Reading section 32

SECTION XXXIV.

Maiteya said:—"Having achieved a mortal form Sauri performed mighty achievements and discomfitted Sakra and Siva and all other attendant divinities. O great sir, do thou also describe unto me, his other exploits by which he humiliated the prowess of the celestials; I am desirous to hear them".

Parāçara said:—Hear with respectful attention, O Brāhman, as described by me of the burning of Vārānashi by Krishna in the course of his relieving the burden of the earth.

There was a king of Pundra, who was known as Vasudeva and flattered by the ignorant people as the descended deity until he thought himself to be the Vāsudeva who had come down upon earth. Forgetting his real character he assumed the emblems of Vishnu and sent an ambassador to the high-minded Krishna with this message. "Give up thy discus, O foolish man, lay aside all my insignia, my name and the character of Vāsudeva and come and do me homage and I shall grant thee, the means of subsistence". Hearing those words and laughing, Janārddana said to the messenger "Go back, messenger to Paundraka and tell him in my name 'I shall hand over my emblem, the discus to him. Thou wilt properly understand my meaning and consider what is to be done; for I shall come to thy city bringing the discus with me and shall surely give it over to thee. If thou dost command me to come I immediately obey and be with thee tomorrow and shall not delay, and having sought thy protection I shall so manage, O king, that I shall not have to fear anything from thee.'" So saying he sent away the messenger to communicate these words unto the sovereign, and summoning Garuda mounted him and started for the city of Paundrāka.

When the king of Kāsi heard of the preparations of Kesava he sent his army to help Paundrāka, himself bringing up the rear, and with the army of the king of Kāsi and his own troops, the false Vasudeva marched to meet Krishna. He beheld him at a distance standing in his car holding a disc, a club, a mace, a scimitar and a lotus in his hands adorned with a garland of flowers, and bearing a bow; and having his standard made of gold, he had also the mystical mark Sribatsa on his breast; he was robed in yellow raiment and embellished with ear rings, and a tiara. When the god, whose emblem is Garuda, saw him, he laughed aloud and engaged in encounter with the hostile army of cavalry and elephants fighting with swords, scimitars, maces, tridents spears and bows. Showering upon the enemy the arrows from his Sāranga bow and hurling at them his mace and discus he soon destroyed both the army of Paundrāka and that of the king of Kāsi. He then addressed the former who was foolishly wearing his emblems saying:—"Paundrāka, you wanted me through your messenger, to resign to you all my insignia, I now deliver them to you. Here is my discus; here is my mace; and here is Garuda, let him mount upon thy banner". Saying this he discharged the discus and mace by which Paundrāka was sundered to pieces and cast on the ground; whilst the Garuda which was on the banner of Paundrāka was destroyed by the Garuda of Vishnu. Beholding this the people cried "Alas! alas"; but the brave king still siding the imposture of his friend carried on the encounter till Sauri cut off his head with his arrows and shot into the city of Kāsi to the surprise of all the inhabitants. Having thus destroyed Paundrāka and the king of Kāsi with all their retinue Sauri came back to Dwārakā where he resided enjoying heavenly delights.

When the inhabitants of Kāsi beheld the head of their king shot into the city they were much surprised and wondered how it could have been accomplished. Having come to know that the king had been slain by Krishna, the king's son together with the priest of the family propitiated Sankara. Well pleased on account of being worshipped in the sacred place Avimuktā the deity asked the prince to pray for a boon, on which he said:—"O lord, mighty god, through thy favour, let thy mystic spirit slay Krishna, the murderer of my father!"

"It shall be so" answered Sankara and from out of the southern fire up sprang a vast and formidable female like flame out of fire, blazing with ruddy light and fiery radiance streaming amidst her hair. Worked up with ire she called upon Krishna and departed to Dwārakā. There the people seeing her were struck with terror and fled for protection to the slayer of Madhu the refuge all worlds. Understanding that the fiend had been created by the son of the king of Kāsi through his worship of the deity whose emblem is the bull, the wielder of the discus being engaged in sport and playing at dice said to the discus "Kill this dreadful creature whose tresses are of plaited flame". Accordingly Sudarshana, the discus of Vishnu, attacked the fiend in no time, dreadfully covered with fire and wearing tresses of plaited flame. Terrified at the might of Sudarshana, the creation of Maheswara did not wait for his attack but fled quickly followed by him with equal velocity until she arrived at Varānashi repelled by the superior prowess of the discus of Vishnu.

