Bhagavata Purana

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.

अन्तःपुरवरं राजन् ललनाशतसङ्कुलम् । विवेश पत्‍न्या गगनाद् विद्युतेव बलाहकः

Entering the splendid inner chambers, crowded with hundreds of women, he arrived from the sky with his wife, like lightning in a cloud.

तं दृष्ट्वा जलदश्यामं पीतकौशेयवाससम् । प्रलम्बबाहुं ताम्राक्षं सुस्मितं रुचिराननम्

Seeing him, dark as a rain cloud, clad in yellow silk, with long arms, coppery eyes, a beautiful face and a gentle smile,

स्वलङ्कृतमुखाम्भोजं नीलवक्रालकालिभिः । कृष्णं मत्वा स्त्रियो ह्रीता निलिल्युस्तत्र तत्र ह

With his lotus face adorned, decorated with blue curling locks, the women, thinking him to be Krishna, shyly hid themselves here and there.

अवधार्य शनैरीषद् वैलक्षण्येन योषितः । उपजग्मुः प्रमुदिताः सस्त्री रत्‍नं सुविस्मिताः

Gradually discerning, with slight embarrassment, the women approached joyfully, amazed at the precious jewel among them.

अथ तत्रासितापाङ्गी वैदर्भी वल्गुभाषिणी । अस्मरत् स्वसुतं नष्टं स्नेहस्नुतपयोधरा

Then Vaidarbhi, dark-eyed and sweet-spoken, remembered her lost son, her breasts moist with affection.

को न्वयं नरवैदूर्यः कस्य वा कमलेक्षणः । धृतः कया वा जठरे केयं लब्धा त्वनेन वा

Who is this jewel among men, lotus-eyed? Whose son is he? By whom was he carried in the womb? Who is this woman who has gained him, or by whom was he obtained?

मम चाप्यात्मजो नष्टो नीतो यः सूतिकागृहात् । एतत्तुल्यवयोरूपो यदि जीवति कुत्रचित्

My own son was lost, taken from the birthing chamber. This one is of similar age and form—if he lives somewhere, where could it be?