Chapter 88 - Mucukunda’s Prayer

Vyāsa said:

1. O brahmins, Śyāla called a brahmin of the cowherds colony (named) Gārgya by the (ignoble remark) Śaṇḍha (impotent) in the presence of Yādavas and all the Yādavas laughed at it.

2. Thereupon, the infuriated brahmin went to Southern territory and performed a penance. He was desirous of a son who would be a terror to the Yādavas.

3. Propitiating lord Śiva he ate powdered iron. The lord was pleased with him in the twelfth year and he granted him a boon.

4. The Yavaneśa (a Greek King) who had no son honoured him. As a result of sexual intercourse with his wife a son of fiery splendour was born to him.

5. He was named Kālayavana. The Greek king crowned the boy who had a chest as hard as the adamantine tip and went to the forest.

6. Proud and arrogant by virtue of his prowess, he asked about the powerful kings on the Earth. Nārada told him about the Yādavas.

7. He was surrounded by crores and thousands of crores of Mlecchas (alien tribes) who were richly equipped with elephants, horses and chariots. He made an elaborate attempt thus.

8. O sages, he was ceaselessly thinking of the Yādavas everyday. He became very furious with them. He marched against the city of Mathurā.

9-12. Kṛṣṇa thought thus:—“On observing the Yādava army destroyed by Kālayavana, the king of Magadha will strike at us. The powerful Kālayavana will destroy the exhausted army of the king of Magadha. Thus two types of calamity are likely to befall us. Hence I shall make a very invincible fort for my clan. Even ladies can fight from within it. What then about the leading Vṛṣṇis? May not the wicked enemies harm the Yādavas much when I am inebriate, erring, sleeping or out of the territory.”

13. After thinking thus Kṛṣṇa begged of the great ocean a piece twelve Yojana. He created the city of Dvārakā there.

14. It had great parks and outer walls. It was beautified by hundreds of lakes. It had hundreds of thick ramparts. It resembled Indra’s city Amarāvatī.

15, Lord Kṛṣṇa brought the people of Mathurā there. When Kālayavana was expected he alone went to Mathurā.

16. When the army (of Kālayavana) encamped outside Mathurā, he came out without any weapon and the Yavana saw him.

17-18. Knowing that he was Vāsudeva, the king too with his arms alone for weapons, followed the lord who is not attained even by the minds of great Yogins. Followed by him Kṛṣṇa entered a cave where king Mucukunda was lying asleep.

19. The Yavana also entered the cave. He saw a man lying on a bed. Thinking him to be Kṛṣṇa, the wicked Yavana kicked him with his foot.

20. The moment the Yavana was seen by him he was consumed by the fire of anger. O sages, he was instantaneously reduced to ashes.

21. That king had taken part in the battle between Devas and Asuras and defeated Asuras. He had to remain for many nights without sleep and so was distressed. He requested Suras for the boon of slumber.

22. He was also informed by Devas thus—“He who wakes you up when you are asleep will soon be reduced to ashes by the fire issuing from your body.

23. After reducing that sinner he looked at Kṛṣṇa and said—“Who are you?” Kṛṣṇa said: “I am born of the lunar race.

24-25. I am the son of Vasudeva, the scion of the family of Yadu”.

On hearing it Mucukunda remembered the words of the elderly Gārgya. After recollecting everything he bowed down to Kṛṣṇa, the lord of all identical with everyone. He said—“You are the greatest īśvara. You are born of Viṣṇu’s part.

26. Formerly, this was mentioned by Gārgya—Hari will take birth in the line of Yadu towards the end of Dvāpara Yuga in the twenty-eighth cycle of four Yugas.

27-30. Therefore, there is no doubt at all. You are the one come to me. You are the one that render help to all men, I am unable to endure your great splendour. He uttered words unto him so bold and resonant as the rumbling sound of the rain-bearing cloud, to him who was petted and fondled by you. However, in the great battle between Devas and Asuras the heroic Devas and Asuras were incompetent to endure your great refulgence. I too am unable to bear that refulgence. You are the greatest refuge to the creature that has fallen in the ocean of worldly existence. You are the sole dispeller of agony of those who resort to you. Be pleased. Remove my inauspiciousness.

31. You are everything viz—oceans, mountains, rivers, forests, Earth, sky, wind, water, fire, you are the highest being.

32-35. You are the one devoid of sound etc., the unageing one devoid of birth and destruction. All beings attain their series of births from you who pervade everything. The immortal beings, Pitṛs (Manes) Yakṣas, Gandharvas, Rākṣasas, Siddhas, Apsarās—attain their births from you—men, animals, birds, reptiles, deer, trees, and the time-scale divided into past, present and future—everything mobile and immobile, all those things with or without forms, those which are gross and subtle—O creator of the universe, you alone are all those things; there is nothing without you.

36. O lord, no peace or happiness was attained by me anywhere; by me who wandered amidst the cycles of worldly existence and who had been attacked by the three forms of scorching agonies.

37. O lord, miseries alone were taken up by me as pleasures, like the mirages that are understood as water-reservoirs. They were conducive to my agony alone.

38-39. Kingdom, Earth, army, treasury, allies, sons, wives, attendants, and the objects of senses beginning with sound—all these, O unchanging one, were taken by me to be the cause of happiness. O lord of Devas, in effect they were sources of distress, of a scorching nature.

40. O lord, even Devas attaining the goal of the common world became desirous of help from me. Where is permanent happiness (available)?

41. Without propitiating you, the basis and source of origin of all the worlds, by whom is permanent happiness attained?

42. People whose minds are deluded by your Māyā attain birth, death, old age etc. of a sinful nature. They see the King of the dead in the middle.

43-45. Then those men are bound by means of hundreds of nooses in hells. They attain very terrible misery. This is your cosmic form. I am very much sensuous. I am deluded by your Māyā, O great lord, I wander amidst deep pits of ‘my-ness’.

I have sought refuge in you. You who have no other side (? a vast one), the primordial Īśa, than whom there is no other greater region. My mind is distressed due to exhaustion and agony of worldly existence. I am desirous of attaining the transformed (?) shelter, being disgusted with worldly affairs.”