Canto 8 - Jarasandha Prays Lord Shiva

1. Then the happy Jarasandha, who was shining like Indra, having attained wealth along with the kingdom, left to him, by his father, fixed his mind on Shiv, and blazed on the golden throne like the sun on the mount Meru.

2. At that very moment, the Goddess of Kingdom wedded that youthful new king who had all the auspicious signs, and on seeing him who was shining like the sun and able in ruling his subjects, the enemies were frightened and shaken very much.

3. Later the king, who made the 'dharmashastra' the authority, honoured much the Brahmins also, like the gods, and captured the hearts of people also.

4. As his father gradually retired to the forests new, the subjects also considered the new king efficient, and did not remember the old one.

5. Though surrounded every day by his followers, and became deaf with the words of hundreds of counsellors, he heard the poor ones only.

6. Thus the valourous Jarasandha, the expert in administration, was engaged day and night with no other thought.

7. Having made all the agitated worlds removed of all the fears by the amicable rule of Jarasandha, who ruled with a feeling of serenity caused by the utmost gentleness, the one with firm order, made even independence also thoughtful.

8. Thus as king Jarasandha, who had defeated the armies of his enemies, was busy day and night in the royal duties,

9. His passionate wife, afflicted by separation, and eager for the youthful dalliance that was promised at the time of marriage spent some days somehow.

10. Then once at night, the lustful king, having found an opportunity, came to his beloved wife whose body became tormented by the eagerness caused by separation.

11. Having perceived his wife, who was thin in body because of long separation, and becoming kind hearted, he embraced her tightly, and kissed happily her fair face.

12. Sporting a shining body having drops of perspiration from that effort, though herself frightened, she could not however, stop the fearless one.

13. The lady was very delicate in body, the lover was unbridled, the solitary night was very much beautiful, Manmatha^[1] alone was the ruler, and thus the young couple experienced the highest ecstasy.

14. Thus the delicate one, having been enjoyed by the young one, gradually exhibited the signs of pregnancy that would please the king of Magadha.

15. Later, at an auspicious time, the queen of the lord of the kingdom gave birth to twin daughters, who were like two lotuses with sweet beauty radiating from their well structured bodies and faces.

16. Thus the king of Magadha begot two daughters. The king named one of them as Asti and the other as Prapti.

17. As the king of Magadha was again engaged in his royal duties, days passed like minutes. There his two daughters gradually attained youth like the blossoming creepers of Cupid.

18. On seeing his daughters who attained glowing puberty, the concerned father desired to search for a worthy suitor to them.

19. The king of Magadha, having decided in his mind Kansa, the king of Mathura as the selected groom, invited immediately the intelligent old ministers to discuss that matter, and spoke thus to them.

20. "Oh, the best of my ministers, as the princesses have attained healthy youth that is suitable for wedlock, a groom shall be searched for.

21-23. "But a person, who is impatient, not victorious in war, whose mind is indulged in the royal luxuries, unkindly intolerant, sick with the fear of the enemies, merciful, valourous in boasting, weak, and feeble-bodied can never become son-in-law to me, the brave lord of Magadha, who is ever proud of war, and very much a lover of war. Hence please listen to this.

24-26. "Kansa alone is suitable to them on this earth. Once as all the kings who attended the sacrifice were looking, the arrogant Kansa, playing with a blue lotus, tamed forcible the highly intoxicated elephant Kuvalayapida that has the strength of thousand elephants, and thereby caused astonishment to us. And this is my opinion. Tell me what your view is."

27. As the king asked them thus, an intelligent and impartial old minister Sumantra by name got up, and having bowed his head, spelled out clearly and truly what he thought.

28. "O king, my approval will not be for the son of Ugrasena. Though a devotee of Siva, his conduct is not said to be good.

29. "By whom his old and venerable father has been imprisoned, the wise have been rejected, the noble have been tormented, the innocent and sinless nephews have been killed, and whose death is imminent as declared by the voice in the sky.

