The Skanda Purana

by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words

This page describes The Marriage of Bhadrayus which is chapter 13 of the English translation of the Skanda Purana, the largest of the eighteen Mahapuranas, preserving the ancient Indian society and Hindu traditions in an encyclopedic format, detailling on topics such as dharma (virtous lifestyle), cosmogony (creation of the universe), mythology (itihasa), genealogy (vamsha) etc. This is the thirteenth chapter of the Brahmottara-khanda of the Brahma-khanda of the Skanda Purana.

Chapter 13 - The Marriage of Bhadrāyus

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sūta said:

1. The powerful king of Magadha of mighty arms was an enemy of Vajrabāhu, the ruler of Daśārṇa.

2. Well-known by the name Hemaratha, he was proud of his military ability and mighty arms. Surrounded by a large army he laid siege to Daśārṇa.

3. The unassailable commanders of his army overran Daśārṇa and looted the wealth. Some set fire to the houses.

4. Some took away the wealth, some children and others abducted the women. Still others took away the cattle wealth, some, the stock of grain and other useful things. Some destroyed the plants in the gardens and others the domestic pleasure-groves.

5. Desirous of abducting the women and seizing cattle wealth, the king of Magadha destroyed that kingdom after surrounding that city of Vajrabāhu.

6. On seeing the entire city in throes, Vajrabāhu set out for fighting in the company of his own army.

7. King Vajrabāhu and others led by the ministers fought with the Magadhas and smashed the enemy’s army.

8. Wielding a great bow and wearing the coat of mail, Vajrabāhu seated himself in a chariot. Showering volleys of arrows, he played havoc with the enemy.

9. On seeing the king of Daśārṇa himself fighting in the battle with unbearable valour, the soldiers of Magadha surrounded him.

10. After fighting for a long time, the Magadhas of excessive valour destroyed his army and won the battle.

11. Some broke his chariot. Some cut down his bow. One killed his charioteer and another cut down his sword.

12. Taking the king by force after the sword and the bow had been cut off, the charioteer was killed and the chariot broken, the powerful soldiers bound him angrily.

13. After defeating the entire army and the cabinet of ministers, the Magadhas entered the city in the full flush of their victory.

14. They seized everything—horses, men, elephants, camels, other animals, all assets, all young women, girls of beautiful limbs etc.

15. They bound down the queens and thousands of women slaves of the king. They looted the treasury full of gems, raising their weapons aggressively.

16. After destroying the city thus and taking away the women, cattle, wealth etc. they forcibly trussed Vajrabāhu and placed him in another chariot. Then they went away.

17. After the terrible destruction of the kingdom had taken place resulting in great chaos and tumult, Bhadrāyus, the prince of great might, heard this news.

18. On hearing that his father was bound down by the enemies and that his father’s queens were abducted and that the entire kingdom of Daśārṇa was rendered desolate, he roared like a lion.

19-21. He took the Vaiśya boy as his assistant and took up the sword and the miraculous conch. Properly covering himself with the armour, the prince mounted his horse with an ardent desire for victory. He hurried to the place occupied by Magadhas. He saw the place being burned. The women, children and cows held prisoners were crying aloud. He found desolation everywhere, everyone struck with fear. This enraged the prince. In his utter fury, he penetrated the enemy’s army. Drawing the bowstring as far as his ears, he showered volleys of arrows.

22. On being struck with the arrows of the prince, the enemies rushed towards him quickly and hit him with powerful arrows.

23. Though hit with numerous arrows and missiles by the enemies proud of their fighting capacity, the bold prince did not flinch because he was well-protected by Śivakavaca.

24. Enduring the shower of missiles, the prince entered the enemy’s army as playfully as an elephant and killed footsoldiers and elephants, destroying innumerable chariots.

25. The prince killed a warrior in chariot along with his charioteer. He got into the chariot with the Vaiśya boy as his charioteer. Like a lion roaming among herds of deer, the bold prince moved about in the battlefield.

26. All the powerful commanders, heroic warriors of the enemy furiously raised their bows and rushed against him, a single person.

27. As they rushed forward, the prince stood steady lifting up the terrible sword. He marched against the great warriors himself, displaying his valour.

28. Merely at the sight of that dazzling sword that resembled the terrible tongue of the god of Death, the commanders of the enemy army fell down dead due to its power.

29. All those who set their eyes on the sword dazzling in the battlefield, fell down dead like worms struck by thunder.

30. Thereafter, for the destruction of all the armies, the prince of powerful arms blew his conch of loud report, filling the earth and the firmament as it were (with its sound).

31. Only by hearing that sound of the conchshell that appeared to be smeared with poison, the enemies swooned and fell on the ground.

32. All those who were seated on horsebacks, chariots and elephants fell senseless in a moment with all their inherent strength drained off by the sound of the conch.

33. Fully conversant with the injunctions in the scriptural texts, the prince ignored those who fell down senseless dropping their weapons and lying down like so many corpses. He did not kill them.

34. He released his father who had been bound down in the battlefield. He also released all the queens held captive by the enemies.

35-36. He released the wives of the chiefs of ministers and other citizens. Women, girls, children, cattle, wealth etc. were freed from the fear of the enemies. Thereafter, he moved among the soldiers of the enemy and seized their women.

37-38. He gathered together all the horses as swift as wind and mind, all the elephants resembling mountains, chariots made of gold and women-slaves of beautiful faces. After gathering these things quickly and much of his wealth, he tied down Hemaratha, the king of Magadha, who was defeated.

39. He imprisoned his ministers, vassal kings and the chief commanders and brought them into the city very soon thereafter.

