Harivamsha 110

English (machine translation) 110

Language: English

110.1

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: / Then, amid the sounds of musical instruments and the great blasts of conches, / and by all the panegyrists, bards, and heralds by thousands:

110.1x1294-1

“Hail, hail, O Lord of the World! Hail, O wielder of the discus and mace!

110.1x1294-2

Hail, O abode of the three worlds! Hail, O essence of the entire universe!

110.1x1294-3

Hail, O you upon whose navel-born lotus sits the four-faced [Brahmā]!

110.1x1294-4

Hail, O you who illumine the three worlds with the rays of the Kaustubha jewel!

110.1x1294-5

Hail, O you whose pair of lotus feet rests on Śrī's lotus hand!

110.1x1294-6

Hail, O lord of all, residing in three abodes! Hail, O Grandfather of the world!

110.1x1294-7

Hail, O lord of sacrifice, O god! Hail, O teacher of the universe, O Hari!

110.1x1294-8

Hail, O you whose lotus hands shine with discus, mace, conch, and lotus!

110.1x1294-9

Hail, O you who raise a circle of a thousand arms with the Śārṅga and other weapons!

110.1x1294-10

Hail, O you who burned up the entire host of Asuras with the fire of your discus!

110.1x1294-11

Hail, O you whose lotus feet awaken the lotus of the yogi's mind!

110.1x1294-12

Hail, O Hari, within whose single foot the three worlds are merged!

110.1x1294-13

Hail, O cause of preservation, dissolution, and origin, the cause of everything!

110.1x1294-14

Hail, O Viṣṇu, O Hṛṣīkeśa! Conquer Bāṇa, the great Asura!”

110.2

Thus praised with benedictions of victory by men looking upward, / Hari assumed a form resembling the moon, sun, and Indra.

110.3

Exceedingly splendid was the form of Garuḍa as he prepared to fly up, / may you have good fortune, augmented by the splendour of Hari.

110.3x1295-1

Remembering and remembering that form of the bearer of conch, discus, and mace,

110.3x1295-2

we never, even today, reach satiation with Hari, O Govinda.

110.4

Then Kṛṣṇa, eight-armed, resembling a mountain in shape, / the lotus-eyed one shone forth, desiring the destruction of Bāṇa.

110.5

Sword, discus, mace, and arrows were held on his right side; / the shield, the Śārṅga bow, and the conch were on his left.

110.6

A thousand heads were displayed by the wielder of the Śārṅga bow, / while Saṃkarṣaṇa then bore a thousand bodies.

110.7

Equipped with white weapons, unconquerable, like peaked Kailāsa, / Rāma mounted Garuḍa like the rising moon.

110.8

The body of the noble Sanatkumāra became manifest / in the mighty-armed Pradyumna as he prepared to show his prowess in battle.

110.9

Shaking many mountains with the forceful flappings of his wings, / the powerful one went along his path, obstructing the wind.

110.10

Then Garuḍa, surpassing the speed of the wind, / descended along the auspicious path of the hosts of Siddhas and Cāraṇas.

110.11

Then Rāma spoke these words to Kṛṣṇa, peerless in battle: / “Kṛṣṇa, why have we been deprived of our natural splendour, as never before?

110.12

We all have turned gold-coloured, without a doubt; / tell us the truth of this: have we come to the side of Meru?”

110.13x1296-1

The Blessed One said: / “I think Bāṇa’s city is near, O subduer of enemies.

110.13x1296-2

For its protection, this fire has been stationed, perpetually blazing.

110.13

We have been struck by the brilliance of the Āhavanīya fire; / by it, this discoloration of ours has occurred, O Halāyudha.”

110.14

Rāma said: / “If we are nearby, and if we have lost our splendour, / then ordain by your own intellect what is beneficial next.”

110.15

The Blessed One said: / “Do you, O son of Vinatā, what is our next task; / when the arrangement has been made by you, I will do the rest.”

Hearing then these words of noble Keśava, / hearing indeed this speech of Vāsudeva, / the mighty one, assuming forms at will, made a thousand mouths; / the powerful son of Vinatā then swiftly approached the Gaṅgā.

110.16x1299-1

Plunging into the celestial Gaṅgā and drinking up much water,

110.16x1299-2

the majestic son of Vinatā, hovering above, rained it down;

110.16x1299-3

with that, the wise son of Vinatā extinguished the fire.

