CHAPTER LXXXIII
(ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE MATCH)
VAISHAMPAYANA said: - Meditating on the incident of the breaking of the bow Kansa, of Bhoja race, was greatly stricken with grief and absent-mindedness (1). He began to think: - "How could a boy fearlessly break down an iron bow guarded by men and go out (2). None can withstand destiny by manliness for now, as predicted by Nārada, that has come to pass for which out of fear I perpetrated a dreadful and highly censurable deed and destroyed the six heroic sons of Devaki (3-4).
Thus thinking and issuing out of his own apartment the king went to the arena for examining the platforms (5). This hall was constructed by clever artizans, abounded in well-fixed platforms and was adorned with turrets consisting of beautiful rooms. It had a spacious courtyard and a number of pillars of the same size. It was bedecked on all sides with strong tusks of elephants and with spacious, high and royal seats. It had many passages, could carry the burden of many men and was filled with altars. Beholding this spacious well-built, and strong arena that intelligent best of kings issued the mandate "(tomorrow) the bow-sacrifice will take place. Let the platforms, turrets and passages be embellished with garlands, flags and covers and be sweet-scented (6-11). Let the enclosures be adorned with bells, covers and becoming edibles and place there profuse cow-dung (12). Let excellent golden jars full of water be placed in due order (13). Let jars full of edibles and scents be placed and invite all those who are clever judges of warfare and the citizens (14). Issue my mandate to the wrestlers and visitors and let beautifully decked and enclosed platforms be set apart (15)." Issuing this command regarding the arrangement of the party Kansa left the arena for his own apartment (16).
Having entered his own room Kansa sent for Chānura and Mushthika the two wrestlers of unequalled strength (17). Following Kansa's order those two highly powerful energetic and large armed wrestlers entered his room with a delighted heart (18). Beholding those two world-renowned wrestlers before him king Kansa addressed to them the following words pregnant with propriety (19). "You are both my heroic wrestlers well-known (in the world). You are worthy particularly of good treatment and therefore I always regard you (20). If you remember the honors I have showered upon you then engage in a great work with your energy on my behalf (21). Forsooth, fighting in the arena with those two forest-ranging cow-herd boys Krishna and Sangkarshana who have grown in Vraja for me you will be able to throw them on earth and kill them (22-23). You will be perfectly careful in killing them; do not disregard them as boys of fickle nature (24). If those two boys are killed in battle in the arena I shall meet with well-being both in present and future (25)."
Hearing these affectionate words of the king the wrestlers Chānura and Mushthika, mad after fight, delightedly replied (26) "If those two helpless boys, the very sin of the Gopas, come before us know them as already slain and existing in the shape of ghosts (27). On our being worked up with anger if those two forest-rangers, enveloped in calamities, withstand us, we will destroy them in your very presence (28)." Giving vent to these poisonous words and commanded by king Kansa those two foremost of wrestlers Chānura and Mushthika returned to their own habitations (29).
Thereupon Kansa said to his elephant-trainer Mahāmātra: -"Keep at the gate of the arena the fickle-natured and powerful elephant Kuvalayapida, the oppressor of other elephants, whose temples are soaked with temporal juice, eyes are always inebriate and who is always angry with men (30-31). When the mean forest-ranging sons, of Vasudeva, will come do you so drive that elephant at them that they might at once be deprived of their lives (32). If by you, through that elephant-chief those two irrepressible Gopas are killed in the arena my eyes will derive pleasure from seeing you (33). Beholding them slain, Vasudeva, with his root cut off and helpless, will meet with destruction along with his wife (34). Beholding Krishna thrown down all the stupid Yādavas will give up hope and be slain (35). Having myself slain those two cow-herd boys through the wrestlers or the elephant I shall divest the city of Mathurā of all the Yādavas and live here happily (36). I have forsaken my father because he belongs to the Yadu race and I do now forsake the remaining Yādavas devoted to Krishna (37). Verily as said by Nārada I am not begotten by Ugrasena a man of feeble energy who hankers after a son (38)."
MAHAMATRA said: - "How did the celestial saint Nārada describe the wonderful story related by thee, O king, O thou, the slayer of thy enemies (39). O king, how couldst thou take thy birth from any other person save thy father Ugrasena? How could thy mother perpetrate such an abominable deed which even the ordinary women cannot? O great king, curious I am to listen to all these in detail (40-41)."
