Section LII

"Vaisampayana said, 'After this, Krishna ordered Daruka, saying—Let my car be yoked.—Within a very short space of time Daruka informed (his master), saying,—It has been yoked.—The son of Pandu then commanded all his attendants, saying,—Prepare yourselves and be ready. We shall repair to-day to the city named after the elephant. Thus addressed, O king, those troops accoutred themselves, and informed Pritha’s son of immeasurable energy, saying,—Everything is equipt. Then those two, viz., Krishna and the son of Pandu, ascended their car and proceeded on the journey, the loving friends engaged the while in delightful conversation. Unto Vasudeva seated on the car, Dhananjaya of great energy once more said these words, O chief of Bharata’s race!—O perpetuator of the Vrishni race, the king has obtained victory through your grace. All his foes have been slain, and he has recovered his kingdom without a thorn in it (to make it disagreeable). O slayer of Madhu, through you the Pandavas are endued with a powerful protector. Having obtained you for our raft we have crossed the Kuru ocean. O you that hast this universe for your handiwork, salutations to you, O Soul of the universe, O best of all beings in the universe. I know you in that measure in which I am approved by you.^[1] O slayer of Madhu, the soul of every creature is always born of your energy. Playful sport (in the from of creation, preservation, and destruction) is thine. Earth and sky, O lord, are your illusion. This whole universe, consisting of mobile and immobile objects, is established on you. You createst, by modification, the four orders of Being (viz., viviparous, oviparous, filth-born, and vegetables). You createst the Earth, the Welkin, and Heaven, O slayer of Madhu. The stainless lunar light is your smile. The seasons are your senses. The ever-moving wind is your breath, and death, existing eternally, is your wrath. In your grace is the goddess of prosperity. Verily, Shri is always established in you, O you of the highest intelligence. You are the sport (in which creatures engage); you are their contentment; you their intelligence, you their forgiveness, you their inclinations, you their beauty. You are the universe with its mobile and immobile objects. At the end of the cycle, it is you, O sinless one, that art called destruction. I am incapable of reciting all your qualities in course of even a long period. You are the Soul and the Supreme Soul. I bow to you, O you of eyes like the petals of the lotus. O you that art irresistible, I have learnt it from Narada and Devala and the Island-born (Vyasa), and the Kuru grandsire also, that all this (universe) rests on you. You are the one Lord of all creatures. This, O sinless one, that you have declared unto me in consequence of your favour for myself, I shall duly accomplish in its entirety, O Janarddana. Exceedingly wonderful is this which you have done from desire of doing what is agreeable to us, viz., the destruction in battle of the Kaurava (prince), the son of Dhritarashtra. Thai host had been burnt by you which I (subsequently) vanquished in battle. That feat was achieved by you in consequence of which victory became mine. By the power of your intelligence was shown the means by which was duly affected the destruction of Duryodhana in battle, as also of Karna, as of the sinful icing of the Sindhus; and Bhurisravas. I shall accomplish all that which, O son of Devaki, pleased with me you have declared to myself. I do not entertain any scruple in this. Repairing to king Yudhishthira of righteous soul, I shall, O sinless one, urge him to dismiss you, O you that art conversant with every duty. O lord, your departure for Dvaraka meets with my approbation. You shalt soon see my maternal uncle, O Janarddana. You shalt also see the irresistible Valadeva and other chiefs of the Vrishni race.—Thus conversing with each other, the two reached the city named after the elephant. They then, with cheerful hearts, and without any anxiety, entered the palace of Dhritarashtra which resembled the mansion of Sakra. They then saw, O monarch, king Dhritarashtra, and Vidura of great intelligence, and king Yudhishthira and the irresistible Bhimasena, and the two sons of Madri by Pandu; and the unvanquished Yuyatsu, seated before Dhritarashtra and Gandhari of great wisdom, and Pritha, and the beautiful Krishna, and the other ladies of Bharata’s race with Subhadra counting first. They also saw all those ladies that used to wait upon Gandhari. Then approaching king Dhritarashtra, those two chastisers of foes announced their names and touched his feet. Indeed, those high-souled ones also touched the feet of Gandhari and Pritha and king Yudhishthira the Just, and Bhima. Embracing Vidura also, they enquired after his welfare. In the company of all those persons, Arjuna and Krishna then approached king Dhritarashtra (again). Night came and then king Dhritarashtra of great intelligence dismissed all those perpetuators of Kuru’s race as also Janarddana for retiring to their respective chambers. Permitted by the king all of them entered their respective apartments. Krishna of great energy proceeded to the apartments of Dhananjaya. Worshipped duly and furnished with every object of comfort and enjoyment, Krishna of great intelligence passed the night in happy sleep with Dhananjaya as his companion. When the night passed away and morning came, the two heroes, finishing their morning rites and dealing their persons properly, proceeded to the mansion of king Yudhishthira the just. There Yudhishthira the just, of great might, sat with his ministers. The two high-souled ones, entering that well-adorned chamber, beheld king Yudhishthira the just like the two Asvins beholding the chief of the celestials. Meeting the king, he of Vrishni’s race as also that foremost hero of Kuru’s race, obtaining the permission of Yudhishthira who was highly pleased with them, sat themselves down. Then the king, gifted with great intelligence, seeing those two friends, became desirous of addressing them. Soon that best of monarchs, that foremost of speakers addressed them in the following words.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'You heroes, you foremost ones of Yadu’s and Kuru’s race, it seems that you two are desirous of saying something to me. Do you say what is in your mind. I shall soon accomplish it. Do not hesitate.'

