Linga Purana

तां कन्यां जगृहे रक्षन् कंसात्स्वस्यात्मजं तदा चतुर्भुजं विशालाक्षं श्रीवत्सकृतलाञ्छनम्

That maiden, with wide eyes and four arms, bearing the mark of Śrīvatsa on her chest, was taken up by him to protect his own son from Kaṃsa.

शङ्खचक्रगदापद्मं धारयन्तं जनार्दनम् यशोदायै प्रदत्त्वा तु वसुदेवश् च बुद्धिमान्

Janārdana, bearing the conch, discus, mace, and lotus, was given by the wise Vasudeva to Yaśodā.

दत्त्वैनं नन्दगोपस्य रक्षतामिति चाब्रवीत् रक्षकं जगतां विष्णुं स्वेच्छया धृतविग्रहम्

Having given him to Nandagopa, saying, 'Let him be protected,' Vasudeva entrusted Viṣṇu, the protector of the worlds, who had assumed a form by his own will.

प्रसादाच्चैव देवस्य शिवस्यामिततेजसः रामेण सार्धं तं दत्त्वा वरदं परमेश्वरम्

By the grace of the god Śiva, of immeasurable brilliance, the boon-bestowing Supreme Lord was given to Rāma.

भूभारनिग्रहार्थं च ह्य् अवतीर्णं जगद्गुरुम् अतो वै सर्वकल्याणं यादवानां भविष्यति

And for the purpose of relieving the burden of the earth, the preceptor of the world descended; therefore, all auspiciousness will come to the Yādavas.

अयं स गर्भो देवक्या यो नः क्लेश्यान्हरिष्यति उग्रसेनात्मजायाथ कंसायानकदुन्दुभिः

This is the embryo of Devakī, who will remove our afflictions; and then the son of Ugrasena, Kaṃsa, the son of Ānakadundubhi's wife.

निवेदयामास तदा जातां कन्यां सुलक्षणाम् अस्यास्तवाष्टमो गर्भो देवक्याः कंस सुव्रत

Then, he announced the birth of a well-marked girl: 'This is the eighth embryo of Devakī, O Kaṃsa of good vows.'

मृत्युर् एव न संदेह इति वाणी पुरातनी ततस्तां हन्तुमारेभे कंसः सोल्लङ्घ्य चांबरम्

There is no doubt that she is death itself—so goes the ancient saying; then Kaṃsa, leaping into the air, began to kill her.

उवाचाष्टभुजा देवी मेघगंभीरया गिरा रक्षस्व तत्स्वकं देहम् आयातो मृत्युरेव ते

The eight-armed goddess spoke with a voice deep as a cloud: 'Protect your own body; your death has already arrived.'

रक्षमाणस्य देहस्य मायावी कंसरूपिणः किं कृतं दुष्कृतं मूर्ख जातः खलु तवान्तकृत्

'While you protect your body, O deceiver in the form of Kaṃsa, what evil deed have you committed, fool, that your destroyer has now been born?'

देवक्याः स भयात्कंसो जघानैवाष्टमं त्विति स्मरन्ति विहितो मृत्युर् देवक्यास् तनयो ऽष्टमः

Out of fear of Devakī, Kaṃsa killed the eighth child—so it is remembered; but the eighth son of Devakī was destined to be his death.

यस्तत्प्रतिकृतौ यत्नो भोजस्यासीद्वृथा हरेः प्रभावान्मुनिशार्दूलास् तया चैव जडीकृतः

The effort made by Bhoja to substitute that child was in vain, O tiger among sages, for by the power of Hari and by her, he was rendered inert.

कंसो ऽपि निहतस्तेन कृष्णेनाक्लिष्टकर्मणा निहता बहवश्चान्ये देवब्राह्मणघातिनः

Kaṃsa too was slain by that Kṛṣṇa, whose actions are untainted; and many others, slayers of gods and Brāhmaṇas, were also killed.

तस्य कृष्णस्य तनयाः प्रद्युम्नप्रमुखास् तथा बहवः परिसंख्याताः सर्वे युद्धविशारदाः

The sons of Kṛṣṇa, headed by Pradyumna, and many others, all renowned and skilled in battle, are enumerated.

कृष्णपुत्राः समाख्याताः कृष्णेन सदृशाः सुताः पुत्रेष्वेतेषु सर्वेषु चारुदेष्णादयो हरेः

The sons of Kṛṣṇa are named, all resembling Kṛṣṇa; among all these sons of Hari, Cārudeṣṇa and others are distinguished.

विशिष्टा बलवन्तश् च रौक्मिणेयारिसूदनाः षोडशस्त्रीसहस्राणि शतमेकं तथाधिकम्

Especially powerful are the sons of Rukmiṇī, O slayer of enemies; Kṛṣṇa had sixteen thousand one hundred wives.

कृष्णस्य तासु सर्वासु प्रिया ज्येष्ठा च रुक्मिणी तया द्वादशवर्षाणि कृष्णेनाक्लिष्टकर्मणा

Among all of them, Rukmiṇī was Kṛṣṇa’s beloved and eldest; with her, Kṛṣṇa, whose actions are untainted, dwelt for twelve years.

उष्यता वायुभक्षेण पुत्रार्थं पूजितो हरः चारुदेष्णः सुचारुश् च चारुवेषो यशोधरः

Desiring sons, Hara was worshipped by subsisting on air for twelve years; Cārudeṣṇa, Sucāru, Cāruveṣa, and Yaśodhara were born.

चारुश्रवाश्चारुयशाः प्रद्युम्नः साम्ब एव च एते लब्धास्तु कृष्णेन शूलपाणिप्रसादतः

Cāruśravā, Cāruyaśas, Pradyumna, and Sāmba as well—these were obtained by Kṛṣṇa through the grace of the trident-bearing Lord.

तान् दृष्ट्वा तनयान्वीरान् रौक्मिणेयांश् च रुक्मिणीम् जाम्बवत्यब्रवीत्कृष्णं भार्या कृष्णस्य धीमतः

Seeing those heroic sons and the sons of Rukmiṇī, Jāmbavatī, wife of wise Kṛṣṇa, spoke to him.

मम त्वं पुण्डरीकाक्ष विशिष्टं गुणवत्तरम् सुरेशसंमितं पुत्रं प्रसन्नो दातुमर्हसि

'O lotus-eyed one, you should graciously give me a son who is distinguished, most virtuous, and esteemed by the lord of gods.'

जाम्बवत्या वचः श्रुत्वा जगन्नाथस्ततो हरिः तपस्तप्तुं समारेभे तपोनिधिरनिन्दितः

Hearing the words of Jāmbavatī, the Lord of the universe, Hari, the faultless repository of austerity, then undertook penance.

सो ऽथ नारायणः कृष्णः शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः व्याघ्रपादस्य च मुनेर् गत्वा चैवाश्रमोत्तमम्

Then Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, bearer of the conch, discus, and mace, went to the excellent hermitage of the sage Vyāghrapāda.

ऋषिं दृष्ट्वा त्वङ्गिरसं प्रणिपत्य जनार्दनः दिव्यं पाशुपतं योगं लब्धवांस्तस्य चाज्ञया

Seeing the sage Aṅgiras, Janārdana bowed down and, by his command, obtained the divine Pāśupata yoga.

प्रलुप्तश्मश्रुकेशश् च घृताक्तो मुञ्जमेखली दीक्षितो भगवान्कृष्णस् तताप च परंतपः

Having his hair and beard removed, anointed with ghee, girded with a muñja grass belt, the blessed Kṛṣṇa, the subduer of foes, undertook severe austerity.

ऊर्ध्वबाहुर् निरालंबः पादाङ्गुष्ठाग्रधिष्ठितः फलाम्बनिलभोजी च ऋतुत्रयम् अधोक्षजः

With arms raised, unsupported, standing on the tips of his toes, subsisting on fruits, water, and air, Adhokṣaja practiced for three seasons.

तपसा तस्य संतुष्टो ददौ रुद्रो बहून् वरान् साम्बं जांबवतीपुत्रं कृष्णाय च महात्मने

Pleased by his austerity, Rudra granted many boons to Kṛṣṇa, the great-souled one, including Sāmba, the son of Jāmbavatī.

तथा जांबवती चैव सांबं भार्या हरेः सुतम् प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे लब्ध्वादित्यं यथादितिः

Thus Jāmbavatī, wife of Hari, having obtained Sāmba as her son, experienced incomparable joy, as Aditi did upon obtaining Āditya.

बाणस्य च तदा तेन छेदितं मुनिपुङ्गवाः भुजानां चैव साहस्रं शापाद्रुद्रस्य धीमतः

Then, O eminent sages, by the curse of the wise Rudra, the thousand arms of Bāṇa were cut off by him.