Bhagavatapurana 10.66: atha ṣaṭṣaṣṭitamo'dhyāyaḥ

10.66.1

/0 śrī-śuka uvāca
nanda-vrajaṃ gate rāme karūṣādhipatir nṛpa /
vāsudevo 'ham ity ajño dūtaṃ kṛṣṇāya prāhiṇot //

Śrī Śuka said: / When Rāma had gone to Nanda's Vraja, O king, the foolish ruler of Karūṣa / sent a messenger to Kṛṣṇa, thinking, ‘I am Vāsudeva.’

1. Sri Suka said:— When Rama had gone to Nanda's Vraja, the ruler of Karusha, steeped in ignorance, sent a messenger to Krishna with the message "I am Vasudeva".

10.66.2

tvaṃ vāsudevo bhagavān avatīṛno jagat-patiḥ /
iti prastobhito bālair mena ātmānam acyutam //

‘You are Vāsudeva, the Lord, the incarnate Lord of the universe!’— / flattered in this way by childish people, he imagined himself to be Acyuta.

2. "Thou art the glorious Lord Vasudeva, Lord of the Universe that hast appeared on earth". Thus he was flattered by childish men and he thought himself to be really Achyuta.

10.66.3

dūtaṃ ca prāhiṇon mandaḥ kṛṣṇāyāvyakta-vartmane /
dvārakāyāṃ yathā bālo nṛpo bāla-kṛto 'budhaḥ //

And the foolish king sent an envoy to Kṛṣṇa, whose path is unmanifest, / in Dvārakā, like an ignorant boy made a king by children.

3. And the dull fellow sent a messenger also to Krishna at Dwaraka, whose ways are too subtle to be known, just as a foolish boy set up as a king in play by other boys may do.

10.66.4

dūtas tu dvārakām etya sabhāyām āsthitaṃ prabhum /
kṛṣṇaṃ kamala-patrākṣaṃ rāja-sandeśam abravīt //

Arriving in Dvārakā and approaching the Lord seated in the assembly, / lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, the messenger spoke the king's message:

4. However the messenger went to Dwaraka and delivered the royal message directly to Krishna of lotus-like eyes, who was sitting on the throne in the council hall:—

10.66.5

vāsudevo 'vatīrno 'ham eka eva na cāparaḥ /
bhūtānām anukampārthaṃ tvaṃ tu mithyābhidhāṃ tyaja //

‘I alone have descended as Vāsudeva, and no one else, / for the sake of showing compassion to living beings; therefore, abandon your false title!

5. & 6. "I am the one Vasudeva come down on earth and no other, to show mercy to beings: so do thou give up that false name: O Satvata set aside all those insignia of mine which thou in ignorance (fearlessly) wearest and go to Me for shelter: if not, give me battle.”

10.66.6

yāni tvam asmac-cihnāni mauḍhyād bibharṣi sātvata /
tyaktvaihi māṃ tvaṃ śaraṇaṃ no ced dehi mamāhavam //

The emblems of mine which you bear out of folly, O Sātvata— / abandon them and come take refuge in me, or else give me battle!’

10.66.7

/0 śrī-śuka uvāca
katthanaṃ tad upākarṇya pauṇḍrakasyālpa-medhasaḥ /
ugrasenādayaḥ sabhyā uccakair jahasus tadā //

Śrī Śuka said: / Hearing that boast of the dull-witted Pauṇḍraka, / the members of the assembly, headed by Ugrasena, laughed loudly at that time.

7. Sri Suka said:— On hearing that prattle of Paundraka, poor of sense, Ugrasena and others, in the council loudly laughed.

10.66.8

uvāca dūtaṃ bhagavān parihāsa-kathām anu /
utsrakṣye mūḍha cihnāni yais tvam evaṃ vikatthase //

Following the laughter, the Lord said to the messenger: / ‘Fool, I will release upon you those very emblems of which you thus boast!

8. After some funny conversation the glorious Lord replied through the messenger, “I shall rid thee, O foolish one!, of the insignia regarding which thou thus prattlest.”

10.66.9

mukhaṃ tad apidhāyājña kaṅka-gṛdhra-vaṭair vṛtaḥ /
śayiṣyase hatas tatra bhavitā śaraṇaṃ śunām //

Covering that face, O fool, surrounded by herons, vultures, and hawks, / you shall lie there slain, and you will become the refuge of dogs.’

9. “O foolish one, with that mouth shut, surrounded by kites, hawks, etc., thou wilt lie dead and be the resort (food) of dogs”.

