Harivamsha

by Bibek Debroy

  ‘Anxious because of his son’s wicked acts and lowering his face, Ugrasena entered the house of the Yadus. In that assembly of the Yadus, he spoke to Pundarikaksha Krishna. He was distressed and spoke in a faltering voice that choked with tears. “In your rage, you have killed my son. You have despatched your enemy towards Yama’s direction. These deeds are in accordance with your own dharma and your name will be remembered on earth. For the sake of your well-wishers, you have established the proud Yadava lineage. To all the vassal kings, your power has become evident. Your friends will worship you. Those who seek riches will search you out as a refuge. Ordinary people will follow you and brahmanas will praise you. Advisers, who are foremost in deciding on war and peace, will bow down before you. O Krishna! Accept Kamsa’s inexhaustible army, consisting of elephants, horses, chariots and large numbers of foot soldiers, riches, grain, all the other gems and spreads, women, gold, garments and everything else that is in the nature of wealth. O Krishna! When an encounter is over, this has been recommended. O slayer of enemies! You have established the Yadus on earth. O brave one! Hear these words, being spoken by a miserable person. He has been consumed by your rage. Kamsa was the performer of inauspicious deeds. O Govinda! Through your favours, let his funeral rites be performed. Distressed as I am, after performing funeral rites for the king, I, with my daughters-in-law and my wives, will roam around with animals.814 O Krishna! I only desire to perform the funeral rites for a relative. Once I have done this, all my worldly debts will have been extinguished. Without following any other rites, I will only light his funeral pyre and offer him water. After that, I will be free from all debts to Kamsa. O Krishna! Show affection towards me and command only this much. Once this deed has been performed, that miserable person will obtain a desirable end.” Hearing these words, Krishna was extremely delighted. He replied to Ugrasena in these assuring words. “O tiger among kings! Your words befit your conduct and your lineage. O king! What you have spoken about is history and couldn’t have been avoided. After death, Kamsa will obtain a good destination. O father! Act in accordance with the words I speak. I have nothing to do with the kingdom. There is no desire for the kingdom in me. I did not bring down Kamsa because I desired the kingdom. Your son was a deformity in his lineage and I brought him, and his brother, down for the welfare of the worlds and for the sake of fame. I will roam around in the forest with the gopas, amidst cattle. I will happily roam around as I wish, like an elephant. I am saying this truthfully, one hundred times. Let it be known that I am not interested in the kingship. Act accordingly. You are respected and are the foremost lord among the Yadus. You be the king. O supreme among kings! For the sake of victory, be consecrated in your own kingdom. If you wish to do something that brings me pleasure and if you are not distressed, accept from me your own kingdom, one that you have been deprived of for a long time.” At this, he815 was ashamed. He lowered his face. In that assembly of the Yadus, Govinda, the one who knew about yoga, instated him as the king. The prosperous King Ugrasena wore a crown. With Krishna, he performed Kamsa’s funeral rites. On Krishna’s instructions, the foremost among the Yadavas followed the king along the path that led to the city, like the gods following Shatakratu.

  ‘When night was over, the sun arose. The bulls among the Yadus performed the final funeral rites for Kamsa. They placed Kamsa’s body on a palanquin. In due order, they performed the virtuous and ordained rites. The king’s son816 was taken to the northern banks of the Yamuna. As is proper, the funeral rites were performed by applying fire to the pyre. His brother was the mighty-armed Sunama. With the Yadavas, Krishna performed his final rites too. The Vrishni and Andhaka maharathas offered them water and said, “After death, may they obtain the eternal.” Distressed in their minds, the Yadavas offered them water. With Ugrasena at the forefront, they then entered the city of Mathura.’

