Part 5: Vasudeva’s embassy for Kubera

Vaiśravaṇa completed a pūjā there to the holy Arhats, started on at pleasure, and saw Ānakadundubhi. He thought, “That man has an extraordinary appearance which is not that of gods, asuras, or Khecaras.” After observing the’ incomparable beauty of his appearance, Dhanaka, staying in his car, summoned Yādava quickly by a gesture of his finger. Thinking, “I am a mortal; he is a powerful god, an advanced layman,” Vasudeva went to him, unafraid and because he was curious.

Desirous of his own object, Dhanada favored Vṛṣṇi’s son with friendly conversation, et cetera as if he were a friend. Respectful naturally and favored in this way, Vṛṣṇi’s son, his hands together respectfully, said, “Tell me what I am to do.” Vaiśravaṇa said in a voice pleasing to the ear: “Execute a commission for me that can not be executed by anyone else, noble sir. In this city there is a maiden, Kanakavatī, the daughter of King Hariścandra. Tell her this from me: ‘Vaiśravaṇa, lord of the north quarter for Śakra, lord of the gods, wishes to marry you. Though a mortal, become an immortal.’ By means of my unerring command you, unstumbling like the wind, will reach the place ornamented by Kanakavatī.”

Then Śauri went to his own house, took off his divine ornaments, et cetera and put on soiled clothing suitable for a servant. But Dhanada said to Yādava as he was going in the soiled clothing: “Why did you take off your fine clothes? Everywhere outward show is of value.” Śauri replied: “What has soiled or fine clothes to do with it? In the case of an embassy, speech is the ornament. That I have.” “Good luck to you. Go on,” Dhanada replied.

Vasudeva went without hesitation to the court of Hariścandra’s house. Though the gate was obstructed by elephants, horses, chariots, soldiers, et cetera, Vasudeva entered King Hariścandra’s house. Unnoticed by anyone, Vṛṣṇi’s son went ahead with unstumbling gait, like a yogi with magic ointment.^[1]

Śauri entered the first apartment of the palace which was blocked by guards with girded loins and holding maces. Śauri saw at once the paving of sapphire, with moving waves of beauty like a tank with water. He saw there a group of women, like Apsarases, wearing divine ornaments, beautiful, of the same age. The scion of the Yadus then saw a second apartment with golden pillars, jeweled puppets, and waving banners. Then he entered a third apartment with waves of milk^[2] like moonlight, like an elephant of the quarters entering the ocean of milk. There he saw women adorned with divine ornaments together with Apsarases, not to be equaled in the city of the gods. Reaching the fourth apartment, he saw a mosaic floor that looked like water,^[3] with surging waves, filled with swans, ospreys, et cetera. The scion of the Yadus watched women beautifying themselves by looking at themselves in it without mirrors. He heard auspicious sounds being made by cranes and parrots and saw servant-girls engaged in singing and dancing.

Śauri went to the fifth apartment and saw a beautiful inlaid floor of emerald, resembling a house in heaven. He saw multitudes of wreaths of pearls and coral and suspended chaurīs reflected in it as if made by magicians. He saw slave-girls everywhere, beautifully dressed, wearing quantities of jeweled ornaments, leaning against pillars, like dolls. When he arrived at the sixth apartment he saw a mosaic floor of lotuses like the best heavenly pool adorned everywhere with lotuses. Vārṣṇeya saw in front of it jeweled vessels filled with divine ointments and in it he saw divine garments.

Vṛṣṇi’s son cast his glance on the group of fair-eyed women, who were wearing red garments, like twilight embodied. In the seventh apartment Śauri saw an inlaid floor made of quartz with pillars of lohitākṣa. In it he saw kalpa-trees laden with blossoms and rows of water-pots and ewers full of water. He saw female door-keepers, knowing the arts, expert in the dialects of all countries, fair-eyed, whose cheeks were grazed by earrings.

He reflected: “In this house completely surrounded by these door-keepers there is no opportunity for anyone.” As Śauri was so considering, a slave-girl, holding a golden toy-lotus, wearing divine garments, approached by a side door. The door-keepers asked her hastily, “Where is the mistress Kanakavatī and what is she doing?” She replied: “In the palace of the harem-garden, the mistress sits alone, wearing divine garments, with divinities in the vicinity.”