"Thus addressed, Phalguna, well conversant with speech, humbly approached king Yudhishthira the just and then said these words.—'Vasudeva here, of great prowess, O king, is long absent from home. He desires, with your permission, to see his sire. Let him go, if you think it meet, to the city of the Anarttas. It behoves you; O hero, to grant him permission!'

"Yudhishthira said, 'O lotus-eyed one, blessed be you. O slayer of Madhu, do you go this very day to the city of Dvaravati for seeing, O puissant one, that foremost one of Sura’s race. O mighty-armed Kesava, your departure is approved by me. You have not seen my maternal uncle as also the goddess Devaki, for a long time. Meeting my maternal uncle and repairing to Valadeva also, O giver of honours, you will, O you of great wisdom, worship both of them at my word as they deserve.^[2] Do you also think of me daily as also of Bhima, that foremost of mighty men, and of Phalguna and Nakula and Sahadeva, O giver of honours. Having seen the Anarttas, and your sire, O mighty-armed one, and the Vrishnis, you will come back to my horse-sacrifice, O sinless one. Do you then depart, taking with you diverse kinds of gems and various sorts of wealth. Do you, O hero of the Satwata race, also take with you whatever else you likest. It is through your grace, O Kesava, that the whole Earth, O hero, has come under our dominion and all our foes have been slain.'

When king Yudhishthira the just of Kuru’s race said so, Vasudeva, that foremost of men, said these words (in reply).

"Vasudeva said, 'O mighty-armed one, all jewels and gems, all wealth, and the entire Earth, are thine and thine alone. Whatever wealth exists in my, abode, you, O lord, art always the owner thereof.' Unto him Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, said,—'Be it so'—and then duly worshipped (Krishna) the eldest brother, endued with great energy, of Gada. Vasudeva then proceeded to his paternal aunt (Kunti). Duly honouring her, he circumambulated her person. He was properly accosted by her in return, and then by all the others having Vidura for their first. The four-armed eldest brother of Gada then set out from Nagapura on his excellent car.^[3] Placing his sister, the lady Subhadra, on the car, the mighty-armed Janarddana then, with the permission of both Yudhishthira and (Kunti) his paternal aunt, set out, accompanied by a large train of citizens. The hero who had the foremost of apes on his banner, as also Satyaki, and the two sons of Madravati, and Vidura of immeasurable intelligence, and Bhima himself whose tread resembled that of a prince of elephants, all followed Madhava. Janarddana of mighty energy causing all those extenders of the Kuru kingdom and Vidura also to return, addressed Daraka, and Satyaki, saying,—'Urge the steeds to speed.' Then that grinder of hostile masses, viz., Janarddana of great prowess, accompanied by Satyaki, the foremost one of Sini’s race, proceeded to the city of the Anarttas, after having slain all his foes, like He of a hundred sacrifices proceeding to Heaven (after slaughtering all his foes).'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This line is rather obscure. The sense seems to be this: no one can know the Supreme Deity if it is not the latter’s pleasure to be known. One, therefore, understands Him in exactly that measure in which it is His pleasure to be known.

[2]:

Krishna’s father Vasudeva is maternal uncle. Yudhishthira asks Krishna to worship Vasudeva and Valadeva on his behalf, i.e., he charges Krishna to bear to them a message of respect and love from him.

[3]:

The city of Hastinapura is sometimes called Nagapura, both Hasti and Naga being words expressive of the elephant. 'The city called after the elephant' is the usual description of the Kuru capital.