107 - Subjugation of Salva by Balabhadra and the stotra recited by Bhishmaka

Narayana said- 0 sage thereafter, the valorous Baladeva broke the chariot of Rukmi with the plough.

The valorous Baladeva who happened to be the lord of the universe after breaking to pieces, the chariot and the horses besides the charioteer of Rukmi, rushed towards him in order to kill him. Rukmi on his part prevented the advance of Balarama by shooting a number of arrows and thought of capturing Balarama with the use of Nagastra.

Balabhadra himself shot Garudastra in order to destroy the Nagastra. O sage, in rage Rukmi took out the Pas'upata weapon on which could not be infructuous, destroyed the enemies and was illustrious like hundreds of suns. But Baladeva surrounded Rukmi with Jrumbhastra and he started having a deep sigh.

 Rukmi was than over-powered with sleep and fell down on earth. Salva on the other hand finding him sleepy, shot a hundred arrows at Baladeva, showered mountains and rocks besides water and fire-flames.

But Balarama on his part neutralised all of them with the use of his weapon and with the striking of the plough, he reduced the chariot of Salva into pieces.

He killed his horses and the chariot also play fully, he then rushed towards him with the intention of killing him. But there was a divine voice from the sky, saying, "You forgive Salva because he is to be killed by Krishna alone. Who can described your prowess in the battle-field on whose head the entire globe rests like a seed of sesamum in a winnowing basket.”

On hearing this, Baladeva struck him on the head with his plough as a result of which he fell in the battle-field. Finding that Salva had fallen, Sisupala showered his arrows like the showering of the water on the ground. Balarama on his part reduced his chariots into pieces.

Shiva himself stopped Balarama from killing him saying, ”0 Balabhadra, don’t kill Sisupala, the best of the courtier of Vishnu because he is destined to be killed by Krishna himself".

Balarama broke the teeth of Dantavaktra with the striking of the plough because he was jeering at all the people.

Witnessing the prowess of Balarama, all the warriors fled away. Thereafter the marriage party entered Kundinapura.

In the meantime, the great sage Shatananda arrived before Krishna together with crores of sages.

He made the marriage party enter the inaccessible gate of the city which was inaccessible for the enemies but was quite pleasant for the friends. All the daughters of the gods, the Nagas, the sages and the princesses arrived there to have a look at the groom.

The musical instrument were played upon performing the welfare ceremonies. The groom was clad in the best of garments. A beautiful palanquin was arranged. Similarly, king Bhishmaka also performed all the festivities through the priest with the reciting of the Vedic hymns, distributing to the Brahmanas and the beggars, the diamonds, riches, jewels, rubies, eatables, beside the beautiful garments. The musical instruments were sounded, and all the welfare ceremonies were performed, Rukmini was also adorned with the best of ornaments and was clad in the best of costumes.

All the ceremonies were performed by the queens and the wives of the sages. Thereafter at the auspicious moment of Mahendra-yoga, when the lord was associated with lagna and was under the influence of the best of the planets the marriage was performed at the auspicious time when constellations the moon and the stars looked quite auspicious having no blemish. The marriage ceremony of the couple was performed in the welfare yoga. At that point of time, Sri Krishna arrived in the courtyard of Bhismaka.

He was accompanied by the gods, the sages, the Brahmanas, the priests’ close relatives, the parent's, the kings, cowherds, courtiers, friends, bards and the astrologers well-versed in the science of astrology. There were several people playing on the musical instruments besides dancers singers, artisans, the gardeners the Vidyadharis, apsaras and the kinnaris and others The gods, the sages, the kings who had arrived to witness the marriage looked at the place of the marriage delightfully which had thousand of the trunks of the banana trees tied with the silken cords. There were innumerable garlands of champaka flowers, the tender leaves of the sandal-wood and mango trees besides several types of garlands of red, yellow and white flowers. There were a large number of Ghata-pallavas decorating the place which were painted with kasturi, sandal-paste, saffron, leaves, fried paddy, fruits, flowers and Durva-grass. The place was surrounded by the Brahmanas and the kings.

There was the goddess of the best of gem. The place was filled with the sandals-paste, kasturi and saffron, issuing fragrance. The cool fragrant wind was blowing, thousands of lamps made of gems were burning there, the burning of several types of the incense and other scented materials were issuing fragrant; the auspicious architects had made various types of attractive paintings all around. The Gandharvas were engaged in beautiful music, the Vidyadhari and the dancers were dancing, the place was decorated with several of the paintings created by the artisans which attracted the people. The damsels were peeping through the windows and the secret gates. The king was holding kusa-grass in his hand besides the pitcher of welfare. The learned priest was also present there. Brahma and other gods looked at the courtyard of the king. All of them delightfully descended from the chariots and entered the courtyard of the king. The kings, the demons, Sanaka and other sages arrived there. Lord Krishna was also present there with his courtiers. Finding all the people there. Bhishmaka at once got up and offered his salutation to the gods, the sages, the kings, bowing his head. He then offered Individual gem-studded lion-throne to everyone for taking their seats. The king respectively adored all, offerings prayers to each one of them with devotion. He then started Vasudeva and Devaki getting emotional with his eyes filled with tears.

