Thereupon in the clear morning when the sun rose the Rishi Nārada, alone, smilingly entered the Darbar Hall. Seeing Krishna there along with all the Yadavas he applauded Mādhava exclaiming his victory and honored Ugrasena and others. Though the highly powerful Krishna, invincible in battle, was absent-minded still he rose up and received Nārada dedicating to him Madhuparka and cows (72–74). Afterwards seated on a white seat covered with a costly cover the celestial saint gave vent to the following pregnant words (75). Nārada said:—"Why are you all, like eunuchs, possessed by anxiety, silent, dispirited and discouraged?" After the high-souled Nārada had said this Vāsudeva replied:—"O reverend sir, O Brahman, Aniruddha has been stolen away by somebody in the night. We are all anxious for him. Tell us, O Muni of firm vows, if you have heard or seen anything about him. O sinless one, by this you will do me a good work (76–79)." Thus addressed by the high-souled Keshava he smilingly replied:—"Hear, O Madhusudana, Vāna, of incomparable energy has a daughter by name Ushā. For her, the Apsara Chitralekhā has taken away Kāma's son; for this, a great encounter, like that, between the gods and Asuras, has ensued between Vāna and Aniruddha. Vanquished in battle, Vāna, resorting in fear to his illusory powers, has fettered the highly powerful Aniruddha with serpentine shafts. O Garudadhwaja, Vāna ordered for his death, but his minister Kumbhānda has prevented him from doing so. When the prince Aniruddha engaged in a conflict with Vāna the latter bound him with serpentine shafts by resorting only to his illusory power. Aniruddha is not still deprived of life; that hero is waiting patiently. Therefore O Krishna, those, who long for victories, should not now try to keep their own lives. Rise up soon and you will acquire success and fame (80–88)".
Vaishampāyana said:—Thus addressed the powerful and energetic Vāsudeva made all arrangements for marching. When the large-armed Janārddana was about to start the citizens, from all sides, showered on him sandal powder and fried paddy (89-90).
Narada said:—O large-armed Krishna, thou shouldst now think of Garuda, for save him no one will be able to wend that way. Hear, how very difficult passage is that, Janarddana. Shonitpura, where Aniruddha is now residing, is eleven thousand yojanas distant from this place. The highly powerful son of Vinata is fleet like the mind; he will point out Vāna within a moment. O Govinda, therefore send for him; he will take you there (91-94).
Vaishampāyana said:—Hearing the words of Nārada Govinda thought of Garuda in his mind: and he too, with folded hands, arrived before Krishna. Having bowed unto the high-souled son of Devaki the great son of Vinata said in sweet words:—"O large-armed and lotus-navelled lord, why hast thou thought of me? I wish to know what thou dost want me to do. O lord, on whose city am I to tread and destroy it. Govinda, by thy favour who does not know my strength? O hero, O thou of large arms, who does not know the force of thy club and the fire of thy discus? What stupid man, out of pride, is desirous of meeting with his own destruction? On whose neck will Baladeva, adorned with a garland of wild flowers, set his lion-faced plough-share? O lord, will whose body, consumed, be mixed with earth to-day? O Mādhava, whose mind will be agitated to-day with the blare of thy conch-shell? Who will with his family repair to the city of Yama?" (95-101)
After the intelligent son of Vinatā had said this Vāsudeva replied:—"Hear, O foremost of birds. Unconquerable Aniruddha has been, for Ushā, captivated by Vāna in the city of Shonita. O king of birds, lustful Aniruddha has been fettered with poisonous serpents. I have invited you for releasing him. O you of great power, no body else can wend that way. Do you therefore speedily take me where Aniruddha is. O hero, your daughter-in-law Vaidarbhi, fond of her son, is continually weeping. May that lady, by your favour, be united with her son. O hero, O you of great arms, O slayer of snakes, formerly united with me you stole away ambrosia. You are my carrier and all the Vrishnis are your votaries. Preserve the request of love and devotion to-day. By my good works I swear, there is none amongst the birds who can fly so quickly as you. Killing the warriors with the flapping of your wings you, alone formerly released your mother from slavery. Placing the gods on your back you, with force, range many impassable countries. And by your help they acquire victories. In heaviness you are like the mount Meru and in lightness you are like air. There had been none before powerful like you, there is none at present and there will be none in future. O great, highly effulgent and truthful son of Vinatā, now help us for a moment for Aniruddha" (102-112).
