Devanagari
श्रीशुक उवाच
नन्दव्रजं गते रामे करूषाधिपतिर्नृप ।
वासुदेवोऽहमित्यज्ञो दूतं कृष्णाय प्राहिणोत् ॥ १ ॥
Verse text
śrī-śuka uvāca
nanda-vrajaṁ gate rāme
karūṣādhipatir nṛpa
vāsudevo ’ham ity ajṣo
dūtaṁ kṛṣṇāya prāhiṇot
Synonyms
śrī
—
śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
;
nanda
—
of Nanda Mahārāja
;
vrajam
—
to the cowherd village
;
gate
—
having gone
;
rāme
—
Lord Balarāma
;
karūṣa
—
adhipatiḥ — the ruler of Karūṣa (Pauṇḍraka)
;
nṛpa
—
O King (Parīkṣit)
;
vāsudevaḥ
—
the Supreme Lord, Vāsudeva
;
aham
—
I
;
iti
—
thus thinking
;
ajṣaḥ
—
foolish
;
dūtam
—
a messenger
;
kṛṣṇāya
—
to Lord Kṛṣṇa
;
prāhiṇot
—
sent .
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, while Lord Balarāma was away visiting Nanda’s village of Vraja, the ruler of Karūṣa, foolishly thinking “I am the Supreme Lord, Vāsudeva,” sent a messenger to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, while Lord Balarāma was away visiting Nanda's village of Vraja, the ruler of Karūṣa, foolishly thinking "I am the Supreme Lord, Vāsudeva," sent a messenger to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
KB 10.66.1
The story of King Pauṇḍraka is very interesting because it proves that there have always been many rascals and fools who have considered themselves God. Even in the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, there was such a foolish person. His name was Pauṇḍraka, and he wanted to declare himself God. While Lord Balarāma was absent in Vṛndāvana, this King Pauṇḍraka, the King of Karūṣa Province, being foolish and puffed up, sent a messenger to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but King Pauṇḍraka directly challenged Kṛṣṇa through the messenger, who stated that Pauṇḍraka, not Kṛṣṇa, was Vāsudeva. In the present day there are many foolish followers of such rascals. Similarly, in Pauṇḍraka’s day, many foolish men accepted Pauṇḍraka as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because he could not estimate his own position, Pauṇḍraka falsely thought himself to be Lord Vāsudeva. Thus the messenger declared to Kṛṣṇa that King Pauṇḍraka, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had descended to the earth out of his causeless mercy just to deliver all distressed persons.
Purport
Since Lord Rāma had gone to Nanda-vraja, Pauṇḍraka foolishly thought that Lord Kṛṣṇa would be alone and therefore easy to challenge. Thus he dared to send his crazy message to the Lord.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In the sixty sixth chapter the king of Karusa, Paundraka, showing his powers in the name of Vasudeva to cheat people, sent a messenger to Dvaraka . Krsna then destroyed Paundraka, his friend, the king of Kasi, his son and the city of kasi.
When Balarama had gone to Vraja, thinking Krsna was now alone, Paundraka, thinking that he was Vasudeva, sent a messenger to Krsna.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
On remember how Balarāma consoled Gokula, becoming contented in heart, he then spoke on remembering a funny incident in Dvārakā after Balarāma had gone to Vraja. When Balarāma went to Vraja, Pauṇḍraka thought Kṛṣṇa would be alone in Dvārakā. If Balarāma had been present, the incident would not have taken place since he would have become uncontrollably angry in the beginning. Pauṇḍraka announced through the messenger that he was Vāsudeva, since he was a fool (ajñah), without intelligence at all. Because of this he thought that the title of Supreme Lord had been assigned to Kṛṣṇa as it had done so for himself. Śukadeva calls out to Parīkṣit in amusement.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
The incident of killing Pauṇḍraka took place while Balarāma was in Vraja. Foolish Pauṇḍraka though that since Kṛṣṇa was alone he could kill him by himself. Because he was a fool, he sent a messenger to Kṛṣṇa, directly bhagavān, saying “I am Vāsudeva.” Śukadeva calls to Parīkṣit in amusement. O king!