Parāçara said:—Beholding Devaki and Vasudeva obtain true discriminative knowledge on seeing his wonderful feat, Krishna, being anxious to beguile them and other descendants of Yadu race, spread again the illusions of Vishnu. Thereupon he said to his parents—"O father, O mother, my elder brother Baladeva was all along anxious to behold you. It is out of fear of Kansa he could not do so. So long the pious do not serve their parents that portion of their life is spent in vain. O father, blessed is the birth of those men who serve their spiritual preceptors, celestials, Brāhmanas and their parents. Thou shouldst therefore forgive us, O father, for the violations committed. For up to this time we were greatly distressed and under the influence of another on account of the prowess and strength of Kansa". Saying this Krishna bowed unto his parents and other elderly members of the Yadu race and duly honoured the citizens. Thereupon Kansa's mothers and wives being stricken with grief and sorrow, began to lament encircling Kansa lying dead on the ground. Hari then expressed his regret for what had happened, and with eyes saturated with tears he consoled them. The slayer of Madhu then released Ugrasena from prison and placed him on the throne rendered vacant by the death of his son. Being installed on the throne the Yadava-chief performed the funeral rites of Kansa and of the rest of the slain. When the ceremony was finished and Ugrasena had taken his royal seat, Krishna addressed him and said:—"O Supreme lord, order me freely what else to be done. By the curse of Yayati, our race cannot govern—but having me as your servant you may order even the celestials. How should kings disobey them?"
Parāçara said:—Having said this, Kesava, assuming human shape summoned mentally the deity of the wind, who immediately came there, and said to him—"Proceed, Vāyu, to Indra and tell him to lay aside his pomp, and resign to Ugrasena his splendid hall Sudharman: tell him that Krishna commands him to send the royal hall, the unrivalled gem of princely courts, for the assemblage of the race of Yādu". Accordingly Vāyu went and delivered the message to the husband of Sachi, who immediately gave up to him the hall Sudharman, and Vāyu conveyed it to the Yādavas, the chiefs of whom thenceforth possessed this celestial court, emblazoned with jewels, and defended by the arms of Govinda. The two excellent Yadu youths, versed in all knowledge, and possessed of all wisdom, then submitted to instruction, as the disciples of teachers. Accordingly they repaired to Sāndipani—who, though born in Kāsi, resided at Avanti—to study the science of arms, and, becoming his pupils, were obedient and attentive to their master, exhibiting an example to all men of the observance of instituted rules. In the course of sixty-four days they had gone through the elements of military science, with the treatises on the use of arms, and directions for the mystic incantations, which secure the aid of supernatural weapons. Sāndipani, astonished at such proficiency, and knowing that it exceeded human faculties, imagined that the sun and the moon had become his scholars. When they had acquired all that he could teach, they said to him, "Now say what present shall be given to you, as the preceptor's fee". The prudent Sāndipani, perceiving that they were endowed with more than mortal powers, requested them to give him his dead son, drowned in the sea of Prabhāsa. Taking up their arms, they marched against the ocean; but the all-comprehending sea said to them, "I have not killed the son of Sāndipani; a demon named Panchajana, who lives in the form of a conch shell, seized the boy; he is still under my waters". On hearing this, Krishna plunged into the sea; and having slain the vile Panchajana, he took the conch shell, which was formed of his bones (and bore it as his horn), the sound of which fills the demon hosts with dismay, animates the vigour of the gods, and annihilates unrighteousness. The heroes also recovered the boy from the pains of death, and restored him in his former person to his father. Rāma and Janārddana then returned to Mathura, which was well presided over by Ugrasena, and abounded in a happy population both of men and women.
SECTION XXII.
Parāçara said:—The mighty Kansa had married the two daughters of Jarāsandha, one named Asti, the other Prāpti. Jarāsandha was king of Magadha, and a very powerful prince, who, when he heard that Krishna had killed his son-in-law, was much incensed, and, collecting a large force, marched against Mathura, determined to put the Yādavas and Krishna to the sword. Accordingly he invested the city with three and twenty numerous divisions of his forces. Rāma and Janārddana sallied from the town with a slender, but resolute force, and fought bravely with the armies of Magadha. The two youthful leaders prudently resolved to have recourse to their ancient weapons, and accordingly the bow of Hari, with two quivers filled with exhaustless arrows and the mace called Kaumodaki, and the ploughshare of Balabhadra, as well as the club Saunanda, descended at a wish from heaven. Armed with these weapons, they speedily discomfited the king of Magadha and his hosts, and re-entered the city in triumph.
Although the wicked king of Magadha, Jarāsandha, was defeated, yet Krishna knew that whilst he escaped alive he was not subdued; and in fact, he soon returned with a mighty force, and was again forced by Rāma and Krishna to fly. Eighteen times did the haughty prince of Magadha renew his attack upon the Yādavas, headed by Krishna; and was as often defeated and put to the rout by them, with very inferior numbers. That the Yādavas were not overpowered by their foes, was owing to the present might of the portion of the discus-armed Vishnu. It was the pastime of the lord of the universe, in his capacity of man, to launch various weapons against his enemies; for what effort of power to annihilate his foes could be necessary to him, whose fiat creates and destroys the world? But as subjecting himself to human customs, he formed alliances with the brave, and engaged in hostilities with the base. He had recourse to the four devices of policy, or negotiation, presents, sowing dissension, and chastisement; and sometimes even betook himself to flight. Thus imitating the conduct of human beings, the lord of the world pursued at will his sports.
SECTION XXIII.
