Destruction of Paundraka's Son

Shri Rudra said:

1-6. Then Paundraka Vasudeva, king of Kasi, fasted in a solitary place, and worshipping Mahesa for TWELVE

years, muttered the five-syllabled formula. At the time of the repetition of the name of the deity he worshipped Samkara with (i.e. by offering) his own lotus-like eye. Then the lord of Uma having the trident in his hand, being pleased, said to him: " Choose a boon". Then he said to S" iva who had five faces, is the lord of all beings, and was pleased: " O giver of boons, give me a form similar to that of Vasudeva (Krishna)." aiva (gave) him (a form with) four arms with a disc, a conch, a mace and a lotus (held in them), having eyes like lotus-petals, having charming hair with a crown (on it) resembling that of Vasudeva. Solicited by him as " Give me also the marks like a yellow garment, and ornaments like the Kaustubha", Shiva also gave him all that. He enticed all people, saying, " I am Vasudeva".

7-9. Sometime Narada, having come from heaven to that king of Kasi, who was haughty with pride and power, said: " You cannot have the status of Vasudeva without conquering Vasudeva's son." That moment only he, having put himself into a chariot with Garuda-banner, reached Dvaraka with the army of four divisions, (numbering) an aksauhinl. There he sent a messenger (to Krishna to tell him) " I, Vasudeva standing in a golden carriage at the gate of the city, have come to fight (with you). Without conquering me you cannothavethe status of Vasudeva."

10-14Vishnu (i.e. Krishna) too, having heard it, mounted upon Garuda and on coming out to fight with Paundraka, saw at the gate Paundraka with an army (numbering) an aksauhini, and seated in a chariot, and having a conch, a disc, a mace and a lotus in his hands. Krishna took the Sarriga (bow) and in a short time only completely destroyed that army (numbering) an aksauhini, consisting of horses, elephants and foot-soldiers with arrows resembling the fire of destruction in brightness. And with one arrow he easily chopped off the weapons in his hands like the conch, disc, mace etc. Having cut off his lotus-like head (adorned) with a crown, by means of his pure Sudarsana (disc), he caused it to fall into the harem in (the city of) Varanasi. Seeing it all the residents of Kasi, fearing 'What is this? ' were amazed.

15-17. Dandapani, Paundraka's son, having heard that his father was killed by lord Vasudeva, and directed by his mother, (as if) by Death, and told by his priest, offered a sacrifice, called Mahesvara, to iShankara. He, being pleased, affectionately gave him a Krtya (a female deity capable of destruction and proficient in magic) belonging to Mahesvara and capable of killing Krishna. That Kasi king, seeing that Krtya of Mahesvara, that had a body full of a group of flames, had a blazing mass of hair, had tawny eyes, whose face was blazing and fierce, that had a trident in her hand, whose body was smeared with ash, who was adorned with the string of human heads, that caused fear to all gods, was presented by Rudra, impelled her to kill Krishna along with his sons, wives and relations.

18-19. And she causing fear to the entire world, burning with her lustre the whole earth, and roaring with a sound strong like the fire at the time of deluge reached Dvaraka. All people staying there saw her and thinking it to be a great deluge, and wailing aloud, reported it to Krishna.

20-24. Krishna too told all of them not to fear, and seeing that very fierce Krtya standing like that at the portal of the ramPart, suddenly discharged that Sudarsana of a thousand spokes, capable of keeping off all weapons and missiles at the Krtya, She, With lustre resembling that of a crore of suns at the time of the end of a kalpa, seeing that great Sudarsana, going up a hundred yojanas, possessed of a thousand blazing weapons, made of gold, full of lustre, capable of making the entire world reduced to a condition at the time of deluge, saluted by all gods, the refuge of the entire world, lost her lustre, was overcome by fear, and crying (aloud) she ran to Varanasi. Sudarsana too closely pursued her. She too, overcome by fear and crying entered that city of the king of Kasi. Sudarsana also, reaching the city of Varanasi, reducing to ash Paundraka's son, Dandapani, along with servants and army and elephants, so also the city of Mahesvara having many palaces and mansions, and being worshipped by all gods and great sages, again reached Krishna's hand which was very soft, like a kalpa (sacred precept? ). And about this the (following) verses are sung:

25-28. Having burnt with vigour that army discharging weapons and missiles and never decaying, reducing to ash the Krtya, then the city of Varanasi which had many chariots and elephants, and along with horses and men and women, and all stores and granaries, which was difficult to be seen even by gods, the houses, ramparts and courtyards of which were marked with doors, that disc of Vishnu burnt the entire city only. That disc, with its power of movement unexhausted, having accomplished what cannot be accomplished, with its lustre blazing, came to Vishnu's hand.

 

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