॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ पञ्चपञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः - ५५ ॥
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Discourse LV
The story of Pradyumna's birth (and the destruction of the demon Śambara) (Preamble)
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श्रीशुक उवाच ।
कामस्तु वासुदेवांशो दग्धः प्राग्रुद्रमन्युना ।
देहोपपत्तये भूयस्तमेव प्रत्यपद्यत ॥ १॥
स एव जातो वैदर्भ्यां कृष्णवीर्यसमुद्भवः ।
प्रद्युम्न इति विख्यातः सर्वतोऽनवमः पितुः ॥ २॥
तं शम्बरः कामरूपी हृत्वा तोकमनिर्दशम् ।
स विदित्वाऽऽत्मनः शत्रुं प्रास्योदन्वत्यगाद्गृहम् ॥ ३॥
तं निर्जगार बलवान् मीनः सोऽप्यपरैः सह ।
वृतो जालेन महता गृहीतो मत्स्यजीविभिः ॥ ४॥
तं शम्बराय कैवर्ता उपाजह्रुरुपायनम् ।
सूदा महानसं नीत्वावद्यन् सुधितिनाद्भुतम् ॥ ५॥
दृष्ट्वा तदुदरे बालं मायावत्यै न्यवेदयन् ।
नारदोऽकथयत्सर्वं तस्याः शङ्कितचेतसः ।
बालस्य तत्त्वमुत्पत्तिं मत्स्योदरनिवेशनम् ॥ ६॥
सा च कामस्य वै पत्नी रतिर्नाम यशस्विनी ।
पत्युर्निर्दग्धदेहस्य देहोत्पत्तिं प्रतीक्षती ॥ ७॥
निरूपिता शम्बरेण सा सूदौदनसाधने ।
कामदेवं शिशुं बुद्ध्वा चक्रे स्नेहं तदार्भके ॥ ८॥
नातिदीर्घेण कालेन स कार्ष्णी रूढयौवनः ।
जनयामास नारीणां वीक्षन्तीनां च विभ्रमम् ॥ ९॥
सा तं पतिं पद्मदलायतेक्षणं
प्रलम्बबाहुं नरलोकसुन्दरम् ।
सव्रीडहासोत्तभितभ्रुवेक्षती
प्रीत्योपतस्थे रतिरङ्ग सौरतैः ॥ १०॥
तामाह भगवान् कार्ष्णिर्मातस्ते मतिरन्यथा ।
मातृभावमतिक्रम्य वर्तसे कामिनी यथा ॥ ११॥
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Śrī Śuka began again : Having been burnt (to ashes) in his former birth by the wrath of Rudra (the god of destruction), Kāma (the god of love), a portion of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, sought for his part Him alone once more for investiture with a body. (1)
Sprung from the loins of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the selfsame god of love was (re-) born of Rukmiṇī (the princess of Vidarbha) and became widely known as Pradyumna, and proved to be a compeer of his Father in every respect. (2)
Coming to know Pradyumna to be his (future) enemy, the demon Śambara, who could assume any form at will, carried off the babe (from the lying-in-chamber) while it was not yet ten days old and, casting it into the sea, went home. (3)
A mighty fish swallowed it and the former too was alongwith others enmeshed in a huge net by fishermen. (4)
The fishermen brought the fish as a present to Śambara and the cooks (in charge of his kitchen) took it into the kitchen and cut the wonderful fish with a knife. (5)
Discovering a babe in the bowels of the fish, they handed it over to Māyāvati (a maid-servant of Śambara), whose mind was full of doubts; and the celestial sage Nārada (presently) told her everything as to who the babe was, how it was born and how it had (finally) made its way into the bowels of the fish. (6)
The maid-servant was really speaking (no other than) the illustrious consort of Kāma, Rati by name, who had been (eagerly) awaiting (all the while) the reincarnation of her spouse, whose body had been burnt to ashes (by Lord Śiva). (7)
Having been entrusted with (the work of) cooking pulses and rice, she fastened her affection on the babe now that she had come to know the child to be (none other than) Kāmadeva (the god of love). (8)
At no distant date Pradyumna (the son of Śrī Kṛṣṇa) attained (the prime of) youth and kindled love in the breast of women who gazed on him. (9)
