Harivamsha MahA PurANam - ViShNu Parva
    athAShTachatvAriMsho.adhyAyaH
    vidarbhasabhAyAM jarAsaMdhasunIthayorbhAShaNaM
    harivamsha in the mahAbharata - viShNuparva
    Chapter 48 - presentations in the vidarbha council by jarAsandha and sunItha
vaishampAyana uvAcha
te kR^iShNamAgataM dR^iShTvA vainateyasahAchyutam |
babhUvushchintayAviShTAH sarve nR^ipatisattamAH ||2-48-1
vaishampAyana said:
All the best of the kings, seeing that kR^ShNa, one who has no fall (or one who is immutable), has come along with the son of vinata (garuDa) were immersed in thoughts.
te sametya sabhAM rAjanrAjAno bhImavikramAH |
mantrAya mantrakushalA nItishAstrArthavittamAH ||2-48-2
O king (janamejaya)! vaishampAyana said) The highly valiant kings, experts in counseling, and highly knowledgeable in the principles of political ethics, assembled for discussion.
bhIShmakasya sabhAM gatvA ramyAM hemapariShkR^itAm |
simhAsaneShu chitreShu vichitrAstaraNeShu cha |
Going to the beautiful golden assembly of bhIShmaka, the kings sat on beautiful thrones with wonderful overhead covers.
niSheduste nR^ipavarA devA devasabhAmiva ||2-48-3
The best of the kings sat as deva-s sit in the assembly of deva-s.
teShAM madhye mahAbAhurjarAsaMdho mahAbalaH |
babhAShe sa mahAtejA devAndeveshvaro yathA ||2-48-4
Among them, the highly powerful, highly splendorous jarAsaMdha, having strong arms spoke like the lord of deva-s (indra) speaking to the deva-s.
jarAsaMdha uvAcha
shrUyatAM bho nR^ipashreShThA bhIShamakashcha mahAmatiH |
kathyamAnaM mayA buddhyA vachanaM vadatAM varAH ||2-48-5
jarAsaMdha said:
O the best of kings! bhIShmaka of great soul! The best among speakers! Hear the intelligent words spoken by me.
yo.asau kR^iShNa iti khyAto vasudevasuto balI |
vainateyasahAyena saMprAptaH kuNDinaM tviha ||2-48-6
The powerful son of vasudeva, known as kR^iShNa has arrived here at kuNDina along with the son of vinatA (garuDa).
kanyAhetormahAtejA yAdavairabhisaMvR^itaH |
avashyaM kurute yatnaM kanyAvAptiryathA bhavet ||2-48-7
kR^iShNa of great splendour has come along with yAdava-s because of the maiden. He will necessarily make efforts to get the maiden.
yadatra kAraNaM kAryaM sunayopetamR^iddhitam |
kurudhvaM nR^ipashArdUlA vinishchitya balAbalam ||2-48-8
O tigers among kings, considering your strengths and weaknesses do with proper policy, what is to be done here.
padAtinau mahAvIryau vasudevasutAvubhau |
vainateyaM vinA tasmingomante parvatottame |
kR^itavantau mahAghoraM bhavadbhirviditaM hi tat ||2-48-9
The highly frightful deeds done by both the highly valiant sons of vasudeva on gomanta, the best of mountains, moving on their feet, without the son of vinatA (garuDa) are well known to all of you as well.
vR^iShNibhiryAdavaishchaiva bhojAndhakamahArathaiH |
sametya yuddhyamAnasya kIdR^isho vigraho bhavet ||2-48-10
If he fights along with the chariot fighters of vR^iShNi, yAdava, bhoja and andhaka races, how (frightful) will the battle be?
kanyArthe yatatAnena garuDasthena viShNunA |
kaH sthAsyati raNe tasminnapi shakraH suraiH saha ||2-48-11
If viShNu mounted on garuDa tries to get the maiden, who is there to fight in that battle, even if he is shakra (indra) along with deva-s?
yadA chAsmai nApi sutA kadAchitsaMpradIyate |
tato hyayaM balAdenAM netuM shaktaH suraiH saha ||2-48-12
If the maiden is never given to him, then the powerful (kR^iShNa) will take her by force along with the deva-s.
