Shishupala's Liberation and the Birth of the Yadu Heroes

Verse 1 (vishnu.4.15.1)

मैत्रेय उवाच हिरण्यकशिपुत्वे च रावणत्वे च विष्णुना । अवाप निहतो भोगानप्राप्यानमरैरपि

maitreya uvāca hiraṇyakaśiputve ca rāvaṇatve ca viṣṇunā avāpa nihato bhogānaprāpyānamarairapi

Maitreya said: Even as Hiranyakashipu and as Ravana, though slain by Vishnu, he attained enjoyments that even the immortals cannot obtain.

Verse 2 (vishnu.4.15.2)

न लयं तत्र तेनैव निहतः स कथं पुनः । संप्राप्तः शिशुपालत्वे सायुज्यं शाश्वते हरौ

na layaṁ tatra tenaiva nihataḥ sa kathaṁ punaḥ saṁprāptaḥ śiśupālatve sāyujyaṁ śāśvate harau

Yet, slain by that very Lord then, he attained no absorption into him — how then, as Shishupala, did he attain sayujya, union with the eternal Hari?

Verse 3 (vishnu.4.15.3)

एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं सर्वधर्मभृत्तां वर । कौतूहलपरेणैतत्पृष्टो मे वक्तुमर्हसि

etadicchāmyahaṁ śrotuṁ sarvadharmabhṛttāṁ vara kautūhalapareṇaitatpṛṣṭo me vaktumarhasi

This I wish to hear, O best of all upholders of dharma; you should answer me this question, which I ask out of eager curiosity.

Verse 4 (vishnu.4.15.4)

श्रीपराशर उवाच दैत्येश्वरस्य वधायाशिललोकोत्पत्तिस्थितिविनाशकारिणा पूर्वं तनुग्रहणं कुर्वता नृसिंह रूपमाविष्कृतम्

śrīparāśara uvāca daityeśvarasya vadhāyāśilalokotpattisthitivināśakāriṇā pūrvaṁ tanugrahaṇaṁ kurvatā nṛsiṁha rūpamāviṣkṛtam

Parashara said: For the slaying of the lord of the daityas, the Lord — who causes the origin, continuance and dissolution of all worlds — first took a body and manifested the form of Narasimha.

Verse 5 (vishnu.4.15.5)

तत्र च हिरण्यकशिपोर्विष्णुरयमित्येतन्न मनस्यभूत्

tatra ca hiraṇyakaśiporviṣṇurayamityetanna manasyabhūt

At that time it never occurred to Hiranyakashipu's mind that 'this is Vishnu.'

Verse 6 (vishnu.4.15.6)

निरतिशयपुण्यसमुद्भूतमेतत्सत्त्वाजातमिति

niratiśayapuṇyasamudbhūtametatsattvājātamiti

He thought only that this was some being of pure sattva, born of exceeding merit.

Verse 7 (vishnu.4.15.7)

रजोद्रेकप्रेरितैकाग्रमतिस्तद्भावनायोगात्ततोवाप्तवधहैतुकीं निरतिशयामेवाखिलत्रैलोक्यकारीणीं दशाननत्वे भोगसंपदमवाप

rajodrekapreritaikāgramatistadbhāvanāyogāttatovāptavadhahaitukīṁ niratiśayāmevākhilatrailokyakārīṇīṁ daśānanatve bhogasaṁpadamavāpa

His mind fixed single-pointedly, driven by the ascendancy of rajas, through that very meditation he obtained again, as the ten-headed Ravana, that matchless wealth of enjoyment born of the very cause of his own slaying — dominion unrivaled over all three worlds.

Verse 8 (vishnu.4.15.8)

न तु स तस्मिन्ननादिनिधने परब्रह्मभूते भगवत्यनालंबिनि कृते मनसस्तल्लयमवाप

na tu sa tasminnanādinidhane parabrahmabhūte bhagavatyanālaṁbini kṛte manasastallayamavāpa

Yet even then his mind did not attain absorption into that beginningless, endless, supreme Brahman, the Lord beyond all support.