40. The chief ministers and trustworthy leaders of the army who were previously defeated in battle and hence fled to various directions returned now.

41. On seeing the valorous exploit of the prince, all of them were struck with wonder. They considered him to be some excellent Sura who had come down to the earth for some purpose.

42-44. “Wonderful indeed is our great luck. Surely this is the result of our penance. We who were dead have been revived into life by some hero. Can this be someone with supernatural powers acquired by Yoga? Or one with austerities? Or an immortal being? Indeed a great superhuman task has been accomplished by him. Indeed Gaurī is his mother and Śiva (his) father. With infinite strength he has conquered nine Akṣauhiṇīs.”

45. While they, being overwhelmed with joy, were thus praising him among themselves, he was questioned by the body of ministers and he revealed facts about himself.

46. Overwhelmed with love and affection, he bowed down to his father who came there filled with surprise and delight and hence shedding tears of joy.

47. The king, who was lovingly saluted by his son, embraced him

promptly and spoke with overpowering love:

48-53. “Who are you, O highly intelligent one? A Deva? A human being? Or a Gandharva? Who is your mother? Who is your father? Which is your native land? What is your name?

Wherefore have you approached us sympathetically and released us along with our wives who were bereft of splendour as though dead, after being tied up by the enemies?

Whence did you get this heroism, courage, refulgence and excellent strength? You appear to be ready to vanquish the three worlds including Devas, Asuras and human beings.

I shall not be able to become free from indebtedness to you of excellent energy, even in the course of a thousand more births, along with these wives and kinsmen.

My mind clings to you alone with love, leaving off these sons, these wives, this kingdom and this city.

O dear boy, tell me everything, O saviour of my life. The very life of these wives of mine depends upon you.”

Sūta said:

54-57. On being asked thus by his father, Bhadrāyu spoke to him: “This Vaiśya boy named Sunaya is my friend. I am staying in his beautiful apartment along with my mother. My name is Bhadrāyus. Later on I shall tell the details to you. Welfare unto you. Enter the city along with your wives and friends. Leave off all fear from the enemies. Sport about as you please. Till I come back, do not release these enemies. I am going now to my house at once.”

58. After saying this to the king, Bhadrāyu, the prince, took leave of him. He returned to his abode and reported everything to his mother.

59. Delighted much, she embraced her son with tears welling in her eyes. The leader of Vaiśyas too embraced the prince lovingly and honoured him.

60. Vajrabāhu, the eminent king, entered his palace accompanied by his wives, sons and ministers and derived immense pleasure.

61-63. As the day dawned, Ṛṣabha, the most excellent one among Yogins, approached Candrāṅgada, the husband of Sīmantinī. Secretly he told him about the birth and superhuman exploits of Bhadrāyus. Then he advised him thus: “Give your daughter Kīrtimālinī to Bhadrāyus.”

64. King Candrāṅgada invited Bhadrāyus and gave Kīrtimālinī to him in an auspicious Muhūrta.

65. After the marriage the prince sat on the golden throne and shone like Moon in the company of Rohiṇī.

66. The Niṣadha king invited his father Vajrabāhu. When he entered the city, he received and honoured him along with his ministers.

67. There he saw Bhadrāyus, the destroyer of enemies, duly married. When he fell down at his feet, he embraced him lovingly.

68-69. “This hero has granted me my life. He is the destroyer of my enemies. Still this hero of immense valour remains unknown to me in regard to his parentage. O King Candrāṅgada, your son-in-law is extraordinarily powerful. I wish to know the truth about his family and nativity.”

70. On being requested thus by the king of Daśārṇa, the overlord of Niṣadha took him to a lonely place and laughingly told him:

71-77. “O king, this is your own son who had been ailing much in infancy. He was abandoned by you in the forest along with his sickly mother. Wandering in the forest along with her son, the woman fortunately reached a Vaiśya’s abode and was protected by him since then. Then your son afflicted with too many ailments died. The dead boy was resuscitated by a certain eminent Yogin.

By the supernatural power of that Yogin, Ṛṣabha by name, the mother and the son attained a form similar to that of gods.

By means of the sword and conchshell capable of killing enemies, both given by that Yogin, he vanquished his enemies in the battle. He himself was protected by Śivakavaca.

He has the strength of twelve thousand elephants. He is a past-mater in all branches of learning and he has now become my son-in-law. Please take him and his pious mother to your city. You will attain excellent welfare.”

78. After narrating all these things, Candrāṅgada brought Vajrabāhu’s eldest queen well-decorated in ornaments from the inner apartments.

79. After hearing everything and seeing directly, the king became ashamed and despised his own action done out of foolishness.

80. He derived excess of pleasure on seeing them thus. With hairs standing on end he embraced both of them.

81-82. He was duly honoured and congratulated by the Niṣadha king who gave him a grand dinner along with his ministers. Taking the eldest crowned queen, the son and the daughter-in-law, Vajrabāhu went to his city with all his retinue.

83. Bhadrāyus reached his father’s palace with great excitement. He delighted all the citizens.

84. In due course the father passed away. The youthful Bhadrāyus of wonderful valour ruled the entire earth.

85. He released Hemaratha, the king of Magadha, from imprisonment. In the presence of Brāhmaṇa-sages, the two pledged for a longstanding friendship.

86. In his previous birth the prince had honoured the Śivayogin, well-known in all the three worlds. Hence he could surmount many unbearable miseries. Ultimately he got the kingdom and enjoyed pleasures along with the daughter of Candrāṅgada.

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