168. Arjuna describes another wonderful work
JANAMEJAYA said:-O you of large arms, O foremost of the twice-born, I wish again to listen to an account of the glorious deeds of Krishna, the lord of the world.
I have not been satiated with listening to the extensive works of the high-souled, intelligent and ancient Purusha Krishna (1-2).
VAISHAMPAYANA said:-O king, it is impossible to finish, even in hundred years, the account of the glorious deeds of Govinda (3).
Hear now of the highly wonderful deeds of Keshava which Vibhatsu (Arjuna), the holder of Gāndiva bow, described excited by Bhisma lying on the bed of arrows (4).
O royal descendant of Kuru, hear what he told his eldest brother Yudhisthira who had vanquished all his enemies, in the presence of the kings (5).
ARJUNA said:—Formerly to see my relations I had gone to the city of Dwārakā and entertained by the Bhojas, Vrishnis and Andhakas I had lived there for some time (6).
At that time the virtuous-souled and large-armed slayer of Madhu undertook the celebration of a sacrifice extending over a day according to Shastric rites.
When Krishna sat for the celebration of that sacrifice, one Brāhmana, describing his own affairs, sought for protection (7-8).
THE BRĀHMANA said:-O lord, thou art now in charge of the protection (of subjects); besides a saviour is entitled to the one fourth share of the piety acquired by a good work (9).
VASUDEVA said:-"O foremost of the twice-born, may you farewell. Do not fear (any body). I will protect you from him, even if it be a difficult task, who is the cause of your fear. Tell me who is the spring of you fear (10).”
The Brāhmana said:—“O thou of large arms, my sons are stolen away as soon as they are born. O sinless Krishna, three of my sons were stolen away as soon as they were born.
Thou shouldst now protect the fourth son. O Janārddana, my wife is under the labour pain. Thou shouldst so arrage that my child may not be stolen away” (11-12).
ARJUNA said:—Thereupon Govinda said to me “I am to day celebrating a sacrifice. But a Brāhmana should be protected by us in whatever circumstances we may be.”
Hearing those words of Krishna I said to Govinda:—“Appoint me, I will remove the fear of the Brāhmana” (13–14).
Thus addressed Janārddana, smiling a little, said:—“Will you be able to save him?” O kings, I was greatly ashamed hearing those words of Krishna.
Seeing me thus ashamed Janārddana again said “Go, if you are capable of protecting him. Except the large-armed Rāma and the great car warrior Pradyumna, let all other members of the Vrishni and Andhaka families follow you.”
Thereupon encircled by the Vrishni army, I set out with the Brāhmana before me (13–18).
169. Arjuna goes to rescue the Brāhmana and becomes unsuccessful
ARJUNA said:-O foremost ol the Bharata race, within a moment we reached the boundary of the village and encamped because all our animals were tired (1).
O descendant of Kuru, a few moments after encircled by the huge Vrishni army I entered into the city (2).
At that time all was ablaze and burning valtures and beasts frighted me (3).
Huge and black fire-brands fell down, the sun was shorn of its effulgence and the earth trembled (4).
Beholding those dreadful and hair-stirring evil omens, I, filled with anxiety, ordered my soldiers to get ready. Hearing it the great car warriors of the Vrishni and Andhaka families headed by Yuyudhana got ready their respective cars and I too put on my arms (5–6).
After the expiration of the mid-night that Brāhmana, stricken with fear, approached us and said “My wife is on the point of giving birth to a child. Do you station yourselves so that I may not be cheated” (7-8).
In a moment, O king, piteous cries were heard in the Brāhmana's house exclaiming “Stolen! Stolen! " (9).
Afterwards we also heard the cries of the baby in the sky, but could not see the Rākshasa (10).
Afterwards we agitated all the quarters with a downpour of arrows, but the boy was however stolen away (11).
When that boy was stolen away that Brāhmana crying addressed to us such harsh words that the Vrishnis lost themselves and I too lost my senses.
