Skandapurana 1.4.57: adhyāyaḥ 59

Śaunaka said:

Extremely wonderful is this purifying, great, peerless māhātmya

of the hidden sacred field, increasing joy, which has been proclaimed, O Sūta!

Furthermore, in the earlier narration of the māhātmya of the Siddhaliṅga,

it was said that it would succeed through the grace of Siddhamātṛ [and]

of the virtuous Vijaya, and through the assistance of Caṇḍila.

Who indeed is that person named Caṇḍila, and who is Vijaya?

And how did he attain perfection through the grace of Siddhamātṛ?

Relate this in truth, for we indeed have curiosity to hear it.

Who would not have eager interest in hearing the deeds of the virtuous?

Ugraśravas said:

Well asked is this, O brahmins, though distant in time and topic;

I shall relate to you the story heard from the mouth of Dvaipāyana [Vyāsa].

Anciently, having obtained the daughter of King Drupada,

the Pāṇḍavas later, by Dhṛtarāṣṭra's decision, settled Indraprastha.

Protected by Vāsudeva, once there the Pāṇḍavas,

seated in the assembly hall, engaged in various conversations.

While the recounting of celestial seers, ancestors, spirits,

and kings was being performed, Bhīma's son Ghaṭotkaca arrived there.

Seeing him, the five brothers and the valiant Vāsudeva,

rising quickly from their seats, embraced him with joy.

And bowing low, humbled, Bhīma's son paid homage to them.

And then, with blessings, he was seated upon his lap by the king;

having affectionately smelled his head, he was addressed in the midst of the assembly:

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

"Whence have you come, my son? And where have you spent this

time? Are you happily ruling the kingdom of your maternal uncle?

Do you not cause any harm toward gods, brahmins,

cows, and virtuous people, O son of Hiḍimbā? This is pleasing to Hari and to us.

Are all the forest of Hiḍimba and the rākṣasa soldiers belonging to it

thriving, protected by you, O virtuous one, ensuring the welfare of the people?

Does your mother rejoice, she who constantly brings us delight?

Even as a maiden long ago, casting off pride, she took refuge in Bhīma as her husband."

Thus questioned by Dharmarāja, the son of Hiḍimbā smiled and said:

"When that vile maternal uncle was slain, I was appointed [to rule].

Having established that kingdom under law and slaying the wicked, I wander about.

My mother the queen is well, devoted to divine austerity.

She always told me: 'Son, be devoted to your fathers.'

Having heard my mother's words, I have come from the foot of Mount Meru

solely to bow before you, my mind bowed low with devotion.

And I desire myself to be engaged in some great purpose

by you, since this bears great fruit.

Whatever obedience to commands a son constantly performs for his fathers,

thereby he conquers the higher worlds and becomes renowned here on earth."

Sūta said:

Embracing again and again the one who had spoken thus,

Dharmarāja, with tears of joy, stammering with emotion, spoke to his son:

"You alone are one who offers devotion to us and also serves as our helper.

For this purpose, O son of Hiḍimbā, virtuous men desire sons;

such sons deliver [their fathers] both here and in the hereafter.

Inevitably, as the mother is, so the son becomes.

Your mother is deeply devoted to us, and you are just like her.

Ah, what an arduous deed the noble lady, my beloved daughter-in-law, performs,

who, setting aside the fortune of a husband, has resorted solely to austerity!

Surely my daughter-in-law has no concern whatsoever for desire or pleasures,

who, having seen her son's well-being, has devoted herself to the sake of the next world.

Even if of low birth, a woman who is devoted and gives birth to devoted offspring,

her alone I consider noble of birth; this is my supreme conviction."

Speaking thus many various words, the king,

Dharmarāja, addressed Keśava and spoke these words:

"O lotus-eyed one, you know how he was born from Bhīma,

and how the moment he was born he was established in youth, possessed of great strength.

Because for the eight classes of divine beings, birth and youth

occur instantly, therefore his youth occurred instantly.

Therefore, O Kṛṣṇa, I constantly have anxiety regarding a suitable wife for him:

'Alas, where shall I find a suitable wife for the son of Hiḍimbā?'

Therefore, O all-knowing Kṛṣṇa, you know even the three worlds;

you ought to declare a wife suitable for the son of Hiḍimbā, O Yādava."

Sūta said:

Thus addressed by Dharmarāja, Janārdana, having meditated for a moment,

spoke to Dharmarāja these words with measured pauses:

"There is, O King, as I shall declare, an auspicious wife suitable for him;

presently she resides in the delightful and excellent city of Prāgjyotiṣa.

She is the daughter of Mura, O Pārtha, the daitya of wondrous deeds,

who was the companion as dear as life itself to the daitya Naraka.

That formidable [daitya], encircled by a fortress of nooses, was slain by me,

as was the wicked Naraka; you know this entirely.

Then, when the daitya Mura was slain by me, his daughter came forth

to fight against me because of her immense valor—the terrifying Kāmakaṭaṅkaṭā.

Then, in a great battle, against her who held a sword and shield,

I fought with great arrows discharged from my fine Śārṅga bow.

And that daughter of Mura cut down my arrows with her sword,

and approaching, she struck Garuḍa on the head with her sword.

And Garuḍa, overwhelmed by bewilderment, became unconscious.

Then, in order to slay her, I raised my discus.

Seeing that the discus had been raised by me on that battlefield,

the goddess named Kāmākhyā stood before me and spoke these words:

“You ought not to slay her; spare her, O Supreme Person!

For unconquerability has been granted to her by me, as well as a sword and a shield,

and also matchless intellect and supreme power in battle.

Therefore, even in three nights, the daughter of Mura was not conquered by you.”

