Janamejaya said:—O Muni, I have thus listened to an account of the
necessary destruction of Andhaka, by which the intelligent Mahadeva
restored peace in the three worlds. It behoves thee to describe to me
why the second body of Nikumbha was destroyed by Krishna, the holder of
discus (1-2).
Vaishampāyana said:—O sinless king, you have the greatest reverences for
listening to the history of Hari, the highly powerful lord of the
universe. I should therefore describe it to you (3). O king, while
living in the city of Dwārkā Hari, of incomparable energy, sailed by sea
for the sacred shrine of Pindaraka (4). O descendant of Bharata, at that
time Ugrasena and Vasudeva remained as the governors of the city. All
others followed Nārāyana (5). O king, Baladeva, Janārddana, and the
parties of other princes, energetic like the immortals, set out
separately (6). O king, thousands of dancing girls accompanied the
beautiful Vrishni princes adorned with ornaments (7). O hero, removing
the ocean from its own bed the powerful Yadavas had settled those
thousands of dancing girls in Dwāravati (8). Those beautiful dancing
girls, on account of their accomplishments, became the objects of
enjoyment to the princes (9). O lord, thinking that the Yadavas might
not suffer from an internal feud for women the intelligent Krishna
established this practice amongst the Bhaimas (10). While sporting in
the water, the powerful Baladeva, the foremost of Yadus, inebrite with
drinking wine and adorned with a garland of wild flowers, was enjoying
only with Revati like a Chakravāka bird. Making an enclosure with his
own persons Govinda, the creator of all, having eyes black like a cloud,
was sporting separately in the ocean with his sixteen thousand wives. O
king, at that time, amongst the women of Keshava every one thought:—"I
am the most favourite of Keshava: he is sporting only with me" (11-14).
All those damsels, having signs of sporting all over their person, were
flirting with Govinda (15). Amongst those good women the beautiful
damsels of Nārāyana felt conceited by thinking "I alone am the most
favourite of Keshava." Krishna’s women, as if with their eyes, were
drinking the ambrosia of Keshava’s countenance. All those damsels, whose
minds and eyes were fixed only on Keshava, looked more beautiful than
before. The Lord Nārāyana, having pleased them all, those women, having
their minds and eyes fixed on one man, did not cherish jealousy against
one another. As if possessed entirely by Keshava those beautiful women
began to shake their heads with pride (116-121). In pursuance of the
ways of his universal form the self-controlled Hari began to sport with
those women in this way in the pure water of the ocean (22). O hero, at
that time at the command of Vāsudeva the water of the ocean was freed
from salt and the great ocean began to carry transparent water,
possessing all sorts of fragrance (23). The ocean yielded its water to
whatever extent the women wanted, either up to their knees, thighs or
breast (24). As the rivers pour their watery contents down into the
ocean, and as the clouds pour water on the blossoming creepers, so in
that watery sport Keshava’s women sprinkled him with water (25). Some of
them, having eyes like a deer, held Hari by the neck, and said:—"O Hari,
I am being drowned, save me" (26). Some handsome damsels began to row in
wooden boats of the shape of herons and serpents (27). Some began to row
in Makara-shaped boats and others in boats of various shapes (28). In
order to please Janārddana in the water of the ocean some women swam
depending on their own breast and some on water jars. (29). Krishna
himself, filled with joy, began to sport with Rukshmini. Nārāyana’s
wives did what pleased most Keshava, the foremost of immortals (30).
There amongst those thin-built damsels, having cloud like eyes and
wearing clothes of fine texture some imitated the movements of Vāsudeva.
Entering into the minds of those women, Keshava, conversant with the
mental desire of all, satisfied whatever they wanted (31–33). Although
lord of all self-controlled persons, the powerful, eternal, divine
Hrishikesha, according to the exigencies of time, brought himself under
the control of his beloved wives (33). Wonder! the damsels regarded
Janāddana remaining there in human guise as their becoming husband both
as regards birth and accomplishments. In this way those clever women
began to seek with devotion and offer sufficient honor to Krishna endued
with kindliness and always smiling before speaking (34-35).
In order to sport with the women in water the princes formed a separate
party. Those heroes, the mines of accomplishments, were sporting under
water (36), O king, the women, proficient in the art of singing and
dancing whom the princes had brought there by force, were pleased with
their kind behaviour. Seeing the charming acting of those beautiful
women, and hearing the music of bugles and their songs the Yadu heroes
were greatly pleased (37–38). Thereupon on account of his universal form
when Lord Krishna, the master of the world and of immeasurable energy,
sent for the most beautiful Apsaras such as Panchachudā, Kouveri and
Mahendri, they came with folded hands and saluted him. Consoling them,
he said.
