daSama skandham or the Tenth Canto - Part2
Link to the Telugu page
10.1-52.
Link to the Telugu page
The coming of nArAda to mathura
10.1-52.
One day sage nArAda appeared in mathura all of a sudden and went to kamsa's residence. Finding kamsa in solitude, the sage went to him and said these words. Listen, "nandA, his wives, family and friends who live in rEpalle (Vrindavan), dEvaki and all the womenfolk vasudEva and all the yAdavA's are verily forms of Gods and nor mere humans. O kamsa you are a demon. vishNu, Who is the very form of all Gods and wields the discus will be born as the son of dEvaki. He will slay the demons who are possessing the earth and causing havoc. Having said these prophetic words, nArada left for his abode.
10.1-53.
kamsa's anxiety swelled upon hearing nArAda's words. Learning that yAdavA's are Gods (they don't battle an eyelid - animisha) and that he is the kAlanEmi who will be slain with the sword of srImahAviShNu his mind was filled with worry...
dEvaki and vasudEva in the prison
10.1-54.
kamsa was upset and outraged with anger. He at once imprisoned his sister dEvaki and brother-in-law vasudEva. Thinking all their children to be forms of hari (the remover of miseries of devotees - viSHNu) he slayed all the newborns as soon as they were born. Inflamed, he imprisoned his pure-hearted father ugrasEna who ruled over the land of the yadus, bhOjas and andhakas and began to rule over these kingdoms himself.
10.1-55.
Corrupted by the lust for power kings execute their siblings, brothers, friends and relations without discrimination in order to safeguard their life.
10.1-56.
And then with the help of several demons such as bANa, bhauma, mAgadha, mahASana, kESi, dhEnuka, baka, pralamba, trNavarta, chANUra, muSHTika, ariSHTa, dvividha, pUtana, kamsa waged war over the yAdavAs. Having lost the battle, many yAdavAs lost their face, eschewed their titles and power and fled to other kingdoms like nishadha, kuru, kOSala, vidEha, vidarbha, kEkaya, pAnchAla and SAlva for asylum. Other yAdavAs eschewed vengeance and remained in mathura serving kamsa.
10.1-57.
One after the other in succession kamsa killed six of dEvaki's sons. And then dEvaki conceived for the seventh time as the great SESHA with the attributes of the magnanimous viSHNu entered the womb of dEvaki and took shape of the fetus.
yOgamAya Commanded
10.1-58.
Taking note of the happenings and grasping that the yAdavAs who have their faith in Him and live in mortal fear of kamsa, hari Who is the very form of the universe, summoned goddedd yOgamAya and commanded her thus...
10.1-59.
O auspicious bhadrA, descend onto the dwelling place of gOpikAs and gOpAlAs who live near the stables and tend cattle in vrindAvan. vasudEva's wives have been imprisoned by kamsa. However one of the wives rOhiNi, has sought refuge in rEpalle (vrindAvan) and is living in the gOkula of nanda. That beautiful eyed rOhiNi has numerous good qualities in her. Embodying my valor, AdiSESHA is growing in the womb of dEvaki. Please go and duly and skillfuly transplant that foetus into the womb of rOhiNi. I shall be born to dEvaki with all My attributes. After transplanting AdiSESHA, you be born as the child of nanda and yaSOda.
10.1-60.
You are the harbourage of all forms of wealth. You fulfil the desires of the devotees. O embodiment of auspiciousness, people worship and serve you with devotion and offer sacrifices and presents.
10.1-61.
In various places you are celebrated assuming fourteen different names, viz. durgA, bhadrakALi, vijaya, vaiSHNavi, kumuda, chanDika, krSHNa, mAdhavI, kanyaka, mAya, nArAyaNi, ISAna, SArada, ambika. He commanded her to leave on her mission having made all this known to her. Considering the command of viSHNU as a great blessing, the yOgamAyA dEvi at once left the abode of viSHNU and entered the earth.
After that ...
10.1-66.
vasudEva shone resplendently as the attribute of the Lord of auspiciousness and wealth srImahAviSHNu entered into his being and filled his mind. Perceiving this, all the beings and elements were filled with joy.
10.1-67.
vasudEva inducted the radiance of the Lord of lakshmi - That supreme soul Which is embodied in the entire creation, is utterly holy and protects all the worlds, into dEvaki. Receiving the radiance of viSHNu, dEvaki shone with a new splendour just as the eastern direction is filled with the moonlight before the moon rise.
10.1-68.
Listening keenly, parikshit curiously asked what transpired further. suka started to narrate thus.
10.1-69.
SrIhari, in Whose stomach are lodged all the universes began to grow like the intensity of the morning Sun in the womb of dEvaki in order to protect the world.
10.1-70.
Then...
10.1-71.
