Vaishampāyana said:—O descendant of Kuru, as soon as he was thought of
by Krishna, that foremost of Munis and speakers, Nārada, having
asceticism for his wealth, arrived there (1), O king, having worshipped
him duly, the beautiful lord of Sree invited him reverentially to accept
the Punyaka ceremonies (2). O descendant of Bharata, thereupon when the
appointed hour came, the eternal Vāsudeva, the creator of all creatures,
along with the beloved Satyā, delightedly worshipped the great Muni
Nārada, who had been well bathed, with scents and garlands and fed him
(3–4). Thereupon the lucky damsel, having a put garland of flowers,
around Krishna’s neck, bound him to the Pārijāta tree (5). Afterwards
obtaining his permission she dedicated Keshava unto Nārada. Then she
gave away sessamum seeds illumined with the lustre of jems and jewels,
gold mixed with rice and other plants, mountains of gold and a thousand
kine (6–7).
Having accepted all those articles the Muni Narada, the foremost of
speakers, delightedly said to Keshava:—"O Keshava, given by Satya
together with water thou hast become mine. Do thou follow me and do what
I say." Hearing it Janārddana said "This is the first stage" and began
to follow Nārada who was about to go (8–10). Having thus cut various
jokes and saying "do thou wait here, I shall go" that foremost of Munis,
always clever in cutting jokes, took away (from Krishna’s neck) the
garland of flowers and said: "In order to release thyself do thou give
me a Kapilā cow with a calf and the skin of a black antelope full of
sessamum seeds and gold. This means of release has been laid down by the
god (Siva) having a bull for his emblem" (11—13). O king, Janārddana
said "So be it" and offered him the same fee of release. And then
smilingly he said to that foremost of Munis Nārada:—"O Nārada, O you
conversant with religion, I have been greatly pleased with you. Pray for
a desired-for boon and I will grant it" (14–15).
Narada said:—"O thou eternal and great Vishnu, may thou always remain
pleased with me and may I, with thy favour, obtain habitation with thee
(16). O Vishnu the refuge of the pious, if I am to take birth again may
I be born of no woman and be a Brāhmana" (17).
O descendant of Bharata, the Lord Vishnu said "So it will be" and the
highly intelligent Muni Nārada too was pleased (18). O Kuru Emperor,
Satyabhāmā, the beloved wife of Hari, had invited on the occasion of the
Punyaka ceremony, the sixteen thousand wives of the highly powerful
Vishnu. And at the termination of the ceremony she distributed amongst
them all those celestial raiments and ornaments which Sachi had
previously given to Vāsudeva (19–20). Living there, Pārijāta, at the
command of Vāsudeva, began to display its own accomplishments. And
invited by the high-souled Nārada and Keshava all their friends and
relations began to witness the power of Pārijāta (21–22). On the
occasion of that great festival the highly powerful Hari had brought
there the Pandavas along with Prithā, Draupadi, and Subhadrā. O Kuru
king, Shrutasravā, with her son, Bhishmaka with his son and other
friends and relations were also brought there (23–24). O king, in this
way, the highly energetic Janārddana, along with Pritha’s son Arjuna,
began to spend his time happily in the company of the ladies of his
seraglio (25). In this way after a year had elapsed the highly powerful
Keshava, of incomparable prowess and intelligence, the foremost of
immortals and the preserver of all, returned with Pārijāta to the city
of the celestials and saluted Sakra, Aditi, and Kashyapa (26-27). After
the slayer of Madhu had bowed unto the mother Aditi she said:—"O
foremost of immortals, may you both always entertain such a brotherly
feeling. O Janārddana, you are to satisfy this desire of mine." Hearing
it the intelligent Keshava said to his mother. "It shall be so" (28-29).
Thereupon having honored his parents the highly energetic Vāsudeva
addressed to the king of gods, the following words suited to the
occasion (30). "O king of gods, O giver of honor, I have been commanded
by the high-souled Siva, to destroy all the unslayable Dānavas living on
earth. From to-day within ten days I will kill all those Asuras. O king
of gods, at the time of that battle, Pravara, together with the heroic
Jayanta, shall have to wait in the sky for slaying those Dānavas. Of
them one is a god in a human form and the other is the son of a god
(31–33). Although those Dānavas, proud of the boon conferred on them by
Brahmā, are unslayable by the gods, still we will kill them for I am now
a man (34)." Then Indra, pleased, said to Krishna "So it will be." And
then, O Janamejaya, they embraced each other (35).