10.66.10

iti dūtas tam ākṣepaṃ svāmine sarvam āharat /
kṛṣṇo 'pi ratham āsthāya kāśīm upajagāma ha //

Thus the messenger conveyed that entire reproach to his master; / Kṛṣṇa too mounted his chariot and set out for Kāśī.

10. The messenger conveyed to his master the retort as a whole. And Krishna mounted His chariot and went to Benares (with His army. D.)

10.66.11

pauṇḍrako 'pi tad-udyogam upalabhya mahā-rathaḥ /
akṣauhiṇībhyāṃ saṃyukto niścakrāma purād drutam //

Hearing of his expedition, Pauṇḍraka, that great warrior, / accompanied by two akṣauhiṇī divisions, quickly marched out of the city.

11. Having received intelligence of Krishna's preparation against him the great warrior soon issued forth from his city with two Akshauhinis of army.

10.66.12

tasya kāśī-patir mitraṃ pārṣṇi-grāho 'nvayān nṛpa /
akṣauhiṇībhis tisṛbhir apaśyat pauṇḍrakaṃ hariḥ //

His friend, the king of Kāśī, protecting his rear, followed him, O king, / with three akṣauhiṇī divisions. Hari saw Pauṇḍraka,

12. The king of Kasis, his friend, became his ally and followed him. (Then) Hari saw Paundraka coming with three Akshauhinis—: [As he came, Hari saw Paundraka seated on a golden Garuda in a chariot, providing himself with two additional arms of gold].

10.66.13

śaṅkhāry-asi-gadā-śārṅga- śrīvatsādy-upalakṣitam /
bibhrāṇaṃ kaustubha-maṇiṃ vana-mālā-vibhūṣitam //

marked with conch, discus, sword, mace, the Śārṅga bow, and the Śrīvatsa mark, / wearing the Kaustubha jewel, adorned with a forest garland,

13 to 15. Hari saw him like an actor on the stage, putting on artificial dress and ornaments like those of His own, to wit, a conch, a sword, a gada, a sarnga bow, the marks of Srivatsa and Kaustubha jewel, Vanamala, two pieces of yellow silks, the emblem of Garuda on his flag, a priceless crown adorning his head, brilliant makara-shaped ear-rings, and loudly laughed at him.

10.66.14

kauśeya-vāsasī pīte vasānaṃ garuḍa-dhvajam /
amūlya-mauly-ābharaṇaṃ sphuran-makara-kuṇḍalam //

wearing two yellow silk garments, having a Garuḍa standard, / wearing priceless crest-jewels, with gleaming alligator-shaped earrings.

10.66.15

dṛṣṭvā tam ātmanas tulyaṃ veṣaṃ kṛtrimam āsthitam /
yathā naṭaṃ raṅga-gataṃ vijahāsa bhṛśaṃ harīḥ //

Seeing him who had assumed an artificial guise resembling his own, / like an actor upon the stage, Hari laughed heartily.

10.66.16

śulair gadābhiḥ parighaiḥ śakty-ṛṣṭi-prāsa-tomaraiḥ /
asibhiḥ paṭṭiśair bāṇaiḥ prāharann arayo harim //

With tridents, clubs, iron bars, darts, spears, barbed darts, and javelins, / with swords, scythes, and arrows, the enemies struck Hari.

16. The enemies aimed at Hari their tridents, gadas, Parighas, Saktis, Rishtis, Prasas, Tomaras, swords, Pattisas and shafts.

10.66.16.p1

kṛṣṇas tu tat pauṇḍraka-kāśirājayor $ balaṃ gaja-syandana-vāji-patti-mat &

Kṛṣṇa, however, [assailed] that army of Pauṇḍraka and the king of Kāśī, / composed of elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry,

17. Like the fire flaming forth at the end of the world and destroying creatures, Krishna completely struck down with His gada, sword, chakra and shafts, that army of elephants, chariots, horses and footmen belonging to both Paundraka and the king of Kasis.

10.66.17

gadāsi-cakreṣubhir ārdayad bhṛśaṃ % yathā yugānte huta-bhuk pṛthak prajāḥ //

He severely tormented [the hostile army] with maces, swords, discuses, and arrows, / just as at the end of an age the consumer of oblations [destroys] the diverse creatures.

