Janamejaya said:—You said before that Pradyumna had killed Shamvara.
Describe to me now how Pradyumna killed him (1).
Vaishampāyana said:—Kāma (Cupid) of firm vows, in order to kill
Shamvara, took his birth from Rukshmini, the incarnation of Lakshmi, and
Vāsudeva as his beautiful son Pradyumna. On the seventh day at dead of
night Kalashamvara stole away that infant son of Krishna from the
lying-in room (2-3). Krishna, who followed the celestial Māyā, knew
every thing and therefore he did not kill at that time the Dānava,
invincible in battle (4). As if urged on by Death the great Asura stole
away Krishna’s son. And throwing him upon his arms he took him to his
own city. His beautiful and accomplished wife Māyāvati, as if the very
incarnation of Māyā, had no offspring so that Dānava, as if commissioned
by Death, gave over that son of Vasudeva to her like his own (5–7).
Seeing him she was filled with joy and her hairs stood erect: she looked
at him repeatedly with delight (8). Casting her looks on him in this way
she recollected that he was her favourite husband. Remembering it she
again thought (9) "He is my lord for whom I am day and night plunged
into the lake of anxiety and sorrow and have not been able to enjoy
mental felicity any where (10). He was formerly reduced to ashes by the
divine trident handed deity stricken with sorrow for Sati. Now he has
been seen by me in another birth (11). However, being his wife and
knowing him as my husband how can I give him milk and address him as my
son?" (12)
Thinking thus Māyāvati handed over the baby to the nurse and soon reared
him up with nourishing tonics. Informed by the nurse and out of
ignorance Rukshmini’s son knew Māyāvati as his mother (13–14). Having
brought up that lotus-eyed son of the Lord of Kamalā Māyāvati too,
stricken with lust, instructed him in all forms of illusion (15). When
gradually crossing the limit of youth Pradyumna looked highly beautiful,
became an expert in the use of all sorts of weapons and in deciphering
the movements of women, Māyāvati, assuming the semblance of a beautiful
woman, sought the company of her beloved consort and tempted him with
her gestures. Seeing that sweet-smiling lady attached to him Pradyumna
said to her:—"What is this? Why do you, casting off your maternal
feelings, behave in this perverse way? Alas, how wicked are women. How
fickle is their mind. Possessed by lust you are not regarding me as your
son and behaving otherwise. O gentle lady, what is the cause of such a
perversity of nature? Am I not then your son? Why do you behave in this
way? I wish to learn the secret of this from you. The nature of women is
fickle like lightning. As the clouds are attached to the summits of a
mountain so they are attached to men. O gentle lady, it matters little
whether I am your son or not. I wish to learn from your own mouth the
object of your movements." Thus addressed that timid damsel, having her
heart stricken with lust, said to her lover, Keshava’s son in a solitary
place. "You are not my son, nor Shamvara is your father (17–23). You are
a powerful and beautiful descendant of Vrishni; you are the delightful
son of Vāsudeva and Rukshmini. After your birth on the seventh day you
were brought here. When you were a helpless baby in the lying-in chamber
you were stolen by my powerful husband. Tresspassing into the house of
your father Vāsudeva, resembling Vasava himself, Shamvara stole you
away. Stricken with sorrow for a son like you your mother is bewailing
like a cow estranged from its calf. Because you were brought here in
your very infancy your father, having the emblem of Garuda on his flag,
and more powerful than even Shakra himself, does not know it. O lord,
you are a Vrishni prince and not a son of Shamvara. Besides the Dānavas
cannot beget a son like yourself. O gentle one, I seek you as my lover,
because I have not given birth to you. Seeing your beauty my weak heart
is drooping. Besides O Vrishni hero, you should seek in my heart what
desire is there. I have thus described to you how you are not a son of
myself and Shamvara and how I have grown attached to you (24-33)."
Pradyumna, the son of the holder of discus, had mastered all forms of
illusion. So thus addressed by Māyāvati and worked up with anger, he,
exclaiming his own name, called Shamvara. He said:—"Alas shall I remain
here fearing that wicked-souled Dānava who has stolen away the infant
son of Keshava? How may that sinful wretch become angry? How can I slay
him? I should do what excites his anger. With my sharpened spear I will
strike down the wonderful standard with a flying pennon having the
emblem of a lion which stands like the mount Sumeru on his gate. If he
comes to know of the spoliation of his standard Shamvara will surely
come out. I will then kill him in battle and return to Dwārakā." Having
said this the large-armed Pradyumna stringed his bow, took up arrows and
struck down that jewel of a standard belonging to Shamvara. Hearing of
the spoliation of his standard by the high-souled Pradyumna, Shamvara,
filled with anger, ordered his sons, saying:—"O ye great heroes, do you
soon kill Rukshmini’s son (34-41). I do not wish to see him who has done
me this wrong." Hearing the words of Shamvara, his sons, Chitrasena,
Atisena, Vishwaksenajit, Shrutasena, Sushena, Somasena, Mana, Senāni,
Sainyahanta, Senahā, Sainika, Senaskandha, Atisena, Senaka, Janaka,
Sukala, Vikala, Shānta, Shāntāntakara, Vibhu, Kumbhaketu, Sudangstra and
Keshi, well-armed and delighted, set out for killing Pradyumna. Taking
up discuses, Tomaras, tridents, Pattishas, swords, Paraswadhas, and
worked up with anger, they, inviting Pradyumna, went to the battle-field
(42-47). Thereupon taking up his bow the large-armed Pradyumna speedily
ascended his car and drove towards the battle-field (48). Thereupon
there took place a dreadful and hair-stirring encounter between
Keshava’s son and those of Shamvara (49). In order to witness that
battle, the Gandharvas, Uragas and Chāranas with all the gods headed by
their king stationed themselves in the sky (50). Nārada, Tumvuru, Hāhā,
Huhu and other songsters, encircled by Apsaras, also stationed
themselves there (51). Then the Gandharva Advutanāma, attached to the
court of the king of gods, said to Vāsudeva, the wielder of
thunder-bolt: "The sons of Shamvara are a hundred in number and
Krishna’s son is alone. How can he, fighting alone with many, acquire
victory?" (52–53) Hearing his words, Vāsava, the slayer of Bali,
smilingly said:—"Hear of his prowess. In his pristine body he was Kāma
and consumed by Hara’s fiery anger. Afterwards propitiated by his wife
the three-eyed deity conferred on her, a boon, saying:—’When Vishnu,
assuming the semblance of a man, will live in the city of Dwāraka, he
will take his birth as his son and become your husband. This your highly
powerful and energetic husband, although celebrated in the three worlds,
as Ananga _limbless_, will take his birth there and kill Shamvara, for
the seventh day after Pradyumna’s birth, Shamvara, resorting to this
illusory powers, will steal him away from Rukshmini’s lap (54-58).
Therefore go to Shamvara’s house; and hidden under your illusory body do
you become his wife Mayavati and please him. There nourish your baby
husband. When he will attain to youth he will kill Shamvara. Afterwards
Ananga will go with you to Dwarakā and he will enjoy with you in the
same way as I do with _Girijā_.’ Having said this the king of gods Hara
repaired to the mount Kailāsha resorted to by Siddhas and Charanas and
resembling Sumeru. Kāma’s wife too, having saluted Uma’s husband, waited
at Shamvara’s residence for the termination of the appointed time. O
Pratihara, the large-armed Pradyumna will surely kill Shamvara. He has
been destined as the destroyer of that wicked Danava and his sons
(59–64)".