vaishaMpAyana uvAcha: vaishampAyana continued

nAradasya vachaH shrutvA sa-smitaM madhusUdanaH |
pratyuvAcha shubhaM vAkyaM vareNyaH prabhuH IshvaraH ||1-55-1

On hearing the words of nArada god madliusudana, the master of gods, smilingly said these auspicious words…

trai-lokyasya hitArthAya yat mAM vadasi nArada |
tasya saMyak-pravR^ittasya shrUyatAm uttaraM vachaH||1-55-2
viditA dehino jAtA mayA ete bhuvi dAnavAH |
yAM cha yaH tanum AdAya daityaH puShyati vigraham ||1-55-3
jAnAmi kaMsaM saMbhUtam ugrasena sutaM bhuvi |
keshinaM chApi jAnAmi daityaM turaga-vigraham ||1-55-4
nAgaM kuvalayApIDaM mallau chANUra muShTikau |
ariShTaM chApi jAnAmi daityaM vR^iShabha rUpiNam ||1-55-5

“O nArada, listen to a proper reply to all these words which you have addressed to me for the well-being of the three worlds… I am cognisant of the fact that all these dAnavA-s have assumed human forms on earth; it is also known to me as to which demon took which form… I am aware that kaMsa is born as the son of ugra-sena on earth; demon keshi mutated into the form of a horse; about elephant kuvalaya-pIDa, wrestlers chANUra and muShTika, and about the demon ariShTa who took the shape of a bull…

vidito me kharaH chaiva pralambaH cha mahAsuraH |
sA cha me viditA vipra pUtanA duhitA baleH ||1-55-6
kAliyaM chApi jAnAmi yamunA hrada gocharam |
vainateya bhayAt yastu yamunA hradam Avishat ||1-55-7
vidito me jarA-sandhaH sthito mUrdhni mahIkShitAm |
prAgjyotiSha-pure vApi narakaM sAdhu tarkaye ||1-55-8
mAnuShe pArthive loke mAnuShatvam upAgatam |
bANam cha shoNita-pure guha pratima tejasam ||1-55-9
dR^iptaM bAhu-sahasreNa devaiH api su-durjayam |
mayi AsaktAM cha jAnAmi bhAratIM mahatIM dhuram ||1-55-10

Oh, brAhmaNa nArada, I know the whereabouts of demons khara and pralamba… further, I am aware about the secret of emperor bali’s daughter becoming the demoness called pUtana, the child-minder… I know that great serpent kAlIya entered the lake of yamuna and he is living in there just out of fear from lady vinata’s son, garuDa… I am aware the jarA-sandha has become the head of all kings; and about the demon naraka living in the city of prAgjyotiSha-puram; and about demon bANa, an energetic, haughty and ambidextrous demon invincible even unto the gods because his valour equals that of guha, aka kArtikeya, and about that demon’s living in shoNita-pura on earth, at present… I know that bhAratI, the mother earth, is overstuffed with this junk and she is counting on me to ease her burden…

sarvaM tat cha vi-jAnAmi yathA yAsyanti te nR^ipAH |
kShayo bhuvi mayA dR^iShTaH shakra-loke cha sat-kriyA |
eShAM puruSha dehAnAm a-parAvR^itta dehinAm ||1-55-11

I also know as to how these demons-turned-kings, when neutralised on earth, will pass across the barrier called life – janma-rAhityam – or, otherwise like ditching to netherworlds, atho-loka-jIvanam; at the same time keeping the heavens of indra unsullied; still and all, without any boomerang of their existence in any form or physique within any holy precincts…

saMpravekShyAmi ahaM yogam AtmanaH cha parasya cha |
saMprApya pArthivaM lokaM mAnuShatvam upAgataH ||1-55-12
kaMsa AdIn chApi tat sarvAn vadhiShyAmi mahAsurAn |
tena tena vidhAnena yena yaH shAntim eShyati ||1-55-13
anupravishya yogena tAH tA hi gatayo mayA |

I will now enter into a cathartic yoga, for myself and for others too, and reach the human world transmuting myself as a human… in the process of depurating the earth I myself will eradicate kaMsa and other demon-tuned-humans employing those and those methods seemly for me; or I will employ chosen-few for that on deciding who is to be felled at whose hand; then, whether the demons are afore or afar; or skulking and sidling into disguises or disappearances by the dint of their yoga, it is incumbent on me to trail them for their neutralisation; and with such and such operations of mine the demons will come to order, individually or severally…

amIShAM hi surendrANAM hantavyA ripavo yudhi ||1-55-14
jagati-arthe kR^ito yaH ayam aMsha utsargo divaukasaiH |
sura-deva-rShi-gandharvaiH itaH cha anumate mama ||1-55-15
vi-nishchayo hi prAk eva nArada ayaM kR^ito mayA |

Indeed, the god-haters are to be liquidated in a given battle… remember, oh, nArada, that the incarnations of gods, celestials, sages, gandharvA-s et al for the sake of mother earth, and their departure from here to earth, everything is just with my consent… hence, oh, nArada, all this is my foregone conclusion…” replying nArada, now viShNu turned to brahma and spoke:

nivAsaM nanu me brahman vidadhAtu pitAmahaH ||1-55-16
yatra deshe yathA jAto yena veSheNa vA vasan |
tAn ahaM samare hanyAM tat me brUhi pitAmaha ||1-55-17

“hè, brahma, were should be my tenement, in which province, to which parentage, and in which ensemble I have to demean and pit myself against those demons while on earth… please tell me something about it…

brahma uvAcha: brahma said to viShNu

nArAyaNa imaM siddha-artham upAyaM shR^iNu me vibho |
bhuvi yaH te janayitA jananI cha bhaviShyati ||1-55-18
yatra tvaM cha mahAbAho jAtaH kula-karo bhuvi |
yAdavAnAM mahat vaMsham akhilaM dhArayiShyasi ||1-55-19
tAn cha asurAn sam-utpATya vaMshaM kR^itvA Atmano mahat |
sthApayiShyasi maryAdAM nR^iNAM tat me nishAmaya ||1-55-20

“O lord nArAyaNa, hear from me about the key to your success, which earthly mother will deliver you, in which dynasty you are going to take birth as an enricher of that dynasty, as to how you are going to uphold the great lineage of yAdavA-s, as to how you will make your lineage flourish on eliminating demons, as to how you will re-establish decorum in human world… all these aspects you may know from me…

purA hi kashyapo viShNo varuNasya mahAtmanaH |
jahAra yaj~niyA gA vai payodAH tu mahAmakhe ||1-55-21
aditiH surabhiH cha ete dve bhArye kashyapasya tu |
pradIyamAnA gAH tAH tu na ichChatAM varuNasya vai ||1-55-22

In the days of yore, oh nArAyaNa, when the high-souled raingod varuNa is conducting a vedic-ritual, kashyapa-prajApati impounded all the milch-cows belonging to varuNa witch gave milk for that ritual… two wives f kashyapa-prajApati, namely lady aditi and lady surabhi, refused to return those cows to varuNa, though he repeatedly implored them for their return…

tataH mAM varuNo abhyetya praNamya shirasA tataH |
uvAcha bhagavan gAvo guruNA me hR^itA iti ||1-55-23

Thereupon varuNa approached me in a bow and scrape manner and said to me: "O revered one, the sage kAshyapa appropriated all my kine…

kR^ita-kAryo hi gAH tAH tu na anujAnAti me guruH |
anvavartata bhArye dve aditiM surabhiM tathA||1-55-24

Though his object of confiscating cows is accomplished sage kashyapa has not ordered the return of those kine to me, just by falling in the clutches of his two wives aditi and surabhi….

mama tA hi akshaya gavo divyAH kAmaduhaH prabho |
charanti sagarAn sarvAn rakShitAH svena tejasA ||1-55-25

All those kine of mine give heavenly and eternal milk whenever wished… protected by their own capability they range up to the fringes of all seas uncaught by any…

kaH tA dharShayituM shakto mama gAH kashyapAt R^ite |
akShayaM yA kSharanti agryam payo deva amR^ita upamam ||1-55-26

Who is capable of laying his hand on my cows, which yield best milk similar to ambrosia, barring sage kashyapa…

prabhuH vA vyutthito brahman guruH vA yadi vA itaraH |
tvayA niyamyAH sarve vai tvaM hi naH paramA gatiH ||1-55-27

As a supreme refuge of ours, oh, brahma, it up to you to control anyone who has gone astray, whether he is master, guru or whoever he may be…

yadi prabhavatAM daNDo loke kAryam ajAnatAm |
na vidyate loka-guroH na syuH vai loka-setavaH ||1-55-28

If punishment is not meted out on the powerful personalities, who knowingly or unknowingly drag things to their side, then the praiseworthiness of the wielder of the sceptre on world is at stake…

yathA vAstu tathA vAstu kartavye bhagavan prabhuH |
mama gAvaH pradIyantAM tato gantAsmi sAgaram ||1-55-29

You are capable of ordering anyone to give measure for measure… let my cows be returned to me so that I will return to my abode, namely the ocean…

yA Atma devatA gAvo yA gAvaH sattvamavyayam |
lokAnAM tvat pravR^ittAnAm ekaM go brAhmaNaM smR^itam ||1-55-30

trAtavyAH prathamaM gAvaH trAtAH trAyanti tA dvijAn |
go-brAhmaNa paritrANe paritrAtaM jagat bhavet ||1-55-31

Those cows that are the goddesses of my soul needs must be protected, for they protect brAhmaNA-s for the conduct of vedic rituals, who in turn protect the world through conducting vedic-rituals… protecting cows and brAhmaNA-s is said to be the protection of world, isn’t it…

iti ambu-patinA prokto varuNena aham achyuta |
gavAM karaNa-tattvaj~naH kashyape shApam utsR^ijam ||1-55-32
yena Mshena hR^itA gAvaH kashyapena maharShiNA |
sa tena aMshena jagati gatvA gopatvam eShyati ||1-55-33
yA cha sA surabhiH nAma aditiH cha sura-araNiH |
te apo ubhe tasya bhArye vai tena eva saha yAsyataH ||1-55-34
tAbhyAM cha saha gopatve kashyapo bhuvi raMsyate |

When the king of water varuNa spoke to me thus, oh, achyuta, about sage kashyapa’s pilferage of varuNa’s cows, then I had to curse sage kashyapa like this: “With which lineaments he has abducted varuNa’s cows, as if he is a cow-minder, that sage kashyapa with those quirks alone will have to mutate as a cowherd on going to earth… his two wives, lady aditi and lady surabhi, who served the purpose of engendering some gods, like two sticks enkindling fire when rubbed, will also go to earth to become his wives there… joining with them sage kashyapa will live there happily in his cowmanship…

sa tasya kashyapasya aMshaH tejasA kashyapa upamaH ||1-55-35
vasu-deva iti khyAto goShu tiShThati bhUtale |
giriH go-vardhano nAma mathurAyAH tu a-dUrataH ||1-55-36
tatra asau goShu nirataH kaMsasya kara-dAyakaH |
tasya bhAryA dvayaM jAtam aditiH surabhiH cha te ||1-55-37
devakI rohiNI cha ime vasudevasya dhImataH |
surabhI rohiNI devI cha aditir devakI tau abhUt ||1-55-38

That cowman renowned as vasu-deva, selfsame to sage kashyapa in his resplendence, will have his mainstay in livestock while he is on earth, staying in the vicinage of Mt. go-vardhana, not very far from mathura city… he will be a rearer of cattle and payer of annual tribute to king kaMsa… he will have two wives namely lady devaki and lady rohiNi who are none else that lady aditi and lady surabhi, the wives of sage kashyapa…

tatra tvaM shishuH eva Adau gopAla-kR^ita-lakShaNaH |
vardhyasva mahAbAho purA trai-vikrame yathA ||1-55-39

In the first instance – Adau - you will become a youngling of those ladies, because you will have two phases in your span on earth, one in your childhood another in middle-age; and flourish with all the attributes of a cowboy in the first phase, for you have to be something like - je ne sais quoi, as you have flourished as a dwarf-son of the same kashyapa-aditi pair in your triple- treader incarnation with a similar je ne sais quoi insofar as emperor bali is concerned…

ChAdayitvA AtmanA AtmAnaM mAyayA yoga-rUpayA |
tatra avatara lokAnAM bhavAya madhusUdana ||1-55-40

Mantle yourself with your own illusive power which is nothing but your yogic dimension, and alight on earth for the well-being of the world…

jaya AshIr-vachanaiH tvaite vardhayanti divaukasaH || 1-55-41

With hail-hos and blessings all the gods are pepping you up… come on, make it happen…

AtmAnam AtmanA hi tvam avatArya mahItale |
devakIM rohiNIM chaiva garbhAbhyAM paritoShaya |
gopa-kanyA sahasrANi ramayan chara medinIm ||1-55-42

Let your inner self alight on earth causing delight to the doting motherly affections of lady devaki and lady rohiNi… besides, you will be milling around on earth with thousands of milkmaids as a swain making the voluptuous damsels huddling around you…

These milkmaids are sags and saints in their original form. When they sought much time from rAma to be in his presence discussing philosophy etc, when rAma is exiled, rAma deferred the meeting to this incarnation of Krishna, as he had more important functions at that time. So, those saints and sages waited till the arrival of Krishna and now changing their get up as girls and came to braindavanam as damsels, to be in the proximity of god.

gAH cha te rakShato viShNo vanAni paridhAvataH |
vana-mAlA parikShiptaM dhanyA drakShyanti te vapuH ||1-55-43

While you perambulate in woods tending kine, oh viShNu, those cattle marking the garland of holy basil leaves secured on your chest will feast their eyes on your deiform...

viShNau padma-palAsha-akShe gopAla vasatiM gate |
bAle tvayi mahAbAho loko bAlatvam eShyati ||1-55-44

While you bide your time as a child with charmy eyes in that village of cowmen, all the elderly will tend to become elvish lads or lasses just for divine dalliance…

tvat bhaktAH puNDarIka-akSha tava chitta-vasha-anugAH |
goShu gopA bhaviShyanti sahAyAH satataM tava |
vane chArayato gAH cha goShTheShu pari-dhAvataH ||1-55-45
majjato yamunAyAM cha ratiM prApsyanti te tvayi |
jIvitam vasudevasya bhaviShyati su-jIvitam ||1-55-46

When you are in the village of cowherds, all the cowmen, or cowboys will become your votaries; whether they go to woods with you for tending cows, or messing around the cowsheds in the village itself, or when ducking in the water of river yamuna, they conduct themselves according to your wish, wishing to become your fawners all the time, they luxuriate thus in your company… in this way, blest is the entity of kashyapa-prajApti in the incarnation of your human-father, vasu-deva…

yaH tvayA tAta iti uktaH sa putra iti vakShyati |
atha vA kasya putratvaM gachChethAH kashyapAt R^ite ||1-55-47

Or what father is there of you, an unbegotten entity, to address “yes, father…” when he addresses you “oh, my son…” excepting kashyapa-prajApati… or else, whose paternity you consider fair…

kA cha dhArayituM shaktA tvaM viShNo aditiM vinA |
yogena Atma-samutthena gachCha tvaM vijayAya vai |
vayam apyAlayAn svAn svAn gachChAmo madhusUdana ||1-55-48

So far as mothering you is concerned, who else can conceive you, because whole universe is conceived in you, excepting lady aditi? Therefore by your self-begotten yoga please proceed for victory, O madhusudana… we the gods too repair to our respective habitations…” so said brahma to viShNu…

vaishaMpAyana uvAcha: vaishampAyana said

sa devAn abhi-anuj~nAya vivikte tridiva Alaye |
jagAma viShNuH svaM deshaM kShIrodasya uttarAM disham ||1-55-49
tatra vai pArvatI nAma guhA meroH su-durgamA |
tribhiH tasya eva vikrAntaiH nityaM parvasu pUjitA ||1-55-50
purANaM tatra vinyasya dehaM hariH udAra-dhIH |
AtmAnaM yojayAmAsa vasudeva gR^ihe prabhuH ||1-55-51

On permitting gods to return to their celestial regions viShNu went to the northern side of his own abode Milk Ocean where Mt. meru is butting… there is an abyssal and impenetrable cave of that mountain at this northern side, named impassable cave - pArvtI-guha, whereat the footprints of viShNu, aka vAmana, the dwarf-boy turned as triple-treader are there, and which footprints are worshipped during auspicious days… 

Then he gave a thought as to how his essential form can be housed in that cave and as to how he can be yoked to the house of vasu-deva, the prospective human father of viShNu…  

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iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe harivaMshaparvaNi
pitAmaha vAkye pa~nchapa~nchAshattamo.adhyAyaH

 iti harivamshe  harivaMsha-parva samAptam

Thus, this is the fifty-fifth chapter of first canto called harivamsha - parva, in harivamsha -purANa, the sequel of mahAbhArata, narrating brahma’s reply to viShNu.

Here concludes the first book harivamsha-parva of harivamsha-purANa.

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