Garuda said:—"O large-armed Krishna, wonderful is thy word. O Keshava, all my victories are owing to thy favour. O slayer of Madhu, I am honored and blessed with thy praising me thus. O large-armed Krishna, thine glories are chantod and thou hast still sung mine. Thou art the lord of the Vedas, the master of the gods, the giver of all desires, of a surely fruitful look and the giver of boons unto those who seek for them (113-15). Thou art of four arms and four forms: thou art the ordainer of fourfold fires, of the four Asramas and four Varnas and a great poet. O lord, thou dost hold a bow, a discus and a conch-shell. In thy previous bodies thou wert known as the upholder of the earth; thou dost hold ploughshare, mace and discus, art the son of Devaki, the grinder of Chānura, fond of cows, the slayer of Keshi, the upholder of the mount Govardhana, the great wrestler, their origin and support and fond of them; thou art the great Purusha; thou art fond of Brāhmanas, ever engaged in their well being and their supporter. Thou art known as Brahman, as Damodara, as the slayer of Pralamva, Keshi and other Dānavas. O lord, thou art the destroyer of Asilomā, Vāli and Rāvana and the giver of kingdom unto Bibhishana and Sugriva. Thou didst take Vāli's kingdom, and all the jewels and art the great jem born at the bed of the ocean. All the rivers emanate from thee in the shape of Meru. Thou art the lord Varuna—the holder of dagger and a great bowman and archer. Thou art known by the name of Dāshārha, and Govinda. Thou art a great bowman and fond of bows. Thou art sky, darkness, the churning of the ocean, the heaven of many fruits and the great upholder of the celestial region. O lord, thou art the great cloud, the seed of the three worlds, anger, avarice and desire. Thou art the great bowman, Kāma, the great cycle, revolution and dissolution. Thou art Hiranyagarbha, cognizant of forms and endued with them, the slayer of Madhu, the Creator, the great god and art endowed with innumerable qualities. O foremost of Yadus, although thy glories should be chanted, still thou art willing to sing mine. The dreadful creatures, who are seen by thee with thy eyes, are killed by Yama's rod and constrained to go to the hell. O Mādhava, the creatures, on whom thou dost cast your favourable and loving looks, enjoy happiness both in this world and in the next. O thou of large arms, I am now at thy disposal (116-131)." Thereupon showing signs of departure Garuda said to Keshava:—"O highly powerful hero, I wait here, do thou sit on my back" Thereupon embracing Garuda by the neck Mādhava said:—"O friend, accept this arghya for slaying the enemy." Afterwards having offered arghya to Suparna, the large-armed Purusothama, the holder of conch-shell, discus and club, sat on his back. Thereupon Krishna, with delight, sat on Garuda's back. He was adorned with most excellent bracelets, had black hairs, was dark-hued and victorious; had four rows of teeth and four arms. He was the master of the four Vedas with their auxilliaries, had the mystic mark of Srivatsa on his breast, lotus-like eyes, stirring hairs, soft skin, equal fingers, equal nails, red fingers, red nails, and red eyes. His voice was sweet and grave and he had large arms extending to knees and a copper-coloured countenance. His gait was like that of a lion and he was effulgent like a thousand suns. Having issued orders for guarding the city of Dwārakā the highly powerful Vasudeva made himself ready for starting. He is the lord and protector of creatures and is identical with them. The Lord Prajāpati, with pleasure conferred on him eight-fold spiritual powers. He is eternal and his pure glories are sung by Prajāpati, Saddhyas, gods, bards and panegyrits and the great Rishis, masters of the Vedas and their auxilliaries. After Krishna had sat on Garuda's back Halāyudha and Pradyumna, the grinder of enemies, sat behind him. At that time the Siddhas, Charanas and the great Rishis said to Keshava in the sky:—"O thou of large arms, do thou vanquish Vāna with all his followers. No one will be able to stand before thee in the great battle. Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, depends on thy pleasure and sure victory depends on thy strength. Thou wilt defeat in battle thy enemy the Daitya king with all his soldiers." Keshava marched on hearing all those words (132-145).
CHAPTER CCLXIV. KRISHNA GOES TO SONITPURA AND FIGHTS WITH RUDRA'S FOLLOWERS ON THE WAY.