110.16x1299A

Taking it up with both wings, he poured down abundant water;

110.17

having taken the water, he drenched that fire there, / and the Āhavanīya fire then went out.

110.17x1300-1

Seeing that Āhavanīya extinguished by the celestial Gaṅgā,

110.17x1300-2

the fair-feathered bird was filled with supreme wonder and said:

110.17x1300-3

“Ah, the power of this fire, which would burn at the destruction of a yuga!

110.17x1301

It caused this very discoloration even of the wise Kṛṣṇa!

110.18

These three are sufficient for the three worlds, in my opinion: / Kṛṣṇa, Saṃkarṣaṇa, and mighty Pradyumna.”

110.19

Then, when the fire was extinguished, the king of birds set forth, / making a terrible, great noise with the forceful flaps of his wings.

110.20

Seeing them there, the fires, Rudra's attendants, / who had earlier been appointed by the trident-wielder to protect the city, / exceedingly enraged, illuminating the ten directions, thought and said: / ‘These terrible ones of various forms have mounted Garuḍa; / for what purpose have they arrived here, or who are these three persons?’

110.21

Those fires of Girivraja could reach no conclusion, / and they commenced battle with the three Yādavas.

110.21x1303-1

As they were engaged in combat, an enormous roar arose.

110.21x1303-2

And hearing that great roar, like roaring lions,

110.21x1303-3

the wise Aṅgiras then sent his servant:

110.21x1303-4

"Where that battle is taking place, go there without delay!"

110.22

Then ordered by Bāṇa, the servant swift as thought,
told: "Having seen all that, come back!" bowed and then hurried.

110.23

Saying "So be it," he watched that battle taking place,
of the fires engaged in great combat with Vāsudeva.

110.24

All those fires, Kalmāṣa and Khasṛma,
Dahana and Śoṣaṇa, and Tapana of great might—
five fires renowned in the domain of the svadhā-call.

110.25

Then other blessed fires, stationed with their own divisions,
were seen blazing in the great battle:
Paṭara, Pataga, Svarṇa, Agādha, and Bhrāja—
those five fires resting upon the svāhā-call also fought.

110.26

Moreover, two great-souled, highly radiant fires,
sharing the offering of the Jyotiṣṭoma and resting upon the vaṣaṭ-call, fought;
and between the two shone the lord Aṅgiras, the great seer,

110.26x1305

mounted upon a fiery chariot, raising a radiant trident.

110.27

Seeing Aṅgiras standing upon the chariot, Kṛṣṇa, the best of men,
spoke these words, smiling again and again:

110.28

"Stand firm, you fires! I shall strike terror into you!
Burned by the power of my weapon, wounded, you will scatter in all directions!"

110.29

Then Aṅgiras ran forward with his blazing trident,
as if to take Kṛṣṇa's life in the great combat out of wrath.

110.30

With supreme arrows, sharp crescent-headed shafts
resembling Death and the End, he cut down that blazing trident in battle.

110.31

And with the blazing Sthūṇākarṇa weapon, equal to Death,
the highly renowned one struck him in the chest; then he roared.

110.32

With his limbs flooded with streams of blood, the fire, as if reeling,
his limbs paralyzed, suddenly fell to the surface of the earth.

110.33

Then all four remaining fires, the sons of Brahmā,
quickly retreated toward Bāṇa's city nearby.

110.33x1306

Then Kṛṣṇa plunged toward where Bāṇa's city was.

110.33x1307-1

Vaiśaṃpāyana said:
Then, seeing Bāṇa's city from afar, Nārada said:

110.33x1307-2

"Look upon this Śoṇitapura, mighty-armed Kṛṣṇa!

110.33x1307-3

Here Rudra of great power dwelt with Rudrāṇī,

110.33x1307-4

and Guha, for the sake of protecting Bāṇa, constantly for the cause of safety."

110.33x1307-5

Hearing Nārada's word, Kṛṣṇa then said this:

110.33x1307-6

"Let them contemplate safety here, and listen, great sage:

110.33x1307-7

Even if Rudra descends for the protection of Bāṇa,

110.33x1307-8

we too shall fight with him according to our power here!"

110.33x1307-9

While Kṛṣṇa and Nārada were thus conversing there,

110.33x1307-10

they arrived in the twinkling of an eye because of Garuḍa's speed.

