Adhyaya 3

Verse 1

उद्धव उवाच तत: स आगत्य पुरं स्वपित्रो- श्चिकीर्षया शं बलदेवसंयुत: । निपात्य तुङ्गाद्रिपुयूथनाथं हतं व्यकर्षद् व्यसुमोजसोर्व्याम् ॥ १ ॥

Śrī Uddhava said: Thereafter Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Śrī Baladeva, went to Mathurā. To please His parents He pulled down Kaṁsa, leader of the hostile kings, from his throne and, with mighty strength, dragged him along the ground and slew him.

Verse 2

सान्दीपने: सकृत्प्रोक्तं ब्रह्माधीत्य सविस्तरम् । तस्मै प्रादाद्वरं पुत्रं मृतं पञ्चजनोदरात् ॥ २ ॥

The Lord mastered all the Vedas, with their many branches, in full detail simply by hearing them once from His teacher, Sāndīpani Muni. As guru-dakṣiṇā He rewarded the sage by restoring his dead son from the belly of Pañcajana, from the region of Yamaloka.

Verse 3

समाहुता भीष्मककन्यया ये श्रिय: सवर्णेन बुभूषयैषाम् । गान्धर्ववृत्त्या मिषतां स्वभागं जह्रे पदं मूर्ध्नि दधत्सुपर्ण: ॥ ३ ॥

Drawn by the beauty and auspicious fortune of Rukmiṇī, daughter of King Bhīṣmaka, many mighty princes and kings assembled to win her hand. Yet Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, before their very eyes, took His rightful share by the gāndharva rite, as Garuḍa once carried off the nectar.

Verse 4

ककुद्मिनोऽविद्धनसो दमित्वा स्वयंवरे नाग्नजितीमुवाह । तद्भग्नमानानपि गृध्यतोऽज्ञा- ञ्जघ्नेऽक्षत: शस्त्रभृत: स्वशस्त्रै: ॥ ४ ॥

By subduing seven bulls whose noses were unpierced, the Lord won Princess Nāgnijitī in the public svayaṁvara. Though defeated, the rival suitors still coveted her and a battle arose; then the Lord, wielding His own weapons, slew or wounded them all, while He Himself remained untouched.

Verse 5

प्रियं प्रभुर्ग्राम्य इव प्रियाया विधित्सुरार्च्छद् द्युतरुं यदर्थे । वज्र्याद्रवत्तं सगणो रुषान्ध: क्रीडामृगो नूनमयं वधूनाम् ॥ ५ ॥

To please His beloved wife, the Lord brought the pārijāta tree down from heaven, as an ordinary husband might. For this, Indra, king of the gods—spurred on by his wives—became blinded by wrath and, vajra in hand with his hosts, rushed after the Lord to fight, like a plaything beast of women.

Verse 6

सुतं मृधे खं वपुषा ग्रसन्तं दृष्ट्वा सुनाभोन्मथितं धरित्र्या । आमन्त्रितस्तत्तनयाय शेषं दत्त्वा तदन्त:पुरमाविवेश ॥ ६ ॥

Narakāsura, the son of Dharitrī, sought to swallow the very sky, and thus the Lord slew him in battle. Then Mother Earth prayed to the Lord; He bestowed the remaining kingdom upon Narakāsura’s son and entered the demon’s inner palace.

Verse 7

तत्राहृतास्ता नरदेवकन्या: कुजेन दृष्ट्वा हरिमार्तबन्धुम् । उत्थाय सद्यो जगृहु: प्रहर्ष- व्रीडानुरागप्रहितावलोकै: ॥ ७ ॥

There, in the demon’s house, the royal maidens abducted by Narakāsura rose at once upon seeing Hari, the friend of the distressed. With glances offered in joy, shyness, and loving longing, they looked upon Him, ready to accept Him as their husband.

Verse 8

आसां मुहूर्त एकस्मिन्नानागारेषु योषिताम् । सविधं जगृहे पाणीननुरूप: स्वमायया ॥ ८ ॥

All those princesses were lodged in separate chambers, and in a single moment the Lord, by His inner yogamāyā, manifested forms perfectly suited to each one. Thus, according to flawless rite, He accepted their hands in marriage.

