Bhagavata Purana

दौहित्रायानिरुद्धाय पौत्रीं रुक्म्याददाद्धरेः। रोचनां बद्धवैरोऽपि स्वसुः प्रियचिकीर्षया । जानन्नधर्मं तद्यौनं स्नेहपाशानुबन्धनः

Rukmi gave his granddaughter, Rocana, to Aniruddha, the grandson of Hari, despite their ongoing feud, wishing to please his sister; knowing the union was improper, he was bound by ties of affection.

तस्मिन्नभ्युदये राजन्रुक्मिणी रामकेशवौ। पुरं भोजकटं जग्मुः साम्बप्रद्युम्नकादयः

At that auspicious event, O King, Rukmini, Rama, and Krishna, along with Samba, Pradyumna, and others, went to the city of Bhojakat.

तस्मिन्निवृत्त उद्वाहे कालिङ्गप्रमुखा नृपाः। दृप्तास्ते रुक्मिणं प्रोचुर्बलमक्षैर्विनिर्जय

When the wedding was completed, the kings led by the ruler of Kalinga, proud and arrogant, challenged Rukmi to defeat Balarama in dice.

अनक्षज्ञो ह्ययं राजन्नपि तद्व्यसनं महत्। इत्युक्तो बलमाहूय तेनाक्षैर्रुक्म्यदीव्यत

This one does not know dice, O King, yet even so, the loss is great; thus addressed, Balarama was summoned, and Rukmi played dice with him.

शतं सहस्रमयुतं रामस्तत्राददे पणम्। तं तु रुक्म्यजयत्तत्र कालिङ्गः प्राहसद्बलम्। दन्तान्सन्दर्शयन्नुच्चैर्नामृष्यत्तद्धलायुधः

There, Rama staked a hundred, a thousand, and then ten thousand coins; Rukmi defeated him, and the king of Kalinga laughed at Balarama, showing his teeth loudly, which Halayudha could not tolerate.

ततो लक्षं रुक्म्यगृह्णाद्ग्लहं तत्राजयद्बलः। जितवानहमित्याह रुक्मी कैतवमाश्रितः

Then Rukmi staked a hundred thousand coins, and Balarama won that wager; Rukmi, relying on deceit, declared, 'I have won.'

मन्युना क्षुभितः श्रीमान्समुद्र इव पर्वणि। जात्यारुणाक्षोऽतिरुषा न्यर्बुदं ग्लहमाददे

Filled with wrath, glorious Balarama, like the ocean at its full, his eyes reddened by birth and anger, staked ten million coins.

तं चापि जितवान्रामो धर्मेण छलमाश्रितः। रुक्मी जितं मयात्रेमे वदन्तु प्राश्निका इति

Balarama also won that wager by fair means, though Rukmi resorted to trickery, saying, 'I have won; let the witnesses declare it.'

तदाब्रवीन्नभोवाणी बलेनैव जितो ग्लहः। धर्मतो वचनेनैव रुक्मी वदति वै मृषा

Then a voice from the sky declared, 'The wager was won by Balarama alone; Rukmi speaks falsely, claiming victory by words, not by righteousness.'

तामनादृत्य वैदर्भो दुष्टराजन्यचोदितः। सङ्कर्षणं परिहसन्बभाषे कालचोदितः

Ignoring that heavenly voice, the Vidarbha king, prompted by wicked rulers and by fate, mocked Sankarshana and spoke derisively.

नैवाक्षकोविदा यूयं गोपाला वनगोचराः। अक्षैर्दीव्यन्ति राजानो बाणैश्च न भवादृशाः

You are not skilled in dice, you cowherds who wander the forests; kings play dice and shoot arrows, not men like you.

रुक्मिणैवमधिक्षिप्तो राजभिश्चोपहासितः। क्रुद्धः परिघमुद्यम्य जघ्ने तं नृम्णसंसदि

Thus insulted by the kings and mocked by Rukmi, Balarama, enraged, raised his club and struck him in the assembly of men.

कलिङ्गराजं तरसा गृहीत्वा दशमे पदे। दन्तानपातयत्क्रुद्धो योऽहसद्विवृतैर्द्विजैः

Seizing the king of Kalinga swiftly by his tenth step, Balarama, furious, knocked out his teeth—the same king who had laughed with exposed teeth.

अन्ये निर्भिन्नबाहूरु शिरसो रुधिरोक्षिताः। राजानो दुद्रवुर्भीता बलेन परिघार्दिताः

Other kings, their arms, thighs, and heads broken and covered in blood, fled in fear, battered by Balarama's club.

निहते रुक्मिणि श्याले नाब्रवीत्साध्वसाधु वा। रक्मिणीबलयो राजन्स्नेहभङ्गभयाद्धरिः

When Rukmi, his brother-in-law, was slain, Hari, fearing the breaking of affection between Rukmini and Balarama, neither praised nor condemned the act.

