15 Janārdana felled Pāndya and Paundra and Matsya and Kalinga, all of them at once, with the Vanga king as well. 16 Before bringing home his beautiful wife Gāndhārī, the wise one struck down a full century of illustrious kings in battle. 17 Lord Madhusūdana also defeated Arjuna of the Gāndīva bow right in front of Kuntī, although that supreme Bhārata was just playing around. 18 The supreme person defeated Drona, Drona’s son, Kripa, Karna, Bhīmasena, and Duryodhana, all of them at once, in front of their assembled followers. 19 Seeking to do Babhru a favour, the mighty bearer of conch, discus, mace, and sword forcibly fetched the daughter of the king of the Sauvīras. 20 And on account of Venudāri, the supreme person took pains to defeat the entire spreading earth, along with her horses, chariots, and elephants.
21 In a former body, Hari Mādhava called upon the strength, power, and might of his austerities, and took the triple-world away from Bali.*22 The Dānavas near the town of Prāgjyotisha menaced him with thunderbolts, clubs, and tusks, but they couldn’t kill him. 23 Krishna defeated Bali’s most powerful son Bāna, rich in strength and rich in valour, along with his associates.†24 Mighty strong-armed Janārdana killed Kamsa’s minister Pītha, as well as Pītha’s son Asiloman, 25 and he also killed Jambha, Airāvata, Virūpa, and Shambara. This celebrated man-tiger is a destroyer of his foes!
26 The lotus-eyed hero defeated the powerful snake-king Kāliya in the water, and banished him to the ocean. 27 Hari the man-tiger also conquered Yama Vaivasvata and brought Sāndīpani’s dead son back to life. 28 So this strong-armed man punishes every villain. 29 As a favour for thunderbolt-wielding Indra he killed Naraka Bhauma, took the jewelled earrings, and returned them to Aditi the mother of gods. 30 That’s why Lord Krishna is famous among the gods as the master of all worlds, the one who brings security to the gods and trouble to the Daityas.
31 After restoring correct behaviour among mortals, after sacrificing with rites featuring generous gifts for the priests, and after achieving the unfathomable purpose of the gods, he’ll hasten back to his own home. 32 Glorious Krishna acquired Dvārakā for himself, delectable, delightful, and beloved of the seers, but in due course he’ll dispatch her into the ocean. 33 Dvārakā is bestrewn with numerous jewels and her shrines and sacrificial posts are numbered in the hundreds, but in due course she and her pleasure-groves will enter the lair of Varuna. 34 Vāsudeva the Shārnga bowman created her, but the ocean will submerge her like the setting sun, knowing that that’s what he intends, 35 for among gods, demons, and human beings there’s never been anyone, and nor will there ever be anyone, who could live in her without Madhusūdana. 36 And in this way, after making the conduct of the Dāshārhas follow the proper code, this man will once more become Vishnu Nārāyana himself, the moon and the sun.
37 This man is immeasurable and uncontrollable, a lord who goes where he pleases. He’s forever amusing himself with creatures, as a child amuses itself with toys. 38 Strong-armed Madhusūdana is unfathomable. There’s nothing beside or beyond him, for he comprises everything, 39 and so he should be praised a hundred times, and then a hundred thousand times, for no one’s yet seen the end of his deeds.
40 The deeds I’ve mentioned are ones that the lotus-eyed hero performed as an infant, or with Sankarshana as his companion, or in his middle years. 41 These were previously narrated by Vyāsa, the great yogi with great powers of understanding. Using the special eyesight that he gained through his protracted austerities, he sees everything as if it’s right there in front of him.
42 Nārada the seer praised Govinda in this way on the orders of great Indra, and after he’d done so all the Yadus honoured him, and then he returned to the third heaven. 43 Lotus-eyed Govinda Madhusūdana then bestowed the treasure upon the Andhakas and Vrishnis in the proper fashion, giving everyone what they deserved. 44 After the distinguished Yādavas had received the wealth, they continued to live there in the city of Dvārakā, sacrificing in the proper fashion with rites that featured generous gifts for the priests.
The Greatness of Krishna
98. Narration of the Vrishni Lineage
1 Janamejaya said:
Out of the many thousands of women, you’ve named eight of Krishna’s wives.* Your holiness must now tell me about the children of those devotees.
2 Vaishampāyana said:
Eight queens with children are the main ones remembered, all of them mothers of heroes. Listen as I tell you about their children.