Parāçara said:—Syāla having called Gargya, the Brāhmana, whilst at the cow-pens, impotent, in an assembly of the Yādavas, they all laughed; at which he was highly offended, and repaired to the shores of the western sea, where he engaged in arduous penance to obtain a son, who should be a terror to the tribe of Yadu. Propitiating Mahādeva, and living upon iron sand for twelve years, the deity at last was pleased with him, and gave him the desired boon. The king of the Yadanas, who was childless, became the friend of Gārgya; and the latter begot a son by his wife, who was as black as a bee, and thence called Kālayavana. The Yavana king having placed his son, whose breast was as hard as the point of the thunderbolt, upon the throne, retired to the woods. Inflated with the conceit of his prowess Kālayavana demanded of Nārada who were the most mighty heroes on earth. To which the sage answered. "The Yādavas". Accordingly Kālayavana assembled many myriads of Mlechhas and barbarians, with a vast armament of elephants, cavalry, chariots, and foot, advanced impatiently against Mathura and the Yādavas; wearying every day the animal that carried him, but insensible of fatigue himself.
When Krishna knew of his approach, he reflected that if the Yādavas encountered the Yavana, they would be so much weakened by the conflict, that they would then be overcome by the king of Magadha; that their force was much reduced by the war with Magadha, whilst that of Kālayavana was unbroken; and that the enemy might, therefore, be victorious. Thus the Yādavas were exposed to a double danger. He resolved therefore to construct a citadel for the Yadu tribe, that should not be easily taken; one that even women might defend, and in which therefore the heroes of the house of Vrishni should be secure; one in which the male combatants of the Yādavas should dread no peril, though he himself should be drunk or careless, asleep or abroad. Thus reflecting, Krishna solicited a space of twelve furlongs from the ocean, and there he built the city of Dwārakā, defended by high ramparts, and beautified with gardens and reservoirs of water, crowded with houses and buildings, and splendid as the capital of Indra, Amarāvati. Thither Janārddana conducted the inhabitants of Mathura, and then awaited at that city the approach of Kālayavana.
When the hostile army encamped round Mathura, Krishna, unarmed, went forth, and beheld the Yavana king. Kālyavana, the strong-armed, recognising Vāsudeva, pursued him; him whom the thoughts of perfect ascetics cannot overtake. Thus pursued, Krishna entered a large cavern where Muchukunda, the king of men, was asleep. The rash Yavana entering the cave and beholding a man lying asleep there, concluded it must be Krishna, and kicked him; at which Muchukunda awoke, casting on him an angry glance, the Yavana was instantly consumed, and reduced to ashes. For, in a battle between the gods and demons, Muchukunda had formerly contributed to the defeat of the latter; and being overcome with sleep, he solicited of the gods as a boon that he should enjoy a long repose. "Sleep long and soundly," said the gods; "whoever disturbs you shall be instantly burnt to ashes by fire emanating from your body".
Having burnt up the iniquitous Yavana, and beholding the foe of Madhu, Muchukunda asked him who he was. "I am born," he replied, "in the lunar race, in the tribe of Yadu, and am the son of Vasudeva". Muchukunda, recollecting the prophecy of old Garga, fell down before the lord of all, Hari, saying. "Thou art known, supreme lord, to be a portion of Vishnu; for it was said of old by Garga, that at the end of the twenty-eighth Dwāpara age, Hari would be born in the family of Yadu. Thou art he, without doubt, the benefactor of mankind for thy glory I am unable to endure. Thy words are of deeper tone than the muttering of the rain cloud; and earth sinks down beneath the pressure of thy feet. As in the battle between the gods and demons, the Asuras were unable to sustain my lustre, so even am I incapable of bearing thy radiance. Thou alone art the refuge of every living being who has lighted on the world. Do thou, who art the alleviator of all distress, show favour upon me, and remove from me all that is evil. Thou art the oceans, the mountains, the rivers, the forests; thou art earth, sky, air, water, and fire; thou art mind, intelligence, the unevolved principle, vital airs, the lord, life—the soul; all that is beyond the soul; the all-pervading; exempt from the vicissitudes of birth; devoid of sensible properties, sound and the like: undecaying, illimitable, imperishable, subject neither to increase nor diminution; thou art that which is Brahmā, without beginning or end. From thee the immortals, the progenitors, the Yakshas, Gandharvas, and Kinnaras, the Siddhas, the nymphs of heaven, men, animals, birds, deers, reptiles, and all the vegetable world, proceed; and all that has been, or will be, or is now movable or fixed. All that is amorphous or has form, all that is subtile, gross, salable, or movable, thou art, O creator of the world; and beside thee there is not anything. O lord, I have been whirled round in the circle of worldly existence for ever, and have suffered the three classes of affliction, and there is no rest whatever. I have mistaken pains for pleasures, sultry vapours for a pool of water; and their enjoyment has yielded me nothing but sorrow. The earth, dominion, forces, treasures, friends, children, wife, dependants, all the objects of sense, have I possessed imagining them to be sources of happiness; but I found that in their changeable nature, O lord, they were nothing but vexation. The gods themselves though high in heaven, were in need of my alliance. Where then is everlasting repose? Who, without adoring thee, who art the origin of all worlds, shall attain, O supreme deity, that rest which endures for ever? Beguiled by thy delusions, and ignorant of thy nature, men, after suffering the various penalties of birth, death, and infirmity, behold the countenance of the king of ghosts, and suffer in hell dreadful tortures, the reward of their own deeds. Addicted to sensual objects through thy delusions, I revolve in the whirlpool of selfishness and pride; and hence I come to thee, as my final refuge who art the lord deserving of all homage, than whom there is no other asylum; my mind afflicted with repentance for my trust in the world, and desiring the fullness of felicity, emancipation from all existence".