  Chapter 79

  Vaishampayana said, ‘With Rohini’s powerful son, Krishna happily resided in the city of Mathura, inhabited by the Yadavas. As he attained youth, his body blazed in royal prosperity. Adorned with jewels, the brave one dwelt in Mathura. After some time, Rama and Keshava went to the preceptor from Kashi, Sandipani, who now resided in the city of Avanti.817 They went there to learn about dhanurveda. Rama and Janardana informed him about their gotra. They studied, served him with humility and followed good conduct. The one from Kashi imparted pure knowledge to them. Those two brave ones could remember everything that they had heard. In sixty-four days and nights, they studied and learnt all the Vedas and the Vedangas. In a short period of time, the preceptor instructed them about the weapons used in battle and the four elements of dhanurveda.818 On noticing their superhuman intelligence, the preceptor thought the moon and sun gods had arrived there. On auspicious occasions, he saw that the great-souled ones worshipped the three-eyed Mahadeva himself. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! When they had become successful,819 Krishna, together with Rama, asked Sandipani, “What will we give our preceptor?”820 Knowing of their powers, the preceptor happily replied, “I desire that you should give me my son. He is dead and submerged in the salty ocean. Only one son was born to me and he was killed by a whale, while we were visiting places of pilgrimage in Prabhasa. Bring him back to me.” Taking Rama’s permission, Krishna agreed. The energetic Hari went to the ocean and entered the water. There, he saw the ocean standing before him, hands joined in salutation. He asked him, “Where does Sandipani’s son live now?” The ocean replied, “O Madhava! There is a great daitya named Panchajana. He adopted the form of a whale and has devoured the child.” Purushottama approached Panchajana and killed him. But Achyuta could not find his preceptor’s infant son. Having slain Panchajana, Janardana obtained the conch shell that is famous among gods and men as Panchajanya. Purushottama then defeated the god Vaivasvata.821 From Yama’s eternal abode, he brought back his preceptor’s son, who had been dead for a long time. Sandipani’s son had been dead for a long time. However, through the infinitely energetic one’s favours, he was again reunited with his body. All the creatures were astounded at witnessing this great wonder, something that was unthinkable. Having obtained his preceptor’s son, Panchajanya and many expensive jewels, Madhava, the lord of the universe, returned. Those many kinds of expensive jewels had belonged to the rakshasas. Vasava’s younger brother brought them back and offered them to his preceptor. In a short period of time, those two became best in the worlds in the use of the mace and the club, all kinds of weapons and in wielding the bow.822 Krishna gave all those jewels. He also gave Sandipani’s son the form and the age that he had possessed.823 O king! Sandipani from Kashi was delighted at being united with his son, who had been dead for a long time. He worshipped Rama and Keshava.

  ‘Having become accomplished in the use of weapons, Vasudeva’s two brave sons, excellent in their vows, took their leave of their preceptor and returned to Mathura. With Ugrasena at the forefront, all the Yadavas, along with the children, were delighted that the two descendants of the Yadu lineage had returned. The arrays of ordinary people, the advisers, the priests and the young and the aged of the city welcomed them back. They played on trumpets and musical instruments and praised Janardana. In every direction, the roads dazzled with flags and garlands. Everyone in the inner quarters of the palace was happy. With Govinda’s arrival, it was as if a sacrifice to Indra was being observed. Along the royal roads, singers sang happy songs. In agreeable tones, the Yadavas chanted praises and benedictions. Govinda and Rama, the two brothers famous in the worlds, arrived. Everyone in the city was without fear and amused themselves with their relatives. There was no distress there. No one was miserable or senseless. O king! This is what happened when Govinda turned up in Mathura. The birds sang sweet songs. The cows, horses and elephants were happy. All the large numbers of men and women were happy in their minds. Auspicious winds started to blow. The ten directions were emptied of dust. The gods were happy in all the temples. All the signs in the world were like those in an earlier krita yuga. When Janardana reached
the city, this is what was witnessed. At an auspicious and sacred time, Govinda, the destroyer of enemies, entered the city of Mathura on a chariot that was yoked to tawny horses. Upendra, the scorcher of enemies, entered beautiful Mathura. He was followed by large numbers of Yadus, like Shakra by large numbers of gods. With happy faces, those two descendants of the Yadu lineage entered Vasudeva’s house, like the moon and the sun atop a mountain. They left their weapons in the house. Then, Vasudeva’s two sons, supreme among the Yadus, roamed around as they willed and amused themselves. The two with the handsome faces were formed out of a single entity. For some time, they followed Ugrasena and amused themselves in Mathura.’

