Bhagavata Purana

सिक्तमार्गा मदच्युद्भिराहूतप्रेष्ठभूभुजाम्। गजैर्द्वाःसु परामृष्ट रम्भापूगोपशोभिता

Its streets were sprinkled with fragrant, intoxicating liquids; at the gates, elephants summoned by beloved kings stood, and the city was beautified by rows of plantain and areca trees.

कुरुसृञ्जयकैकेय विदर्भयदुकुन्तयः। मिथो मुमुदिरे तस्मिन्सम्भ्रमात्परिधावताम्

The Kurus, Sṛñjayas, Kaikeyas, Vidarbhas, Yadus, and Kuntis all rejoiced together there, mingling in excitement as they hurried about.

रुक्मिण्या हरणं श्रुत्वा गीयमानं ततस्ततः। राजानो राजकन्याश्च बभूवुर्भृशविस्मिताः

Hearing the story of Rukmiṇī's abduction sung everywhere, the kings and princesses were greatly astonished.

द्वारकायामभूद्राजन्महामोदः पुरौकसाम्। रुक्मिण्या रमयोपेतं दृष्ट्वा कृष्णं श्रियः पतिम्

In Dvārakā, O king, there arose immense joy among the citizens, seeing Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of fortune, united with Rukmiṇī and Rāma.

प्रद्युम्नस्य जन्म, शम्बरासुरवधश्च श्रीशुक उवाच - ( अनुष्टुप् ) कामस्तु वासुदेवांशो दग्धः प्राग् रुद्रमन्युना । देहोपपत्तये भूयः तमेव प्रत्यपद्यत

Śuka said: Kāma, a portion of Vāsudeva, who was previously burned by Rudra's anger, again took birth for the sake of embodiment, assuming that very form.

स एव जातो वैदर्भ्यां कृष्णवीर्यसमुद्‌भवः । प्रद्युम्न इति विख्यातः सर्वतोऽनवमः पितुः

He, born of Vaidarbhi and endowed with Krishna’s power, became renowned as Pradyumna, in every way not inferior to his father.

तं शम्बरः कामरूपी हृत्वा तोकमनिर्दशम् । स विदित्वात्मनः शत्रुं प्रास्योदन्वत्यगाद् गृहम्

Shambara, master of illusion, abducted that infant, who could not yet be harmed, and, knowing him to be his enemy, cast him into the sea and returned home.

तं निर्जगार बलवान् मीनः सोऽप्यपरैः सह । वृतो जालेन महता गृहीतो मत्स्यजीविभिः

A powerful fish swallowed him, and that fish, together with others, was caught in a great net by fishermen.

तं शम्बराय कैवर्ता उपाजह्रुरुपायनम् । सूदा महानसं नीत्वा वद्यन् स्वधितिनाद्‌भुतम्

The fishermen brought that fish as a gift to Shambara; the cooks took it to the kitchen, intending to cut it open with their knives.

दृष्ट्वा तद् उदरे बालं मायावत्यै न्यवेदयन् । नारदोऽकथयत्सर्वं तस्याः शङ्‌कितचेतसः । बालस्य तत्त्वमुत्पत्तिं मत्स्योदरनिवेशनम्

Seeing the child inside, they reported it to Māyāvatī; Nārada told her everything, as her mind was anxious—about the child’s true origin and how he came to be in the fish’s belly.

सा च कामस्य वै पत्‍नी रतिर्नाम यशस्विनी । पत्युर्निर्दग्धदेहस्य देहोत्पत्तिं प्रतीक्षती

She was Rati, the famed wife of Kāma, who was waiting for the rebirth of her husband, whose body had been burned.

निरूपिता शम्बरेण सा सूदौदनसाधने । कामदेवं शिशुं बुद्ध्वा चक्रे स्नेहं तदार्भके

Assigned by Shambara to the kitchen, Māyāvatī, recognizing the child as Kāma himself, felt affection for the boy.

नातिदीर्घेण कालेन स कार्ष्णि रूढयौवनः । जनयामास नारीणां वीक्षन्तीनां च विभ्रमम्

In not too long a time, the son of Krishna reached full youth, stirring the hearts of the women who gazed upon him.

( इंद्रवंशा ) सा तं पतिं पद्मदलायतेक्षणं प्रलम्बबाहुं नरलोकसुन्दरम् । सव्रीडहासोत्तभितभ्रुवेक्षती प्रीत्योपतस्थे रतिरङ्ग सौरतैः

She, Rati, approached him—her husband—with eyes like lotus petals, arms long, beautiful among men, casting a bashful, smiling, sidelong glance, her eyebrows raised in love-play.

