SB 10.82.6 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

नि:क्षत्रियां महीं कुर्वन् राम: शस्‍त्रभृतां वर: । नृपाणां रुधिरौघेण यत्र चक्रे महाह्रदान् ॥ ३ ॥ ईजे च भगवान् रामो यत्रास्पृष्टोऽपि कर्मणा । लोकं सङ्ग्राहयन्नीशो यथान्योऽघापनुत्तये ॥ ४ ॥ महत्यां तीर्थयात्रायां तत्रागन् भारती: प्रजा: । वृष्णयश्च तथाक्रूरवसुदेवाहुकादय: ॥ ५ ॥ ययुर्भारत तत् क्षेत्रं स्वमघं क्षपयिष्णव: । गदप्रद्युम्नसाम्बाद्या: सुचन्द्रशुकसारणै: । आस्तेऽनिरुद्धो रक्षायां कृतवर्मा च यूथप: ॥ ६ ॥

Verse text

niḥkṣatriyāṁ mahīṁ kurvan rāmaḥ śastra-bhṛtāṁ varaḥ nṛpāṇāṁ rudhiraugheṇa yatra cakre mahā-hradān īje ca bhagavān rāmo yatrāspṛṣṭo ’pi karmaṇā lokaṁ saṅgrāhayann īśo yathānyo ’ghāpanuttaye mahatyāṁ tīrtha-yātrāyāṁ tatrāgan bhāratīḥ prajāḥ vṛṣṇayaś ca tathākrūra- vasudevāhukādayaḥ yayur bhārata tat kṣetraṁ svam aghaṁ kṣapayiṣṇavaḥ gada-pradyumna-sāmbādyāḥ sucandra-śuka-sāraṇaiḥ āste ’niruddho rakṣāyāṁ kṛtavarmā ca yūtha-paḥ

Synonyms

niḥkṣatriyām — rid of kings ; mahīm — the earth ; kurvan — having made ; rāmaḥ — Lord Paraśurāma ; śastra — of weapons ; bhṛtām — of the holders ; varaḥ — the greatest ; nṛpāṇām — of kings ; rudhira — of the blood ; oghena — with the floods ; yatra — where ; cakre — he made ; mahā — great ; hradān — lakes ; īje — worshiped ; ca — and ; bhagavān — the Supreme Lord ; rāmaḥ — Paraśurāma ; yatra — where ; aspṛṣṭaḥ — untouched ; api — even though ; karmaṇā — by material work and its reactions ; lokam — the world in general ; saṅgrāhayan — instructing ; īśaḥ — the Lord ; yathā — as if ; anyaḥ — another person ; agha — sins ; apanuttaye — in order to dispel ; mahatyām — mighty ; tīrtha — yātrāyām — on the occasion of the holy pilgrimage ; tatra — there ; āgan — came ; bhāratīḥ — of Bhārata-varṣa ; prajāḥ — people ; vṛṣṇayaḥ — members of the Vṛṣṇi clan ; ca — and ; tathā — also ; akrūra — vasudeva — āhuka — ādayaḥ — Akrūra, Vasudeva, Āhuka (Ugrasena) and others ; yayuḥ — went ; bhārata — O descendant of Bharata (Parīkṣit) ; tat — that ; kṣetram — to the holy place ; svam — their own ; agham — sins ; kṣapayiṣṇavaḥ — desirous of eradicating ; gada — pradyumna — sāmba — ādayaḥ — Gada, Pradyumna, Sāmba and others ; sucandra — śuka — sāraṇaiḥ — with Sucandra, Śuka and Sāraṇa ; āste — remained ; aniruddhaḥ — Aniruddha ; rakṣāyām — for guarding ; kṛtavarmā — Kṛtavarmā ; ca — and ; yūtha — paḥ — leader of the army .

Translation

After ridding the earth of kings, Lord Paraśurāma, the foremost of warriors, created huge lakes from the kings’ blood at Samantaka-paṣcaka. Although he is never tainted by karmic reactions, Lord Paraśurāma performed sacrifices there to instruct people in general; thus he acted like an ordinary person trying to free himself of sins. From all parts of Bhārata-varṣa a great number of people now came to that Samanta-paṣcaka on pilgrimage. O descendant of Bharata, among those arriving at the holy place were many Vṛṣṇis, such as Gada, Pradyumna and Sāmba, hoping to be relieved of their sins; Akrūra, Vasudeva, Āhuka and other kings also went there. Aniruddha remained in Dvārakā with Sucandra, Śuka and Sāraṇa to guard the city, together with Kṛtavarmā, the commander of their armed forces.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

After ridding the earth of kings, Lord Paraśurāma, the foremost of warriors, created huge lakes from the kings' blood at Samantaka-paṣcaka. Although he is never tainted by karmic reactions, Lord Paraśurāma performed sacrifices there to instruct people in general; thus he acted like an ordinary person trying to free himself of sins. From all parts of Bhārata-varṣa a great number of people now came to that Samanta-paṣcaka on pilgrimage. O descendant of Bharata, among those arriving at the holy place were many Vṛṣṇis, such as Gada, Pradyumna and Sāmba, hoping to be relieved of their sins; Akrūra, Vasudeva, Āhuka and other kings also went there. Aniruddha remained in Dvārakā with Sucandra, Śuka and Sāraṇa to guard the city, together with Kṛtavarmā, the commander of their armed forces. KB 10.82.3-6 The Samanta-paṣcaka pilgrimage site is celebrated because Lord Paraśurāma performed great sacrifices there after killing all the kṣatriyas in the world twenty-one times. When Lord Paraśurāma killed all the kṣatriyas, their accumulated blood flowed like a stream. Lord Paraśurāma dug five big lakes at Samanta-paṣcaka and filled them with this blood. Lord Paraśurāma is viṣṇu-tattva. As stated in the Īśopaniṣad, viṣṇu-tattva cannot be contaminated by any sinful activity. Yet although Lord Paraśurāma is fully powerful and uncontaminated, in order to exhibit ideal character He performed great sacrifices at Samanta-paṣcaka to atone for His so-called sinful killing of the kṣatriyas. By His example, Lord Paraśurāma established that the killing art, although sometimes necessary, is not good. Lord Paraśurāma considered Himself culpable for the sinful killing of the kṣatriyas; therefore, how much more culpable are we for such abominable, unsanctioned acts! Thus, from time immemorial the killing of living entities is prohibited all over the world. Taking advantage of the occasion of the solar eclipse, all important persons from all parts of Bhārata-varṣa visited the holy place of pilgrimage. Some of the important personalities are mentioned as follows. Among the elderly persons were Akrūra, Vasudeva and Ugrasena, and among the younger generation were Gada, Pradyumna, Sāmba and many other members of the Yadu dynasty who had come there with a view to atone for sinful activities accrued in the course of discharging their respective duties. Because almost all the members of the Yadu dynasty went to Kurukṣetra, some important personalities, like Aniruddha, the son of Pradyumna, and Kṛtavarmā, the commander in chief of the Yadu dynasty, along with Sucandra, Śuka and Sāraṇa, remained in Dvārakā to protect the city.

Purport

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grandson Aniruddha remained in Dvārakā to protect the city because He is originally Lord Viṣṇu’s manifestation as the guardian of the spiritual planet Śvetadvīpa.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

This verse indicates the great deeds of Parasurama at that place. This verse describes the ability of the place to rid one of sin. The people of Bharata went (agan) there. Aniruddha protected Dvaraka. He is famous as the Visnu form who protects Svetadvipa.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The reason they went to Kurukṣetra is explained in two verses. It became sacred because of the influence of Parāśurāma. He made large lakes from the blood of the slain kṣatriyas. This place was called Samanta-pañcaka: the p ace in which five lakes (pañcaka) spread everywhere (samanta). To teach the people by instituting dharma, the Lord of all the worlds (īśaḥ) performed worship there. The place is praised because it would bring bliss to the people of Vraja on meeting Kṛṣṇa. Or two verses describe this place because they went there on understanding the great results that could be achieved there. The vow would take place at the time of the eclipse. This pilgrimage was large because of the occasion of the full eclipse (mahatyām). Almost all the people of Bhārata-varṣa came there. Among the population, the Yādavas are described first since they were accepted as the best. Vṛṣṇis means Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and others. Just as they came Akrūra and others came. They are listed in this way because generally they did not come along with Kṛṣṇa. Akrūra is mentioned first, since he was highly respected for his actions. They all desired to be free of sin. For the Vṛṣṇis, destroying sins was a pastime, but for others it was real. Not only adults wanting purification came, but the younger members also came. Who stayed to protect Dvārakā? They are mentioned last. Sucandra, also called Cārudeṣṇa, was the son of Rukmiṇī. Aniruddha also stayed to protect Dvārakā. Though the protective forces were light, since Aniruddha was young, they had great power because of the presence of strong warriors. The arrangement was suitable because of the presence of older persons. Or Aniruddha can here refer to one of the sons of Kṛṣṇa, rather than his grandson.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Parāśurāma, the best of warriors, rid the earth of kṣatriyas to give bliss to Renukā (his mother). He made five large lakes. This place was called Samanta-pañcaka: the place in which five lakes (pañcaka) spread everywhere (samanta). He is an avatāra of the Lord. Thus he is called bhagavān and īśvara. Though untouched by duties of karmas, with its rules and prohibitions, he worshipped to destroy all the sins of killing all the kṣatriyas, in order to teach the people, because he was the Lord of all people (īśaḥ), appearing in order to benefit people by spreading dharma. Or he was fully capable (īśaḥ) and thus like others who are dependent on karmas, he worshipped. He performed worship completely, according to the rules. The event was special (mahatyām) because of the eclipse. All those residing in Bhārata went. They had qualification for that place. Among them the Yadus are mentioned first, because of their high position. The word ca indicates that even Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma went. Unlike the rājasūya sacrifice, during which the elders stayed in Dvārakā, now everyone went. Ādayāḥ indicates that the Śuras and Andhakras also went. Those who are mentioned were elders and had special interest in performing pious acts. Akrūra is mentioned first, because he had special respect for the acts. Or Akrūra and other Vṛṣṇis desired to destroy their sins at this great event where all the citizens gathered. Gītā says that whatever the great man does others follow. (BG 3.21) Like Parāśurāma, to teach the people, Krṣṇa and Balarāma also went. But they also went to meet the people of Vraja, though their names are not mentioned here. O descendent of Bharata. As a main person in the Bharata dynasty you understand the goal in going on the pilgrimage and reason for the rituals undertaken by the chief persons. Not only the elders, interested in puṇya, went. The young people also went. Sicandra was the eighth son of Rukmiṇī. He went along with Cārucandra, Gada and others. Aniruddha stayed to guard the city. Being very young, he was not so interested in the pilgrimage. Or among the four members of the caturvyūha, one should stay in Dvārakā and he was the youngest.