Mahadeva said:—"O ye beautiful Apsaras, for satisfying me do you enter
here without any anxiety and please the Yādavas as their playing maids.
Show them all the accomplishments that you possess in various musical
instruments, dancing, singing and other mysterious arts. They are all
like my limbs. If you please them therefore you will meet with your
well-being." Having accepted that command of Hari’s with lowering heads
those Apsaras joined the Yādavas as their playful maids (39–44).
O sinless one, as clouds in the sky are lighted up by a lightning so the
water of the ocean was ablaze as soon as they entered there (45).
Standing in the water as if on land they played many notes on water as
in the celestial region (46). Those women, having expansive eyes,
pilfered the minds of the Bhaimas with garlands of celestial fragrance,
raiments, sportive smiles, gestures, movements of eyes, anger and
service after their own hearts (47–48). Those leading Apsaras repeatedly
threw up the inebriete Bhaimas into the sky and brought them down (49).
In order to please the Yadavas the powerful Krishna too, with his
sixteen thousand wives, began to sport happily in the sky (50). The
heroic Bhaimas knew the power of Krishna of immeasurable energy and so
they were not surprised at this feat of his; rather they observed
perfect gravity (51). O Bhārata, O slayer of enemies, amongst them some,
of their own accord, returned to Raivataka, some to their own houses,
and some to desired for forests. The water of the ocean, which no one
else can drink, was, by the command of the powerful lord of the world
Vishnu, converted into a good drink for all (52–53). Holding the
damsels, having lotus eyes, by the hand they began to move about freely
in the water as on land and dive again into the water (54). Various
sorts of edibles and drinks were brought before them as soon they
thought of them. In this way, those damsels, wearing garlands of fresh
flowers, began to sport with those Yadu princes in that solitary place
(55–56).
Thereupon when the evening set in the invincible Vrishnis and Andhakas
put on unguents on their persons after bathing and began to sport in
house-boats (57). O descendant of Kuru, in all those boats the celestial
architect Viswakarmā had made various palaces such as Chaturasra and
Swasthika (58). Some of those boats were like the mounts Kailāsha,
Mandara and Sumeru. Some of them were like birds and some like deer
(59). The rooms, made on those boats, were spread with carpets, lighted
with emeralds, Chandrakānta, Suryakānta and other precious jems. Its
doors were made of Vaiduryas. In those boats painted with gold there
were rooms of the form of a joy Garuda, Krounchy, Suka and elephant
(60–61). Those golden boats, guided by boatsmen, beautified greatly the
water of the ocean abounding in waves (62). With floating small boats,
large boats, and flats the abode of Varuna was beautified (63). Like the
sky-ranging cities of the Gandharvas the boats of the Bhaimas began to
move about in the ocean (64). O descendant of Bharata, the celestial
architect Viswakarmā had made all those boats after the celestial garden
Nandana. Garden-halls, trees, tanks, chariots and other works of art
were laid out there in imitation of those of the Nandana garden. O hero,
what more shall I speak, at the command of Nārayana, in those boats,
resembling those of the celestial regions, every thing was constructed
after its celestial model (65–67). In the forests that were laid out on
the boats of the highly powerful Bhaimas the birds, emitting sweeter
notes, were pilfering their minds. The white coels, born in the
celestial region, were emitting various notes liked by the Yadavas.
Encircled by she-peacocks the peacocks, emitting sweet notes, were
dancing on the roofs of the houses beautiful like the rays of the moon
(68–70). The flags, hoisted on the boats, were filled with diverse
birds—and the bees, sitting on the garlands, were humming. At the
mandate of Nārāyana beautiful signs of the season appeared in the sky
and the trees were continually showering flowers (71–72). There blew
charming and delightful wind, surcharged with filaments of flowers,
carrying the coolness of sandal and exciting desire in men (73). O king,
at that time by the influence of Vāsudeva, the holder of discus, the
Bhaimas enjoyed heat and cold according to their pleasure. None of them
experienced, hunger, thirst, exhaustion or sorrow. Thus in their sport
in the ocean which was continually enlivened by the sound of trumpets,
music and dancing the Bhaimas, protected by Krishna, sported obstructing
that vast watery expanse for many a _yojanas_ (74–77). The Divine
Architect had constructed the boat of the high-souled Deity Nārāyana in
imitation of his dress. O king, all the valuable jewels of the three
worlds were brought into the boat of the highly energetic Krishna. O
descendant of Bharata, for each of the wives of Krishna, a separate room
was made of gold and adorned with pearls and sapphires. Thus adorned
with flowers of all seasons and supplied with all sorts of perfumeries
the leading Yadus played with the auspicious gods (78–81).