SB 10.44.2

SB 10.44.2

Devanagari

हस्ताभ्यां हस्तयोर्बद्ध्वा पद्‌भ्यामेव च पादयो: विचकर्षतुरन्योन्यं प्रसह्य विजिगीषया ॥ २ ॥

Verse text

hastābhyāṁ hastayor baddhvā padbhyām eva ca pādayoḥ vicakarṣatur anyonyaṁ prasahya vijigīṣayā

Synonyms

hastābhyām with their hands ; hastayoḥ by the hands ; baddhvā seizing ; padbhyām with their legs ; eva ca also ; pādayoḥ by the legs ; vicakarṣatuḥ they (Kṛṣṇa paired with Cāṇūra, and Balarāma with Muṣṭika) dragged ; anyonyam each other ; prasahya with force ; vijigīṣayā with desire for victory .

Translation

Seizing each other’s hands and locking legs with each other, the opponents struggled powerfully, eager for victory.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Seizing each other's hands and locking legs with each other, the opponents struggled powerfully, eager for victory. KB 10.44.2 Kṛṣṇa and Cāṇūra and then Balarāma and Muṣṭika locked themselves hand to hand, leg to leg, and each began to press against the other with a view to coming out victorious.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Four verses describe how they played. The word ca indicates that they locked other limbs as well. The word eva should be supplied after hastābhyām as well. If there is inequality in confronting the opponent, the sporting aspect of wrestling will dwindle. This applies to later verses also. Both sides desired to win. Since Kṛṣṇa was acting like an ordinary wrestler he also desired victory, though he is the Lord whose victory is always guaranteed.