Verse 9 (vishnu.4.15.9)

एवं दशाननत्वेप्यनङ्गपराधीनतया जानकीसमासक्तचेतसा भगवता दाशरथि रूपधारिणा हतस्य तद्रूपदर्शनमेवासीत्नायमच्युत इत्यासक्तिर्विपद्यतोन्तःकरणे मानुषबुद्धिरेव केवलमस्याभूत्

evaṁ daśānanatvepyanaṅgaparādhīnatayā jānakīsamāsaktacetasā bhagavatā dāśarathi rūpadhāriṇā hatasya tadrūpadarśanamevāsītnāyamacyuta ityāsaktirvipadyatontaḥkaraṇe mānuṣabuddhireva kevalamasyābhūt

Even as the ten-headed one, his mind enslaved by desire and fixed on Janaki, as he was slain by the Lord bearing the form of Dasharathi, he saw only that human form; dying still clinging to the notion 'this is not Achyuta,' only a merely human understanding remained in his heart.

Verse 10 (vishnu.4.15.10)

पुनरप्यच्युतविनिपातमात्रफलमखिलभूमण्डलश्लाघ्यचेदिराजकुले जन्म अव्याहतैश्वर्यं शिशुपालत्वेप्यवाप

punarapyacyutavinipātamātraphalamakhilabhūmaṇḍalaślāghyacedirājakule janma avyāhataiśvaryaṁ śiśupālatvepyavāpa

Even so, merely from the fruit of being slain by Achyuta, he obtained, as Shishupala, birth in the family of the king of Chedi, praised across the whole earth, and unhindered sovereignty.

Verse 11 (vishnu.4.15.11)

तत्र त्वखिलानामेव स भगवन्नाम्नां त्वङ्कारकारणमभवत्

tatra tvakhilānāmeva sa bhagavannāmnāṁ tvaṅkārakāraṇamabhavat

There, indeed, it became for him the very occasion for uttering all the names of the Lord.

Verse 12 (vishnu.4.15.12)

ततश्च तत्कालकृतानां तेषामशेषणामेवाच्युतनाम्नामनवरतमनेकजन्मसु वर्धितविद्वेषानुबन्धिचित्तो विनिन्दनसंतर्जनादिषूच्चारणमकरोत्

tataśca tatkālakṛtānāṁ teṣāmaśeṣaṇāmevācyutanāmnāmanavaratamanekajanmasu vardhitavidveṣānubandhicitto vinindanasaṁtarjanādiṣūccāraṇamakarot

And because of the hatred born then, his mind bound by enmity nurtured across many births, he went on ceaselessly uttering all those names of Achyuta in abuse, threats and the like.

Verse 13 (vishnu.4.15.13)

तच्च रूपमुत्फुल्लपद्मदलामलाक्षिमत्युज्ज्वलपीतवस्त्रधार्यमलकिरिटकेयूरहारकटकादिशोभितमुदारचतुर्बाहुशङ्खचक्रगदाधरमतिप्ररूढवैरानुभावादटनभोजनस्नानासनशयनादिष्वशेषावस्थान्तरेषु नान्यत्रोपययावस्य चेतसः

tacca rūpamutphullapadmadalāmalākṣimatyujjvalapītavastradhāryamalakiriṭakeyūrahārakaṭakādiśobhitamudāracaturbāhuśaṅkhacakragadādharamatiprarūḍhavairānubhāvādaṭanabhojanasnānāsanaśayanādiṣvaśeṣāvasthāntareṣu nānyatropayayāvasya cetasaḥ

Through the sheer intensity of his enmity, that form — with eyes clear as an unfolding lotus petal, clad in brilliant yellow cloth, adorned with spotless crown, armlets, garland and bracelets, its broad four arms bearing conch, discus and mace — never once left his mind, whether walking, eating, bathing, sitting or lying down, in any state whatever.

