Vaishampāyana said:—Having celebrated his sacrifice the powerful Māyāvin
Shamvara was killed in battle on the eighth day of a fortnight (1).
Having slain that foremost of Asuras in the city of Rikshavanta
Pradyumna, taking Māyāvati with him, set out for his father’s city (2).
By his illusory powers the quick-coursing hero rose up into the welkin
and reached the charming city of Dwāravati protected by his father’s
power (3). That young man, beautiful like Manmatha (Cupid), descended
from the sky with Māyāvati at the inner appartment of Keshava (4). When
Pradyumna thus came down Keshava’s queens were all filled with surprise,
joy and fear (5). Afterwards seeing that young man, resembling Kāma
himself, with his wife, their faces grew delighted; and they, with their
eyes, as if drank his ambrosial beauty (6). Beholding the bashful
countenance of that boy and him filled with shame at every step
Krishna’s wives were all at their wit’s end (7). Beholding that boy,
Rukshmini, the mother of a son, encircled by her hundred co-wives, was
striken with sorrow. And shedding tears she said:—"Alas! I saw in a
mid-night dream that the slayer of Kansa had given me mango leaves.
Keshava took me on his lap and put a garland of pearls resembling the
rays of the moon around my neck. A youthful lady, with beautiful curling
hairs, clad in a white raiment and with a lotus in her hand, entered
into my room. And she sprinkled me with beautiful water. Afterwards that
lady touched my head with her hands and gave me a garland of lotuses."
Having thus described her dream, Rukshmini, encircled by her female
friends, cast her looks again and again on the prince and said:—"Blessed
is that woman whose son is such a beautiful, long-lived boy resembling
Kāma and just ushered into the first stage of youth. O son, what lucky
woman has been blessed with a son like yourself black like clouds Why
have you come here with your wife? Alas, if the powerful Death had not
carried him away my baby Pradyumna would have been of this age by this
time. My surmise can never be untrue. Forsooth you are a prince of the
Vrishni family; from the marks of your body you look like Janārddana
without his discus. Your face and hairs resemble those of Nārāyana and
your thighs, arms and breast resemble those of my father-in-law and
Haladhara. Alas, you look like the second celestial body of Nārāyana.
With your person you have adorned the entire Vrishni race. Who are you,
O my child?"
In the meantime Krishna all on a sudden entered there hearing from
Nārada of the destruction of Shamvara (8-20). Beholding his eldest son
there, along with his daughter-in-law Māyāvati resembling Cupid himself,
Janārddana was filled with joy and said to the goddess-like Rukshmini:
"O goddess, here is your son the great bow-man. He has killed Shamvara,
an expert of illusion and has learnt all his illusory arts by which he
used to torment the gods. This auspicious and chaste lady is the wife of
your son. She was up to this time living in Shamvara’s house under the
name of Māyāvati. Do not distress your mind thinking her as the wife of
Shamvara. Know her as Rati, the beloved consort of Kāma. Formerly when
Manmatha became limbless being consumed by Harā’s fiery anger this
auspicious lady, up to this time, always kept that Daitya infatuated
with her likeness made by her illusory powers. Even in her youth this
beautiful lady did not seek Shamvara; creating her own like-ness by her
illusory powers she used to send her to Shamvara. O fair lady, this my
son’s wife, and your daughter-in-law will help Kāma and please him, She
is our eldest daughter-in-law and deserves our affection. Take her to
your room and nourish your lost son who has come back" (21–29).
Vaishampāyana said:—Hearing those words given vent to by Krishna
Rukshmini attained to an excess of delight and said:—"Most fortunate am
I since my heroic son has come back again. Blessed is my birth and I
have achieved my object since my lost son has returned with his beloved
wife. Come my son and enter this room with your wife." Thereupon having
saluted his mother and Govinda Pradyumna bowed unto Haladhara. Thereupon
raising up Pradyumna the foremost of the powerful Keshava, the slayer of
enemy’s warriors, embraced him and smelt his head. The goddess Rukshmini
too, with words suppressed with affection, raised up her daughter-in-law
adorned with gold, placed her on her lap and embraced her. Thereupon as
Aditi conducts the king of gods with Sachi into her own room so
Rukshmini took her son who had returned with his wife to her own room
(30-36).