SECTION XV.
Maitreya said:—Being killed by Vishnu as Hiranyakashipu and Ravana he obtained enjoyments which are not attainable even by the immortals. Why did they not obtain absorption albeit slain by Vishnu? And why as Sisupala were they absorbed into the eternal Hari? O foremost of those conversant with religion, I wish to hear of all these; I am greatly stricken with curiosity; do thou relate them.
Parāçara said:—When the creator, preserver and destroyer of the universe killed Hiranyakashipu, the king of Daityas, he assumed the figure of a lion and man, he was not aware that his slayer was Vishnu. He thought this wonderful figure was but the creation of his accumulated piety.
And the quality of passion being predominant in his mind he obtained destruction from man-lion. And in consequence of his death at the hands of Vishnu be obtained sovereignty over three worlds and immense riches and enjoyments as Dasāsana. He was not absorbed into the supreme spirit that is without beginning or end because his mind was not wholly devoted to that object. Dasāsana, thus being entirely subject to love and being entirely taken up by thoughts of Janaki, could not perceive that the son of Dasaratha whom he saw, was in fact the divine Achyuta. At the time of his death he was impressed with the idea that his enemy was a mortal and therefore the fruit he obtained from being slain by Vishnu was his birth in the illustrious family of the kings of Chedi and the possession of extensive dominions. And he was known as Sisupala. In this birth many circumstances occurred by which he was constrained to utter the name of the great God and on all these occasions the enmity, that had accumulated through successive births, influenced his mind. And always speaking disrespectfully of Achyuta he repeated all his names. Whether walking, eating, sitting, or sleeping his enmity was never at rest and Krishna was always present to his mind in his ordinary form, having eyes like lotus-petals, clad and bright yellow raiment, adorned with a garland, with bracelets on his arms and wrists and a diadem on his crown; having four stalwart arms bearing the conch, the discus, the mace and the lotus. Uttering his names always although in malediction Krishna was always present in his mind, and while inflicting his death Sisupāla saw him radiant with shining weapons and in his true Brahma form void of passion and enmity. Being slain by the discus of Vishnu at this moment all his sins were removed by his divine enemy and he was united with him by whose might be destroyed.
I have thus related to you everything. He, who names or remembers the glorious Vishnu even in the enmity obtains final emancipation which is not attainable by the gods or demons. It is useless to say that he, who reverentially names or remembers him, obtains final liberation.
Vasudeva, otherwise named Anakadundubhi, and Rohini, Pauravi, Bhadra, Madira, Devaki and several other wives. His sons by Rohini were Balabhadra, Sārana, Saru, Durmada, and others. Balabhadra married Revati and had by her Nisatha and Ulmaka. The sons of Sarana were Marshti, Marshtimat, Sisu, Satyadhriti, and others. Bhadraswa, Bhadrabahu, Durgama, Bhuta and others were born in the race of Rohini. The son of Vasudeva by Madirā were Nanda, Upananda, Kritaka and others. By his wife Vinsāli he had one son named Kausika. Devaki before him six sons: Kritimat, Sushena, Udayin, Bhadrasena, Rijudāsa and Bhadradeha all of whom were killed by Kansa.
When Devaki was again big with a child the seventh time, Yoganidrā (the sleep of devotion), dispatched by Vishnu, extricated the embryo from maternal womb at the mid-night and transferred it to that of Rohini; and from having been thus taken away, the child (who was Balarāma) received the name of Sankarshnā. Being desirous of relieving the world of the burden, the divine Vishnu, the source of the vast universe, beyond the understanding of all gods, demons sages, and men, past, present or future, worshipped of Brahmā and all the celestials, who is without beginning, middle or end, descended into the womb of Devaki and was born as her son Vasudeva. Yaganidrā, always proud to satisfy his orders, removed the embryo to Yasodā the wife of Nanda, the cow-herd. At this birth the earth was relieved of all sins; the sun, moon and planets shone with unclouded brilliance; all fear of evil portents was removed and universal happiness prevailed. And from the time of his birth people were led into the righteous path.
Whilst this powerful being lived in the land of mortals he had sixteen thousand and one hundred wives of whom the Principal were Rukmini, Satyabhāmā, Jamvabati, Jalahasini and four others. The divine Krishna, the universal form without beginning, begot on all these wives a hundred and eighty thousand sons, of whom thirteen were most celebrated: Pradyumna, Charudeshna, Samba and others. Pradyumna married Kakudwati, the daughter of Rukmini and had by her Aniruddha. Aniruddha married Subhadrā, the granddaughter of the same Rukmini and she bore him a son named Vajra. The son of Vajra and Bāhu and his son was Suchāru.
In this way the members of the Yadu family increased and were many hundreds of thousands of them so that it would be impossible to repeat their names in hundreds of years. Two verses regarding them are recited. "The domestic teachers of the boys in the use of arms numbered three crores and eighty lacs. Who shall enumerate the powerful members of the Yadava family who were tens of ten thousands and hundreds of hundred thousands in number?" Those powerful Daityas, who were slain by them in the encounter between the gods and demons, were born again on earth as men, as tyrants and oppressors. With a view to arrest their violence the gods also descended to the land of mortals and became members of the hundred and one branches of the family of Yadu. Vishnu was their teacher and ruler and all the members were obedient to his commands.
Whoever hears often times of this account of the origin of the heroes of the race of Vrishni shall be freed from all iniquities and shall attain to the region of Vishnu.