Chapter 66 - The Present of the Parijata by Krishna to Rukshmini

1. Janamejaya said:—O foremost of Munis, I am not able to attain to the consummation of my satisfaction listening again and again to the sacred theme of Lord Krishna’s influence on Mathura.

2. You are conversant with the six divisions of Krishna’s history while Madhava lived in Dvarka after marrying his wives. Do you describe it to me now.

3. Vaishampayana said:—O Janamejaya, O descendant of Bharata, all the deeds which the powerful Krishna performed after taking his wives are all becoming to him. Listen, I shall relate them.

4. O king, after his marriage, the highly energetic and powerful Vasudeva once went to the mount Raivataka with Rukshmini.

5. Madhusudana went there personally because there was to take place a great festival on the day of the termination of Rukshmini’s vow and that he would gratify the Brahmanas.

6. O king, according to Narada’s command, Vasudeva’s sons and brothers had already been sent there.

7. The sixteen thousand wives of the intelligent Madhava with splendour befitting their rank, had gone there..

8. There the lord of subdued senses, conferred on the twice-borns all their desired-for objects, as well as on the beggars, on those who always practise religious rites and on all those who sought his well-being.

9-10. Arriving there, O descendant of Kuru with Yauna,^[1] Shrauna^[2] and Maukh [Maukha?],^[3] friends, pure, always performing great religious rites and born in great families, the Lord, ever fond of his votaries and the refuge of the pious, satisfied the Brahmanas with sacrifice and his kinsmen according to their rank. At the termination of the fasting, the Lord highly honored his beloved spouse Rukshmini, the daughter of Bhishmaka.

12. While residing there, once the highly powerful Krishna, sat on a seat with Rukshmini encircled by his other wives when the ascetic Narada arrived there.

13. When that best of Munis came there, Vasava’s younger brother of immeasurable energy Keshava, duly adored him with rites laid down in the Scriptures.

14. O descendant of Bharata, adored by Vasudeva’s son Krishna, that foremost of Munis, Narada, adored of the pious, gave him a Parijata flower.

15. O king, Bhoja’s daughter Rukshmini was by him, so Hari gave her that Parijata flower.

16. Taking that lovely flower and following Krishna’s hint, that blameless lady the object of his love, put it on her head.

17. At that time Bhishmaka’s daughter, the very collection of the beauties of the three worlds, ever captivating Narayana, was doubly beautified by that celestial flower.

18. Thereafter Prajapati’s son Narada said to Kama’s mother (Rukshmini):—"O goddess, O chaste lady, the flower is worthy of you.

19. O you of firm vows, methinks you art worthy of wearing this flower, for coming in your contact, it has been perfectly adorned.

20. O you, endowed with auspicious qualities, O you ever fond of your husband, this flower never withers away.

21. O you of many qualities, O you, conversant with the knowledge of time, the flower emits wished-for fragrance for one year.

22. O beautiful lady of sweet speech, this flower affords heat and cold as desired, and from it come out various wished-for juices.

23. O beautiful lady, when sought for, this Parijata flower gives good luck and emits delightful fragrance.

24. O goddess, what more, whatever flowers you shalt wish for, this flower of the king of trees the Parijata will give you.

25. O auspicious and pious lady, it is the root of good luck and confers piety, and when won, it does not allow the mind, to wend any evil path.

26. Whatever colour you shalt wish to see, it will assume, and according to your will, it will become thin or plump.

27. O you, having lotus eyes, dispelling unwholesome smell, it increases fragrance, and it serves the purpose of a lamp in night.

28. Moreover it will give you a garland of Santanaka flowers, the most excellent of flowers, and undecaying clothes whenever you shalt think of them.

29. Whenever you will use the flower like a very goddess you will be the mistress of hunger, thirst, exhaustion and decrepitude.

30. As desired by you, it will sing songs in accompaniment with good musical instruments.

31. O goddess, as is the rule with this flower, it will go away from you when the term of one full year will be completed.

32. O fair one, may good betide you! in order to please the gods the Creator has invested the Parijata flower with such a character.

33. The beloved spouse of Mahadeva, the foremost of gods, Himalaya’s daughter Uama is the mistress of the universe: and therefore she always uses this flower.

34-35. O you endued with accomplishments, the mother of Mahendra and other gods, Aditi, Puloma’s daughter Saci, Savitri, the mother of gods and the goddess Shri too, always use this flower. Even for the wives of the gods and the leading celestial Vasus and others its period of duration does not exceed more than a year.

136-38. "O Bhoja’s daughter, among the sixteen thousand wives of Vasudeva, I consider you as the foremost and the most beloved. O accomplished lady, O you the beloved wife of the lord of all, you have sprinkled to-day the other wives of your husband with the water of dishonor. Krishna, the slayer of Madhu having conferred on you this Mandara flower, your good luck and fame have become manifest.

39. O fair lady, the fortunate and chaste Satyabhama, the daughter of Satrajit who always considers herself as greatly lucky, will come to know of your good fortune today.

40. Samva’s mother Jamvuvati, Gandhari and other wives of the high-souled Vasudeva will forsake to-day their great desire for a good luck.

41. O goddess, such a victorious car of your good fortune has come out to-day that even a thousand mental cars will not be able to vanquish it.

42. O beautiful and glorious daughter of Bhoja, I know you to-day as the other soul of Krishna.

43. O beloved wife of Hari, blessed is your life since Acyuta has conferred on you, this flower identical with the best collection of jewels of the three worlds".

44. O Emperor, the female servants, that had been sent there by Satyabhama heard the words of Narada.

45. O king, the other wives of Krishna had sent there, their respective maid servants. Seeing them Narada said so, about Rukshmini.

46. Hearing all this in particular, the assembled maid servants out of their feminine nature, carried the news to the inner appartments of Krishna.

47-48. Hearing that, the goddesses began to speak into the ears of one another delightedly about Rukshmini’s accomplishments befitting her family. Amongst the assembled wives of Damodara almost all said:—"Why should not this be? Rukshmini is Keshava’s first wife, and is the mother of his son. So she is worthy of such a respect".

49. But the highly proud Satyabhama, ever beloved of Vishnu, could not bear the accession of such a good fortune unto the other wife of her husband.

50. That youthful and beautiful goddess was always proud of her good luck, and too much sensitive. So hearing of such a good fortune of the other wife she was possessed by jealousy.

51. Worked up with anger like the flame of fire, that one of pure smiles cast off her cloth dyed with red powder and put on a white one.

52. Thereupon as a star enters into a cloud, so burning with the increasing fire of jealousy and shorn of her lustre, she entered into the lonely apartment of anger.

53-55. To put sandal on the forehead, to wear two pieces of raiment white like snow and to put on red sand on the outskirts of the fore-head, are marks of showing anger on the husband. So the goddess Satyabhama did not forget them. She threw off her ornaments on the bed having a big pillow; and then wearing only a single braid of hair and remembering again and again the good fortune of his co-wife, she sat there and shook her head in anger. Although Keshava caressed her dearly, she worked up with ire, at the report of her maid-servants, bent her eye-brow, began to sigh heavily and tore off her sporting lotus with her nails.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Those connected by female marriage &c.

[2]:

Those with whom he studied together.

[3]:

Priests and sacrifices.