Verse 14 (vishnu.4.15.14)

ततस्तमेवाक्रोशेषूच्चारयंस्तमेव हृदयेन धारयन्नात्मवधाय यावद्भगवद्धस्तचक्रांशुमालोज्ज्वालमक्षयतेजःस्वरूपं ब्रह्मभूतमपगतद्वेषादिदोषं भगवन्तमद्राक्षीत्

tatastamevākrośeṣūccārayaṁstameva hṛdayena dhārayannātmavadhāya yāvadbhagavaddhastacakrāṁśumālojjvālamakṣayatejaḥsvarūpaṁ brahmabhūtamapagatadveṣādidoṣaṁ bhagavantamadrākṣīt

Thus, uttering that very name even in his curses, bearing it ever in his heart, at the moment of his death he beheld the Lord — radiant with the garland of rays from the discus in the Lord's hand, of imperishable splendor, of the very nature of Brahman, free of the taint of passion and hatred and every fault.

Verse 15 (vishnu.4.15.15)

तावच्च भगवच्चक्रेणाशु व्यापादितस्तत्स्मरणदग्धाखिलाघसंचयो भगवतान्तमुपनीतस्ततस्मिन्नेव लयमुपययौ

tāvacca bhagavaccakreṇāśu vyāpāditastatsmaraṇadagdhākhilāghasaṁcayo bhagavatāntamupanītastatasminneva layamupayayau

In that very instant, swiftly slain by the Lord's discus, his whole mass of sin burnt away by that very remembrance, he was brought to his end by the Lord himself and merged into him.

Verse 16 (vishnu.4.15.16)

एतत्तवाखिलंमयाभिहितम्

etattavākhilaṁmayābhihitam

All this I have now told you.

Verse 17 (vishnu.4.15.17)

अयं हि भगवान् कीर्तितश्च संस्मृतश्च द्वेषानुबन्धेनापि अखिलमुरासुरादिर्दुल्लभं फलं प्रयच्छति किमुत सम्यग्भक्तिमत्मिति

ayaṁ hi bhagavān kīrtitaśca saṁsmṛtaśca dveṣānubandhenāpi akhilamurāsurādirdullabhaṁ phalaṁ prayacchati kimuta samyagbhaktimatmiti

This Lord, when praised or even merely remembered — even through the bond of hatred — grants a fruit rare even to all gods and demons; what then of those possessed of true devotion?

Verse 18 (vishnu.4.15.18)

वसुदेवस्य त्वानकदुन्दुभेः पौरवीरोहिणीमदिराभद्रादेवकीप्रमुखा बह्व्यः पत्न्योऽभवन्

vasudevasya tvānakadundubheḥ pauravīrohiṇīmadirābhadrādevakīpramukhā bahvyaḥ patnyo'bhavan

Vasudeva, called Anakadundubhi, had many wives, foremost among them Paurava, Rohini, Madira, Bhadra and Devaki.

Verse 19 (vishnu.4.15.19)

बलभद्रशठसारणदुर्मदादीन्पुत्रार्त्नोहिण्यानकदुन्दुभिरुत्पादयामास

balabhadraśaṭhasāraṇadurmadādīnputrārtnohiṇyānakadundubhirutpādayāmāsa

Anakadundubhi begot on Rohini the sons Balabhadra, Shatha, Sarana, Durmada and others.

Verse 20 (vishnu.4.15.20)

बलदेवोपि रेवत्यां विशठोल्मुकौ पुत्रावजनयत्

baladevopi revatyāṁ viśaṭholmukau putrāvajanayat

Baladeva too begot on Revati two sons, named Vishatha and Ulmuka.

Verse 21 (vishnu.4.15.21)

सार्ष्टिमार्ष्टिशिशुसत्यसत्यधृतिप्रमुखाः सारणात्मजाः

sārṣṭimārṣṭiśiśusatyasatyadhṛtipramukhāḥ sāraṇātmajāḥ

Sarshti, Marshti, Shishu, Satya and Satyadhriti were, among others, Sarana's sons.

