Devanagari
तस्मादद्य विधास्यामो दुर्गं द्विपददुर्गमम् ।
तत्र ज्ञातीन् समाधाय यवनं घातयामहे ॥ ४८ ॥
Verse text
tasmād adya vidhāsyāmo
durgaṁ dvipada-durgamam
tatra jṣātīn samādhāya
yavanaṁ ghātayāmahe
Synonyms
tasmāt
—
therefore
;
adya
—
today
;
vidhāsyāmaḥ
—
We will construct
;
durgam
—
a fortress
;
dvipada
—
to humans
;
durgamam
—
insurmountable
;
tatra
—
there
;
jṣātīn
—
Our family members
;
samādhāya
—
settling
;
yavanam
—
the barbarian
;
ghātayāmahe
—
We will kill .
Translation
“Therefore We will immediately construct a fortress that no human force can penetrate. Let Us settle our family members there and then kill the barbarian king.”
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"Therefore We will immediately construct a fortress that no human force can penetrate. Let Us settle our family members there and then kill the barbarian king."
KB 10.50.48
Kṛṣṇa therefore decided to construct a formidable fort where no two-legged animal, either man or demon, could enter. He decided to keep His relatives there so that He would then be free to fight the enemy. It appears that formerly Dvārakā was also part of the kingdom of Mathurā. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that Kṛṣṇa constructed the fort in the midst of the sea. Remnants of the fort Kṛṣṇa constructed still exist in the Bay of Dvārakā.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Kṛṣṇa uses the plural (vidhāsyāmaḥ -I will create) to show respect to Balarāma. We will place the Yadus there comfortably (sam—ādhāya). We will have him killed. They would not kill him so that Śiva’s boon would not be contradicted. Mucukunda would do it. The Lord’s reason is explained in Hari-vaṁśa.
iyaṁ ca māthurī bhūmir alpā gamyā parasya tu /
vṛddhiś cāpi parāsmākaṁ balato mitratas tathā //
kumara-koṭyo yāś cemā gaṇāś caiva padātinām /
eṣām apīha vasatāṁ saṁmardam upalakṣaye //
Mathurā will be too small in the future for the increase of population from our and others’ armies, friends, and unlimited children. There is also a host of foot soldiers. The place will be crowded with all these people living here.
This is what I think. Not only did Kṛṣṇa consider that Dvārakā, invincible to enemies, over twelve yojanas in size situated in the sea was suitable for the Yadus since it was bigger than Mathurā. His concern was not only for the Yadus. His deep intention was as follows. I have now begun pastimes to rid the world of its burden with the help of the Yadus, because of the people of Vraja who are their relatives. It is not proper that the cowherds whom I take as my relatives should feel crowded by the constantly increasing population of Yadus in Mathurā. Also I worry that the cowherds have fallen into great danger. I have almost allayed their pain of separation from me by my sphūrti of eternal pastimes through Uddhava’s going there. In order that the enemies believe that I am indifferent to the people of Vraja, it is best if I go to a fortress far from here, as part of my human pastimes along with the Yadus in order to protect the cows.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Kṛṣṇa uses the plural (vidhāsyāmaḥ –I will create) to show respect to Balarāma. We will place the Yadus there comfortably (sam—ādhāya). We will have him killed. They would not kill him so that Śiva’s boon would not be contradicted. (Mucukunda would do it.)
This is the explanation. Mathurā has an area of twenty yojanas, within which there is Vṛnḍāvana belonging to Nanda. We however have continual prosperity in terms of wealth, family members and powers. The Lord’s reason is explained in Hari-vaṁśa.
iyaṁ ca māthurī bhūmir alpā gamyā parasya tu /
vṛddhiś cāpi parāsmākaṁ balato mitratas tathā //
kumara-koṭyo yāś cemā gaṇāś caiva padātinām /
eṣām apīha vasatāṁ saṁmardam upalakṣaye //
Mathurā will be too small in the future for the increase of population from our and others’ armies, friends, and unlimited children. There is also a host of foot soldiers. The place will be crowded with all these people living here.
We need a bigger place as a residence. By staying here, we will spread into Vraja. We should live far away, in Kuśasthalī, which is not related to Mathurā on the authority if Vikadru.??? With this desire the Lord, skillful at deliberation (bhagavān) gave advice.