(signs of pregnancy in dEvaki)
As SrIhari grew in the form of fetus in dEvaki's womb:
the conceited ones lost their glow in the face while the beautiful woman dEvaki lost the dullness in her face and shone with brilliance;
the fame of the enemy kings blackened while the nipples of the dEvaki darkened;
the abode of the evil people was filled with smoke as hair sprouted on the abdomen of dEvaki;
the enemies lost the appetite due to anxiety while the lotus-eyed dEvaki lost her appetite;
the enemies became motionless and tired as dEvaki started to feel lazy;
the enemies prepared to bite the dust as dEvaki hungered for taste of clay (geophagy!).
10.1-72.
Further...
10.1-73.
As the One enshrined in all the five elements grew in dEvaki's womb:
As if the element water came to visit the child in the womb, she began to sweat profusely.
As if the element fire came to offer obeisance to the divine child in the womb, she shone brightly.
As if the element air came to worship the to-be-born she began to breathe heavily.
As if the element earth came to honor the child, her hunger for clay swelled.
As if the element expansive ether came to hail the child, the moon-faced lady's waist expanded.
10.1-74.
As the days progressed...
10.1-75.
Since the divine child growing in dEvaki's womb was viSHNu who is the slayer of demons:
As dEvaki's waistband tightened the mangaLasUtra (auspicious thread of married women signifying the happily married status) of the wives of the enemies loosened;
As the beautiful form of dEvaki assumed brilliance, the wives of the evil people lost their shine;
As dEvaki began to feel burdened by her jewels and necklaces, the necklaces of the wives of enemies loosened;
As the cuckoo-voiced dEvaki's belly gradually grew bigger by virtue of the divine child in her womb, the enemy's wives aborted;
As the days of dEvaki's delivery neared, the days of widowhood neared for the wives of the unfavorable ones.
10.1-76.
Thus...
10.1-77.
dEvaki held in her womb, the One who has the entire Universe in His belly. Her oppression in the confinement in her brother's place resembled that of erudition in one bereft of wisdom and that of a lamp lit inside a pot.
10.1-78.
Startled by the increasing glow in the face of dEvaki, the best among women, enhanced brilliance of her being and growing beauty, kamsa anxiously reflected thus...
10.1-79.
"Watching dEvaki through her expectant days, my heart is feeling heavy. I have never felt like this before. Perhaps this is because viSHNu has entered into her womb."
10.1-80.
"How should I strategize, what is my action plan? How can I slay this woman, my sister and whose gestation is nearing term day by day. If being indifferent, I indeed do away with her will my fame, wealth, longevity and righteousness not wither away?"
10.1-81.
"A brute who is unmindful of relations will be reproached as being just a corpse while being alive. They will further say such a person will go to hell. Is it any life to be lived being called an evil-doer?"
10.1-82.
Eschewing brutality, assimilating courage, assuming augustness and proclaiming prowess he determined within himself that it is a harmful undertaking to slay sister and went silent...
10.1-83.
However kamsa was still mortally afraid deep within. "The hostility that cannot be suppressed is being born! This moon-faced woman will perhaps give birth to chakri, the one wielding the discus. I shall slay the new born right in the labour room". Thinking thus, he waited on...
10.1-84.
Consumed by the hostility with SrimahAviSHNu and immersed in those thoughts, he completely failed to attend to other duties.
10.1-85.
Moving, eating, drinking, walking, sitting kamsa has thoughts of only SrimahAviSHNu. Overpowered and consumed by hostility, unceasingly he thought of hari as encompassing the entire universe.
10.1-86.
Further...
10.1-87.
Whatever sound that he heard he thought that to be the voice of hari;
Whatever he saw with his eyes appeared to be the form of hari;
Even if a blade of grass touched him, he perceived it to be a smack from the hand of hari;
Whatever fragrance that came his way seemed to be the perfume of the garlands of hari;
Whatever words were spoken he misapprehended if it was the name of hari;
Whatever thoughts that came across his mind, he thought those to be about hari and was thus infuriated through every action of his own.
daSama skandHam - The Tenth Canto - 4 >>>
rohiNi delivers balabhadra
10.1-62.
yOgamAya extracted the resplendent fetus from the womb of dEvaki and transplanted into the womb of rOhiNi. People around dEvaki were saddened by her purported abortion of pregnancy.
10.1-63.
Then...
10.1-64.
rOhiNi gave birth to a great son. By virtue of his exceeding strength and valor he was called balabhadrA. By virtue of conferring joy to the worlds he came to be known as rAmA. Having been born by fetal transplant, he got the name samkarSHana.
10.1-65.
After that ...
10.1-66.
vasudEva shone resplendently as the attribute of the Lord of auspiciousness and wealth srImahAviSHNu entered into his being and filled his mind. Perceiving this, all the beings and elements were filled with joy.
