Parva 2 Chapter 70: pārijātaṁ na dāsyāmītīndrabhāṣaṇam - indra refuses to part with pārijāta

vaiśampāyana said: O the son of kuru (O janamejaya)! Hearing the words of the king of deva-s, nārada, an expert of words, the one with soul fixed in dharma, one who is an expert of dharma, said the following words: avashyameva vaktavyaṁ hitaṁ balaniṣūdana | mayā tava mahābāho bahumāno'sti me tvayi ||2-70-2 O the slayer of bala! I shall indeed speak in your favour. O the one with great arms! I have great respect for you. ukto mayā vāsudevo jānatā bhavato matam | na dattaḥ pārijāto'yaṁ harasyāpi tvayā purā ||2-70-3 Knowing your opinion, I told the son of vasudeva (kṛśṇa) what is appropriate. You have not given the pārijāta even to hara (shiva) before. hetavashcha mayā tasya darśitāste samāsataḥ | na cāvagatavāndevaḥ satyametadbravīmi te ||2-70-4 I also described the reasons briefly to him. The lord did not accept the reasons. What I say is the truth. upendro'haṁ mahendreṇa lālanīyaḥ sadeti mām | uvāca puṇḍarīkākṣo dattamuttarameva ca ||2-70-5 He, the one with eyes as beautiful as lotus, told me that, being upendra, he always deserves affection from you. Then I gave him the answer. punaḥ punarmayā vāsya hetavo deva darśitāḥ | tato na buddhirvyāvṛttā vṛtranāśāya tasya vai ||2-70-6 O lord! Again and again, I told him the reasons. O the slayer of vṛtra! Even then, his mind did not deviate from the purpose. api cāpyuktavāndevo vākyānte madhusūdanaḥ | pratyāha puruṣaśreṣṭhāḥ saroṣamiva vāsava ||2-70-7 O vāsava! Not only that. After listening to what was told, the slayer of madhu, the best among men replied as follows with anger. na devagandharvagaṇā na rākṣasā na cāsurā naiva ca pannagottamāḥ | mama pratijṣāmapahantumudyatā mune samarthāḥ khalu bhadramastu te ||2-70-8 (Note 1) None of the groups of deva-s, gandharva-s, rākṣasa-s , asura-s, yākṣa-s, the best among serpents will be capable to break my pledge. O sage, let there be good to you. sa pārijātaṁ yadi na pradāsyati pravācyamāno bhavatā puraṁdaraḥ | tataḥ śacīvyāmṛditānulepane gadāṁ vimokṣyāmi puraṁdarorasi ||2-70-9 (Note 2) If the lord of deva-s do not give the pārijāta tree on your request, I shall send my mace to the chest of puraṁdara (indra), smeared with the paste, pressed by śacī. upendrasya mahendrāyaṁ bhrātuste niśchayaḥ paraḥ | yadatra manyase nyāyyaṁ sampradhārya kuruṣva tat ||2-70-10 O the great indra! This is the ultimate decision of your brother, upendra. Decide whatever is logical in this and do that. tattvaṁ hitaṁ ca devesha śrūyatāṁ vadato mama | nayanaṁ pārijātasya dvārakāṁ mama rochate ||2-70-11 O the lord of devas! Listen to the principle and desirable in what I say. My opinion is to send that pārijāta to dvāraka. nāradenaivamuktastu suvyaktaṁ baladehabhit | roṣāviṣṭaḥ sahasrākṣo'bravīdetannarādhipa ||2-70-12 (vaiśampāyana said:) O king (janamejaya)! When nārada told this clearly to the one who split the body of bala, (indra), he, the one with thousand eyes (indra) became angry and said as follows: anāgasi mayi jyeṣṭhe sodaraṁ yadi keśavaḥ | evaṁ pravṛttaḥ kiṁ śakyaṁ kartumadya tapodhana ||2-70-13 (indra said) If keshava (kṛṣṇa) does like this to me, his elder brother, who is faultless, O the one with wealth of penance! what can be done now? bahūni pratilomāni purā sa kṛtavānmayi | kṛṣṇo nārada soḍhāni bhrāteti sma mayā sadā ||2-70-14 O nārada! kṛṣṇa has done many things against me before. Considering that he is