Text 22
tathā kāśī-pateḥ kāyāc
chira utkṛtya patribhiḥ
nyapātayat kāśī-puryāṁ
padma-kośam ivānilaḥ
tathā — similarly; kāśī-pateḥ — of the King of Kāśī; kāyāt — from his body; śiraḥ — the head; utkṛtya — severing; patribhiḥ — with His arrows; nyapātayat — He sent it flying; kāśi-puryām — into the city of Kāśī; padma — of a lotus; kośam — the flower cup; iva — as; anilaḥ — the wind.
With His arrows, Lord Kṛṣṇa similarly severed Kāśirāja’s head from his body, sending it flying into Kāśī city like a lotus flower thrown by the wind.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains why Kṛṣṇa threw Kāśirāja’s head into the city: “As he went off to battle, the King of Kāśī had promised the citizens: ‘My dear residents of Kāśī, today I will bring the enemy’s head into the midst of the city. Have no doubt of this.’ The King’s sinful queens had also boasted to their maids-in-waiting: ‘Today our master will certainly bring the head of the Lord of Dvārakā.’ Therefore the Supreme Lord threw the King’s head into the city to astonish the inhabitants.”