Bhagavatapurana 10.42: atha dvicatvāriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

10.42.1

/0 śrī-śuka uvāca
atha vrajan rāja-pathena mādhavaḥ striyaṃ gṛhītāṅga-vilepa-bhājanām /
vilokya kubjāṃ yuvatīṃ varānanāṃ papraccha yāntīṃ prahasan rasa-pradaḥ //

Śuka said:
Then, walking along the royal highway, Mādhava, the bestower of aesthetic flavor, seeing a young hunchbacked woman with a beautiful face carrying a vessel of ointments, smiled and asked her as she walked along:

1. Sri Suka said:—Then passing forward by the royal street, Krishna saw a youthful but deformed damsel of handsome features pass with a vessel of unguents and, laughingly questioned her, for He is the giver of pleasure.

10.42.2

kā tvaṃ varorv etad u hānulepanaṃ kasyāṅgane vā kathayasva sādhu naḥ /
dehy āvayor aṅga-vilepam uttamaṃ śreyas tatas te na cirād bhaviṣyati //

“Who are you, O woman of lovely thighs? For whom is this ointment, O fair lady? Tell us truthfully;
give us the excellent ointment for our limbs, and supreme welfare will soon come to you.”

2. Who you? O beautiful wench, for whom is this cup of unguents intended, O damsel, tell us the truth, give us both some excellent unguents and some good will soon come to you out of it.

10.42.3

/0 sairandhry uvāca
dāsy asmy ahaṃ sundara kaṃsa-sammatā $ trivakra-nāmā hy anulepa-karmaṇi &
dāsy asmy ahaṃ sundara kaṃsa-sammatā $ trivakra-nāmā hy anulepa-karmaṇi &
mad-bhāvitaṃ bhoja-pater ati-priyaṃ % vinā yuvāṃ ko 'nyatamas tad arhati //

The maidservant said:
"I am a servant of Kaṃsa, favored by him, O handsome one, Trivakrā by name, in the service of ointments. / This preparation of mine is very dear to the king of the Bhojas; except for the two of you, who else could deserve it?"

3. The maid servant said:— I am an attendant, O beautiful youth liked by Kamsa, by name Trivakra, appointed to procure unguents: my mixture much pleases the king of Bhojas. Other than you both who else deserves it?

10.42.4

* //
rūpa-peśala-mādhurya hasitālāpa-vīkṣitaiḥ /
dharṣitātmā dadau sāndram ubhayor anulepanam //

Her heart captivated by their beauty, delicate grace, sweetness, smiles, words, and glances, / she gave a generous amount of ointment to both of them.

4. By their beauty, symmetry of form, amiability, smiles, sweet speech and looks, her heart was wholly charmed and she gave them both the unctuous unguents (to be used).

10.42.5

tatas tāv aṅga-rāgeṇa sva-varṇetara-śobhinā /
samprāpta-para-bhāgena śuśubhāte 'nurañjitau //

Then, anointed with that body ointment which set off their contrasting natural colors, / and attaining the ultimate contrast, the two of them shone resplendently.

5. Then They applied to their person the unguent which in colour shone by contrast with that of Their complexion and so decorated They appeared very charming with Their upper cloth with Their upper trunk exceedingly effulgent.

10.42.6

prasanno bhagavān kubjāṃ trivakrāṃ rucirānanām /
ṛjvīṃ kartuṃ manaś cakre darśayan darśane phalam //

Pleased, the Lord resolved to make the hunchbacked, lovely-faced Trivakrā straight, / demonstrating the fruit of beholding Him.

6. The Lord was pleased and thought of making that hump-backed girl of a handsome face, perfectly straight, thus showing (to the world) the gains resulting from a sight of Him.

10.42.7

padbhyām ākramya prapade dry-aṅguly-uttāna-pāṇinā /
pragṛhya cibuke 'dhyātmam udanīnamad acyutaḥ //

Stepping upon the front of her feet with His two feet, and taking her chin with His upturned hand using two fingers, / Acyuta raised her body upward.

7. With His feet He pressed down the edges of her feet

with the two fingers of His open palm raised upwards, held her chin and straightened her body up.

10.42.8

sā tadarju-samānāṅgī bṛhac-chroṇi-payodharā /
mukunda-sparśanāt sadyo babhūva pramadottamā //

Then, having straight and even limbs, with broad hips and breasts, / by the touch of Mukunda she instantly became the most excellent of women.

8. The very moment she became an excellent damsel at the touch of Mukunda, with her body erect and well-proportioned and with full hips and heaving breasts.