The arms of the king of Kāsi and the whole number of the attendant divinities of Siva armed with various weapons marched out to oppose the discus. But an expert in the use of arms he consumed the whole host by his radiance and then set fire to the city, in which the magic power of Siva had concealed herself. Thus was Varanashi burnt with all its princes and their followers, its inhabitants, elephants, horses and men, treasures and granaries, houses, palaces and markets. The whole of the city that was inaccessible to the celestials was thus covered with flames by the discus of Hari and was totally destroyed. The discus, with unsoothed wrath, blazing fiercely and not satisfied with the accomplishment of so easy a task, then returned to the hands of Vishnu.

SECTION XXXV.

Maitreya said:—O Brahman, I have a great desire to listen to some other exploits of Balarāma; do thou describe them unto me. You have related to me, O reverend Sir, his dragging the Yamuna and other mighty deeds; do thou now recount some other of his acts.

Parāçara said:—Listen O Maitreya, to the exploits accomplished by Rāma who is the eternal, illimitable Sesha, the upholder of the earth. At the choice of a husband by the daughter of Duryodhana, the princess was taken away by the hero Sāmba, the son of Jāmbavati. Being pursued by Duryodhana, Karna, Bhishma, Drona and other illustrious chiefs who were enraged for his audacity, he was defeated and taken prisoner. When the Yādavas heard of this event they were greatly enraged with Duryodhana and his companions and addressed themselves to fight with them. But Baladeva, in accents suppressed by the effects of inebriety, forbade them and said, "I will go alone to the sons of Kuru and at my request they will let Sāmba free". Accordingly he went to Hastināpur and took his abode in a grove outside the town which he did not enter. When Duryodhana and others were informed of his arrival, they sent him a cow, a present of fruits and flowers and water. Bala received the offering in the customary form and said to the descendants of Kuru "Ugrasena commands you to liberate Sāmba". When Duryodhana, Karna, Bhishma, Drona and others heard this they were worked up with ire, and Bāhlika and other friends of the Kauravai who considered the Yadu race as having no claims to regal dignity said to the wielder of the club. "What is this, O Balarāma, that thou hast uttered? What Yadava shall command the chiefs of the Kurus? If Ugrasena thus commands the Kuravas, we will take away the white umbrella which he has usurped and which is only fit for the kings. You should go away therefore, Balarāma; you are entitled to our respect; but Sāmba has been guilty of an improper conduct and we shall not let him free either at Ugrasena's commands or yours. The Kukkura and Andhaka races might not pay the homage due to us, their superiors, but who ever heard of a servant commanding his master? You have been rendered arrogant by our treating you equally with seat and food; we have committed a great mistake in neglecting the policy, for our great friendship for you. The present that we sent you today was a sign of personal regard, but it was not fit for us to have offered nor for yours to have expected".

Having said this, the Kuru chiefs unanimously refused to liberate Hari's sons and came back to their city. Moving about with intoxication and anger caused by their insolent words, Bala struck the ground furiously with his heel so that it burst to pieces with a loud sound that reverberated through the regions of space. His eyes reddened with rage and his brow curved with frowns he exclaimed. "What pride is this in such vile and pithless creatures. The sovereignty of Kauravas as well as our own is the work of destiny whose decree it also is that they now disrespect or disobey the commands of Ugrasena. Indra may, as is his right, command the celestials and Ugrasena exercises equal authority with the lord of Sachi. Fie upon the pride that boasts a throne, the leavings of a hundred mortals. Is not he the sovereign of earth, the wives of whose servants adorn themselves with the blossoms of the Pārijāta tree? Ugrasena shall be the undisputed lord of kings; for I will not return to his capital until I have rid the world wholly of the sons of Kuru. I will destroy Karna, Duryodhana, Drona, Bhishma, Bāhlika, Dussāsana, Bhurisrava, Somadatta, Salya, Bhima, Arjuna, Yudhishthira, the twins, and all the other wretched sons of Kuru with their horses, elephants and chariots. I will liberate the hero Sāmba and carry him along with his wife to Dwārakā where I shall again behold Ugrasena and the rest of my kinsmen. Or commanded by the king of celestials, to remove the burden of the earth, I will take this capital of the Kauravas with all the sons of Kuru, and throw Hastināpur into the Bhāgirathi".

