Chapter 59(c) - Pārijāta planted in Satyabhāmā’s Palace

[Note: Padaratnāvalī’s Text chapter 67]

Śrī Śuka continued:

50.. Thereupon Indra, the King of gods put on his royal diadem, equipped himself with a quiver of arrows, armed himself with a bow, mounted on his huge elephant Airāvata and remembering the words of Śacī regarding the Pārijāta tree, attacked Kṛṣṇa in the battle, like an elephant attacking a lion.

3. Beholding him advance, Lord Hari, the conqueror of inimical cities, blew his high sounding conch filling all the quarters with the blast.

4. Attacking Kṛṣṇa and twanging his big bow, he hit Kṛṣṇa with an extremely pointed arrow with a sharp horseshoe-shaped head in the combat.

5. Wounded on the chest with that Kṣurapra arrow by the King of gods, Hari laughed louḍly and applauded him, “Well done Indra! This is just like you (worthy of the King of goḍs.

6. Still again the King of gods set ten shafts on his bow (long and curved) like a great serpent and stretching the bowstring upto his ears, discharged them at Kṛṣṇa and hiś discus and roared like a lion.

7. In the meanwhile, Kṛṣṇa the noble-souled slayer of Kaṃsa cut into three all the arrows with one shaft in the midway (as they were coming), and hit Indra with ten excellently whetted shafts as i f in a sport, O descendant of Bharata.

8. Those shafts pierced through Indra’s body along with the armour and were seen coming out with great force smeared with blood.

9. Indra again set sixteen arrows on his bow and stretching (the bow string) discharged them, but Kṛṣṇa cut them with three shafts.

10. Still again with thirty shafts, Hari hit the King of gods in the battle and all those arrows struck deep in Indra’s chest.

11. Indra then flew in rage like a serpent hit with a stick and with his goad he impelled his big elephant to attack Garuḍa.

12. Goaded on by Indra the elephant approached Garuḍa and dashed at his chest with his four tusks.

13. Thereupon, Garuḍa tormented the elephant called Airāvata with his bill, wings and claws, O descendant of Kauravas.

14. And while all beings were agazing, he raised his terrible Vajra which inspired awe among Dānavas and hurled it at Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa).

15. As that Vajra, the weapon of Indra, reached him, Viṣṇu, the slayer of Madhu caught it in his left hand and laughed loudly.

16. Being deprived of his weapon and his mount (elephant) tormented by Garuḍa, the King of gods retreated from the battle-field hanging down his head in shame.

17. Finding Indra frustrated in his object and intending to run, Satyabhāmā laughed loudly at the King of gods and said taunting.

Satyabhāmā said:

18. Come on Śakra. Don’t retreat, O wielder of the thunderbolt. It is not proper for Śacī’s dear lord to take to flight.

19. Your queen Śacī, the daughter of Pulomā, drunk with the pride of sovereignty and elated with the prowess of her husband as she is, will at once think low of you (and insult you) defeated as you are in the battle.”

20. Hearing this taunting speech of queen Satyabhāmā, Indra looked her in the face and addressed to the slyly smiling queen.

Indra said:

21. Confronting on the battle-field the father and preceptor of the three worlds by whom are brought forth the gods, demons, the great serpents, Yakṣas, Siddhas, Gandharvas (the divine musicians), Kinnaras, goblins, ogres and others, who can avoid facing the humiliation of defeat?

22. We who subsist on sacrificial oblations, expose our childishness by opposing the incomprehensible Lord, like the weakling of a calf appears to oppose its mother at the time of sucking her milk.”

23. Having replied thus to Satyabhāmā, the daughter of Satrājit, Indra folded his palms, bowed to Lord Vāsudeva and prayed, O the best descendant of Bharata!

Indra prayed:

24. Hail to you O God of gods, the lotus-eyed Lord of Lakṣmī! Be pleased to pardon me all my faults, O protector of the world.

25. You are kind and affectionate to those who seek resort to you. It does not behove you to abandon me of whom you are the sole asylum—me who am extremely foolish and uncontrolled.

