Harivamsha 87

English (machine translation) 87

Language: English

87.1

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: / At that very time, the powerful Jarāsaṃdha / urged kings [to assemble], wishing to please the king of Cedi.

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The king showed courtesy appropriately and fitly.

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The ruler of Magadha proclaimed the wedding of Śiśupāla.

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The entire royal harem was eager for the wedding.

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"On the morrow will be the wedding of the king of Cedi," [he said]; and the lords of earth

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were to assemble in readiness, according to their means and rank.

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King Śiśupāla too, adorned in bridegroom's attire,

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observed the vows then together with princes equal to himself.

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For it was told that the marriage of King Śiśupāla, adorned with gold, / was to take place with Bhīṣmaka's daughter, Rukmiṇī.

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Suvaktra, the son of Dantavaktra of boundless splendor, / equal to thousand-eyed Indra in battle and skilled in illusions;

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likewise the mighty son of Pauṇḍra Vāsudeva, / Sudeva, endowed with heroism, lord of an independent akṣauhiṇī;

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and the heroic, mighty son of Ekalavya; / the son of the Pāṇḍya king, and the ruler of Kaliṅga;

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King Veṇudāri, who had been displeased by Kṛṣṇa; / Aṃśumat, Krātha, and Śrutarvan, O descendant of Bharata;

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Nikṛttaśatru, the king of Kāliṅga, and the ruler of Gāndhāra; / the mighty-armed Paṭuśa, and the ruler of Kāśī;

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all the Dhārtarāṣṭras of great strength, worthy of the royal assembly;

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Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and the Bāhlikas with their people;

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all those Saṃśaptakas, the Āsyandas, and the Yavanas;

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the son of Yavana, Ārṣāyaṇa, and the Śakas;

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Svabhāva, Candrahāsa, and other Pārasīkas;

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Virāṭa, Drupada, Jayadratha, and Vidūratha;

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Bhagadatta of great armies, Śala, and the mighty Śālva;

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Bhūriśravas of the great army, and the valorous Kuntibhoja,

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with followers amounting to seventy-seven akṣauhiṇīs,

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arrived for the self-choice at the dwelling of the Bhoja king.

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Joining his hands in reverence, Śaṅkha bowed to the ground in humility
and petitioned Kṛṣṇa just as he would Vaiśravaṇa:

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Vaiśaṃpāyana said:
The royal seer of the Yādavas had a son named Vidarbha,
who settled the Vidarbhas on the southern flank of the Vindhya.

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His sons, foremost of whom were Kratha and Kaiśika, were mighty,
endowed with valor, kings who founded separate lineages.

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In the lineage of that Bhīma, O king, were born the Vṛṣṇis;
and in the line of Kratha was born Aṃśumat, but in Kaiśika's line was Bhīṣmaka,

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whom people called Hiraṇyaloman, ruler of the south,
the king who, residing in Kuṇḍina, ruled the quarter guarded by Agastya.
To him was born a son, Rukmin, and Rukmiṇī, O lord of the people.

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Mighty Rukmin obtained divine weapons from Druma,
and likewise obtained the weapon of Brahman from Rāma Jāmadagnya;
he constantly competed with Kṛṣṇa of marvelous deeds.

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Rukmiṇī, O king, was peerless on earth in beauty;
endowed with great splendor, Vāsudeva desired her merely from hearing [of her].

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And Janārdana was desired by her merely from hearing [of him]:
'Endowed with radiance, valor, and strength, may he become my husband!'

Yet out of hatred mighty Rukmin would not give her to Kṛṣṇa—
because of his grief over the slaying of Kaṃsa—to Kṛṣṇa of boundless splendor,
when he asked for her, thinking: 'He was a servant of Kaṃsa.'

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King Jarāsaṃdha, on behalf of Sunītha, the king of Cedi,
sought her from Bhīṣmaka of terrible prowess.

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For Vasu, king of Cedi, had a son, Bṛhadratha,
by whom Girivraja was formerly built in Magadha.

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In his lineage was born the mighty Jarāsaṃdha;
and in the lineage of that same Vasu was Damaghoṣa, king of Cedi.

