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2024-04-24, 6:23 AM |
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Chapter 52:
The Lords
Leap from a Mountain and Rukminî's Message to Lord
Krishna
(1)
S'rî
S'uka said: 'In this manner, my dear, being graced by Krishna
circumambulated the descendant of Ikshvâku Him bowing
down and left he through the mouth of the cave.
(2)
Noticing that the human beings, the animals, plants and trees
were all in a poor condition concluded he that Kali-yuga had
arrived and went he in the northern direction [compare
1.15:
44].
(3)
With faith in the process of penance was he, seriously detached
from a materially motivated association with people, freed from
doubts and thus having fixed his mind upon Krishna he reached
the mountain Gandhamâdana ['the nice smell'].
(4)
Reaching Badarikâs'rama [see e.g. 3.4:
4; 4.12:
16; 5.4:
5; 7.11:
6], the residence
of Nara-Nârâyana, worshiped he, with respecting all
duality, the Lord from the peace he had found with his
austerity.
(5)
The
Supreme Lord turned back to His city Mathurâ that was
surrounded by the Yavanas and brought, after killing the
barbarian army, their riches to Dvârakâ.
(6)
As Acyuta by oxen and men was engaged in taking the wealth,
arrived there Jarâsandha leading twenty-three armies.
(7)
Seeing the powerful waves of soldiers of the enemy armies ran
the two Mâdhavas, adopting a human course, o King,
quickly away. (8)
Abandoning the load of goods acting like cowards who are
afraid, covered They, actually not afraid at all, with Their
lotuspetal feet many yojanas. (9)
Seeing the Two fleeing laughed the mighty ruler of
Mâghada loudly and pursued he with charioteers and
soldiers the Lords, not being quite aware of Their special
nature. (10)
Having put Their powers to a test full speed having run a long
distance, climbed They a very high mountain known as
Pravarshana ['the rainy one'] where the mighty one
[Indra] is always showering rains. (11)
Knowing that They were hiding on the mountain, but not exactly
where o King, set he, with firewood igniting fires on all
sides, the mountain ablaze. (12)
Quickly leaping down from it being eleven yojanas high
and burning on all sides, fell They to the ground.
(13)
Not being seen by Their opponent or his helpers returned the
two finest Yadus to Their city which had the ocean as its moat,
o King. (14)
The king of the Magadhas on his part mistakenly thought that
Balarâma and Kes'ava had burned in the fire and went to
Magadha pulling back his huge force. (15)
As previously stated gave the opulent sovereign of
Ânarta, named Raivata, on the order of Brahmâ
Balarâma his daughter Raivatî in marriage
[9.3:
33-36].
(16-17)
Govinda the Supreme Lord Himself, married, o hero among the
Kurus, Vaidarbhî [Rukminî] the daughter of
Bhîshmaka, to her own choice. She was a plenary portion
of the goddess of fortune. By force overruling S'âlva and
other kings in support of S'is'upâla, accomplished He
this [by stealing her away] before the eyes of all the
people, just like the son of Târkshya [Garuda,
stole] the nectar of heaven.'
(18)
The
honorable king said: 'In the manner of a Râkshasa [by
kidnapping thus], so I heard, married the Supreme Lord thus
Rukminî, the daughter of Bhîshmaka with the
charming face. (19)
O lord, I'd like to hear about how Krishna stole away the
bride, with His immeasurable potency defeating such kings as
Jarasândha and S'âlva. (20)
O brahmin! Who can ever all understand what is said and get
enough of hearing about the always new [see
10.45:
48] propitious,
delightful topics of Krishna which remove the contamination of
the world?'
(21)
The
son of Vyâsa said: 'There was a king named
Bhîshmaka, the great ruler of Vidarbha, of whom there
were five sons and one daughter with an exceptionally pretty
face. (22)
Rukmî was the first born son, followed by Rukmaratha,
Rukmabâhu, Rukmakes'a and Rukmamâlî;
Rukminî their sister was of a saintly character
[rukma means: 'what is bright or radiant'].
