यद्यस्मत्परित्राणासमर्थं भवानात्मानमधिगच्छति तदयमस्मत्तस्तावन्मणिः संगृह्य रक्ष्यतामिति
If you find yourself unable to protect me, then take this jewel from me and keep it safe.
एकमुक्तः सोऽप्याह
When he had spoken thus, the other replied.
यद्यंत्ययामप्यवस्थायां न कस्मैचिद्भवान् कथयिष्यति तदहमेतं ग्रहीष्यामीति
Even if, at the final moment, you do not tell anyone, I will obtain that gem.
तथेत्युक्ते चाक्रूरस्तन्मणिरत्नं जग्राह
When this was agreed to, Akrura took that jewel.
शतधनुरप्य तुलवेगां शतयोजनवाहिनीं वडवामारुह्यापक्रांतः
Shatadhanvan, mounting a horse as swift as a balance and able to travel a hundred yojanas, fled.
शैव्यसुग्रीवमेघपुष्पबलाहकाश्वचतुष्टययुक्तरथस्थितौ बलदेववासुदेवौ तमनुप्रयातौ
Balarama and Vasudeva followed him, riding a chariot drawn by four horses—Shaivya, Sugriva, Meghapushpa, and Balāhaka.
सा च वडवा शतयोजनप्रमाणमार्गमतीता पुनरपि वाह्यमाना मिथिलावनोद्देशो! प्राणानुत्ससर्ज
That horse, having traversed a road of a hundred yojanas, when again driven, gave up its life in the region of the Mithila forest.
शतधनुरपि तां परित्यज्य पदातिरेवाद्र वत्
Shatadhanvan, abandoning it, continued on foot.
कृष्णोपि बलभद्र माह
Krishna then spoke to Balabhadra.
तावदत्र स्यंदने भवता स्थेयमहमेनमधमाचारं पदातिरेव पदातिमनुगम्य यावद्घातयामि अत्र हि भूभागे दृष्टदोषास्सभया अतो नैतेश्वा भवतेमं भूमिभागमुल्लंघनीयाः
You should remain here in the chariot while I, on foot, pursue this wicked man who is also on foot and kill him. For, in this land, the rulers are vigilant and fearful, and thus, neither you nor I should cross this territory with our chariot.
तथेत्युक्त्वा बलदेवो रथ एव तस्थौ
Balarama, agreeing, stayed in the chariot.
कृष्णोपि द्विक्रोशमात्रं भूमिभागमनुसृत्य दूरस्थितस्यैव चक्रं क्षिप्त्वा शतधनुषश्शिरश्चिच्छेद
Krishna, following the path for about two kroshas, hurled his discus from a distance and cut off Shatadhanvan's head.
तच्छरीरांबरादिषु च बहुप्रकारमन्विच्छन्नपि स्यमंतकमणिं नावाप पदा तदोपगम्य बलभद्र माह
Though he searched thoroughly among the body, clothes, and other things, he did not find the Syamantaka gem. Then he approached Balabhadra and spoke.
वृथैवास्माभिः शतधनुर्घातितः न प्राप्तमखिलजगत्सारभूतं तन्महारत्नं स्यमंतकाख्यमित्याकर्ण्योद्भूतकोपो बलदेवो वासुदेवमाह
"In vain have we killed Shatadhanvan; we have not obtained that great jewel, the Syamantaka, which is the essence of the whole world." Hearing this, Balarama, angered, said to Vasudeva:
धिक्त्वां यस्त्वमेवमर्थलिप्सुरेतच्च ते भ्रातृत्वान्मया क्षांतं तदयं पंथास्स्वेच्छया गम्यतां न मे द्वारकया न त्वया न चाश्षोबंधुभिः कार्य्यमलमलमेभिर्ममाग्रतोऽलीकशपथैरित्याक्षिप्य तत्कथां कथंचित्प्रसाद्यमानोपि न तस्थौ
"Shame on you! You are so greedy for wealth. Because you are my brother, I have tolerated it. Now, go your own way as you wish. I want nothing to do with Dvaraka, with you, or with these false oaths before me. Enough, enough!" Though Krishna tried to appease him, Balarama would not stay.