He particularly said to me:—“You said that you would protect me, but could not do so. Therefore listen to these beneficial words, O wicked minded wretch (12–14).
You always vaunt with Keshava of incomparable intellect. Had Govinda been here this mischief would not have been created.
O stupid man, as a saviour is entitled to the one-fourth share of the virtue, so he, who cannot protect one, is constrained to participate of the sin; you said that you would protect me but you have not been able to do so. In vain is your Gāndiva, prowess and fame” (15-(17).
However I did not speak anything to the Brāhmana, but went with the princes of the Vrishni and Andhaka families where the highly effulgent Krishna was.
Afterwards going to city of Dwāravati I saw Govinda the slayer of Madhu and he too, saw me, filled with shame and sorrow. Beholding me ashamed Mādhava consoled me and the Brāhmana with sweet words.
Thereupon he said to Dāruka:-"Get ready my horses, Sugriva, Saivya, Meghapushpa, and Balāhaka.”
Afterwards making the Brāhmana ascend the car and sending down Dāruka, Shura's descendant Krishna asked me to act as the charioteer.
O descendant of Kuru, afterwards, Krishna, the Brāhmana and myself set out on that car towards the north (18-20).
170. Krishna rescues the Brāhmana's sons
ARJUNA said:-Thereupon crossing the mountains, rivers and forests we saw the ocean the abode of Makara. Thereat the ocean, in his true form, with folded hands and carrying Argya, appeared before Janārddana and said “What am I to do” (1–2)?
Having accepted the adoration from the ocean Janārddana said:—“O Lord of rivers, I wish you to afford passage for my car” (3).
Thereupon Samudra, with folded hands, said to Garudadhwaja :—“Be pleased O Lord! do not act thus, or else others will do so (4).
O Janārddana, thou didst formerly place me in this unfathomable expanse. I shall have to follow the way thou wilt institute (5).
If thou dost do so, other kings, elated with the pride of their strength, will cross me by this way. Therefore O Govinda, do whatever thou dost think proper (6).”
Vāsudeva said: “For my sake and for this Brāhmana, follow my words. Save me no one else will be able to assail you” (7).
Thereupon, in fear of a curse the ocean again said to Janārddana :—“Let it be so. O Krishna, O slayer of Keshi, I will dry up the path in which your car, adorned with flags, will proceed with its charioteer” (8–9).
Vāsudeva said:—“O ocean, I had conferred upon you the boon formerly that you would never be dried up, lest the people might form an idea of the collection of your gems.
You are to stop the agitation of your water to that extent only that may admit me with my car. In that case no man will be able to estimate the collection of your jems” (10-11).
Hearing it the ocean said “so be it”; and we proceeded through that lustrous red water as if we were on land (12).
Within a moment we crossed the ocean, Uttarakuru and Gandhamādana. Thereupon Jayanta, Vaijayanta, Neela, Rajata, Mahāmeru, Kailasha and Indrakuta, these seven mountains, assuming various wonderful forms, appeared before Keshava and saluting Govinda said:—“What are we to do?”
Welcoming them all duly Hrishikesha, the slayer of Madhu, said to the mountains who stood before him with bending heads “you are to give me passage.”
Hearing the words of Krishna and accepting them the mountains gave him the passage and disappeared.
O foremost of Bharata's race, beholding this work I was filled with great surprise. However as the sun passes through clouds so our car carreered on unobstructed.
And that best of cars, crossing the seven insular continents, oceans and seven rivers as well as Lokaloka, entered another region (13–20).
While proceeding thus at a certain place I found the horses carrying the car with great difficulty. Touching it with my hands I perceived that the darkness was owing to thick mud.
It gradually assumed the form of a mountain. Seeing it Govinda dispelled that darkness and mud with his discus and the sky and the passage of the car became visible (21–23).
When the sky became visible and we came beyond the pale of darkness my fear was removed and I thought that I was alive. A few moments after I saw in the sky a bundle of effulgence, of the shape of a man, extending over all the worlds (24–25).
