chariots and grain, and places for distribution of food. The city of Vārāṇasī had been filled with all these material opulences for a very long time, but because the King of Kāśī and his son Sudakṣiṇa were against Lord Kṛṣṇa, the viṣṇu-cakra Sudarśana (the disc weapon of Lord Kṛṣṇa) devastated the whole city by burning all these important places. This excursion was more ravaging than modern bombing.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The cakra burned down the city. The verb is understood from the previous verse. Instead of śālinīm sometimes śālām is seen.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

The cakra burned down the city. The cakra entered the city after the demon has performed his actions (tad-anu). Since the Lord pervaded the universe (viṣṇoḥ) his cakra had similar power of pervasion. Thus the cakra burned the gates, towers and storehouses. Instead of śālinīm sometimes śālām is seen.