CHAPTER CLVI
(KRISHNA'S ENTRANCE INTO DWARAKA AND RECEPTION)
Vaishampāyana said:—Thus looking at Dwāraka, Krishna, of most excellent eyes, saw his own house consisting of hundreds of palaces. He saw there a million of white jewelled pillars, a gate with jems lustrous like fire and a number of effulgent golden seats placed here and there. For his court a huge palace had been made entirely of gold with crystal pillars. He also saw beautiful and big lakes, with its water full of lotuses and fragrant red lotuses resorted to by maddened peacocks and coels, with golden and jewelled stairs and adorned with various other trees. That house was encircled by Viswakarma with stone walls hundred yards high which were girt with ditches. After the measurement of Indra's palace the celestial Architect had built that house on a plot of land measuring half a yojana on all sides. Seated on Garuda's back she saw that sable-hued palace (1-8). He then blew his conch the sound of which made the hairs of his enemies stand erect. At that sound the ocean was greatly agitated and the sky resounded. Indeed it appeared very wonderful (9). Hearing the sound of Panchajanya conch-shell and seeing Garuda all the members of the Kukura and Andhaka families were freed from sorrow (10). Beholding Keshava effulgent like the sun, with conch-shell, discus, and club in his hands, seated on Garuda, the citizens attained to an excess of joy. Thereupon they began to beat trumpets, blew bugles and set up leonine shouts. Afterwards beholding the slayer of Madhu the Kukuras, Andhakas and other Dāsharhas began to approach him with great delight (11-13). Placing Vasudeva before him and accompanied with the sound of conch-shells and trumpets, the king Ugrasenā repaired to Vāsudeva's palace. Devaki, Rohini and Ahuka's wives began to move about with joy in their own houses. A few moments after, Hari whom serve Indra and other gods, arrived at the appointed house (14-16).
Having got down at the entrance of his house, Krishna, the foremost of the Yadu race, showed proper respect to all the Yadus. And himself honored by Rāma, Ahuka, Gada, Pradyumna and others he entered into his residence with the mountain of jewels (17-18). Rukshmini's son Pradyumna himself took to the house the Pārijāta the most favourite of Indra's trees (19). By the power of the Pārijāta the heroes saw the beauty of their own persons and attained to great delight (20). Thus eulogized by the delighted Yadu chiefs Krishna entered into the house constructed by Viswakarma (21). Having placed that mountain of jems with summits in his inner appartment Achyuta, of incomparable energy, united with the Vrishnis, worshipped the celestial tree Pārijāta and planted it in its proper place.
Thereupon obtaining the permission of his own kinsmen Keshava, the slayer of heroes, honored all the maidens he had brought from Naraka's house with raiments, ornaments, maid-servants, riches and objects of enjoyment. Those maidens had already been received honourably by Devaki, Rohini, Revati and Ahuka's wives. By his good luck Satyabhāmā ruled over all the females, and Bhishmaka's daughter Rukshmini was in charge of the relatives. Krishna allotted to each of those women, separate houses, tanks, and gardens. (22–28).
Source: https://archive.org/details/AProseEnglishTranslationOfHarivamsh
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