O the son of kuru (O janamejaya)! Hearing the words of the king of deva-s, nArada, an expert of words, the one with soul fixed in dharma, one who is an expert of dharma, said the following words:

O the slayer of bala! I shall indeed speak in your favour. O the one with great arms! I have great respect for you.

Knowing your opinion, I told the son of vasudeva (kR^ishNa) what is appropriate. You have not given the pArijAta even to hara (shiva) before.

I also described the reasons briefly to him. The lord did not accept the reasons. What I say is the truth.

He, the one with eyes as beautiful as lotus, told me that, being upendra, he always deserves affection from you. Then I gave him the answer.

O lord! Again and again, I told him the reasons. O the slayer of vR^itra! Even then, his mind did not deviate from the purpose.

O vAsava! Not only that. After listening to what was told, the slayer of madhu, the best among men replied as follows with anger.

None of the groups of deva-s, gandharva-s, rAkShasa-s , asura-s, yAkSha-s, the best among serpents will be capable to break my pledge. O sage, let there be good to you.

If the lord of deva-s do not give the pArijAta tree on your request, I shall send my mace to the chest of puraMdara (indra), smeared with the paste, pressed by shachI.

O the great indra! This is the ultimate decision of your brother, upendra. Decide whatever is logical in this and do that.

O the lord of devas! Listen to the principle and desirable in what I say. My opinion is to send that pArijAta to dvAraka.

(vaishampAyana said:) O king (janamejaya)! When nArada told this clearly to the one who split the body of bala, (indra), he, the one with thousand eyes (indra) became angry and said as follows:

(indra said) If keshava (kR^iShNa) does like this to me, his elder brother, who is faultless, O the one with wealth of penance! what can be done now?

O nArada! kR^iShNa has done many things against me before. Considering that he is my brother, I always suffered all those.

Before this, he drove the chariot for arjuna in the khANDava forest and blocked my clouds which were extinguishing the blazing fire.

Lifting the govardhana mountain up, he did what was not liked by me.

When I sought his help in slaying vR^itra, he said that he was equal to all beings (he did not offer his help).

and I killed vR^itra with my own power.

nArada! When there is a war between deva-s and asura-s, kR^iShNa fights if he wishes, O sage, you know that.

What is the use of speaking more? Let it happen what may. I have no use of a quarrel between brothers (see nIlakaNTha commentary). O nArada! you are witness to this.

If keshava (kR^iShNa) wants to release his mace on my chest, I do not see any benefit in taking paulomI's name.

My father, lord kashyapa, having high intellect has gone to stay at the milk ocean, along with my mother aditi. Will these words be acceptable to them?

My brother having an unconquerable soul is covered with rAjasa and tAmasa quality. By the words of a woman and with desire, he asked me, who is his preceptor (for pArijAta).

O brAhmin (nArada)! It is unfortunate that he is challenging me in this way. O brAhmin! viShNu, conquered by women is challenging me in this way.

O great sage! He did not consider the bad name for the race of kashyapa. He also did not consider the race of dakSha in which my mother was born.

nArada! It is definite that kR^iShNa, under the influence of desire and love, did not respect me being elder to him and me being the king of deva-s.

Earlier, brahma said that brother is definitely more special than thousands of sons and wives, to one who does good deeds and is wise.

No other relative is equal to a brother. One does not have another wealth equal to a brother. This is what my mother and my father the prajApati told me.

My father, kashyapa told me that brother is special. The proud dAnava-s, fixed in evil, oppose me.

Self praising is not to be done. O brAhmin! I am saying this today since this is an appropriate occasion.

O the best among sages! Earlier, O the one without any sin, when the string of the bow of deva-s was cut, O great sage, by the expert bowmen , obtaining a boon,

the body of viShNu, devoid of head, was earlier, supported by me. As the head severed by the splendour of rudra (shiva), was joined (to the body),

the one who does not suffer any fall, (achyuta), viShNu, again said that I am superior to deva-s. Then, O nArada, keshava (kR^iShNa - viShNu) stood proudly after tying the bow. (Based on the story in shathapatha - see nIlakaNTha commentary of 2-70-30). According to the commentator of Gita Press edition, the reference is to the destruction of dakSha's sacrifice, where viShnu was in the form of the sacrifice.

O sage! Thinking about what my father and mother will tell me, O the best among sages! I supported viShNu's body due to affection.

O Sage! I gave him portions as aindra and vaiShNava. O nArada! Due to love, I see kR^iShNa as my younger brother.

O the one with the wealth of penance! He should fight in the front in battles. But, I, the king, am fighting the battles, in the front definitely.

O the one without any sin! In all his manifestations, like my own body, O the one fixed in dharma, I shall protect keshava (kR^iShNa) with devotion.

viShNu, breaking this house of mine (svarga), created worlds, above and above, O sage!

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