Saying this with his eyes reddened with ire, Baladeva, the wielder of the club, plunged the blade of his ploughshare downwards beneath the ramparts of the city, and drew them towards him. When the Kauravas beheld Hastināpur tottering, they were much afraid, and called loudly on Rāma, saying, "O Rāma! Rāma! hold, hold; supress your anger and have compassion upon us. Here is Sāmba and his wife also delivered up to you. Forgive the sins committed by us ignorant of your wondrous power". Accordingly the Kauravas hurried out of the city and delivered Sāmba and his wife to the mighty Balarāma, who, bowing to Bhishma, Drona and Kripa, who pacified him, said, "I am satisfied," and desisted. The city bears the mark of the shock even to the present day—such was the might of Rāma proving both his strength and power. The Kauravas then, offering homage to Sāmba and Bala, sent away the former with his wife and dowry.

SECTION XXXVI.

Parāçara said:—Listen, O Maitreya, to another achievement accomplished by the powerful Balarāma. The great Asura, Naraka, the enemy of the friends of the celestials, had a friend of exceeding might in a monkey named Dwivida, who was worked up with implacable hostility against the celestials, and vowed to revenge on all of them the destruction of Naraka by Krishna at the instigation of the king of the celestials, by preventing sacrifices and bringing about the total destruction of the world. Blinded by ignorance therefore, he interrupted all religious practices, put down all righteous observances, and brought about the death of living creatures; he set fire to forests, to villages and towns; sometimes he deluged cities and villages with a downpour of rocks or lifting up mountains in the waters he cast them into the ocean; then placing himself in the midst of the deep, he agitated the waves until the foaming sea rose above its confines and swept away the villages and cities situated upon its shores. Dwivida, who was capable of assuming shapes as he liked, enlarged his bulk to an immense proportion, and rolling and tumbling and trampling amidst the corn-fields, he crushed and spoiled the harvest. The whole world, disorganised by this vicious monkey, was deprived of sacred study and religious ceremonies, and was greatly afflicted.

Once on a time Halāyudha was drinking in the groves of Raivata along with the illustrious Revati and other beautiful females; and the celebrated Yadu whose glories were sung and who was pre-eminent amidst graceful and sportive women, resembled Kuvera, the god of riches, in his palace. In the meantime, the monkey Dwivida came there and stealing the ploughshare and the club of Balarāma, grinned at and mocked him, and laughed at the women and threw over and broke the cups filled with wine. Enraged at this, Balarāma threatened the monkey; but the latter disregarded his threats and chattering noise. Thereupon Balarāma started up and seized his club in anger, and the monkey laid hold of a large rock which he hurled at the hero. And casting his club at it as it approached him, Bala broke it into a thousand pieces, which together with the club, fell upon the ground. Beholding the club thus fallen, the monkey sprang over it and struck the Yādava violently on the breast with his paws. Bala returned it with a blow of his fist upon the fore-head of Dwivida which felled him, vomiting blood and lifeless to the earth. The crest of the mountain on which he fell was sundered into a hundred pieces by the weight of his body, as if the Thunderer had shivered it with his thunder-bolt. The celestials threw down a shower of flowers upon Rāma and approached him and praised him for the glorious feat he had performed.

"Well has the world been freed" said they "by thy prowess, O hero, of his vile ape, who was the enemy of the celestials". Then well pleased, they and their attendant spirits returned to heaven. Many such inimitable deeds were performed by the illustrious Baladeva, the impersonation of Sesha, the supporter of the earth.

SECTION XXXVII.

In this way, Krishna, aided by Baladeva, destroyed, for the behoof of the earth, demons and iniquitous kings, and along with Phalguna also did he relieve earth of her burden by the death of seven Akshauhini hosts. Having thus relieved the earth of her load and destroyed many impious kings, he exterminated, by the plea of an imprecation denounced by Brāhmanas, his own Yādava race. Thereupon quitting Dwārakā and renouncing his mortal frame, the self-born with all his emanations re-entered his own sphere of Vishnu.

Maitreya said:—Tell me how Janārddana brought about the extermination of his own family under the pretext of a Brāminical curse and in what manner did he renounce his human body.

