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Chapter 3: The
Lord's
Pastimes
Outside
of
Vrindâvana
(1) Uddhava said: 'When the Lord thereafter came to the
city
of Mathurâ, He wished His parents all well [freeing them from
imprisonment], after together with Baladeva having dragged down from
the throne the leader of public hostility [Kamsa] and having killed him
by pulling him upon the ground with great strength. (2)
He
mastered every detail of the Vedas after hearing them only once
from His teacher Sândîpani whom He rewarded the
benediction of bringing back his deceased son from the inner region of the departed souls, from death
[Yamaloka]. (3) Invited
by
the
daughter
of
King
Bhîshmaka
[Rukminî]
Lord
Krishna
stole
her
away
as
His
share exactly
like Garuda did [with the nectar of the gods], and thus gave all those
[princes] the go-by who according to the custom were candidates to
marry her and for that purpose had come expecting that fortune. (4)
In an open competition for
the selection of the bridegroom for Princess Nâgnajitî He
subdued seven wild bulls and won her hand, but the fools who in their disappointment nevertheless wanted her, He killed and
wounded without getting hurt Himself, well equipped as He was with all
weapons. (5) Only
because of the fact that He, just like an ordinary living being, tried
to please His dear wife who wanted Him to bring the
Pârijâta flower shrub [from heaven], Indra the King of
Heaven henpecked of course by
his own wives, blind of anger with
all his strength waged against Him.
(6) When mother Earth saw how Narakâsura [Bhauma], her son who in the battle [against Krishna] physically dominated the sky [with missiles], was killed by His Sudars'ana Cakra [the disc weapon], she prayed to Him to return to Narakâsura's son that what had remained [of the kingdom]. Doing so He entered Narakâsura's fortress. (7) Upon seeing the Lord, the Friend of the Distressed, all the princesses there who were kidnapped by the demon immediately stood prepared joyfully to accept Him, with eager glances shyly closing Him in their hearts, [as their husband]. (8) Although they resided in different apartments, He accepted the hands of all women simultaneously by joining in a perfect settlement with each her individual nature through His internal potency. (9) Desiring to expand Himself, He with each and every one of them begot ten children who were all alike Himself in every respect.
(10) Kâlayavana, the king of Magadha [Jarâsandha], King S'âlva and others who with their soldiers had surrounded Mathurâ, He did not prove His own wondrous prowess but the prowess of His men. (11) Of S'ambara, Dvivida, Bâna, Mura, Balvala and others like Dantavakra and more of them, He killed some, while others He caused to be killed [by Balarâma e.g.].
(6) When mother Earth saw how Narakâsura [Bhauma], her son who in the battle [against Krishna] physically dominated the sky [with missiles], was killed by His Sudars'ana Cakra [the disc weapon], she prayed to Him to return to Narakâsura's son that what had remained [of the kingdom]. Doing so He entered Narakâsura's fortress. (7) Upon seeing the Lord, the Friend of the Distressed, all the princesses there who were kidnapped by the demon immediately stood prepared joyfully to accept Him, with eager glances shyly closing Him in their hearts, [as their husband]. (8) Although they resided in different apartments, He accepted the hands of all women simultaneously by joining in a perfect settlement with each her individual nature through His internal potency. (9) Desiring to expand Himself, He with each and every one of them begot ten children who were all alike Himself in every respect.
(10) Kâlayavana, the king of Magadha [Jarâsandha], King S'âlva and others who with their soldiers had surrounded Mathurâ, He did not prove His own wondrous prowess but the prowess of His men. (11) Of S'ambara, Dvivida, Bâna, Mura, Balvala and others like Dantavakra and more of them, He killed some, while others He caused to be killed [by Balarâma e.g.].
(12) Thereafter in the battle of Kurukshetra of both
parties of the nephews the kings were killed of
whose chariot wheels the earth shook. (13) It
was not His delight to see how because of the ill advice of Karna,
Duhs'âsana and
Saubala, Duryodhana with all his power had lost his fortune and
lifespan and now along with his
followers laid down [on the
battlefield] with
broken limbs. (14) 'What is this', the Lord said
when with the help of Bhîshma and Drona [on the one hand] and
Arjuna and Bhîma [on the other] the enormous burden of the earth of eighteen akshauhinîs
[an army consisting of ten anikinis, or
21.870 elephants, 21.870 chariots, 65.610 horses, and 109.350 foot
soldiers] had
been removed. 'There is still
the unbearable burden of the great strength of My descendants, the Yadu
dynasty. (15) They
will vanish when,
intoxicated from drinking [honey-liquor], a quarrel will take place
among them which
will turn their eyes red as copper; there is no alternative to
ensure this in case of My disappearance.' (16) With this in His mind the Supreme
Lord installed Yudhishthhira on the throne, gladdening His friends
by indicating the path of the saints.