Verse 9

तास्वपत्यान्यजनयदात्मतुल्यानि सर्वत: । एकैकस्यां दश दश प्रकृतेर्विबुभूषया ॥ ९ ॥

To expand Himself in accord with His transcendental nature, the Lord begot offspring equal to Himself: in each of them, ten children, endowed with His very qualities.

Verse 10

कालमागधशाल्वादीननीकै रुन्धत: पुरम् । अजीघनत्स्वयं दिव्यं स्वपुंसां तेज आदिशत् ॥ १० ॥

Kālayavana, the king of Magadha, and Sālva attacked and encircled Mathurā with their armies. Yet the Lord did not slay them with His own hand, desiring to reveal the divine prowess of His own men, and thus He issued His command.

Verse 11

शम्बरं द्विविदं बाणं मुरं बल्वलमेव च । अन्यांश्च दन्तवक्रादीनवधीत्कांश्च घातयत् ॥ ११ ॥

Of demon kings such as Śambara, Dvivida, Bāṇa, Mura, Balvala, and others like Dantavakra, some the Lord slew with His own hand, and some He had slain by Baladeva and others.

Verse 12

अथ ते भ्रातृपुत्राणां पक्षयो: पतितान्नृपान् । चचाल भू: कुरुक्षेत्रं येषामापततां बलै: ॥ १२ ॥

Then, O Vidura, the Lord brought about the death of the kings on both sides—enemies and those allied with your fighting nephews—in the battle of Kurukṣetra. They were so mighty that as they moved across the field, the earth seemed to tremble.

Verse 13

सकर्णदु:शासनसौबलानां कुमन्त्रपाकेन हतश्रियायुषम् । सुयोधनं सानुचरं शयानं भग्नोरुमूर्व्यां न ननन्द पश्यन् ॥ १३ ॥

By the tangled outcome of the evil counsel of Karṇa, Duḥśāsana, and Saubala, Duryodhana was stripped of his fortune and his span of life. Seeing him lying on the ground with his followers, his thighs broken though still mighty, the Lord did not rejoice at that sight.

Verse 14

कियान् भुवोऽयं क्षपितोरुभारो यद्‌द्रोणभीष्मार्जुनभीममूलै: । अष्टादशाक्षौहिणिको मदंशै- रास्ते बलं दुर्विषहं यदूनाम् ॥ १४ ॥

[After the war, the Lord said:] With the aid of Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Arjuna, and Bhīma, the earth’s great burden—eighteen akṣauhiṇīs—has now been reduced. Yet what is this? The mighty strength of the Yadu dynasty, born of My own portion, still remains and may become an even more unbearable load.

Verse 15

मिथो यदैषां भविता विवादो मध्वामदाताम्रविलोचनानाम् । नैषां वधोपाय इयानतोऽन्यो मय्युद्यतेऽन्तर्दधते स्वयं स्म ॥ १५ ॥

When, intoxicated by madhu, their eyes turn copper-red and they quarrel among themselves, then they will vanish; otherwise there is no other means to slay them. After My disappearance, this event will come to pass of its own accord.

Verse 16

एवं सञ्चिन्त्य भगवान् स्वराज्ये स्थाप्य धर्मजम् । नन्दयामास सुहृद: साधूनां वर्त्म दर्शयन् ॥ १६ ॥

Thus reflecting, Lord Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa established Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira in the supreme sovereignty of the world, showing the sādhus the ideal of righteous kingship on the path of piety and gladdening His well-wishers.

Verse 17

उत्तरायां धृत: पूरोर्वंश: साध्वभिमन्युना । स वै द्रौण्यस्त्रसंप्लुष्ट: पुनर्भगवता धृत: ॥ १७ ॥

In the womb of Uttarā, the wife of the noble hero Abhimanyu, the embryo of Pūru’s line was scorched by the weapon of Droṇa’s son, yet afterward the Lord again upheld and protected it.

Verse 18

अयाजयद्धर्मसुतमश्वमेधैस्त्रिभिर्विभु: । सोऽपि क्ष्मामनुजै रक्षन् रेमे कृष्णमनुव्रत: ॥ १८ ॥

The Supreme Lord caused the son of Dharma to perform three Aśvamedha sacrifices, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira—ever devoted to Kṛṣṇa—protected the earth and enjoyed his rule with the aid of his younger brothers.

