VISHNU PURANA. BOOK IV. CHAP. XV.

 

VISHNU PURANA. BOOK IV. CHAP. XV.

 

Explanation of the reason why S'is'upala in his previous births as Hiranyakas'ipu and Ravana was not identified with Vishnu on being slain by him, and was so identified when killed as S'is'upala. The wives of Vasudeva: his children: Balarama and Krishna his sons by Devaki: born apparently of Rohini and Yasoda. The wives and children of Krishna. Multitude of the descendants of Yadu.

 

MAITREYA.--Most eminent of all who cultivate piety, I am curious to hear from you, and you are able to explain to me, how it happened that the same being who when killed by Vishnu as Hiranyakas'ipu and Ravana obtained enjoyments which, though scarcely attainable by the immortals, were but temporary, should have been absorbed into the eternal Hari when slain by him in the person of S'is'upala.

 

PARAS'ARA.--When the divine author of the creation, preservation, and destruction of the universe accomplished the death of Hiranyakas'ipu, he assumed a body composed of the figures of a lion and a man, so that Hiranyakas'ipu was not aware that his destroyer was Vishnu: although therefore the quality of purity, derived from exceeding merit, had been attained, yet his mind was perplexed by the predominance of the property of passion; and the consequence of that intermixture was, that he reaped, as the result of his death by the hands of Vishnu, only unlimited power and enjoyment upon earth, as Das'anana, the sovereign of the three spheres; he did not obtain absorption into the supreme spirit, that is without beginning or end, because his mind was not wholly dedicated to that sole object. So also Das'anana being entirely subject to the passion of love, and engrossed completely by the thoughts of Janaki, could not comprehend that the son of Das'aratha whom he beheld was in reality the divine Achyuta. At the moment of his death he was impressed with the notion that his adversary was a mortal, and therefore the fruit he derived from being slain by Vishnu was confined to his birth in the illustrious family of the kings of Chedi, and the exercise of extensive dominion. In this situation many circumstances brought the names of Vishnu to his notice, and on all these occasions the enmity that had accumulated through successive births influenced his mind; and in speaking constantly with disrespect of Achyuta, he was ever repeating his different appellations. Whether walking, eating, sitting, or sleeping, his animosity was never at rest, and Krishna was ever present to his thoughts in his ordinary semblance, having eyes as beautiful as the leaf of the lotus, clad in bright yellow raiment, decorated with a garland, with bracelets on his arms and wrists, and a diadem on his head; having four robust arms, bearing the conch, the discus, the mace, and the lotus. Thus uttering his names, even though in malediction, and dwelling upon his image, though in enmity, he beheld Krishna, when inflicting his death, radiant with resplendent weapons, bright with ineffable splendour in his own essence as the supreme being, and all his passion and hatred ceased, and he was purified front every defect. Being killed by the discus of Vishnu at the instant he thus meditated, all his sins were consumed by his divine adversary, and he was blended with him by whose might he had been slain. I have thus replied to your inquiries. He by whom the divine Vishnu is named or called to recollection, even in enmity, obtains a reward that is difficult of attainment to the demons and the gods: how much greater shall be his recompense who glorifies the deity in fervour and in faith!

 

Vasudeva, also called Anakadandubhi, had Rohini, Pauravi, Bhadra, Madira, Devaki, and several other wives. His sons by Rohini were Balabhadra, Sarana, S'aru, Durmada, and others. Balabhadra espoused Revati, and had by her Nisatha and Ulmuka. The sons of S'arana were Marshti, Marshtimat, S'is'u, Satyadhriti, and others. Bhadras'wa, Bhadrabahu, Durgama, Bhuta, and others, were born in the family of Rohini (of the race of Puru). The sons of Vasudeva by Madira were Nanda, Upananda, Kritaka, and others. Bhadra bore him Upanidhi, Gada, and others. By his wife Vais'ali he had one son named Kaus'ika. Devaki bore him six sons, Kirttimat, Sushena, Udayin, Bhadrasena, Rijudas'a, and Bhadradeha; all of whom Kansa put to death.

 

When Devaki was pregnant the seventh time, Yoganidra (the sleep of devotion), sent by Vishnu, extricated the embryo from its maternal womb at midnight, and transferred it to that of Rohini; and from having been thus taken away, the child (who was Balarama) received the name of Sankarshana. Next, the divine Vishnu himself, the root of the vast universal tree, inscrutable by the understandings of all gods, demons, sages, and men, past, present, or to come, adored by Brahma and all the deities, he who is without beginning, middle, or end, being moved to relieve the earth of her load, descended into the womb of Devaki, and was born as her son Vasudeva. Yoganidra, proud to execute his orders, removed the embryo to Yasoda, the wife of Nanda the cowherd. At his birth the earth was relieved from all iniquity; the sun, moon, and planets shone with unclouded splendour; all fear of calamitous portents was dispelled; and universal happiness prevailed. From the moment he appeared, all mankind were led into the righteous path in him.

 

Whilst this powerful being resided in this world of mortals, he had sixteen thousand and one hundred wives; of these the principal were Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Jatahas'ini, and four others. By these the universal form, who is without beginning, begot a hundred and eighty thousand sons, of whom thirteen are most renowned, Pradyumna, Charudeshna, Samba, and others. Pradyumna married Kakudwati, the daughter of Rukmin, and had by her Aniruddha. Aniruddha married Subhadra, the granddaughter of the same Rukmin, and she bore him a son named Vajra. The son of Vajra was Bahu; and his son was Sucharu.

 

In this manner the descendants of Yadu multiplied, and there were many hundreds of thousands of them, so that it would be impossible to repeat their names in hundreds of years. Two verses relating to them are current: "The domestic instructors of the boys in the use of arms amounted to three crores and eighty lacs (or thirty-eight millions). Who shall enumerate the whole of the mighty men of the Yadava race, who were tens of ten thousands and hundreds of hundred thousands in number?" Those powerful Daityas who were killed in the conflicts between them and the gods were born again upon earth as men, as tyrants and oppressors; and, in order to check their violence, the gods also descended to the world of mortals, and became members of the hundred and one branches of the family of Yadu. Vishnu was to them a teacher and a ruler, and all the Yadavas were obedient to his commands.

 

Whoever listens frequently to this account of the origin of the heroes of the race of Vrishni, shall be purified from all sin, and obtain the sphere of Vishnu.