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To Damaghoṣa five sons of terrible valor
were born of Śrutaśravas, the sister of Vasudeva:

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Śiśupāla, Daśagrīva, Raibhya, and the strong Upadiśa—
heroes skilled in all weapons, valorous and mighty.

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He gave his son Sunītha to a kinsman of the same lineage;
from his descent were born many scions of royal lines.
Damaghoṣa was mighty, O best of kings, to Jarāsaṃdha;
Jarāsaṃdha looked upon him as his own son and protected him.

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Placing the mighty Jarāsaṃdha, the enemy of the Vṛṣṇis, at his front,
offenses against the Vṛṣṇis were committed by the king of Cedi, who sought his favor.

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Kaṃsa was his son-in-law, and when he was slain in battle,
enmity arose between Jarāsaṃdha and the Vṛṣṇis on account of Kṛṣṇa.

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He then asked Bhīṣmaka for Rukmiṇī on behalf of Sunītha,
and valorous Bhīṣmaka gave her to Śiśupāla.

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Then, taking the king of Cedi with him, King Jarāsaṃdha
marched to the Vidarbhas, accompanied by Dantavaktra as he went.

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He was followed by the wise Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva,
that mighty lord of the Aṅgas, Vaṅgas, and Kaliṅgas.

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Wishing to honor them, Rukmin went forth to meet the kings,
and, accompanied by supreme hospitality, led them to the city.

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And for the pleasure of their father's sister, both Rāma and Kṛṣṇa,
as well as other Vṛṣṇis, set out there in chariots, accompanied by their forces.

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Seeing that they had all arrived, with Vāsudeva at their head,

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the lord of the Krathas and Kaiśikas received them properly
and honored those worthy of honor, and they lodged outside.

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And Bhīṣmaka settled them all outside the city,

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while Jarāsaṃdha, their noble enemy, was staying [there].

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And provisions for the wedding were gathered from every quarter.

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Conches and kettle-drums resounded on all sides then,

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and brahmins arrived from various quarters as well,

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and decorated banners were raised everywhere.

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With the wedding to take place on the morrow, the auspicious Rukmiṇī
went outside in a four-horse chariot to the temple of Indra,

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surrounded by a host of a hundred thousand maidservants.

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To worship Ambikā, she went on foot in accordance with custom,

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about to revere Indrāṇī, having performed the auspicious wedding rites,
with a radiant body, surrounded by a great escort.

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'May Keśava be my husband, may no one else be!'—

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keeping this firmly in mind, she stood with hands cupped filled with flowers.

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Then Kṛṣṇa saw her standing, like Lakṣmī herself embodied,
endowed with supreme beauty near the temple of the deity,

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like a blazing flame of fire, like [divine] illusion come to earth,
like the profound Earth risen up from the surface of the ground,

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like a gentle ray of the moon taking the form of a woman on earth,
like supreme Śrī without her lotus, destined to be the companion of Śrī,
perceived in mind by Kṛṣṇa, difficult to behold even for the gods.

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She was dark and radiant, with wide and charming, long eyes,
with reddish lips and corners of the eyes, and full thighs, hips, and breasts,

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tall, charming in every limb, slender, with a face like the moon,
with reddish, elevated nails, lovely eyebrows, and dark curling hair,
exceedingly lovely in form, with plump hips and breasts,
adorned with sharp, white, even, shining teeth.

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A woman unequaled in the world for beauty, renown, and splendor,
was the goddess-like Rukmiṇī embodied, dressed in white silk.

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Seeing her of auspicious appearance, the desire of Kṛṣṇa increased
like the flame of a fire with clarified butter, fixing his mind on her.

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And the lady Rukmiṇī then beheld Kṛṣṇa, the lord.

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And seeing Kṛṣṇa standing there, the lady thought:

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'This is that Viṣṇu, Lord of the Universe, in visible form, the skillful younger brother of Rāma.

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May the discus and the conch ever adorn both his arms,

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those two that constantly tear apart the Daityas and Dānavas!

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The Śārṅga bow that rests in his hand terrifies Daityas and Dānavas;

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the great bow of Hari ever shines, renowned throughout the world.

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Relying on him, the divine club ever called Kaumodakī,

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dreadful slayer of Daityas and Dānavas, rests upon his arm.

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Relying upon whose command, the sword named Nandaka

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slays enemies of great valor, unendurable even to the gods.