10.66.18

āyodhanaṃ tad ratha-vāji-kuñjara- dvipat-kharoṣṭrair ariṇāvakhaṇḍitaiḥ /
babhau citaṃ moda-vahaṃ manasvinām ākrīḍanaṃ bhūta-pater ivolbaṇam //

That battlefield, strewn with chariots, horses, elephants, / men, donkeys, and camels hacked to pieces by the enemy, / bringing joy to the brave, shone terrible like the playground of the Lord of ghosts.

18. That field of battle strewn with those chariots, horses, elephants, footmen, donkeys and camels that were cut down by the Chakra (enemy), shone giving delight to the brave, like the fearful dance of Rudra, the ruler of Pramathas.

10.66.19

athāha pauṇḍrakaṃ śaurir bho bho pauṇḍraka yad bhavān /
dūta-vākyena mām āha tāny astraṇy utsṛjāmi te //

Then Śauri said to Pauṇḍraka: "O Pauṇḍraka, those weapons / which you spoke of to me through your messenger's words—I now discharge them upon you!

19. Then Krishna said to Paundraka "O Paundraka, those weapons of which thou informedst Me through thy messenger I take from thee.

10.66.20

tyājayiṣye 'bhidhānaṃ me yat tvayājña mṛṣā dhṛtam /
vrajāmi śaranaṃ te 'dya yadi necchāmi saṃyugam //

"I will force you to give up my name, which you, fool, have falsely assumed. / I shall go to you for refuge today if I do not desire battle."

20. "I shall now make thee give up My name which, O ignorant one, thou hast in vain assumed and I would seek thee as protector, if I do not like to battle."

10.66.21

iti kṣiptvā śitair bāṇair virathī-kṛtya pauṇḍrakam /
śiro 'vṛścad rathāṅgena vajreṇendro yathā gireḥ //

Having thus mocked Pauṇḍraka and deprived him of his chariot with sharp arrows, / he severed his head with the discus, as Indra severs a mountain['s peak] with his thunderbolt.

21. With these jokes Krishna deprived Paundraka of his chariot with his sharp arrows and with his chakra chopped off his head just as Indra did the wings of mountains with his Vajra.

10.66.22

tathā kāśī-pateḥ kāyāc chira utkṛtya patribhiḥ /
nyapātayat kāśī-puryāṃ padma-kośam ivānilaḥ //

Likewise, having sliced off the head from the body of the king of Kāśī with winged arrows, / he dropped it into the city of Kāśī, as the wind drops a lotus calyx.

22. Similarly Krishna severed with His shafts the head from the body of the king of Kasi and caused it to fall into the city of Kasi, like a lotus bud drifted by wind.

10.66.23

evaṃ matsariṇam hatvā pauṇḍrakaṃ sa-sakhaṃ hariḥ /
dvārakām āviśat siddhair gīyamāna-kathāmṛtaḥ //

Having thus slain the envious Pauṇḍraka along with his ally, Hari / entered Dvārakā, while his nectar-like story was sung by the Siddhas.

23. Hari thus put down the jealous Paundraka and his friend and returned te Dwaraka, Siddhas extolling His exploits which are delightful like nectar.

10.66.24

sa nityaṃ bhagavad-dhyāna- pradhvastākhila-bandhanaḥ /
bibhrāṇaś ca hare rājan svarūpaṃ tan-mayo 'bhavat //

Because of constantly meditating upon the Lord, his bonds were all destroyed, / and bearing the form of Hari, O king, he became merged in Him.

24. O king, that Paundraka who had every day intensely thought of the Almighty Krishna and thereby cut asunder all ties, bore Hari's similarity and became Hari himself.

10.66.25

śiraḥ patitam ālokya rāja-dvāre sa-kuṇḍalam /
kim idaṃ kasya vā vaktram iti saṃśiśire janāḥ //

Seeing the head fallen at the palace gate with earrings, / people wondered: "What is this, or whose face is it?"

25. His people saw the head with ear-rings fallen at the gates of his palace and were at a loss to know what it was and'whose face it was.

10.66.26

rājñaḥ kāśī-pater jñātvā mahiṣyaḥ putra-bāndhavāḥ /
paurāś ca hā hatā rājan nātha nātheti prārudan //

Recognizing it as their king's, the ruler of Kāśī, his queens, sons, and kinsmen, / as well as the citizens, wept aloud: "Alas, we are ruined, O king! O master! O master!"

26. Recognising it to be the head of their king his queens, sons, and relations and citizens loudly wailed (D. came up) crying, "Ha! undone we are, O king, O lord, O Master."

