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2024-03-29, 1:40 PM |
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Chapter 61:
Lord
Balarâma Slays Rukmî at Aniruddha's
Wedding
(1)
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Each of the wives of Krishna gave birth to ten
sons no less than their Father in all His personal opulence.
(2)
Never seeing Acyuta leaving their palaces considered every one
of the princesses herself the one most dear; the women didn't
know the truth about Him. (3)
Fully enchanted by the Supreme Lord His face beautiful as the
whorl of a lotus, His long arms, His eyes and loving glances,
witty approach and charming talks could the women, with their
appeal, not conquer the mind of the One All-powerful.
(4)
In spite of their romantic signs beamed from their arched
brows, hidden looks and coy smiles, so enchanting displaying
their intentions, were the sixteen thousand wives by their
arrows of Cupid and other means not able to agitate the senses
[of Krishna]. (5)
These women this way obtaining as their spouse the Lord of
Ramâ, relating to whom not even Lord Brahmâ and the
other gods know the means to attain, partook eagerly
anticipating for the ever-fresh intimate association with
pleasure, smiles and glances in the incessant and increasing
loving attraction [as in 10.59:
44].
(6)
Though having hundreds of maidservants were they,
[personally] approaching Him, offering a seat, being of
first-class worship, washing His feet, serving with betelnut,
giving massages and fanning Him, with fragrances, garlands,
dressing His hair, arranging His bed, bathing and presenting
gifts to Him, of service to the Almighty Lord [as in
10.59:
45].
(7)
Of those [16008 **] wives of Krishna previously
mentioned who each had ten sons there were eight principal
queens of whom I'll recite their sons headed by
Pradyumna.
(8-9)
By
the Lord begotten in Rukminî [see 10.54:
60] there were,
no way inferior to Him, [with Pradyumna first]
Cârudeshna, Sudeshna and the powerful Cârudeha;
Sucâru, Cârugupta, Bhadracâru and another one
called Cârucandra as well as Vicâru and Câru,
the tenth. (10-12)
The ten sons of Sathyabhâmâ [10.56:
44] were
Bhânu, Subhânu, Svarbhânu, Prabhânu,
Bhânumân and Candrabhânu; as also
Brihadbhânu, the eight one Atibhânu and
S'rîbhânu and Pratibhânu
[bhânu
means lustre, splendor].
Sâmba, Sumitra, Purujit, S'atajit and Sahasrajit; Vijaya
and Citraketu, Vasumân, Dravida and Kratu were the sons
of Jâmbavatî [10.56:
32]. It were
indeed these ones headed by Sâmba who were their Father's
favorites [see
also 7.1:
2 &
12].
(13)
Vîra, Candra and As'vasena; Citragu, Vegavân,
Vrisha, Âma, S'anku, Vasu and the so very beautiful Kunti
were the sons of Nâgnajitî [or Satyâ, see
10.58:
55].
(14)
S'ruta, Kavi, Vrisha, Vîra, Subâhu, the one called
Bhadra, S'ânti, Dars'a and Pûrnamâsa were,
with Somaka as the youngest, the sons of Kâlindî
[10.58:
23].
(15)
Praghosha, Gâtravân, Simha, Bala, Prabala, and
Ûrdhaga were with Mahâs'akti, Saha, Oja and
Aparâjita the sons of Mâdrâ [see
*].
(16)
Vrika, Harsha, Anila, Gridhra, Vardhana, Unnâda,
Mahâmsa, Pâvana and Vahni were with Kshudhi the
sons of Mitravindâ [10.58:
31].
(17)
Sangrâmajit, Brihatsena, S'ûra, Praharana, Arijit,
Jaya and Subhadra were together with Vâma, Âyur and
Satyaka the sons of Bhadrâ [10.58:
56].
(18)
Dîptimân, Tâmratapta and others were the sons
of Lord Krishna and Rohinî [*].
O King, from Pradyumna was, as He was living in the city of
Bhojakatha [Rukmî's domain] then, begotten in
Rukmavatî, the daughter of Rukmî, the greatly
powerful Aniruddha born [see also 4.24:
35-36].
