Parva 2 Chapter 96: pradyumnadaityayuddham - battle between pradyumna and the asuras

vaiśampāyana said: (O janamejaya!) At the conclusion of the sacrifice of sage kashyapa of supreme splendour, the deva-s and demons, having immeasurable valiance, returned to their own places. vajranābho'pi nirvṛtte satre kaśyapamabhyagāt | trailokyavijayākāṅKṣī tamuvācātha kaśyapaḥ ||2-96-2 After the sacrifice was concluded, vajranābha, desirous of conquering the three worlds, went to (meet) kashyapa. kashyapa told him: vajranābha nibodha tvaṁ śrotavyaṁ yadi chenmama | vasa vajrapure putra svajanena samāvṛtaḥ ||2-96-3 (kashyapa said) vajranābha! Listen with attention, if what I say is worth hearing. Son! Stay in the city of vajra, surrounded by your own people. tapasābhyadhikaḥ śakraḥ shaktashcaiva svabhāvataḥ | brahmaṇyaścha kṛtajṣaścha jyeṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhatamo guṇaiḥ ||2-96-4 śakra (indra) is endowed with more penance as well. Also he is powerful by character. He worships brahmaṇas. He is kṛtajṣa, elder to you and is the best having the best qualities. rājā kṛtsnasya jagataḥ pātrabhūataḥ satāṁ gatiḥ | saṁprāpto lokarājyaṁ sa sarvabhūtahite rataḥ ||2-96-5 He is the king of the entire world, the best of receivers and the destination of good people. He, the king of the three worlds, is always keen on the welfare of all beings. naiva śakyastvayā jetuṁ vajranābha vihanyase | ahiṁ padā vyutkramanvai na cirādvinaśiṣyasi ||2-96-6 vajranābha! You will not be able to conquer him. In that attempt, you will get killed. Like the one who kicks a serpent, you will perish without delay. vajranābhaścha tadvākyaṁ nābhinandati bhārata | kālapāśaparītāṅgo martukāma ivauṣadham ||2-96-7 O the one of bharata race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) vajranābha did not respect these words, like a person whose limbs are bound by the ropes of Time, rejects medicine, desiring death. abhivādya sa durbuddhiḥ kaśyapaṁ lokabhāvanam | trailokyavijayārambhe matiṁ cakre durāsadaḥ ||2-96-8 That one with wicked intellect paid obeisance to sage kashyapa, who is keen on the welfare of the world. The one who is difficult to conquer, decided to begin his efforts to conquer the three worlds. jṣātiyodhānsamānīya mitrāṇi subahūni ca | pratasthe svargamevāgre vijigīṣanviśāṁpate ||2-96-9 O the lord of earth! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Assembling kinsmen fighters as also many friends, he started for heaven with the desire to conquer. etasminnantare devau kṛṣṇendrau ca mahābalau | preṣayāmāsaturhaṁsān vajranāhavadhaṁ prati ||2-96-10 During this time, both the deva-s, kṛṣṇa and indra, having great power, sent the swans with the message regarding slaying of vajranābha. samāgatāstu tacchrutvā yadumukhyā mahābalāḥ | mantrayitvā mahātmānaścintāmāpedire tathā ||2-96-11 Hearing the message, the highly powerful yādava chiefs, those with great souls, assembled (at the city of vajra) and consulted and thought among themselves. vajranābho'dya hantavyaḥ pradyumnenetyasaṁśayam | tayorduhitaro bhāryā bhaktyā tāḥ sarvabhāvanāḥ ||2-96-12 There is no doubt that vajranābha is to be killed today by pradyumna. But the daughters of vajranābha and his brothers have become our wives with devotion. They always think about our welfare. sarvāḥ sagarbhāstāścaiva kiṁ nu kāryamanantaram | prāptaḥ prasavakālaścha tāsāṁ nāticirādiva ||2-96-13 a Now all the women are pregnant. What is to be done next? The time of delivery is fast approaching. saṁmantrayitvaitadarthaṁ haṁsānūcurmahābalāḥ | ākhyeyamarthavatkṛtsnaṁ śakrakeśavayostadā ||2-96-14 Consulting among themselves on this, the highly powerful yādava-s told the swans: All these should be told immediately to śakra (indra) and keshava (kṛṣṇa). haṁsairgatvā tadākhyātaṁ devayostadyathātatham | tābhyāṁ haṁsāstu saṁdiṣṭā na bhetavyamiti prabho ||2-96-15 a The swans told everything to the deva-s as it is. O lord! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Then those two deva-s gave the message to the swans: yādava-s! Do not be afraid. utpatsyanti guṇaiḥ ślāghyāḥ putrā vaḥ kāmarūpiṇaḥ | garbhasthāḥ sarvavedāṁścha sāṅgānvetsyantyaninditāḥ ||2-96-16 a You (yādava-s) shall get sons with best, famous qualities, capable of assuming forms as they desire. The sons, who will not be despised, will acquire the complete knowledge of veda-s, while they are still in wombs. tathā cānāgataṁ sarvamastrāṇi vividhāni ca | sadya eva yuvānaścha bhaviṣyanti supaṇḍitāḥ ||2-96-17 a In the same way, they will know about the future and about many kinds of weapons. They who are good and learned will become youths immediately on birth. evamuktvā gatā haṁsāḥ punarvajrapuraṁ vibho | śaśaṁsuścaiva bhaimānāṁ śakrakeśavabhāṣitam ||2-96-18 O lord! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The swans who were told thus again returned to the city of vajra and conveyed the words of śakra (indra) and keshava (kṛṣṇa) to the bhaima-s (yādava-s). prabhāvatī tadā putraṁ suṣuve sadṛśaṁ pituḥ | sadyo yauvanasaṁprāptaṁ sarvajṣatvaṁ ca bhārata ||2-96-19 Then prabhāvatī delivered a son who was like his father (pradyumna). O the one of bharata race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Immediately on birth, he became a youth and attained wisdom on all as well. māsamātreṇa suṣuve devī candravatī nṛpa | candraprabhamiti khyātaṁ tanayaṁ sadṛśaṁ pituḥ ||2-96-20 O king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) After a month, devī candravatī also delivered a son. He, named as candraprabha, was like his father. sadyashcha yauvanaṁ prāptaṁ sarvjṣatvaṁ ca bhārata | guṇāvatyapi putraṁ ca guṇavantamaniṁditā ||2-96-21 O the one of bharata race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Immediately on birth, he became a youth and attained wisdom as well. guṇavatī who is not despised, delivered a son with good qualities. yuvānāvatha sadyastau sarvaśāstrārthakovidau | indropendraprasādena saṁvṛttau yuddhavarddhanau ||2-96-22 He also became a youth immediately and attained wisdom on the meaning of all sciences. By the pleasure of indra and upendra (viṣṇu - kṛṣṇa) they had all good qualities and became experts in fighting. harmyapṛṣṭhe varddhamānā dṛṣṭāste yadunandanāḥ | indropendrecchayā vīra nānyathetyavadhāryatām ||2-96-23 One day, the sons of yādava-s who were growing up, were seen (by the demons) in the rear part of the building. O valiant! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Understand that this happened as desired by indra and upendra (kṛṣṇa). niveditāścha saṁbhrāntairdaityairākāśarakṣibhiḥ | vajranābhāya vīrāya triviṣṭapajayaiṣiṇe ||2-96-24 Then the demons who were protecting the city from the sky became confused. Immediately, they informed vajranābha, who was desirous of conquering the three worlds, about this. vadhāya sarve gṛhyantāṁ mamaite gṛhadharṣakāḥ | ityuvācāsurapatirvajranābho mahāsuraḥ ||2-96-25 a Hearing this, the king of demons, the great demon vajranābha, said: These youths have trespassed my house. Catch the trespassers of my home and kill them. tataḥ sainyaṁ samājṣaptamasurendreṇa dhīmatā | āvārayāmāsa diśaḥ sarvāḥ kurukulodvaha ||2-96-26 a Then the indra of demons, the one with intellect, (vajranābha) summoned his army. O the one who flourish the kuru race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana said) The army covered all the directions. gṛhyatāmāśu vadhyantāmiti vācastatastataḥ | uccherurasurendrasya śāsanādariśāsinaḥ ||2-96-27 Then the words, catch them and kill them, were heard, all over, because of the orders given by the indra (king) of the demons, the oppressor of enemies. tacchrutvā vyathitāsteṣāṁ mātaraḥ putravatsalāḥ | rurudustā rudantīścha pradyumnaḥ prahasanbravīt ||2-96-28 Hearing this, the mothers, affectionate of their sons, became worried and started crying. Then pradyumna, laughing, spoke to those who were crying. mā bhaiṣṭa jīvamāneṣu sthiteṣvasmāsu sarvathā | kiṁ no daityāḥ kariṣyanti sarvathā bhadramastu vaḥ ||2-96-29 Do not be afraid while we are living and are here by all means. What can the demons do to us? Let there be good to you by all ways. prabhāvatīmathovāca pradyumno viplavāṁ sthitām | Then pradyumna told prabhāvatī who was still crying: pitā tava gadāpāṇiḥ pitṛvyāścha sthitāstava ||2-96-30 bhrātaraścaiva te devi jṣātayaścha tathāpare | (pradyumna said) O devi! Your father, his brothers, kinsmen and others are standing here holding their maces. ete pūjyāścha mānyāścha tavārthe khalu sarvathā ||2-96-31 Because of you, they are worthy of worship and respect by all means. bhaginyau pṛccha bhadraṁ te kālo'yaṁ khalu dāruṇaḥ | maraṇaṁ sahamānānāṁ yuddhyatāṁ vijayo dhruvam ||2-96-32 Let there be good to you! Tell your sisters that this time is highly terrible. Victory is certain for those who fight bearing the risk of death. dānavendrādayo hyete yotsyante'smadvadhaiṣiṇaḥ | kimatra kāryamasmābhiḥ sarvaiścakrāntarasthitaiḥ ||2-96-33 The king (vajranābha) along with other prominent demons will fight to kill us. What shall all of us, surrounded by the circle (of armies), do in this situation? prabhāvatī rudantī tu pradyumnamidamabravīt | śirasyaṣjalimādhāya jānubhyāṁ patitā kṣitau ||2-96-34 (vaiśampāyana said: O janamejaya!) prabhāvatī spoke to pradyumna as follows, crying, folding her hands on her head, falling down, on the earth and kneeling: gṛhāṇa śastramātmānaṁ rakṣa śatrunibarhaṇa | jīvanputrāṁścha dārāṁścha draṣṭāsi yadunandana ||2-96-35 (prabhāvatī said): O the one who destroys the enemies! Take up the arms and protect your life. O the son of yadu! You will be able to see your wives and sons only if you are alive! āryāṁ nṛvara vaidarbhīmaniruddhaṁ ca mānada | smṛtvaitanmokṣayātmānaṁ vyasanādarimardana ||2-96-36 O the best of men! Remembering the noble daughter of the king of vidarbha (rukmiṇī) and aniruddha, O one who respects others, remove this sorrow, O the oppressor of enemies! durvāsasā varo datto muninā mama dhīmatā | vaidhavyarahitā hṛṣṭā jīvaputrā bhaviṣyasi ||2-96-37 sage durvāsa, the one with intellect, has given me this boon - Without being a widow, you will be happy with living sons. eṣa me hṛdayāśvāso bhavitā na tadanyathā | sūryāgnitejaso vākyaṁ munerindrānujātmaja ||2-96-38 This gives comfort to my heart. Nothing else will happen. O the son of younger brother of indra (kṛṣṇa)! These are the words of the sage. ityuktvāthāsimādāya sūpaspṛṣṭvā manasvinī | pradadau raukmiṇeyāya jayasveti varaṁ varā ||2-96-39 (vaiśampāyana said) Saying this, the one with presence of mind (prabhāvatī) brought the sword. She wiped the sword and gave it to the son of rukmiṇī (pradyumna) and gave him the boon of victory. sa taṁ jagrāha dharmātmā prahṛṣṭenāntarātmanā | praṇamya śirasā dattaṁ priyayā bhaktiyuktayā ||2-96-40 pradyumna, having his soul fixed in dharma, with a pleased mind, accepted the weapon, given by his dear wife, with devotion, bowing her head. candravatyapi nistriṁśaṁ gadāya pradadau mudā | tadā guṇavatī caiva sāmbāyāsiṁ mahātmane ||2-96-41 candravtī also gave a sword to gada with pleasure. Then guṇavatī also did the same to the great soul, sāmba. haṁsaketumathovāca pradyumnaḥ praṇataṁ prabhuḥ | ihaiva sāmbasahito yuddhyasva saha yādavaiḥ ||2096-42 Then lord pradyumna told haṁsaketu (charioteer of pradyumna ) who bowed to him: Along with sāmba and yādava-s, fight here. ākāśe dikṣu sarvāsu yotsyāmyahamariṁdama | ityuktvātha rathaṁ cakre māyayā māyinām varaḥ ||2-96-43 O the oppressor of foes! I will fight in the sky as well as in all directions. Saying this, the best among the creators of illusion, pradyumna created a chariot by illusion. sahasraśirasaṁ nāgaṁ kṛtvā sārathimātmavān | anantabhogaṁ kauravya sarvanāgottamottamam ||2-96-44 a O the one of kuru race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The one with soul, pradyumna made ananta, the best among the best serpents, the serpent with one thousand heads, as his charioteer. sa tena rathamukhyena harṣayanvai prabhāvatīm | cacārāsurasainyeṣu tṛṇeṣviva hutāśanaḥ ||2-96-45 Mounted on that best chariot, pradyumna roamed among the army of demons, like the god of fire, the partaker of sacrifices, roams among grass, generating happiness to prabhāvatī. śarairāśīviṣaprakhyairarddhacandrānukāntibhiḥ | bhedanairgādhanaiścaiva tadarda ditisaṁbhavān ||2-96-46 Shooting arrows having the brightness of half moon, terrible like the poison of serpents, having sharp as well as thick tips, capable of splitting, pradyumna oppressed the sons of diti (demons). asurāścha raṇe mattāḥ kārṣṇiṁ śastrairitastataḥ | jaghnuḥ kamalapatrākṣaṁ paraṁ niśchayamāsthitāḥ ||2-96-47 The demons, excited by the battle, mostly determined (for victory), oppressed the son of kṛṣṇa (pradyumna), having eyes as beautiful as the petal of lotus flower, by shooting arrows. ciccheda bāhūnkeṣāṣchitkeyūravalayojjvalān | sakuṇḍalāni keṣāṁciccirāṁsyapi ca cicchide ||2-96-48 pradyumna cut off the heads of many demons, which were shining, decorated by diadems. He cut of the heads of some demons, along with hair and ear rings. kṣuraccinnaiḥ śirobhishcha kāyaiścha shakalairapi | asurāṇāṁ mahī kīrṇā pradyumnenātitejasā ||2-96-49 pradyumna with high splendor, cut off the heads, bodies and body-pieces of the demons and scattered them on earth. deveshvaro devagaṇaiḥ sahitaḥ samitiṁjayaḥ | dadarsha mudito yuddhaṁ bhaimānāṁ ditijaiḥ saha ||2-96-50 The one who achieve victory in battle, the lord of deva-s (indra), along with the group of deva-s, happily watched the battle of yādava-s with the sons of diti. ye gadaṁ caiva sāṁbaṁ ca daityāḥ samabhidudruvuḥ | te yayurnidhanaṁ sarve yādāṁsīva mahodadhau ||2-96-51 The demons attacked gada as well as sāmba. All of the demons perished like aquatic animals in the great ocean. viṣamam tu tadā yuddhaṁ dṛṣṭvā devapatirhariḥ | gadāya preṣayāmāsa svaṁ rathaṁ harivāhanaḥ ||2-96-52 Seeing that the battle is becoming difficult, hari, the lord of deva-s, harivāhana (indra), sent his own chariot for gada. didesha mātalisutaṁ yantāraṁ ca suvarchasam | sāmbāyairāvaṇaṁ nāgaṁ preṣayāmāsa cheśvaraḥ ||2-96-53 indra sent the son of mātali, suvarchasa as the charioteer. The lord (indra) sent the elephant airāvata for sāmba. jayantaṁ raukmiṇeyasya sahāyamadadādvibhuḥ | airāvaṇamadhiṣṭhātuṁ pravaraṁ sa niyuktavān ||2-96-54 The lord (indra) sent jayanta to help the son of rukmiṇī (pradyumna). He directed pravara (the brāhmaṇa, friend of indra) also, mounted on airāvata. devaputradvijau vīrāvaprameyaparākramau | anujṣāpya surādhyakṣaṁ brahmāṇaṁ lokabhāvanam ||2-98-55 The indra of deva-s had sent the son (jayanta) of deva (indra) and the brāhmin (pravara) as permitted by brahma, who is concerned with the welfare of the world. taṁ mātalisutaṁ caiva gajamairāvaṇaṁ tadā | devaḥ preśitavāṣcakro vidhijṣo varakarmasu ||2-96-56 śakra (indra), expert of scriptures, who had performed noble deeds, sent the son of mātali (suvarchas) as the charioteer as also the elephant airāvata. kṣīṇamasya tapo vadhyo yadūnāmeṣa durmatiḥ | pravishanti tu bhūtāni sarvatra tu yathepsitam ||2-96-57 The beings, present all over are saying that the one with wicked intellect, vajranābha, whose penance is on the decline, can be killed by the yādavas. pradyumnashcha jayantashcha prāptau harmyaṁ mahābalau | asurāṣccharajālaughairvikrāmyantau praṇaśyatuḥ ||2-96-58 a pradyumna as well as jayanta, the valiant, having high power, entered the building, and killed the demons by shooting groups of arrows. gadaṁ kārṣṇistadovāca durvāryaraṇadurjayaḥ | The one who is difficult to be conquered in battle, the son of kṛṣṇa, (pradyumna) told gada: upendrānuja śakreṇa ratho'yaṁ preṣitastava ||2-96-59 (pradyumna said: O gada) śakra (indra), having upendra (viṣṇu - kṛṣṇa) as his younger brother has sent his chariot for you. hariyuṅmātalisuto yantā cāyaṁ mahābalaḥ | pravarādhiṣṭhitaścāyaṁ sāmbasyairāvaṇo gajaḥ ||2-96-60 the powerful son of mātali, is the charioteer of the chariot yoked with horses. The elephant airāvata with pravara mounted on it, is for sāmba. adyopahāro rudrasya dvārakāyaṁ mahābalaḥ | shva eṣyati hṛṣīkeśastasminvṛtte'chyutānuja ||2-96-61 Today, the worship of rudra (shiva) is celebrated at dvāraka. O (gada) the younger brother