Parva 2 Chapter 92: vajranābhapuraṁ prati pradyumnādīnāṁ gamanam - pradyumna and party set out for vajranābhapura

vaiśampāyana said: O the king of men (janamejaya)! Hearing the words of vāsava (indra), the swans went to the city of vajra. The way to the city was familiar to them before. te dīrghikāsu ramyāsu nipeturvīra pakṣiṇaḥ | padmotpalairāvṛtāsu kāṣchanaiḥ sparśanakṣamaiḥ ||2-92-2 The valiant birds landed in the beautiful pond, covered with golden lotus flowers, soft to touch. te vai nadanto madhuraṁ saṁskṛtāpūrvabhāṣiṇaḥ | pūrvamapyāgatāste tu vismayaṁ janayanti hi ||2-92-3 The birds made beautiful sounds in a refined, rare language, Even though the birds had been to the city earlier, they generated wonder (among the residents). antaḥpuropabhogyāsu cherurvāpīṣu te nṛpa | dṛṣṭāste vajranābhasya triviṣṭapanivāsinaḥ ||2-92-4 O king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The birds travelled in the ponds used by the residents of inner quarters. The swans, residents of heaven, were seen by vajranābha. ālapantaḥ sumadhuraṁ dhārtarāṣṭrā janeshvara | sa tānuvāca daiteyo dhārtarāṣṭrānidaṁ vacaḥ ||2-92-5 O the lord of men! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The dhārtarāṣtra-s (swans) sang beautifully. The son of diti (vajranābha) spoke the following words to the dhārtarāṣtrā-s (swans). triviṣṭape nityaratā bhavantaścārubhāṣiṇaḥ | yadaivehotsavo'smākaṁ bhavadbhiravagamyate ||2-92-6 (vajranābha said) O swans! You living in heaven, always speak sweetly. Whenever we have festivals, you should be present here. āgantavyaṁ jālapādāḥ svamidaṁ bhavatāṁ gṛham | visrabdhaṁ ca praveṣṭavyaṁ triviṣṭapanivāsibhiḥ ||2-92-7 O swans! You should come here. This is your home. The swans, residents of heaven, shall also enter here without any fear. te tathoktāḥ shakunayo vajranābhena bhārata | tathetyuktvā hi viviśurdānavendraniveśanam ||2-92-8 O the one of bharata race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The swans who were told thus by vajranābha agreed, saying, "let it be so", and entered the residence of the indra of demons (vajranābha). cakruḥ parichayaṁ te ca devakāryavyapekṣayā | mānuṣālāpinaste tu kathāścakruḥ pṛthagvidhāḥ ||2-92-9 They made acquaintance with all for accomplishing the work of devas. Speaking the human language, they recited varieties of stories. vaṁśabaddhāḥ kāśyapānāṁ sarvakalyāṇabhāginām | striyo remurviśeṣeṇa śṛṇvantyaḥ saṅgatāḥ kathāḥ ||2-92-10 The women of kāśyapa race (demons), who take part in all auspicious deeds, hearing the stories related to their race, enjoyed them especially. vicarantastato haṁsā dadṛśuścāruhāsinīm | prabhāvatīṁ varārohāṁ vajranābhasutāṁ tadā ||2-92-11 Then the wandering swans saw the maiden with beautiful smile, prabhāvatī, the daughter of vajranābha, with beautiful limbs. haṁsāḥ parichitāṁ cakrustāṁ tataścāruhāsinīm | sakhīṁ śuchimukhīṁ cakre haṁsīṁ rājasutā tadā ||2-92-12 The swans became acquainted with that maiden who smiles beautifully. The daughter of king vajranābha, made the swan śuchimukhī, her friend. sā tāṁ kadācitpapraccha vajranābhasutāṁ sakhīm | viśrambhitāṁ pṛthaksūktairākhyānakaśatairvarām ||2-92-13 After generating complete confidence in the mind of her friend, the daughter of vajranābha, by reciting hundreds of verses and stories, one day śuchimukhī asked her. trailokyasundarīṁ vedmi tvāmahaṁ hi prabhāvati | rūpaśīlaguṇairdevi kiṣcītvāṁ vaktumutsahe ||2-92-14 (śuchimukhī said) I know that you are the most beautiful