3 The queens were Rukminī, Satyabhāmā, Queen Nāgnajitī, Sudattā of the Shibis, Lakshmanā of the sweet smile, 4 Kālindī Mitravindā, Jāmbavatī the Pauravī, and Subhīmā the Mādrī.
Listen for Rukminī’s children. 5 Pradyumna, the son who killed Shambara, was born first. Second was Chārudeshna, a great warrior, a lion of the Vrishnis. 6 Then there were Chārubhadra, Bhadrachāru, Sudamshtra, Druma, Sushena, Chārugupta, Chāruvinda, Chārumat, and the youngest, Chārubāhu. There was also a daughter, Chārumatī.
7 Born from Satyabhāmā were Bhānu, Bhīmaratha, Kshupa, glorious Rohita, and copper-eyed Jalāntaka. And the man with the Garuda banner sired four sisters for them.
8 Sāmba, a son brilliant in battle, was born from Jāmbavatī, as were Mitravat and Mitravinda, and a daughter, Mitravatī, 9 and Mitravāha and Sunītha.
Listen for Nāgnajitī’s children: Bhadrakāra and Bhadravinda, and a daughter, Bhadravatī.
10 From Sudattā of the Shibis came Samgrāmajit, Satyajit, Senajit, and mighty Sapatnajit.
11 The sons of Subhīmā the Mādrī were Vrikāshva, Vrikanirvriti, and young Vrikadīpti.
Listen for Lakshmanā’s children: 12 Gātravat, Gātragupta, and bold Gātravinda, and they came with a little sister, Gātravantī.
13 Kālindī’s son was Ashruta the Unheard-Of, the truest of the heard-of. Madhusūdana gave Ashruta to Shrutasenā. 14 Hrishīkesha presented him and happily said to his wife: This one shall be the heir to you both, throughout all the years.
15 Now then. Born from Brihatī of the Shibis they tell of Gada’s sons Angada and Kumuda, and his daughter, Shvetā. 16 Agāvaha was Gada’s son too, as were Sumitra, Shuchi, Chitraratha, and Chitrasena, and Chitrā and Chitravatī were his daughters.
17 Vanastamba had two sons, Stamba and Stambavana.
Upāsanga* had two sons, Vajra and Sukshipra, 18 who were born from Sutasomā Kaushikī, a daughter of Yudhishthira Firm-in-Battle. They both stood firm in battle. Also born were his sons Kāpālin and Garuda, both of them versatile warriors.
19 Pradyumna’s son from his Vidarbhan wife was Aniruddha, the truest of princes. He fought in battle with a deer on his standard.
20 Baladeva’s sons from Revatī were the two brothers Nishatha and Ulmuka, both of them really good men who looked like gods.
21 Sutanu and Narāchī were two further wives of Shūra’s grandson Vāsudeva, and Paundra and Kapila were two of his other sons. 22 Kapila was born from Narāchī, and Paundra from Sutanu. Of the two of them, Paundra became a king, and Kapila went off to the woods.†
23 Turī gave birth to a bold and strong son named Jaras, sired by Vasudeva. He became a leader of the forest hunters, who are all armed with bows.‡
24 A Kāshi woman gave birth to speedy Supārshva, a son sired by Sāmba. But Vajra was born before that. Vajra was the son of Aniruddha and Anu, 25 Vajra’s son was Prativaha, and his son was Suchāru.
Anamitra, the youngest, the darling of the Vrishnis, had a son: Shini.§26 Shini’s son was Satyaka, a great warrior who told the truth, and Satyaka’s son was brave Yuyudhāna. 27 Yuyudhāna’s son was Asanga, his son was Bhūmi, and Bhūmi’s son was Yugandhara.
That’s the whole lineage.
99. The Killing of Shambara
1 Janamejaya said:
You mentioned earlier** that Pradyumna killed Shambara. How did he kill Shambara? Tell me about that.
2 Vaishampāyana said:
Rukminī’s son Pradyumna was self-disciplined and a delight to behold, and he wanted what was best for his father Vāsudeva. He pu
t Shambara to death.
3 When Krishna’s son was a baby of seven nights old, dark Shambara kidnapped him from the lying-in chamber at midnight. 4 Krishna practises the magic of the gods, and he knew about it, but the battle-hungry Dānava wasn’t caught. 5 His life possessed by Death, the great demon used his magic to pick Pradyumna up, lift him with both arms, and return to his own town.