Parāçara said;—At the holy place of Pindarika, Viswāmitra, Kanwa and the great sage, Nārada, were seen by some boys of the Yadu family. Inflated with their youths and influenced by predestined results, they dressed and adorned Sāmba, the son of Jāmbavati, as a female and taking her to the sages, they addressed them with usual reverence, saying:—"What child will this female, the wife of Babru, who is anxious to have a son, give birth to?" The sages, who were gifted with divine wisdom, enraged at this insult, said:—"She will give birth to a club that will exterminate the entire Yādava race".

Thus addressed by the sages, the boys went to Ugrasena and related to him what had happened; and after sometime, as foretold, a club was produced from the belly of Sāmba. Ugrasena had the club, which was made of iron, ground to dust and thrown into the sea, and particles of the dust there became rushes, There was one part of the iron club which was like the blade of a lance and which the Andhakas could not break; this when thrown into the sea was swallowed by a fish; the fish was caught, the iron spike was extracted from its belly, and was taken by a hunter named Jāra. The all-wise and illustrious slayer of Madhu did not think it proper to counteract the predestination of fate.

In the interval an emissarry despatched by the celestials came to Krishna and said to him in private:—"I am sent to thee, O lord, by the celestials; and do thou hear what Indra together with the Viswas, Maruts, Adityas, Sādhyas and Rudras respectfully represent. More than a century has gone by since thou in compliance with the request of the celestials, descended upon earth for the purpose of relieving it of its load. The demons have been destroyed and the burden of earth has been removed; now let the immortals once again see their king in heaven. More than a hundred years have passed, and if thou dost wish, do thou return to heaven. This is the prayer of the celestials. And if this be not thy will, do thou remain here as long as it may be desirable to thy dependants". Whereto Krishna replied, "I am well aware of all thou hast said. The earth is not relieved of her load until the Yādavas are extirpated. I shall also speedily bring it about in my descent, and it shall take place in seven nights. Having restored the land of Dwārakā to the ocean and destroyed the race of Yadu, I shall proceed to the region of the celestials. Inform the celestials that having renounced my mortal frame and been accompanied by Sankarshana, I will then return to them. The tyrants that oppressed the earth, Jarāsandha and the rest, have been slain and a youth even of the race of Yadu is so less than they an incumbrance. Having removed this huge weight of the earth, I will proceed to the mansions of the celestials. Say this to them".

Parāçara said:—O Maitreya, being thus addressed by Vāsudeva, the messenger of the celestials bowed and took his heavenly course to the king of the deities. The illustrious Krishna too now espied signs and portents both on earth and in heaven prognosticating day and night the destruction of Dwārakā. Beholding those evil omens, he said to the Yādavas; "Behold these dreadful portents; let us hasten to Prabhāsa to avert them". When he had thus said to the eminent Yādavas, the illustrious Uddhava saluted and said to him: "Tell me, O lord, what it is proper that I should do, for it seems to me that thou wilt destroy all this race. The signs that are manifest declare nothing less than the annihilation of the race". Then Krishna replied:—"Do thou, by my favour proceed, this celestial course, to the holy place Badrikāsrama in the Gandhamādana mountain, the shrine of Nara Nārāyana; and on that spot sanctified by them, thou, meditating upon me, shalt obtain perfection through my favour. Having extirpated this Yadu race, I shall proceed to Baikuntha; and after I have quilted Dwārakā; the ocean shall inundate it".

Parāçara said:—Being thus addressed by him and commanded by Kesava, Uddhava proceeded to the holy shrine of Nara Nārāyana. And the Yādavas, with Krishna, Balarāma and others, having ascended swift-coursing cars, proceeded to Prabhāsa. Having reached Prabhāsa, the Kukkuras and Andhakas bathed there and, being excited by Krishna, indulged in liquor. As they drank, the destructive fire of dissension was engendered amongst them by mutual collision and fed with the fuel of abuse. Worked up with ire by the divine influence, they attacked one another with missile weapons, and when these were finished, they had recourse to the rushes growing nigh. The rushes in their hands became like thunder-bolts, and they assailed one another with them. Pradyumna, Syāmba, Kritavarman, Satyaki, Aniruddha, Prithu, Vipathu, Charuvannan, Charuka, Akrura, and many others, struck one another with the rushes, which became hard like thunder-bolts. Thereupon Krishna arriving there prevented them: but they thought that he was taking part with each severally and continued the conflict.

