nanda-gopadayo gopa

 bhoja-raja-samahutah

niveditopayanas ta

 ekasmin mañca avisan

 

Translation: 

 

Nanda Maharaja and the other cowherds, summoned by the King of the Bhojas, presented him with their offerings and then took their seats in one of the galleries.

 

Purport: 

 

According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti, the word samahutah indicates that King Kamsa respectfully called the leaders of Vraja forward so that they could make their offerings to the central government. According to the acarya, Kamsa assured Nanda as follows: “My dear King of Vraja, you are the most important of my village rulers. Yet even though you have come to Mathura from your cowherd village, you have not come to visit me. Is that because you are frightened? Don’t think that your two sons are bad because They broke the bow. I invited Them here because I heard They were extremely powerful, and I’ve arranged this wrestling match as a test of Their strength. So please come forward without hesitation. Don’t be afraid.”

 

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti further states that Nanda Maharaja noticed his two sons were not present. Apparently, out of disrespect for King Kamsa’s order, They had taken the morning off and gone elsewhere.

 

Thus Kamsa delegated some cowherd men to go look for Them and advise Them to behave properly and come back to the wrestling arena. The acarya also states that the reason Nanda and the other cowherd men sat in the galleries was that they could not find any sitting places on the royal dais.

 

Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to the Tenth Canto, Forty-second Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “The Breaking of the Sacrificial Bow.”