Verse 19

भगवानपि विश्वात्मा लोकवेदपथानुग: । कामान् सिषेवे द्वार्वत्यामसक्त: सांख्यमास्थित: ॥ १९ ॥

At the same time, Bhagavān, the Soul of the universe, enjoyed life in Dvārakā in strict accord with social custom and the Vedic path; yet He remained unattached, established in the knowledge and renunciation taught by Sāṅkhya.

Verse 20

स्‍निग्धस्मितावलोकेन वाचा पीयूषकल्पया । चरित्रेणानवद्येन श्रीनिकेतेन चात्मना ॥ २० ॥

There He dwelt in His transcendental body, the abode of Śrī Lakṣmī, with His gentle, sweetly smiling glance, His words like nectar, and His flawless, blameless character.

Verse 21

इमं लोकममुं चैव रमयन् सुतरां यदून् । रेमे क्षणदया दत्तक्षणस्त्रीक्षणसौहृद: ॥ २१ ॥

The Lord delighted in His divine pastimes in this world and in other realms as well, especially in the company of the Yadu dynasty. In the leisure granted by night, He tasted the sweetness of conjugal friendship with the women.

Verse 22

तस्यैवं रममाणस्य संवत्सरगणान् बहून् । गृहमेधेषु योगेषु विराग: समजायत ॥ २२ ॥

Thus, though He engaged in household life for many, many years, in the end His complete detachment from fleeting sensual pleasure became fully manifest.

Verse 23

दैवाधीनेषु कामेषु दैवाधीन: स्वयं पुमान् । को विश्रम्भेत योगेन योगेश्वरमनुव्रत: ॥ २३ ॥

Since desires and their enjoyments are governed by divine control, and the living being himself is also under that control, who can place true faith in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental sense activities—He, the Lord of yoga—except one who has become His devoted follower through bhakti-service?

Verse 24

पुर्यां कदाचित्क्रीडद्‍‌भिर्यदुभोजकुमारकै: । कोपिता मुनय: शेपुर्भगवन्मतकोविदा: ॥ २४ ॥

Once in the city, the princely descendants of the Yadu and Bhoja dynasties were sporting in play. The great sages, angered by their behavior and knowing the Lord’s intent, pronounced a curse upon them.

Verse 25

तत: कतिपयैर्मासैर्वृष्णिभोजान्धकादय: । ययु: प्रभासं संहृष्टा रथैर्देवविमोहिता: ॥ २५ ॥

After a few months, the descendants of Vṛṣṇi, Bhoja, and Andhaka—partial incarnations of the demigods—were bewildered by Kṛṣṇa and joyfully rode in chariots to Prabhāsa. But the Lord’s eternal devotees did not depart; they remained in Dvārakā.

Verse 26

तत्र स्‍नात्वा पितृन्देवानृषींश्चैव तदम्भसा । तर्पयित्वाथ विप्रेभ्यो गावो बहुगुणा ददु: ॥ २६ ॥

Arriving there, they bathed and, with the sacred water of that tīrtha, offered tarpaṇa to the forefathers, the devas, and the great ṛṣis, satisfying them. Then, in royal charity, they gave the brāhmaṇas many excellent cows.

Verse 27

हिरण्यं रजतं शय्यां वासांस्यजिनकम्बलान् । यानं रथानिभान् कन्या धरां वृत्तिकरीमपि ॥ २७ ॥

They gave in charity not only well-fed cows, but also gold and silver, beds, garments, seats of animal skin, blankets, vehicles, chariots, elephants, maidens, and land sufficient for maintenance.

Verse 28

अन्नं चोरुरसं तेभ्यो दत्त्वा भगवदर्पणम् । गोविप्रार्थासव: शूरा: प्रणेमुर्भुवि मूर्धभि: ॥ २८ ॥

Thereafter they served the brāhmaṇas most delicious food—prasāda first offered to Bhagavān—and offered obeisances by touching their heads to the ground. Those valiant men lived rightly, making the protection of cows and brāhmaṇas the very breath of their lives.