SB 10.43.38

We are not very strong (bālāḥ). The plural is used rather than the dual to indicate as a general example that they are in their group, among many other boys or indicate them as a group of cowherd boys. We should play with boys who are not greater or lesser in strength. It is my desire to do this as play. Another meaning is “O fools! We will play with our cowherd friends, not with you, who are less in strength.” Gopaiḥ samāna-guṇa-śīla-vayo-vilāsa-veśaiś ca murchita-kala-svana-venu-vīṇaiḥ: the cowherds had similar qualities, character, age, play, dress, as well as similar music coming from their flutes and vīṇas. It has already been said that the wrestlers saw Kṛṣṇa as a thunderbolt. But we will engage in this fight at your insistence. It is not our fault of you die because of touching my limbs which are like thunderbolts. Hari-vaṁśa says: ahaṁ bālo mahān andhro vapuṣā parvatopamaḥ / yuddhaṁ mama sahānena rocate bāhuśālinā // yuddha-vyatikramaḥ kaścin na bhaviṣyati mat-kṛtaḥ / na hy ahaṁ bāhu-yodhānāṁ dūṣayiṣyāmi yan matam // yo 'yaṁ karīṣa-dharmaś ca toya-dharmaś ca raṅgajaḥ / kaṣāyasya ca saṁsargaḥ samayo hy eṣa kalpitaḥ // saṁyamaḥ sthiratā śauryaṁ vyāyāmaḥ satkriyā balam / reṅge ca niyatā siddhir etad yuddha-vidām matam // yad ayaṁ bāhu-yuddhaṁ vai savairaṁ kartum udyataḥ / atra vai nigrahaḥ kāryas toṣayiṣyāmy ahaṁ jagat // karūṣeṣu prasūto 'yaṁ cāṇūro nāma nāmataḥ / bāhuyodhī sarīreṇa karmabhiś cānucintyatām // etena bahavo mallā nipātānantaraṁ hatāḥ/ raṅga-pratāpa-kāmena malla-mārgaś ca dūṣitaḥ // śāstra-siddhis tu yodhānāṁ saṁgrāme śastra-yodhinām / raṅga-siddhis tu mallānāṁ pratimalla-nighāta-jā // raṇe vijayamānasya kīrtir bhavati śāśvatī / hatasyāpi raṇe sastrair nāka-pṛṣṭhaṁ vidhīyate // raṇe hy ubhayataḥ siddhir hatasyāpi ghnato 'pi vā / sā hi prāṇāntikā yātrā mahadbhiḥ sādhu pūjitā // ayaṁ tu mārgo balataḥ kriyātaś ca viniḥsṛtaḥ / mṛtasya raṅge kaḥ svargo jayato vā kuto ratiḥ // ye tu kecit sva-doṣeṇa rājñaḥ paṇḍita-māninaḥ / pratāpārthe hatā mallā malla-hantur vadho hi saḥ // I am a child and Cāṇūra from Andhra is like a mountain. I would like to fight with him, since he has strong arms. I will not break the rules of fighting and will not spoil the beliefs of the wrestlers. They have rubbed cow dung, water, sindhūra and cosmetics on their bodies. Sense control, steadiness, courage, bodily movements, actions prescribed by scriptures on fighting, and strength are causes of success according to experts at combat. Since this person is eager to engage in wrestling with the opponent, I will punish him and satisfy the world. Cāṇūra, a descendent of Vaivasvata Manu’s son, should be considered a wrestler by his body and actions. He has killed many wrestlers after throwing them on the ground. With a desire for violence in the arena, he has spoiled the art of wrestling. The victory with weapons is done on the battlefield wielders of weapons. The victory in the arena of wrestlers is caused by striking the opponent. He who is victorious on the battlefield has everlasting fame. He who dies by weapons on the battlefield attains Svarga. The person killed on the battlefield and the killer as well attain perfection. Those who die on the battlefield are worshipped extensively by the great. But in wrestling, fame is attained by strength and skill. One does not attain Svarga by dying in the wrestling arena. Some wrestlers may be killed by another wrestler in order to glorify a king who thinks he is learned. The killer of those wrestlers should be killed.