  Chapter 80

  Vaishampayana said, ‘After some time, the lord of Rajagriha, the powerful King Jarasandha, heard about Kamsa’s death.824 He arrived, surrounding himself with a large army with six sections.825 Having heard about Kamsa’s death through spies, he was angry and wished to slay the Yadus. The king of Magadha had two daughters named Asti and Prapti. These two fortunate ones were Jarasandha’s daughters. They were large-breasted and thin at the waist. King Barhadratha826 had bestowed them on Kamsa, as wives. Having imprisoned his father, Ahuka,827 the king828 sported himself with them. Finding support in Jarasandha, he slighted the Yadavas. You have heard a lot about King Shurasena.829 To accomplish the objectives of his relatives, Vasudeva was always on Ugrasena’s side. Therefore, Kamsa could not tolerate him. Once the evil-souled Kamsa had been killed, with the support of Rama and Krishna and surrounded by the Bhojas, the Vrishnis and the Andhakas, Ugrasena became the king. For the sake of his beloved daughters, who were the wives of a hero, the powerful King Jarasandha arrived in Mathura. Overcome with rage at the Yadus, he made every kind of effort. He was joined by the kings who were under his power and by his friends, relatives and well-wishers. Surrounded by their soldiers, all of them followed him. They were great archers and immensely valorous. They wished to do what was agreeable to Jarasandha. Dantavaktra of Karusha, the powerful king of Chedi, the lord of Kalinga, the supremely strong Poundra, the deceitful Kaishika, King Bhishmaka, Bhishmaka’s son Rukmi, foremost among wielders of the bow and one who always wished to rival Vasudeva830 and Arjuna in strength, Venudari, Shrutarva, Kratha, Amshuman, the powerful king of Anga, the lord of Vanga, Koushalya, the king of Kashi, the lord of Dasharna, the brave Suhveshvara, the lord of Videha, the powerful king of Madra, the lord of Trigarta, the king of Salva,831 the brave and immensely strong Darada, the lord of the Yavanas, the valiant Bhagadatta, the king of Souvira, Shaibya, Pandya, supreme among the strong, Subala, the king of Gandhara, the immensely strong Nagnajit, these and other powerful maharatha kings followed Jarasandha, driven by their hatred for Janardana. Equipped with a lot of grain and firewood, they entered the kingdom of Shurasena. With their armies, they laid siege to Mathura.’

  Chapter 81

  Vaishampayana said, ‘The kings were entrenched in the forests around Mathura. With Janardana at the forefront, all the Vrishnis saw this. Cheerfully, Krishna spoke these words to Rama. “There is no doubt that the task of the gods will be accomplished swiftly. King Jarasandha has been attracted to this place. The tips of the penants can be seen on his chariots, stirring in the wind. O noble one! The men desire victory and their white umbrellas are stretched out before us, blazing like the moon. The kings and the chariots are in front of us, with sparkling white arrays of umbrellas. They are advancing towards us, like an array of swans in the sky. There is no doubt that King Jarasandha will confront his destiny. In this battle with us, he is the first guest we will welcome in this encounter. O noble one! When the kings advance, let us remain together. When the battle commences, we can test how strong they are.” Krishna, who was assured and eager to fight, spoke in this way. He glanced at all the kings and the supreme and undecaying ones on the side of the Yadus. In his heart, the one who knew about all kinds of advice spoke these words to himself. “Because of what has been decreed in the sacred texts, kings who remain in the paths of other kings will face destruction. I think that all these bulls among kings have already been slain by Death. Their bodies can already be seen to be headed towards heaven. These foremost among kings oppressed the earth with their floods of soldiers and exhausted by that burden here, she went to heaven. Because of these armies and kingdoms, there is no space on earth. Indeed, in a short while, the surface of the ground will be emptied. Hundreds and large numbers of kings will be brought down.” Jarasandha, the lord of all the kings, was enraged. The immensely radiant one was followed by thousands of kings. There were tall and excellent horses, well controlled through reins. In some places, chariots that could freely advance were ready for battle. There were supreme elephants that were like clouds, with golden harnesses and giant bells. Mahamatras accomplished in fighting were astride them. Others astride horses looked around, ready to leap. The cavalry was like a cloud. The foot soldiers were ready to strike. Wielding fierce swords and shields, that infantry seemed to stretch up to the sky. Those thousands of foot soldiers were like descending serpents. In this way, the four divisions of the army were as vibrant as clouds. The powerful King Jarasandha advanced, firm in his resolution. There was the clatter of chariots. There was the trumpeting of crazy elephants. The horses neighed and the foot soldiers roared. All the directions, the city and the forests were filled with this noise. The king was seen, with an army that was like the ocean. That army of the lord of the earth had many proud warriors. The roar the army made was like the thundering of a cloud. The chariots advanced like the wind. The elephants were like clouds. The horses were swift. The foot soldiers were like birds.832 That army was a mixture of all these, crazy elephants and chariots. It looked like a cloud extending up to the ocean, at the end of the summer. With Jarasandha at the forefront, that army of all the kings surrounded the city and set up camp there. The tents in that encampment were beautiful. It looked like the great ocean on a full moon night in shuklapaksha.

