69 - Shrikrishna, his birth and life.

Suta said: 

1-2. Sattvata endowed with the sattva guna begot four sons: Bhajana the brilliant, the divine king Dovāvrudha, Andhaka the highly blessed one and Vrushni the delighter of all the descendants of Yadu. Hear in detail the families of these four.

3. Ayutāyus, Shatayus and the powerful Harshakrut were born to Srunjayi and Bhajana the brilliant.

4. Among the four sons of Sattvata, king Devāvrudha performed a great penance desiring, "I shall have a son endowed with good qualities."

5. It is heard that those who are conversant with the mythology of the race of Anu sing that his son was known as Babhru. He was an excellent king of meritorious renown.

6. Noble men glorify the qualities of Devāvrudha the great soul. Just as we hear about them from far we see them from near.

7-9. Babhru is the best among men and Devāvrudha was equal to Devas. Fourteen thousand and sixty-five persons had attained immortality, thanks to Babhru and Devāvrudha. He performed sacrifices. He was charitably inclined. He was a hero favourably disposed towards brahmins. He was steady in holy rites. He was famous. He had great splendour. Among the Sättvatas he was a great hero. It was in his family that the Bhojas equal to Devas were born. 

10. Gandhari and Madri were the wives of Vrushņi. Gāndhāri gave birth to Sumitra and Mitranandana. 

11. Madri obtained from him the son Devamidhusha at first and then two excellent heroes Anamitra and Sini. 

12. Anamitra's son was Nighna. Nighna had two sons the highly blessed Prasena and Satrajit. 

13. The sun was an intimate friend of Satrajit. He gave him the jewel Syamantaka.579 

579. Syamantaka. See H.M. p.167.

14-16. This jewel was the best among all the jewels in the world. Once he went for hunting along with Prasena. He was killed there by a terrible lion as he was helpless. From Shini the youngest son of Vrushņi a son Satyaka was born. He was faithful in words and was richly endowed with truthfulness. His son was the valorous Yuyudhana, the grandson of Shini. 

17. Asanga was the son of Yuyudhana. Kuni was his son. The son of Kuni was Yugandhara. Thus, the descendants of Shini (Shaineyas) have been described.

18. A son was born to Yudhajit the son of Vrushņi and Madri. He was known as Shvaphalka. He was the benefactor of the three worlds. 

19. Wherever the pious king Shvaphalka was present, there was no fear of either ailment or of drought. 

20. Shvaphalka took as his wife, Gandini the daughter of the king of Kashi, who gave him his daughter. 

21-24. For many years she remained in the womb of her mother without being born. The father spoke to her even as she was within the womb. "Be born quickly. Welfare unto thee. Why dost thou tarry.” Then the girl Gandini stationed within the womb replied to him-"O father, every day you must give a cow to a brahmin. If you give thus for three years, I will come out of the womb of my mother." 

The father said, "So be it" and he fulfilled her desire. Her son from Shvaphalka is said to be Akrura. He was charitable, heroic, a performer of sacrifices, learned, and fond of guests. During sacrifices he distributed wealth as gift. 

23-29. Akrūra married Ratnã the daughter of Shaiva. He begot of her Upamanyu, Māngu, Vruta, Janamejaya, Girirakşha, Upekşha, Shatrughna, Arimardana, Dharmabhrut, Vrushtadharma, Godhana, Vara, Avāha and Prativāha. He had also an excellent daughter Sudhārā. Two sons who delighted the family were born of Ugraseni (daughter of Ugrasena) to Akrüra. They were Devavan and Upadeva equal to Devas. 

The renowned Chitraka was born as the son of Sumitra. 

30-31. The following were the sons of Chitraka-Vipruthu, Pruthu, Aśhvagriva. Subāhu, Sudhāsūka, Gavekşhaņa, Arişhtanemi, Aśhva, Dharma, Adharmabhrut, Subhūmi and Bahubhūmi. He had two daughters Shravişhthā and Shravaņā. 

32. To Andhaka the daughter of the king of Kašhi bore four sons viz: - Kukura, Bhajamāna, Shuchi and Kambalabarhis. 

33. Vruşhņi was the son of Kukura. Śhūra was the son of Vrushni. The highly powerful Kapotaromā was his son and his son was Vilomaka. 