6 Shambara had a wife called Māyāvatī the Magician, no less, who was blessed with good qualities and good looks. She was like an apparition, a joy to behold. But she was childless. 7 Impelled by his doom, the Dānava presented Vāsudeva’s baby to his husbanded queen, to pass for their own child. 8 She raised Krishna’s lotus-eyed son, and, crazy with love for him, she taught him all the Dānavas’ magic spells.
9 Pradyumna too was a delight to the eye, and when he reached puberty he mastered the method for every missile and became aware of what women wanted. 10 Māyāvatī was amorous, and she lusted after the lovely lad. She tried to seduce him with laughter and suggestive looks. 11 But to that lovestruck queen with her sugary smiles, he said:
Why are you spurning your maternal nature and behaving in this perverted way? 12 Shame! If you disregard my filial status and behave lustfully towards me, your nature must be faulty because of your fickle-hearted femininity. 13 Am I not your son, good woman? What is this violation of morality? I want it explained, madam queen. What is this behaviour? 14 If women latch onto men like clouds latching onto mountain-tops, their feminine nature must be as fickle as a flash of lightning. 15 I want it to be declared, good woman, whether I’m your true son or not, fair lady. What are you trying to do?
16 When he said this to her she was intimidated, and while her senses were reeling with desire and it was just the two of them there, she made the desired declaration to Keshava’s son:
17 I didn’t give birth to you, sweet boy, and nor is Shambara your father. At your birth you, beautiful and bold, were a blessing for the Vrishnis. You’re Rukminī’s little darling, the son of Vāsudeva.
18 When you were a new-born baby lying on your back, seven days old, you were abducted from inside the lying-in chamber. 19 My husband snatched you using his strength and bravery, young brave, after trespassing into the great house of your father Vāsudeva, who’s a match for the Punisher of Pāka. That’s right—Shambara snatched you.
20 That mother of yours must be completely worn out, young brave, from woefully wailing for you, her baby, like a cow separated from its calf. 21 And that father of yours with the Garuda banner, who’s greater even than Shakra: he doesn’t know that you, the same child that was taken from him, are here. 22 You’re a child of the Vrishnis, my lovely. You’re not Shambara’s true son. Dānavas don’t have sons like you, young brave.
23 So I’m in love with you, but I didn’t give birth to you, and when I see your beauty, sweet boy, I become sick in the heart and weak. 24 What I propose, my lovely, is something that’s always on my mind, and that churns around in my heart. You must heal me, son of the Vrishnis.
25 What I’ve told you is the truth about you, sweet boy. You’re neither my son nor Shambara’s.
26 When he’d listened to everything Māyāvatī told him and there was no more left to tell, the son of the discus-wielder was furious, and he challenged Shambara. 27 Dark Shambara was courageous, fighting didn’t tire him out, and he knew magic spell after magic spell—he knew them all. But on the eighth day of fighting Pradyumna killed him, using magic.
28 After he’d killed that great demon in the town of Rikshavanta, Pradyumna took Queen Māyāvatī with him and travelled to his own city, the city of his father. 29 He used magic to fly in the air, and he travelled at express pace to the wonderful city that was protected by his father’s brilliance.
30 As Keshava’s child came down from the sky into Keshava’s inner courtyard with Māyāvatī, he looked as beautiful as the god of love. 31 When he landed, the wives of Keshava who were there were amazed, astonished, and apprehensive, 32 but then, as they gazed at the lad who’d arrived with a beautiful woman and looked like the god of love, as they drank in this sweet liquor with their eyes, their faces brightened up, 33 and when Krishna’s wives saw him touching them all on the feet with a bashful expression his face they were enraptured, and they knew they loved him.
34 Rukminī looked at him. Longing for her child, pained by sorrow and with tears in her eyes, she spoke up amid her hundreds of co-wives and said:
35 A long-lived and lovely-looking lad like this is surely the son of a lucky woman. In the first flush of his manhood, he looks like the god of love. 36 Which woman decorated by destiny has you as her living son, my son? And why have you and your wife come here, dark-as-a-cloud? 37 My little boy Pradyumna would surely be your age, if he hadn’t been taken away because karma prevailed . . .
38 But this lad is surely a son of the Vrishnis. No, my suspicion isn’t false—I can identify you by the characteristic signs. You’re like Janārdana without the discus. 39 Your face is like Nārāyana’s, and so is your hair and your hairline, and your head, chest, and arms are like those of my senior brother-in-law, the man with the plough. 40 Who are you, standing here lighting up the whole Vrishni clan with your beauty? Ah, you’re like a divine double of that Janārdana.
