Jarasandhavadha Mahakavyam

by Pankaj L. Jani | 2010 | 82,365 words

The English translation of the Jarasandhavadha Mahakavyam: a Sanskrit epic poem written by Goswami Hariraiji. The story revolves around the story of Krishna’s vanquishing of the Magadha King, Jarasandha. The soul message of this epic Jarasandhavadha is “where there is righteousness there is victory”. The sources for this story include the Mahabhar...

Canto 12 - The Faith of Imprisoned Kings in Lord Krishna

1. Thereafter, the kings lodged in the Magadha prison, spent their miserably unbearable time counting on their fingers.

2. The kings in the prison were gripped in fear with the Naramedha Yajna day fast approaching.

3. Those kings suddenly thought that this mean and evil person will definitely kill the humans on the pretext of sacrificing them to observe the Naramedha ritual.

4. With the atrocity committed by torturing the human saints, the sinful Magadha King will go and fall into the Raurau hell.[1]

5. It is unfortunate that the impudence ascending in the heart of the king, who otherwise shows respect to Brahmins, has suddenly changed his mind.

6. 'Will it not be futile to think that he will take pity and yield to our prayers to spare our lives, because, an inhuman person can never be softened by politeness.

7. "Despite our innocence, it is our misfortune that we have to suffer imprisonment on this earth. Who else but Lord Krishna, who rescued a (highjack) stolen elephant, can save us? Like Lord Vishnu descended in his true manifestation to save the elephant from the mouth of the crocodile, Krishna will rescue us too."

8. Consoling themselves with this thought, the hapless, weakened kings felt that now it was useless to hope for them to escape from Jarasandha and finally thought that it was wiser to fall at the feet of the unerring, immutable, eternally divine Krishna, who is also known as Jagadeesh (lord of the Universe).

9. Another set of kings thought of fighting for those kings seeking their freedom from a predicament.

10. Confined in Magadha, this group started discussing a plan to secretly reach the place where Lord Krishna would be.

11. With wisdom striking their mind, they were soon disappointed and helpless but the learned group of kings was once again drowned in their own sorrow.

12. Thus, gripped by conflicting thoughts and their happiness snatched away, the divine kings of men with grief stricken heart, went to seek the help of Shri Krishna, the saviour of their kith and kin.

13. Those kings (or men lodged in the prison), who can stun even the most wise men, with their bowed heads, with resoluteness started invoking the Chakradhari Krishna for peace and to get them released from the crocodile-like Jarasandha.

14. "O Lord! It is a well known legend that earlier, for having remembered you once, you had saved an elephant from the crocodile trying to prey on it by killing the crocodile.

15. "Therefore, O lord! The attacker of the elephant devouring crocodile, kindly take your weapon, the Sudarshana chakra, once again to save your devotees and to rescue them from their misery and Hey unfailing! Capture the King of Magadha.

16. "O lord Krishna! Please save those of us, who are awaiting premature end to our lives and facing the imminent destruction by the cruel Magadha King, Jarasandha.

17. "Hey, Janardana! Hey gracious Lord Krishna! Anyone who comes to you (with sincere feelings) seeking your help, will you not readily give them your blessings?

18. "Actually, you are spontaneous in showering your kindness. You are the benefactor of the living beings and we the helpless kings have surrendered to you totally. O lord, you may please protect us all.

19. "O lord! We are at your feet in all sincerity and please do not delay in accepting us. It is not right to ignore us who have surrendered without any hesitation.

20. "You do not ignore calls in anguish for help 'Hey Nath! Hey Nath' and your reputation for being the first to come forward in protecting your devotees can be heard in all the three worlds. Hey saviour of the universe, you may disprove your reputation of protecting the people who beckon your “Hey Nath! Hey Nath!” call by ignoring your resolve to protect your devotees.[2]

21. "If you choose to ignore the very universe that exists under your protection, then no one can protect it from destruction. And what can one say about the plight of the people who are under your refuge.

22. "O mendicant! The demon, who is acquiring strength to have control over everything, shall kill your own kith and kin despite your presence."

23. "Jarasandha, who makes the universe tremble with fear, who is given birth by Jara (a female demon) and who acquired great power from Lord Shankar, will definitely kill your own people despite the presence of saviour like you.

24. "Craving for victory, king of Magadha had in the olden times won the regards of lord Shiv by his intense prayers.

25. "Before this, he had run away after his army had lost the war with you. He was very worried (by the incident).

26. "Thereafter, without thinking much about it, Bhutapati Shiv granted the boon to his devotee Magadha king a victory in the battle. One can believe the saying to be true that ` Ascetics or divine beings are simple’.

27. "Excited by the accomplishment of his objective and blinded by haughtiness, the evil Jarasandha equipped with various arms and armed men has taken a vow to kill his enemies.

28. "O lord, the destroyer of evils! When you were living with your elder brother (Balrama) in Mathura, even then this insolent Jarasandha without any reason had suddenly attacked you.

29. "Despite being defeated by you several times, this senseless king of Magadha became mad and like a kite dangling over a burning lamp, was confronting your fiery self.

