CHAPTER CLIII
(VAJRANABHA WANTS TO CONQUER THE CELESTIAL REGION)
Vaishampāyana said:—After the termination of the sacrifice of Kashyapa of incomparable energy the gods and Asuras repaired to their respective habitations (1). After the end of the sacrifice Vajranābha too, desirous of conquering the three worlds, went to Kashyapa who told him (2), "O Vajranābha, hear what I say if you think my words are worthy of your hearing. Sakra is the eldest of you all and the foremost in accomplishments: he is endued with great ascetic powers, is strong by nature, devoted to the Brāhmanas, grateful, the king of the whole world and the refuge of the good and the pious. Because he is engaged in the well-being of all creatures he has obtained this sovereignty over the world (3-5). O Vajranabha, you will not be able to vanquish him but yourself will be killed. As one who excites the anger of a serpent meets with his own destruction, so you will in no time be destroyed" (6).
O Bhārata, as a man, desirous of meeting with death having his limbs tied by the noose of Death, does not take medicine so Vajrānābha did not approve of the words of Kashyapa (7). Having saluted Kashyapa, the preserver of the world, that highly wicked and irrepressible one began to make arrangements for conquering the three worlds (8). O king, he collected his kinsmen, warriors, and friends. He first set out for conquering the region of the celestials (9). At that time the highly powerful deities Indra and Upendra had sent the Swans there for bringing about Vajranābha's destruction (10). Hearing of this intelligence from the Swans the high-souled and the highly powerful Yadus thus consulted and thought:—"Forsooth Vajranābha will be killed now by Pradyumna. But Vajranābha's daughter and Sunābha's daughters are their devoted wives. They are all enciente and the time for their delivery is near at hand. What should we do now?" Having settled this they asked the swans to communicate every thing truly to Sakra and Keshava, and they did so to those two gods. They said to the Swans:—"No fear: you will have beautiful sons like Kāma endued with all accomplishments; even when in the womb they will master all the Vedas with their auxilliaries. Your sons will at once grow to youth and they will be masters of all future topics and various scriptures" (11–17).
O Lord, thus spoken to the Swans returned to the city of Vajra and communicated to the Bhaimas what Sakra and Keshava had said (18). Prabhāvati gave birth to a son, omniscient and youthful after his father (19). The son Chandraprabha, resembling Gada, whom Chandravati gave birth to after a month, was equally youthful and omniscient (20). Gunavati too gave birth to a similiarly beautiful son by name Gunavān, youthful and omniscient (21). These Yadu boys began to grow up in the palaces of Indra and Upendra mastering all the Shastras. They used to move about on the turrets of the palaces and at the desire of Indra and Upendra they were seen (by the Daityas); know it for certain (22-23). As soon as they saw them the Daityas, stationed in the sky, respectfully communicated it to Vajranābha who was desirous of conquering the celestial region (24). Hearing it the irrepressible king of Asuras, Vajranābha said:—"Arrest them who have trespassed into my house" (25).
O descendant of Kuru, thereat ordered by the intelligent king of Asuras the soldiers guarded all the quarters. According to the mandate of the Asura king, the destroyer of his enemies, there arose on all sides exclamations, "Arrest them speedily kill them" (26–27). Hearing it the mothers, fond of sons, began to weep in fear. Pradyumna encouraged them, saying:—"So long we are alive and firm you need not fear. May you fare well. The Daityas will not be able to do any thing to us." (28–29). He then said to the bewildered Prabhāvati:—"O lady, your father, uncles, brothers kinsmen and other relatives are waiting with clubs in their hands. For you they deserve our respect and honor. But the time is very dreadful. The Dānava kings, desirous of killing us, will fight with us. If we bear it we shall have to die. If we fight we will meet with success. Consult with your two sisters and tell us what we should do for we are now under your orders" (30–33). Placing her hands on her forehead and kneeling down Prabhāvati, weeping, said to Pradyumna:—"O descendant of Yadu, O slayer of your enemies, take up your arms and protect yourself. If you yourself survive you will see your wife and sons. Remember the honarable Vaidarbhi and Aniruddha and save yourself from this peril (34–36). O son of Upendra, the great and intelligent Rishi had conferred on me the boon that I would lead a blameless life for ever, would not be a widow and my sons would live. I have this hope that the words of the Rishi, effulgent like the sun and fire, will not be falsified (37-38)". Saying this and rinsing her month, the intelligent Prabhāvati, the jem of a woman, handed over a sword to Rukshmini's son had gave him a boon, saying, "Acquire victory" (39). Bending low his head and bowing unto it the virtuous souled Pradyumna delightedly accepted the sword offered by his devoted wife (40). Chandravati delightedly gave to Gada one Nishtringsha and Gunavati gave another such weapon to the highly powerful Shāmva (41).