41 At that point Krishna suddenly came in. He’d heard Nārada talking about the killing of Shambara. 42 Janārdana saw his eldest son, perfected with all the features of the god of love, and his daughter-in-law Māyāvatī too, and his heart soared. 43 Addressing Queen Rukminī as if she were a deity, he immediately said:
My queen, this mighty wielder of the bow is your son, returned to you. 44 He’s killed Shambara, an expert in fighting with magic, and he’s also foiled all the magic spells that Shambara tormented the gods with.
45 And this good woman, beautiful and virtuous, must be your son’s wife. She’s called Māyāvatī, and she used to live in Shambara’s house. But you mustn’t be worried on account of her having been Shambara’s wife. 46 In a former life, at the time that the god of love was destroyed and became bodiless,* this same young woman was Kāma’s wife and lover, the beautiful Rati. And when this good woman repeatedly stupefied Shambara the Daitya, she did so using a magical body. 47 When she was young this handsome woman didn’t submit to Shambara, and whenever she had sex with him she used a different body, made of her own magic. 48 She’s my son’s wife and your beautiful daughter-in-law, and she’ll make a marriage of minds and hearts with the world’s darling. 49 Take her into your home and honour her as my daughter-in-law. And love our long-lost son, who’s come back again.
100. The Story of the Blessed One
1 Vaishampāyana said:
In the very same month in which Shambara brought on his own ruin by seizing Pradyumna, Jāmbavatī gave birth to Sāmba. 2 From his boyhood onwards, Rāma set Sāmba up as the standard that others should measure up to. All the Vrishnis honoured Sāmba next after Rāma, 3 and as soon as he was born Krishna lived in that beautiful city like an immortal living in Shakra’s pleasure-garden after all their neighbouring enemies have been killed.
4 When Vāsava saw the glory of the Yādavas, he scorned his own glory. For fear of Janārdana, kings could find no peace.
5 On one occasion, all the earth’s kings travelled to the town that’s named after the elephant, for a festival hosted by Duryodhana. 6 After hearing about the glory of the Mādhavas, and about Janārdana and his son, and the city of Dvāravatī situated on the seashore, 7 all the earth’s kings used their ambassadors to set up friendly relations, and then they travelled to Krishna’s city to see the glory that was Hrishīkesha. 8 All the kings submitting to Dhritarāshtra, who were led by Duryodhana, and the kings led by the Pāndavas, and those led by Dhrishtadyumna, 9 and the most important Pāndyas, Cholas, and Kalingans, and the Bāhlīkas, Dravidas, and Shakas, lords of the earth dragging eighteen armies along behind them, travelled to the city of the Yādavas, which was protected by Govinda’s arms. 10 The kings covered Mount Raivataka and camped on y
ojanas of rich land, each of them on their own patch of ground.
11 Glorious lotus-eyed Hrishīkesha and the bulls of the Yādavas came out from the city into the company of those lords of humanity. 12 At the centre of those human gods, Madhusūdana the supreme Yadu looked like the moon in the sky in autumn, 13 and after he’d greeted them properly according to their rank and their age, Krishna sat down there on a golden throne. 14 The kings sat down too, in order of their rank, on various marvellous thrones, and the chieftains of the peoples sat on chairs. 15 The gathering of the Yādavas and the lords of humanity looked like the gathering of gods and demons in the court of Brahmā.
16 While Keshava listened, various tales about the Yadus and about the kings were aired, there in their assembly. 17 While this was going on, a wind blew up, carrying a noisy cloud, and there was a clatter of rain, with thunder and lightning. 18 Then the bottom of the raincloud split open and Nārada appeared, clutching his vīnā with one arm, his bulky dreadlocks coiled up on his head. 19 Looking like a plume of fire, Shakra’s friend the glorious sage Nārada descended into the midst of kings who shone like fires, 20 and as soon as Nārada the bull of the sages had landed on the ground, the angry great dark cloud disappeared.
21 The eternal sage plunged into the oceanic midst of the kings, and as the supreme Yadu sat on his throne Nārada addressed him and said: 22 Supreme strong-armed person, you’re truly the sole marvel of the gods. You’re the blessed one. No one else in the world is blessed like you.
23 On hearing this, the lord gave a smile and replied to the sage: I’m the marvel and the blessed one, and I’m accompanied by the gifts for the priests.
24 On hearing this, the supreme sage announced in the midst of the kings: Krishna, I’ve had my claim completed. I’ll now leave by the way that I came.
25 The kings didn’t understand the secret code-words that Nārada had uttered, and when they saw he was about to leave they said to Lord Krishna:
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