(17) The descendant of Pûru [Parîkchit] by the hero Abhimanyu begotten in the womb of Uttarâ, surely would have been burned by the weapon of the son of Drona if the Supreme Lord had not averted it by protecting him again [see S.B. 1: 7 & 8]. (18) The Almighty One induced the son of Dharma [Yudhishthhira] also to perform three horse sacrifices and in that assisted by his brothers he protected and enjoyed the earth as a constant follower of Krishna.
(19) The Supreme Lord and Supersoul of the Universe customarily following the path of Vedic principles, enjoyed the lusts of life in the city of Dvârakâ without getting attached. He accomplished this by keeping to the analytical system of yoga [Sânkhya]. (20) Gentle and with His sweet glances and words that compared to nectar, He, with His flawless character, resided there in His transcendental body, the residence of the goddess of fortune. (21) He, specifically pleasing the Yadus, enjoyed this earth and certainly also the other worlds, in the leisure of the night with the women being of friendship in conjugal love. (22) Thus He for many, many years enjoyed a household life of [sensual] uniting that constituted the basis of His detachment. (23) Just like with Him, the enjoyment of the senses of whatever living entity is controlled by the divine, a divinity in which one can put faith by joining in the service of the Lord of Yoga.
(24) In the city of Dvârakâ the princely descendants of Yadu and Bhoja some day had been playing a prank and thus had angered the wise who thereupon cursed them as was desired by the Supreme Lord. (25) A few months later the descendants of Vrishni, Bhoja and others like the sons of Andhaka, bewildered by Krishna with great pleasure went to the place of pilgrimage called Prabhâsa. (26) There they took a bath and with the same water proved their respects to their forefathers, the gods and the great sages. Then they gave in royal charity cows to the brahmins. (27) For their livelihood they also provided them with gold, gold coins, bedding, clothing, seat covers, blankets, horses, chariots, elephants, girls and land. (28) After supplying the brahmins with highly delicious food that was first offered to the Supreme Lord, the valiant representatives offered, for the sake of their good life, the cows and the brahmins their obeisances by touching the ground with their heads.'
(17) The descendant of Pûru [Parîkchit] by the hero Abhimanyu begotten in the womb of Uttarâ, surely would have been burned by the weapon of the son of Drona if the Supreme Lord had not averted it by protecting him again [see S.B. 1: 7 & 8]. (18) The Almighty One induced the son of Dharma [Yudhishthhira] also to perform three horse sacrifices and in that assisted by his brothers he protected and enjoyed the earth as a constant follower of Krishna.
(19) The Supreme Lord and Supersoul of the Universe customarily following the path of Vedic principles, enjoyed the lusts of life in the city of Dvârakâ without getting attached. He accomplished this by keeping to the analytical system of yoga [Sânkhya]. (20) Gentle and with His sweet glances and words that compared to nectar, He, with His flawless character, resided there in His transcendental body, the residence of the goddess of fortune. (21) He, specifically pleasing the Yadus, enjoyed this earth and certainly also the other worlds, in the leisure of the night with the women being of friendship in conjugal love. (22) Thus He for many, many years enjoyed a household life of [sensual] uniting that constituted the basis of His detachment. (23) Just like with Him, the enjoyment of the senses of whatever living entity is controlled by the divine, a divinity in which one can put faith by joining in the service of the Lord of Yoga.
(24) In the city of Dvârakâ the princely descendants of Yadu and Bhoja some day had been playing a prank and thus had angered the wise who thereupon cursed them as was desired by the Supreme Lord. (25) A few months later the descendants of Vrishni, Bhoja and others like the sons of Andhaka, bewildered by Krishna with great pleasure went to the place of pilgrimage called Prabhâsa. (26) There they took a bath and with the same water proved their respects to their forefathers, the gods and the great sages. Then they gave in royal charity cows to the brahmins. (27) For their livelihood they also provided them with gold, gold coins, bedding, clothing, seat covers, blankets, horses, chariots, elephants, girls and land. (28) After supplying the brahmins with highly delicious food that was first offered to the Supreme Lord, the valiant representatives offered, for the sake of their good life, the cows and the brahmins their obeisances by touching the ground with their heads.'