Verse 22 (vishnu.4.15.22)

भद्राश्वभद्रबाहुदुर्दमभूताद्याः रोहिण्याः कुलजाः

bhadrāśvabhadrabāhudurdamabhūtādyāḥ rohiṇyāḥ kulajāḥ

Bhadrashva, Bhadrabahu, Durdama and Bhuta, among others, were born in Rohini's line.

Verse 23 (vishnu.4.15.23)

नन्दोपनन्दकृतकाद्य मदिरायास्तनयाः

nandopanandakṛtakādya madirāyāstanayāḥ

Nanda, Upananda and Kritaka, among others, were Madira's sons.

Verse 24 (vishnu.4.15.24)

भद्रायाश्चोपनिधिगदाद्याः

bhadrāyāścopanidhigadādyāḥ

Upanidhi and Gada, among others, were Bhadra's sons.

Verse 25 (vishnu.4.15.25)

वैशाल्यां च कौशिकमेकमेवाजनयत्

vaiśālyāṁ ca kauśikamekamevājanayat

By Vaishali he begot only one son, named Kaushika.

Verse 26 (vishnu.4.15.26)

आनकदुन्दुभेर्देवक्यामपि कीर्तिमत्सुषेणोदायुभद्रसेनऋजुदासभद्रदेवाख्याः षट्पुत्रा जज्ञिरे

ānakadundubherdevakyāmapi kīrtimatsuṣeṇodāyubhadrasenaṛjudāsabhadradevākhyāḥ ṣaṭputrā jajñire

By Devaki too, Anakadundubhi had six sons born: Kirtimana, Sushena, Udayi, Bhadrasena, Rijudasa and Bhadradeva.

Verse 27 (vishnu.4.15.27)

तांश्च सर्वानेव कंसोघातितवान्

tāṁśca sarvāneva kaṁsoghātitavān

All of them Kamsa put to death.

Verse 28 (vishnu.4.15.28)

अनन्तरं च सप्तमं गर्भमर्धरात्रे भगवत्प्रहितायोगनिद्रा रोहिण्या जठरमाकृष्य नीतवती

anantaraṁ ca saptamaṁ garbhamardharātre bhagavatprahitāyoganidrā rohiṇyā jaṭharamākṛṣya nītavatī

After this, at midnight, Yoganidra, sent by the Lord, drew out the seventh conception and carried it into Rohini's womb.

Verse 29 (vishnu.4.15.29)

कर्षणाच्चासावपि संकर्षणाख्यामगमत्

karṣaṇāccāsāvapi saṁkarṣaṇākhyāmagamat

Because of that very drawing-forth (karshana) he acquired the name Sankarshana.

Verse 30 (vishnu.4.15.30)

ततश्च सकलजगन्महातरुमूलभूतोभूतभविष्यदादिसकलसुरासुरमुनिजनमनसामप्यगोचरोऽब्जभवप्रमुखैरनलमुखैः प्रणम्यावनिभारहरणाय प्रसादितो भगवाननादिमध्यनिधनोदेवकीगर्भमवततार वासुदेवः

tataśca sakalajaganmahātarumūlabhūtobhūtabhaviṣyadādisakalasurāsuramunijanamanasāmapyagocaro'bjabhavapramukhairanalamukhaiḥ praṇamyāvanibhāraharaṇāya prasādito bhagavānanādimadhyanidhanodevakīgarbhamavatatāra vāsudevaḥ

Then, as the very root of the great tree of the whole universe, imperceptible even to the minds of all gods, demons and sages past, present and to come, being bowed to by Brahma, Agni and the other chief gods, the Lord Vasudeva, without beginning or middle, graciously descended into Devaki's womb to lighten the earth's burden.

Verse 31 (vishnu.4.15.31)

तत्प्रसादविवद्धमानोरुमहिमा च योगनिद्रा नन्दगोपपत्न्या यशोदाया गर्भमधितिष्ठितवती

tatprasādavivaddhamānorumahimā ca yoganidrā nandagopapatnyā yaśodāyā garbhamadhitiṣṭhitavatī

Yoganidra, her majesty magnified by his grace, took up her station in the womb of Yashoda, wife of the cowherd Nanda.