( अनुष्टुप् ) तामह भगवान् कार्ष्णिः मातस्ते मतिरन्यथा । मातृभावं अतिक्रम्य वर्तसे कामिनी यथा

Kārṣṇi, the son of Krishna, said to her: 'Your mind, O lady, is not as a mother’s; you behave toward me as a lover, not as a mother.'

रतिरुवाच - भवान् नारायणसुतः शम्बरेणाहृतो गृहात् । अहं तेऽधिकृता पत्‍नी रतिः कामो भवान् प्रभो

Rati said: 'You are the son of Nārāyaṇa, abducted from your home by Shambara; I am your rightful wife, Rati, and you, lord, are Kāma.'

एष त्वानिर्दशं सिन्धौ अक्षिपत् शंबरोऽसुरः । मत्स्योऽग्रसीत् तत् उदराद् इतः प्राप्तो भवान् प्रभो

'That demon Shambara cast you, an infant, into the ocean; a fish swallowed you, and from its belly, lord, you have come here.'

तमिमं जहि दुर्धर्षं दुर्जयं शत्रुमात्मनः । मायाशतविदं तं च मायाभिर्मोहनादिभिः

'Now slay this formidable, unconquerable enemy of yours, skilled in hundreds of illusions, by your own powers of illusion—delusion and the like.'

परीशोचति ते माता कुररीव गतप्रजा । पुत्रस्नेहाकुला दीना विवत्सा गौरिवातुरा

'Your mother grieves for you like a kurarī bird bereft of her young, overwhelmed by maternal love, helpless, like a cow pained without her calf.'

प्रभाष्यैवं ददौ विद्यां प्रद्युम्नाय महात्मने । मायावती महामायां सर्वमायाविनाशिनीम्

Having spoken thus, Māyāvatī, great in magic, gave to the noble Pradyumna the supreme knowledge that destroys all sorcery.

स च शम्बरमभ्येत्य संयुगाय समाह्वयत् । अविषह्यैस्तमाक्षेपैः क्षिपन् सञ्जनयन् कलिम्

He approached Shambara and challenged him to battle, provoking him with taunts that could not be endured, stirring up conflict.

सोऽधिक्षिप्तो दुर्वाचोभिः पदाहत इवोरगः । निश्चक्राम गदापाणिः अमर्षात् ताम्रलोचनः

Assailed with harsh words, like a serpent struck by a foot, Shambara stormed out, mace in hand, his eyes red with rage.

गदामाविध्य तरसा प्रद्युम्नाय महात्मने । प्रक्षिप्य व्यनदद् नादं वज्रनिष्पेषनिष्ठुरम्

Whirling his mace with force at the great-souled Pradyumna, he hurled it, roaring with a sound as harsh as thunder striking stone.

तामापतन्तीं भगवानन् प्रद्युम्नो गदया गदाम् । अपास्य शत्रवे क्रुद्धः प्राहिणोर् स्वगदां नृप

As she descended, Pradyumna, the Lord, angrily hurled his own mace at the enemy, casting aside the mace that was coming toward him.

स च मायां समाश्रित्य दैतेयीं मयदर्शितम् । मुमुचेऽस्त्रमयं वर्षं कार्ष्णौ वैहायसोऽसुरः

Relying on the illusion shown by Maya, the demon released a rain of magical weapons against the son of Krishna from the sky.

बाध्यमानोऽस्त्रवर्षेण रौक्मिणेयो महारथः । सत्त्वात्मिकां महाविद्यां सर्वमायोपमर्दिनीम्

Afflicted by the shower of weapons, Rukmini's son, the great chariot-warrior, invoked a supreme mantra of pure essence, which destroys all illusions.

ततो गौह्यकगान्धर्व पैशाचोरगराक्षसीः । प्रायुङ्क्त शतशो दैत्यः कार्ष्णिर्व्यधमयत्स ताः

Then the demon employed hundreds of secret Gandharva, ghost, serpent, and rakshasa spells, but Krishna's son dispelled them all.

निशातमसिमुद्यम्य सकिरीटं सकुण्डलम् । शम्बरस्य शिरः कायात् ताम्रश्मश्र्वोजसाहरत्

Raising a sharp sword, adorned with crown and earrings, he severed Shambara's head from his body with great force, his copper-colored beard shining.

आकीर्यमाणो दिविजैः स्तुवद्‌भिः कुसुमोत्करैः । भार्ययाम्बरचारिण्या पुरं नीतो विहायसा

Showered by the gods with praises and heaps of flowers, he was carried through the sky by his wife, who moved like a celestial.