Parva 2 Chapter 91: vajranābhavadhavṛttāntaḥ - story of the slaying of vajranābha

janamejaya said: (O vaiśampāyana!) I heard the abduction of bhānumatī, the victory of keshava and the divine sports of the splendorous vṛṣṇi-s (yādava-s) in the ocean. aśrauṣaṁ paramāścaryaṁ mune dharmabhṛtāṁ vara ||2-91-21 vajranābhavadhaṁ yuktaṁ nikumbhavadhakīrtane | O sage! (vaiśampāyana!) The best among the observers of dharma! I heard about the most wonderful slaying of vajranābha during the recital of the slaying of nikumbha. tanme kautūhalaṁ śrotuṁ prasādādbhavato mune ||2-91-3 O sage! Be pleased to tell me. I am curious to hear about it. vaiśampāyana uvāca hanta te vartayiṣyāmi vajranābhavadhaṁ nṛpa | vijayaṁ caiva kāmasya sāmbasyaiva ca bhārata ||2-91-4 vaiśampāyana said: O king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana said) I shall tell you about the slaying of vajranābha. O the one of bharata race! I shall tell you about the victory of kāma (pradyumna) as well as sāmba. meroḥ sānau narapate tapashcakre mahāsuraḥ | vajranābha iti khyāto niśchitaḥ samitiṣjayaḥ ||2-91-5 O the king of men! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The great demon known as vajranābha, always victorious in battle, performed penance on the peaks of the meru mountain. tasya tuṣṭo mahātejā brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | vareṇa cchandayāmāsa tapasā paritoṣitaḥ ||2-91-6 The grandfather of the world, brahma of great splendor was pleased with him. Pleased with his penance, brahma told him to ask for boons as he desired. avadhyatvaṁ sa devebyo vavre dānavasattamaḥ | puraṁ vajrapuraṁ cāpi sarvaratnamayaṁ śubham ||2-91-7 The best among demons asked for the boons of not being slayable by deva-s and also a city named the city of vajra, with all kinds of auspicious jewels. svacchandena praveshashcha na vāyorapi bhārata | achintitena kāmānāmupapattirnarādhipa ||2-91-8 O the one of bharata race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) In that city, even wind was unable to enter freely. O the ruler of men! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) There, all desires were fulfilled, without even thinking about them. śākhānagaramukhyānāṁ saṁvāhānāṁ śatāni ca | nagarasyāprameyasya samantājjanamejaya ||2-91-9 O janamejaya! (vaiśampāyana continued) Around that city, there were important satellite cities with hundreds of gardens. tathā tadabhavattasya varadānena bhārata | uvāsa vajranagare vajranābho mahāsuraḥ ||2-91-10 O the one of bharata race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The city was established thus due to the boon received by the demon. The great demon vajranābha lived in the city of vajra. koṭiśo varalabdhaṁ tamasurāḥ parivārya te | ūṣurvajrapure rājansaṁvāheṣu tathaiva ca ||2-91-11 O king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) All around the demon, who got the boon, tens of millions of demons lived in the city of vajra as well as in the gardens. śākhānagaramukhyeṣu ramyeṣu ca narādhipa | hṛṣṭapuṣṭapramuditā nṛpa devasya śatravaḥ ||2-91-12 O the king of men! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued), in the beautiful important satellite cities, the enemies of deva-s (demons) flourished comfortably and happily. vajranābho'tha duṣṭātmā varadānena darpitaḥ | pure'sya cātmanaścaiva jagadbādhitumudyataḥ ||2-91-13 vajranābha of wicked soul, proud due to the boon received by him as well as the city, began to oppress the world. mahendramabravīdgatvā devalokaṁ viśāṁpate | ahamīśitumicchāmi trailokyaṁ pākaśāsana ||2-91-14 O the ruler of men! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) He went to heaven and told the great indra: O punisher of the demon pāka! I want to rule the three worlds. athavā me prayacchasva yuddhaṁ devagaṇeśvara | sāmānyaṁ hi jagatkṛtsnaṁ kāśyapānāṁ mahātmanām ||2-91-15 O the lord of deva-s! Otherwise give me battle (fight with me). All the sons of kashyapa, the great souls, have equal authority over the world. sa bṛhaspatinā sārdhaṁ mantrayitvā maheśvaraḥ | vajranābhaṁ suraśreṣṭhaḥ provāca kuruvaṁśaja ||2-91-16 O the one of kuru race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The great lord indra consulted bṛhaspati. Then the best among deva-s, indra, told vajranābha. satreṣu dīkṣitaḥ saumya kashyapo naḥ pitā muniḥ | tasminvṛtte yathānyāyyaṁ tathā sa hi kariṣyati ||2-91-17 (indra said) O gentle one! our father, sage kashyapa is now observing a sacrifice. After concluding the sacrifice, he will do what is to be done in the right manner. tataḥ sa pitaraṁ gatvā kaśyapaṁ dānavo'bravīt | yathoktaṁ devarājena tamuvācātha kaśyapaḥ ||2-91-18 Then the demon approached his father kashyapa and told him what the king of deva-s, indra told him. Then kashyapa said: satre vṛtte kariṣyāmi yathānyāyaṁ bhaviṣyati | tvaṁ tu vajrapure putra vasa gaccha samāśritaḥ ||2-91-19 After the sacrifice is concluded, I will do what is to be done in the right way. O son! Go to the city of vajra and stay there. evamukte vajranābhaḥ svameva nagaraṁ gataḥ | mahendro'pi yayau devo dvārakāṁ dvāraśālinīm ||2-91-20 vajranābha, told thus, returned to his city The great indra went to dvāraka, the city of doors. gatvā cāntarhito devo vāsudevamathābravīt | vajranābhasya vṛttāntaṁ tamuvāca janārdanaḥ ||2-91-21 Becoming invisible, going to dvāraka, indra told the son of vasudeva (kṛṣṇa) all the incidents (news) about vajranābha. Then janārdana (kṛṣṇa) said: śaurerupasthito deva vājimedho mahākratuḥ | tasminvṛtte vajranābhaṁ pātayiṣyāmi vāsava ||2-91-22 O deva! (indra!) The grand horse sacrifice of the son of śūra (vasudeva) is approaching. O vāsava! (indra!) After the sacrifice is concluded, I shall slay vajranābha. tatropāyaṁ praveshe tu cintayāvaḥ satāṁ gateḥ | nānicchayā praveśo'sti tatra vāyorapi prabho ||2-91-23 O the destination of good people! Let us both think about a way to enter the city. O lord! Even wind cannot enter the city without the permission of vajranābha. tato gato devarājo vāsudevena satkṛtaḥ | vājimedhe ca saṁprāpte vasudevasya bhārata ||2-91-24 The king of deva-s, indra, duly treated with hospitality by the son of vasudeva (kṛṣṇa), left. O the one of bharata race! The horse sacrifice of vasudeva approached. tasminyajṣe vartamāne praveśārthaṁ surottamau | cintayāmāsaturvīrau devarājācyutāvubhau ||2-91-25 When that sacrifice was concluded, the best among deva-s, the valiants, both the king of devas, indra and the one who do not decline, kṛṣṇa , thought about ways to enter the city (of vajranābha). tatra yajṣe vartamāne sunāṭyena naṭāstadā | maharṣīṁstoṣayāmāsa bhadranāmeti nāmataḥ ||2-91-26 While the sacrifice was in progress, an actor named bhadra pleased the great sages with his best acting. taṁ vareṇa muniśreṣṭhāśchandayāmāsurātmavat | sa vavre tu naṭo bhadro varaṁ deveśvaropamaḥ ||2-91-27 Then the best sages told him to ask for a suitable boon. Then the actor bhadra, comparable to indra, the lord of deva-s, asked for a boon, devendrakṛṣṇacchandena sarasvatyā prachoditaḥ | praṇipatya muniśreṣṭhānaśvamedhe samāgatān ||2-91-28 prompted by sarasvati as desired by indra of deva-s and kṛṣṇa, paying obeisance to the best among sages who had arrived for the horse sacrifice. naṭa