Verse 32 (vishnu.4.15.32)

सुप्रसन्नादित्यचन्द्रादिग्रहमव्यालादिभयं स्वस्थमानसमखिलमेवैतज्जगदपास्ताधर्ममभवत्त्स्मिश्च पुण्डरीकनयने जायमाने

suprasannādityacandrādigrahamavyālādibhayaṁ svasthamānasamakhilamevaitajjagadapāstādharmamabhavattsmiśca puṇḍarīkanayane jāyamāne

The sun, moon and other heavenly bodies grew serene, the fear of serpents and the like departed, the mind of the whole world became at ease, and it was cleared of unrighteousness, as that lotus-eyed one was being born.

Verse 33 (vishnu.4.15.33)

जातेन च तेनाखिलमेवैतत्सन्मार्गवर्ति जगदक्रियत

jātena ca tenākhilamevaitatsanmārgavarti jagadakriyata

The instant he was born, this whole world became one that walked the righteous path.

Verse 34 (vishnu.4.15.34)

भगवतोप्यत्र मर्त्यलोकेऽवतीर्णस्य षोडशसहस्राण्येकोत्तरशताधिकानि भार्याणाम भवन्

bhagavatopyatra martyaloke'vatīrṇasya ṣoḍaśasahasrāṇyekottaraśatādhikāni bhāryāṇāma bhavan

Even the Lord, thus descended into this world of mortals, came to have sixteen thousand one hundred and one wives.

Verse 35 (vishnu.4.15.35)

तासां च रुक्मिणी सत्यभामा जांबवती चारुहासिनीप्रमुखा ह्यष्टौ पत्न्यः प्रधाना बभूचवुः

tāsāṁ ca rukmiṇī satyabhāmā jāṁbavatī cāruhāsinīpramukhā hyaṣṭau patnyaḥ pradhānā babhūcavuḥ

Among them, Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati and Charuhasini, among others, were the eight principal wives.

Verse 36 (vishnu.4.15.36)

तासु चाष्टावयुतानिलक्षं च पुत्राणां भगवानखिलमूर्तिरनादिमानजनयत्

tāsu cāṣṭāvayutānilakṣaṁ ca putrāṇāṁ bhagavānakhilamūrtiranādimānajanayat

By them, the Lord, the beginningless form of all beings, begot one hundred and eighty thousand sons.

Verse 37 (vishnu.4.15.37)

तेषां च प्रद्युम्नचारुदेष्ण्यसांबादयः त्रयोदश प्रधानाः

teṣāṁ ca pradyumnacārudeṣṇyasāṁbādayaḥ trayodaśa pradhānāḥ

Among them, Pradyumna, Charudeshna and Samba, among others, were the thirteen foremost.

Verse 38 (vishnu.4.15.38)

प्रद्युम्नोपि रुक्मिणस्तनयां रुक्मवतीं नामोपयेमे

pradyumnopi rukmiṇastanayāṁ rukmavatīṁ nāmopayeme

Pradyumna too married Rukmavati, daughter of Rukmin.

Verse 39 (vishnu.4.15.39)

तस्यामनिरुद्धो जज्ञे

tasyāmaniruddho jajñe

By her, Aniruddha was born.

Verse 40 (vishnu.4.15.40)

अनिरुद्धोऽपि रुक्मिणा एव पौत्रीं सुभद्रां नामो पयेमे

aniruddho'pi rukmiṇā eva pautrīṁ subhadrāṁ nāmo payeme

Aniruddha too married Subhadra, Rukmin's own granddaughter.

Verse 41 (vishnu.4.15.41)

तस्यामस्य वज्रो जज्ञे

tasyāmasya vajro jajñe

By her his son Vajra was born.