KANSA said: - Hear, if you are so anxious, I shall describe what the powerful sage Nārada, the foremost of Brāhmanas said (42). Once on a time came to me from Indra's palace his friend the immortal, learned and celestial sage Nārada. He was clad in an apparel white as the rays of the moon, wore matted locks, had an antelope skin thrown round his neck, a rough sacred thread, a staff and a pitcher in his hands. He used to recite the four Vedas, was proficient in the art of music and traversed the Brahma region like his second-self (43-45). Beholding the arrival of the sage and adoring him duly with arghya, water to wash his feet and a seat I took him to my house and made him seated (46). Seated at ease that foremost of divine sages Nārada, always intent on meditating upon soul, enquired after my well-being and said with a delighted mind (47).
NARADA said: - "O heroe, I have been worshipped by you with rites sanctioned by Holy Writs. Listen now to a word of mine and accept it (48). I had repaired to the golden mountain Meru, the abode of the gods. On the summit of that mountain Sumeru a meeting of the gods was held. I heard them hold counsels regarding the highly dreadful destruction of yourself along with all your followers (49-50). I heard there, that the eighth son of Devaki, Vishnu, worshipped of all, would bring about Kansa's death (51). He is all in all of the gods, the support of the celestial region, the great mystery of the gods. He will be your Death (52). O king, one should not disregard his enemy, even he may be weak or his own kinsman. Be careful to put Devaki's children to death (53). O you of great power, Ugrasena is not your father. The energetic and dreadful Drumila, the king of Soubha,[1] is your father (54)."
[1] The city of Harishchandra suspended in mid-air.
Hearing his words I was filled with anger a little and accosted him again saying "O Brahman, how could Dānava Drumila become my father (55)? How could he know my mother, O Vipra? I wish to hear all this at length, O great ascetic (56)."
NARADA said: - "O king, listen, I shall truly relate how your mother was united with Drumila (57). Once on a time your mother, during her menses, went out of curiosity to see, the mountain Suyāman along with her female companions. She was ranging in the beautiful summits of the mountain abounding in charming trees and table-lands, and in the caves and on the banks of the rivers (58-59). Hearing again and again the lust-exciting words, sweet as the songs of the Kinnaras, pleasant to the ears and echoing on all sides, the notes of the peacocks and other birds her mind was worked up with desire the usual habit of women (60-61). In the meantime there blew the wind carrying the fragrance of flowers of the forest that awakes Manmatha (the god of love) (62). Driven by the wind the Kadamva flowers, closed by continual showers and adorned with black-bees, began to pour down fragrance profusely (63). With the downpour of flowers and filaments the Neepa trees shone there like lamps (64). Covered with new grass and adorned with Indragopa insects the earth appeared to have her menstrual flow, like a youthful damsel (65).
At that time, O Kansa, as if you urged on by destiny the beautiful Dānava Drumila, capable of coursing at-will, the king of Soubha, came there by the etherial way in a quick-coursing car, going everywhere at will, and effulgent like the new sun, to see mount Suyāmana. Reaching that foremost of mountains, descending from his car, and keeping his chariot, that is capable of destroying other cars, in the garden on the mountain he began to walk on the summit along with his charioteer (66-69). They saw there many forests and gardens endued with characteristics of various seasons and resembling the celestial garden of Nandana, various jewels of golden, silvery and collyrium-like hues, summits covered with diverse mineral substances, various trees adorned with many sorts of fruits and flowers, filled with the fragrance of flowers and resorted to by various creatures and birds of diverse species, various places abounding in herbs and Rishis of accomplished piety, numberless Vidyadharas, Kimpurushas, Vānaras, Rākshasas, lions, tigers, boars, buffaloes, Sarabhas, Shalas, Srimaras, Mahasatwas, elephants and Yakshas as they walked over that best of mountains (70-75).
Thereupon from distance Drumila, the king of Daityas, saw your mother, as if the daughter of a god, culling flowers from the trees and sporting with her companions (76). Beholding from a distance that goddess of a beautiful hip encircled by her companions the king of Soubha, filled with surprise, said to his charioteer (77).
"Who is this beautiful, high-minded and accomplished damsel having the eyes of a roe who is ranging at the outskirt of the forest? (78). Is she Madana's Rati, Indra's Sachi or Tilottamā? Or is she Aila's daughter Urvashi, the jem of a woman who came out riving the thighs of Nārāyana (79)? When converting the mount Mandāra into a churning rod the gods and Asuras, unitedly, churned the ocean of milk for ambrosia the goddess Sree, the root of the world, arose there from and adorned the lap of Nārāyana. Is she the beautiful Sree (80-81)? Who is she, who, walking in the midst of that bevy of ladies, is lighting up the forest with her beauty like into a lightning, attached to dark clouds, shining up all the quarters (82). I am beside myself at seeing this highly beautiful damsel of defect-less limbs and moon-like countenance and all my senses have become agitated (83). My mind is highly worked up with lust. The holder of the flowery bow [2] is wounding greatly my body with flowery shafts (84). Like a ruthless Wight he is cutting my heart and consuming it with five arrows and my lust is increasing like fire sprinkled with clarified butter. What work shall I undertake to-day to pacify this fire of lust (85)? On undertaking what will this beautiful damsel worship me?"