34. He had a scholarly son Nala who was a comrade of Tumburu. He is known by the name Chandanánaka Dundubhi. 

35. From him was born the son Abhijit. His son was Punarvasu. That king performed a horse sacrifice for obtaining a son. 

36. In the course of that sacrifice when Atirätra mantras were being chanted in the middle of the assembly of priests the child Punarvasu was born. Later on he became a scholar, omniscient, charitable and a performer of sacrifices. 

37. Twins were born to Abhijit also. They were well known as Ahuka and Ahuki. They were the best among renowned people. 

38. Two sons were born to the daughter of the king of Kāśhi and Ahuka: - viz. Devaka and Ugrasena. Both of them were equal to the sons of Devas. 

39. Childern equal to Devas were born to Devaka. They were Devavān, Upadeva, Sudeva and Devarakṣhita. 

40-41. They had seven sisters. The king gave them to Vasudeva. They were Vrushadevā, Upadevā, Devarakṣhitā, Shridevā, Shäntidevā, Sahadevă and Devaki of slender waist and the best among them. 

42. Ugrasena had nine sons. Kamsa was the eldest among them. Their sons and grandsons were hundreds and thousands. 

43. The daughter of Devaka and the wife of Vasudeva was worthy of being honoured and worshipped even by Devas. 

44. The other two wives of Anakadundubhi, (Vasudeva) viz. the blessed Rohiņi and Pauravi the daughter of Bählika were also worthy of being worshipped by Devas. 

45. Rohiņi gave birth to Rāma who wielded the ploughshare as his weapon and had great strength. Due to the fear of Kamsa he had resorted to his own tranquil self. 

46. After the six innocent childern had been killed, and after Balarāma had been born the intelligent Vasudeva, begot Krishna of Devaki. 

47. He alone is the supreme soul. He is Vişhņu the lord of Devas. Balarāma was the lord Sheşha with silver lustre. 

48. Under the pretext of the curse of Bhrugu, Vişhņu agreed to take a human body and was born of Devaki as the son of Vasudeva. 

49. At the same time the Yogicslumber Kausiki originating from the body of Umā became the daughter of Yashodã at the behest of the lord of Devas. 

50. She alone is the Prakruti bowed to by all Devas. Lord Krishna is Puruşha the bestower of the fruit of virtue and salvation.

51-52. Saving his own son from Kamsa, Vasudeva took the daughter of Yaśhodā and instead gave her his own fourarmed, wide-eyed son who was marked by the scar Shrivatsa and who held the conch, discus, iron club and lotus. 

53. After giving to Nanda (the husband of Yaśhoda) his son Vişhņu the protector of the worlds who had taken up a physical form out of his own will, he said to Nanda— “May he be protected." 

54-55. It was due to the grace of Shiva the lord of Devas of immense splendour that Vişhņu assumed the physical body, Along with Rāma he handed over the lord the bestower of boons, the great Iśhvara, the preceptor of the universe, who had incarnated for dispelling the burden of the earth, saying "Here by the Yādavas will attain all auspicious results. This child of Devaki will remove all our distresses." 

56-59. Anakadundubhi then intimated to Kamsa the son of Ugrasena that a daughter endowed with good signs had been born. There had been an aerial announcement- "O Kamsa of good holy rites the eighth child of Devaki will no doubt be the cause of your death.” Hence, Kamsa attempted to kill the child. But that child (of Nanda) the goddess of eight arms slipped from his hands and crossed to the sky. She said in a voice as majestic as the rumbling sound of the cloud. "Save your own skin. Your death has come. 

60. O foolish Kamsa, even as you were guarding your own body you have committed sins. Indeed your destroyer is aready born." 

61. It is said that due to his fear of Devaki, Kamsa killed the eighth child. But the eighth son of Devaki was really the cause of his death. 

62. O leading suges, all attempts of Dhoja to take revenge on hiin became futile due to Krishna's power. Moreover, he was rendered insentient by the Māyä Kaushiki. 

63. Thus Kamsa was killed by Krishna of unimpedied activity. Many other destroyers of Devas and brahmins too were killed. 

61. Krishna's sons Pradyumna and others have already been enumerated. They were many and all of them were experts in battle. 

65-89. Krishna's sons werk rqual to Krishna. Among all these sons Chārudesna and his brothers are of special importance. They were the suns of Rukmiņi. They werc the destroyers of their enemies. Krishna had sixteen thousand and one hundred wives. The inust beloved and the eldest of them all was Rukmini. 