uvāca bhojyo dvijānāṁ sarveṣāṁ bhaveyaṁ munisattamāḥ | saptadvīpāṁ ca pṝthivīṁ vichareyamimāmaham ||2-91-29 The actor said: O the best among sages! All Brahmins shall offer me food respectfully. I should be able to travel all over the earth having seven islands. prasiddhākāśagamanaḥ śaknuvaṁścha viśeṣataḥ | avadhyaḥ sarvabhūtānāṁ sthāvarā ye ca jaṅgamāḥ ||2-91-30 I shall have the special skill of travelling in the sky. I shall be unslayable by all living beings, stationary as well as moving. yasya yasya ca veṣeṇa praviśeyamahaṁ khalu | mṛtasya jīvato vāpi bhāvyenotpāditasya vā ||2-91-31 Whomsoever role I take, whether dead, alive or even produced by imagination as well, sa tūryastādṛśaḥ syāṁ vai jarārogavivarjitaḥ |1 tuṣteyurmunayo nityamanye ca mama sarvadā ||2-91-32 I shall appear like them in all respects accompanied by musical instruments. I shall be free of old age and disease. The sages as well as others shall be pleased with me always. evamastviti saṁprokto brāhmaṇairnṛpate naṭaḥ | saptadvīpāṁ vasumatīṁ paryaṭatyamaropamaḥ ||2-91-33 O the king of men! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The actor, comparable to deva-s, who was told, "let it be so" by the Brahmins, travelled all over the earth, having seven islands, purāṇi dānavendrāṇāmuttarāṁścha kurūṁstathā | bhadrāśvānketumālāṁścha kālābhradvīpameva ca ||2-91-34 the cities of the indra-s of demons, the north kuru, bhadrāśva, the islands of ketumāla and kālabhadra. parvaṇīṣu tu sarvāsu dvārakāṁ yadumaṇḍitām | āyāti varadattaḥ sa lokavīro mahānaṭaḥ ||2-91-35 The great actor, valiant of the world, the one who received the boons, used to visit dvāraka, decorated by the yādava-s, during particular periods of the year. tato haṁsāndhārtarāṣṭrāndevalokanivāsinaḥ | uvāca bhagavāṣśakraḥ sāntvayitvā sureśvaraḥ ||2-91-36 Then the lord śakra (indra), the lord of deva-s told the swans, dhārtarāṣtra-s, who are residents of heaven: bhavanto bhrātaro'smākaṁ kāśyapā devapakṣiṇaḥ | vimānavāhā devānaṁ sukṛtīnāṁ tathaiva ca ||2-91-37 (indra said) O swans! You, the divine birds, children of kashyapa, are my brothers. You are the vehicles of deva-s as well as those who do auspicious deeds. devānāmasti kartavyaṁ kāryaṁ śatruvadhānvitam | tatkartavyaṁ na mantrashcha bhettavyo naḥ kathaṣchana ||2-91-38 Now there is some work to be done by the deva-s, related to killing of enemies. That is to be done and the secret shall never be disclosed. na kurvatāṁ devatājṣāmugro daṇḍaḥ patedapi | sarvatrāpratiṣiddhaṁ vo gamanaṁ haṁsasattamāḥ ||2-91-39 If the order of deva-s is not obeyed, there will be terrible punishment. O the best among swans! You can travel everywhere. gatvāpraveśyamanyeṣāṁ vajranābhapurottamam | ito'ntaḥpuravāpīṣu charadhvamuchitaṁ hi vaḥ ||2-91-40 You shall travel to the ponds of the inner quarters of the best city of vajranābha, where others cannot go. tasyāsti kanyāratnaṁ hi trailokyātiśayaṁ śubham | nāmnā prabhāvatī nāma candrābheva prabhāvatī ||2-91-41 He has a jewel of maidens, an auspicious maiden, who excels in the three worlds, named prabhāvatī, who shines as beautiful as moonlight. varadānena sā labdhā mātrā kila varānanā | haimavatyā mahādevyāḥ sakāśāditi naḥ shrutam ||2-91-42 We hear that her mother got the maiden with a beautiful face by a boon given by the great Goddess, haimavatī, the daughter of himavān, (pārvatī). svayaṁvarā ca sā kanyā bandhubhiḥ sthāpitā satī | ātmecchayā patiṁ haṁsā varayiṣyati śobhanā || 2-91-43 The relatives have fixed the maiden for choosing a husband herself from suitors. O swans! The beautiful maiden will choose a husband as per