CHAPTER CXLV
(THE YADAVAS SPORT IN THE OCEAN)
Janamejaya said:—O Muni, I have thus listened to an account of the necessary destruction of Andhaka, by which the intelligent Mahadeva restored peace in the three worlds. It behoves thee to describe to me why the second body of Nikumbha was destroyed by Krishna, the holder of discus (1-2).
Vaishampāyana said:—O sinless king, you have the greatest reverences for listening to the history of Hari, the highly powerful lord of the universe. I should therefore describe it to you (3). O king, while living in the city of Dwārkā Hari, of incomparable energy, sailed by sea for the sacred shrine of Pindaraka (4). O descendant of Bharata, at that time Ugrasena and Vasudeva remained as the governors of the city. All others followed Nārāyana (5). O king, Baladeva, Janārddana, and the parties of other princes, energetic like the immortals, set out separately (6). O king, thousands of dancing girls accompanied the beautiful Vrishni princes adorned with ornaments (7). O hero, removing the ocean from its own bed the powerful Yadavas had settled those thousands of dancing girls in Dwāravati (8). Those beautiful dancing girls, on account of their accomplishments, became the objects of enjoyment to the princes (9). O lord, thinking that the Yadavas might not suffer from an internal feud for women the intelligent Krishna established this practice amongst the Bhaimas (10). While sporting in the water, the powerful Baladeva, the foremost of Yadus, inebrite with drinking wine and adorned with a garland of wild flowers, was enjoying only with Revati like a Chakravāka bird. Making an enclosure with his own persons Govinda, the creator of all, having eyes black like a cloud, was sporting separately in the ocean with his sixteen thousand wives. O king, at that time, amongst the women of Keshava every one thought:—"I am the most favourite of Keshava: he is sporting only with me" (11-14). All those damsels, having signs of sporting all over their person, were flirting with Govinda (15). Amongst those good women the beautiful damsels of Nārāyana felt conceited by thinking "I alone am the most favourite of Keshava." Krishna’s women, as if with their eyes, were drinking the ambrosia of Keshava's countenance. All those damsels, whose minds and eyes were fixed only on Keshava, looked more beautiful than before. The Lord Nārāyana, having pleased them all, those women, having their minds and eyes fixed on one man, did not cherish jealousy against one another. As if possessed entirely by Keshava those beautiful women began to shake their heads with pride (16-21). In pursuance of the ways of his universal form the self-controlled Hari began to sport with those women in this way in the pure water of the ocean (22). O hero, at that time at the command of Vāsudeva the water of the ocean was freed from salt and the great ocean began to carry transparent water, possessing all sorts of fragrance (23). The ocean yielded its water to whatever extent the women wanted, either up to their knees, thighs or breast (24). As the rivers pour their watery contents down into the ocean, and as the clouds pour water on the blossoming creepers, so in that watery sport Keshava's women sprinkled him with water (25). Some of them, having eyes like a deer, held Hari by the neck, and said:—"O Hari, I am being drowned, save me" (26). Some handsome damsels began to row in wooden boats of the shape of herons and serpents (27). Some began to row in Makara-shaped boats and others in boats of various shapes (28). In order to please Janārddana in the water of the ocean some women swam depending on their own breast and some on water jars. (29). Krishna himself, filled with joy, began to sport with Rukshmini. Nārāyana's wives did what pleased most Keshava, the foremost of immortals (30). There amongst those thin-built damsels, having cloud like eyes and wearing clothes of fine texture some imitated the movements of Vāsudeva. Entering into the minds of those women, Keshava, conversant with the mental desire of all, satisfied whatever they wanted (31–32). Although lord of all self-controlled persons, the powerful, eternal, divine Hrishikesha, according to the exigencies of time, brought himself under the control of his beloved wives (33). Wonder! the damsels regarded Janāddana remaining there in human guise as their becoming husband both as regards birth and accomplishments. In this way those clever women began to seek with devotion and offer sufficient honor to Krishna endued with kindliness and always smiling before speaking (34-35).
In order to sport with the women in water the princes formed a separate party. Those heroes, the mines of accomplishments, were sporting under water (36), O king, the women, proficient in the art of singing and dancing whom the princes had brought there by force, were pleased with their kind behaviour. Seeing the charming acting of those beautiful women, and hearing the music of bugles and their songs the Yadu heroes were greatly pleased (37–38). Thereupon on account of his universal form when Lord Krishna, the master of the world and of immeasurable energy, sent for the most beautiful Apsaras such as Panchachudā, Kouveri and Mahendri, they came with folded hands and saluted him. Consoling them, he said.