Lord Shiva was worshipped for twelve years by her and Krishna of unimpaired activity, for the sake of sons, living only on air (all those years). 

By the grace of the trident-bearing lord the following sons were born to Krishna viz: - Chārudeşhņa, Sucharu, Chăruvesha, Yashodhara, Charushravas, Chăruyashas, Pradyumna and Samba. 

70. On seeing those heroic sons of Rukmiņi as well as Rukmiņi, Jambavati the wife of Krishna once spoke to him thus. 

71. O lotus-eyed one, it behoves you, if you are delighted, to give me a son equal to Devas, a son endowed with superior qualities. 

72. On hearing the words of Jāmbavati, Krishņa the lord of the universe and a real storehouse of penance began to perform penance. 

73-75. Krishna Nārāyana, the wielder of the conch, discus and iron club, went to the excellent hermitage of the sage Vyāghrapāda. After bowing to the sage, Krishna obtained the divine Päśhupata Yoga. At his behest he shaved off the beard, moustache and the hair on the head, applied ghee all over the body and wore the girdle of the Muñja grass. Thus initiated, lord Krişhņa the scorcher of foes performed a great penance. 

76. He performed the penance in various poses. He stood with arms raised up and without support, he stood on the tips of his toes. He spent three seasons sustaining himself on fruits, water and air. 

77. Satisfied with his penance, lord Shiva granted him boons. He gave Samba the son of Jämbavati to Krishņa the noble soul. 

78. On getting the son Sāmba from Krishna, his wife Jämbavati became highly delighted in the same way as Aditi when she obtained Aditya. 

79. O leading sages, by the curse580 of Lord Shiva the thousand hands of Bāņa were cut off by Krişhņa. 

580. Rudrasya śäpät-Sâmba, son of Shrikrişhņa, cut off a thousand arms of Bäņa. For a slightly different version, see H.M. p.42. 

80. Then with Balarāma to assist him he carried out the destruction of Daityas. He sportively killed several wicked kings in the battlefield. 

81. He killed the leading Daitya Naraka born of Devas. thanks to a boon granted by the noble brahmin Urdhvachakra.581 

82. The excessively strong one, of uncqualled exploit, Krishna took up sixteen thousand one hundred girls for his own pleasure. 

Under the pretext of a curse from the brahmins he destroyed the family of Vruşhnis. After that he, the lord, remained in Prabhāsa.582 

84-85. More than hundred years elapsed thus even as Krishna ruled over Dvārakä* removing the distress due to old age. He acceded to the curses of Vishvāmitra, 583 Kanva584 and Nārada,584 as also the words of Durvāsas (and stayed) in Pindāraka.586 

581. It refers to the legend narrated in Harivamšha:

582. Prabhāsa-it is a celebrated place of pilgrimage in Saurastra the southern part of Kāthiawar. *a city near Okha in Kathiawar. 

583-585. For detail, Bhäga Janayişhyati vo mandi musalam kulanāśhanam -cited in ST. 

586. Pindāraka-a sacred bathing pond, somewhere in the country of the Yadavas, not identifiable. 

86. Krishna abandoned the human form under the pretext of the arrow of the hunter Jaraka, and after blessing that hunter he returned to heaven. 

87. Due to the curse of Aşhtāvakra587 as also due to his own Māyā (power) the wives of lord Krishna were abducted by thieves. 

587. The curse of Aşhtávakra. Vişhnu cited in ST. 

88-91. Balarāma abandoned his human form and assuming that of Sheşha went to his heavenly abode. The auspicious queens of Krishna-Rukmiņi and others-entered fire along with the body of their lord. O brahmins, the gentle lady Revati too entered the pyre along with her husband Balarāma and followed his path. The extremely powerful Arjuna performed the obsequies of Krişhņa, Rāma and also of other Vrushņis. O men of good holy rites, with bulbous roots, fruits and roots he performed the rites of oblation, for want of wealth. 

92-94. Then Arjuna too went to heaven together with his brothers. Thus, the exploits and end of the noble Krişhņa of unimpaired activity, who adopted human form out of his own free will, has been succinctly mentioned to you. O brahmins, he who reads this narrative of the kings of lunar race ur listens to it or narrates it to others undoubtedly goes to the world of Vişhņu.