॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ सप्तत्रिंशोऽध्यायः - ३७ ॥
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Discourse XXXVII
The demon Vyoma slain (by the Lord) (Preamble)
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श्रीशुक उवाच ।
केशी तु कंसप्रहितः खुरैर्महीं
महाहयो निर्जरयन् मनोजवः ।
सटावधूताभ्रविमानसङ्कुलं
कुर्वन्नभो हेषितभीषिताखिलः ॥ १॥
विशालनेत्रो विकटास्यकोटरो
बृहद्गलो नीलमहाम्बुदोपमः ।
दुराशयः कंसहितं चिकीर्षु-
र्व्रजं स नन्दस्य जगाम कम्पयन् ॥ २॥
तं त्रासयन्तं भगवान् स्वगोकुलं
तद्धेषितैर्वालविघूर्णिताम्बुदम् ।
आत्मानमाजौ मृगयन्तमग्रणी-
रुपाह्वयत्स व्यनदन्मृगेन्द्रवत् ॥ ३॥
स तं निशाम्याभिमुखो मुखेन खं
पिबन्निवाभ्यद्रवदत्यमर्षणः ।
जघान पद्भ्यामरविन्दलोचनं
दुरासदश्चण्डजवो दुरत्ययः ॥ ४॥
तद्वञ्चयित्वा तमधोक्षजो रुषा
प्रगृह्य दोर्भ्यां परिविध्य पादयोः ।
सावज्ञमुत्सृज्य धनुः शतान्तरे
यथोरगं तार्क्ष्यसुतो व्यवस्थितः ॥ ५॥
स लब्धसंज्ञः पुनरुत्थितो रुषा
व्यादाय केशी तरसाऽऽपतद्धरिम् ।
सोऽप्यस्य वक्त्रे भुजमुत्तरं स्मयन्
प्रवेशयामास यथोरगं बिले ॥ ६॥
दन्ता निपेतुर्भगवद्भुजस्पृश-
स्ते केशिनस्तप्तमयःस्पृशो यथा ।
बाहुश्च तद्देहगतो महात्मनो
यथाऽऽमयः संववृधे उपेक्षितः ॥ ७॥
समेधमानेन स कृष्णबाहुना
निरुद्धवायुश्चरणांश्च विक्षिपन् ।
प्रस्विन्नगात्रः परिवृत्तलोचनः
पपात लेण्डं विसृजन् क्षितौ व्यसुः ॥ ८॥
तद्देहतः कर्कटिकाफलोपमाद्-
व्यसोरपाकृष्य भुजं महाभुजः ।
अविस्मितोऽयत्नहतारिरुत्स्मयैः
प्रसूनवर्षैर्दिविषद्भिरीडितः ॥ ९॥
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Śrī Śuka began again : Despatched by Kamsa* and anxious to oblige him, the aforesaid Keśī of evil intent, for his part, went to Nanda's Vraja in the form of a colossal horse—quick as thought, with big eyes, a fearful cave-like mouth and a huge neck and resembling a large dark cloud—pounding and shaking the earth with its hoofs crowding the firmament with clouds and aerial cars dispersed by its manes and terrifying all with its neighs.† (1-2)
Placing Himself in the forefront, the Lord challenged the (diabolical) horse, that was frightening (the inhabitants of) His Vraja with its neighs as aforesaid, throwing the clouds into commotion by the hair of its tail and seeking after Him for a duel; and the animal roared loudly like a lion (when thus challenged). (3)
Beholding Him, the animal—which was not only difficult to approach and possessed of terrible speed but formidable too—turned round and ran towards Him full of rage and, drinking the heavens as it were with its (wide open) mouth struck the lotus-eyed Lord with its (hind) legs. (4)
Dodging the stroke and seizing the horse by its (aforesaid) legs, Śrī Kṛṣṇa (who is above sense-perception) whirled it in a rage with His arms and, flinging it disdainfully to a distance of a hundred bows (four hundred cubits), even as Garuḍa (son of the sage Kaśyapa) would throw a serpent, stood as before (as if nothing had happened). (5)
Having recovered its senses and rising up again, the said Keśi rushed towards Śrī Hari with (great) speed, opening its mouth in fury. He too smilingly thrust His left arm into its mouth (as playfully) as a snake-charmer would put a serpent into a hole. (6)
Touching the Lord's arm the teeth of Keśi dropped down as they would on touching a heated iron rod. Nay, finding its way into its body, the arm of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Supreme Spirit) swelled to an enormous degree, even as (the fluid collected in the body of a man suffering from) the disease of dropsy would if neglected. (7)