 Bhismaka said- My life has met with success today and has been beautified; the fruit of crores of my birth has emerged.

The one who is the creator of the universe and is the bestower of all the riches, whose lotus-like feet are difficult to be seen even in dream, the one who bestows the reward for the tapas is the creator, the same lord is now present in my courtyard. It is not proper to enquire about the welfare from the one who roams himself into his own soul.

He is the one who is adored by the yogis, the siddhas, the gods and the ascetics but is inaccessible to them, the same Shiva have arrived in my courtyard. The lord who happens to be the killer of the time, death for the god of the death, the one who has conquered the death and is the lord of death, the same lord is presently visible to all.

The one who carries the earth over one of his thousand heads and the one who is beyond description in the Vedas, the same, lord is present in my courtyard.

The one who is lovingly visible in all the desire, the one who is adored first of all and the one who is the best of all the gods, the same Ganesha is present in my courtyard. The one who is the best of the sages and the Vaishnavas, besides being the teacher of the intellectuals, the same Sanatkumara is present in my courtyard.

The sons, grandsons, great grandsons and other descendants of Brahma are illumining with divine lustre. All of them have, presently arrived in my house.

My house has been turned into the holy place like the one at the end of the kalpa, with the water of whose feet, the holy places get sanctified, he is also available here. All the holy places of the earth and the ocean are lodged in the feet of the Brahmanas; the earth remains wet with the water from the feet of the Brahmanas. The ancestors sip the water from the leaves of the lotus flowers. They are all present in my house.

 By consuming the water with which the feet of the Brahmanas are washed, by giving them the dakshina, one achieves the merit of taking bath in all the holy places. The water of the feet of the Brahmanas removes all the misfortunes. The ailments and bestows pleasure and removes pain.

 There is no place holier than Ganga; there is no god greater then Hari, there is no devotee greater than Sanatkumara, there is no tree greater than kalpavruksha; there is no flower better than Parijata, there is no vrata greater than Harivasara, there is no goddess greater than Prakruti. There is no base greater than the wind, there is nothing more solid than Mahavishnu and nothing is smaller than the atom.

 There is no ashrama more sanctified than Brahmana, nor the holy place. Even the gods do not compare with them. This has been ordained by Brahma.

The lord who is beyond Brahma, Vishnu, Sesha or Prakruti; the god who is inaccessible through meditation and could be achieved with great devotion and meditation. He is beyond quality invisible and takes to human form in order to bestow his grace on the devotees; all these gods are presently available in my house.

His inaccessible lotus-like feet are adored by Brahma, Shiva, Ananta, Kubera, Ganesa and Surya.

Thus speaking Bhishmaka himself came and stood before Krishna and praised him with the reciting of the stotra from Samaveda.

Bhishmaka said- You are the inner soul of everyone, the witness of all, unattached, the cause of the deeds and the cause of ail the causes.

Some of the people call you as the form of lustre and eternal while others call you as the supreme soul which is reflected in a human being.

The people of ordinary wisdom conceived you as the one having polity and Prakrutika Jiva. The person with great wisdom conceive you as the one having the eternal body. Some of the people conceive you as the internal light, eternal and having an ever-lasting body. Because without the visible lord the lustre cannot emerged.

O Narada, thus praising the king sipped water and remembered lord Vishnu. Thereafter he offered water at the feet of the lord which are daily washed Lakshmi. He then offered Durva- grass, flowers and water together with arghya, madhuparka and sugar. He applied fragrant, sandal-paste on all the limbs.

The garland of Parijata flowers which was given to him by Indra, who offered by him to the lord adorning his neck.

The beautiful ornament of gems offered to the king by Kubera, was offered with devotions by the king to the lord.

The two garments sanctified by fire which was given by Agni to the king in earlier times were offer to lord Krishna.

The shining gem-studded crown which was offered by Vishvakarma, to the king was given by him to lord Krishna, adorning his forehead.

The incense, the lamps of gems, tasteful naivedya and several types of flowers besides gem-studded lion throne were also offered to him. The water of seven holy places was given to the lord for sipping and a betel with camphor was also given to him. He was also given a charming bed which was quite appropriate for love-sport and the fragrant water was offered the bunch of flowers to Krishna.