of the one who does not suffer any decline! The highly powerful lord of the senses (kṛṣṇa) will arrive here tomorrow, after its conclusion. tasyājṣayā vadhiṣyāmo vajranābhaṁ sabāndhavam | abhyutthānakṛtaṁ pāpaṁ triviṣṭapajayaṁ prati ||2-96-62 As per his order, let us kill vajranābha, the sinner with his friends, who has started his efforts to conquer the heaven. kariṣyāmi vidhānaṁ ca naiṣa cakraṁ sutānvitam | vijeṣyatyapramādastu kartavya iti me matiḥ ||2-96-63 I shall make the necessary arrangements. He will not be able to conquer the enemy with his sons. My opinion is that we should be careful. kalatrarakṣaṇaṁ kāryaṁ sarvopāyairnarairbudhaiḥ | kalatradharṣaṇaṁ loke maraṇādatiricyate ||2-96-64 Protection of wives by all means is important for men with intellect. Harming the wives is worse than death in the world. evaṁ saṁdiśya bhaimaḥ sa gadasāmbau mahābalaḥ | pradyumnakoṭyaḥ sasṛje māyayā divyarūpayā ||2-96-65 (vaiśampāyana continued: O janamejaya !) The powerful bhaima (pradyumna) spoke thus to gada and sāmba. He created by illusion, tens of millions of pradyumnas having divine form. tamashcha nāśayāmāsa daityasṛṣṭaṁ durāsadam | jahṛṣe devarājaścha taṁ dṛṣṭvā ripumardanam ||2-96-66 He destroyed the darkness, difficult to overcome, created by the demons. Seeing the oppressor of enemies, the king of deva-s (indra), congratulated him. dadṛśuḥ sarvabhūtāni kārṣṇiṁ sarveṣu śatruṣu | antarātmani vartantaṁ kṣetrajṣamiva taṁ viduḥ ||2-96-67 Thus all the beings saw the son of kṛṣṇa (pradyumna) for each and every one of the enemies. They understood him (pradyumna) as the soul, present in all bodies. evaṁ vyatītā rajanī raukmiṇeyasya yudhyataḥ | asurāṇāṁ tribhāgaścha nihataścātitejasā ||2-96-68 The night was over as the son of rukmiṇī fought in this manner. The one with splendor killed three parts of the demons. yāvadviyodhayāmāsa kārṣṇirdaityānraṇājire | sandhyopāstā jayantena tāvadviṣṇupadījale ||2-96-69 While the son of kṛṣṇa was fighting the battle with the demons, jayanta performed his evening rituals in the waters of the river viṣnupadi (gaṅga). ayodhayajjayantashcha yāvaddaityānmahābalaḥ | tāvadākāśagaṅgāyāṁ bhaimāḥ sandhyāmupāstavān ||2-96-70 While the highly powerful jayanta was fighting the battle with the demons, bhaima (pradyumna) performed his evening rituals at the divine river, gaṅga. iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi pradyumnadaityayuddhe ṣaṇṇavatitamo'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the ninetysixth chapter of viṣṇuparva, harivamsha, khila of mahābhārata, battle between pradyumna and the asura-s nīlakaṇṭha commentary · 2-96-1 satrāvasāna iti || · 2-96-6 vihanyase mriyase || · 2-96-33 cakrāntarasthitaḥ tvadājṣāvartibhiḥ || · 2-96-36 etat etasmāt || · 2-96-39 sūpaspṛṣṭvā samyak saṁmārjya || · 2-96-43 cakre nirmame || · 2-96-46 bhedanaiḥ sūkṣmāgraiḥ śaraiḥ śarīrapraveśena vidāraṇaiḥ gādhanaiḥ sthūlāgraiḥ anukrāntibhirbāṇairdṛḍhaprahāramāraiḥ tatarda pīḍayāmāsa || · 2-96-52 harivāhana indraḥ || · 2-96-54 pravaram indrasya sakhāyaṁ brāhmaṇam || · 2-96-61 upahāro mahāpūjā || · 2-96-62 abhyuthānakṛtam upakramakartāram || · 2-96-65 koṭayaḥ koṭīḥ iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi ṭīkāyāṁ ṣaṇṇāvatitamo'dhyāḥ