her wish. tadbhavadbhirguṇā vācyāḥ pradyumnasya mahātmanaḥ | sadbhūtaḥ kularūpasya śīlasya vayasastathā ||2-91-44 You shall tell her about the qualities of the great soul pradyumna, his race, beauty, habits as well as age. yadā sā raktabhāvā ca vajranābhasutā satī | tasyāḥ sakāśātsaṁdeśo nayitavyaḥ samādhinā ||2-91-45 As the daughter of vajranābha, the faithful woman, becomes passionate, you shall take her message with attention, pradyumnasya punastasmādānayadhvaṁ tathaiva ca | svabuddhyā prāptakālaṁ ca saṁvidheyaṁ hitaṁ mama ||2-91-46 to pradyumna and also again take his message to her. Do as desired by me, according to the occasion, with your intelligence. netravaktraprasādaścha kartavyastatra sarvathā ||2-91-47 You shall do your work there by all means, with pleasing eyes and face. tathā tathā guṇā vācyāḥ pradyumnasya mahātmanaḥ | yathā yathā prabhāvatyā manastatra bhavetsthitam ||2-91-48 You shall speak about the qualities of the great soul pradyumna in such a way that prabhāvati's mind gets fixed on him. vṛttāntaścānudivasaṁ pradeyo mama sarvathā | dvāravatyāṁ ca kṛṣṇasya bhrāturmama yavīyasaḥ ||2-91-49 You shall send me the daily news by all means as also to my younger brother kṛṣṇa at the city of doors, dvāraka. tāvadyatnaścha kartavyaḥ pradyumno yāvadātmavit | paryāvartedvarārohāṁ vajranābhasutāṁ vibhuḥ ||2-91-50 You shall do your work, till the lord, the great soul pradyumna, brings the most beautiful daughter of vajranābha. avadhyāste tu devānāṁ brahmaṇo varadarpitāḥ | devaputrairhi hantavyāḥ pradyumnapramukhairyudhi ||2-91-51 The demons (such as vajranābha), proud with the boon given by brahma, cannot be slayed by devas. They can be killed only by the sons of deva-s, such as pradyumna and others, in battle. naṭo dattavarastasya veṣamāsthāya yādavāḥ | pradyumnādyā gamiṣyanti vajranābhavināśanāḥ ||2-91-52 The yādava-s such as pradyumna, the destroyers of vajranābha, will go to the city of vajra, disguising themselves as the actor (bhadra) who received the boon (to travel anywhere). etaccha sarvaṁ kartavyamanyaccha sarvameva hi | prāptakālaṁ vidhātavyamasmākaṁ priyakāmyayā ||2-91-53 You shall do all this along with other work. You shall do according to the time as required, desiring my interest. praveshastatra devānāṁ nāsti haṁsāḥ kathaṣchana | vajranābhepsite tatra praveśaḥ khalu sarvathā ||2-91-54 O swans! deva-s can never enter there. By all means you shall enter there as desired by vajranābha. iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi vajranābhavadhe ekanavatitamo'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the nintyfirst chapter of viṣṇuparva, harivamsha, khila of mahābhārata, story of the slaying of vajranābha nīlakaṇṭha commentary · 2-91-1 bhānumatyāpaharaṇamiti · 2-91-9 śākhānagaraṁ caturdikṣu saṁvāhanānāṁ saprākārāṇāmudyānānām || · 2-91-11 varalabdhaṁ labdhavaram || · 2-91-14 īrśituṁ pālituṁ tvaṁ tvadhunā svargarājyaṁ tyajeti bhāvaḥ || · 2-91-15 kāśyapānāṁ devānām adevānāṁ ca || · 2-91-17 nāyyaṁ nyāyādanapetam || · 2-91-22 śaureḥ vasudevasya || · 2-91-23 satāṁ gateḥ brahmakṛtamaryādāyā asaṅgaḥ satāṁ mārgaḥ | ato asurecchayaiva tatra pravesho labhyate na balādityarthaḥ || · 2-91-26 tatra vasudevayajṣe nāṭyena nṛtyena || · 2-91-28 devendrādibhirantaḥstaiḥ prerita ityarthaḥ || · 2-91-30 prakarṣeṇa siddham ākāśe gamanaṁ yasya sa tādṛśaḥ bhaveyamiti śeṣaḥ | shaknuvan śaktimān | · 2-91-31 bhāvyena bhaviṣyeṇa rūpeṇa mayā tu sadya evotpāditasya veṣeṇa praveṣṭuṁ śaknuyāmityarthaḥ || · 2-91-40 apraveshyamiti cchedaḥ || iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇiṭīkāyāmekanavatitamo'dhyāyaḥ ||