Harivamsha 91

English (machine translation) 91

Language: English

91.1

Janamejaya said:
Having returned to Dvārakā after Rukmin was slain, what the mighty,
long-armed Viṣṇu did—tell me that, O great sage.

91.2

Vaiśaṃpāyana said:
Surrounded by them, going to the city, the delighter of all the Yadavas,
the lord Viṣṇu, the heroic one, inspected Dvārakā.

91.3

He acquired various gems and treasures,
and the lotus-eyed one rewarded the southwest quarters appropriately.

91.4

The sons of Diti along with the dānavas were creating obstacles there;
the long-armed one slew those great asuras who had been granted boons.

91.5

A dānava named Naraka was causing an obstacle to him there,
a terror to the hosts of gods, the great enemy of the king of gods.

91.6

He shone, dwelling in embodied form, harassing all the deities; / he then worked against seers and humans.

91.7

Then Bhauma went to Tvaṣṭṛ’s daughter, Kaśerū; / in the form of an elephant, he seized the lovely-limbed fourteen-year-old.

91.8

Having overpowered that woman of lovely hips, Naraka then spoke these words— / the lord of Prāgjyotiṣa, his sorrow and fear lost out of delusion:

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"Whatever various jewels exist among gods and humans, / whatever the whole earth bears, and whatever wealth is in the oceans,

91.10

From this day forward, all the Nairṛtas together, / and the Daityas along with the Dānavas, shall bring them here for me alone."

91.11

Thus Bhauma then seized supreme jewels and various garments, / and yet he was not satisfied with that.

91.12

Powerful Naraka seized whatever daughters belonged to the gandharvas, / and those of gods and humans, and the seven troops of apsarases—

91.13

Fourteen thousand and twenty-one hundred [women], / all wearing a single braid, devoted to the path of the virtuous.

91.14

For them the noble-minded Bhauma had an excellent city built on Mount Maṇi, / in Alakā, toward the realm of Mura.

91.15

And the lord of Prāgjyotiṣa, the ten sons of Mura, / and the Nairṛtas, according to their rank, guard and attend upon them.

91.16

That very great asura, having received boons beyond the darkness, / attacked Aditi for the sake of her earrings—that great asura.

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Those two auspicious earrings that existed among gods and humans—

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Never before had all the troops of asuras together performed / that terrible deed which the great asura did then.

91.18

He whom the goddess Earth brought forth, whose city was Prāgjyotiṣa, / had four border-guards intoxicated with battle:

91.19

Hayagrīva, Nisunda, the heroic Pañcajana, / and Mura with thousands of sons, a great asura who had received boons.

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That asura, insolent with arrogance, attacked Aditi.

91.20

Having blocked the path to the Way of the Gods, he stood fast, / terrifying the virtuous together with monstrous rākṣasas.

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For the sake of his slaying, the mighty-armed Janārdana, wielding conch, discus, mace, and sword, / was born among the Vṛṣṇis to Devakī from Vasudeva.

91.22

Then, for that lord of men of renowned splendor in the world, / Dvārakā was provided as a dwelling by the gods through an expedient.

91.23

The city of Dvārakā is indeed exceedingly delightful, resembling the abode of Vāsava, / enclosed by the great ocean and adorned by five mountains.

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It was built by Viśvakarman for that very god of gods.

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In it, resembling the city of the gods, was an assembly hall with golden archways / renowned as Sudāśārhī, extending ten thousand yojanas.

91.25

There all the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas, led by Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, / sit protecting this entire worldly order.

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They all sat there then, contemplating the slaying of Naraka.

91.26

As they were all seated there once, O bull of the Bharatas, / a divine-scented wind blew and a shower of flowers fell.

91.27

Then a joyous clamor, enveloped in a network of radiance, / hung for a moment in the intermediate space and then came to rest on the ground.

91.28

In the midst of that radiance, mounted upon a white elephant, / surrounded by all the hosts of gods, Vāsava was seen,

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Afflicted by Naraka in battle, accompanied by the world guardians,

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Desiring protection from the Lord of the World, the renowned Yādava,

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And likewise the slaying of the evil-natured Naraka by Viṣṇu.

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When the slayer of Vṛtra had arrived, afflicted by the foremost Dānavas,

91.29

Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and the king, together with the troops of Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas, / went out to meet the great-souled lord of the gods, honoring him.

Quickly dismounting from his elephant and embracing Janārdana, / he embraced Baladeva, the king Āhuka, / and Pradyumna, the son of that god of gods, endowed with great splendor; / and he embraced the other Vṛṣṇis according to their status and their age.

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Honored by Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, he entered the auspicious assembly hall; / having adorned a seat there in that hall, the lord of the gods / received the customary homage of arghya and other rites according to rule.

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With arghya and other offerings, O king, and with the madhuparka offering, the slayer of Vṛtra—

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The lord of Śacī was given a seat equal to himself.

91.32

Then Vāsava of great splendor spoke to the younger brother of Vāsava, / touching his auspicious face soothingly with his hand:

91.33

"O son of Devakī, O crusher of Madhu, hear my words, / the purpose for which I have come to you today, O tormentor of foes!

91.34

The Nairṛta named Naraka, arrogant from Brahmā's boon, / harasses us world guardians on all sides, O Hṛṣīkeśa. / Leaving the ranks of heaven, we have quickly fled into all directions. / Out of delusion, the son of Diti has stolen the earrings of Aditi.

91.35

He is always engaged in what is displeasing to the gods and the seers. / I am unable to conquer him; therefore I have taken refuge in you. / Awaiting your opportunity, slay that evil person!

91.36

This Garuḍa, moving at will, will bring you there— / he who has strength at will, very splendid, the son of Vinatā who moves in the sky.

91.37

That asura, Naraka, born of the earth, cannot be killed by any creature. / Having slain that wicked one, you should quickly return."

91.38

Addressed thus by the king of the gods, lotus-eyed Keśava, / mighty-armed, pledged the destruction of Naraka.

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Keśava, the slayer of Keśin, spoke this to Śakra:

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"For this very purpose sages of strict vows have come here;

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Dwellers of Badarī, O Śakra, departed after speaking to me, O Hari.

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And freedom from fear was granted to them by me, O god, O Śatakratu.

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For that purpose, O god, I am prepared to slay that Dānava in battle.

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For that purpose, O god, Garuḍa, the foremost of birds, has arrived,

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Assuming forms at will, highly splendid, the son of Vinatā who travels in the sky."

91.39

Then, along with Śakra, Keśava, wielding conch, discus, mace, and sword, / set out indeed for the slaying of Naraka; / he departed on Garuḍa, with Satyabhāmā as his companion.

91.40

In succession, the powerful one, accompanied by Vāsava, mounted up beyond / the seven courses of the Maruts as the lions of the Yadus watched.

91.41

Śakra mounted on the lord of elephants and Janārdana mounted on Garuḍa, / seen at a distance, shone like the sun and the moon.

91.42

Then Mādhava, praised in the sky by gandharvas / and apsarases just like Śakra, gradually vanished from sight.

91.43

Having resolved on what was to be done, Vāsava, lord of the gods, / departed to his own dwelling, while Kṛṣṇa went to Prāgjyotiṣa.

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Then the wind, struck by the draft of [Garuḍa’s] wings, blew in reverse.

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Then sky-roamers wandered about amid clouds of fearsome roar.

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Indeed, mounted on the sky-goer, he reached the sky in an instant.

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And seeing them from afar, he advanced to where they stood.

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At the mountain gate he saw mounts consisting of elephants, horses, and chariots,

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the guards, O great king, of the evil-minded Naraka.

91.44

Having slain those foremost, mighty rākṣasa hosts of Naraka, / the lord of the gods of gods blew the loud-sounding Pāñcajanya; / and he saw six thousand razor-edged snares belonging to Mura.

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Vaiśaṃpāyana said: / The glorious one upon Garuḍa, bearing conch, discus, mace, and sword,

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possessing the form of a dark blue cloud, dressed in yellow garments, four-armed,

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his chest covered with a forest garland, his chest marked with the Śrīvatsa like the moon,

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his head crowned, radiant as the sun, like the moon accompanied by lightning,

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twanging his bowstring, a great sound was heard like the rumble of a thunderbolt.

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And the Dānava understood that Viṣṇu himself had arrived there in full.

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From anger, with eyes red as blood, Mura, shining like the End of Time and Death,

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rushed forward with speed, seizing his spear, that great asura.

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And he hurled the great spear adorned with diamond and gold.

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At that spear swooping down like a blazing great meteor,

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Janārdana fitted a gold-feathered arrow.

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Mighty Vāsudeva cut it in two with a razor-headed arrow;

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he severed the spear there, blazing like a mass of lightning.

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Again, with eyes red from fury, Mura seized a huge mace,

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with a sound like Indra’s thunderbolt hurled by Indra.

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Drawn to his ear, the best of gods released a crescent-headed arrow;

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he cut that gold-adorned mace right through the middle,

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and then with a broad-headed arrow severed the Dānava's head in battle.

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Keśava slew all the host of piśācas in the fight,

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a hundred thousand and one hundred million belonging to the evil-minded Mura.

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Having cut through all those snares, he came into combat with Mura.

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That Dānava Mura, O king, saw the delight of the Yadus;

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then he let out a lion’s roar and struck him with a mace.

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And the great asura struck Garuḍa upon the head;

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he battered Keśava with darts, spears, double-edged swords, and javelins.

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Then, enraged, Hṛṣīkeśa took off his head with a razor-headed arrow.

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Hari then blew his conch over that chief of Dānavas.

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And all the Dānavas and mountains were shaken by that sound.

