Wrestle (Lect. Conv. and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"wrestle" |"wrestled" |"wrestler" |"wrestlers" |"wrestling"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

So in the spiritual world there is no facility for the demons. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa likes to fight, because after many many years not fighting, because in the spiritual world there is no fight. All obedient servant, where is the possibility of fighting? Therefore sometimes He comes here to fight with the demons. (laughter) Just to get the body fit. (laughter) Yes. Therefore sometimes when there are scarcity of demons, some of the devotees, they come and become a demon. Not become demon, just Kṛṣṇa wants to fight, so without demon, how Kṛṣṇa will fight? Therefore they play the part of demon so that Kṛṣṇa—that means they want to serve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants to, just like sometimes big men they keep some wrestlers to make mock fight. Similarly, to serve Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa has desire to fight so they come down and become just like a demon and fight with Kṛṣṇa.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Visakhapatnam, February 20, 1972, At Ladies Club:

Durgā devī, she can all, do all these things. So Kṛṣṇa does not require to descend for killing the demons, but when He feels, just like a rich man sometimes feels to contest with some wrestler, that does not mean he requires it. That is the Kṛṣṇa spirit. He is all-blissful. So when Kṛṣṇa comes, descends, there are many demons. He especially comes for the devotee.

Lecture on SB 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976:

Do you think that because you are very strong and stout, a big wrestler with muscles, you'll live? No. For Yamarāja there is no consideration that "Here is a weak person, lean and thin, and here is a very strong person; therefore the strong person should be left over and the lean and thin will be taken to Yamarāja." No. When the time will come, the lean and thin may be spared, but the strong man may be immediately taken.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973:

We are sample of Kṛṣṇa, but the, wherefrom we get this fighting spirit? The fighting spirit is there in Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, just like sometimes a big man or king, they engage some wrestler to fight. They, they pay the wrestler to fight with the king. But he's not enemy. He is giving pleasure to the king by fighting, mock fighting.

Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa wants to fight, who will fight with Him? Some of His devotee, great devotee will fight with Him. Not ordinary. Just like a king, if he wants to practice mock fighting, some very exalted fighter, wrestler will be engaged. Similarly... That is also service. Because Kṛṣṇa wants to fight, therefore some of His devotees come down to become His enemy. Just like Jaya-Vijaya. This Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa. Do you think they are ordinary living entity? If... That... Nṛsiṁhadeva, God Himself has come to kill him. Do you think they're ordinary? No, they're not ordinary. They're devotees. But Kṛṣṇa wanted to fight. In the Vaikuṇṭha world there is no possibility of fighting because everywhere there, everyone there is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. With whom He'll fight? Therefore He sends some devotee in the garb of enemy and Kṛṣṇa comes here to fight with Him.

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

If you accept this, that there is no more greater identity than Kṛṣṇa, then you can say, "Kṛṣṇa is great, or..." Kṛṣṇa cannot be entrapped. Nūnaṁ mahatān tatra. If you are smaller, then you can be overpowered by the great. If your strength is lesser than another man... Say, two wrestler. If one wrestler is more powerful, he can defeat the other wrestler.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.2 -- Mayapur, March 26, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, They are village cowherds boy. That is the early age history of Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. And Their another business, when They went to Mathurā They killed Kaṁsa and the wrestlers, and then again, when They went to Dvārakā, They had to fight with so many demons. But Their childhood life, up to sixteenth year, They were in Vṛndāvana, happy life, simply love.

Festival Lectures

Gundica Marjanam Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Lecture (the day before Ratha-yatra) -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

People generally did not know that Kṛṣṇa is Vasudeva's son, but later on it was disclosed by talkings one after another. Then, when the fact was disclosed, then Kamsa arranged for a wrestling match, and Kṛṣṇa was called to fight.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 4, 1968:

Those who were wrestlers, they saw Kṛṣṇa as thunderbolt. They also saw Kṛṣṇa, but they say, "Oh, here is thunderbolt." Just like however strong you may be, if there is falldown of thunderbolt everything is finished. So they saw Kṛṣṇa as thunderbolt, the wrestlers.