my brother, I always suffered all those. khāṇdave cārjunarathaṁ purā vāhayatā satā | madīyā vāritā meghāḥ śamayanto'gnimuddhatam ||2-70-15 Before this, he drove the chariot for arjuna in the khāṇḍava forest and blocked my clouds which were extinguishing the blazing fire. govardhanaṁ dhārayatā vipriyaṁ ca kṛtaṁ mama | Lifting the govardhana mountain up, he did what was not liked by me. tathā vṛtravadhe prāpte sāhāyyārthaṁ vṛto mayā ||2-70-16 samo'hamiti sarveṣāṁ bhūtānāmiti choktavān | When I sought his help in slaying vṛtra, he said that he was equal to all beings (he did not offer his help). svabāhubalamāśritya vṛtraścha nihato mayā ||2-70-17 and I killed vṛtra with my own power. devāsureṣu prāpteṣu saṁgrāmeṣu ca nārada | yuddhyatyātmecchayā kṛṣṇo mune suviditaṁ tava ||2-70-18 nārada! When there is a war between deva-s and asura-s, kṛṣṇa fights if he wishes, O sage, you know that. bahunātra kimuktena tasmāddiṣṭyā pravartatām | jṣātibhedo na naḥ kāryaḥ sākṣī tvaṁ mama nārada ||2-70-19 What is the use of speaking more? Let it happen what may. I have no use of a quarrel between brothers (see nīlakaṇṭha commentary). O nārada! you are witness to this. mamorasi gadāṁ moktumudyato yadi keśavaḥ | anuśabdyātha paulomīṁ guṇaḥ ka iha dṛśyate ||2-70-20 If keshava (kṛṣṇa) wants to release his mace on my chest, I do not see any benefit in taking paulomī's name. udavāsagato dhīmānpitā naḥ kaśyapaḥ prabhuḥ | adityā saha me mātrā tayorvākyamidaṁ bhavet ||2-70-21 My father, lord kashyapa, having high intellect has gone to stay at the milk ocean, along with my mother aditi. Will these words be acceptable to them? ajitātmā mama bhrātā rajasā tamasā vṛtaḥ | kāmena ca striyo vākyādeva māmuktavāngurum ||2-70-22 My brother having an unconquerable soul is covered with rājasa and tāmasa quality. By the words of a woman and with desire, he asked me, who is his preceptor (for pārijāta). dhikstriyaḥ sarvathā vipra dhigrājasamitiṁ tathā | yatrādhikṣiptavānviṣṇurevaṁ māṁ strījito dvija ||2-70-23 O brāhmin (nārada)! It is unfortunate that he is challenging me in this way. O brāhmin! viṣṇu, conquered by women is challenging me in this way. na dṛṣṭaṁ kashyapakule vyapadeśyaṁ mahāmune | naiva dakṣakulaṁ dṛṣṭaṁ māturme yatra saṁbhavaḥ ||2-70-24 O great sage! He did not consider the bad name for the race of kashyapa. He also did not consider the race of dakṣa in which my mother was born. na jyeṣṭhatā na rājatvaṁ devānāṁ pratimānitam | kāmarāgābhibhūtena kṛṣṇena khalu nārada ||2-70-25 nārada! It is definite that kṛṣṇa, under the influence of desire and love, did not respect me being elder to him and me being the king of devas. putradārasahasrairhi bhrātānagha viśiṣyate | sadvṛtto jṣānasaṁpanna iti brahmā purābravīt ||2-70-26 Earlier, brahma said that brother is definitely more special than thousands of sons and wives, to one who does good deeds and is wise. nāsti bhrātṛsamo bandhurāhārya itaro janaḥ | iti māmabravīnmātā pitā caiva prajāpatiḥ ||2-70-27 No other relative is equal to a brother. One does not have another wealth equal to a brother. This is what my mother and my father the prajāpati told me. sodare tu viśeṣaṁ tu pitā me kaśyapo'bravīt | dṛptā maya viruddhyante dānavāḥ pāpaniśchayāḥ ||2-70-28 My father, kashyapa told me that brother is special. The proud dānava-s, fixed in evil, oppose me. kāmametanna vaktavyaṁ svayamātmastavānvitaṁ | prāptastvavasaro vipra yadihādyocyate mayā || 2-70-29 Self praising