26-27. The elephant Airāvata (my mount), the thunderbolt (my special weapon), this Pārijāta tree, sovereignty over gods and this Amarāvatī (my capital town)—in fact everything (in this universe) is under your control. I am your obedient servant. Whatever you wish to take away from this place may be taken away by you at will.

28. O Govinda! I shall explain to you the fundamental reason of opposing you. You are now wholeheartedly interested in the mortal world.

29. If this wish-yielding tree Pārijāta is taken by you there, the earth becomes indistinguishable from the heaven.

30. It is hence that I opposed you, O tiger among the Yadus—O god, I may, therefore, be forgiven by you who know what should and what should not be done.

Śrī Śuka said:

31. Thus addressed by the king of gods, Janārdana, the the God of gods, with a smiling countenance, spoke to him, O the greatest Kuru.

The glorious Lord said:

32. “Absolutely no fault has been committed by you, O Indra. If any fault has been committed, it is mine, for there is no distinction between you and me.

33. Whatever is now done by you, irrespective of its being good or bad, has been committed by me, O thousand eyed god. Please do not brood over the matter at all.

34. This excellent-most Pārijāta tree will, as per my direction, come to the Nandaṇa garden of its own accord, when I (departing from the earth) ascend to the heaven.

35. When the King of gods was thus addressed by Vāsudeva, O best of Kurus, the king of gods apologised to Kṛṣṇa, Satyabhāmā and Garuḍa.

36-37. May my son and your brother-in-law Arjuna, also known as Bībhatsu, be protected by you.” Repeating this request again and again, Indra, getting leave to depart, got back his Vajra and returned to his capital with all protectors of different cardinal points. Kṛṣṇa, the delight of Yadus bade good-bye to Indra along with the protectors of all the cardinal points.

38-39. He ordered Garuḍa: Let us make a move to Dvārakā. Garuḍa, the enemy of serpents, easily bore Kṛṣṇa, Satyabhāmā and the Pārijāta tree and went to Dvārakā. He entered the beautiful city of Dvārakā adorned with many gates and portals.

40-41. It was brilliant, decorated with flags, buntings and festoons. Its floors were cleansed and besprinkled. He was worshipped with the attending prominent Yadus by offering him presents, betel-leaves, garlands, perfumes, pigments and unbroken grains of rice. He was saluted and greeted with flourish of trumpets and other instruments sounded on auspicious occasions, as well as with loud chantings of Vedic hymns.

42-43. Kṛṣṇa entered the heavenly assembly-hall Sudharmā which was attended by (a council of) elders. He bowed down to Āhuka (Ugrasena), Vasudeva and his elder brother Balarāma in order of seniority. He was duly honoured by them (reciprocally). In that assembly, he occupied an exalted seat of gold.

44. Kṛṣṇa appeared resplendent like Indra attended upon by prominent persons like Bṛhaspati and other protectors of the world in heaven.

45. Kṛṣṇa got the great tree Pārijāta planted in the palace of Satyabhāmā. It was surrounded on all side with pavements of precious stones.

46. Learning that the son of Devakī was coming with a big host of ladies, all the women of Yādava clan came there to see them.

47. Vasudeva as well as all ladies headed by Rohiṇī came to see Lord Kṛṣṇa, returned safe, hale and hearty after conquering the enemy.

48. Beholding that his mother in company of Devakī had come, Kṛṣṇa bowed down to them. They in their turn honoured him with blessings.

49. Similarly, seven beloved queens of Kṛṣṇa such as Rukmiṇī and others who were supremely beautiful and richly adorned, approached their Lord and paid respects to him.

50-51. Revatī, the beloved spouse of Balarāma, the famous Trivakrā, Durgā, Subhadrā and Tārā and other ladies of Bhoja, Vṛṣṇi and Andhaka clans with their faces blooming with joy and affection came to see, out of curiosity, Lord Kṛṣṇa who had returned hale and hearty after vanquishing the enemies and brought with him a bevy of ladies and Satyabhāmā as also the celestial Pārijāta tree brought from heaven.

53. All the ladies gathered there showered on Kṛṣṇa’s head fried grains of rice, flowers and unbroken rice-grains and returned to their respective homes.