Thereupon, enraged, Krishna took up a handful of rushes to destroy them, which became a club of iron; and with this he killed many of the murderous Yādavas, whilst others fighting fiercely destroyed one another. At this time in the very presence of Krishna's charioteer, his swift steeds carried off his Jaitra car and entered into the sea. The discus, the club, the bow, the quiver, the shell and the sword of Kesava, having circumambulated their master, flew along the path of the sun. In a short time there was not a single Yādava left alive save the mighty Krishna and Dāruka. Going towards Rāma, who was sitting at the root of a tree, they saw a huge serpent coming out of his mouth. Having issued out of his mouth, the mighty snake proceeded towards the ocean hymned by saints and other great snakes. Bringing an offering of respect, the ocean came to him and then the majestic being worshipped of all the attendant snakes, entered into the waters of the deep. Beholding the departure of the spirit of Baladeva, Kesava said to Dāruka—"Do thou go to Vasudeva and Ugrasena and communicate unto him this. Go and inform them of the departure of Balabhadra, and the destruction of the Yādava race, and also that I shall engage in religious meditation and renounce my body. Do thou also inform Ahuka and the inhabitants of Dwārakā that their city shall be inundated by the ocean. And do ye await the arrival of Arjuna at Dwārakā. When Arjuna, the descendant of Pāndu, shall issue out of the city, none of you should wait there but go whither the descendant of Kuru shall repair. Do thou also go to the son of Kunti and tell him that he may at my request protect my family according to his might. Then go to Hastināpur with Arjuna and all the inhabitants of Dwārakā and let Vajra be installed king over the race of Yadu".

Parāçara said:—Thus instructed and having bowed unto and circumambulated Krishna again and again, Dāruka departed as he had been desired; and having conducted Arjuna to Dwārāvati, the intelligent servant of Krishna established Vajra as king. Thereupon having concentrated in himself that supreme spirit which is identical with Vāsudeva, the divine Govinda was identified with all beings. Respecting the words of the Brāhmana, the curse of Durvāsas, the illustrious Krishna sat engaged in meditation, placing his foot upon his knee. Then there came a hunter named Jāra, whose arrow was tipped with a blade made of the iron club, which had not been reduced to powder; and espying from a distance the foot of Krishna, he mistook it for a part of a deer, and shooting his arrow, lodged it in the sole. Approaching his mark, he saw the four-armed king and falling at his feet, repeatedly besought his forgiveness, exclaming, "I have done this deed unknowingly, thinking I was aiming at a deer. Have pity on me who am consumed by my crime; for thou art able to consume me". Thereupon Bhagavān said: "Thou needst not have the least fear, hunter; by my favour, thou shall repair to the region of the celestials". As soon as Krishna had said this, the celestial car arrived there, ascending which the hunter repaired to the region of the celestials.

Thereupon the divine Krishna having united himself with his own pure, spiritual, inexhaustible, inconceivable, unborn, undecaying, imperishable, and universal spirit, which is one Vāsudeva, renounced his mortal frame and his connection with the three qualities.

SECTION XXVIII.

Parāçara said:—Having found the bodies of Krishna and Rāma, Arjuna performed for them and the rest of the slain the obsequial rites. The eight queens of Krishna, who have been named with Rukmini at the head, embraced Hari and entered the funeral fire. O foremost of the pious, embracing the corpse of Rāma, Revati too entered fire which was cool to her happy heart in contract with her lord. Thereupon hearing all this Ugrasena and Vasudeva with Devaki and Rohini entered fire. Having performed duly the obsequious rites of the Yadavas, Arjuna, with the inhabitants of Dwārakā and Vajra, issued out of the city. And Kunti's son proceeded slowly with thousands of Krishna's wives and the residents of Dwārakā. With the departure of Krishna from the land of mortals both the Sudharman palace and the Pārijāta tree proceeded to heaven; and on the same day that Hari departed from the earth the dark-bodied Kali age set in. The ocean rose and inundated the whole of Dwārakā, except only the dwelling of the deity of the race of Yadu. The sea has not been able to wash away that temple and there even up to the present day Kesava constantly resides; whoever visits that holy shrine where Krishna pursued his sports is freed from sins.