110.34

Then, bringing the conch to his mouth, the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa
blew it in battle, filling the directions with the sound;
he blew it with the speed of wind, like a cloud vomiting forth the moon.

110.35

Then, having blown that conch and instilled fear, the valorous Viṣṇu,
having conquered the fire-guards of Bāṇa's city,
Kṛṣṇa entered the city of Bāṇa, worker of wondrous deeds.

110.35x1310-1

Vaiśaṃpāyana [said]:
Then, reaching Bāṇa's city, Janārdana blew his conch.

110.35x1310-2

Then Balabhadra blew his matchless conch.

110.35x1310-3

And Pradyumna also, enraged, blew his matchless conch.

110.35x1310-4

With the wind of his wings, Garuḍa shook Bāṇa's army.

110.35x1310-5

And like the roar of the four oceans, O great king,

110.35x1310-6

a tumultuous sound arose toward Bāṇa's city.

110.36

Then, by the blast of conches and the great sounds of kettledrums,
Bāṇa's armies suddenly arrayed themselves on all sides.

110.37

Then that great servant army approached in battle,
in their tens of millions, in many ways, with blazing weapons.

110.38

Innumerable, gathered together, like a dense mass of great clouds,
resembling a heap of blue collyrium, immeasurable and inexhaustible.

110.39

Those Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas with blazing weapons,
and the chiefs of Pramātha hordes, met Kṛṣṇa and fought.

110.40

On all sides, by those with blazing faces, like fires with flames,
advancing fiercely, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, and Kiṃnaras
then drank the blood of all four in the battle.

110.41

Then mighty-armed Rāma spoke these words to Keśava;
having approached that army, Balabhadra of great might
spoke words destroying the strength of the enemy:
"Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, mighty-armed one! Strike great fear into them!"

110.42

Thus urged by the wise Balabhadra,
for their destruction the best of men, foremost of weapon-knowers, took up
the fire-weapon, equal in brilliance to Death and the End.

110.43

Having scattered the hordes of Asuras and flesh-eaters with the power of the weapon,
he marched with haste toward where that army was seen.

110.44

Armed with spears, axes, javelins, rṣṭis, Pināka bows, and iron clubs,
that army on the ground consisted mostly of Pramātha hordes.

110.45

Upon terrible mounts of varied forms, resembling mountains and clouds,
and with vetālas and piśācas devouring flesh,
all the warriors stood there in troops,
like clouds driven by the wind, like scattered mountains.

110.45x1314-1

It shone there with dense divisions in many formations,

110.45x1314-2

with maces, swords, tridents, clubs, and iron bludgeons.

110.45x1314-3

That countless army charged forward and shone on all sides.

110.45x1314-4

Then Saṃkarṣaṇa spoke to the god Madhusūdana.

110.46

Mounted on Garuḍa, seeing them, Rāma said to Kṛṣṇa:
"Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, mighty-armed one, this army that is seen—
with these I wish to fight in battle, best of men!"

110.46x1315

To Rāma who spoke thus, Kṛṣṇa said these words,

110.47

saying to him: "This same thought has arisen in me as well;
indeed, this desired wish was mine beforehand:
I would wish to encounter these [foes] mad for battle.

110.48

As I fight facing east, let Garuḍa be in front of me,
Pradyumna on my left flank, and you on my right."

110.49

"And we must protect each other in this terrible great battle."
Speaking thus to one another, they mounted the best of birds.

110.49x1317-1

Then he who bears the plow fought a great battle with his plow.

110.49x1317-2

Rāma slew ten thousand sons of Diti.

110.50

With his mace, pestle, and plow, which resembled mountain peaks, in battle,
the form of Rohiṇī's son then became dreadful as he fought,
like that of Time wishing to burn all beings at the end of a yuga.

110.51

Dragging them with the tip of his plow, he crushed them with his pestle;
exceedingly strong and skilled in the ways of battle, he ranged about the fight.

110.52

Pradyumna, that tiger among men, held back with volleys of arrows
those Dānavas on all sides as they fought by the thousands.

110.53

Resembling a heap of glossy collyrium, bearing the conch, discus, and mace,
Janārdana blew his conch repeatedly and fought.

110.54

The glorious son of Vinatā in the combat made the enemies
struck down by the blows of his wings and wounded by the tips of his beak and talons.

110.54x1318

They were dispatched to the presence of Vaivasvata by the wise son of Vinatā.