[2] This refers to Madana (Cupid). He is represented to carry a flowery bow and flowery shafts.
Thinking thus for a long time Dānava Drumila could not attain to patience and again said to his charioteer: - "Wait here for a moment, O sinless one. I shall myself go and see whose wife she is (86–87). Therefore wait here till my return." Hearing his words the charioteer said "So be it (88)."
Saying this to his charioteer and rinsing his mouth that powerful king of Dānavas, bent on going there, engaged in meditation and thought (89). Meditating for a moment he, by this knowledge, came to know that she was Ugrasena's wife and was highly pleased (90). Changing his form and assuming that of Ugrasena that large-armed king of Dānavas proceeded smilingly (91). O Kansa, thus proceeding gradually with smiles in his Ugrasena form that powerful (Dānava) caught hold of your mother and ravished her (92). On account of her exuberance of feelings that lady, devoted heart and soul to her husband, was united with her. Then perceiving the heaviness of his touch, she was filled with fear (93).
Then rising up and terrified she said to him: - "Forsooth thou art not my husband. Who art thou that hast polluted me with thy impure conduct (94). By thee of mean habits, assuming the form of my husband, my vow, of devotion to one husband, has been spoliated (95). Alas, being enraged with me what will my kinsmen say to me who have brought disgrace on my family? And forsaken and censured by my husband's relatives where shall I live (96)? O thou born in a degraded race, thou art passionate and shorn of patience. Fie on thee! While thou hast begun to ravish other's wives, thou art not worthy of confidence and your lease of life has run out (97)."
While the lady thus remonstrated with him that Dānava, filled with anger, said: "I am Drumila, the king Soubha (98). O stupid woman vaunting of learning, being under the protection of a human husband subject to mean death, why art thou censuring me (99). O thou proud of thy womanly honour, eternal is not the understanding of a woman and therefore they are not (by coming in contact with a person like myself) visited by the sin of incontinence [3] (100). I have heard that by going astray many women have given birth to sons of unlimited prowess like unto the gods (101). Thou art a most chaste and devoted wife amongst women, and therefore art remonstrating with me, although I am sinless, and saying whatever thou dost like (102). O excellent woman, because thou hast addressed me 'as Kastham (who art thou)! Therefore thou shalt give birth to a son by name Kansa the destroyer of his enemies (103)."
[3] The purport is that women are mortal and so by living with immortals on immoral terms they commit no sin as they do when they mix with men.
Hearing these words the queen was filled with anger and speaking ill of his boon she again, with a heart aching, said to that impudent Dānava (104). "Fie on thy conduct, O highly wicked one. Thou art speaking against all women. But there are many amongst them who are chaste and many who are unchaste (105). O wretch of thy race, by Arundhati and other chaste ladies, of whom we hear, all these creatures and worlds are being upheld (106). I do not like the son that thou; hast given me-the destroyer of my vow. Hear what I say about it (107). O vile creature, the eternal Purusha, who will be born in the family of my husband, will be the destroyer of thyself and of the son given by thee (108)."
Thus addressed and ascending the most excellent car of unobstructed course Drumila went away by the etherial way (109). And on that very day your mother too went to her city with a poor heart. Having said this to me the divine Nārada, the foremost of sages burning in his ascetic energy like the very fire, playing on his flute of seven notes and singing, set out for the Brahma region to meet the Grand-Father. O Mahāmātra, you have listened to the words given vent to by me (110-112). Truth has been spoken out by the intelligent Nārada conversant with the knowledge of present, past and future. In strength, energy, humility, stature, heroism, manliness, truth, and liberality no man is like me (113-114). Seeing all these (accomplishments) in me I placed confidence in his words. O elephant-trainer, I am a Kshetraja [4] son of Ugrasena (115). If both my parents forsake, I shall be on the royal throne by my own power. I have been hated by them both and especially by my kinsmen (116). Having slain, through the elephant, first these two sinful cowherd boys I shall afterwords kill all the Yādavas belonging to Krishna's party (117). Riding your elephant with goads, swords and Tomaras, do you wait, O Mahāmātra, at the gate of the arena. Do not tarry (118)."
[4] Lit: produced in a field, born of the wife. A son, the offspring of the wife by a kinsman or person duly appointed to procreate issue to the husband. This is one of the twelve kinds of issue acknowledged by the old Hindu Law..
Source: https://archive.org/details/AProseEnglishTranslationOfHarivamsh
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