(23)
She, from hearing Mukunda's beauty, prowess, character and
opulences being sung by those who came to her family home,
deemed Him a suitable husband. (24)
Krishna, finding her as a repository of intelligence,
auspicious marks, magnanimity, beauty, good behavior and other
qualities a suitable wife, then took the decision to marry her.
(25)
Even though the family wanted to give the sister to Krishna o
King, was this by Rukmî, who hated Krishna, prevented; he
thought more of S'is'upâla. (26)
The princess of Vidarbha with her dark eyes unhappy with that
knowledge, pained her mind and quickly sent a certain
dependable brahmin to Krishna. (27)
He, arriving at Dvârakâ, brought inside by the
gatekeepers saw the Original Person seated on a golden throne.
(28)
The Lord Good to the Brahmins seeing him got down from His
throne, seated him and performed worship the way the residents
of heaven worship Him. (29)
With him having eaten and rested approached the Goal of the
Saintly Devotees him in order to personally give him a massage
for his feet and asked He him patiently: (30)
'My
best, are the religious practices sanctioned by your
first-class, twice-born seniors, proceeding without too much
difficulty and are you always happy within? (31)
When a brahmin satisfied carries on with whatever [comes
his way], not falling short in his religious duty, will
those [practices] for him every way be the cow of
plenty. (32)
Dissatisfied will he, even though he is the master of the
godly, again and again end up in various worlds; but satisfied
will he, even though destitute, rest with all his limbs free
from pain and fever. (33)
To the learned who are satisfied with their progress [in
self-realization] I bow My head again and again because
they, void of false ego, are of the saintly and of all living
beings, peaceful as they are the best well-wishers [see
also B.G. 2:
71, 12:
13-14].
(34)
Are you faring well with what the king all does, o brahmin? For
the king whose subjects are happy to live protected in his
state is very dear to Me. (35)
From where, crossing the [ocean of] troubles, did you
arrive here and for what purpose; please tell Us everything, if
its not a secret; what is it We may do for
you?'
(36)
With
the Supreme Being, who for the sake of His pastimes assumes His
bodies, thus asking these questions, related the brahmin
everything to Him: (37)
'S'rî Rukminî has said: 'O Most Beautiful One of
all the Worlds, hearing that for all those who hear about Your
qualities You, entering through the openings of their ears,
remove the distress of their bodies and that they who have eyes
to see the beauty of You, obtain the complete fulfillment of
all desires, have I without shame installed You in my mind!
(38)
Who, o Mukunda, is Your equal in aristocratic background,
character, beauty, knowledge, youth, property and influence?
What sober and marriageable girl of a good family would, coming
of age, not choose for her husband You, o lion among men, who
are so delightful to the minds of all mankind? (39)
Therefore have I
chosen Your good Self, dear Lord, for my husband and offer I
myself as a wife to You, o Omnipotent One, please accept me;
may the king of Cedi [S'is'upâla] never, like a
jackal away with what belongs to the king of the animals, touch
what is allotted to the hero. (40)
Let with the Supreme Lord, the Highest Controller sufficiently
worshiped by means of pious works, sacrifices, charity,
observances, vows, honoring the gods, the gurus and the learned
and other activities, the elder brother of Gada
[9.24:
46] come and take
my hand and not the son of Damaghosha or others like him.
(41)
The day before the marriage takes place You must come to
Vidarbha, o Invincible One, in secret surrounded by Your
officers to crush fighting the armed resistance of the kings of
Caidya and Magadha and take me in marriage in the
râkshasa style as the reward for Your valor.
(42)
How to carry me, moving within my quarters, away without
killing my relatives, You might say; let me tell You how to: on
the day before is there for the presiding deity of the family a
large ceremonial procession outside in which the new bride
approaches the goddess Girijâ [Ambikâ
in her temple]. (43)
Great souls, like the husband of Ûma [S'iva], in
order to overcome their own ignorance hanker to bathe in the
dust of Your lotus feet; when I, o Lotus-eyed One, cannot
obtain Your mercy I ought to give up my life in being weakened
by vows, so that I [finally] obtain You after a hundred
births more.' (44)
[The brahmin ended with:] This is the confidential
message brought by me, o Lord of the Yadus, so please consider
what immediately following up on this matter needs to be
done.'
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