purA ekArNave ghore shrUyate medinI tviyam |
pAtAlatalasaMmagnA viShNunA prabhaviShNunA ||2-48-13
It is heard that, formerly when the earth was immersed in ekARNava, in the lower region, the highly splendorous viShNu,
vArAhaM rUpamAsthAya uddhR^itA jagadAdinA |
hiraNyAkShashcha daityendro varAheNa nipAtitaH ||2-48-14
the foremost in the universe, taking the form of the boar (varAha) lifted the earth. The indra (chief) of demons, hiraNyAkSha was slain by the boar (varAha).
hiraNyakashipushchaiva mahAbalaparAkramaH |
avadhyo.amaradaityAnAmR^iShigandharvakinnaraiH ||2-48-15
The highly valiant and powerful hiraNyakashipu, who can not be killed by deva-s, daityAs, sages, gandharvas, kinnaras,
yakSharAkShasanAgAnAM nAkAshe nAvanisthale |
na chAbhyantararAtryahnorna shuShkeNArdrakeNa cha ||2-48-16
supernatural beings, demons, serpents, neither in the sky nor on the earth, neither in the night nor in the day, nor in between, neither by dry nor by wet,
avadhyastriShu lokeShu daityendrastvaparAjitaH |
nArasimhena rUpeNa nihato viShNunA purA ||2-48-17
who can not be killed in the three worlds, the undefeatable king of daitya-s, was killed formerly by viShNu, in the form of man-lion (narasimha).
vAmanena tu rUpeNa kashyapasyAtmajo balI |
adityA garbhasaMbhUto balirbaddho.asurottamaH ||2-48-18
satyarajjumayaiH pAshaiH kR^itaH pAtAlasaMshrayaH |
In the form of vAmana, the powerful son of kashyapa, born to aditi, he tied up bali, the best among asura-s, with the rope of the truth (of bali's words) and made him reside in the pAtAla (lower regions).
kArtavIryo mahAvIryaH sahasrabhujavigrahaH ||2-48-19
dattAtreyaprasAdena matto rAjyamadena cha |
The highly valiant kArtavIrya , having thousand arms was excited with the pride of his country due to the boon given by dattAtreya.
jAmadagnyo mahAtejA reNukAgarbhasaMbhavaH ||2-48-20
tretAdvAparayoH saMdhau rAmaH shastrabhR^itAM varaH |
The splendorous son of jamadagni, born to reNukA, rAma, the best among the experts of weapons, at the junction of the eras of tretA and dvApara,
parshunA vajrakalpena saptadvIpeshvaro nR^ipaH |
viShNunA nihato bhUyaH ChadmarUpena haihayaH |2-48-21
killed the king, the lord of seven islands, with the axe, powerful as the thunderbolt (vajra). The king haihaya was slain by viShNu in the disguised form.
ikShvAkukulasaMbhUto rAmo dAsharathiH purA |
trilokavijayaM vIraM rAvaNaM saMnyapAtayat ||2-48-22
Formerly, rAma, born in the race of ikShvAku, the son of dasharatha killed rAvaNa who had conquered the three worlds.
purA kR^itayuge viShNuH saMgrAme tArakAmaye |
ShoDashArddhabhujo bhUtvA garuDastho hi vIryavAn ||2-48-23
Formerly, in the tArakA battle in the era of kR^ita, the valiant viShNu with half of sixteen (eight) arms, mounting on garuDa,
nijaghAnAsurAnyuddhe varadAnena garvitAn |
in the fight, killed the daitya-s, who were proud of the boons received by them.
kAlanemishcha daiteyo devAnAM cha bhayapradaH ||2-48-24
sahasrakiraNAbhena chakreNa nihato yudhi |
The daitya, kAlanemi, who was frightening even the deva-s, was killed (by viShNu) with the discus bright as the sun with thousand rays.
mahAyogabalenAjau vishvarUpeNa viShNunA |2-48-25
anena prAptakAlAste nihatA bahavo.asurAH |
In the battle, splendorous viShNu, combined with his great universal form killed many daitya-s whose time of death had come.
vane vanacharA daityA mahAbalaparAkramAH ||2-48-26
nihatA bAlabhAvena pralambAriShTadhenukAH |
In the form of a child, he killed the highly powerful, valiant, forest-dwelling daitya-s, pralamba, ariShTa and dhenuka, in the forest.