(19)
Of these sons and grandsons were born tens of millions, o King,
for the mothers of the descendants of Krishna numbered sixteen
thousand.'
(20)
The
king said: 'How could Rukmî give his daughter to the son
of his Enemy in marriage? Defeated by Krishna in battle awaited
he the opportunity to kill Him. Please explain to me, o learned
one, how this marriage between the two enemies could be
arranged. (21)
Yogis [like you] are perfectly able to see the past,
the present, as well as what hasn't happened yet, things far
away, things blocked by obstacles and things beyond the
senses.'
(22)
S'rî
S'uka said: 'At her svayamvara ceremony did she
[Rukmavatî] choose the Cupid manifest [that
was Pradyumna] who with a single chariot, in battle
defeating the assembled kings, took her away. (23)
Rukmî, even though he always thought of the enmity with
Krishna who had insulted him [10.54:
35], granted, in
order to please his sister [Rukminî], his
daughter his nephew. (24)
The young large-eyed daughter of Rukminî,
Cârumatî, married, so is said, o King, the son of
Kritavarmâ named Balî. (25)
Rukmî, despite of his being bound in enmity to the Lord,
gave to his daughter's son, Aniruddha, his granddaughter named
Rocanâ; aware that the marriage was against the dharma
[of not siding as such with the enemy], preferred he,
constrained by the ropes of affection, to please his sister
with that marriage. (26)
To the occasion of that happy event, o King, went
Rukminî, Balarâma and Kes'ava [Krishna],
Sâmba, Pradyumna and others, to the city of
Bhojakatha.
(27-28)
After
the ceremony spoke some
arrogant kings led by the ruler of Kalinga to Rukmî: 'You
should defeat Balarâma with a game of dice. Really not
that good at it is He, o King, nevertheless greatly fascinated
by it', thus they said and consequently inviting Balarâma
played Rukmî a game of dice with Him. (29)
In that match accepting a wager of first a hundred, then a
thousand and then a ten thousand [gold coins] was it
Rukmî though who won, whereupon the king of Kalinga
loudly laughed at Balarâma baring his teeth freely. This
could the Carrier of the Plow not forgive him. (30)
Rukmî next accepted a bet of a hundred thousand which
then by Balarâma was won, but Rukmî, resorting to
deception, said 'I've won!'
(31)
With
a mind boiling like the ocean on the day of a full moon
accepted the handsome Balarâma, whose naturally reddish
eyes were burning with anger, a wager of a hundred million.
(32)
Balarâma fairly won that game also but Rukmî again
resorting to deceit said: 'It's won by me. May these witnesses
confirm that!'
(33)
Then
a voice spoke from the sky: 'It indeed was Balarâma who
won the wager, the words Rukmî spoke are a blunt
lie!'
(34)
Discarding
that voice did the prince of Vidarbha, urged on by the wicked
kings on a crash course, in ridicule say to Sankarshana:
(35)
'You cowherds indeed are good at roaming in the forest, not at
playing dice; to sport with dice and arrows is for kings, not
for the likes of you!'
(36)
This
way in the auspicious assembly [of the marriage] by
Rukmî insulted and being the laughingstock of the kings
present, raised He angered His club and struck He him dead.
(37)
Quickly seizing the fleeing king of Kalinga in his tenth step,
knocked He in rage out the teeth he had bared in laughing
[see also 4.5:
21].
(38)
Other kings tormented by Balarâma's club got their arms,
legs and heads broken and fled terrified drenched in blood.
(39)
The fact that his brother-in-law, Rukmî, had been slain,
o King, was by the Lord, afraid to break the bond of affection
with Rukminî and Balarâma, neither applauded nor
protested. (40)
Then, headed by Râma, placed the descendants of
Das'ârha the groom together with His bride on His chariot
and set they, of whom under the shelter of Madhusûdana
all purposes had been fulfilled, off from Bhojakatha to head
for Kus'asthalî [another name of
Dvârakâ].'
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