Vaishampāyana said:—Thereupon after the sun, the eye of the world, had
risen for three Muhurttas the deity Hari came there riding on Garuda,
the enemy of the serpents [1]. O descendant of Kuru, the king of birds
Garuda, coursing more quickly than even the swans, air and the wind,
went to Sakra in the etherial region (2). Coming near Vāsava, the lord
Krishna duly blew the conch Panchajunya which increased the fear of the
Daityas (3). Hearing that sound Pradyumna, the slayer of his enemies,
came near His father Keshava who said to him "Speedily kill Vajraalbha"
(4). Afterwards he again said to him "Go there on Garuda’s back"
Saluting the foremost of celestials Indra and Upendra he did so. O
emperor Bhārata, riding on Garuda, fleet like the mind Pradyumna
approached his great rival Vajranābha (5–6). Seated on Garuda firmly the
the heroic Pradyumna, well read in the use of all weapons, struck
Vajranābha (7). The highly powerful Vrajranābha was wounded on the
breast with a club by the high-souled Krishna’s son seated on Garuda.
That Daitya hero, sorely mailed by Pradyumna with his club, lost
consciousness; and bewildered like one dead he vomitted blood again and
again (9). Thereat Krishna’s son, irrepressible in battle, told him "Be
consoled". Thereupon on regaining his consciousness in a moment the
heroic Vajranabha said to Pradyumna:—"Well done! Oh highly powerful
Yadava. By your prowess you have become an illustrious enemy of mine.
Now is the time for me to strike you in return; wait here firmly
(10-11)." Saying this and roaring like a hundred clouds the king of
Daityas discharged, with great force, a huge club adorned with bells.
(12). O king wounded sorely on his forehead with that club that foremost
of Yadus, Pradyumna, vomitted blood and lost his conciousness (13).
Seeing it the divine Krishna, the slayer of his enemies, blew his
Panchajanya conch as if consoling his son. At the sound of that
Panchanjanya bow the highly powerful Pradyumna revived and stood up. O
Bhārata, beholding Pradyumna consoled, all the worlds especially Indra
and Keshava were greatly delighted (14-15).
O Janamejaya, afterwards according to Krishna’s desire his discus, set
with thousands of sharpened axles and destructive of the Daityas, came
into the hand of his son. Saluting the high souled Indra and Upendra he
discharged it for destroying his enemy. O Bhārata, that discus,
discharged by Nārāyana’s son, separated Vajranābha’s head from his body
before the very presence of the Daityas (16–18). The dreadful Sunābha,
bent upon killing his enemies and taking delight in battles, was killed
by Gada in the battle-field although he was very careful. With sharpened
arrows Shāmva, the aggrandiser of his enemies, converted in the
battle-field, the enemies of the immortals into the family members of
Yama. After the destruction of the great Asura Vajranābha, Nikumbha, in
fear of Nārāyana, fled to the city of Shatpura (19–21).
In this way, after the irrepressible enemy of the gods, Vajranabha had
been slain, the two high-souled Haris came down to the city of Vajra
(22). Having consoled the boys and old persons stricken with fear those
two foremost of celestials established peace there (23). O king,
thereupon following Vrihaspati’s advice and consulting (with him) about
the present and future (arrangements) the highly powerful and great
Indra and Upendra divided Vajranābha’s kingdom into four parts. O king,
one-fourth of that kingdom, gained by conquest, was given to Jayanta’s
son Vijaya, one-fourth to Pradyumna’s son, one-fourth to Shāmva’s son
and the remaining one-fourth to Gada’s son Chandraprabha (24–26). O
king, with great pleasure Sakra and Keshava divided into four parts also
the four koti villages and one thousand prosperous branch cities like
the town of Vajra of the kingdom of Vajranābha. O hero, the heroic
Vāsava and Keshava also divided, into four parts, various warm
clothings, deer-skin, cloths and jewels (27–28). Thereupon those heroic
kings, the great descendants of Sakra and Mādhava, were annointed there
before the Rishis by the gods Sakra and Krishna with the water of Gangā
issuing from Vishnu’s feet, accompanied with the music of celestial
bugles (29–30). Vijaya, from before, could range in the etherial region,
Mādhava’s descendants, on account of the virtues inherited from their
mother, practised it also (31).
Having thus installed them all the Divine Vāsava said to Jayanta "O
heroic victor of armies, it behoves you to protect all these kings. O
sinless one, of them one is a perpetuator of my race and the other three
are born in the family of Keshava. By my command none amongst creatures
will be able to kill them. They will acquire practice of going to the
celestial region and Dwarakā protected by the Bhaimas through the
etherial way. Give them, as they like, elephants born from those of the
quarter, horses born from the race of Ucchaisrava and chariots
constructed by the celestial Architect himself (32–35). O hero, give
Gada and Shāmva two sons of the elephant Airavata capable of coursing in
the sky named Shatrunjaya and Ripunjaya by which these two Bhaimas may
come here by the etherial way for seeing their sons and may return to
the city of Dwaravati protected by the Bhaimas" (36–37).
Having issued this command the divine Purandara returned to the
celestial city and the Lord Keshava to Dwarakā (38). The highly powerful
Pradyumna, Gada and Shāmva waited there for six months. And after the
kingdoms of their sons had been firmly established they returned to
Dwārakā (39). O immortal-like king, those kingdoms still exist by the
side of the mount Sumeru and will flourish so long the world subsists
(40). After the termination of the war of clubs and the departure of the
Vrishnis to the celestial region Gada, Pradyumna and Shāmva repaired to
the city of Vajra (41). O king, after living there for a long time,
they, by their respective virtuous deeds and the favour of Janārddana,
the Creator of the world, again returned to the celestial region. O
king, I have thus described the history of Pradyumna. It showers
blessings, fame and long life and destroys the enemies. Dwaipayana has
said that the sons and grandsons, of the persons who reads or hears it,
become freed from diseases and multiply riches and health. He also
attains to great fame (42-44).