10.1-67.
vasudEva inducted the radiance of the Lord of lakshmi - That supreme soul Which is embodied in the entire creation, is utterly holy and protects all the worlds, into dEvaki. Receiving the radiance of viSHNu, dEvaki shone with a new splendour just as the eastern direction is filled with the moonlight before the moon rise.
10.1-68.
Listening keenly, parikshit curiously asked what transpired further. suka started to narrate thus.
10.1-69.
SrIhari, in Whose stomach are lodged all the universes began to grow like the intensity of the morning Sun in the womb of dEvaki in order to protect the world.
10.1-70.
Then...
10.1-71.
(signs of pregnancy in dEvaki)
As SrIhari grew in the form of fetus in dEvaki's womb:
the conceited ones lost their glow in the face while the beautiful woman dEvaki lost the dullness in her face and shone with brilliance;
the fame of the enemy kings blackened while the nipples of the dEvaki darkened;
the abode of the evil people was filled with smoke as hair sprouted on the abdomen of dEvaki;
the enemies lost the appetite due to anxiety while the lotus-eyed dEvaki lost her appetite;
the enemies became motionless and tired as dEvaki started to feel lazy;
the enemies prepared to bite the dust as dEvaki hungered for taste of clay (geophagy!).
10.1-72.
Further...
10.1-73.
As the One enshrined in all the five elements grew in dEvaki's womb:
As if the element water came to visit the child in the womb, she began to sweat profusely.
As if the element fire came to offer obeisance to the divine child in the womb, she shone brightly.
As if the element air came to worship the to-be-born she began to breathe heavily.
As if the element earth came to honor the child, her hunger for clay swelled.
As if the element expansive ether came to hail the child, the moon-faced lady's waist expanded.
10.1-74.
As the days progressed...
10.1-75.
Since the divine child growing in dEvaki's womb was viSHNu who is the slayer of demons:
As dEvaki's waistband tightened the mangaLasUtra (auspicious thread of married women signifying the happily married status) of the wives of the enemies loosened;
As the beautiful form of dEvaki assumed brilliance, the wives of the evil people lost their shine;
As dEvaki began to feel burdened by her jewels and necklaces, the necklaces of the wives of enemies loosened;
As the cuckoo-voiced dEvaki's belly gradually grew bigger by virtue of the divine child in her womb, the enemy's wives aborted;
As the days of dEvaki's delivery neared, the days of widowhood neared for the wives of the unfavorable ones.
10.1-76.
Thus...
10.1-77.
dEvaki held in her womb, the One who has the entire Universe in His belly. Her oppression in the confinement in her brother's place resembled that of erudition in one bereft of wisdom and that of a lamp lit inside a pot.
10.1-78.
Startled by the increasing glow in the face of dEvaki, the best among women, enhanced brilliance of her being and growing beauty, kamsa anxiously reflected thus...
10.1-79.
"Watching dEvaki through her expectant days, my heart is feeling heavy. I have never felt like this before. Perhaps this is because viSHNu has entered into her womb."
10.1-80.
"How should I strategize, what is my action plan? How can I slay this woman, my sister and whose gestation is nearing term day by day. If being indifferent, I indeed do away with her will my fame, wealth, longevity and righteousness not wither away?"
10.1-81.
"A brute who is unmindful of relations will be reproached as being just a corpse while being alive. They will further say such a person will go to hell. Is it any life to be lived being called an evil-doer?"
10.1-82.
Eschewing brutality, assimilating courage, assuming augustness and proclaiming prowess he determined within himself that it is a harmful undertaking to slay sister and went silent...
10.1-83.
However kamsa was still mortally afraid deep within. "The hostility that cannot be suppressed is being born! This moon-faced woman will perhaps give birth to chakri, the one wielding the discus. I shall slay the new born right in the labour room". Thinking thus, he waited on...
10.1-84.
Consumed by the hostility with SrimahAviSHNu and immersed in those thoughts, he completely failed to attend to other duties.
10.1-85.
Moving, eating, drinking, walking, sitting kamsa has thoughts of only SrimahAviSHNu. Overpowered and consumed by hostility, unceasingly he thought of hari as encompassing the entire universe.
10.1-86.
Further...
10.1-87.
Whatever sound that he heard he thought that to be the voice of hari;
Whatever he saw with his eyes appeared to be the form of hari;
Even if a blade of grass touched him, he perceived it to be a smack from the hand of hari;
Whatever fragrance that came his way seemed to be the perfume of the garlands of hari;
Whatever words were spoken he misapprehended if it was the name of hari;
Whatever thoughts that came across his mind, he thought those to be about hari and was thus infuriated through every action of his own.
daSama skandHam - The Tenth Canto - 4 >>>