ततोऽनिरुद्धं सह सूर्यया वरं रथं समारोप्य ययुः कुशस्थलीम्। रामादयो भोजकटाद्दशार्हाः सिद्धाखिलार्था मधुसूदनाश्रयाः

Then, having placed Aniruddha and his bride on a splendid chariot, Rama and the Dasharhas departed from Bhojakat for Kushasthali, their purposes fulfilled under the shelter of Madhusudana.

ऊषा-अनिरुद्ध समागमः; अनिरुद्धस्य बंधनं च - श्रीराजोवाच - ( अनुष्टुप् ) बाणस्य तनयां ऊषां उपयेमे यदूत्तमः । तत्र युद्धमभूद् घोरं हरिशङ्करयोर्महत् । एतत्सर्वं महायोगिन् समाख्यातुं त्वमर्हसि

The king said: The foremost of the Yadus married Bāṇa’s daughter Ūṣā. There was a terrible battle between Hari and Śaṅkara at that time. O great yogi, you are worthy to recount all of this in detail.

श्रीशुक उवाच - बाणः पुत्रशतज्येष्ठो बलेरासीन् महात्मनः । येन वामनरूपाय हरयेऽदायि मेदिनी

Śrī Śuka said: Bāṇa, the eldest among the hundred sons of the great soul Bali—he who gave the earth to Hari in the form of Vāmana—

तस्यौरसः सुतो बानः शिवभक्तिरतः सदा । मान्यो वदान्यो धीमांश्च सत्यसन्धो दृढव्रतः

His own son was Bāṇa, always devoted to Śiva, honored, generous, intelligent, steadfast in truth, and firm in his vows.

शोणिताख्ये पुरे रम्ये स राज्यं अकरोत्पुरा । तस्य शम्भोः प्रसादेन किङ्करा इव तेऽमराः । सहस्रबाहुर्वाद्येन ताण्डवेऽतोषयन्मृडम्

In the beautiful city called Śoṇita, he once ruled as king. By the grace of Śambhu, his attendants were like the immortals. With his thousand arms, he pleased Rudra by playing music during the Tāṇḍava dance.

भगवान् सर्वभूतेशः शरण्यो भक्तवत्सलः । वरेण छन्दयामास स तं वव्रे पुराधिपम्

The Lord, master of all beings, the refuge and lover of devotees, offered him a boon of his choice. He chose Śiva as his city’s protector.

स एकदाऽऽह गिरिशं पार्श्वस्थं वीर्यदुर्मदः । किरीटेनार्कवर्णेन संस्पृशन् तत्पदाम्बुजम्

Once, intoxicated with his own strength, he approached Giriśa, who was nearby, and touched his lotus feet with a crown shining like the sun.

नमस्ये त्वां महादेव लोकानां गुरुमीश्वरम् । पुंसां अपूर्णकामानां कामपूरामराङ्‌घ्रिपम्

I bow to you, Mahādeva, guru and lord of the worlds, fulfiller of the desires of men whose wishes are unmet, and whose feet are worshipped by the immortals.

दोःसहस्रं त्वया दत्तं परं भाराय मेऽभवत् । त्रिलोक्यां प्रतियोद्धारं न लभे त्वदृते समम्

You have given me a thousand arms, but they have become a great burden to me. In all the three worlds, I find no one equal to fight except you.

कण्डूत्या निभृतैर्दोर्भिः युयुत्सुर्दिग्गजानहम् । आद्यायां चूर्णयन्नद्रीन् भीतास्तेऽपि प्रदुद्रुवुः

Longing for battle, I scratched myself with my restrained arms and fought the elephants of the directions, crushing mountains at the outset. Even they fled in fear.

तत् श्रुत्वा भगवान् क्रुद्धः केतुस्ते भज्यते यदा । त्वद्दर्पघ्नं भवेन्मूढ संयुगं मत्समेन ते

Hearing this, the Lord, enraged, said: When your flag is broken, O fool, then you will find an opponent equal to you in battle who will humble your pride.

इत्युक्तः कुमतिर्हृष्टः स्वगृहं प्राविशन्नृप । प्रतीक्षन् गिरिशादेशं स्ववीर्यनशनं कुधीः

Thus addressed, the misguided one, delighted, entered his own house, awaiting the command of Giriśa, foolishly expecting the destruction of his own strength.

तस्योषा नाम दुहिता स्वप्ने प्राद्युम्निना रतिम् । कन्यालभत कान्तेन प्राग् अदृष्टश्रुतेन सा

He had a daughter named Ūṣā, who in a dream experienced union with Pradyumna’s son, a handsome youth whom she had never seen or heard of before.

सा तत्र तमपश्यन्ती क्वासि कान्तेति वादिनी । सखीनां मध्य उत्तस्थौ विह्वला व्रीडिता भृशम्

Not seeing him there, she rose up among her friends, agitated and deeply embarrassed, calling out, 'Where are you, beloved?'