Lovingly regarding him, her husband—who had eyes big as the petals of a lotus and exceptionally long arms, nay, who was charming among men—with bashful smiles and upraised eyebrows, Rati, O dear Parikṣit, greeted him with amorous gestures. (10)
Lord Pradyumna (the son of Śrī Kṛṣṇa) said to her, "(I find that) your affection (towards me) has got perverted inasmuch as, having abandoned your motherly sentiment, you are behaving as a paramour (which is rather strange), O mother!" (11) (1-11)
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रतिरुवाच ।
भवान् नारायणसुतः शम्बरेण हृतो गृहात् ।
अहं तेऽधिकृता पत्नी रतिः कामो भवान् प्रभो ॥ १२॥
एष त्वानिर्दशं सिन्धावक्षिपच्छम्बरोऽसुरः ।
मत्स्योऽग्रसीत्तदुदरादिह प्राप्तो भवान् प्रभो ॥ १३॥
तमिमं जहि दुर्धर्षं दुर्जयं शत्रुमात्मनः ।
मायाशतविदं त्वं च मायाभिर्मोहनादिभिः ॥ १४॥
परिशोचति ते माता कुररीव गतप्रजा ।
पुत्रस्नेहाकुला दीना विवत्सा गौरिवातुरा ॥ १५॥
प्रभाष्यैवं ददौ विद्यां प्रद्युम्नाय महात्मने ।
मायावती महामायां सर्वमायाविनाशिनीम् ॥ १६॥
स च शम्बरमभ्येत्य संयुगाय समाह्वयत् ।
अविषह्यैस्तमाक्षेपैः क्षिपन् सञ्जनयन् कलिम् ॥ १७॥
सोऽधिक्षिप्तो दुर्वचोभिः पादाहत इवोरगः ।
निश्चक्राम गदापाणिरमर्षात्ताम्रलोचनः ॥ १८॥
गदामाविध्य तरसा प्रद्युम्नाय महात्मने ।
प्रक्षिप्य व्यनदन्नादं वज्रनिष्पेषनिष्ठुरम् ॥ १९॥
तामापतन्तीं भगवान् प्रद्युम्नो गदया गदाम् ।
अपास्य शत्रवे क्रुद्धः प्राहिणोत्स्वगदां नृप ॥ २०॥
स च मायां समाश्रित्य दैतेयीं मयदर्शिताम् ।
मुमुचेऽस्त्रमयं वर्षं कार्ष्णौ वैहायसोऽसुरः ॥ २१॥
बाध्यमानोऽस्त्रवर्षेण रौक्मिणेयो महारथः ।
सत्त्वात्मिकां महाविद्यां सर्वमायोपमर्दिनीम् ॥ २२॥
ततो गौह्यकगान्धर्वपैशाचोरगराक्षसीः ।
प्रायुङ्क्त शतशो दैत्यः कार्ष्णिर्व्यधमयत्स ताः ॥ २३॥
निशातमसिमुद्यम्य सकिरीटं सकुण्डलम् ।
शम्बरस्य शिरः कायात्ताम्रश्मश्र्वोजसाहरत् ॥ २४॥
आकीर्यमाणो दिविजैः स्तुवद्भिः कुसुमोत्करैः ।
भार्ययाम्बरचारिण्या पुरं नीतो विहायसा ॥ २५॥
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Rati replied : "You are the son of Nārāyaṇa (Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa), who were stolen away by the demon Śambara from the lying-in-chamber. I am your appointed wife, Rati, and you are (no other than) Love, my consort ! (12)
While you were not yet ten days old, the said demon Śambara cast you into the sea, where a fish devoured you and from the bowels of that fish you have reached this place (the residence of Śambara), my spouse ! (13)
Get rid of this demon, your formidable foe—(so) difficult to conquer, knowing as he does hundreds of wiles—by recourse to (similar) wiles like stupefaction. (14)
Overwhelmed with parental affection, your afflicted and disconsolate mother, is wailing like a she-osprey whose young has departed or like a cow deprived of its calf." (15)
Advising him thus, Māyāvatī (Rati, so-called because of her being adept in wiles) imparted to the high-souled Pradyumna a spell called Mahāmāyā, which was capable of undoing all kinds of wiles. (16)
Approaching Śambara, Pradyumna accordingly challenged him to a combat, reproaching him with unbearable taunts and (thus) stirring up strife. (17)
Taunted with abuses, Śambara, like a serpent trodden under foot, sallied forth, mace in hand, his eyes suffused with blood through indignation. (18)
Whirling his mace with (great) velocity and hurling it at the high-minded Pradyumna, he uttered a roar harsh as a clap of thunder. (19)
Beating back with his own the mace as it came flying at him, the almighty Pradyumna angrily hurled his own mace at the enemy, O protector of men ! (20)
