Kamsa's Plot and the Sending of Akrura

Verse 1 (vishnu.5.15.1)

श्रीपराशर उवाच। ककुद्मति हतेऽरिष्टे धेनुके विनिपातिते। प्रलंबे निधनं नीते धृते गोवर्द्धनाचले

śrīparāśara uvāca kakudmati hate'riṣṭe dhenuke vinipātite pralaṁbe nidhanaṁ nīte dhṛte govarddhanācale

Parashara said: When Arishta had been slain, Dhenuka thrown down, Pralamba destroyed, and Mount Govardhana lifted and held aloft,

Verse 2 (vishnu.5.15.2)

दमिते कालिये नागे भग्ने तुंगद्रु मद्वये। हतायां पूतनायां च शकटे परिवर्त्तिते

damite kāliye nāge bhagne tuṁgadru madvaye hatāyāṁ pūtanāyāṁ ca śakaṭe parivarttite

when the serpent Kaliya had been subdued, the twin towering arjuna trees broken, Putana slain, and the cart overturned —

Verse 3 (vishnu.5.15.3)

कंसाय नारदः प्राह यथावृत्तमनुक्रमात्। यशोदादेवकीगर्भपरिवर्तादशेषतः

kaṁsāya nāradaḥ prāha yathāvṛttamanukramāt yaśodādevakīgarbhaparivartādaśeṣataḥ

Narada told Kamsa, in due order, everything that had happened — including, in full, the exchange of the wombs of Yashoda and Devaki.

Verse 4 (vishnu.5.15.4)

श्रुत्वा तत्सकलं कंसो नारदाद्देवदर्शनात्। वसुदेवं प्रति तदा कोपं चक्रे सुदुर्मतिः

śrutvā tatsakalaṁ kaṁso nāradāddevadarśanāt vasudevaṁ prati tadā kopaṁ cakre sudurmatiḥ

Hearing all this from Narada, who could see the working of the gods, the evil-minded Kamsa was filled with rage against Vasudeva.

Verse 5 (vishnu.5.15.5)

सोतिकोपादुपालभ्य सर्वयादवसंसदि। जगर्ह यादवांश्चैव कार्यं चैतदचिंतयत्

sotikopādupālabhya sarvayādavasaṁsadi jagarha yādavāṁścaiva kāryaṁ caitadaciṁtayat

Overcome with fury, he rebuked Vasudeva before the whole assembly of the Yadavas, censured the Yadavas as well, and fell to pondering the matter.

Verse 6 (vishnu.5.15.6)

यावन्न बलमारूढौ रामकृष्णौ सुबालकौ। तावदेव मया वध्यावसाध्यौ रूढयौवनौ

yāvanna balamārūḍhau rāmakṛṣṇau subālakau tāvadeva mayā vadhyāvasādhyau rūḍhayauvanau

'As long as these tender boys Rama and Krishna have not yet come into their strength, they can easily be slain by me; once they reach full youth, they will become unconquerable.'

Verse 7 (vishnu.5.15.7)

चाणूरोत्र महावीर्यो मुष्टिकश्च महाबलः। एताभ्यां मल्लयुद्धेन मारयिष्याम दुर्मती

cāṇūrotra mahāvīryo muṣṭikaśca mahābalaḥ etābhyāṁ mallayuddhena mārayiṣyāma durmatī

'Here I have the mighty Chanura and the powerful Mushtika; through a wrestling match with these two I shall have those arrogant boys destroyed.'

Verse 8 (vishnu.5.15.8)

धनुर्महमहायोगव्याजेनानीय तौ व्रजात्। तथा तथा यतिष्यामि यास्येते संक्षयं यथा

dhanurmahamahāyogavyājenānīya tau vrajāt tathā tathā yatiṣyāmi yāsyete saṁkṣayaṁ yathā

'Under the pretext of the great Bow-sacrifice festival, having them brought from Vraja, I shall so contrive matters that they meet their destruction.'