shakunIM keshinaM chaiva yamalArjunakAvapi ||2-48-27
nAgaM kuvalayApIDaM chANUraM muShTikaM tathA |
shakunI (pUtanA), keshi, even the trees yamala and arjunakA , the elephant kuvalayApIDa , the wrestlers chANUra and muShTika,
kaMsaM cha balinAM shreShThaM sagaNaM devakIsutaH ||2-48-28
nyahanadgopaveSheNa krIDamAno hi keshavaH |
kaMsa, the best among powerful, along with his followers - All were killed, by keshava, the son of devakI, taking the form of a gopa in a playful way.
evamAdIni divyAni ChadmarUpANi chakriNA ||2-48-29
kR^itAni divyarUpANi viShNunA prabhaviShNunA |
In this way, the splendorous viShNu, one who holds the discus, performed many divine acts, taking divine disguises.
tenAhaM vaH pravakShyAmi bhavatAM hitakAmyayA ||2-48-30
Since I wish for your benefit, I am telling you that
taM manye keshavaM viShNuM surAdyamasurAntakam |
nArAyaNaM jagadyoniM purANaM puruShaM dhruvam ||2-48-31
keshava (kR^iShNa) is viShNu, the foremost of deva-s, and the destroyer of asurAs. He is nArAyaNa, the source of the universe, the ancient puruSha, the unchangeable (permanent),
sraShTAraM sarvabhUtAnAM vyaktAvyaktaM sanAtanam |
adR^ishyaM sarvalokAnAM sarvalokanamaskR^itam ||2-48-32
the creator of all living beings, manifest and un-manifest, eternal, invisible to all people, and to whom all pay obeisance
anAdimadhyanidhanaM kSharamakSharashAshvatam |
svayaMbhuvamajaM sthANumajeyaM sacharAcharaiH ||2-48-33
the one with out having the beginning, middle or end, the visible (see nIlakaNTha commentary) and the imperishable, the eternal, the self manifested brahma, shiva, unconquerable by the movable and the immovable,
trivikramaM trilokeshaM tridashendrArinAshanam |
the one who strode over the three worlds in three steps, the lord of the three worlds, the destroyer of the enemies of the indra of deva-s.
iti me nishchitA buddhirjAto.ayaM mathurAmadhi ||2-48-34
kule mahati vai rAj~nAM vipule chakravartinAm |
I firmly believe that he is born in the city of mathurA, in a great and vast race of kings and emperors.
kathamanyasya martyasya garuDo vAhanaM bhavet ||2-48-35
visheSheNa tu kanyArthe vikramasthe janArdane |
Otherwise will garuDa become a vehicle for a human being, especially when janArdana (kR^iShNa) tries to get the maiden?
kaH sthAsyati pumAnadya garuDasyAgrato balI ||2-48-36
svayaMvarakR^itenAsau viShNuH svayamihAgataH |
Which powerful human being will stand today before garuDa? viShNu himself has come here for the marriage (choosing of husband by the maiden).
viShNorAgamane chaiva mahAndoShaH prakIrtitaH ||2-48-37
bhavadbhiranuchintyedaM kR^iyatAM yadanantaram |
I have also spoken about the great danger (to us) due to the arrival of viShNu. You should think about all these and do the needful further.
vaishampAyana uvAcha
evaM vibruvamANe tu magadhAnAM janeshvare |2-48-38
sunItho.atha mahAprAj~no vachanaM chedamabravIt |
vaishampAyana said:
(O janamejaya !) After the king of magadha (jarAsaMdha), spoke as above, sunItha of great intellect said the following words:
sunItha uvAcha
saMyagAha mahAbAhurmagadhAdhipatirnR^ipaH ||2-48-39
sunItha said:
The king of magadha (jarAsaMdha) of great arms have spoken the right words.
samakShaM naradevAnAM yathAvR^ittaM mahAhave |
gomante rAmakR^iShNAbhyAM kR^itaM karma suduShkaram ||2-48-40
In the great battle that took place on the gomanta (mountain), the actions performed by (bala)rAma and kR^iShNa, as happened in front of the kings, are difficult to be done.
gajAshvarathasaMbAdhA pattidhvajasamAkulA |
nirdaghdA mahatI senA chakralA~NgalavahninA ||2-48-41
By the fire of discus and plough, they burned the great army of elephants, horses, chariots, infantry and flags.
tenAyaM mAgadhaH shrImAnanAgatamachintayat |
bruvate rAjasenAyAmanusmR^itya sudAruNam ||2-48-42
Remembering the terrible destruction of the royal armies, the splendorous mAgadha (jarAsaMdha) thought and spoke about what is going to happen.
padAtyoryudhyatostatra balakeshavayoryudhi |
durnivAryataro ghoro hyabhavadvAhinIkShayaH ||2-48-43
The destruction of the armies became terrible and mostly unavoidable as bala(rAma) and keshava (kR^iShNa) fought there in the battle, (standing) on their feet.
viditaM vaH suparNasya svAgatasya nR^ipottamAH |
pakShavegAnilodbhUtA babhramurgaganecharAH ||2-48-44
O the best of kings! You knew yourselves that when suparNa (garuDa) arrived, those who travel in the sky were spinning due to the wind generated by the fast flapping of his wings.
samudrAH kShubhitAH sarve chachAlAdrirmahI muhuH |
vayaM sarve susaMtrastAH kimutpAteti viklavAH ||2-48-45
All oceans were agitated. The mountains and the earth shook. All of us were afraid thinking, "what calamity is this?"
yadA saMnahya yudhyeta ArUDhaH keshavaH khagam |
kathamasmadvidhaH shaktaH pratisthAtuM raNAjire ||2-48-46
As keshava (kR^iShNa) fights, mounting on the bird (garuDa), will people like us be capable of opposing him in the battle?
rAj~nAM svayaMvaro nAma sumahAnharShavardhanaH |
kR^ito naravarairAdyairyasho dharmasya vai vidhiH ||2-48-47
For the kings, the choosing of husband by the maiden is a great and happy event, installed by the former kings as a means of establishing justice and fame.
idaM tu kuNDinagaramAsAdya manujeshvarAH |
punarevaiShyate kShipraM mahApuruShavigraham ||2-48-48
O kings! In this manner, today, the battle of great men, again as desired, has quickly come to this city of kuNDina.
yadi sA varayedanyaM rAj~nAM madhye nR^ipAtmajA |
kR^iShNasya bhujayorvIryaM kaH pumAnprasahiShyati ||2-48-49
If the daughter of the king chooses some one else among the kings, which man will be able to bear the strength of kR^iShNa's arms?
vij~nApitamidaM doShaM svayaMvaramahotsavam |
tadarthamAgataH kR^iShNo vayaM chaiva narAdhipAH ||2-48-50
This danger is widely known. kR^iShNa as well as us, the kings, have come for the great festival of the choice of husband by the maiden.
kR^iShNasyAgamanaM chaiva nR^ipANAmatigarhitam |
kanyAhetornarendrANAM yathA vadati mAgadhaH ||2-48-51
Hence , kR^iShNa's arrival here because of the maiden, is highly contemptible for the kings, as told by the king of magadha (jarAsaMdha).
iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe viShNuparvaNi rukmiNIsvayaMvare sunIthavAkye aShTachatvAriMsho.adhyAyaH
Thus this is the forty-eigth chapter of viShNuparva of harivaMsha, khila of shrimahAbhArata, presentations in the vidarbha council by jarAsaMdha and sunItha
    nIlakaNTha commentary
aShTachatvAriMshake.atha jarAsandhasunIthayoH |
vidarbasya sabhAyAM tu vachanaM rAjasUchyate || 1 ||
iti shrIharivaMshe viShNuparvaNi TIkAyAmaShtachatvAriMsho.adhyAyaH ||
Itranslated by K S Ramachandran, ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca August 25, 2008
Note: header: bhAShaNe is incorrect. BhaShaNam is used.
Verse 1: No space between vainateya and sahAch...
Further proof-read by Gilles Schaufelberger, schaufel @ wanadoo.fr
If you find any errors compared to Chitrashala Press edition,
send corrections to A. Harindranath harindranath_a @ yahoo.com
Translated to English by A. Purushothaman [purushothaman_avaroth @ yahoo.com] and A. Harindranath
February 12, 2010 ##