Chapter 4 - Jālandhara’s Marriage and Consecration

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1-5. That boy thus gradually growing in his childhood, jumped on his mother’s lap and ran to the ocean. Having brought the young ones of lions he, intent upon playing, put them into cages. Thus his was a fight of a lion with an elephant etc.; his valour was useful for a fight. From there he would fly into the sky and would drop down the birds on the ground. He, by means of his roars, frightened the heaven along with the ocean. O king, all the beings in the ocean were stricken by him and due to his fear they concealed themselves. Seeing the water (of the ocean) without beings the submarine Fire, due to his fear, left his own region and entered the Himālaya (mountain).

6-8. That son of the Ocean gradually gave up childhood, reached youth, and valorously went to the heaven. Once the Ocean’s son (i.e. Jālandhara) said to his father, the Ocean: “O father, give a very extensive place proper for my residence.” Having understood the words of his son, the great Ocean said: “O son, I shall give you a kingdom difficult to be obtained on the earth.”

9-10. Then Bhārgava (i.e. Śukra), the preceptor of the demons, went to the Ocean. Seeing him coming, the Ocean worshipped him duly. Then when he was seated on the seat which had the lustre of gems having beauty spreading out, and which was offered by the lord of rivers, he had the great lustre like that of the lotus-born (Brahmā seated) upon the beautiful region of the peak of the Meru mountain charming with lustre.

11-13. The Ocean, joining the palms of his hands, said to Śukra: “Luckily (for me) you have come here. Tell me what I should do.” Then Śukra, the preceptor of the family of demons, said to the Ocean: “What is the use of him who, being born, (simply) robs his mother of her youth, and does not grow above (the members of) his own family like a flag? Your son, due to his valour, will certainly enjoy the three worlds.

14-17. You have inundated a great seat on the Jambūdvīpa which is resorted to by the female attendants of Durgā. Give it up as the abode of Jālandhara. O great Ocean, give the kingdom there (i.e. of that region) to this son of yours. Being there he will be unconquerable and free from death.” The Ocean thus addressed by Bhārgava (i.e. Śukra) with love, easily moved away, and due to his love for his son, showed (him) the place in the water. It was a hundred yojanas extensive, and was three hundred yojanas long. The auspicious country was well-known as Jālandhara after him.

18-31. The Ocean having called the excellent demon Maya, said to him: “Fashion a city for Jālandhara in the seat (i.e. region) of Jālandhara.” Thus told by the ocean, Maya fashioned a city full of gems, having ramparts and city gates and having houses with staircases. In it the peacocks, engaged in violent dances, and remaining on the grounds of the mansions decked with sapphires took them to be the movement of the clouds. In it the birds resorted to the rays rising from the ground (decked) with corals and rubies, taking them to be the lovely mango-sprouts. In it the peacocks, seeing in the golden mansions, the brilliance (as) in fires, ran away fearing it to be the wild fire. In it the directions are mingled with the lustre coming up from the crystal chambers. They appear as it were rising from the Mandara (mountain), and resemble the ocean with foam. In it the bright women, standing in groups in their mansions and with their faces resembling the full moon of the evening caused infatuation. In it the joys from the park with breezes made fragrant by indranīpa flowers etc. entered the women’s hearts and brought about the fever of fascination (in their hearts). In it a man, on seeing a coitus drawn in a picture, doubly indulges in it while engaged in a coitus with his wife. In it the lines of the smoke of the incense rising from the windows have become the sky resembling the confluence of Gaṅgā and Yamunā. The entire sky in (i.e. above) it looks like being covered with a rainbow due to the lustre coming out from many houses and with autumnal cloud rising in it. In it the horses of the Sun, that have constantly wandered (and therefore are) very much vexed, take rest after remaining on the tops of mansions at midday. In it the excellent women in some of the mansions, wearing jasmine wreaths, shone like stars rising at night. In it the sound due to the friction of the chains of the golden swing made the ground beautiful like that of the Meru (mountain).

32-33. The Ocean along with the rivers and with Śukra consecrated there his son (as the king) with self-sounding musical instruments. We expect (i.e. think) that (Śukra) performed the auspicious rite at the time of the marriage of the Earth (with Jālandhara and his consecration-as the king) with gay incantations and with words—the beautiful female swans as it were, in the lake of the mouth of Brahmā, with which the self-lustrous self-born (Brahmā) (performed the auspicious rite) at the time of Skanda’s victory over Tāraka, and with which Bṛhaspati (the preceptor of gods) performed (the auspicious rite) at the time of the festival of the sovereignty of Indra.

34-36. The great Ocean gave Jālandhara a fierce army that sprang from his interior and that (amounted to) a thousand mahāpadmas. Śukra also gave Jālandhara through love his infatuating lore called Mṛta-sañjīvanī and infatuating Rudra. Brahma also gave the Ocean’s son (i.e. Jālandhara) various other lores (secrets) of weapons and missiles. All else was then explained to him by Śukra.

37-40. Then having consecrated Jālandhara, his son, the Ocean, surrounded by the rivers, went with a divine body to his place. Jālandhara saw that divine city adorned with city gates; and being well honoured by groups of brāhmaṇas, moved with Śukra (into the city). In the meanwhile all the very mighty demons residing in the nether world and led by Kālanemi, came to Jālandhara. Then the very mighty heroes appointed the demon Śumbhāsura the general of the army resembling the milky ocean.

41-44. Then that Jālandhara, having brought under his control his army on the earth and making the water stable, looked after the kingdom given by his father. Meantime there was formerly in heaven a celestial nymph named Svarṇā. Due to Krauñca’s favour a daughter named Vṛndā was born to her. The Creator fashioned the body of Vṛndā, to see the beauty along with splendour which he had made separately in one place. Svarṇā gave that young, beautiful girl Vṛndā, charming in all limbs and infatuating people, to Śukra who solicited her for (being married to) Jālandhara.

Śukra said:

45-52. O you beautiful lady, live long and be happy with the wonderful weapon of Cupid, that (hurts) the eyes of the world. Obtain him—the brave man—of large eyes, as your husband, not seeing whom the women have fixed Cupid as the man.

(Jālandhara), the son of the Ocean married Vṛndā according to the Gāndharva type of marriage. O king, the couple caused delight to the people. She gave up her fickleness. Jālandhara too, following the practice of wise men, did not long for any other woman. Once, while seated in his assembly, he saw Rāhu with his head cut off; he asked Śukra, “Why is he one whose half body (only) remains?” He told him the old account from the beginning as to how the milky ocean was churned by the gods for (securing) nectar. Hearing it, the demon Jālandhara who was amazed, spoke (these) words: “You become favourable to Rāhu and of a handsome form.” With the advice of Śukra, the valorous son of the Ocean, remembering his paternal uncle started a war with the gods, O brave one.