Hearing the words of the king, Devaki's son smilingly said:—"I should do whatever you wish. There is no doubt, about it (24)."
CHAPTER CIV. THE MEETING OF KRISHNA AND GARUDA.
Vaishampayana said:—Having said this, and set out on his car Krishna arrived at Bhishmaka's house in the evening[270] (1). When he arrived at that meeting of the kings and saw the spacious arena full of camps he was possessed by Rajasika[271] inclination (2). Thereupon in order to terrify the kings and display his own prowess he thought of the highly powerful son of Vinatā who had attained Siddhi beforehand (3). As soon as he was thought of Vinatā's son, assuming a form that could be seen easily, approached Keshava (4). With the strokes of his wings which could agitate even the wind, all the men, trembling and being haunch-backed, fell down on earth. And they began to exert like serpents deprived of the power of rising up. Beholding them all fallen Krishna, firm like a mountain, came to know that the king of birds had arrived. He then saw that Garuda, adorned with celestial garlands and unguents, was approaching him, shaking the earth with the flapping of his wings. The weapons, with their faces down wards, were fixed on his back like licking serpents with a view to be favoured with the touch of Vishnu's hand. Adorned with golden feathers like a mountain consisting of minerals that king of birds was dragging, with his feet, black serpents. Beholding his own carrier the intelligent Garuda arrived and stationed before him like a god, who brought ambrosia for him, who was the destroyer of serpents, the terrifier of the Daityas, whose emblem was on his flag-staff and who was his councillor Madhusudana was pleased and gave vent to the following words befitting the occasion. "O foremost of birds, O grinder of the enemies of the celestial army, O delighter of Vinatā's heart, O favourite of Keshava, thou art welcome (5-13). O foremost of birds, we shall go to the house of Kaishika and behold the Swayamvara. Do thou also accompany us (14). There hundreds of highly powerful kings have assembled with their elephants, horses and cars; we shall behold those high-souled ones (15)."
Saying this to the highly powerful son of of Vinatā, the beautiful Krishna, of large arms, set out for the city of the high-sould Kaishika along with the mighty car-warriors the Yādavas (16). When Devaki's son the beautiful Krishna, the friend of Vinatā's son, reached the city of Vidarbha along with the mighty car-warrior Yādavas, all the powerful kings, holding all sorts of weapons, were filled with delight and began to make arrangements for his quarters (17–18).
Vaishampāyana said:—In the meantime the king Kaishika, well read in moral laws, rose up delightedly from among the kings, welcomed himself Krishna with water to wash his feet and rinse his mouth and arghya and placed him in his own city (19-20). Like unto Shankara entering into the Kailāca hill Krishna, with his army, entered into the house that had been kept ready for him from before. Adored with various edibles, drinks, jewels, honors and love Vāsava's younger brother Krishna lived happily in king Kaishika's house (21–22).
| [270] | The word in the text is Lohitayati Bhaskare, i.e., when the sun became red like heated iron. |
| [271] | His inclination was possessed by the quality of darkness i.e., He was actuated by a selfish motive but not for a sinful end. |
CHAPTER CV. JARASANDHA'S ADRESS TO THE KINGS.
Vaishampayana said:—Beholding the eternal Krishna arrive there with Vināta's son the leading kings were stricken with great anxiety (1). O king, those kings of dreadful prowess, well-read in the science of Polity and expert in counsels, assembled at the golden assembly hall of king Bhismaka for holding consultations. As the gods sit in the celestial assembly hall so they sat there on seats variegated with coverings of diverse colors (1-3). As the king of gods addressed the celestials so the highly powerful Jarāsandha, of large arms and great energy, addressed them saying (4).
"O ye foremost of kings, the best of speakers, O highly intelligent Bhishmaka, do you all listen to what I say according to my own understanding (5). This Krishna, the well known son of Vasudeva, who has come to the city of Kundina with Garuda and other Yādavas, is endued with great energy and prowess. He has come here for the maiden and forsooth he will set forth mighty exertions for acquiring her (6-7). O foremost of kings, you should behave in this matter according to the rules of Polity. Do yo all work so considering your own strength and weakness (8). You know well the highly dreadful work which these two powerful sons of Vasudeva performed on the mount Gomanta without the help of Vinatā's son (9). I cannot say how Krishna will fight united with the mighty car-warriors of the Yadava, Bhoja and Andhaka races (10). When seated on Garuda Vishnu will set forth his exertions for acquiring the maiden, even Sakra, assisted by the celestials, or any other person, will not be able to stand in the battle-field (11). When the universe was submerged under one all-spreading ocean, the powerful Vishnu, the Prime cause of the world, assuming a boar form, released the earth gone down to the depth of the nether region and in his same boarish form killed Hiranyaksha the king of Daityas (12–13). The highly powerful, uuconquerable Daitya-king, Hiranyakashipu, who did not meet with his death in the three worlds, consisting of immortals, Daityas, Rishis, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Yakshas Rakshasas and Nāgas, in the sky, on the earth, and in the nether region, in day or in night, from a dry or an wet article, was slain in the days of yore by Hari in his man-lion form (14–16). Binding the powerful Bali, the foremost of Asuras begotten by Kagyapa on Aditi, with a noose of promise Vishnu, in his form of a dwarf, sent him down to the nether region. When at the junction of the Tretā and Dwāpara ages, the king of seven insular continents, the highly powerful king Kārtavirya, endued with thousand arms, grew elated with the pride of kingdom by Dattātreya's favour the highly energetic Vishnu took his birth in disguise, from Jamadagni and Renukā, as Rāma, the foremost of warriors and killed him with his axe, hard as the thunder-bolt (17–20). Dasharatha's son Rāma, born in the race of Ikshāku in the days of yore, killed the heroic Rāvana, the conqueror of the three worlds (21). In the Tretā age in the war of which Tāraka was the root, the powerful Vishnu, seated on Garuda, assuming a form of eight arms, killed in the battle-field the Asuras, who were elated with the boons conferred on them. By his great Yoga power, Vishnu, having an universal form, killed, with his discus, effulgent like the sun, the demon Kālanemi who terrorized the gods (22–24). What more, innumerable Daityas have been despatched by him in time to the abode of Yama. By him as a boy in the forest, many highly powerful and forest-ranging demons, Dhenuka, Arishtha and Pralamva have been slain. Slaying in his cow-herd form Shakuni, Putanā, Keshi, Jamala, Arjuna, the elephant Kuvalayapida, Chānura, Mushitika and Kansa with his followers Devaki's son sported there. In disguise thus he performed many superhuman feats (25–28). I consider Devaki's son Keshava as the first cause of the celestials, the destroyer of the Asuras, as Nārāyana, the ancient Purusha, the Prime cause of the universe, as Truth, the creator of all creatures manifest and unmanifest, irrepressible unto all, the adored of all, the first, the middle, as devoid of destruction, eternal, self-born, unborn, stable, mobile and immobile, unconquerable, of three foot-steps, the lord of the three worlds, the destroyer of the enemies of the king of gods, and the eternal Vishnu. This my sure under standing, I have acquired from Mathurā (29–33). Can Garuda be the carrier of a man even if he be born in the high family of a mortal Lord Paramount (34)? Besides when Janarddana will display his prowess for the maiden what powerful man will be able to stand before Garuda (35)? Forsooth I tell you that Vishnu himself has come for this Swayamvara. Mighty is the calamity that will befall you on his arrival here (36). You should do whatever you think proper after this."