prabhāvatī in the three worlds with beauty, habits and good qualities. Hence, I want to tell you something. vyatikrāmati te bhīru yauvanaṁ cāruhāsini | yadatītaṁ punarnaiti gataṁ srota ivāmbhasaḥ ||2-92-15 O timid one! O the one with beautiful smile! Your youth is passing by. Like water, what is gone will not return to its source. kāmopabhogatulyā hi ratirdevi na vidyate | strīṇāṁ jagati kalyāṇi satyametadbravīmi te ||2-92-16 O devi! There is nothing known in the world, equal in enjoyment by women, to sexual pleasure. O auspicious woman! I am telling you the truth. svayaṁvare ca nyastā tvaṁ pitrā sarvāṅgaśobhane | na ca kāṁśchidvarayase devāsurakulodbhavān ||2-92-17 O the one having shining beautiful limbs! Your father desires that you shall choose your husband yourself. But you are not accepting any one born in the races of deva-s and asuras. vrīḍitā yānti suśroṇi pratyākhyātāstvayā śubhe | rūpaśauryaguṇairyuktānsadṛ+śāṁstvaṁ kulasya hi ||2-92-18 O auspicious woman! The one with beautiful hair! The suitors with beauty, valiance and other qualities suitable to your race, rejected by you, return ashamed. āgatānnecchase devi sadṛśānkularūpayoḥ | ihaiṣyati kimarthaṁ tvāṁ pradyumno rukmiṇīsutaḥ ||2-92-19 You do not accept those who come as per the race and beauty. Will pradyumna, the son of rukmiṇī ever come here, in front of you? trailokye yasya ruūpeṇa sadṛśo na kulena vā | guṇairvā cārusarvāṅgi śauryeṇapyati vā śubhe ||2-92-20 In the three worlds, there is no one equal to him, neither in race, nor in beauty. O auspicious woman! He is the best either by qualities or by valiance, O beautiful woman! deveṣu devaḥ suśroṇi dānaveṣu ca dānavaḥ | mānuṣeṣvapi dharmātmā manuṣyaḥ sa maābalaḥ ||2-92-21 O the one with beautiful hair! pradyumna, the one with great power, is deva among deva-s, demon among demons and the righteous soul among human beings. yaṁ sadā devi dṛṣṭvā hi sravanti jaghanāni hi | āpīnānīva dhenūnāṁ srotāṁsi saritāmiva ||2-92-22 O devi! Seeing him, the buttocks of women become moist like the udder of cows and the flow of rivers. na puRṇachandreṇa mukhaṁ nayane vā kuśeśayaiḥ | utsahe nopamātuṁ hi mṛgendreṇātha vā gatim || 2-92-23 Neither his face can be compared with full moon, nor his eyes can be compared with blue lotus, nor his stride with lion's stride. jagatah sāramuddhṛtya putraḥ sa vihitaḥ śubhe | kṛtvānaṅgaṁ vare sāṅgaṁ viṣṇunā prabahviṣṇunā ||2-92-24 O auspicious woman! The splendorous viṣṇu has created him, with the essence of the entire world, giving limbs to the one without limbs (kāmadeva). hṛtena shambaro bālye yena pāpo nibarhitaḥ | māyāścha sarvāḥ saṁprāptā na ca śīlaṁ vināśitam ||2-92-25 In childhood, he was taken by the demon shambara. He slayed the sinner, when he became a youth. He learned all kinds of illusion, but never abandoned any good habit. yānyānguṇānpṛthuśroṇi manasā kalpayiṣyasi | eṣṭavyāstriṣu lokeṣu pradyumne sarva eva te ||2-92-26 O the one with beautiful hair! Whatever qualities that you can imagine in your mind, whatever qualities in the three worlds that you desire, pradyumna has all of them. ruchyā vahnipratīkāśaḥ kṣamayā pṛ+thivīsamaḥ | tejasā suryasadṛśo gāmbhīryeṇa hradopamaḥ | In brightness, he is like the fire god (agni). In patience, he is equal to earth. In splendor, he is similar to sun, and in gāmnhīrya, he is comparable to the deep pond. prabhāvatī śuchimukhīṁ tvitīhovāca bhāminī ||2-92-27 The beautiful woman, prabhāvatī, told thus to śuchimukhī. prabhāvatyuvāca viṣṇurmānuṣalokasthaḥ śrutaḥ subahusho mayā | pituḥ kathayataḥ saumye nāradasya ca dhīmataḥ ||2-92-28 prabhāvatī said: O gentle woman! I have heard several times that viṣṇu has come to the human world, as nārada, the one with intelligence told my father. śatruḥ kila sa daityānāṁ varjanīyaḥ sadānaghe | O the one without any sin! It seems that he is the enemy of demons and hence should be avoided always. kulāni kila daityānāṁ tena dagdhāni mānini ||2-92-29 pradīptena rathāṅgena śārṅgeṇa gadayā tathā | O the one who respects others! He has burned (destroyed) races of demons with his dazzling discus, his bow śārṅga as well as his mace. śākhānagaradeśeṣu vasanti kila ye'surāḥ ||2-92-30 ityete dānavendreṇa saṁdiśyante hi taṁ prati | The indra (king) of demons (vajranābha) will send the demons residing in the regions of the satellite cities for (destroying) him. manoratho hi sarvāsāṁ strīṇāmeva shuchismite ||2-92-31 bhaveddhi me patikulaṁ śreṣṭhaṁ pitṛkulāditi | O the one with beautiful smile! All women desire that the race of their husbands should be better than the race of their fathers. yadi nāmābhyupāyaḥ syāttasyehāgamanaṁ prati ||2-92-32 mahānanugraho me syātkulaṁ syātpāvitaṁ ca me | If there is way for pradyumna to come here, I shall be greatly blessed and my race will become purified. samarthanāṁ me pṛṣṭā tvaṁ prayaccha śuchilāpini ||2-92-33 pradyumnaḥ syādyathā bhartā sa me vṛṣṇikulodbhavaḥ | O the one who speaks beautifully! Try to support what I ask, so that pradyumna, born in the race of vṛṣṇi-s shall become my husband. atyantavairī datyānāmudvejanakaro hariḥ ||2-92-34 asurāṇāṁ striyo vṛddhāḥ kathayantyo mayā śrutāḥ | I have heard the old demon women saying that hari (viṣṇu) is the greatest enemy of demons and he creates anxiety for them. pradyumnasya tathā janma purastādapi me shrutam ||2-92-35 yathā ca tena nihato balavānkālaśambaraḥ | I have also heard about the birth of pradyumna before and how he slayed the powerful kālaśambara. hṛdi me vartate nityaṁ pradyumnaḥ khalu sattame ||2-92-36 hetuḥ sa nāsti syāttena yathā mama samāgamaḥ | O the best among women! pradyumna is always in my heart. But there is no reason for my meeting with him. dāsī tavāhaṁ sakhyārhe dūtye tvaṁ ca visarjaye ||2-92-37 paṇḍitāsi vadopāyaṁ mama tasya ca saṅgame | O the one who deserves friendship! I am your servant. I am sending you as a messenger. You are wise. Tell me a way for meeting him. tatastāṁ sāntvayitvā sā prahasantīdamabravīt ||2-92-38 śuchimukhī consoled her and told her smiling: śuchimkhyuvāca tatra dūtī gamiṣyāmi tavāhaṁ cāruhāsinī | imāṁ bhaktiṁ tavodārāṁ pravakṣyāmi shuchismite ||2-92-39 śuchimukhī said: O the one who smiles beautifully! I shall go there as your messenger. O the one with beautiful smile! I shall tell him about your generous devotion. tathā caiva kariśyāmi yathaiṣyati tavāntikam | sākṣātkāmena suśroṇi baviṣyati sakāminī ||2-92-40 I shall do the needful so that he will come to you. O the one with beautiful hair! Meeting the real kāma, all your desires shall be fulfilled. iti me bhāṣitaṁ nityaṁ smarethāḥ shuchilochane | kathākuśalatāṁ pitre kathayasvāyatekṣaṇe ||2-92-41 O the one with clear (beautiful) eyes! Always remember my words. O the one with long eyes! Tell your father about my skill in reciting stories. mamatvaṁ tatra me devi hitaṁ samyakprapatsyase | ityuktā sā tathā cakre yattatsā tāmathābravīt ||2-92-42 O devi! There, ensure that our interests are taken care in all respect. (O janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) prabhāvatī who was told thus did as she was told. tāṁ haṁsīṁ prayachcāntaḥpure tadā | Then the indra of demons (vajranābha) asked the swan (śuchimukhī) in the inner quarters. prabhāvatyā samākhyātā kathā kuśalatā tava ||2-92-43 (vajranābha said) prabhāvatī told me about your skill in reciting stories. tattvaṁ shuchimukhi brūhi kathāṁ yogyatayā vare | O śuchimukhī! Tell me some stories since you are skilled (in reciting stories). kiṁ tvayā dṛṣṭamāścaryaṁ jagatyuttamapakṣiṇi ||2-92-44 adṛṣṭapūrvamanyairvā yogyāyogyamanindite | O the best among swans! Is there any wonder seen by you in the world, not seen before by others? O the one who is not despised! Or tell me about some suitable or unsuitable wonder. sovāca vajranābhaṁ tu haṁsī varanarottama ||2-92-45 śrūyatāmityathāmantrya dānavendraṁ mahādyutiṁ | O the best among the best of men! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Then the swan śuchimukhī addressing vajranābha, the indra of demons, the one with great splendor, said, please hear. dṛṣṭā me śāṇḍilī nāma sāḍhvī dānavasattama | āścaryaṁ karma kurvantī merupārśve manasvinī ||2-92-46 (śuchimukhī said) O the best among demons! I saw the good woman named śāṇḍilī, the one with a good mind, doing wonderful work near the mountain meru. sumanāścaiva kauśalyā sarvabhūtahite ratā | kathaṁchidvaraśāṇḍilyāḥ śailaputryāḥ śubhā sakhī ||2-92-47 I also saw kauśalyā with a good mind, always interested in the welfare of all beings, an auspicious friend of śāṇḍilī, the best, the daughter of the mountain. naṭaścaiva mayā dṛṣṭo munidattavaraḥ śubhaḥ | kāmarūpī ca bhojyashcha trailokye nityasaṁmataḥ ||2-92-48 I also saw an auspicious actor, who received boons from sages. He can take any form as he desires. He is qualified to be offered food. He is always acceptable in the three worlds. kurūnyātyuttarānvīra kālāmradvīpameva ca | bhadrāśvānketumālāṁścha dvīpānanyāṁstathānagha ||2-92-49 O valiant! He visits north kuru region as well as the islands of kālāmra. O the one without any sin! He also visits bhadrāśva, ketumāla and the other islands as well. devagandharvageyāni nṛtyāni vividhāni ca | sa vetti devānnṛtyena vismāpayati sarvathā ||2-92-50 He knows the songs sung by deva-s and gandharva-s and also many kinds of dances. He always astonishes the deva-s with his dance. vajranābha uvāca śrutametanmayā haṁsi na cirādiva vistaram | cāraṇānāṁ kathayatām siddhānāṁ ca mahātmanām ||2-92-51 vajranābha said: O swan! I have heard this in detail, not long ago (recently), as told by the great souls, cāraṇa-s and siddhas. kutūhalaṁ mamāpyasti sarvathā pakṣinandini | naṭe dattavare tasminsaṁstavastu na vidyate ||2-92-52 O daughter of the bird! I am curious about him by all means. But he who received the boons does not know about me. hamsyuvāca saptadvīpānvicharati naṭaḥ sa ditijottama | guṇavantaṁ janaṁ śrutvā guṇakāryaḥ sa sarvathā ||2-92-53 The swan (śuchimukhī) said: O the best among the sons of diti! That actor travels to all the seven islands. When he hears about people with qualities, he goes to meet them always. tava checchṛṇuyādvīra sadbhūtam guṇavistaram | naṭam tadāgataṁ viddhi puraṁ tava mahāsura ||2-92-54 O valiant! If the actor hears about your qualities in detail, O great demon! He will definitely come to your city. vajranābha uvāca upāyaḥ sṛjatāṁ haṁsi yeneha sa naṭaḥ śubhe | āgacchenmama bhadraṁ te viṣayaṁ pakṣinandini ||2-92-55 vajranābha said: O swan! O auspicious! Devise