10.42.9

tato rūpa-guṇaudārya- sampannā prāha keśavam /
uttarīyāntam akṛṣya smayantī jāta-hṛc-chayā //

Endowed then with beauty, virtues, and elegance, / pulling the hem of His upper garment, she smiled, struck with desire, and spoke to Keśava:

9. Then possessed of the wealth of a handsome form and noble qualities she drew Him by the hem of His upper garment and smilingly said to Him thus:

10.42.10

ehi vīra gṛhaṃ yāmo na tvāṃ tyaktum ihotsahe /
tvayonmathita-cittāyāḥ prasīda puruṣarṣabha //

"Come, O hero, let us go to my house! I do not have the heart to leave You here. / Be gracious, O best of men, to me whose mind has been agitated by You!"

10. Come, O hero, let us go home. I cannot bear to leave Thee here, pray, be propitious, O Bull among men, unto me whose heart is overwhelmed by Thee.

10.42.11

evaṃ striyā yācyamānaḥ kṛṣṇo rāmasya paśyataḥ /
mukhaṃ vīkṣyānu gopānāṃ prahasaṃs tām uvāca ha //

Thus entreated by the woman, Kṛṣṇa, in the sight of Rāma / and looking at the face of the cowherds, laughed and said to her:

11. Thus solicited by the woman in the presence of Rāma, Kṛṣṇa looked at him and also at His companions, laughed and said to her.

10.42.12

eṣyāmi te gṛhaṃ su-bhru puṃsām ādhi-vikarśanam /
sādhitārtho 'gṛhāṇāṃ naḥ pānthānāṃ tvaṃ parāyaṇam //

"I will come to your home, O fair-browed one, which dispels the anxiety of men, / once my objective is accomplished. For us homeless wayfarers, you are the final refuge."

12. I shall, on accomplishing My purpose, go to thy house, handsome lady, which may relieve men of their anxiety; certainly thou art the one resort for homeless travellers like us.

10.42.13

visṛjya mādhvyā vāṇyā tām vrajan mārge vaṇik-pathaiḥ /
nānopāyana-tāmbūla- srag-gandhaiḥ sāgrajo 'rcitaḥ //

Dismissing her with sweet words, as He went along the road through the merchants' quarters, / He and His elder brother were honored with various offerings of betel nuts, garlands, and scents.

13. Having dismissed her away with sweet words and passing on through the streets of merchants, He with His elder brother was honoured by them with various presents, betel, nut, garlands and sandal.

10.42.14

tad-darśana-smara-kṣobhād ātmānaṃ nāvidan striyaḥ /
visrasta-vāsaḥ-kavara valayā lekhya-mūrtayaḥ //

Agitated with passion at the sight of Him, the women lost all awareness of themselves; / with garments, braids, and bracelets slipping down, they stood like painted figures.

14. Much agitated at heart by Smara (Cupid) at sight of the Lord, the women forgot themselves. Their garments, braids and bracelets got loosened and they stood like figures in a picture.

10.42.15

tataḥ paurān pṛcchamāno dhanuṣaḥ sthānam acyutaḥ /
tasmin praviṣṭo dadṛśe dhanur aindram ivādbhutam //

Then, inquiring of the city's residents about the place of the bow, Acyuta / entered it and beheld the bow, wondrous as Indra's own.

15. Then of the citizens Acyuta enquired where the bow-sacrifice was to be held and entering the place, saw what was wonderful like the rainbow.

10.42.16

puruṣair bahubhir guptam arcitaṃ paramarddhimat /
vāryamāṇo nṛbhiḥ kṛṣṇaḥ prasahya dhanur ādade //

Guarded by many men, worshiped, and splendidly decorated, / Kṛṣṇa seized the bow by force, despite being forbidden by the men.

16. It was guarded by many men; it was worshipped and adorned with valuable ornaments. Though prevented by the men, Kṛṣṇa took hold of it by force.

10.42.17

kareṇa vāmena sa-līlam uddhṛtaṃ sajyaṃ ca kṛtvā nimiṣeṇa paśyatām /
nṛṇāṃ vikṛṣya prababhañja madhyato yathekṣu-daṇḍaṃ mada-kary urukramaḥ //

Effortlessly lifting it with His left hand, stringing it in the blink of an eye before the watching eyes of the people, / and drawing it back, He of wide strides snapped it in the middle, just as a rutting elephant breaks a sugar cane.

17. Kṛṣṇa of immeasurable prowess sportfully with his left hand raised it, strung it in a minute, as the spectators looked on, drew it and broke it in the middle, just as a mad elephant breaks a sugarcane.

10.42.18

dhanuṣo bhajyamānasya śabdaḥ khaṃ rodasī diśaḥ /
pūrayām āsa yaṃ śrutvā kaṃsas trāsam upāgamat //

The sound of the bow breaking filled the sky, heaven and earth, and the directions; / hearing it, Kaṃsa was seized with terror.

18. The sound of the breaking bow filled the sky, the space

between the earth and the heavens, and all the cardinal points, and, hearing it Kamsa got affrighted.