When she had spoken thus, I then addressed the goddess with these words:

“Here I desist; and do you, auspicious one, restrain her.”

Then Kāmākhyā, embracing her devotee, spoke these words:

“Good lady, turn back from the battle! In no way can this one be slain.

Mādhava is invincible in combat, impossible for anyone to overcome in battle.

There was none, there is none, nor will there ever be anyone who might conquer him in warfare.

Even Tryambaka is not capable [against] him, my daughter; how then could another be?

Therefore, having bowed to him, your future father-in-law, O auspicious one,

turn back from this battle; this is clearly what is proper for you.

For you shall become the daughter-in-law of his brother, Bhīma.

Therefore, good lady, pay honor to your father-in-law, Janārdana.

And you must not grieve for your father, O wise woman.

For death is certain for one who is born, and birth is certain for one who has died.

Many know this; tell me, can it be averted by anyone?

Seers, gods, great asuras, men learned in the three Vedas, and kings—

upon whom would Death alone not fall in due time? One who knows the higher and the lower is never deluded in this matter.

Indeed, your father's death at the hands of Janārdana is truly praiseworthy;

freed from all sins, he has gone to the Vaiṣṇava realm.”

Addressed thus by Kāmākhyā, that Kāmakaṭaṅkaṭā

abandoned her wrath, composed her limbs, and bowed down to me.

And with blessings, O bull among the Bharatas, I said to her:

“Remain in this very city, highly honored by Bhagadatta.

Bhagadatta has been made king by me and by the goddess Earth.

He will render you various honors, just as to a sister.

Dwelling here, you will obtain that heroic son of Hiḍimbā as your husband.”

Having thus comforted that Maurvī, the goddess [incarnate], I dismissed her.

She remained in that city, and I went to the abode of Śakra.

Then, having reached Dvāravatī, I have come together with you.

Thus, this auspicious lady is a suitable wife for the son of Hiḍimbā;

and in battle she is terrible, named Kāmākhyā, shining like lightning.

Her beauty has not been described by me, since it is fitting for a father-in-law [to refrain];

for it is not proper for a virtuous man to describe all [the attributes of] women.

Furthermore, a condition was made by her; listen to what it is:

‘That man who, having rendered me answerless in a test of questions, conquers me,

and who is an equal match in strength for me, he shall become my husband.’

Hearing of such a condition, many Daityas and Rākṣasas

went to conquer her, but they, overcome by her, were slain.

Whoever went to her previously never returned again,

like a swarm of moths entering the blazing light of a fire.

If, in this way, the mighty Ghaṭotkaca

ventures to conquer such a Maurvī, she will certainly become his wife.”

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

“Enough of all the good qualities of one whose single fault is so great!

For what is to be done with milk if it is mixed with poison?

How could I cast the son of Bhīmasena, who is dearer than life,

and skilled in your pure teachings, [into danger] out of mere recklessness?

There are other women too in every country, O Janārdana;

of those many, you ought to speak of some excellent woman.”

Bhīma said:

“Words of great import and excellence have been well spoken by Keśava.

On the other hand, what has been spoken by the king out of affection does not appeal to me.

A kṣatriya's prowess should be displayed only in a difficult undertaking,

just as a lordly elephant's [might is displayed] among herds of elephants, and not against deer.”

Eminent heroes should by all means bring renown to themselves;

and how could that renown arise without doing what is difficult to accomplish?

Indeed, O son of Pṛthā, the protection of the son of Hiḍimbā is not under one's own control;

he by whom this [son] was given by the Creator, he shall protect him.

A wise man should strive in every way to attain an elevated station;

if it does not succeed due to fate, that is not the fault of the wise man.

Just as Devavrata alone carried off the daughters of Kāśi in the past,

so let the son of Hiḍimbā alone obtain Maurvī without delay!

Arjuna said:

This statement made by Bhīma is solely intent on manly effort;

though weak, it seems powerful to me because of fate as its cause.

For Kāmākhyā does not speak falsely, who declared of old:

‘The son of Bhīmasena will take your hand, O blessed lady.’

For this reason, let Ghaṭotkaca go there quickly.

This is what pleases me, O Kṛṣṇa; tell [us], what pleases you?

Kṛṣṇa said:

The word of yours and of the high-souled Bhīma pleases me;

for no one is equal to the son of Bhīmasena in intellect and in valour.

And my inner self knows that the daughter of Mura is already obtained.

Therefore let the son of Hiḍimbā go quickly. And what do you think, O son?

Ghaṭotkaca said:

It is certainly not fitting to speak of one's own virtues before the venerable;

good qualities shine forth only when deployed, like the rays of the sun.

I shall act in every way so that my blameless fathers,

the Pāṇḍavas, will not be ashamed in assemblies on account of me, their son.

Having spoken thus, the mighty-armed one stood up and bowed down to them;

and fortified with blessings of victory by his fathers, he desired to depart.

Applauding him as he was about to depart, Janārdana said this to him:

‘At the time of the contest of words, remember me, the bringer of victory,

so that I may increase your intellect, extremely difficult to confound, and your strength.’

Having spoken thus, Kṛṣṇa embraced him and sent him off with blessings.

Then the son of Hiḍimbā of great might, followed by Sūryākṣa, Kālākṣa, and Mahodara,

reached the path of the sky and went to that city named Prāgjyotiṣa at the close of day.

Thus ends the fifty-ninth chapter, entitled 'Description of the Departure of Ghaṭotkaca to the City of Prāgjyotiṣa' in the narrative of Barbarīka, in the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa of the first [section], the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skandapurāṇa, a collection of eighty-one thousand verses.