Devanagari
रुरोध मथुरामेत्य तिसृभिर्म्लेच्छकोटिभि: ।
नृलोके चाप्रतिद्वन्द्वो वृष्णीन्श्रुत्वात्मसम्मितान् ॥ ४४ ॥
Verse text
rurodha mathurām etya
tisṛbhir mleccha-koṭibhiḥ
nṛ-loke cāpratidvandvo
vṛṣṇīn śrutvātma-sammitān
Synonyms
rurodha
—
he besieged
;
mathurām
—
Mathurā
;
etya
—
arriving there
;
tisṛbhiḥ
—
times three
;
mleccha
—
with barbarians
;
koṭibhiḥ
—
ten million
;
nṛ
—
loke — among mankind
;
ca
—
and
;
apratidvandvaḥ
—
having no suitable rival
;
vṛṣṇīn
—
the Vṛṣṇis
;
śrutvā
—
hearing
;
ātma
—
to himself
;
sammitān
—
comparable .
Translation
Arriving at Mathurā, this Yavana laid siege to the city with thirty million barbarian soldiers. He had never found a human rival worth fighting, but he had heard that the Vṛṣṇis were his equals.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Arriving at Mathurā, this Yavana laid siege to the city with thirty million barbarian soldiers. He had never found a human rival worth fighting, but he had heard that the Vṛṣṇis were his equals.
KB 10.50.44
Kālayavana was very eager to declare war on a king of the world who would be a suitable combatant for him, but he had not found any. However, being informed about Mathurā by Nārada, he thought it wise to attack this city with thirty million Yavana soldiers.
Purport
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī quotes from the
Viṣṇu Purāṇa
concerning the history of Kālayavana: “Once, Gārgya was ridiculed by his brother-in-law as a eunuch, and when the Yādavas heard this they laughed heartily. Infuriated by their laughter, Gārgya set out for the south, thinking, ‘May I have a son who will bring terror to the Yādavas.’ He worshiped Lord Mahādeva, eating powdered iron, and after twelve years obtained his desired benediction. Elated, he returned home.
“Later, when the childless King of the Yavanas requested a son from him, Gārgya begot in the Yavana’s wife a son, Kālayavana. Kālayavana possessed the fury of Lord Śiva in his aspect as Mahākāla. Once, Kālayavana asked Nārada, ‘Who are now the strongest kings on earth?’ Nārada replied that the Yadus were. Thus sent by Nārada, Kālayavana appeared at Mathurā.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
According to the Visnu Purana, Kalayavana was sent by Narada Muni. Once the son of Garga, Gargya, was called jokingly a eunuch by his brother in law. Hearing this the Yadavas laughed loudly. Angry at their laughing, Garya went south, and with a vow to get a son who would be the terror of the yadus, he ate powered iron, and worshipped Siva for twelve years. Getting the boon from Siva, he returned home satisfied, and gave birth to a son through the wife of the childless king of the Yavanas. Kalayavana was the son born to him. Kalayavana, ferocious as Siva the destroyer, asked Narada, "On this earth who are most powerful kings now? " Narada said, "The Yadavas are the most powerful." Thus he appeared in Mahtura, sent by Narada.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Apratidvandvaḥ means “without rival.” He had heard from Nārada that the Vṛṣṇis were his equals.