30. "This Jarasandha, who with his reputation for his dreadful, contemptuous and inimical traits, despite his earlier defeat from you, has collected again the immoral people (lowly kings etc.), to set them against you and wanting to destroy them.

31. "For this reason and for the protection of the Brahmins, showing pretence of fearing Magadha King, you ran away from the battlefield with Balrama.

32. "It is against the reputation of those who run away from the battle field. Despite being the Lord of the Universe, you did it because giving protection to the innocent people is the dharma of great people.

33. "Mistaking your retreat from the battlefield as his victory, the depraved Magadha King became wild.

34. "Drunk by the hallucination of victory, he wishes to invoke Shiv to perform the ritual of Naramedha Yajna, sacrificing thousands of heads as 'akshata' (whole grain of rice).

35. "Hey Lord! For the same reason he has won over us and thrown us into the cells to use as the human sacrifice.

36. "That time is nearing slowly. Oh! The days are passing by slowly, barring you who can protect us innocents?

37. "O lord! Please change the mind of the evil Magadha King soon through your wisdom to make him realize that the sinful act of sacrificing kings is improper. He should not kill them unreasonably.

38. "Otherwise, O lord! Please enlighten us in such a manner that we can successfully execute a secret plan for our own rescue.

39. "O lord! How are you ignoring your innocent and devout followers like us, who are caught in a vicious ocean?

40. "Hey Prabhu! Please tell us what will be the plight of those who have no other source of help other than you?

41. "O Master! Excepting you, who can be the lord of the Universe? Is our appeal senseless?

42. "O lord! When you are the arbiter of Brahma’s deeds, if we don’t seek refuge in you, we can at least chant your name. It is left to your wish.

43. "Whether you bless us or not, your name is enormous strength for us—biggest strength, because we can cross the vicious ocean only by chanting your name.

44. "If your physical presence is not there, certainly it is not “I and It is Mine” (ego, a common attitude among people) but chanting your name of Jagdeeshwar (lord of World) that can redeem us.

45. "Hey Krishna! Give us the wisdom that shall embed your name on our tongues always and our minds should be rid of any sorrow.

46. "O all powerful! You are the Lord of Universe. O Master! Your all pervasive image is well known. Yet, to us a conflicting moment has befallen. Hey Prabhu! Despite your omnipresence and omniscience, we have to suffer this problem.

47. "Hey Hari! we are your own people—if you feel we have uttered anything wrong please forgive us. Is it not true that dirty water also mingles with the ocean?[3]

48. "O Master! In this worthless world engulfed with filth, where cruel acts of untruthfulness abound which has uncertainties like the painful sorrow pours like the incessant from the clouds! You are the only saviour.

49. "Hey redeemer of the world! Please drive away the fears of your devotees. Like a friend, please save us from the wicked and ill fate (Remove all our miseries)

50. "Hey Krishna! Remembering your name in any manner only helps in changing the ill fate of people.

51. "Hey Dev! In this way, who is Jarasandha to kill us and offer as sacrifice for Naramedha Yajna, while we live under the protective shadow of your feet and worshipping you daily with all sincerity.[4] A demon like Jarasandha cannot kill us—this is our belief!

52. "But, we have been captured by the Magadha King for offering us as sacrifice and he wants to kill us with his cruel hands holding the sword within one year.

53. "Hey Nath! You are the master of all the Three Worlds. Please show us your kindness and keep up your promise to spare the lives of your fellow beings.

54. "O lord of the universe! You are present in every living being’s heart. You are aware of the happenings of the whole world. What is the point of repeating again and again (we can’t keep appealing to you).

55. "In this world of uncertainty, people believe that you are the only substance of this world.

56. "Hey Nath! Therefore we have invoked you with our sincere belief, so listen to our prayers and do whatever seems appropriate to you."

57. Thus the devotees appealed to the Lord who burns down the forests of distress and reciprocates the affection of his devotees and who is the concentration of their meditation.

58. Thus bowing to the Chakradhari Vishnu, all the kings having complete faith that they will be released from the bondage became quiet.

59. Thus, it is only Shri Krishna who resides in the hearts of devotees who worship him in their praying voices. Becoming silent like the rescued Gajendra (elephant)—chanting his name they also suddenly went into trance like Gajendra.

60. Thus, going through distressful moments in their life, these kings also attained purity like gold turns to its true quality after being treated in fire. They assumed lord Krishna in their hearts, after renouncing the transient mundane worldly thoughts.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

the worst hell according to Hindu Mythology.

[2]:

Here it is an expression of sorrow of devotees and it implies that if you do not wipe out the miseries of your devotees and if you leave your devotees hapless and allow them to be killed by Jarasandha, then you will prove as untrue your known resolve for protecting your devotees. It is the right of devotees to express their anger to their God.

[3]:

Similarly even if your devotees have ill will, they seek your feet for refuge. Therefore, please take pity on us and save us.

[4]:

It is their belief that they who are under Lord Krishna's protection cannot be killed by Jarasandha.

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