  ‘When night was over, the kings arose. They were eager to fight and break into the city. All the kings assembled near the Yamuna to hold consultations and decide on a time to commence battle. The tumultuous sound made by the kings could be heard. It was as if the oceans were being splintered at the end of a yuga. There were aged attendants with cloaks833 and headdresses, with staffs made of cane in their hands. On the instructions of the king, they asked everyone to be quiet. The army was then seen to quieten down. It was as silent as the great ocean, when fish and crocodiles were quiet. Though ready, that large ocean was silent. Like Brihaspati, Jarasandha spoke these extensive words. “This army of kings will swiftly advance. Groups of men will surround the city from every side. Arrange catapults for hurling boulders and iron clubs. Hold up bows, spikes and javelins. Quickly break down the city with large numbers of spades and shovels. Kings who are well versed in techniques of fighting will be stationed a short distance away. From today, the soldiers will lay siege to the city. Let storms of arrows be showered down from the sky. Following my command, let the kings be stationed on the ground around the city. Without any delay, let them quickly climb up into the city. Madra, the lord of Kalinga, Chekitana, Bahlika, Gonarda, the king of Kashmira, the lord of Karusha, Druma, kimpurushas from the mountains and Damana will swiftly attack the city’s western gate. Pourava Venudari, the king of Vidarbha, Somaka, Rukmi, the lord of Bhoja, Suryaksha from Malava, Vinda and Anuvinda from Avanti, the valiant Dantavaktra, Chhagali, Purumitra, King Virata, the king of Koshambi, the king of Malava, Shatadhanva, Viduratha, Bhurishrava, Trigarta and Bana from the land of the five rivers are kings who are as powerful as the lord of the vajra.834 They will attack the city’s northern gate and its fortifications. Uluka, Kaitaveya, the brave son of Amshuman, Ekalavya, Brihatkshatra, Kshatradharma, Jayadratha, Uttamouja, Shalya, Kourava, the king of Kekaya, the king of Vidisha, Vamadeva and Saketa, the lord of Sini, will take their battle formations to the city’s eastern gate. They will swiftly attack, like clouds aided by the wind. I, Darada and the king of Chedi will armour o
urselves and take care of the city’s southern gate. In this way, the city will quickly be attacked from all directions. It will be struck by great fear, as if it has been struck by a bolt of lightning. Those who hold clubs will use clubs. Those who use maces as weapons will use maces. The others will use many kinds of weapons and break down the city. Today, this city is uneven.835 The task before all you kings is to level it down to the ground.” Jarasandha arranged the four divisions of his army in battle formations. With all the kings, he angrily attacked. The Dasharhas also armed themselves. Arranging themselves in battle formations, they counter-attacked. A terrible battle commenced and it was like an encounter between the gods and the asuras. With chariots and elephants, the few engaged with the many.836

  ‘Vasudeva’s two sons were seen to emerge from the city. At this, the army of the best of men was agitated.837 The mounts were terrified and stupefied. Armed on their chariots, the Yadavas838 roamed around. It was as if two wrathful makaras were agitating the ocean. On seeing all the signs that a battle was about to commence, those two intelligent Yadavas thought of their ancient weapons. In that encounter, those blazing weapons fell down from the sky. Those divine weapons were gigantic and extremely firm. They seemed to lick their lips. As those gigantic weapons manifested themselves, they were followed by predatory creatures. Thirsty, those terrible ones wished to devour the flesh of the kings in the battle. Those divine weapons were garlanded and could terrify those who travelled in the sky. Blazing in their radiance, they illuminated the ten directions. They were the plough named Samvartaka, the club Soubhadra,839 the supreme bow Sharnga and the mace Koumadaki. These are Vishnu’s four energetic weapons. In that great battle, they arrived for the Yadavas. With his right hand, Rama picked up the plough, which was like a flagpole. It was adorned with celestial garlands. In the battle, it creeped along like a serpent. With his left hand, the best among the Satvatas840 picked up the beautiful and supreme club Sounanda. It was one that caused misery to enemies. The valiant Vishnu picked up the famous bow, named Sharnga. It deserved to be seen by all the worlds and thundered like a cloud. To accomplish what the gods has asked him to, the lotus-eyed one picked up the mace in his other hand. It was named Koumadaki. Thus armed, those two brave ones assumed forms like that of Vishnu. In the battle, Rama and Govinda prepared to counter-attack the enemy. Seizing the weapons, those two brave ones were like each other. Rama and Govinda bore the signs of being the elder and the younger brother.