When Vasudeva heard that and knew that she was there, he departed by the side door that had been shown by the slave-girl. Having reached the harem-garden, he saw a seven-storied palace with lofty walls and gradually ascended it. Approaching, the scion of the Yadus saw Kanakavatī wearing divine ornaments and finery, like a wishing-creeper, adorned with flowers of all the seasons, like the Śrī of the forest in person, with a wealth of beauty from the creator, like the wealth of creation from the beginning, seated on a throne, as if she had companions, though alone, looking at the figure of a man painted on canvas, as if absorbed in it.

Kanakavatī saw Daśārha like another form in the picture and bloomed from the knowledge of his wished-for coming, like a lotus at dawn. When she had seen Yādava to be the picture and the picture to be Yādava, she looked at him wearied, her eye unwearied and her body expanding from joy. Worshiping Daśārha with eyes like blue lotuses, she rose quickly from the throne, her hands put together respectfully, and said:

“You have been drawn here by my merit. I am your slave, sir,” and, she started to bow to Vasudeva. Daśārha prevented her from bowing and said: “I am your servant. Do not you bow. You are mistress, noble lady. You are correct in bowing to one who would be suitable for you. Do not do a thing unsuitable for me, a servant of unknown family.” She replied: “Everything about you is known. You, and no one else, are my husband. You are he who was announced by a deity and who was meditated on in the picture.” Vasudeva said: “Fair lady, I am not your husband. I am the servant of him who was announced as your husband by the divinity. Let Śakra’s lord of the north quarter be known as your husband, namely Dhanada, sun to the lotus-faces of goddesses, famous throughout the world. I am his servant, a messenger, and ask you at his command: Be his chief-queen, attended by goddesses.”

She answered: “At the mention of Dhanada’s name, homage is made. He is a Sāmānika of Śakra on the one hand; I am a worm of a human on the other hand. Surely this improper embassy to me is merely for his amusement. Certainly there has been no previous marriage of mortal women with gods.”

Vasudeva said: “Fair lady, if you violate a god’s command, you will suffer calamity, like Davadantī.”

Kanakavatī said: “Because of some connection in a former birth, my mind is eager at hearing the syllables ‘Dhanada.’ Gods can not endure even the odor of the evil-scented audārika body.^[4] Such are the words of the Arhats. You, and no one else, are my husbaṇd, disguised by the trick of an embassy for him. Go and tell the god, lord of the north quarter, my message. ‘I am not worthy even to see you. I am a mere mortal. You are entitled to be worshipped by me who have a body of seven elements,^[5] when I have made an image.’”

Then the best of the Yadus, unseen by any one, went back to Dhanada’s presence the same way by which he had come. When the scion of the Yadus began to tell him the news, then Dhanada said, “I already know all.” In the presence of the Sāmānikas Dhanada praised him, “Of this noble man there is unchangeable conduct.”

Praising him in these words, Dhanada gave Vasudeva at that very time a pair of garments of devadūṣya imbued with divine perfume, named Surapatiprīya (Pleasing to Indra), a crest-jewel, Sūraprabha (Bright as the sun), a pair of earrings, Dakagarbha (Clouds), a necklace,^[6] Śaśimayukha (Moonbeam), two armlets, Lalitaprabha (Bright as lightning), a necklace of twenty-seven pearls named Ardhaśāradā (Half-moon),^[7] a pair of bracelets adorned with various gems, Sudarśana (Beautiful), a girdle of various jewels, Smaradāruṇa (Cruel to Love), and divine wreaths and divine ointment. He, feeling gratified, put them on and resembled Dhanada.

After seeing Vasudeva looking like this and favored by Dhanada, the brother-in-law and the others, who had come with him, all rejoiced greatly. At that time Hariścandra came there from curiosity, bowed to Dhanada with hands folded respectfully, and declared, “The country of Bhārata is favored today, o god, by you, since you have come here wishing to see the svayaṃvara.” Saying this, he prepared the pavilion for the svayaṃvara and had platforms, beautiful with many kinds of seats, made.

Warding off heat from the earth by the shadow of his car, with a series of moons shown by the row of erect white lotuses, fanned by gods who were caressed by the fingers of goddesses, making dance, as it were, the rays of light thrown out by lightning, being hymned by bards like the sun by the Vālikhilyas,^[8] the lord of the north quarter set out to see the svayaṃvara.