Mahadeva said:—"O ye beautiful Apsaras, for satisfying me do you enter here without any anxiety and please the Yādavas as their playing maids. Show them all the accomplishments that you possess in various musical instruments, dancing, singing and other mysterious arts. They are all like my limbs. If you please them therefore you will meet with your well-being." Having accepted that command of Hari's with lowering heads those Apsaras joined the Yādavas as their playful maids (39–44).
O sinless one, as clouds in the sky are lighted up by a lightning so the water of the ocean was ablaze as soon as they entered there (45). Standing in the water as if on land they played many notes on water as in the celestial region (46). Those women, having expansive eyes, pilfered the minds of the Bhaimas with garlands of celestial fragrance, raiments, sportive smiles, gestures, movements of eyes, anger and service after their own hearts (47–48). Those leading Apsaras repeatedly threw up the inebriete Bhaimas into the sky and brought them down (49). In order to please the Yadavas the powerful Krishna too, with his sixteen thousand wives, began to sport happily in the sky (50). The heroic Bhaimas knew the power of Krishna of immeasurable energy and so they were not surprised at this feat of his; rather they observed perfect gravity (51). O Bhārata, O slayer of enemies, amongst them some, of their own accord, returned to Raivataka, some to their own houses, and some to desired for forests. The water of the ocean, which no one else can drink, was, by the command of the powerful lord of the world Vishnu, converted into a good drink for all (52–53). Holding the damsels, having lotus eyes, by the hand they began to move about freely in the water as on land and dive again into the water (54). Various sorts of edibles and drinks were brought before them as soon they thought of them. In this way, those damsels, wearing garlands of fresh flowers, began to sport with those Yadu princes in that solitary place (55–56).
Thereupon when the evening set in the invincible Vrishnis and Andhakas put on unguents on their persons after bathing and began to sport in house-boats (57). O descendant of Kuru, in all those boats the celestial architect Viswakarmā had made various palaces such as Chaturasra and Swasthika (58). Some of those boats were like the mounts Kailāsha, Mandara and Sumeru. Some of them were like birds and some like deer (59). The rooms, made on those boats, were spread with carpets, lighted with emeralds, Chandrakānta, Suryakānta and other precious jems. Its doors were made of Vaiduryas. In those boats painted with gold there were rooms of the form of a joy Garuda, Krounchy, Suka and elephant (60–61). Those golden boats, guided by boatsmen, beautified greatly the water of the ocean abounding in waves (62). With floating small boats, large boats, and flats the abode of Varuna was beautified (63). Like the sky-ranging cities of the Gandharvas the boats of the Bhaimas began to move about in the ocean (64). O descendant of Bharata, the celestial architect Viswakarmā had made all those boats after the celestial garden Nandana. Garden-halls, trees, tanks, chariots and other works of art were laid out there in imitation of those of the Nandana garden. O hero, what more shall I speak, at the command of Nārayana, in those boats, resembling those of the celestial regions, every thing was constructed after its celestial model (65–67). In the forests that were laid out on the boats of the highly powerful Bhaimas the birds, emitting sweeter notes, were pilfering their minds. The white coels, born in the celestial region, were emitting various notes liked by the Yadavas. Encircled by she-peacocks the peacocks, emitting sweet notes, were dancing on the roofs of the houses beautiful like the rays of the moon (68–70). The flags, hoisted on the boats, were filled with diverse birds—and the bees, sitting on the garlands, were humming. At the mandate of Nārāyana beautiful signs of the season appeared in the sky and the trees were continually showering flowers (71–72). There blew charming and delightful wind, surcharged with filaments of flowers, carrying the coolness of sandal and exciting desire in men (73). O king, at that time by the influence of Vāsudeva, the holder of discus, the Bhaimas enjoyed heat and cold according to their pleasure. None of them experienced, hunger, thirst, exhaustion or sorrow. Thus in their sport in the ocean which was continually enlivened by the sound of trumpets, music and dancing the Bhaimas, protected by Krishna, sported obstructing that vast watery expanse for many a yojanas (74–77). The Divine Architect had constructed the boat of the high-souled Deity Nārāyana in imitation of his dress. O king, all the valuable jewels of the three worlds were brought into the boat of the highly energetic Krishna. O descendant of Bharata, for each of the wives of Krishna, a separate room was made of gold and adorned with pearls and sapphires. Thus adorned with flowers of all seasons and supplied with all sorts of perfumeries the leading Yadus played with the auspicious gods (78–81).
Source: https://archive.org/details/AProseEnglishTranslationOfHarivamsh
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