10.42.19

tad-rakṣiṇaḥ sānucaraṃ kupitā ātatāyinaḥ /
gṛhītu-kāmā āvavrur gṛhyatāṃ vadhyatām iti //

Its enraged guards, treacherous men with their retinues, / seeking to capture [them], surrounded Him, shouting: "Seize Him! Kill Him!"

19. Its guards with their attendants, the enraged ruffians, eager to catch hold of Him, surrounded Him, saying, "Seize Him, Bind Him".

10.42.20

atha tān durabhiprāyān vilokya bala-keśavau /
kruddhau dhanvana ādāya śakale tāṃś ca jaghnatuḥ //

Then, seeing their evil intentions, Bala and Keśava / became angry, took up the two pieces of the bow, and struck them down.

20. Perceiving the evil-intentioned persons, Rama and Krishna became wroth, took up the two bits of the broken bow and beat them all.

10.42.21

balaṃ ca kaṃsa-prahitaṃ hatvā śālā-mukhāt tataḥ /
niṣkramya ceratur hṛṣṭau nirīkṣya pura-sampadaḥ //

Having slain the force sent by Kaṃsa, they emerged from the entrance of the arena / and wandered about delighted, admiring the splendors of the city.

21. Having also destroyed the forces sent by Kamsa, they issued out from the room of the bow, and went about the city gladly, observing its wealth and beauty.

10.42.22

tayos tad adbhutaṃ vīryaṃ niśāmya pura-vāsinaḥ /
tejaḥ prāgalbhyaṃ rūpaṃ ca menire vibudhottamau //

Witnessing their wondrous prowess, brilliance, boldness, and beauty, / the inhabitants of the city regarded them as the foremost of gods.

22. The citizens directly saw their wonderful prowess, splendour, enterprising spirit and beauty and regarded them as two foremost Gods.

10.42.23

tayor vicaratoḥ svairam ādityo 'stam upeyivān /
kṛṣṇa-rāmau vṛtau gopaiḥ purāc chakaṭam īyatuḥ //

As the two wandered at their pleasure, the sun set; / surrounded by the cowherds, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma went from the city to the carts.

23. When they were thus going about the city, as it listed them, the sun set; Krishna and Rama with gopas returned from the city to their camp (outside the city).

10.42.24

gopyo mukunda-vigame virahāturā yā āśāsatāśiṣa ṛtā madhu-pury abhūvan /
sampaśyatāṃ puruṣa-bhūṣaṇa-gātra-lakṣmīṃ hitvetarān nu bhajataś cakame 'yanaṃ śrīḥ //

The gopīs, who in distress of separation at Mukunda's departure had uttered blessings, had their hopes fulfilled in Mathurā; / for seeing the splendor of the limbs of Him who is the ornament of men, the goddess of fortune abandoned all others and desired Him as her sole refuge.

24. Those blessings which the Gopis of Vraja, sorry for separation, at the departure of Mukunda from it pronounced, proved facts in the city of Mathura, to those who, to their heart's content, saw the splendour of the personality of the most exalted Person, the ornament of all Purushas—(or the personal splendour), that Sri sought as her only resort, neglecting all others that waited on her.

10.42.25

avaniktāṅghri-yugalau bhuktvā kṣīropasecanam /
ūṣatus tāṃ sukhaṃ rātriṃ jñātvā kaṃsa-cikīrṣitam //

Having washed both their feet and eaten a meal of rice mixed with milk, / they passed that night in comfort, knowing what Kaṃsa intended to do.

25. They washed their feet, partook of milk and rice, and spent the night in perfect comfort, cognisant of what Kamsa wished to do (the next day.)

10.42.26

kaṃsas tu dhanuṣo bhaṅgaṃ rakṣiṇāṃ sva-balasya ca /
vadhaṃ niśamya govinda- rāma-vikrīḍitaṃ param //

Kaṃsa, however, having heard of the breaking of the bow and the slaying of the guards and his own army, / which was the supreme sport of Govinda and Rāma,

26 & 27. On the other hand, when told of the breaking of the bow and the slaughter of its guards and his own forces and the extra-ordinary sportful work of Govinda and Rama, the evil-minded Kamsa was filled with fear and lay sleepless all the long night. He read many portents both in his own self and in the external world, which were the messengers of Death.

10.42.27

dīrgha-prajāgaro bhīto durnimittāni durmatiḥ /
bahūny acaṣṭobhayathā mṛtyor dautya-karāṇi ca //

spent a long night sleepless with fear; the evil-minded one saw many bad omens / in both states, acting as messengers of death:

10.42.28

adarśanaṃ sva-śirasaḥ pratirūpe ca saty api /
asaty api dvitīye ca dvai-rūpyaṃ jyotiṣāṃ tathā //

not seeing one's own head even when the reflection was present, / and seeing double images of the luminaries even when there was no second;

28. In his own shadow he did not see his own head which visibly existed; though there was not the second, he saw the lights (luminaries) to be double.