110.55

Slain by those warriors of terrible prowess and struck by showers of arrows,
the army of the Daityas then broke in the battle.

110.55x1319-1

Having defeated the army of servants, Hari, bowed to by the worlds,

110.55x1319-2

blew the great conch Pāñcajanya, which brought terror to the Daityas.

110.56

As the ranks were breaking, wishing to protect them, he approached.
In the meantime, O king, Nārada went away from the battle
to Kailāsa, which resembles Meru; seen by Rudra, he was honored,
and asked: "Why have you arrived here, O divine seer? Tell me that."
Then, laughing, the divine seer said to Rudra, O ruler of the earth:
"Bāṇa is being struck down, O god, by Kṛṣṇa and the plow-wielder.
Indeed, his whole army is broken and does not stand its ground.
Why do you stay unconcerned today? Your devotee is being afflicted!
Come to his aid, since you are subservient to your devotees!"
Hearing Nārada's words, Hara's lower lip quivered,
and he breathed out a sigh, O king, and a certain [being] came forth.
To him who asked Hara, "What shall I do?", the lord of ghosts said:
"Go quickly to Bāṇa's city; kill Kṛṣṇa and the plow-armed one!"
Saying "So be it," he too disappeared and went where Hari and the plow-wielder were.
Rudra, however, said to the Pramathas: "Get ready, O best of beings!
Go equipped with [...] having the peacock and the mouse as mounts.
Go there, O Nārada, and comfort Bāṇa, O lord!
'Behold me arrived for your sake, O best of Daityas;
I shall cause to be slain those two best of Yadus, who arrived here foolish in mind.'"
Saying "So be it," Nārada arrived and informed Bāṇa then;
the sky-wanderer went again to the side of Kṛṣṇa on Garuḍa.
Rudra then made the supreme preparation for departure.
And Fever, having arrived at the battle, saw the plow-wielder in the fight
slaying the Dānavas and Daiteyas; he approached to slay him,
Fever with three feet and three heads, then invincible in combat,

110.57

having ashes as his weapon, dreadful, like Time, Antaka, and Yama,
roaring with a sound equal to the crash of a thousand thunderclouds.

110.58

Furious at the plow-armed one, he spoke these insulting words:
"Why do you fight me, evil-minded one—me who am mighty and great in roar?
Why are you thus drunk with strength? Do you not see me in combat?
Stand, stand! You will not escape alive from me at the front of battle!"

110.59

Having spoken thus, laughing, he rushed at the plow-armed one,
inspiring terror with dreadful fists resembling the fires of the end of a yuga.

110.60

As he circled by the thousands in the clash,
because of the speed of Rohiṇī's son, no halting was seen.

110.60x1322

With his left arm, he threw ashes upon the chest of Bala.

110.61

The ashes then hurled by Fever of matchless power,
through swiftness, fell upon the mark—upon his mountain-like body.

110.62

Those ashes, reaching the peak of Meru that was his chest,
fell blazing and split that mountain peak.

110.63

With rage and from the ashes, Kṛṣṇa's elder brother blazed up,
sighing, yawning, his body repeatedly overcome by sleepiness,

110.64

his eyes wandering wildly again and again, trembling then,
his hair standing on end, his eyes languid, breathing as if distraught in mind.

110.65

Then the plow-bearer, maddened and bewildered, said to Kṛṣṇa:
"Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, strong-armed one, grantor of safety! I am set on fire;
I burn on all sides, dear brother! How may relief come to me?"

110.66

When these words were spoken, the plow-armed one was embraced
by Bala of immeasurable splendor.
Laughing, Kṛṣṇa, the best of strikers, spoke the words:
Saying, "Do not fear,"
he was freed from that burning heat by Kṛṣṇa out of the highest love.

110.66cdx1324

[He advanced] swiftly in battle against Fever to quell the ashes,

110.66x1325

having freed Bala there from the burning heat, Madhusūdana.

110.67

Extremely enraged, Vāsudeva then spoke to Fever;
Balabhadra had attained peace in battle then through Hṛṣīkeśa.
Keśava, having come between the two of them, stood ready for battle;
suddenly swinging his arm, he indeed said this to Fever:
"Come, come, Fever! Fight! Whatever strength you have in the great battle,
show that in combat against me, O you who are skilled in fighting!

Linked texts (1)

Harivaṃśa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit