तुष्टाव जगतां नाथं भक्तेशं चन्द्रशेखलः । बलिना च स्ततं येन वेदोक्तेन च तेन च
The moon-crested one praised the Lord of the worlds, the Lord of devotees, with strength and with the Vedic hymns as prescribed.
हरिर्मृत्युंजयं ज्ञानं ददौ बाणाय धीमते । करपद्मं ददौ गात्रे तं चकाराजरामरम्
Hari granted Bāṇa, the wise one, knowledge of immortality; he placed his lotus hand upon his body and made him free from old age and death.
बाणः स्तोत्रेण तुष्टाव भक्त्या बलिकृतेन च । वरां कन्यां समानीय रत्नभूषणभूषिताम्
Bāṇa praised (Hari) with hymns and devotion, and with the offering of tribute; he brought a maiden adorned with jeweled ornaments as a boon.
ब्रददौ हरये भक्त्या तत्रैव देवसंसदि । गजेन्द्राणां पञ्चलक्ष्मश्वानां तच्चतुर्गुणम्
There, in the assembly of the gods, he gave to Hari, with devotion, five hundred thousand elephants and four times as many horses.
दासीनां च सहस्रं च रत्नभूषणभूषितम् । सहस्रं कामधेनूनां वत्सयुक्तं च सर्वदम्
He gave a thousand maidservants adorned with jeweled ornaments, and a thousand wish-fulfilling cows, each with calves, bestowing all desires.
माणिक्यानां च मुक्तानां रत्नानां शतलक्षकम् । मणीन्द्राणां हीरकाणां शतलक्षं मनोहरम्
He gave a hundred thousand rubies, pearls, and gems, and a hundred thousand splendid chief jewels and diamonds.
जलभाजनपात्राणि सुवर्णनिर्मितानि च । महस्राणि ददौ तस्मै भक्तिनम्रात्मकंधरः
He gave thousands of water vessels and containers made of gold, bowing with devotion in his heart.
वराणि सूक्ष्मवस्त्राणि वह्निशुद्धांशुकानि च । ददौ बाणश्च मर्वाणि स्वभक्त्या शंकराज्ञया
He gave fine garments and fire-purified silks as boons; Bāṇa gave these with devotion, by the command of Śaṅkara.
ताम्बूलानां मधनां च पूर्णपात्राणि नारद । सहस्राणि ददौ भक्त्या वराणि विविधानि च
O Nārada, he gave thousands of full vessels of betel and intoxicating drinks, and various other boons, with devotion.
कन्यां समर्पयामास पादपद्मे हरेरपि । रुरोदोच्चैः स्वभक्त्या च परिहारं चकार सः
He offered the maiden also at the lotus feet of Hari, and, out of devotion, wept loudly and made amends.
कृष्णस्तस्मै वरं दत्त्वा वेदोक्तं च शुभाशिष्म् । शंकरानुमतेनैव प्रययौ द्वारकां पुरीम्
Kṛṣṇa granted him a boon and auspicious blessings as prescribed in the Vedas, and, with Śaṃkara's approval, departed for the city of Dvārakā.
गत्वा कन्यां नवोढां तां बाणस्यापि महात्मनः । रुक्मिण्यै प्रददौ शीघ्रं देवक्यै च हरिः स्वयम्
Having arrived, he swiftly gave the newly married maiden, the noble Bāṇa's daughter, to Rukmiṇī and also to Devakī, by his own hand.
महोत्सवं मङ्गलं च कारयामास यत्नतः । ब्राह्मणान्भोजयामास ब्राह्मणेभ्यो धनं ददौ
He diligently arranged a great and auspicious festival, fed the brāhmaṇas, and gave wealth to the brāhmaṇas.
इति श्रीब्रह्मo महाo श्रीकृष्णजन्मखo उत्तo नारदनाo बाणयुद्धं नाम विंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred twentieth chapter, entitled 'The Battle with Bāṇa,' in the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janma Khaṇḍa of the glorious Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa, as narrated by Nārada.
अथैकविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः नारायण उवाच अथ कृष्णः सुधर्मायां निवसन्सगणस्तथा । तत्राऽऽजगाम् विप्रश्च प्रज्वलन्ब्रह्मतेजसा
Now, in the one hundred twenty-first chapter—Nārāyaṇa said: Then Kṛṣṇa, residing in Sudharmā with his companions, was approached by a brāhmaṇa, blazing with the radiance of Brahman.
आगत्य दृष्टाव तुष्टाव भक्त्या च पुरुषोत्तमम् । उवाच मधुरं शान्तो भीतो विनयपूर्वकम्
Having arrived and seen him, the brāhmaṇa praised the Supreme Person with devotion, and, peaceful and fearful, spoke sweetly with humility.
ब्राह्मण उवाच श्रृगालो वासुदेवश्च राजेशो मण्डलेश्वरः । त्वामुवाच स यद्वाक्यं सावधानं निशामय
The brāhmaṇa said: The jackal, Vāsudeva, the lord of kings, the ruler of the realm, spoke these words to you; listen attentively.
श्रृगाल उवाच वैकुण्ठे वासुदेवोऽहं देवेशश्च चतुर्भुजः । लक्ष्मीपतिश्च जगतां धाता धातुश्च पालकः
The jackal said: In Vaikuṇṭha, I am Vāsudeva, lord of the gods, four-armed, husband of Lakṣmī, creator and sustainer of the worlds.
ब्रह्मणा प्रार्थितोऽहं च भारावतरणाय च । भुवो भारतवर्ष च तदर्थ गमनं मम
Requested by Brahmā to relieve the burden of the earth, I came to Bhāratavarṣa for that purpose.
वसुदेवसुतो वैश्यः क्षत्रियश्चाप्यहंकृतः । आत्मानं भक्तविष्णुश्च मायावी च प्रतारकः
Born as the son of Vasudeva, a Vaiśya, and made a Kṣatriya, I am the devotee of Viṣṇu, a master of illusion, and a deceiver.
जनं जनेन निर्जित्य दुर्बलं बलिना सह । जोधयित्वा महाधूर्तो घातयामास भूपतीन्
Conquering people with people, the strong with the weak, I, a great trickster, caused kings to be slain by making them fight each other.
दुर्योधनं जरासंधं भूपमन्यं च दुर्बलम् । भीमेन घातयामास बलिनाऽल्पेन भूतले
Duryodhana, Jarāsandha, and other weak kings were slain on earth by the mighty Bhīma.
द्रोणं भीष्मं च कर्ण च यं यमन्यं च भूतले । बलीयसाऽर्जुनेनैव घातयामास मायया
Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Karṇa, and others on earth were slain by the powerful Arjuna, through illusion.
यं यमन्यं दुर्बलं च प्रसिद्धमप्रसिद्धकम् । प्रसिद्धेन बलवता घातयामास मायया
Whoever else was weak or well-known or unknown, was slain by the renowned and powerful through illusion.
शिशुपालं दन्तवक्त्रं कंसं च चिररोगिणम् । मत्पुत्रं नरकं चैव दुर्बलं केशिनं मुरम्
Śiśupāla, Dantavakra, Kaṃsa the long-sick, my son Naraka, and the weak Keśin and Mura—
स्वयं जघान संकेताच्छलेन सहसा बत । न धर्मयुद्धे कपटी स च बालो ह्यधार्मिकः
He himself killed them suddenly, by stratagem and in secret; not in righteous battle—he is deceitful, a child, and unrighteous.
जघान पूतनां कुब्जां स्त्रीघाती वस्त्रहेतुना । जघान रजकं शिष्टमशिष्टश्च प्रतारकः
He killed Pūtanā and Kubjā—he is a slayer of women for the sake of garments; he killed the washerman, both the virtuous and the wicked, being a deceiver.
हिरण्यकशिपुं दैत्यं हिरण्याक्षं महाबलम् । मधुं च कैटभं चैव हत्वाऽहं सुष्टिरक्षकः
I slew the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, the mighty Hiraṇyākṣa, as well as Madhu and Kaiṭabha, thus protecting creation.
अहमेव स्वयं ब्रह्मा ह्यहमेव स्वयं शिवः । अहं विष्णुश्च जगतां पाता दुष्टापहारकः
I myself am Brahmā, I myself am Śiva; I am also Viṣṇu, the protector of the worlds and the remover of the wicked.
अंशेन कलया सर्वे मनवो मुनयस्तथा । स्वयं नारायणोऽहं च मिर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः
All the Manus and sages exist by a portion or aspect of me; I myself am Nārāyaṇa, beyond qualities and beyond nature.