a way so that the actor comes to my city. O the daughter of bird! Let there be good to you. te haṁsā vajranābhena kāryahetorvisarjitāḥ | devendrāyātha kṛṣṇāya śaśaṁsuḥ sarvameva tat ||2-92-56 (O janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The swans sent by vajranābha for doing his work, informed the indra of deva-s as well as kṛṣṇa about everything. adhokṣajena pradyumno niyuktastatra karmaṇi | prabhāvatyāścha saṁsarge vajranābhavadhe tathā ||2-92-57 Then adhokṣaja (kṛṣṇa) directed pradyumna to do the needful regarding meeting prabhāvatī as well as slaying vajranābha. daivīṁ māyāṁ samāśritya saṁvidhāya harirnaṭam | naṭaveṣeṇa bhaimānāṁ preṣayāmāsa bhārata ||2-92-58 O the one of bharata race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Depending on goddess māyā, hari (kṛṣṇa) created a group of actors. He sent the bhaima-s (yādava-s) in the form of actors (to the city of vajranābha). pradyumnaṁ nāyakaṁ kṛtvā sāmbaṁ kṛtvā vidūṣakam | pāripārśve gadaṁ vīramanyānbhaimāṁstathaiva ca ||2-92-59 pradyumna was made the hero, sāmba was made the buffoon (vidūṣaka), valiant gada was made pāripārśva and the other bhaima-s (yādava-s) were made supporting actors. vāramukhyā naṭīḥ kṛtvā tattūryasadṛśāstadā | tathaiva bhadraṁ bhadrasya sahāyāṁścha tathāvidhān |2-92-60 The prominent courtesans were made actresses along with musical instruments as required. In the same way bhadra and his followers were made as assistants. pradyumnavihitaṁ ramyaṁ vimānaṁ te mahārathāḥ | jagmurāruhya kāryārthaṁ devānāmamitaujasām ||2-92-61 The great chariot fighters, mounting on the beautiful aerial vehicle made by pradyumna, proceeded to accomplish the work of splendorous devas. ekaikasya samā rūpe puruṣaḥ puruṣasya te | strīṇāṁ ca sadṛśāḥ sarve te svarūpairnarādhipāḥ ||2-92-62 O the ruler of men! All the men were equal in form to each other. All the princes appeared similar to the women in beauty. te vajranagarasyātha śākhānagaramuttamam | jagmurdānavasaṁkīrṇaṁ supuraṁ nāma nāmataḥ ||2-92-63 All of them arrived at the best satellite city of the city of vajra, the good city where the groups of demons were residing. iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi vajranābhapradyumnottare pradyumnādigamane dvinavatitamo'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the ninety second chapter of viṣnuparva, harivaṁśa, khila of mahabhārata, pradyumna and party set out for the city of vajranābha nīlakaṇṭha commentary · 2-92-1 te vāsaveti || · 2-92-3 saṁskṛtāpūrvabhāśiṇaḥ saṁskṛtaṁ apūrve bhāṣante tathā || · 2-92-7 jālapādāḥ bho haṁsāḥ || · 2-92-10 kāśyapānāṁ dānavānām || · 2-92-16 ratiḥ sukham || · 2-92-18 "rūpaṁ svabhāve saundarye" iti medinī | "kulam janapade gṛhe" iti viśvaḥ || · 2-92-19 kimarthameṣyati tasyātrāgamanaṁ prasaktameva nāstītyarthaḥ || · 2-92-24 anaṅgaṁ kāmadevaṁ sāṅgaṁ kṛtvā putro vihati ityanvayaḥ | nibarhitaḥ hataḥ || · 2-92-27 tejasā prabhāveṇa || · 2-92-31 yamuddishya dānavenderṇa asurāḥ saṁdiśyante taṁ balavantaṁ prati strīṇāṁ manorathaḥ bhavatyeva | kāmamūḍatvāt vairikule'pyanurāgo bhavatīti bhāvaḥ || · 2-92-33 samarthanāṁ kāryaghaṭanopāyaṁ || · 2-92-52 saṁstavaḥ madīyā stutirna vidyate naṭanikaṭe yena śrutaguṇau māmasau upeyādityarthaḥ || saṁstavaḥ parichayo vā || · 2-92-58 naṭaṁ bhadrākhyasya naṭasya veṣaṁ bhaimānāṁ yādavānām || · 2-92-60 vāramukhyā veśyāḥ tattūryasadṛśāḥ tadīyanṛtyagītavāditrasādṛśyāḥ || iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi ṭīkāyāṁ dvinavatitamo'dhyāyaḥ