स विदेहपुरीं प्रविवेश
He entered the city of Videha.
जनकराजश्चार्घ्यपूर्वकमेनं गृहं प्रवेशयामास
King Janaka welcomed him into his house with the customary offering of arghya.
स तत्रैव च तस्थौ
He remained there.
वासुदेवोऽपि द्वारकामाजगाम
Vasudeva also returned to Dvaraka.
यावच्च जनकराजगृहे बलभद्रो ऽवतस्थे तावद्धार्त्तराष्ट्रो दुर्योधनस्तत्सकाशाद्गदाशिक्षामशिक्षयत्
While Balabhadra stayed at King Janaka's house, Duryodhana, son of Dhritarashtra, learned the art of mace-fighting from him.
वर्षत्रयांते च बभ्रूग्रसेनप्रभृतिभिर्यादवैर्न तद्र त्नं कृष्णेनाऽपहृतमिति कृतावगतिभिर्विदेहनगरीं गत्वा बलदेवस्संप्रत्याय्य द्वारकामानीतः
After three years, Babhrū and the Yādavas led by Ugrasena, having realized that the jewel had not been taken away by Kṛṣṇa, went to the city of Videha, convinced Baladeva, and brought him back to Dvārakā.
अक्रूरोप्युत्तममणिसमुद्भूतसुवर्णेन भगवद्ध्यानपरोऽनवरतं यज्ञानियाज
Akrūra, absorbed in constant meditation on the Blessed Lord, performed sacrifices unceasingly with the finest gold produced from the supreme jewel.
सवनगतौ हि क्षत्रियवैश्यौ निघ्नन्ब्रह्महा भवतीत्येवंप्रकारं दीक्षाकवचं प्रविष्ट एव तस्थौ
Indeed, when the Kṣatriyas and Vaiśyas went to the sacrificial ground, the slayer of a brāhmaṇa would be destroyed; thus, protected by the consecration and its armor, he remained there.
द्विषष्टिवर्षाण्येवं तन्मणिप्रभावात्तत्रोपसर्गदुर्भिक्षमारिकामरणादिकं नाभूत्
For sixty-two years, due to the power of that jewel, there was no calamity, famine, pestilence, or death in that place.
अथाक्रूरपक्षीयैर्भोजैश्शत्रुघ्ने सात्वतस्य प्रपौत्रे व्यापादिते भोजैस्सहाक्रूरो द्वारकामपहायापक्रान्तः
Then, when Śatrughna, the great-grandson of Sātvata, was slain by the Bhojas allied with Akrūra's faction, Akrūra, along with the Bhojas, abandoned Dvārakā and departed.
तदपक्रांतिदिनादारभ्य तत्रोपसर्गदुर्भिक्षव्यालानावृष्टिमारिकाद्युपद्र वा बभूवुः
From the very day of that departure, calamities, famine, wild beasts, drought, pestilence, and other afflictions arose there.
अथ यादवा बलभद्रो ग्रसेनसमवेता मंत्रममंत्रयन्
Then the Yādavas, together with Balabhadra and Ugrasena, assembled and deliberated.
भगवानुरगारिकेतनः किमिदमेकदैव प्रचुरोपद्र वागमनमेतदालोच्यतामित्युक्तेंधकनामा यदुवृद्धः प्राह
The Blessed Lord, the beloved of all, said: 'What is this? Why have so many calamities come at once? Let this be considered.' At this, a Yadu elder named Āndhaka spoke.
अस्याक्रूरस्य पितृश्वफल्को यत्र यत्राभूत्तत्रतत्र दुर्भिक्षमारिकानावृष्ट्यादिकं नाभूत्
Wherever this Akrūra's father, Śvaphalka, was present, there was never famine, pestilence, drought, or the like.
काशीराजस्य विषये त्वनावृष्ट्या च श्वफल्को नीतः ततश्च तत्क्षणाद्देवो ववर्ष
When Śvaphalka was brought to the land of the king of Kāśī during a drought, from that very moment the gods sent rain.