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May his mount be Garutmān, the foremost of birds, for Viṣṇu,

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who, having conquered Śakra and the other gods, carried off the supreme nectar!'

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This is Viṣṇu himself, the Guru, adorned in the attire of a cowherd,

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who sported at his pleasure upon the heavy breasts of the cowherd women;

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who, as Hari, then danced in the pool of that Yamunā,

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and crushed therein Kāliya, garlanded with flames of venomous fire;

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who held up Mount Govardhana with a single arm,

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as effortlessly, that Lord of the World, as a boy [holds] a ball.

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This is that lotus-eyed one who slew the horse [Keśin];

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and who, having slain Cāṇūra and mighty Kaṃsa in battle,

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danced in the arena, Govinda, together with the cowherds and Yādavas.

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This is that foremost of the Yādavas, with eyes like lotus filaments,

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dark and radiant, glorious, Indra’s younger brother in person, skillful,

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young, accomplished, the ancient self, lotus-eyed, resplendent as a lotus.

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This very Lord of the World, the Yādava, has come to me here today.

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I shall bear the lotus of his feet, without a doubt;

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I will offer service unto his two lotus-like feet.”

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Having reflected thus, she then made obeisance to Śacī.

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Keśava, possessed of immense strength, having resolved with Rāma / and having entrusted [the matter] to the Vṛṣṇis, set his mind on abducting her.

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When the rites to the deity were done, as she stepped out of the temple, / Kṛṣṇa seized her swiftly and carried her off to his supreme chariot.

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Uprooting a tree, Rāma too struck down the oncoming foes; / learning of it, the Dāśārhas put on armor on every side.

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With chariots of varied designs bearing high-raised great banners, / with steeds and with elephants, they surrounded the plow-armed one.

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Taking Rukmiṇī, Kṛṣṇa went swiftly towards the city, / the valorous one having cast that burden upon Rāma and Yuyudhāna,

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and upon Akrūra, Vipṛthu, Gada, Kṛtavarman, / Cakradeva, Sunakṣatra, and mighty Sāraṇa,

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upon Nivṛttaśatru, valiant Bhaṅgakāra, Vidūratha, / Ugrasena’s son Kaṅka, and Śatadyumna—Keśava,

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upon Rājādhideva, Mṛdara, Prasena, Citraka, / Atidānta, Bṛhaddurga, Śvaphalka, Citraka, and Pṛthu,

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and upon other foremost chiefs among the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas; / having entrusted that heavy burden [to them], Madhusūdana departed toward Dvāravatī.

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And then all the Yādavas took their stand for battle.

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Dantavaktra, Jarāsaṃdha, and the valorous Śiśupāla, / armored, marched forth in fury, eager to kill Janārdana.

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Together with the Aṅgas, Vaṅgas, Kaliṅgas, and the Pauṇḍras, the valorous / King of Cedi marched forth with his brothers, great chariot-warriors.

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“Where is Vāsudeva, and where are those cowherds?

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Where indeed is the king of those born in Yadu’s race?

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Where indeed is Rāma, reviled for his drunken madness?

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Where indeed is Sātyaki, the hero in battle?”

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Speaking thus, the best of kings then,

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ready for battle with their forces, united with the Magadhas,

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felling [foes] in battle with arrows and swords,

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those great chariot-warriors of terrible valor marched forth.

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Vaiśaṃpāyana said: / Then, O great king, in the army of the high-souled king of Magadha,

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conches and kettledrums sounded, announcing the battle.

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And the Yādavas, O great king, blew their conches one by one,

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and on every side the sounds of kettledrums, mṛdaṅgas, and cymbals

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arose within the gathered army of the Yadus.

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Then battle was joined between the two armies.

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Facing Jarāsaṃdha stood the renowned Vṛṣṇis;

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those fierce Vṛṣṇi heroes, great chariot-warriors, met them, / placing Saṃkarṣaṇa at their head, as the Maruts do Vāsava.

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As mighty Jarāsaṃdha rushed forward with great speed, / Yuyudhāna pierced him with six iron arrows in that great combat.

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Akrūra pierced Dantavaktra with nine shafts, / and the king of Karūṣa pierced him in return with ten swift arrows.

