CHAPTER XCVII
(BALARAMA GETS DRUNK)
VAISHAMPAYANA said: - After the departure of Jamadagni's son Rāma, Rāma and Krishna, the perpetuators of the Yadu race, assuming forms of their own accord began to range on the charming summit of Gomanta (1). Wearing on their breast garlands of wild flowers, clad in dark-blue and yellow apparels and with their body besmeared with metalic discharges those two youths, of dark-blue and white persons, began to range, with a view to sport in the charming forests on the summit and see the sun and moon, the lords of luminous bodies at the time of the rising and setting of planets (2-4).
Thereupon once on a time while separated from Krishna the powerful and beautiful Sangkarshana, ranging on the summit of the mountain, sat under a charming shade of a blossoming Kadamva tree, sweet-scented wind began to fan him (5–6). Thus served by the wind and smell of wine touching his nostril he felt a hankering for wine and his mouth began to dry up like one who had excessively drunk in the previous day (7-8). Thereupon recollecting the drinking of ambrosia in the days of yore, he, searching the wine, saw the Kadamva tree (9). Deposited in its cave, the water, that the clouds showered on the tree in the rains, had become a delightful wine (10). The powerful Baladeva was over-powered by thirst, so drinking that wine again and again, like a sick person drinking water he grew inebriete and his body began to reel (11). On account of his being drunk his eyes and face, resembling an autumnal moon, began to roll (12). The goddess Vāruni, who was the churning rod of ambrosia unto the gods, was born in that Kadamva cave in the shape of wine. And so she passed by the name of Kādamvari (13). Inebriete with Kādamvari wine while Krishna's elder brother began to speak in indistinct but sweet words the wine incarnate Kānti, the beloved spouse of the moon, the goddess Sree the foremost of damsels having the emblem of a cloud on her flag, these three celestial ladies approached him with sweet words (14–16). First of all coming before the inebriete son of Rohini the goddess Vāruni, with folded hands, addressed to him words conducive to her own well-being (16):—"O Baladeva, O foremost of gods, do thou consume the host of Daityas. I am here thy beloved lady Vāruni (17). O thou having a pure countenance, thou used always to reside by the forest fire, but now thou hast disappeared. Hearing this, I am ranging on the face of the earth like one whose religious merit has been dissipated (18). For a long time I lived in the filaments of flowers and spring flowers whose bunches were never touched. But I am fond of pleasures, therefore at the advent of the rains, hiding my own true form I was lying in the Kadamva cave in expectation of thy arrival stricken with thirst (19–20). O sinless one, as I was despatched with consummate beauty reigning over all my limbs, by my father Varuna at the time of the churning for ambrosia, so I have been sent by him now (21). O lord, thou art my beloved preceptor, so I wish to live by thee as I was residing by the forest fire in the ocean (22). O god, O sinless Ananta, save thee I shall not be able to serve any other people. And so I shall not leave thee even if thou dost remonstrate with me (23)."
With her eyes rolling a little and her hip moving in drunkenness, the goddess incarnate of beauty, Kānti, exclaiming "May victory crown Rāma", approached Sangkarsāna, who was seated there and lovingly addressed to him with folded-hands the following words pregnant with significance (24–26). "I regard the highly powerful god Ananta of thousand heads more than the moon. Therefore with all my accomplishments I am following thee like wine (27)." Thereupon Kamalā, the abode of lotuses who always lives on Vishnu's breast, placed herself on the breast of the holder of plough-share like a garland of pure flowers (28). Taking a garland of pure flowers, placing herself on the breast of the lotus-faced Baladeva, the well-adorned Kamalā, with a lotus in her hand, said (29):—"O Rāma, O beautiful Rāma, united with Vāruni, Kānti and myself thou dost, O king of gods, appear beautiful like the moon (30). This is thy crown, I have brought from the abode of Varuna, which used to shine over thy thousand heads like the sun (31). O thou having lotus eyes, the golden Kundalas crested with diamonds and the celestial first lotus, which were thy ear ornaments (have also been brought) (32). The blue silken apparel, worthy of the ocean, which was in it and the beautiful neck-chain (have also been brought) (33). O god, O thou having large arms, now thy proper time has come. Do thou, as before, adorn thyself with these ornaments and do them honor (34)."
The goddess Sree having said this, Baladeva, accepting those ornaments and the three celestial damsels, shone like the autumnal moon (35). Thereupon united with the slayer of Madhu resembling a cloud surcharged with water he attained to great delight like the moon released from Rāhu (36). One day while they were conversing as they always do at home Vinatā's son, who had just returned from the battle-field, whose body was wounded with the strokes of weapons, who wore celestial garlands and unguents and who used to speak highly of the victory of gods, came there quickly. (37–38). When the Lord Vishnu was asleep in the abode of Varuna in the ocean of milk, Virochanana's son pilfered his crown (39). For that crown of Vishnu, Garuda, the foremost of birds, fought a dreadful battle with the Daityas in that ocean, and securing it and not seeing Vishnu there, he was, with great force, passing through the surface of the earth, on his way to the celestial region (40–41). While proceeding with that effulgent crown on his lap, Vinatā's son arrived there and saw his master Vishnu engaged in another work (42). Beholding Vishnu in a human form on that best of mountains, without any diadem on his head and with out any visible dress and apprised of his intention that foremost of birds threw from the welkin that crown on Vishnu's head in such a way as if it had been attached to his head from before. And placed upon Mādhava's head that diadem shone there like the mid-day sun on the summit of the mount Sumeru (43–45).
Beholding his own diadem brought by Vinatā's son, Krishna, with a delighted face, said to Rāma:—(46). "While arrangements for a battle have been completed on this mountain, methinks, the accomplishment of the work of gods is near at hand (47). When I fell asleep in the ocean, Virochana's son, assuming a celestial form like that of the king of gods, stole away my diadem and took it away like a planet. Garuda has brought this back (to me) (48–49). I think it for certain that Jarāsandha is near at hand, for the tops of the cars, fleet as the wind, are being seen now (50). Behold, O reverend sir, there shine the moon-like umbrellas and well-arranged armies of the kings desirous of achieving victory (51). The white, clean and flying umbrellas, on the cars of the kings, are coming towards us like cranes in the sky (52). United with the lustre of the sun the effulgence of the weapons shining like the celestial region, is moving about in ten cardinal points (53). When in the midst of battle the kings will aim at me and discharge these weapons, they will forsooth be destroyed (54). In proper time the Emperor Jarāsandha has come. He is our first guest in battle and is like a touch-stone for testing our military skill (55). O reverend sir, as long as Jarāsandha does not come we should not commence the battle. Let us therefore get ready and search for our soldiers (56)."
Saying this and desirous of entering into a battle and of slaying Jarāsandha Krishna began quietly to survey his troops (57). Beholding those kings that eternal Yadu Chief began to recapitulate within himself the counsels that were held before in the celestial region (58). "All these kings have arrived, who, observant of their royal duties, will be slain by actions laid down in Scriptures (59). I consider these leading kings sprinkled with water by Death himself like sacrificial beasts and their bodies are turned towards heaven (60). Her surface being thickly covered with their armies and territories the Earth, worn out with the weight of these kings and their forces, had repaired to the celestial region. However in no time the surface of the earth will be divested of men and the welkin will be filled with kings (62–62)".
Source: https://archive.org/details/AProseEnglishTranslationOfHarivamsh
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