10.66.27

sudakṣiṇas tasya sutaḥ kṛtvā saṃsthā-vidhiṃ pateḥ /
nihatya pitṛ-hantāraṃ yāsyāmy apacitiṃ pituḥ //

His son Sudakṣiṇa, having performed the funeral rites for his master [and father, resolved]: / "Having killed my father's murderer, I will discharge my obligation to my father."

27. & 28. His son Sudakshina performed the funeral rites to his father and having resolved, "I shall repay my debt to my father by slaying his slayer," he with the help of his priest, worshipped Maheswara with the utmost concentration.

10.66.28

ity ātmanābhisandhāya sopādhyāyo maheśvaram /
su-dakṣiṇo 'rcayām āsa parameṇa samādhinā //

Having thus resolved in his mind, Sudakṣiṇa, along with his preceptor, / worshipped Maheśvara with supreme concentration.

10.66.29

prīto 'vimukte bhagavāṃs tasmai varam adād vibhuḥ /
pitṛ-hantṛ-vadhopāyaṃ sa vavre varam īpsitam //

Pleased at Avimukta, the almighty Lord granted him a boon; / he chose as the desired boon a means to slay his father's killer.

29. In the holy place of Avimukta (V. in a lonely place) the worshipful Iswara was pleased to confer a boon on him: he asked for that boon as most desired of him, which was the means of killing his father's slayer.

10.66.30

dakṣiṇāgniṃ paricara brāhmaṇaiḥ samam ṛtvijam /
abhicāra-vidhānena sa cāgniḥ pramathair vṛtaḥ //

"Worship the Dakṣiṇāgni fire according to the rites of black magic, / together with the brāhmaṇas as officiating priests; and that fire, surrounded by the Pramathas,

30. & 31. With the help of brahmins do thou worship Dakshina Agni the sacrificial priest and brahmins; and that god worshipped by the Abhichara method, will, accompanied by Pramathas, accomplish thy purpose, if directed against those that are hated of brahmins and Paramatman.

10.66.31

sādhayiṣyati saṅkalpam abrahmaṇye prayojitaḥ /
ity ādiṣṭas tathā cakre kṛṣṇāyābhicaran vratī //

"directed against one who is hostile to brāhmaṇas, will accomplish your intention." / Thus instructed, he who was under a vow acted accordingly, practicing black magic against Kṛṣṇa.

Thus commanded he (the wicked person) observed the rite directing the force against Krishna.

10.66.32

tato 'gnir utthitaḥ kuṇḍān mūrtimān ati-bhīṣaṇaḥ /
tapta-tāmra-śikhā-śmaśrur aṅgārodgāri-locanaḥ //

Then out of the sacrificial pit an embodied, intensely terrifying fire arose, / with topknot and beard like molten copper, and eyes spitting out live coals,

32. There upon the god Agni rose in a concrete yet very terrible form from the fountain of fire with his locks and beard like red-hot copper and with eyes emitting sparks.

10.66.33

daṃṣṭrogra-bhru-kuṭī-daṇḍa- kaṭhorāsyaḥ sva-jihvayā /
ālihan sṛkvaṇī nagno vidhunvaṃs tri-śikhaṃ jvalat //

with an austere face having fangs and a fierce knitting of the brows, / licking the corners of his mouth with his tongue, naked, shaking a blazing trident,

33. With a very terrific mouth, with long tusks and fearful brows, licking the sides of the mouth with his tongue, naked and shaking the glowing trident.

10.66.34

padbhyāṃ tāla-pramāṇābhyāṃ kampayann avanī-talam /
so 'bhyadhāvad vṛto bhūtair dvārakāṃ pradahan diśaḥ //

making the surface of the earth tremble with feet the size of palmyra trees. / Surrounded by spirits, he rushed toward Dvārakā, burning the directions.

34. With legs as high as a palm-tree, making the earth tremble, burning the cardinal points and surrounded by the Bhutas, the god Agni rushed towards Dwaraka.

10.66.35

tam ābhicāra-dahanam āyāntaṃ dvārakaukasaḥ /
vilokya tatrasuḥ sarve vana-dāhe mṛgā yathā //

Seeing that fire of black magic approaching, the dwellers of Dvārakā / all panicked, just as deer do in a forest fire.

35. The citizens of Dwaraka were all frightened at the sight of Abhichara fire rushing towards them, like beasts at the sight of a forest fire.

10.66.36

akṣaiḥ sabhāyāṃ krīḍantaṃ bhagavantaṃ bhayāturāḥ /
trāhi trāhi tri-lokeśa vahneḥ pradahataḥ puram //

Afflicted with fear, [they said] to the Lord, who was playing dice in the assembly hall: / "Save us, save us, O Lord of the three worlds, from the fire burning the city!"

36. Protect us, O Ruler of the three worlds, protect us, from the fire that burns the city: so they complained in anxious fear to the Lord that was playing at dice at His court.

10.66.37

śrutvā taj jana-vaiklavyaṃ dṛṣṭvā svānāṃ ca sādhvasam /
śaraṇyaḥ samprahasyāha mā bhaiṣṭety avitāsmy aham //

Hearing the agitation of those people and seeing the terror of His own folk, / He who is the refuge laughed heartily and said, "Do not fear; I shall protect [you]."

37. Hearing of that discomfort of His people and noticing the cause of their fear, Hari, the asylum of fugitives, laughed and said, "Do not be afraid, I shall save you".

10.66.38

sarvasyāntar-bahiḥ-sākṣī kṛtyāṃ māheśvarīṃ vibhuḥ /
vijñāya tad-vighātārthaṃ pārśva-sthaṃ cakram ādiśat //

The almighty Lord, the witness within and without all, / knowing it to be a magical creation of Maheśvara, commanded the discus standing at His side to destroy it.

38. The witness of all, inside and outside, He knew it to be the force of Maheswara and to put it down, he orderd Chakra that lay by His side.

10.66.39

tat sūrya-koṭi-pratimaṃ sudarśanaṃ jājvalyamānaṃ pralayānala-prabham /
sva-tejasā khaṃ kakubho 'tha rodasī cakraṃ mukundāstraṃ athāgnim ārdayat //

That Sudarśana discus, resembling ten million suns, blazing intensely with the brilliance of the fire of dissolution, / filling the sky, the cardinal directions, and heaven and earth with its splendor, the weapon of Mukunda, assailed the fire.

39. Brilliant like a million Suryas (suns) and flaming forth like the fire of deluge and pervading all the directions, heaven and earth, with his lustre and force, Chakra, the weapon of Mnkunda,, beat down that Maheswara fire.

10.66.39.p1

kṛtyānalaḥ pratihataḥ sa rathānga-pāṇer $ astraujasā sa nṛpa bhagna-mukho nivṛttaḥ &

Repelled by the power of the weapon of the One who holds the discus in hand, O king, the fire of black magic turned back with shattered face,

40. O king! thus beaten by the force of Sri Krishna's weapon the magic fire had its force blunted: and returning abashed to Benares and being started by them, it burnt up Sudakshina and his priests. 41. Following it Vishnu's Chakra entered the city of Varanasi, traversed its upper stories, balconeys, halls, mansions, markets, towers, enclosures with which the city was overfull, through the treasuries, stalls, arches and yards of elephants horses and chariots, kitchens and dining halls.

10.66.40

vārāṇasīṃ parisametya sudakṣiṇaṃ taṃ % sartvig-janaṃ samadahat sva-kṛto 'bhicāraḥ //

and returning to Vārāṇasī, that black magic created by Sudakṣiṇa burned him up along with his priests.

10.66.41

cakraṃ ca viṣṇos tad-anupraviṣṭaṃ vārānasīṃ sāṭṭa-sabhālayāpaṇām /
sa-gopurāṭṭālaka-koṣṭha-saṅkulāṃ sa-kośa-hasty-aśva-rathānna-śālinīm //

And the discus of Viṣṇu entered Vārāṇasī behind it—with its watchtowers, assembly halls, residences, and marketplaces, / crowded with gateways, turrets, and storehouses, and filled with treasuries, elephants, horses, chariots, and grain.

10.66.42

dagdhvā vārāṇasīṃ sarvāṃ viṣṇoś cakraṃ sudarśanam /
bhūyaḥ pārśvam upātiṣṭhat kṛṣṇasyākliṣṭa-karmaṇaḥ //

Having burned all of Vārāṇasī, the Sudarśana discus of Viṣṇu / returned to stand at the side of Kṛṣṇa, whose deeds are unwearied.

42. Having burnt the whole city of Benares Vishnu's Sudarsana returned and stood by the side of Krishna who does everything without any effort.

10.66.43

ya enaṃ śrāvayen martya uttamaḥ-śloka-vikramam /
samāhito vā śṛṇuyāt sarva-pāpaiḥ pramucyate //

Whatever mortal recites this prowess of He of highest renown, / or hears it with concentrated mind, is freed from all sins.

43. The mortal man who relates the account of this work of the most glorious Lord, or who attentively listens to it, is absolved from all sin.