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Vipṛthu pierced Śiśupāla with seven shafts; / the glorious Śiśupāla pierced him in return with eight.

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Gaveṣaṇa pierced the Caidya with six arrows, / Anirdānta likewise with eight, and Bṛhaddurga with five.

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The Caidya pierced them back with five arrows each, / and with four shafts he slew the four horses of Vipṛthu.

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With a broad-headed arrow the foe-slayer severed Bṛhaddurga's head, / and sent Gaveṣaṇa's charioteer to Yama's abode.

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Leaving behind the chariot whose horses were slain, mighty Vipṛthu, / full of valor, swiftly mounted Bṛhaddurga's chariot.

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And Vipṛthu's charioteer, having quickly mounted Gaveṣaṇa's chariot, / undertook to rein in the swift horses.

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Enraged, those archers with quivers showered Sunītha / with a rain of arrows as he danced along the chariot-tracks.

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Cakradeva pierced Dantavaktra in the chest with a barbed arrow, / and pierced Paṭuśa in battle with twenty-five shafts.

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Pierced by both of them with ten sharp arrows cutting into vital spots, / the strong warrior then pierced Cakradeva with ten arrows;

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and from near at hand he also pierced Vidūratha with five shafts; / Vidūratha too pierced him in battle with six sharp arrows.

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Dantavaktra also pierced the illustrious Vidūratha;

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the strong one struck back at that mighty warrior with thirty arrows. / Kṛtavarman pierced the prince in the fight with three shafts;

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he slew his charioteer and cut down his raised standard. / Enraged, the Pauṇḍra pierced him in return with six iron-tipped shafts,

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and severed his bow with a broad-headed arrow of long joints. / Nivṛttaśatru pierced the Kaliṅga with sharpened shafts, / and the king of Kaliṅga pierced him through the shoulder region with a javelin.

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The heroic Kaṅka, approaching on his elephant the elephant of the [king of] Aṅga,
pierced [the king of] Aṅga with a javelin, and [the king of] Aṅga pierced him with arrows.

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And Citraka, Śvaphalka, and the great chariot warrior Satyaka
likewise pierced the army of Kaliṅga with sharp iron arrows.

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With an uprooted tree cast in battle, the enraged Rāma
slew the elephant of the king of Vaṅga, and the king of Vaṅga in the combat.

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Having slain him and mounted a chariot, the valorous Saṃkarṣaṇa,
taking up his bow, struck down many Kaiśikas with terrible iron arrows.

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The valorous one, having slain six Kārūṣa great archers,
the enraged great chariot warrior struck down a hundred Magadhas.
Having slain them, the mighty-armed one then advanced against Jarāsaṃdha.

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As he rushed forward, the king of Magadha pierced him with three iron arrows.
Enraged, the club-armed hero pierced him with eight iron arrows,
and sliced off his gem-adorned standard with a crescent-headed shaft,

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and the plow-armed hero [sliced off] with arrows his great drawn bow.

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And he smashed his chariot into pieces as small as sesame seeds, O great king.

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His bow severed, deprived of his chariot, the king of Magadha, seizing a mace,

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pierced Balabhadra and struck him repeatedly.

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And with his mace the king of Magadha crushed his chariot.

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Leaping down from that chariot as it fell, the plow-armed hero

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went to the chariot of Sātyaki in full view of all the kṣatriyas.

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Then Sātyaki, O great king, pierced the king of Magadha with arrows.

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Baladeva, O great king, having quickly grasped a mace,

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struck the king of Magadha in battle, as Hari [struck] a mountain with a thunderbolt.

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Fierce was that battle of theirs, resembling that of gods and asuras,
uncontrollable with arrows alone, like the crashing surge of the great ocean,
as they showered volleys of arrows, slaying one another.

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Enraged elephants clashed by the thousands with elephants,
and furious chariots with chariots, and horsemen with horsemen.

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Foot soldiers, holding javelins, shields, and swords,
severing the heads of other foot soldiers, traversed the battle on every side.

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A great noise of swords falling upon armor was heard,
and the sound of falling arrows was like that of birds.

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The roar of weapons and the bowstring twang of the great-souled ones
drowned out the sound of kettledrums, conches, mṛdaṅgas, and flutes in the fight.