Parva 3 Chapter 91: pauṇḍrakavṛttāntarāmbhaḥ - beginning of pauṇḍraka's story

vaiśampāyana said: (O janamejaya) At this time, pauṇḍra, the best among the kings, powerful, enriched with sattva, fighter, having vast valiance, vṛṣṇiśatrustadā rājā kṛṣṇadveṣī balāttadā | nṛpānsarvānsamāhūya provāca nṛpasaṁsadi ||3-91-2 the enemy of vṛṣṇi-s, the king, having hatred for kṛṣṇa, then forcefully summoned all the kings and spoke in the assembly of kings: jitā ca pṛthivī sarvā jitāścha nṛpasattamāḥ | vṛṣṇayaste balonmattāḥ kṛṣṇamāśritya garvitāḥ ||3-91-3 pauṇḍraka said: I have conquered all the earth. Also I have conquered the best among kings. Those vṛṣṇi-s are having the false pride of their strength. They are proud due to their dependence on kṛṣṇa. dāsyanti me karaṁ sarve na hi te kṛṣṇasaṁśrayāt | sa tu kṛṣṇaścakrabalānmāmavajṣāya tiṣṭhati ||3-91-4 All those depending on kṛṣṇa are not giving me tribute. kṛṣṇa, having the power of the cakra is staying indifferent to me. ahaṁ cakrīti garvo'bhūttasya gopasya sarvadā | śaṅkhī cakrī gadī śārṅgī śarī tūṇī sahāyavān ||3-91-5 That cowherd is always proud that he has the cakra. He is assisted by the conch, cakra, mace, the bow śāRṅga, arrows and the quiver. evamādirmahāgarvastasya saṁprati vartate | loke ca mama yānnāma vāsudeveti viśrutaṁ ||3-91-6 Thus he has always great pride now. In the world, my name, vāsudeva is highly famous. agṛhṇānmama tannāma gopo madabalānvitaḥ | tasya cakrasya yaccakraṁ mamāpi niśitaṁ mahat ||3-91-7 Taking that name of mine, the cowherd is having the false pride of power. My cakra which is great and sharp will cut his cakra. garvahantṛ sadā tasya nāmnā cāpi sudarśanaṁ | sahasrāraṁ mahāghoraṁ tasya cakrasya nāśanaṁ ||3-91-8 My cakra, having thousand edges and highly terrible, named sudarshana will destroy his cakra and destroy his pride. anekamahataṁ cakraṁ gopajasya nṛpottamāḥ | mamāpyetaddhanurdivyaṁ śārṅgaṁ nāma mahāravaṁ ||3-91-9 O the best among kings! My cakra can not be stopped anyhow, anywhere. Also I have my divine bow śārṅga, having a great sound. gadā kaumodakī nāma mameyaṁ bṛhatī dṛḍhā | kālāyasasahasrasya bhāreṇa sukṛtā mayā ||3-91-10 I have this strong, hard and huge mace named kaumodakī. I have made this well with one thousand weights of black iron. khaḍgo nandakanāmāsau mamāyaṁ vipulo dṛḍhaḥ | antakasyāntako ghorastasya khaḍgasya naśakaḥ ||3-91-11 My sword with the name nandaka is huge and strong. It is terrible and it is the death of the god of death and destroyer of his sword. tatrāyaṁ ca gādī khaḍgī śaṅkhī cakrī tanutravān | yudhi jetā ca kṛṣṇasya nātra kāryā vicāraṇā ||3-91-12 There, holding the mace, sword, conch, cakra and the shield, I will conquer kṛṣṇa (in the battlefield). There is nothing else to be thought on this. mām ca brūta nṛpāścaiva gadinaṁ cakriṇaṁ tathā | śaṅkhinaṁ śārṅgiṇaṁ vīraṁ brūta nityaṁ nṛpottamāḥ ||3-91-13 There, O kings! Speak about me as the one who holds the mace and the cakra. O the best among kings! Speak about me always as the one who holds the conch, the bow śārṅga and the valiant one. vāsudeveti māṁ brūta na tu gopaṁ yadūttamam | eko'haṁ vāsudevo hi hatvā taṁ gopadārakam ||3-91-14 Speak about me as vāsudeva, not the cowherd, the best among yadus. After killing that boy of the cowherds, I will become the only vāsudeva. sakhyurmama balāddhantā narakasya mahātmanaḥ | The great soul naraka was my friend. He has killed him by force. māṁ tathā yadi na brūta daṇḍyā bhāraśataiḥ shatam ||3-91-15 suvarṇasya ca niṣkasya dhānyasya bahuśastadā | If you do not speak about me as such I shall punish you by taking away hundred thousand weight of gold, coins as well as lots of grains from you (as tribute). tathā bruvati rājendre manasā dussahaṁ yathā ||3-91-16 kechillajjāsamāyuktā āsaṁste balavattarāḥ | rasajṣā balavīryasya rājānaste sadā nṛpa ||3-91-17 O king! (vaiśampāyana continued: O janamejaya!) As the indra of kings (pauṇḍraka) spoke thus, difficult to bear in mind, some of the powerful kings, who knew the taste of power and valiance, sat with shame. apare tu nṛpā rājannevameveti chukruśuḥ | anye balamadotsiktā jeśyāmaḥ keśavaṁ raṇe ||3-91-18 O king! (vaiśampāyana continued: O janamejaya!) Other kings shouted, let it be so. Others who were proud with the false sense of power said that keshava (kṛṣṇa) can be conquered in battle. iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi pauṇḍrakoktau ekanavatitamo'dhyāyaḥ This is the ninety-first chapter of bhaviṣyaparva, harivaṁśa, khila of mahabhārata, beginning of pauṇḍraka's story nīlakaṇṭha commentary · 3-91-1 athāvarakṛtyaśeṣaṁ vyācaṣṭe etasminneva kāle ityādinā | · 3-91-7 cakrasya nāśakamiti śeṣaḥ · 3-91-9 anekaṁ bahuvigraham ahatam apratihataṁ tādṛśaṁ mamāpīti bhāvaḥ || · 3-91-15 bhāraḥ syādviṁśatistulāḥ treṣāṁ bhārāṇāṁ śataiḥ shatam ayutamityarthaḥ || iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi tīkāyāmekanavatitamo'dhyāyaḥ ||