Verse 9 (vishnu.5.15.9)

श्वफल्कतनयं शूरमक्रूरं यदुपुंगवम्। तयोरानयनार्थाय प्रेषयिष्यामि गोकुलम्

śvaphalkatanayaṁ śūramakrūraṁ yadupuṁgavam tayorānayanārthāya preṣayiṣyāmi gokulam

'I shall send Akrura, son of Shvaphalka, the heroic foremost of the Yadus, to Gokula for the purpose of bringing those two here.'

Verse 10 (vishnu.5.15.10)

वृंदावनचरं घोरमादेक्ष्यामि च केशिनम्। तत्रैवासावतिबलस्तावुभौ घातयिष्यति

vṛṁdāvanacaraṁ ghoramādekṣyāmi ca keśinam tatraivāsāvatibalastāvubhau ghātayiṣyati

'And I shall command the terrible Keshi, who roams Vrindavana; that most powerful demon will slay both of them there itself.'

Verse 11 (vishnu.5.15.11)

गजः कुवलायापीडो मत्सकाशमिहागतौ। घातयिष्यति वा गोपौ वसुदेवसुतावुभौ

gajaḥ kuvalāyāpīḍo matsakāśamihāgatau ghātayiṣyati vā gopau vasudevasutāvubhau

'And should they come into my presence, the elephant Kuvalayapida shall also kill those two cowherd sons of Vasudeva.'

Verse 12 (vishnu.5.15.12)

श्रीपराशर उवाच। इत्यालोच्य स दुष्टात्मा कंसो रामजनार्दनौ। हंतुं कृतमर्तिवीरावक्रूरं वाक्यमब्रवीत्

śrīparāśara uvāca ityālocya sa duṣṭātmā kaṁso rāmajanārdanau haṁtuṁ kṛtamartivīrāvakrūraṁ vākyamabravīt

Parashara said: Having thus resolved, that wicked-souled Kamsa, his mind now made up to kill Rama and Janardana, spoke these words to the hero Akrura.

Verse 13 (vishnu.5.15.13)

कंस उवाच। भो भो दानपते वाक्यं क्रियतां प्रीतये मम। इतः स्यंदनमारुह्य गम्यतां नंदगोकुलम्

kaṁsa uvāca bho bho dānapate vākyaṁ kriyatāṁ prītaye mama itaḥ syaṁdanamāruhya gamyatāṁ naṁdagokulam

Kamsa said: 'O most generous one! Do as I ask, for my pleasure. Mount your chariot and go from here to Nanda's Gokula.'

Verse 14 (vishnu.5.15.14)

वसुदेव सुतौ तत्र विषणोरंशसमुद्भवौ। नाशाय किल संभूतौ मम दुष्टौ प्रवर्द्धतः

vasudeva sutau tatra viṣaṇoraṁśasamudbhavau nāśāya kila saṁbhūtau mama duṣṭau pravarddhataḥ

'There are Vasudeva's two sons, born of a portion of Vishnu, brought into being, indeed, for my destruction — those wicked ones are growing up.'

Verse 15 (vishnu.5.15.15)

धनुर्महो ममाप्यत्र चतुर्दश्यां भविष्यति। आनेयौ भवता गत्वा मल्लयुद्धाय तत्र तौ

dhanurmaho mamāpyatra caturdaśyāṁ bhaviṣyati āneyau bhavatā gatvā mallayuddhāya tatra tau

'My Bow-sacrifice festival too is to take place here on the fourteenth day; go and bring those two here for the wrestling match.'

Verse 16 (vishnu.5.15.16)

चाणूरमुष्टिकौ मल्लौ नियुद्धकुशलौ मम। ताभ्यां सहानयोर्युद्धं सर्वलोकोऽत्र पश्यतु

cāṇūramuṣṭikau mallau niyuddhakuśalau mama tābhyāṁ sahānayoryuddhaṁ sarvaloko'tra paśyatu

'I have two wrestlers, Chanura and Mushtika, skilled in combat; let the whole world here watch their fight against these two.'

Verse 17 (vishnu.5.15.17)

गजः कुवलयापीडो महामात्रप्रचोदितः। स वा हनिष्यते पापौ वसुदेवात्मजौ शिशू

gajaḥ kuvalayāpīḍo mahāmātrapracoditaḥ sa vā haniṣyate pāpau vasudevātmajau śiśū

'And the elephant Kuvalayapida too, incited by its driver, will kill those two wretched sons of Vasudeva, mere boys.'

Verse 18 (vishnu.5.15.18)

तौ हत्वा वसुदेवं च नंदगोपं च दुर्मतिम्। हनिष्ये पितरं चैनमुग्रसेनं सुदुर्मतिम्

tau hatvā vasudevaṁ ca naṁdagopaṁ ca durmatim haniṣye pitaraṁ cainamugrasenaṁ sudurmatim

'Having killed those two, and the foolish cowherd Nanda, I shall also kill this foolish Ugrasena, my own father.'

Verse 19 (vishnu.5.15.19)

ततस्समस्तगोपानां गोधनान्यखिलान्यहम्। वित्तं चापहरिष्यामि दुष्टानां मद्वधैषिणाम्

tatassamastagopānāṁ godhanānyakhilānyaham vittaṁ cāpahariṣyāmi duṣṭānāṁ madvadhaiṣiṇām

'Then I shall seize all the cattle-wealth and all the possessions of those wicked cowherds who desire my death.'

Verse 20 (vishnu.5.15.20)

त्वामृते यादवाश्चैते द्विषो दानपते मम। एतेषां च वधायाहं यतिष्येऽनुक्रमात्ततः

tvāmṛte yādavāścaite dviṣo dānapate mama eteṣāṁ ca vadhāyāhaṁ yatiṣye'nukramāttataḥ

'Save for you, O most generous one, all these Yadavas are my enemies; therefore I shall also strive, in due course, for their destruction too.'

Verse 21 (vishnu.5.15.21)

तदा निष्कंटकं सर्वं राज्यमेतदयादवम्। प्रसाधिष्ये त्वया तस्मान्मत्प्रीत्यै वीर गम्यताम्

tadā niṣkaṁṭakaṁ sarvaṁ rājyametadayādavam prasādhiṣye tvayā tasmānmatprītyai vīra gamyatām

'Then this whole kingdom, cleared of the Yadavas, will be free of thorns, and I shall govern it with your help; so go, O hero, for my pleasure.'

Verse 22 (vishnu.5.15.22)

यथा च माहिषं सर्पिर्दधिचाप्युपहार्य वै। गोपास्समानयंत्वाशु तथा वाच्यास्त्वया च ते

yathā ca māhiṣaṁ sarpirdadhicāpyupahārya vai gopāssamānayaṁtvāśu tathā vācyāstvayā ca te

'And just as the cowherds are wont to bring buffalo ghee and curds as tribute, so too you must tell them to send these promptly.'

Verse 23 (vishnu.5.15.23)

श्रीपराशर उवाच। इत्याज्ञप्तस्तदाऽक्रूरो महाभागवतो द्विज। प्रीतिमानभवत्कृष्णं श्वो द्रक्ष्यामीति सत्वरः

śrīparāśara uvāca ityājñaptastadā'krūro mahābhāgavato dvija prītimānabhavatkṛṣṇaṁ śvo drakṣyāmīti satvaraḥ

Parashara said: O brahmin! Thus commanded, the great devotee Akrura, at the thought of Krishna, was filled with joy, thinking 'Tomorrow I shall see him,' and made haste.

Verse 24 (vishnu.5.15.24)

तथेत्युक्त्वा च राजानं रथमारुह्य शोभनम्। निश्चक्राम ततः पुर्य्या मथुराया मधुप्रियः

tathetyuktvā ca rājānaṁ rathamāruhya śobhanam niścakrāma tataḥ puryyā mathurāyā madhupriyaḥ

Having said 'So be it' to the king, that lover of Madhu mounted a splendid chariot and set out from the city of Mathura.