is not to be done. O brāhmin! I am saying this today since this is an appropriate occasion. dhanujyāyāṁ muniśreṣṭha cinnāyāṁ hi purānagha | dhanvībhiramarāṇāṁ ca varadānānmahāmune ||2-70-30 O the best among sages! Earlier, O the one without any sin, when the string of the bow of deva-s was cut, O great sage, by the expert bowmen , obtaining a boon, utkṛttaśiraso viṣṇoḥ purā deho dhṛto mayā | sandhite ca śiro yatnāccinnaṁ raudrena tejasā ||2-70-31 the body of viṣṇu, devoid of head, was earlier, supported by me. As the head severed by the splendour of rudra (shiva), was joined (to the body), ahaṁ viśiṣṭo devānāmityuktvā punarachyutaḥ | dhanurāropya darpeṇa sthito nārada keśavaḥ ||2-70-32 the one who does not suffer any fall, (achyuta), viṣṇu, again said that I am superior to devas. Then, O nārada, keshava (kṛṣṇa - viṣṇu) stood proudly after tying the bow. (Based on the story in shathapatha - see nīlakaṇṭha commentary of 2-70-30). According to the commentator of Gita Press edition, the reference is to the destruction of dakṣa's sacrifice, where viṣnu was in the form of the sacrifice. kiṁ māṁ pitā vā mātā vā vakṣyatīti mayā mune | snehena ca sthitaṁ viṣṇoḥ śarīraṁ munisattama ||2-70-33 O sage! Thinking about what my father and mother will tell me, O the best among sages! I supported viṣṇu's body due to affection. aindraṁ vaiṣṇavamasyaiva mune bhāgamahaṁ dadau | yavīyāṁsamahaṁ premṇā kṛṣṇaṁ paśyāmi narāda ||2-70-34 O Sage! I gave him portions as aindra and vaiṣṇava. O nārada! Due to love, I see kṛṣṇa as my younger brother. saṁgrāmeṣu prahartavyaṁ tena pūrvaṁ tapodhana | rājā kilāhaṁ samare praharāmyagrato dhruvam ||2-70-35 O the one with the wealth of penance! He should fight in the front in battles. But, I, the king, am fighting the battles, in the front definitely. prādurbhāveṣu sarveṣu svaśarīramivānagha | yato rakṣāmi dharmajṣa keśavaṁ bhaktimāśritam ||2-70-36 O the one without any sin! In all his manifestations, like my own body, O the one fixed in dharma, I shall protect keshava (kṛṣṇa) with devotion. idaṁ bhaṅktvā madīyaṁ ca bhavanaṁ viṣṇunā kṛtam | uparyupari lokānāmadhikaṁ bhuvanaṁ mune ||2-70-37 viṣṇu, breaking this house of mine (svarga), created worlds, above and above, O sage! avamānaḥ sa ca mayā pṛṣṭhataḥ kriyate mune | lālanīyo mayā bāla ityevaṁ bhrātṛgauravāt ||2-70-38 O sage! I am leaving this insult behind, since he is a child who is to be affectionately looked after by me and I respect him as a brother. bālo'yam mama putreti yavīyāniti nārada | pitrā mātrā ca govindo mānī ca paribhāṣitaḥ ||2-70-39 O nārada! Since my father and mother said that our son is a child, younger to me, govinda (kṛṣṇa) became proud. iṣṭastatra janānaṁ ca keśavaḥ suviśeṣataḥ | vayaṁ dveṣyā na sandehastatra sneho'tiricyate ||2-70-40 keshava became specially liked by those people and we were not liked. Definitely they love him more. sarvajṣo balavāṣcūraḥ pātraṁ mānayitā tathā | keshavetyeva ca dhyānaṁ yattadvitathatāṁ gatam ||2-70-41 keshava knows everything, he is strong, valiant, respected by all - This kind of thinking have became useless. gaccha nārada vaktavyaḥ keshavo vacanānmama | āhūto na nivarteyaṁ samaraṁ prati śatrubhiḥ ||2-70-42 nārada! Please go and tell my words to keshava (kṛṣṇa). If I am challenged for battle by enemies, I will not revert. yadīcchasi tadāgaccha sahyaṁ te yattvamicchasi | praharasva ca pūrvaṁ tvaṁ bhāryājita yathecchasi ||2-70-43 If you desire (for battle) you