Verse 42 (vishnu.4.15.42)

वज्रस्य प्रतिबाहुः तस्यापि सुचारुः

vajrasya pratibāhuḥ tasyāpi sucāruḥ

Vajra's son was Pratibahu, and his son in turn was Sucharu.

Verse 43 (vishnu.4.15.43)

एवमनेकशतसाहस्रपुरुषसंख्यस्य यदुकुलस्य पुरुषसंख्या वर्षशतैरपि ज्ञातुं न शक्यते

evamanekaśatasāhasrapuruṣasaṁkhyasya yadukulasya puruṣasaṁkhyā varṣaśatairapi jñātuṁ na śakyate

Thus the men of the Yadu clan, numbering many hundreds of thousands, cannot be counted even across hundreds of years.

Verse 44 (vishnu.4.15.44)

यतो हि श्लोकाविमावत्र चरितार्थौ

yato hi ślokāvimāvatra caritārthau

For on this matter these two verses are apt —

Verse 45 (vishnu.4.15.45)

तिस्त्रः कोट्यःसहस्राणामष्टाशीति शतानि च । कुमाराणां कृहाचार्याश्चापयोगेषु ये रताः

tistraḥ koṭyaḥsahasrāṇāmaṣṭāśīti śatāni ca kumārāṇāṁ kṛhācāryāścāpayogeṣu ye ratāḥ

'Of the young princes alone there were three crore and eighty-eight hundred, teachers of the household rites, and those given over to unfitting pursuits.'

Verse 46 (vishnu.4.15.46)

संख्यानं यादवानां कः करिष्यति महात्मनाम् । यत्रायुतानामयुतलक्षेणास्ते सदाहुकः

saṁkhyānaṁ yādavānāṁ kaḥ kariṣyati mahātmanām yatrāyutānāmayutalakṣeṇāste sadāhukaḥ

'Who can reckon the count of the great-souled Yadavas, where Ahuka alone dwells ever attended by tens upon tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands?'

Verse 47 (vishnu.4.15.47)

देवासुरे हता ये तु दैतेयास्सुमहाबलाः। उत्पन्नास्ते मनुष्येषु जनोपद्रवकारिणः

devāsure hatā ye tu daiteyāssumahābalāḥ utpannāste manuṣyeṣu janopadravakāriṇaḥ

Those exceedingly mighty daityas who were slain in the war of gods and demons were born again among men, becoming a source of affliction to the people.

Verse 48 (vishnu.4.15.48)

तेषामुत्सादनार्थाय भुविदेवा यदोः कुले। अवतीर्णाः कुलशतं यत्रैकाभ्यधिकं द्विजः

teṣāmutsādanārthāya bhuvidevā yadoḥ kule avatīrṇāḥ kulaśataṁ yatraikābhyadhikaṁ dvijaḥ

For their uprooting, O twice-born, the gods descended into the Yadu clan, wherein there were kulas numbering one more than a hundred.

Verse 49 (vishnu.4.15.49)

उत्पन्नास्ते मनुष्येषु प्रमाणे च प्रभुत्वे च व्यवस्थितः। निदेशस्थायिनस्तस्य ववृधुः सर्वयादवाः

utpannāste manuṣyeṣu pramāṇe ca prabhutve ca vyavasthitaḥ nideśasthāyinastasya vavṛdhuḥ sarvayādavāḥ

Born among men, they remained well established in number and dominion; and all the Yadavas, abiding steadfast under their direction, prospered and flourished.

Verse 50 (vishnu.4.15.50)

इति प्रसूतिं वृष्णीनां यश्र्शृणोति नरः सदा । स सर्वैः पातकैर्मुक्तो विष्णुलोकं प्रपद्यते

iti prasūtiṁ vṛṣṇīnāṁ yaśrśṛṇoti naraḥ sadā sa sarvaiḥ pātakairmukto viṣṇulokaṁ prapadyate

Whatever man ever hears this account of the birth of the Vrishni heroes is freed from every sin and attains the world of Vishnu.