Dashakam 083 Poundarika Vadam

Poundrika Vadam, also called Paundraka Vadh, is described in Narayaneeyam Dasakam 83. In this section, Paundraka was a king who foolishly considered himself as Vasudeva (Krishna) due to flattery by his supporters. He sent a messenger to Krishna claiming the divine symbols like the conch and discus belonged to him and commanded Krishna to surrender them.

Krishna responded by confronting Paundraka with his Yadava army. Paundraka, boasting divine ornaments and carrying a false Sudarshana Chakra made of iron, challenged Krishna. In battle, Krishna used his true Sudarshana Chakra and killed Paundraka, destroying his army. The episode is a lesson that Paundraka was deluded but attained Moksha (liberation) because he thought of the true Vasudeva throughout his life.

This episode reflects a clash between true divine power and false ego claiming the divine identity, and it is narrated poignantly in the Sanskrit verses of Narayaneeyam emphasizing the grace and victory of Lord Krishna over the impostor Paundraka. The story also includes the involvement of Balarama at Gokula and the war with Paundraka at Kashi (Varanasi) region.

The detailed Sanskrit verses of Dasakam 83 from Narayaneeyam provide a devotional and poetic narrative of this incident involving Poundrika Vadam (Paundraka Vadh) and Krishna's victorious retribution against the false claimant to divine status

Namaskarams and Dhanyavadaha to Smt Savithri Ramesh and Smt Asha Murarka for their help.