Then Rishikesha entered into that bundle of effulgence and that best of Brāhmanas and myself waited on the car.
Within a moment the powerful Krishna returned with the four sons of the Brāhmana and gave those three boys who had been stolen before and the new born baby into the hands of the Brāhmana (26–28).
O emperor, regaining his sons the Brāhmana was highly pleased and I too was filled with great joy aud surprise (29).
O foremost of the Bharatas, afterwards we, with the Brāhmana's sons, came out in the same way as we had gone there.
O foremost of kings, arriving at Dwārakā within a moment we saw that even the first part of the day was not complete. At that I was again filled with surprise.
Thereupon the highly illustrious Krishna fed that Brāhmana with his sons and satisfying him with riches sent him away to his own house (29-32).
171. Krishna explains the mystery
ARJUNA said:—O Bharata, afterwards, having fed many hundreds of Rishi-like Brāhmanas and taken his meals along with myself and other members of the Vrishni and Bhoja races, Krishna discoursed on various wonderful and divine topics (1–2).
After the termination of Janārddana's discourse, I, filled with curiosity about what I had seen, approached him and said:-
"O lotus-eyed Krishna, how the water of the ocean came to a stand-still? How was that dreadfully dense darkness dispelled with thy discus? How didst thou enter into that bundle of effulgence?
O lord, why where the Brāhmana boys stolen by that effulgence. How was such a long distance shortened? How could we go and come back within such a short time? O Keshava, do thou describe all these things duly to me (3–7).”
VASUDEVA said:—Inorder to see me that great Purusha stole away the sons of the Brāhmana thinking that for him I would go there and not otherwise (8).
O foremost of Bharatas, the great divine effulgence which you saw there is nothing but me full of Brahma effulgence. That is my eternal effulgent energy.
That is my eternal great Prakriti, manifest and unmanifest. Entering into her (understanding her nature) the great Yogins attain to final liberation (9-10).
Prakriti is the refuge of the Sankhya Yogins and the ascetics. And she is the great Brāhmana. She makes divisions in the universe (11).
O Bhārata, know her as my creative energy. I am that ocean of stilled water. I stilled her water (12).
I am those seven mountains and the pitch darkness begotten by mud which you saw. I am the cloud like darkness and its dispeller.
I am the author of elements and eternal religion. The moon, the sun, the huge mountains, the rivers, the lakes, the four quarters are my four-fold souls.
From me have emanated the four Varnas and four Asramas. Know me as the author of four-fold learning (13-16).
ARJUNA said:-O lord, O divine master of all creatures, O Purusottama, salutation unto thee. I wish to know thy true self and therefore have I sought thy protection and put this question (17).
VASUDEVA said :-O descendant of Bharata, O son of Pandu, from me have emanated Brahman, Brāhmana, Tapas, truth and every other thing small or great.
O large-armed Dhananjaya, I am your favourite and you are my favourite. And for this I tell you this or else I would not have done so. O foremost of Bharatas, O son of Prithā, I am Rik, Yayush, Sāman and Atharvan (18–19).
The Rishis, the gods and the Yajnas are my energies. From me have emanated earth, air, ether, water, the five luminous bodies, the moon, the sun, day, night, fortnight, months, seasons, muhurttas, Kalā Khana, year, various mantras, the various Shāstras, learnings and every other thing.
O son of Kunti, creation and destruction also proceed from me. My soul is real and un real and I am the pure Brahman (20-23).
ARJUNA said:-At that time Hrishikesh, out of his love for me, said this to me and since then my mind is ever attached to Janārddana. I had heard of Keshava's power and saw this myself. There are more powerful deeds of Janārddana than what I have just described at your request (24-25).
VAISHAMPAYANA said:-Hearing those words the virtuous king Yudhisthira,
the foremost of Kurus, worshipped Purusottama Govinda, in his mind. At that time Yudhisthira, all his brothers and the courtier kings were filled with surprise (26-27).