Lecture at Krsna Niketan -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

So these things are wonderful things—Bakāsura, Aghāsura, Śiśupāla, Kaṁsa. Kṛṣṇa was boy of sixteen years old when He was combating a very powerful wrestler, Cāṇūra. Everything... Everyone present, they thought it unlawful that "Kṛṣṇa is so young, and such a big stalwart and strong wrestler is engaged with Him for wrestling. This is not good. This is not good." In protest, so many people left the arena. And Nanda Mahārāja began to think, "I should have locked up Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana instead of allowing Him to come here. Oh, so much injustice." But Kṛṣṇa killed them. Not only killed them, the wrestlers who were engaged by Kaṁsa, He immediately dragged Kaṁsa from his throne and simply by fisting He killed him. There are so many wonderful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's activities are called adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ. It is never expected to be done by any human being.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Śyāmasundara: Whenever someone challenges you, you always know the trick, what their weak point is, the weakness is in their challenge, and you go right there. Every time.

Prabhupāda: That is the trick of wrestling. (laughter)

Śyāmasundara: Find where they are off balance, where their balance is off.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, there was a wrestler, he was not very strong, but he knew the trick how to defeat the strongest man.

Śyāmasundara: There is a science of equilibrium where you can study another person, if he is off equilibrium, you can move his body in such a way to defeat him every time. Japanese art.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Atreya Ṛṣi: For enjoyment they would even put two gladiators fighting each other, two men killing each other, and they would all watch.

Prabhupāda: Just see. That was in India also, that Kaṁsa's wrestling with Kṛṣṇa. Yes.

Yogeśvara: Was that to the death?

Prabhupāda: Yes. It comes automatically to death. Although it is not meant. Nobody will agree that "I am defeated." Therefore death. There must be death.

Morning Walk at Villa Borghese -- May 26, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: This style of building, arch, is seen in New Delhi also, constructed by the Moguls. This was also a temple?

Bhagavān: No. This was an arena where they used to watch wrestling, fighting.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: And the result was that Christ was killed first. Who advised not to kill, they were so civilized that "Kill him first." So this is the proof. Why he said, "Thou shall not kill"? That means the society was so ravaged that they're killing one another.

Rāmeśvara: It was their sport to see men fight each other until one of them was killed. Their wrestling was based on fighting until someone was killed.

Gargamuni: They would take Christians and put them in the arena.

Rāmeśvara: That was their sport, entertainment, just like wrestling in India, but in the Middle East in Roman times the wrestling was fought until somebody had to be killed. That was their entertainment.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: That is my duty. You are trying to brain, my brainwash; I am trying yours. That is going on. That is the tussle. You are trying your best. It is a wrestling. You are trying your strength; I am trying my strength. That is... Otherwise where there is fight? There is no question of fight. You don't agree with me; I don't agree with you. You have got right to not agree with me; I have got right not to agree with you. Now let us settle.

Evening Darsana -- May 15, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: If you practice muṣṭika, naturally you become very stout and strong. There are many wrestlers. They have got very strong body. But yoga does not mean that. Yoga means to find out the antaryāmī, Paramātmā, within the core of the heart.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Then Tṛṇāvarta, big, big yuddha. Then Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Śakaṭāsura, this asura, this asura, that asura, in childhood, in Vṛndāvana, so many. Then, when He went to Mathurā, big, big elephant, big, big wrestler. Then Kaṁsa. Then, after Kaṁsa, then Jarāsandha, Pauṇḍraka, then kidnapping His wives. Fighting, only fighting. And these rascals say, "I do not like this Kṛṣṇa." You have heard that? He is creating his own Kṛṣṇa, this Gandhi.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- London 16 November, 1969:

Krishna is giving you gradually more and more strength to serve Him. Just like a wrestler, simply by practicing wrestling amongst friends, gradually becomes stronger and the body is built up very nicely, Krishna Consciousness is exactly like that: The more you serve Krishna, the more you get better strength to serve Him.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Jayapataka -- Philadelphia 14 July, 1975:

The Gurukula and poor feeding programs should be developed and it will make us very popular. The wrestling is all right. The program for Nitai Cand to visit the villages and preach and make men join is very good.