Vaishampāyana said;—O king, thereupon filled with anger Shamvara said to
his charioteer:—"O hero, do you soon take my car to the enemy. With
arrows I will kill him who has done me wrong." Hearing the words of his
master, the charioteer, always doing good to him, drove the car adorned
with gold. Beholding the chariot approach him, Pradyumna, having
delightful eyes, took up in anger his bow and set to it golden arrows.
He then struck Shamvara with it and excited his anger in battle (1–4).
That arrow cutting to his very vitals, Shamvara, the enemy of gods, was
greatly bewildered. And holding the reins of the car he lost
consciousness. Regaining his consciousness a few moments after the
Dānava Shamvara took up his bow in anger and struck Krishna’s son with
seventy sharpened arrows. Pradyumna, with seven shafts, cut off those
arrows into seven parts before they could reach him. And with seventy
sharpened winged arrows he struck Shamvara. As a cloud covers a mountain
with its showers so he struck Shamvara again with a thousand beautiful
winged arrows. Thereupon all the quarters being covered with arrows the
sky was so enshrouded by darkness that even the sun was not visible.
Seeing it Shamvara dispelled that darkness with his thunderbolt and
showered arrows on Pradyumna’s car. O king, Pradyumna too, displaying
light-handedness, cut off those arrows into many pieces with his knotty
shafts. When that great downpour of arrows was stopped by Krishna’s son,
Shamvara, by his illusory powers, showered trees. Beholding those trees
Pradyumna was beside himself with anger and destroyed them all by
discharging fiery weapons. When all the trees were reduced to ashes
Shamvara made a downpour of stones which Pradyumna removed from the
battle-field by means of airy weapons. O king, thereupon, Shamvara, the
enemy of gods, took up his bow and created a great illusory display by
throwing on Pradyumna’s car lions, tigers, bears, monkeys, horses,
camels, asses and cloud-like elephants. Kāma however, with Gandharva
weapons, cut them off into many pieces (5–17). Beholding his illusion
dispelled by Pradyumna Shamvara, beside himself with anger, displayed
another feat. He showered youthful, well-decked elephants with sixty
heads each, mad after fighting and ridden by expert drivers. Beholding
those illusory creations about to fall on him the great lotus-eyed
(Pradyumna) having the emblem of a fish on his flag, desired to create
illusory lions. O king, as the sun sends away the night so the illusory
lions, created by the intelligent son of Rukshmini, destroyed the
illusory elephants. Beholding his illusory elephants killed, Shamvara,
the king of Dānavas, created Sunmohini Māyā. Beholding that Mohini
(fascinating) Māyā the creation of Maya, discharged by Shamvara, the
powerful Pradyumna obstructed it with his _Sanjnā_ (consciousness)
weapon (18–23). Greatly exercised with anger on account of his illusion
being destroyed the highly powerful king of Dānavas, Shamvara displayed
an illusion of lions. Beholding the lions about to fall on him the
powerful son of Rukshmini took up Gandharva weapons and created
_Sharabhas_.³⁰⁹ As the wind scatters clouds so those _Sharabhas_, having
eight legs, claws and teeth, pursued the lions. Beholding the lions
pursued by the illusory eight-legged animals Shamvara began to think of
measures for killing them. He thought: "Alas! How stupid I am. Why did I
not kill him in his infancy? Now this wicked-minded one has attained to
youth and mastered all the weapons. How shall I kill this enemy
stationed at the head of the battle? The dreadful illusion of serpents,
which the great god Hara, the destroyer of Asuras, instructed me in, is
only known to me. Let me now spread that great illusion of serpents.
Methinks this powerful and wicked Māyāvia will be consumed thereby"
(24–30).
Thinking thus Shamvara displayed that illusion of serpents full of
burning venom, which fettered Pradyumna with his car, horses and
charioteer. Beholding himself thus bound with illusory serpents and
about to be killed Pradyumna thought of the illusion of Garudas that
could kill the serpents. As soon as the high-souled Pradyumna thought of
it Garudas began to move about and destroy the venomous serpents. When
the illusion of serpents was dispelled the gods and Asuras, eulogising
him said "Well done! Well done! O mighty-armed son of Rukshmini. On
account of the illusion being dispelled by you we have been pleased"
(31-35).
O Janamejaya, when the illusion of serpents was dispelled, Shamvara
again thought: "I have a golden club resembling the rod of Death which
even the gods and Asuras cannot withstand in the battle-field. Formerly
pleased the goddess Umā conferred that on me and said ’O Shamvara, take
the golden club. Practising hard austerities I produced from my own body
this club which can dispell all forms of illusion and kill all the
Asuras. I have with this club despatched to the abode of Yama with all
their followers, the powerful sky-ranging and dreadful Danavas Shumbha
and Nishumbha. When your life will be in peril, hurl this club at your
enemy’. Saying this goddess Pārvati disappeared from that place. I will
hurl it now aiming at my enemy" (36-41).
Thereupon informed of his motive the king of gods said to Nārada:—"Do
you soon approach the car of the large-armed Pradyumna, make him
conscious and remind him of his pristine birth. Give that of slayer of
Asura this invincible coat of mail and Vaishnava weapons." Thus
addressed by Maghavān Nārada speedily went away (42—44). And stationed
in the sky he said to Pradyumna:—"O prince, know me as the celestial
songster Nārada. The king of gods has sent me here to make yourself
conscious. O giver of honor, remember your pristine birth. O hero, you
are Kāma. Reduced to ashes by Hara’s ire you became limbless. You have
been begotten by Keshava on Rukshmini in the Vrishni race, and are known
there by the name of Pradyumna. Before the completion of the seventh
night Shamvara had stolen you away from the lying-in-room. O large-armed
hero, when Shamvara carried you away Keshava disregarded him in the
interest of the great work of the gods namely the destruction of
Shamvara. Know as your former wife Rati the spouse of Shamvara by name
Māyāvati. She was living on Shamvara’s house for protecting you. In
order to create pleasure and forgetfulness in that wicked Dānava she
sends Rati to him, created, by illusion, of her own person. O Pradyumna,
having killed Shamvara in the battle-field with Vaishnava weapons take
your own wife Māyāvati and go to Dwārakā. O slayer of your enemies, do
you take this Vaishanava weapon and highly lustrous coat of mail. The
king of gods has sent them for you. Hear another word of mine and carry
it out without any fear. Pleased Pārvati gave this enemy of gods a club
which is always very powerful and can grind all enemies; and none
amongst the gods, Dānāvas and men, can withstand it in battle. In order
to counteract this weapon you should remember the goddess. Besides,
those, who are anxious to fight, should always bow unto and chant the
glories of the great goddess. You should be careful when you fight with
your enemy." Having said this Naradā returned where Vāsava was (45–58).
³⁰⁹ A fabulous beast supposed to have eight legs and to inhabit
particularly the snowy regions.