91.45

Severing all those snares, slaying Mura along with his kin, / overcoming masses of rocks, he crushed Nisunda. / […] the blessed son of Devakī. / He saw the Dānava army […], / and Hayagrīva the son of Diti, as well as other warriors of diverse prowess. / With his own army, the mighty one blocked the path. / Nisunda, foremost among the strong, quickly mounted his chariot, / and seized a divine bow, gold-backed and difficult to withstand. / Nisunda pierced Madhusūdana with ten arrows, / and Keśava pierced [him] in turn with seventy sharp arrows; / and Mādhava severed those arrows before they reached him in mid-air. / All those soldiers surrounded Kṛṣṇa on every side. / Covered by a great net of arrows, that best of gods, / seeing all those Dānavas, Madhusūdana became enraged. / Then with the divine weapon Pārjanya, Janārdana / warded off that force with a great shower of arrows. / Striking them with five arrows each, and many of them one by one, / by the power of the Pārjanya [weapon] he struck them all in their vital spots. / Terrified with fear and broken in battle, those Dānavas fled. / Seeing his army routed, he stepped forth again into battle; / releasing showers of arrows, he enveloped Keśava. / Neither the sun shone in the battle, nor the sky, nor the ten directions; / Nisunda covered the one whose banner is Garuḍa with arrows. / The supreme Puruṣa seized the divine weapon named Sāvitra; / with that arrow Hari severed those arrows in battle. / Having cut down arrows with arrows, mighty Kṛṣṇa / felled the parasol with one arrow, the chariot-pole with three arrows, / and severed those four horses with four arrows. / He severed the charioteer with five arrows and the standard with one; / then with one very sharp and keen arrow, / with a broad-headed shaft, the best of gods cut off Nisunda's head. / That great daitya died and fell down to the earth. / But as Nisunda, mace in hand, rushed forward onto the battlefield, / Keśava then pierced him with arrows released from the Śārṅga; / and Nisunda too, O great king, battered Hari with his mace. / Then Satyabhāmā, enraged, with a mace hurled from her arm, / struck that lord of Dānavas right before Keśava's eyes. / Then pleased, Hṛṣīkeśa looked upon Satyabhāmā. / Struck by that mace and vomiting much blood, / fainting and then regaining consciousness, Nisunda charged forward; / then enraged, Hṛṣīkeśa slew him with sharp-pointed arrows— / him who alone had crushed all the gods for a thousand years.

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Seeing Nisunda fallen, the radiant Hayagrīva,

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lifting a huge boulder, weighed it, that Dānava.

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Whirling the boulder with sudden force, he who was equal in splendor to a mountain,

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taking up the divine Pārjanya weapon, the best of those skilled in weapons—

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with the divine weapon, by its brilliance, Viṣṇu split the rock into seven pieces;

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cleaving that huge stone, he brought it down to the earth.

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Then, enraged, Hayagrīva placed a razor-headed arrow on his bow.

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Then, enraged, Hayagrīva seized another bow,

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and struck Keśava with various weapons in the battle.

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And Keśava severed that bow as well and made it fall.

91.46

Just like the war between the gods and the asuras, O bull of the Bharatas, / it proceeded terribly, crowded with various weapons.

91.47

Then with great multi-colored arrows released from the Śārṅga, / the mighty-armed one seated upon Garuḍa struck down the great asuras.

91.48

Pierced by his great ploughshare and struck down by arrows and sword, / the Dānavas perished there upon encountering Janārdana.

91.49

Some Dānavas, consumed by the fire of his discus, fell from the sky; / others, having come into close combat, had their faces distorted in death.

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Some were struck by Garuḍa's wings, their heads crushed;

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and others were thrown down to the earth by blows from the bow,

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and some by the slaps of the palms and strokes of the bird's wings.

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They unleashed showers of arrows, like rain clouds pouring down rain.

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With disfigured limbs, all the asuras were tormented by Kṛṣṇa's arrows;

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smeared with blood, they appeared like flowering kiṃśuka trees.

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Terrified, their weapons shattered, those diverse warriors fled.

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And once again, his eyes red with rage, with the speed of the wind, the Dānava,

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having climbed a tree, a forest lord ten fathoms tall,

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uprooted the tree with force, grasped it, and rushed forward.

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With great skill, that cloud-like demon hurled the immense tree;

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whirled by the wind of the tree’s momentum, a mighty roar was heard.

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Then, hastening with a thousand arrows, Janārdana

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cut it into many pieces resembling ornamental designs.

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And again, with a single arrow into Hayagrīva's chest,

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that arrow blazing like fire pierced between his breasts;

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entering with great speed, it cleft his heart and emerged.

91.50

He of boundless majesty, unconquerable, the joy of all the Yādavas, / slew that most terrible great asura Hayagrīva.

91.51

In the midst of the Lohitagaṅgā, the blessed son of Devakī, / the Puruṣottama, [slew] the evil Virūpākṣa in Alakā.

91.52

Having slain eight hundred thousand Dānavas, / that tiger among men, scorcher of foes, advanced upon Prāgjyotiṣa; / within the outer rampart, Puruṣottama struck them down. / 'O blessed one, I wish to hear this story at length! / Tell me, ascetic, how did Kṛṣṇa kill Naraka, / and that terrible great asura of Naraka, Pañcajana?'

Linked texts (1)

Harivaṃśa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit