Jalandhara's Marriage and Consecration

Narada said:

1-5. That boy thus gradually growing in his childhood, jumped on his mother’s lap and ran to the ocean. Having brought the young ones of lions he, intent upon playing, put them into cages. Thus his was a fight of a lion with an elephant etc.; his valour was useful for a fight. From there he would fiy into the sky and would drop down the birds on the ground. He, by means of his roars, frightened the heaven along with the ocean. О king, all the beings in the ocean were stricken by him and due to his fear they concealed themselves. Seeing the ^vater (of the ocean) without beings the submarine Fire, due to his fear, left his own region and entered the Himalaya (mountain).

6-8. That son of the Ocean gradually gave up childhood, reached youth, and valorously went to the heaven. Once the ОсезпЧ son (i.e. Jalandhara) said to his father, the Ocean: “O father, give a very extensive place proper for my residence.” Having understood the words of his son, the great Ocean said: " O son, I shall give you a kingdom difficult to be obtained on the earth.”

9-10. Then Bhargava (i.e.

3ukra), the preceptor of the demons, went to the Ocean. Seeing him coming, the Ocean wor­shipped him duly. Then when he was seated on the seat which had the lustre of gems having beauty spreading out, and which was offered by the lord of rivers, he had the great lustre like that of the lotus-born (Brahma seated) upon the beautiful region of the peak of the Meru mountain charming with lustre.

11-13. The Ocean, joining the palms of his hands, said to aukra: “Luckily (for me) you have come here. Tell me what I should do.” Then Shukra, the preceptor of the family of demons, said to the Ocean: ‘‘What is the use of him who, being born, (simply) robs his mother of her youth, and does not grow above (the members of) his own family like a flag? Your son, due to his valour, will certainly enjoy the three worlds.

14-17. You have inundated a great seat on the Jambudvipa which is resorted to by the female attendants of Durga. Give it up as the abode of Jalandhara. О great Ocean, give the kingdom there (i.e. of that region) to this son of yours. Being there he will be unconquerable and free from death.” The Ocean thus addressed by Bhargava (i.e. Shukra) with love, easily moved away, and due to his love for his son, showed (him) the place in the water. It was a hundred yojanas extensive, and was three hundred yojanas long. The auspicious country was well-known as Jalandhara after him.

18-31. The Ocean having called the excellent demon Maya, said to him: “Fashion a city for Jalandhara in the seat (i.e. region) of Jalandhara.” Thus told by the ocean, Maya fashioned a city full of gems, having ramparts and city gates and having houses with staircases. In it the peacocks, engaged in violent dances, and remaining on the grounds of the mansions decked with sapphires took them to be the movement of the clouds. In it the birds resorted to the rays rising from the ground (decked) with corals and rubies, taking them to be the lovely mangosprouts. In it the peacocks, seeing in the golden mansions, the brilliance (as) in fires, ran away fearing it to be the wild fire. In it the directions are mingled with the lustre coming up from the crystal chambers. They appear as it were rising from the Mandara (mountain), and resemble the ocean with foam. In it the bright women, standing in groups in their mansions and with their faces resembling the full moon of the evening caused infatuation. In it the joys from the park with breezes made fragrant by indranipa flowers etc. entered the women’s hearts and brought about the fever of fascination (in their hearts). In it a man, on seeing a coitus drawn in a picture, doubly indulges in it while engaged in a coitus with his wife. In it the lines of the smoke of the incense rising from the windows have become the sky resembling the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna. The entire sky in (i.e. above) it looks like being covered with a rain­bow due to the lustre coming out from many houses and with autumnal cloud rising in it. In it the horses of the Sun, that have constantly wandered (and therefore are) very much vexed, take rest after remaining on the tops of mansions at midday. In it the excellent women in some of the mansions, wearing jas­mine wreaths, shone like stars rising at night. In it the sound due to the friction of the chains of the golden swing made the ground beautiful like that of the Meru (mountain).

32-33. The Ocean along with the rivers and with Shukra consecrated there his son (as the king) with self-sounding musi­cal instruments. We expect (i.e. think) that (Shukra) performed the auspicious rite at the time of the marriage of the Earth (with Jalandhara and his consecration as the king) with gay incanta­tions and with words — the beautiful female swans as it were, in the lake of the mouth of Brahma, with which the self-lustrous self-born (Brahma) (performed the auspicious rite) at the time of Skanda’s victory over Taraka, and with which Brihaspati (the preceptor of gods) performed (the auspicious rite) at the time of the festival of the sovereignty of Indra.

34-36. The great Ocean gave Jalandhara a fierce army that sprang from his interior and that (amounted to) a thousand mahapadmas. Shukra also gave Jalandhara through love his infatuating lore called Mrta-sanjivani and infatuating Rudra. Brahma also gave the Ocean’s son (i.e. Jalandhara) various other lores (secrets) of weapons and missiles. All else was then explained to him by Shukra.

37-40. Then having consecrated Jalandhara, his son, the Ocean, surrounded by the rivers, went with a divine body to his place. Jalandhara saw that divine city adorned with city gates; and being well honoured by groups of brahmagas, moved with Shukra (into the city). In the meanwhile all the very mighty demons residing in the nether world and led by Kalanemi, came to Jalandhara. Then the very mighty heroes appointed the demon Sumbhasura the general of the army resembling the milky ocean.

41-44. Then that Jalandhara, having brought under his control his army on the earth and making the water stable, looked after the kingdom given by his father. Meantime there was formerly in heaven a celestial nymph named Svarfla. Due to Kraunca’s favour a daughter named Vrnda was born to her. The Creator fashioned the body of Vrnda, to see the beauty along with splendour which he had made separately in one place. Svarna gave that young, beautiful girl Vrnda, charming in all limbs and infatuating people, to Shukra who solicited her for (being married to) Jalandhara.

Shukra said:

45-52. О you beautiful lady, live long and be happy with the wonderful weapon of Cupid, that (hurts) the eyes of the world. Obtain him — the brave man — of large eyes, as your hus­band, not seeing whom the women have fixed Cupid as the man.

(Jalandhara), the son of the Ocean married Vrnda according to the Gandharva type of marriage. О king, the couple caused delight to the people. She gave up her fickleness. Jalandhara too, following the practice of wise men, did not long for any other woman. Once, while seated in his assembly, he saw Rahu with his head cut off; he asked Shukra, “Why is he one whose half body (only) remains? ” He told him the old account from the*beginning as to how the milky ocean was churned by the gods for (securing) nectar. Hearing it, the demon Jalandhara who was amazed, spoke (these) words: “You become favourable to Rahu and of a handsome form.” With the advice of Shukra, the valorous son of the Ocean, remembering his paternal uncle started a war with the gods, О brave one.

 

CHAPTER FIVE

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