Parva 2 Chapter 26: akrūradarśanam - Akrura has a Vision

vaiśaṁpāyana said: (O janamejaya!) Entering the residence of nandagopa along with keshava (kṛṣṇa), the one who gives much in carity (akrūra), spoke in a pleasing manner addressing all the elderly gopa-s, kṛṣṇa and the son of rohiṇī (balarāma). śvaḥ purīṁ mathurāṁ tāta gamiṣyāmaḥ sukhāya vai ||2-26-2 Son! Let us go to the city of mathura, tomorrow, for our good. yāsyanti ca vrajāḥ sarve gopālāḥ saparigrahāḥ | kaṁsājṣayā samuchitaṁ karamādāya vārṣikam ||2-26-3 (Note 1) All the cow tenders of vraja along with their families are ordered by kaṁsa to pay their annual taxes as required. samṛddhastatra kaṁsasya bhaviṣyati dhanurmahaḥ | taṁ drakṣyatha samṛddhaṁ ca svajanaishcha sameṣyatha ||2-26-4 kaṁsa has arranged a grand bow festival with great pomp and splendour. You can watch this pompous festival and also meet your relatives. pitaraṁ vasudevaṁ ca satatam duḥkhabhājanam | dīnaṁ putravadhaśrāntaṁ yuvāmadya sameṣyathaḥ ||2-26-5 You can meet your father vasudeva, who is always sorrowful and who always laments about his sons who were killed. satataṁ pīḍyamānaṁ ca kaṁsenāśubhabuddhinā | daśānte śoṣitam vṛddhaṁ duḥkhaiḥ śithilatāṁ gatam ||2-26-6 He is always troubled by the evil minded kaṁsa. The old man is distressed by sorrow and weakened internally. kaṁsasya bhayasaṁtrastaṁ bhavadbhyāṁ ca vinā kṛtam | dahyamānaṁ divā rātrau sotkaṇṭhenāntarātmanā ||2-26-7 Separated from you, he is terrified of kaṁsa. He is burning internally with anxiety, day and night. tāṁ ca drakṣyasi govinda putrairamṛditastanīm | devakīṁ devasaṅkāśāṁ sīdantīṁ vihataprabhām ||2-26-8 govinda, you can also see your mother, devakī , whose breasts were not sucked by her sons. She has a splendour of a goddess but she has become lusterless, suffering from miseries. putrashokena śuṣyantīṁ tvaddarśanaparāyaṇām | viyogaśokasaṁtaptāṁ vivatsāmiva saurabhīm ||2-26-9 She has become thin due to the grief of her sons. She is eager to see you. She is burning with the sorrow of separation, like the holy cow, surabhī, without her calf. upaplutekṣaṇāṁ dīnāṁ nityaṁ malinavāsasam | svarbhānuvadanagrastāṁ śaśāṅkasya prabhāmiva ||2-26-10 Her eyes have sunk. She laments daily. She dresses in old cloths. She is like the moonlight swallowed by the mouth of rahu. tvaddarśanaparāṁ nityaṁ tavāgamanakāṅkṣiṇīm | tvatpravṛttena shokena sīdantīṁ vai tapasvinīm ||2-26-11 Everyday she thinks of seeing you. Every day she is waiting for you. The poor soul is getting weakened day by day because of sorrow regarding you. tvatpralāpeṣvakuśalāṁ tvayā bālye viyojitām | arūpajṣāṁ tava vibho vaktrasyāsyenduvarchasaḥ ||2-26-12 She has not heard your sweet talk since you were separated from her from childhood. Lord! She does not know the beauty of your face, beautiful as moon. yadi tvāṁ janayitvā sā devakī tāta tapyate | apatyārtho nu kastasyā varaṁ hyevānapatyatā ||2-26-13 Son! Even though devakī gave birth to you, she still suffers much. What is the use of having a child for her? It would have been better for her to remain childless. aputrāṇāṁ hi nārīṇāmekaḥ shoko vidhīyate | saputrā tvaphale putre dhikprajātena tapyate ||2-26-14 Women having no children have only one grief. The woman having a son without any association will grieve for ever. tvaṁ tu śakrasamaḥ putro yasyāstvatsadṛśo guṇāiḥ | pareṣāmapyabhayado na sā śoṣitumarhati ||2-26-15 You are equal to indra in qualities and capable of protecting others. The woman to whom you are a son should never grieve. vṛddhau tavāṁbāpitarau parabhṝtyatvamāgatau | bhartsitau tvatkṛte nityaṁ kaṁsenāśubhabuddhinā ||2-26-16 Your elderly father and mother are living like servants of others. The evil minded kaṁsa is abusing them constantly because of you. yadi te devakī mānyā pṛthivī vā''tmadhāriṇī | tāṁ shokasalile magnāmuttārayitumarhasi ||2-26-17 If devakī, your mother is to be respected like earth, She should be saved from the ocean of sorrow. taṁ ca vṛddhaṁ priyasutaṁ vasudevaṁ sukhochitam | putrayogena saṁyojya kṛṣṇa dharmamavāpsyasi ||2-26-18 If you give vasudeva, who deserves all comforts, the pleasure of your company as son, kṛṣṇa, you will be doing your duty. yathā nāgaḥ sudurvṛtto damito yamunāhrade | vimūlaḥ sa kṛtaḥ shailo yathā vai bhūdharastvayā ||2-26-19 You conquered the sinful serpent from the lake of yamunā. You lifted the govardhana hill from the earth. darpotsiktashcha balavānariṣṭo vinipātitaḥ | paraprāṇaharaḥ keśī duṣṭātmā ca hayo hataḥ ||2-26-20 You felled the powerful ariṣṭa, intoxicated with pride. You killed the wicked horse, keshi, who was fond of taking the lives of others. etenaiva prayatnena vṛddhāvuddhṛtya duḥkhitau | yathā dharmamavāpnoṣi tatkṛṣṇa parichintyatām ||2-26-21 You should think of freeing your elderly parents from sorrow and follow the right way as required. nirbhartsyamāno yairdṛṣṭaḥ pitā te kaṁsasaṁsadi | te sarve cakruraśrūṇi netrairduḥkhānvitā bhṛśam ||2-26-22 All the people who saw kaṁsa abusing your father in the assembly were unhappy and shed tears of sorrow from their eyes. garbhāvakartanādīni duḥkhāni subahūnyapi | mātā te devakī kṛṣṇa kaṁsasya sahate'vaśā ||2-26-23 kṛṣṇa! your mother devakī is suffering many sorrows like destruction of her conceptions, because of kaṁsa. mātāpitṛbhyāṁ sarveṇa jātena tanayena vai | ṛṇaṁ vai pratikartavyaṁ yathāyogamudāhṛtam |||2-26-24 It is said that if a son is born to a mother and father, he should repay his debts suitably. evaṁ te kurvataḥ kṛṣṇa mātāpitroranugraham | parityajetāṁ tau śokaṁ syāccha dharmastavānagha ||2-26-25 kṛṣṇa! If you do like this, it will be a blessing for your parents. O sinless one! They will be free of their sorrow and you will be doing your duty. vaiśampāyana uvāca kṛṣṇaḥ suviditārtho vai tamāhāmitavikramam | bāḍāmityeva tejasvī na ca krodhavaśaṁ gataḥ ||2-26-26 vaiśaṁpāyana said: (O janamejaya!) kṛṣṇa understood the matter. The splendorous kṛṣṇa did not get angry. He concurred with the valiant akrūra. te ca gopāḥ samāgamya nandagopapuraḥsarāḥ | akrūravacanaṁ śrutvā cheluḥ kaṁsasya śāsanāt ||2-26-27 The gopa-s, with nandagopa at the forefront heard the words of akrūra. They began to proceed according to kaṁsa's order. gamanāya ca te sajjā babhūvurvrajavāsinaḥ | sajjaṁ chopāyanaṁ kṛtvā gopavṛddhāḥ pratasthire ||2-26-28 The residents of vraja made preparations