Vaishampāyana said:—At that time with the sound of conch-shells and bugles, the songs of bards and panegyrists by thousands and blessings of men exclaiming victory Janarddana appeared like the moon, sun and Sakra. O king, when Vinatā's son flew up into the sky his, beauty, increased by Hari's energy, became immense (1-3). Desirous of killing Vāna the lotus-eyed Keshava assumed a form having eight arms and resembling a mountain. At that time Janārddana, the holder of Shranga-bow, assumed innumerable heads. In his four right hands he had sword, discus, club and arrows and by his left four hands he held the leathern protector, the Srānga-bow, the thunder-bolt and conch-shell. Seated on Garudha's back, Sanghkarshana, holding a thousand forms and white weapons, irrepressible unto all creatures like the mount Kailāsha with its summit, shone like the rising moon. With a view to display his prowess in battle the high-souled Pradyumna assumed a form like that of Sanatkumār (4–8). Thereupon shaking innumerable mountains and obstructing the course of the wind with the forcible flapping of his wings the powerful Vinatā's son went on. Endued with the speed of the mind he crossed the most sacred route of the Siddhas and Chāranas. At that time Rāma said to Krishna, incomparable in battle:—"O Krishna, what wonder is this that we have all on a sudden been shorn of our effulgence? We have all a golden hue. What is the cause? Have we come to the side of the mount Sumeru?" (9–12) The Lord said:—"Methinks, O slayer of thy enemies, Vāna's city is near at hand. To protect him, the fire, stationed in his city, is coming out blazing. O holder of plough-share, we have been possessed by the effulgence of the fire of oblation: this has changed our colour." Rāma replied:—"If by approaching the city of Vāna we have been shorn of the lustre of our body, do what you think proper afterwards" (13–15). The Lord said:—"O Vinatā's son, do what you think proper. After you have found out a means I shall do what I think proper" (16).
Vaishampāyana continued:—Hearing those words spoken by Vāsudeva the highly powerful Garuda, capable of assuming forms at will, assumed a thousand mouths (17). Afterwards the highly powerful son of Vinatā leaped up and went to the etherial Gangā. Then drinking profuse water, he began to shower it on the fire. The intelligent son of Vinatā having concerted this measure the fire was at once extinguished. Then seeing that fire extinguished with the water of the etherial Gangā, Suparna, filled with surprise, said:—"Oh! How powerful is this fire like that at the end of a cycle. It disfigured the color of even the intelligent Krishna." After extinguishing the fire the king of birds, Garuda, went on making a great sound with the flapping of his powerful wings. Seeing them the fires, the followers of Rudra, thought:—"Who are these three dreadful men of many forms who are riding Garuda? Why have they come here?" Those fires of the mountain thought in this way for some, but could not settle anything. They then began to fight with the three Yadus. A great noise arose when they engaged in fighting (18-26).
Hearing their great uproar like that of roaring lions the intelligent Chief of the Fires Angirā sent a man to the scene of the action saying "Soon proceed where the battle is raging." Another Asura, fleet like the mind, was quickly despatched by Vanā saying "Go and see what is the matter." Saying "So be it" the man at once started and saw the fires fighting with Vāsudeva. He saw that the five principal fire-gods, Kalmāsha, Kusuma, Dahana, Shoshana and the highly powerful Tapana well known in the offering of Swāha and other minor fire-gods were all fighting with their respective armies. Pithara, Pataga, Swarna, Agādha and Vraja, these five presiding gods of Swadhā were also fighting; the two highly effulgent fire-gods, in charge of Jyotisthoma and Vasatkāra, were also fighting. Ascending a fiery car the great saint Angirā, uplifting his effulgent mace, was shining in that battle-field, in the midst of fire-gods. Then beholding Angira discharge his sharpened arrows, Krishna, filled with anger, smiled again and again and said:—"O ye fire-gods, wait patiently a few moments. The time of your destruction is drawing near. Within a moment, consumed by the energy of my weapons, you shall have to fly away on all sides." Thereupon in that great battle, as if to take Krishna's life Angirā ran with a burning Trishula in his hand. Then cutting off his mace with crescent-shaped and sharpened arrows the intelligent Krishna, effulgent like Yama, the destroyer of all creatures, struck Angirā on the breast with a death-like-arrow. Thereat Angirā fell down bathed in blood and with his body mangled. Seeing it the four fire-gods, the sons of Brahmā along with others speedily fled away to Vāna's city (27–40).