30. "So, O king, you shall not perform the marriage of your daughters with him, if you heed my word. It’s difficult to have beneficiary and pleasing words."

31. As the old minister said these words and kept quiet, Jarasandha, who was agitated at hearing unpleasant words, replied somewhat angrily.

32. "Oh, by the noble ministers other than you, accepting with joyful hearts my intelligent thought flow, silent approval has been expressed.

33. "The ministers whose mind-animals have been captured by the great prowess of the king of Mathura, who has tamed mighty elephants, and whose gait is like that of an elephant.

34. "I don’t know how you alone, having a different outlook, for what purpose, finding faults in Kansa, overlooking his greatness, speak smart words?

35. "Ho, ho, One having decayed intelligence! Realize that you have become old. You seem to have a doubt that verily the eighth child of Devaki, who has been declared by the Fortune, will someday kill this Kansa. But tell me, who (which tiger-soldier) on this earth can rise to kill Kansa even when he sleeps, while I, the lord of Magadha, violent like a cloud and the only warrior in a duel stand here?

36. "A wise person will go on pilgrimage when he reaches his sixtieth year. I don’t want to speak more. Silence is better for people like you."

37. As he thus angrily chided the old minister, who spoke thus to him, the others, out of fear, and considering their instable position, spoke in concurrence to his speech.

38. In this world the worthy who want to achieve extraordinary wealth for prosperity should not ignore the words of their master.

39. "Hence, O king, our approval is given in this regard. Your reasoning is highly proper. Except Kansa, who alone shines in the three worlds, no one else is worthy of respect for you.

40. "If even the new born babies of his sister have been killed by him for self-protection, say O king, there but he is blamed. A man well versed in polity will kill the young enemies?

41. "By those acts, his political shrewdness is known. One should not find fault with that. Only the evil see abuse there."

42. Thus approved by those ministers, the pleased king, who had no doubt, fixed at that very moment the marriage of his two daughters with the proud youth named Kansa.

43. As the mean again reiterated (or elated) the neutral ones with impartial thinking became calm (silent). The noble were not happy on hearing about the decision of the king from other people.

44. Then at the auspicious time fixed by the Brahmins, without any announcement, the adventurous trickster performed quickly the marriage of his daughters with Kansa.

45. This Kansa, who had excessively afflicted mind of romantic dalliance caused by the bright and strong youthfulness, happily married the king’s daughters, who had breasts that were like the peaks of shiningly fresh youth.

46. Thus Kansa, the king of Mathura, having been married, honoured and given send off by Jarasandha, departed.

47. The king, though pleased, feeling that he was relieved of a great debt, still was sorrowful at the separation from his daughters.

48. Later the shrewd Jarasandha, applied the rod of justice to suppress his evil adversaries who were putting obstacles in his administrative works.

49. He served always the noble and became very happy. Jarasandha, who knew about the customs, even venerated the Brahmins also according to the tradition.

50. The Brahmins also, satisfied and pleased much by his devotion, drenched the pious king with streams of blessings.

51. Thus, having attained all the distinguished wealth of Magadha, the unconquerable warrior, who cut down all his enemies shone on the earth, always pleasing the lord of the earth.

52. In this way, the king of Magadha whose intellectual powers were scattered by the pride of well established authority ruled the earth, overshadowing (not caring) the other kings.

53. Then, once, a superior follower of his son-in-law Kansa, approached Jarasandha running hurriedly, shivering and his speech broken with fear.

54. As the king of Magadha, doubting something unpleasant, asked, the servant much agitated with the burden of fear, spoke with halting words thus:

55. "Ha, Alas, Alas, the proud one was killed by the arrogant Krishna, the cowherd, O king, know, caught by hair, quickly dragged from the throne, the husband of your daughters that Kansa.

56. "Having thus killed Kansa that haughty cowherd released immediately the unworthy Ugrasena from the prison willfully, and made him again the king of Surasena."