for the journey. The elderly men placed various items on the carts and proceeded. karaṁ cānaḍuhaḥ sarpirmahiṣāṁśchaupanāyikān | yathāsāraṁ yathāyūthamupānīya payo dadhi ||2-26-29 Bulls and ghee as tax and buffaloes and other gifts along with milk and curd as tribute were arranged according to their capacity. taṁ sajjayitvā kaṁsasya karaṁ chopāyanāni ca | te sarve gopapatayo gamanāyopatasthire ||2-26-30 Preparing all these gifts, readying the carts and arranging tax, all the leaders of gopa-s assembled for the journey. akrūrasya kathābhiścha saha kṛṣṇena jāgrataḥ | rauhiṇeyatṛtīyasya sā niśā vyatyavartata ||2-26-31 akrūra spent the full night, awake, talking with kṛṣṇa. The son of rohiṇi (balarama), also participated (in the discussion). tataḥ prabhāte vimale pakṣivyāhārasaṁkule | naiśākare raśmijāle kṣaṇadākṣayasaṁhṛte ||2-26-32 In the pollution-less morning, when the birds began to chirp, as the rays of moon became dim at the end of the night, nabhasyaruṇasaṁstīrṇe paryaste jyotiṣāṁ gaṇe | pratyūṣapavanāsāraiḥ kledite dharaṇītale ||2-26-33 As the stars began to disappear in the sky which appeared reddish, as the earth became moist with dew due to the morning wind, kṣīṇākārāsu tārāsu suptaniṣpratibhāsu ca | naishamantardadhe rūpamudgacchati divākare ||2-26-34 As the stars appeared dim and looked like sleeping, as the darkness of night vanished and the sun rose, śītāṁśuḥ śāntakiraṇo niṣprabhaḥ samapadyata | eko nāśayate rūpameko vardhayate vapuḥ ||2-26-35 With its rays weakened, the moon lost its splendour. One (the moon) lost its form while the other (sun) grew its body. gobhishcha samakīrṇāsu vrajaniryāṇabhūmiṣu | manthanāvartapūrṇeṣu gargareṣu nadatsu ca ||2-26-36 The cows began to crowd on the land of vraja. The sound of churning curd could be heard from everywhere. dāmabhirdamyamāneṣu vatseṣu taruṇeṣu ca | gopairāpūryamāṇāsu ghoṣarathyāsu sarvaśaḥ ||2-26-37 The calves were tied with good ropes. The gopa-s started crowding the streets of vraja. tatraiva gurukaṁ bhāṇḍaṁ śakaṭāropitaṁ bahu | tvaritāḥ pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtvā jagmuḥ syandanavāhanāḥ ||2-26-38 There, loading the carts with many items, those who boarded the vehicles, left quickly. kṛṣṇo'tha rauhiṇeyaścha sa chaivāmitadakṣiṇaḥ | trayo rathagatā jagmustrilokapatayo yathā ||2-26-39 The three, kṛṣṇa, the son of rohiṇī and the one who gives much in carity (akrūra), went in the chariot like the lords of the three worlds. athāha kṛśṇamakrūro yamunātīramāśritaḥ | syandanaṁ cātra rakṣasva yatnaṁ ca kuru vājiṣu ||2-26-40 As they reached the banks of yamunā, akrūra said to kṛṣṇa: Let us stop the chariot here and give rest to the horses. hayebhyo yavasaṁ dattvā hayabhāṇḍe rathe tathā | pragāḍhaṁ yatnamāsthāya kṣaṇaṁ tāta pratīkṣyatām ||2-26-41 feed grass and water to the horses and watch the decorated horses and the chariot. Son! Wait for me here. yamunāyā hrade hyasminstoṣyāmi bhujageshvaram | divyairbhāgavatairmantraiḥ sarvalokaprabhuṁ yataḥ ||2-26-42 I will worship the lord of serpents (śeṣa), the lord of all worlds, in this lake of yamunā, with the chanting of the divine bhāgavata mantra. guhyaṁ bhāgavataṁ devaṁ sarvalokasya bhāvanam | srīmatsvastikamūrddhānaṁ praṇamiṣyāmi bhoginam | sahasraśirasaṁ devamanantaṁ nīlavāsasam ||2-26-43 He is the incomprehensible bhāgavata. He maintains all the worlds. He is auspicious with the svastika mark on his forehead. I offer my obeisance to the great serpent, having thousand heads, the lord anantha, dressed in blue. dharmadevasya tasyātha yadviṣaṁ prabhaviṣyati | sarvaṁ tadamṛtaprakhyamaśiṣyāmyamaro yathā ||2-26-44 Whatever poison that emanates from that lord of dharma, is equivalent to nectar (amṛta). I will consume that like a deva. svastikāyatanaṁ dṛṣṭvā dvijihvaṁ śrīvibhūṣitam | samājastatra sarpāṇāṁ śāntyarthaṁ vai bhaviṣyati ||2-26-45 Seeing the lord adorned with the mark of svastika, having split tongues, decorated by śrī and surrounded by group of serpents will lead to peace and happiness. āstāṁ māṁ samudīkṣantau bhavantau saṅgatāvubhau | nivṛtto bhujagendrasya yāvadasmi hradottamāt ||2-26-46 Till I return from the best lake (of yamunā), the residence of the lord of serpents, both of you sit here and wait for me. tamāha kṛṣṇaḥ saṁhṛṣṭo gaccha dharmiṣṭha mā ciram | āvāṁ khalu na shaktau svastvayā hīnāvupāsitum ||2-26-47 Then kṛṣṇa, who was pleased, said: O Right minded one! Go ahead without delay. We are unable to wait for long without you. sa hrade yamunāyāstu mamajjāmitadakṣiṇaḥ | rasātale sa dadṛśe nāgalokamimam yathā ||2-26-48 The one who gives much in carity (akrūra) took a full dip in the lake of yamunā. There he saw the world of nāga-s in rasātala as it is. tasya madhye sahasrāsyaṁ hematālocchritadhvajam | lāṅgalāsaktahastāgraṁ musalopāśritodaram ||2-26-49 In the middle (of nāgaloka), with thousand heads, with a flag showing a golden palm leaf, carrying a plough in one hand (he saw śeṣa). A club (musala) was kept near his belly. asitāmbarasaṁvītaṁ pāṇḍuraṁ pāṇḍurāsanam | kuṇḍalaikadharaṁ mattaṁ suptamamburuhekṣaṇam ||2-26-50 Wearing a blue dress, with white complexion and seated on a white seat, wearing one ear ring, intoxicated, with eyes looking like sleepy lotus flowers, bhogotkarāsane śubhre svena dehena kalpite | svāsīnaṁ svastikābhyāṁ ca varāhābhyāṁ mahīdharam ||2-26-51 seated on the white seat, created by his own serpentine body, adorned by svastika and varāha and holding the earth, kiṣchitsavyāpavṛttena maulinā hemacūlinā | jātarūpamayaiḥ padmairmālayācchannavakṣasam ||2-26-52 with his head slightly inclined to the left adorned with golden ornaments and his chest covered with a garland of golden lotus flowers, raktachandanadigdhāṅgaṁ dīrghabāhumarindamam | padmanābhasitābhrābhaṁ bhābhirjvalitatejasam ||2-26-53 the killer of enemies with his long arms smeared with paste of red sandal, the one with a lotus flower from his navel, with white complexion, attractive with his effulgence, dadarsha bhogināṁ nāthaṁ sthitamekārṇaveśvaram | pūjyamānaṁ dvijihvendrairvāsukipramukhaiḥ prabhum ||2-26-54 he (akrūra) saw, the king of serpents (śeṣa), the lord of ekārṇava (ocean at the time of deluge), being worshipped by great serpents (having split tongues) such as vāsuki. kambalāśvatarau nāgau tau cāmarakarāvubhau | avījayetāṁ taṁ devaṁ dharmāsanagataṁ prabhum ||2-26-55 Serpents named kambala and ashvataru were fanning the king of serpents, the lord, seated on the righteous seat. tasyābhyāśagato bhāti vāsukiḥ pannageśvaraḥ | vṛto'nyaiḥ sachivaiḥ sarpaiḥ karkoṭakapuraḥsaraiḥ ||2-26-56 The serpent lord vāsuki was standing near him . The king of serpents was surrounded by serpent ministers lead by karkoṭaka. taṁ ghaṭāiḥ kāṣchanairdivyaiḥ paṅkajacchannamastakaiḥ | rājānaṁ snāpayāmāsuḥ snātamekārṇavāmbubhiḥ ||2-26-57 They performed abhiṣeka with divine golden pots covered with lotus flowers on the lord of serpents with water from ekarnava (ocean at the time of deluge). tasyotsaṅgaṁ ghanaśyāmaṁ śrīvatsāccāditorasam | pītāmbaradharaṁ viṣṇuṁ sūpaviṣṭaṁ dadarsha ha ||2-26-58 He (akrūra) saw viṣṇu, dark as a rain cloud, dressed in yellow clothes, with the mark of śrīvatsa adorning his chest , seated on his (śeṣa's) lap. aparaṁ caiva somena tulyasaṁhananam prabhum | saṅkarṣaṇamivāsīnaṁ taṁ divyam viṣṭaraāṁ vinā ||2-26-59 akrūra saw another person, lord saṅkarśaṇa (balarāma), with a white complexion equal to moon, without a divine seat. sa kṛṣṇaṁ tatra sahasā vyāhartumupacakrame | tasya saṁstambhayāmāsa vākyaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ svatejasā ||2-26-60 There suddenly, akrūra tried to speak to kṛṣṇa. But, kṛṣṇa, with his splendour, froze his words. so'nubhūya bhujaṅgānāṁ taṁ bhāgavatamavyayam | udatiṣṭhatpunastoyādvismito'mitadakṣiṇaḥ || 2-26-61 Seeing the eternal bhāgavata among the serpents, the one who gives much in carity (akrūra) rose up from the water, highly astonished. sa tau rathasthāvāsīnau tatraiva balakeshavau | nirīkṣyamāṇāvanyonyaṁ dadarśādbhutarūpiṇau ||2-26-62 There also he saw bala (balarāma) and keshava (kṛṣṇa) with wonderful bodies, seated on the chariot, looking at each other. athāmajjatpunastatra tadākrūraḥ kutūhalāt | ijyate yatra devo'sau nīlavāsāḥ sitānanaḥ ||2-26-63 Out of curiosity, then, akrūra, again took a full dip in the water and saw the white faced deva, (ananta), dressed in blue, being worshipped. tathaivāsīnamutsaṅge sahasrāsyadharasya vai | dadarsha kṛṣṇamakrūraḥ pūjyamānaṁ tadā prabhum ||2-26-64 akrūra saw lord kṛṣṇa, seated on the lap of the thousand faced lord (ananta), being worshipped. bhūyaścha sahasotthāya taṁ mantram manasā japan | rathaṁ tenaiva mārgeṇa jagāmāmitadakṣiṇaḥ ||2-26-65 akrūra again rose up quickly from the water. Chanting the mantra in his mind, the one who gives much in carity (akrūra), returned to the chariot along the same way. tamāha keshavo hṛṣṭaḥ sthitamakrūramāgamat | kīdṛśaṁ nāgalokasya vṛttaṁ bhāgavate hrade ||2-26-66 When akrūra arrived there, kṛṣṇa asked happily: "O bhāgavata! What is happening in the nāga world, at the lake of yamunā? ciraṁ ca bhavatā kālo vyākṣepeṇa vilambitaḥ | manye dṛṣṭaṁ tvayāścaryaṁ hṛdayaṁ te yathācalam ||2-26-67 You took a long time and you are delayed due to some diversion. You might have seen some wonder there. Your mind is excited." pratyuvāca sa taṁ kṛṣṇamāścaryaṁ bhavatā vinā | kiṁ bhaviṣyati lokeṣu sthāvareṣu chareṣu ca ||2-26-68 He replied to kṛṣṇa: "What wonder occurs in this world of fixed and moving beings, without you? tatrāścaryaṁ mayā dṛṣṭaṁ kṛṣṇa yadbhuvi durlabham | tadihāpi yathā tatra paśyāmi ca ramāmi ca ||2-26-69 kṛṣṇa, there I saw a wonder, rare in this world. I see it here as I saw there and I am immensely happy. saṅgataścāpi lokānāmāścharyeṇeha rūpiṇā | ataḥ parataraṁ kṛṣṇa nāścaryaṁ draṣṭumutsahe ||2-26-70 I am involved with a most wonderful incident in this world. kṛṣṇa, I do not want to see anything more wonderful than this. tadāgaccha gamiṣyāmaḥ kaṁsarājapurīṁ prabho | yāvannāstaṁ vrajatyeṣa divasānte divākaraḥ ||2-26-71 Now, lord! let us proceed to the city of kaṁsa, and reach there, before the sun sets at the end of the day. iti srīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi akrūrakṛtanāgalokakathane ṣaḍviṁśo'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the translation of the twenty-sixth chapter of viṣṇuparva of harivaṁśa, khila of śrimahābhārata, akrūra has a vision. Note 1 ḥarivamśa, Vol. 1, critically edited by P.L.Vaidya, The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona (1969), page 451 After sloka 3, N 2,3 , V2, B1.2, Ds, D4, T3.4 ins., vayaṁ caiva pragantāro rathamāsthāya saṁgatāḥ | Hence let us also board a chariot and go there together. The ṁalayalam translation of this line is given in bhāṣābhārataṁ, vol 6, page 406, sloka 4 , kuṣṣikkuṭṭan taṁpurān, DC Books, Kottayam , 2007. nīlakaṇṭha commentary ṣaḍviṁśatitamo'dhyāye sarvagoanimantraṇam | darśanaṁ vaiṣṇavaṁ cāṁbhasyakrūrasyeti varṇyate || 1 || · 2-26-1 sa nandagopasya amitadakṣiṇo dānapatiḥ | · 2-26-6 daśānte vārddhakye śoṣitaṁ kṣīṇaraktamāṁsaṁ yato vṛddhaṁ jarāgrastam || · 2-26-8 putrairamuditastanīmiti kaṁsāparādhaṁ sadyojātaśiśuvadharūpaṁ sūchayati krodhoddīpanāya || · 2-26-24 jīvato vākyakaraṇādṛṇaṁ pratikartavyamityarthaḥ || · 2-26-27 cheluḥ prasthānaṁ cakruḥ || · 2-26-29 aupanāyikān upahārārthān || · 2-26-35 nāśayate adarśanaṁ nayati | vapustejaḥ || · 2-26-38 gurukaṁ bhārayuktaṁ bhāṇḍaṁ upakaraṇasāmagrī || · 2-26-41 hayabhāṇḍe asvabhūṣaṇādau || · 2-26-42 bhujageśvaraṁ śeṣamanantākhyam || · 2-26-44 dharmadevasya dharmādhiṣṭhātuḥ anugrahavaśāt viṣasyāpyamṛtam || · 2-26-45 svastikasyāyatanabhūtaṁ svastikāyatanaṁ śeṣaṁ tatra śeṣasamīpe || · 2-26-58 tasyotsaṅga ityādigranthaḥ "sapta te sapta śākina ekamekāśatā daduḥ| yamunāyāmadhiśrutamudrādho gavyaṁ mṛje nirādho aśvyaṁ mṛje" ityetaṁ mantramupabṛṁhayati | mantrārthastu mārutaṁ sūktaṁ aghamarṣaṇakāle bhagavantaṁ dṛṣṭvā taddevatāṁ marutaṁ evaṁ stauti | sapta sapta ekonapaṣcāśat śākinaḥ shaknuvanti te iti vā shaknuvantyetairiti vā śākinaḥ śaktimantaḥ śaktipradā vā marutaḥ ekamekā pratyekaṁ śatā śatamaiśvaryaṁ bhavatīti yāskaḥ | aiśvaryāṇi dadauḥ yat,aohaṁ śrutaṁ evāsya paramā saṁpaditi vedaśirobhya ākarṇitaṁ rādho dhanaṁ sūtrāntyaryāmirūpaṁ yamunāyāṁ adhi madhye mṛje mṛgayāmi paśyāmītyarthaḥ | tadeva rādhaḥ ut ūrdhvaṁ gavyaṁ goṣu sūryaraśmiṣu sthitaṁ gavyaṁ mṛje tathā ashvyam ashvavati rathe sthitaṁ ca devarājani mṛje adho'pi bhūloke paśyāmītyarthaḥ || · 2-26-59 viṣṭaraṁ āsanaṁ vinā bhūmāmeva || · 2-26-67 vyākṣepeṇa vyāsaṅgena || · 2-26-70 rūpiṇā mūrtimatā || īti śrīmahābhārate harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi ṭīkāyāṁ ṣadviṁśo'dhyāyaḥ