10.42.29

chidra-pratītiś chāyāyāṃ prāṇa-ghoṣānupaśrutiḥ /
svarṇa-pratītir vṛkṣeṣu sva-padānām adarśanam //

the perception of holes in his shadow, failing to hear the sound of his breath, / the perception of trees as gold, and the failure to see his own footprints;

29. He saw holes in his shadow; he did not hear the sound of the vital breath (in his ears); he saw trees to be all gold and did not see his own foot-prints over the ground he walked.

10.42.30

svapne preta-pariṣvaṅgaḥ khara-yānaṃ viṣādanam /
yāyān nalada-māly ekas tailābhyakto dig-ambaraḥ //

in a dream, embracing a corpse, riding a donkey, eating poison, / and going alone, wearing a garland of spikenard, smeared with oil and stark naked.

30. & 31. In dreams he embraced dead bodies, rode on a donkey, drank poison; he saw that he was wandering alone wearing a garland of red flowers; and had anointed himself with oil and was naked. These and similar (many other) visions of the waking and dreaming states he had and afraid of death he had no sleep in his anxiety.

10.42.31

anyāni cetthaṃ-bhūtāni svapna-jāgaritāni ca /
paśyan maraṇa-santrasto nidrāṃ lebhe na cintayā //

Seeing these and other such portents in dreams and while awake, / terrified of death, he could not find sleep due to anxiety.

10.42.32

vyuṣṭāyāṃ niśi kauravya sūrye cādbhyaḥ samutthite /
kārayām āsa vai kaṃso malla-krīḍā-mahotsavam //

When night had dawned, O descendant of Kuru, and the sun had risen from the waters, / Kaṃsa arranged the great festival of wrestling matches.

32. The night passed, O Kauravya, and the sun rose out of the waters; Kamsa caused a grand wrestling match to be held.

10.42.33

ānarcuḥ puruṣā raṅgaṃ tūrya-bheryaś ca jaghnire /
mañcāś cālaṅkṛtāḥ sragbhiḥ patākā-caila-toraṇaiḥ //

Men swept and sprinkled the arena, trumpets and kettle-drums sounded, / and galleries were decorated with garlands, banners, cloths, and archways.

33. & 34. Some performed puja of the arena; drums were beaten and trumpets were blown, the galleries were decorated with wreaths, flags, pendents and festoons; and in them were conveniently seated citizens, country people, brahmins, kshatriyas and others; and the princes were also provided with seats.

10.42.34

teṣu paurā jānapadā brahma-kṣatra-purogamāḥ /
yathopajoṣaṃ viviśū rājānaś ca kṛtāsanāḥ //

Upon them the citizens and countryfolk, led by brahmins and kṣatriyas, / took their seats according to their pleasure, as did the kings.

10.42.35

kaṃsaḥ parivṛto 'mātyai rāja-mañca upāviśat /
maṇḍaleśvara-madhya-stho hṛdayena vidūyatā //

Surrounded by his ministers, Kaṃsa sat on the royal dais / in the midst of the rulers of the provinces, with an aching heart.

35. Accompanied by his ministers Kamsa took his seat in the royal gallery in the midst of his tributary princes, but with a heart full of pain.

10.42.36

vādyamānesu tūryeṣu malla-tālottareṣu ca /
mallāḥ sv-alaṅkṛtāḥ dṛptāḥ sopādhyāyāḥ samāsata //

As musical instruments were played to the high rhythmic beat of wrestlers, / the well-adorned, proud wrestlers sat down with their trainers.

36. When the trumpets were blown and the wrestlers' cymbals were sounded loudly, the well-dressed and unbending wrestlers with their masters presented themselves on the scene.

10.42.37

cāṇūro muṣṭikaḥ kūtaḥ śalas tośala eva ca /
ta āsedur upasthānaṃ valgu-vādya-praharṣitāḥ //

Cāṇūra, Muṣṭika, Kūṭa, Śala, and Tośala / arrived at the arena, exhilarated by the pleasant music.

37. Chanura, Mushtika, Kuta, Sala, and Tosala, all these cheered by the stirring music, took their places in the appointed sphere.

10.42.38

nanda-gopādayo gopā bhoja-rāja-samāhutāḥ /
niveditopāyanās ta ekasmin mañca āviśan //

The cowherds, headed by Nanda Gopa, summoned by the Bhoja king, / presented their gifts and sat together on one platform.

38. Nanda Gopa and other Gopalas, invited by the king of Bhojas, presented their offerings and all took their seat in a separate gallery.