With its breath choked by the immensely swelling arm of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and its eyes rolling, and profusely sweating all over, the animal dropped dead on the ground throwing up its legs and passing excrement. (8)
Drawing out His arm from its dead body, which resembled a (ripe) cucumber (that had burst open at several places), the mighty-armed Lord, who had killed the enemy without any effort and (therefore) stood unelated, was glorified by the highly amazed gods (lit., the denizens of heaven), who showered flowers (on Him). (9) (1-9)
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देवर्षिरुपसङ्गम्य भागवतप्रवरो नृप ।
कृष्णमक्लिष्टकर्माणं रहस्येतदभाषत ॥ १०॥
कृष्ण कृष्णाप्रमेयात्मन् योगेश जगदीश्वर ।
वासुदेवाखिलावास सात्वतां प्रवर प्रभो ॥ ११॥
त्वमात्मा सर्वभूतानामेको ज्योतिरिवैधसाम् ।
गूढो गुहाशयः साक्षी महापुरुष ईश्वरः ॥ १२॥
आत्मनाऽऽत्माऽऽश्रयः पूर्वं मायया ससृजे गुणान् ।
तैरिदं सत्यसङ्कल्पः सृजस्यत्स्यवसीश्वरः ॥ १३॥
स त्वं भूधरभूतानां दैत्यप्रमथरक्षसाम् ।
अवतीर्णो विनाशाय सेतूनां रक्षणाय च ॥ १४॥
दिष्ट्या ते निहतो दैत्यो लीलयायं हयाकृतिः ।
यस्य हेषितसन्त्रस्तास्त्यजन्त्यनिमिषा दिवम् ॥ १५॥
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Approaching Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who was unwearied in action, Nārada (the celestial sage), the foremost of the Lord's votaries, O protector of men, spoke to Him in secret as follows:—(10)
"O Kṛṣṇa of incomprehensible character, O Enchanter of all, O Master of Yoga (possessed of inconceivable powers), O Ruler of the universe, O Vāsudeva (present in all beings), the Abode of all, the foremost of the Yadus, O almighty Lord ! (11)
You are the one Spirit, indwelling all created beings and remaining concealed like the fire hidden in logs of wood, nay, enshrined inside the intellect, the Witness (of all), the Supreme Person, the almighty Lord. (12)
Depending on Your own Self, You evolved the three Guṇas at the dawn of creation by Your Māyā (creative energy), which is (no other than) Your own Self; and with their help You create, protect and absorb (into Your own Self) this (visible) universe, unfailing of purpose and almighty as You are. (13)
As such You have descended (in the world of matter) for the annihilation of demons, goblins and ogres born as kings (lit., the conservators of the earth) and for the protection of the virtuous (who are the living standards of morality). (14)
Luckily enough by You, has been sportfully slain this demon (Keśi) in the form of a horse, frightened by whose neighs the gods (whose eyelids never fall) evacuated heaven. (15) (10-15)
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चाणूरं मुष्टिकं चैव मल्लानन्यांश्च हस्तिनम् ।
कंसं च निहतं द्रक्ष्ये परश्वोऽहनि ते विभो ॥ १६॥
तस्यानु शङ्खयवनमुराणां नरकस्य च ।
पारिजातापहरणमिन्द्रस्य च पराजयम् ॥ १७॥
उद्वाहं वीरकन्यानां वीर्यशुल्कादिलक्षणम् ।
नृगस्य मोक्षणं पापाद्द्वारकायां जगत्पते ॥ १८॥
स्यमन्तकस्य च मणेरादानं सह भार्यया ।
मृतपुत्रप्रदानं च ब्राह्मणस्य स्वधामतः ॥ १९॥
पौण्ड्रकस्य वधं पश्चात्काशिपुर्याश्च दीपनम् ।
दन्तवक्त्रस्य निधनं चैद्यस्य च महाक्रतौ ॥ २०॥
यानि चान्यानि वीर्याणि द्वारकामावसन् भवान् ।
कर्ता द्रक्ष्याम्यहं तानि गेयानि कविभिर्भुवि ॥ २१॥
अथ ते कालरूपस्य क्षपयिष्णोरमुष्य वै ।
अक्षौहिणीनां निधनं द्रक्ष्याम्यर्जुनसारथेः ॥ २२॥
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The day after tomorrow I shall see Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika and other wrestlers as well as the elephant (Kuvalayāpīḍa) and Karīsa (himself) slain by You, O almighty Lord! (16)
After that I shall witness the death (at Your hands) of the demon Pañcajana (living in the form of a conch), the Ionian hero (Kālayavana) and the demon Mura as well as of Naraka and (also) the carrying off (from heaven) of the (celestial) Pārijāta tree and the discomfiture of Indra (who will try to thwart Your purpose). (17)
I shall also behold the espousal (by You) of the daughters of heroes—which will be distinguished by the fact that show of valour will be the (only) price paid by You (for the same) and so on, and shall (further) witness the deliverance of King Nṛga at Dwārakā from sin (in the shape of unwittingly giving away a Brāhmaṇa's cow as his own, for which he was hurled into the womb of a chameleon), O Lord of the universe! (18)
I shall also witness the acceptance (by You) of the (brilliant) gem Syamantaka alongwith Jāmbavatī (for Your wife from the bear chief Jāmbavān) as well as the restoration to a Brāhmaṇa of his deceased son to be brought by You from Your own divine Abode (the realm of Mahākāla). (19)
I shall (further) witness the destruction (by You) of King Paṇḍraka and later on the setting on fire of the city of Kāśī (the modern Vārāṇasī) and (even so) the death (at Your hands) of Dantavaktra and (earlier) of Śiṣupāla (the king of Cedi) in the course of a great sacrifice (viz., the Rājasūya sacrifice to be performed by Emperor Yudhiṣṭhira). (20)
I shall also witness those feats of valour that You will perform while residing in Dwārakā and which will be celebrated in song by the poets on earth. (21)
I shall then behold the extermination of a number of Akṣauhiṇis (in the course of the great Mahābhārata war) by Yourself as Arjuna's charioteer and assuming the role of Kāla (the Time-Spirit) actually bent on the dissolution of this (visible) universe. (22) (16-22)
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विशुद्धविज्ञानघनं स्वसंस्थया
समाप्तसर्वार्थममोघवाञ्छितम् ।
स्वतेजसा नित्यनिवृत्तमाया-
गुणप्रवाहं भगवन्तमीमहि ॥ २३॥
त्वामीश्वरं स्वाश्रयमात्ममायया
विनिर्मिताशेषविशेषकल्पनम् ।
क्रीडार्थमद्यात्तमनुष्यविग्रहं
नतोऽस्मि धुर्यं यदुवृष्णिसात्वताम् ॥ २४॥
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We approach (for protection) the almighty Lord (in You), who is pure consciousness personified, who has fully achieved all His ends by virtue of His being established in His own (blissful) existence, whose desire never fails to yield its fruit and by whose effulgence (in the form of consciousness) the stream of the three Guṇas (in the shape of the world-process), having its origin in Māyā, is ever shut out from Him. (23)
I bow to You, the self-dependent almighty Lord who has evolved this (varied) creation out of all these differentiated categories (the Mahat-tattva etc.) brought forth by His own Māyā (creative energy), and who has now for the sake of sport assumed a human semblance as the foremost of the Yadus, the Vṛṣṇis and the Sātvatas. (24) (23-24)
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श्रीशुक उवाच ।
एवं यदुपतिं कृष्णं भागवतप्रवरो मुनिः ।
प्रणिपत्याभ्यनुज्ञातो ययौ तद्दर्शनोत्सवः ॥ २५॥
भगवानपि गोविन्दो हत्वा केशिनमाहवे ।
पशूनपालयत्पालैः प्रीतैर्व्रजसुखावहः ॥ २६॥
एकदा ते पशून् पालाश्चारयन्तोऽद्रिसानुषु ।
चक्रुर्निलायनक्रीडाश्चोरपालापदेशतः ॥ २७॥
तत्रासन् कतिचिच्चोराः पालाश्च कतिचिन्नृप ।
मेषायिताश्च तत्रैके विजह्रुरकुतोभयाः ॥ २८॥
मयपुत्रो महामायो व्योमो गोपालवेषधृक् ।
मेषायितानपोवाह प्रायश्चोरायितो बहून् ॥ २९॥
गिरिदर्यां विनिक्षिप्य नीतं नीतं महासुरः ।
शिलया पिदधे द्वारं चतुःपञ्चावशेषिताः ॥ ३०॥
तस्य तत्कर्म विज्ञाय कृष्णः शरणदः सताम् ।
गोपान् नयन्तं जग्राह वृकं हरिरिवौजसा ॥ ३१॥
स निजं रूपमास्थाय गिरीन्द्रसदृशं बली ।
इच्छन् विमोक्तुमात्मानं नाशक्नोद्ग्रहणातुरः ॥ ३२॥
तं निगृह्याच्युतो दोर्भ्यां पातयित्वा महीतले ।
पश्यतां दिवि देवानां पशुमारममारयत् ॥ ३३॥
गुहापिधानं निर्भिद्य गोपान्निःसार्य कृच्छ्रतः ।
स्तूयमानः सुरैर्गोपैः प्रविवेश स्वगोकुलम् ॥ ३४॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां
दशमस्कन्धे पूर्वार्धे व्योमासुरवधो नाम सप्तत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ॥ ३७॥
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Śrī Śuka continued : Having thus bowed low to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the Yadus, and gladly permitted by Him, the sage Nārada, the foremost of the Lord's devotees, who was filled with ecstatic delight at His sight, departed (for his abode in Satyaloka). (25)
Having made short work of the demon Keśī in a (personal) combat, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Protector of cows) too continued to tend the cattle as usual in the company of the cowherd boys, who were (deeply) attached to Him, bringing delight (thereby) to (the entire) Vraja. (26)
Once, while pasturing the cattle on the mountain heights, the cowherd boys played various games of (cleverly) smuggling others' goods under the guise of thieves and guards. (27)
Of them some played the part of thieves and others acted as watchmen, O protector of men; while still others of the Gopas played the role of rams. In this way they sported fearlessly. (28)
Maya's son Vyoma (a demon), who was adept in great conjuring tricks and who made his appearance there in the guise of a cowherd boy, often playing the part of a thief, carried away many cowherd boys that were playing the role of rams. (29)
Laying down each cowherd boy he carried away into a mountain cave, the mighty demon closed its entrance with a (large) slab. (In this way only) four or five (of the Gopas) remained (outside the cave). (30)
Perceiving that work of the demon, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who affords protection to the righteous, forcibly seized Him even as he was carrying away the cowherd boys, just as a lion would seize a wolf. (31)
Resuming his natural (demoniac) form, resembling a huge mountain, the powerful demon, who was feeling pained by the grip, sought to extricate himself but could not. (32)
Catching hold of the demon by the arms and dashing him to the ground, Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the immortal Lord), made short work of him by gagging him and squeezing his windpipe while the gods in heaven stood looking on. (33)
Having broken asunder the rock that blocked the mouth of the cave and rescuing the cowherd boys from their uncomfortable situation, and being glorified by the gods as well as the Gopas, the Lord withdrew to His (realm of) Vraja. (34)
Thus ends the thirty-seventh discourse entitled "The demon Vyoma slain," in the first half of Book Ten of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahāṃsa-Sarhhitā. (25-34)
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