CHAPTER LXXXVII
(KRISHNA'S REPLY TO UGRASENA)
VAISHAMPAYANA said: - Breathing like a person who has drunk poison, Ugrasena, burning with grief for his son, approached Krishna (1). He saw him there encircled by Yādavas repenting for his sinful destruction of Kansa (2). Hearing the heart-rending lamentations of Kansa's wives he, censuring his own self in that assembly of the Yādavas, (said) (3): "Alas, out of my childish freak and under the influence of anger, I have, by the destruction of Kansa, made widows of these thousand women (4). On the death of their husband these women are bewailing so very plaintively that even an ordinary man's heart, on hearing it, feels compassion (5). Hearing the lamentations of these guileless women, even Kritānta's (Regent of the dead) heart is filled with pity (6). I had determined before that Kansa, the oppresser of the pious, and always given to vice, should be slain (7). Death is preferable to life unto him who, in this world, is of a degraded conduct, ruthless temper, feeble understanding and whom the people hate (8). Kansa was highly sinful, never liked by the pious and him every one used to hate. What pity should then be felt for him (9)? The ascetics, as a fruit of their virtuous deeds, live in the celestial region. He, who attains to glory in this world, is also like a dweller in heaven (10). If the subjects are self-controlled, observant of their own duties and perform pious deeds, unrighteousness can never touch the king (11). Those, who are wicked, are constrained by Death to reap the proper fruits. The pious attain to auspicious fruits in the next world (12). Many are the agents of impious deeds in these worlds and therefore the gods perfectly protect the pious (13). That Kansa has been slain by me should be considered by you as righteous for I have eradicated (thereby) his misdeeds (14). Do you now console the sorrowful women, the citizens and the merchants (15)."
When Krishna said this, Ugrasena, out of fear for his son's misdeeds, entered lowering his head along with other Yādavas (16). In that assembly of the Yadus he addressed to the lotus-eyed Krishna the following poor words, sullied by the vapour of grief and becoming the occasion (17): - "O my son, your anger has been pacified, your enemy has been led to the abode of Yama, your glory has followed your own duties and your name has become celebrated in this world (18). By this action you have established your glory amongst the pious, terrified your enemies, made strong the position of the Yādavas and rendered your friends proud (19). Your glory has spread itself amongst the neighbouring chiefs and now they will all seek alliance with you and your friendship (20). O heroe, your subjects will be devoted to you, the Brāhmanas will sing your glories and the ministers, well read in peace and dissension making, will bow unto you (21). O Krishna, accept this immortal army of Kansa abounding in elephants, horses, chariots and infantry (22). O Madhava, let your men take Kansa's wealth, corn, jewels, covers, gold, clothes, women and all that he possessed (23). O Krishna, the slayer of your enemies, by the Yoga, to which you have resorted on behalf of the Yādavas, all dissensions have been put a stop to and the earth has been established. O descendant of Yadu, from you now will proceed the happiness or misery of the Yādavas (24). Hear, what they are saying with a depressed heart. If you please, O Govinda, they may perform the obsequial rites of Kansa, of sinful deeds, who has been consumed by the fire of your anger. Having performed the after-death ceremonies of that king who has met with this calamity, I shall, along with my wife and daughters-in-law, range in the forest with the animals. To perform the obsequial rites of the dead is the duty of men (26-28). By performing this, Krishna, people are freed from their social obligations. Therefore having made his funeral pyre, putting fire to it and offering oblation of water I shall have discharged debt to Kansa (29). This is my only prayer, O Krishna. Show me kindness in this matter. With the performance of his after-death rites let sinful Kansa attain to a blessed state (30)."
Hearing the words of Ugrasena, Krishna was filled with surprise. And consoling him he said (31). "O sire, O foremost of kings, what you have said behoves your age and family and becomes your nature (32). While the inevitable work is over, why do you say so? Although dead, Kansa will receive funeral honors befitting a king (33). O sire, you are born in a great race and know everything that should be known. Why do you not then understand that destiny is inevitable (34). O king, pristine deeds of all creatures, mobile and immobile, attain to fullness in time (35). O foremost of kings, even the liberal, beautiful and rich sovereigns, always kind to the poor, endued with prowess like that of Mahendra, well read in Srutis, laws and knowledge of Brahman, and like unto the regents of quarters, are carried away by Death (36-37). You know too that many a pious king, ever intent on protecting their subjects, devoted to Kshatriya duties, self-controlled and well-read in all, meet with death in time (38). When the proper time comes men, by enjoyment or suffering, can understand whether his actions have been good or bad (39). O king, even the gods cannot understand the true nature of Māyā that exists in the hearts of all. Karma is the instrument of people's being stupified thereby (40). Urged on by his pristine deeds Kansa has met with death in time; I am not the cause thereof. Karma (pristine action) and Kala (Time) are the instruments thereof (41). This universe, consisting of the sun and moon, mobile and immobile creations, meets with dissolution in time and springs up into existence again in time (42). Time subdues and favours all and therefore all the creatures are subject to time (43). O king, your son has been consumed by his own sin. I am not the instrument thereof but Time is the cause (44). Your son has been slain by his own actions; I am surely the instrument no doubt (45). Powerful is Time and it is difficult to know its course. This is known to persons who impartially look into the essence of things (46). That is the course of Time by which everything comes within its ken. Let it go, do what I say now (47).
I do not care for the kingdom or the royal throne. I did not slay Kansa for a territory (48). For the behoof of all the worlds and for establishing my glory your son, the curse of this family, has been slain by me along with all his attendants (49). Like unto a bird coursing at will, I shall again delightedly range in the forest in the midst of kine along with the Gopas (50). O foremost of kings, I swear a hundred times, that I stand in no need of the kingdom. Communicate this to all (51) O foremost of kings, you are the leader and the lord of the Yadavas and therefore deserve respect from me. Therefore place yourself on the throne and acquire victory by becoming the king (52). If you think it proper to do what pleases me, and if it does not pain you, do you accept for ever this kingdom abdicated by me (53)."
VAISHAMPAYANA said: - Hearing those words of Krishna in the assembly of Yadus Ugrasena bent down his head in bashfulness and could give no reply (54). Then Govinda, well read in laws, installed him on the throne. With the crown on his head the beautiful and effulgent king Ugrasena, along with Krishna, performed the funeral ceremonies of Kansa (55). As the celestials follow their king (Indra) so all the leading Yādavas, at the command of Krishna, followed Ugrasena in the high-way of the city (56). Thereupon when the night passed away and the sun rose, the leading Yadavas began to perform the funeral ceremonies of Kansa (57). Thereupon desirous of performing the obsequial rites of king Kansa according to the ritualistic laws they placed his body in a palanquin and took it to the northern bank of Yamuna. And in due order they performed his funeral rites by setting fire to the pyre (58-59). With the consent of Krishna the Yādavas also performed the funeral ceremonies of the large-armed brother of Kansa by name Sunāma (60). Then repeatedly exclaiming, "May the departed attain to an eternal course" the Vrishnis, Andhakas and Yādavas offered oblations of water in their honor (61). Having then offered water to Kansa and his brother, all the Yadavas, preceded by Ugrasena, returned to Mathurā with a sorrowful heart (62).
Source: https://archive.org/details/AProseEnglishTranslationOfHarivamsh
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