Thereupon the powerful Pradyumna said to Hansaketu who saluted him "O slayer of enemies, remain here with Shāmva and fight with the Dānavas. I will fight in the sky, protecting all the quarters, with the slayer of the enemies." Saying this Pradyumna, the foremost of those conversant with illusions, created a car with his Māyā. He made the thousand-headed Nāga Ananta, the foremost of their class, his charioteer (42–44). As fire ranges on grass, so he, ascending that best of cars, and gladdening Prabhāvati, began to move about in the midst of the Asura army (45). With crescent-shaped arrows, dreadful like serpents, some with sharp heads and some blunt he began to assail the sons of Diti (46). The Asuras too, resolute and maddened with battle fury, with various weapons struck the lotus-eyed son of Kamala's lord (47). Krishna's son cut off the arms of some decked with Keyuras and the heads of many (48). The heads and bodies of the Asuras, sundered with the razor of the highly powerful Pradyumna, filled the surface of the earth. The king of gods, the victor of armies, along with the gods, began to witness with pleasure the battle between the Daityas and Bhaimas (49–50). The Daityas, who ran after Gada and Sāmva, met with destruction like a boat in a mighty ocean (51).
Thereupon Hari, the lord of gods, seeing that dreadful battle, sent his own car to Gada and asked Mātali's son Suvarchhā to become its driver. The Lord Indra sent his Airāvata to Shāmva and engaged Pravara to ride it. He sent Jayanta as an assistant to Rukshmini's son (52–54). With the permission of Brahmā, the creator of the world and the guide of all good works, Sakra, well-read in the regulations of all good works, had sent there the car driven by Mātali's son and the Airāvata with the celestial youth Jayanta and the best of the twice-born Pravara (55–56). Thinking "His ascetic virtue is gone and this wicked one is to be killed by the Yadavas" the Bhutas entered wherever they liked (57), Gradually entering into their palaces the highly powerful Pradyumna and Jayanta began to destroy the Asuras with a net-work of arrows (58) Krishna's son, invincible in battle, then said to the irrepressible Gada:—"O Upendra's younger brother, the king of gods has sent for you this car with the horses. The highly powerful son of Mātali is its driver. This elephant Airāvata, ridden by Pravara, has been sent for Shāmva (59–60). O younger brother of Acyuta, there will be a great Pujā of Rudra at Dwārakā to-day. After its termination the highly powerful Hrishikesha will come here to-morrow. According to his orders we will kill this sinful Vajranābha together with his kinsmen who is elated with the pride of conquering the city of gods (61–62). Methinks, we should so carefully concert measures that he may not kill us with our sons (63). The destruction of one's own sons in this world is more than his death. Therefore the learned should protect their sons by all means" (64).
Having thus commanded Gada and Shāmva the highly powerful Pradyumna made, by his illusory power, millions of his own self and dispelled the dreadful darkness created by the Daityas. Seeing him, the destroyer of enemies, the king of gods was highly pleased (65–66). As the Divine soul lives in all human souls so the creatures saw Krishna's son in every one of the enemies (67). The highly powerful son of Rukshmini thus fighting the night elapsed and three fourths of the Asuras were killed (68). At that time when Jayanta repaired to the Ganges issuing from Vishnu's feet for reciting his evening prayers, Krishna's son fought alone with the Daityas. And afterwards when Pradyumna recited his evening prayers in the etherial Gangā the highly powerful Jayanta alone fought with the Daityas (69-70).
Source: https://archive.org/details/AProseEnglishTranslationOfHarivamsh
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