Devanagari
तं तथायान्तमालोक्य गदामादाय सत्वर: ।
अवप्लुत्य रथात् कृष्ण: सिन्धुं वेलेव प्रत्यधात् ॥ ३ ॥
Verse text
taṁ tathāyāntam ālokya
gadām ādāya satvaraḥ
avaplutya rathāt kṛṣṇaḥ
sindhuṁ veleva pratyadhāt
Synonyms
tam
—
him
;
tathā
—
in this way
;
āyāntam
—
approaching
;
ālokya
—
seeing
;
gadām
—
His club
;
ādāya
—
taking
;
satvaraḥ
—
quickly
;
avaplutya
—
leaping down
;
rathāt
—
from His chariot
;
kṛṣṇaḥ
—
Lord Kṛṣṇa
;
sindhum
—
the sea
;
velā
—
the shore
;
iva
—
as
;
pratyadhāt
—
checked .
Translation
Seeing Dantavakra approach, Lord Kṛṣṇa quickly picked up His club, jumped down from His chariot and stopped His advancing opponent just as the shore holds back the ocean.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Seeing Dantavakra approach, Lord Kṛṣṇa quickly picked up His club, jumped down from His chariot and stopped His advancing opponent just as the shore holds back the ocean.
KB 10.78.3
When Lord Kṛṣṇa saw him approaching in a very heroic mood, He immediately got down from His chariot, for it was a rule of military etiquette that fighting should take place only between equals. Knowing that Dantavakra was alone and armed with only a club, Lord Kṛṣṇa responded similarly and prepared Himself by taking His club in His hand. When Kṛṣṇa appeared before him, Dantavakra’s heroic march was immediately stopped, just as the great, furious waves of the ocean are stopped by the beach.
Purport
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “When Kṛṣṇa appeared before Dantavakra, his heroic march was immediately stopped, just as the great furious waves of the ocean are stopped by the beach.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Seeing his opponent on foot, Krsna also dismounted from his chariot (avaplutya), stopping Dantavakra as the shore (vela) stops the ocean waves.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Kṛṣṇa jumped from his chariot because according to dharma he should fight with his opponent who was on foot in the same manner. Instead of ādāya sometimes udyamya (took up) is seen.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Seeing Dantavakra approaching with club in hand (tathā), Kṛṣṇa jumped quickly from his chariot since one should fight on foot with an opponent who is on foot, according to kṣatriya principles because Kṛṣṇa was directly bhagavān, who appeared to institute all dharma. Thus when Kṛṣṇa appeared, Dantavakra stopped and could do nothing, just as the shore stops the ocean.