57. Thus the follower of Kansa revealed in solitude to the king the unpleasant news. And the king became motionless.

58. Thus these words fell from the mouth of the follower of Kansa on Jarasandha like the thunderbolt on a mountain.

59. The king of Magadha, whose heart was filled with sorrow of the death of his son-in-law, and whose pleasure was lost by the blow of the trouble of unpleasantness, spoke aloud angrily to the follower (of Kansa) as if burning him with his words.

60. "Fie, fie, the one with burnt face! Go away immediately from my presence. Fie on me, fie on my strength and pride, fie on the workings of the misfortune!

61. "How can the king of Magadha live, not knowing what to do now, even though he be the only warrior in the three worlds."

62. Chattering so, his heart burning with sorrow, his mind distraught by the widowhood of his two daughters, angrily raising his hand with fist clenched, he made a promise loudly.

63. "I will take revenge (literally release from enmity) somehow surely by killing that Krishna, the murderer of Kansa."

64. Having uttered these words burning with the forest fire of kindled pride, desiring the grace of Lord Shiv, the lord of Magadha, the warrior who took pride in his prowess, thought to himself.

65. None other than Shiv can grant me a boon by which I shall kill my enemy, and become the victor of the three worlds.

66. Having thus decided firmly that his enmity would subside only with the grace of Shiv, and having relinquished wealth along with kingdom, he desired at that very moment to leave for Chaitya to perform penance.

67. Having delegated the burden of the administration to his ministers, he went to the Chaitya Mountain accompanied by some Brahmins.

68. Hooded by the pride of his strength, bound tightly by enmity, Jarasandha, the old hand in warfare, who robbed the pride of his enemies, and worn the serpent of Cupid, desiring boons from Shiv did not step away from his resolution even when persuaded by his kith and kin.

69. The devout and self-controlled Jarasandha, disciplined in adhering to the rules, started the vow of Shiv according to the rules at the time stipulated by the Brahmins.

70. The king, having abandoned all the royal comforts and having controlled his senses always honoured the Brahmins and dutifully engaged himself in the worship of Shiv.

71. Many were the hindrances for him in that, but still the strong and resolute son of Brihadratha, who was solely devoted to his vow, did not move away from the path of duty.

72. Thus Jarasandha, the enemy of Vishnu, blinded by his ego performed for one year the hard vow of Shiv.

73. The three eyed Lord Shiv, the sight auspicious, the ruler of the three worlds, the wealth of penance and the one with great shoulders observed the king’s austerities.

74. Having observed him performing severe austerities, being very much kind hearted, Shiv was well pleased and appeared there.

75. Jarasandha, who accomplished his task, who bound his locks, and who destroyed the cities of his enemies saw with amazement immediately before him the smiling Shiv, the destroyer of Cupid.

76. On seeing the pleased Shiv before him, the king whose oath was fulfilled, bowed with bent head to the lord of the beings.

77. The kind Shiv, the destroyer of the misfortune of the beings thus said to the bowing Jarasandha. “O son, I am pleased with your austerities that have endured many hardships. Ask any boon of desire.”

78-79. Having heard those words of Shiv, Jarasandha replied: "O my Lord, the renouncer of wealth, the one who can remove the feeling of defeat, the holder of Trident, the one without births, (the birth and the non-birth), the cause of births, please bestow on me your extraordinary strength, by virtue of which I can become immediately the victor over the ten quarters.

80. Jarasandha having said this to the enemy of Andhaka, bowed to him. Shiv gave him the desired boon and disappeared from there.

81. The proud Jarasandha, who accomplished fulfillment in the worship of Shiv, having received the desired boon from the lord of the gods, had become unconquerable even to the great foes, and carried a tremendous radiance.

82. The king of Magadha waited for an opportunity to defeat Krishna, the cause of widowhood of his daughters.

83. The kings in the three worlds could not bear the valour of the lord of Magadha, who accomplished everything by the grace of Shiv just as the owls could not bear the rays of the sun.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Kamdev