Fully resorting to the illusive demoniac devices taught by Maya, the demon rained a volley of missiles on Pradyumna (the son of Śrī Kṛṣṇa), himself remaining (unperceived) in the air. (21)
Being plagued with the shower of missiles, Pradyumna (the son of Rukmiṇī), who was a great car-warrior (able to encounter ten thousand warriors single-handed) brought into use a great charm consisting (purely) of Sattva and capable of rendering ineffectual all kinds of illusive devices. (22)
The demon then employed hundreds of illusive devices practised by the Guhyakas (Yakṣas), Gandharvas (celestial musicians), Piśācas (fiends), Nāgas and Rākṣasas (ogre). The celebrated Pradyumna (the son of Śrī Kṛṣṇa) counteracted them (all). (23)
Taking up a sharp-edged sword, he then forcibly severed from Śambara's body his head with a coppery beard and moustaches alongwith his diadem and ear-rings. (24)
Being showered over with heaps of flowers by heavenly beings, who were singing his praises (all the while), Pradyumna was taken to Dvārakā through the air by his consort (Māyāvatī), who was capable of journeying by the air. (25) (12-25)
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अन्तःपुरवरं राजन् ललनाशतसङ्कुलम् ।
विवेश पत्न्या गगनाद्विद्युतेव बलाहकः ॥ २६॥
तं दृष्ट्वा जलदश्यामं पीतकौशेयवाससम् ।
प्रलम्बबाहुं ताम्राक्षं सुस्मितं रुचिराननम् ॥ २७॥
स्वलङ्कृतमुखाम्भोजं नीलवक्रालकालिभिः ।
कृष्णं मत्वा स्त्रियो ह्रीता निलिल्युस्तत्र तत्र ह ॥ २८॥
अवधार्य शनैरीषद्वैलक्षण्येन योषितः ।
उपजग्मुः प्रमुदिताः सस्त्रीरत्नं सुविस्मिताः ॥ २९॥
अथ तत्रासितापाङ्गी वैदर्भी वल्गुभाषिणी ।
अस्मरत्स्वसुतं नष्टं स्नेहस्नुतपयोधरा ॥ ३०॥
को न्वयं नरवैदूर्यः कस्य वा कमलेक्षणः ।
धृतः कया वा जठरे केयं लब्धा त्वनेन वा ॥ ३१॥
मम चाप्यात्मजो नष्टो नीतो यः सूतिकागृहात् ।
एतत्तुल्यवयोरूपो यदि जीवति कुत्रचित् ॥ ३२॥
कथं त्वनेन सम्प्राप्तं सारूप्यं शार्ङ्गधन्वनः ।
आकृत्यावयवैर्गत्या स्वरहासावलोकनैः ॥ ३३॥
स एव वा भवेन्नूनं यो मे गर्भे धृतोऽर्भकः ।
अमुष्मिन् प्रीतिरधिका वामः स्फुरति मे भुजः ॥ ३४॥
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Like a cloud attended with lightning, Pradyumna descended with his spouse from the sky into the magnificent gynaecium crowded with hundreds of ladies. (26)
Seeing him, sombre as a cloud and clad in yellow silk, with exceptionally long arms and reddish eyes, wearing a winsome smile and a charming countenance, his lotus-like face graced with locks of dark-blue curly hair, and thinking him to be Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the ladies, so the story goes, hid themselves wherever they could (out of bashfulness). (27-28)
Concluding gradually through slight dissimilarity (viz., the absence of Kaustubha and Śrīvatsa) that he was not Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the ladies went up to him overjoyed, yet greatly amazed to find him accompanied with an excellent young lady. (29)
Presently Rukmiṇī (the princess of Vidarbha)—the corners of whose eyes were (naturally) dark (without the use of collyrium) and who was gifted with a sweet tongue—recalled on that occasion (through similarity of features) her own lost son, milk flowing from her breasts through (maternal) affection. (30)
(She said to herself,) "Who could this jewel among men with lotus-eyes possibly be? Again, whose son may he be or by whom was he borne in her womb and who, in fact may be this young woman obtained by him (through good-luck)?" (31)
My own son too—who was stolen away (by some evil spirit) from the lying-in-chamber and has been missing (all these years)—must have attained an age similar to this boy's and come to possess similar features, should he be living anywhere. (32)
But how could this boy acquire (such) similarity of form with the Lord bearing the Śārīga bow in point of features, limbs, gait, voice, smiles and glances? (33)
Or he may undoubtedly be the selfsame boy who was borne in my womb; (for) great is my affection for him and my left arm is throbbing. (34) (26-34)
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एवं मीमांसमानायां वैदर्भ्यां देवकीसुतः ।
देवक्यानकदुन्दुभ्यामुत्तमश्लोक आगमत् ॥ ३५॥
विज्ञातार्थोऽपि भगवांस्तूष्णीमास जनार्दनः ।
नारदोऽकथयत्सर्वं शम्बराहरणादिकम् ॥ ३६॥
तच्छ्रुत्वा महदाश्चर्यं कृष्णान्तःपुरयोषितः ।
अभ्यनन्दन् बहूनब्दान् नष्टं मृतमिवागतम् ॥ ३७॥
देवकी वसुदेवश्च कृष्णरामौ तथा स्त्रियः ।
दम्पती तौ परिष्वज्य रुक्मिणी च ययुर्मुदम् ॥ ३८॥
नष्टं प्रद्युम्नमायातमाकर्ण्य द्वारकौकसः ।
अहो मृत इवायातो बालो दिष्ट्येति हाब्रुवन् ॥ ३९॥
यं वै मुहुः पितृसरूपनिजेशभावा-
स्तन्मातरो यदभजन् रहरूढभावाः ।
चित्रं न तत्खलु रमास्पदबिम्बबिम्बे
कामे स्मरेऽक्षविषये किमुतान्यनार्यः ॥ ४०॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां
संहितायां दशमस्कन्धे उत्तरार्धे प्रद्युम्नोत्पत्ति-
निरूपणं नाम पञ्चपञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः ॥ ५५॥
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While Rukmiṇī (the princess of Vidarbha) was thus speculating, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Son of Devakī) of excellent renown made His appearance (there) alongwith (His parents) Devakī and Vasudeva. (35)
Although the (whole) truth was fully known to Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (who is petitioned by all men) remained quiet. The sage Nārada (however) narrated (to them) everything as to how the demon Śambara had stolen away the boy (while he was yet a babe) and so on. (36)
Hearing of that great miracle (viz., the baby's escaping alive and unhurt from the bowels of a fish and his subsequently killing a powerful demon) the ladies of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's gynaecium greeted with joy the boy who had been missing for many years (past) and had returned (to life) as it were, though (once) dead. (37)
Devakī and Vasudeva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, as well as Rukmiṇī and the other ladies were transported with joy to embrace the (newly arrived) couple. (38)
Hearing that Pradyumna had returned, though (long) lost, the citizens of Dwarakā—so the story goes—said (to one another), "Oh, the boy has by good-luck come back (to life) as it were though (once) dead!" (39)
Indeed it is no wonder that when Pradyumna (Love incarnate)—whose very thought agitates one's mind, nay, who was an exact likeness of the personality of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Abode of Ramā, the goddess of beauty and good fortune)—came within sight, (even) his mothers, who often (mis-) took him for their own Spouse due to his close resemblance with his Father, sought seclusion (out of modesty, love being kindled in their heart). Much more did other women feel like that in his presence. (40)
Thus ends the fifty-fifth discourse entitled "The story of Pradyumna's birth," in the latter half of Book Ten of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahārīsa-Sarhhitā. (35-40)
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