may come. I can bear what you desire. O the one conquered by wife! You may strike in the beginning. rathāṅganātha śārṅgeṇa gadayā nandakena ca | praharāruhya garuḍaṁ dṛḍho bhūtvā janārdana ||2-70-44 Using the discus (chariot wheel) as well as śārṅga (bow), mace and the nandaka (sword), O janārdana, you may strike me, mounted on garuḍa. prahṛte prahariṣyāmi yathā śaktyā ca keshava | aho dhigyadi māṁ sneho viklavaṁ na kariṣyati ||2-70-45 If you strike me, O keshava (kṛṣṇa), I shall strike back according to my power. Alas! You are challenging my love. It will be good, if you do not go against me. yāvanna saṁgrāmagato jito'haṁ cakrapāṇinā | pārijātaṁ na dāsyāmi tāvadbho munisattama ||2-70-46 O the best of sages! I will not give pārijāta till I am defeated by the discus wielder in the battle. māṁ samāhvayate jyeṣṭhaṁ yavīyānsa tapodhana | aho taṁ marṣayiṣyāmi kimarthaṁ strījitaṁ harim ||2-70-47 O the one with the wealth of penance! That younger brother is calling me, the elder brother for battle. For what purpose I am bearing that hari (viṣṇu - kṛṣṇa), who is conquered by women? adyaiva gaccha bhagavan dvārakāṁ kṛṣṇapālitām | vivāde saṁsthitaḥ so'dya iti vācyastvayācyutaḥ ||2-70-48 O lord (nārada)! Please proceed immediately to the city of dvārakā, governed by kṛṣṇa. Tell the one who does not suffer any fall (achyuta - kṛṣṇa) that he is ignorant and engaged in useless controversy. palāśapatrārdhamapi tvayājito na pārijātasya tava pradāsyati | iti pravācyo madhusūdanastvayā vacho madīyaṁ smaratā tapodhana ||2-70-49 O the one with the wealth of penance! Remembering the words I told you, you may tell the slayer of madhu (viṣṇu - kṛṣṇa) that I will not give even half of a pārijāta leaf without you conquering me in battle. punaḥ pravācyo bhagavaṁstvayācyuto mama priyārtham khalu nirviśaṅkitam | na māyayā hartumihārhasi drumaṁ suyuddhamevāstu dhigastu jihmatām ||2-70-50 Afterwards, O lord, you may tell without any doubt, for my liking, the one who does not suffer any fall, that, he should not steal the tree by conceit, which is despicable. He should fight me directly. iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi pārijātaharaṇe indravākye saptatitamo'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the seventieth chapter of viṣṇuparva, harivamṣa, khila of mahābhārata, indra refuses to part with pārijata. Note 1: same as śloka 2-68-38 Note 2: same as śloka 2-68-39 nīlakaṇṭha commentary athāsmin saptatitame pratijṣāṁ nāraderitām | kṛṣṇasya balabhicchrutvā na dāsyāmītyavāvadīt || 1 || · 2-70-1 devarājeti | · 2-70-4 hetavaḥ mahītalaṁ pārijātamityādinā pūrvoktāḥ || na cāvagatavān nāṅgīkṛtavān || · 2-70-19 jṣātibhedaḥ bhrātṛkalahaḥ no'smābhiḥ || · 2-70-24 vyapadeśyaṁ vācyam || · 2-70-27 āhāryaḥ saṁbhojyaḥ saṁpādyo vā || · 2-70-30 dhanurjyāyāmiti shatapathokta itihāso'vagamitaḥ || · 2-70-34 aindramevādhipatyaṁ śrāvaṇabhādrapadapūjyatvaṁ vaiṣṇavaṁ kṛtvā'haṁ dadau dattavānvaichityenātra parokṣatā || · 2-70-35 anytra samare'hamagrataḥ praharāmi yato rājā prabhuḥ || · 2-70-39 paribhāṣitaḥ ākṛṣṭaḥ || · 2-70-41 keshavetyeveti sandhirārṣaḥ || · 2-70-43 sahyaṁ soḍhvyam || · 2-70-44 rathāgrena cakreṇa nandakena khaḍgena || · 2-70-49 plāśapatrārdhamiti | tvayā ajitaḥ pārijātasya palāśaṁ patramātraṁ patrārdhaṁ vā na pradāsyati vṛkṣasya kā vārtetyarthaḥ || · 2-70-50 jihmataṁ kuṭilataṁ || iti śrīharivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi tīkāyāṁ saptatitamo'dhyāyaḥ ||