He entered the svayaṃvara-pavilion which had a canopy of divine white cloth like the sky covered with moonlight, with a festoon fastened up which resembled a bow strung by Smara, marked by jeweled mirrors everywhere as if provided with numerous suns, with a door-area adorned with the eight auspicious objects^[9] made of jewels, adorned with white banners’ like cranes in the sky, with a floor paved with various jewels, like a younger brother of Sudharmā,^[10] and with shows begun to amuse the eyes of the suitors.

Dhanada, whose vehicle is a haṃsa, sat down on a high platform on a comfortable lion-throne, surrounded by goddesses. Not far from Dhanada, like his heir-apparent, sat Vasudeva, whose face was pleasant and handsome. In turn other magnificent kings and Vidyādharas were seated on the platforms, like rivals in splendor. Dhanada gave a ring marked with his own name, made of pure gold, to Śauri and he put it on his little finger. Then by the power of the ring all the people present there saw the son of the Yadus with the appearance of Kubera. “Oh! the blessed Kubera has come in two figures.” There was a unanimous assertion to this effect from the people in the svayaṃvara.

Wearing a white garment with fringe, like the night anointed with moonlight, shining with pearl earrings like the ground of Meru with two moons, her lips red with the juice of lac like a bimba-crceper with ripe bimbas, her breast adorned with a necklace like a mountain with cascades, carrying in her hands a garland of flowers like a swing for Smara, Kanakavatī went there indolently, like a swan, at that time.

The svayaṃvara-pavilion looked with her, when she had come there, like the interior of a house with an auspicious lamp. She greeted all the suitors with a glance which was the essence of pride, like a digit of the moon greeting the nightblooming lotuses with its light. Depressed in heart at not seeing there Vasudeva who had been seen in the picture and seen as messenger, she faded like a day-blooming lotus at evening. The burden (of the wreath) having been put in the hand of a childhood-playmate, she stood motionless for a long time like a doll, feeling ill.

When she did not choose any one, the kings examined themselves, thinking anxiously, “Is something wrong with my appearance, clothes, conduct, et cetera?” Her companion said to Kanakavatī: “Why do you hesitate now? Place the svayaṃvara-wreath around the neck of some one.” Hariś-candra’s daughter replied: “Surely a bridegroom is chosen who is pleasing. I, unfortunate, do not see him who pleases me.” She reflected: “What stratagem or what course will there be for me? I do not see the desired bridegroom. O heart, break in two.”

Suffering from anxiety, she saw Dhanada, bowed to him and, miserable and weeping, her hands placed together in supplication, said: “O god, do not make me ridiculous in this way because I was your wife in a former birth. The husband whom I wished to choose has been sent away by you.” Dhanada smiled and said to Śauri, “Take off the ring, named Kuberakānta, which I gave you, illustrious sir.” At Dhanada’s command Śauri took the ring off his hand and assumed his own form again, like an actor in a play.

When she saw Daśārha in his own form, she, bright-eyed, became horripilated as if her joy had become external. Stepping near, her anklets tinkling, she placed the svayaṃvara-wreath around his neck, as if it were her own arm. Then drums sounded in the sky at Dhanada’s order and eager Apsarases sang tasteful auspicious songs. A loud penetrating voice said, “Listen! Hariścandra is fortunate, whose daughter has chosen a husband, the leader of the world.” Instructed by Dhanada the gods rained unceasing treasure at once, as well as the women of the family the customary parched rice. Then the wedding-festival of Vasudeva and Kanakavatī took place, opening out the one umbrella of joy.

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

Which made him invisible.

[2]:

I.e., it was paved with something that gave the effect of waves of milk, as the sapphire gave the effect of water. Probably the floor was of crystal.

[3]:

For a similar effect, see Prabandhacintāmaṇi, p. 49.

[4]:

The ordinary human body. See I, n. 157.

[5]:

See I, n. 74.

[6]:

Hāra is a very elaborate necklace with many strings of pearls, 108 according to Abhi. 3. 323. Hāra is a very elaborate necklace with many strings of pearls, 108 according to Abhi. 3. 323.

[7]:

Ardhaśāradā. A surmise, but surely analogous to śāradī, ‘the night of full moon in Kārttika or Āśvina.’ MW.

[8]:

A class of ṛṣis the size of a thumb, 60,000 of whom surround the chariot of the sun. MW.

[9]:

See 1, n. 153.

[10]:

The assembly-hall in Saudharmakalpa. II, p. 45.