Chapter 93 - Naraka is killed

Vyāsa said:

1-2. O sages, seated on the back of the inebriated Airāvata, Indra the lord of the three worlds came to meet Lord Kṛṣṇa at Dvāravatī. After entering the city he approached the lord and mentioned to him the vicious activities of the asura Naraka.

3. O lord, all miseries have been subdued by you, the lord of Devas, though stationed in the form of a human being.

4-5. For affording protection to those people who perform penance, the following asuras have been killed by you—Ariṣṭa, Dhenuka, Keśin, Pralamba and others. Those who harassed the universe were destroyed by you, namely, Kaṃsa, Kuvalayāpīḍa, the child-slayer Pūtanā and many others.

6. When the three worlds have been saved by your excellent intellect as well as brawny baton-like arms, the heaven-dwellers partook of oblations in the sacrifice and became gratified.

7. O lord, it behoves you to pursue efforts and countermeasures after listening to the reason for which I have come now.

8. O suppressor of enemies, this son of Bhūmi named Naraka who is the king of Prāgjyotiṣa harasses and destroys all living beings.

9. After killing Devas, Siddhas, kings, and others, that Asura imprisoned their daughters in his own palace.

10. He has taken away the umbrella of Pracetas, that exudes water. He has removed the Maṇiparvata, peak of the Mandara.

11. That Asura has taken away the illustrious ear-rings of my mother Aditi, the ear-rings that exude nectar. He now desires to take possession of my elephant Airāvata.

12. O lord, I have told you about his evil activities. What steps should be taken by way of remedy may be pondered over by yourself.

Vyāsa said:

13. On hearing this, lord Kṛṣṇa, son of Devakī, smiled and caught hold of the hand of Indra. He then got up from the excellent seat.

14. He then rode on Garuḍa who traversed through the sky. He kept Satyabhāmā also on its back and went to the city of Prāgjyotiṣa.

15. Even as the residents of Dvārakā watched him, the delighted Indra mounted his elephant Airāvata and went to heaven.

16. For a hundred Yojanas all round the city of Prāgjyotiṣa, the entire place was covered with terrible nooses in order to ward off the army of enemies.

17. Lord Kṛṣṇa hurled his discus Sudarśana and cut off those nooses. Then the asura Mura got up. Keśava killed him.

18. By the fire from the sharp edges of his discus Hari burned seven thousand sons of Mura as though they were mere moths.

19. O brahmins, after killing Mura, Hayagriva and Pañcajana the intelligent lord hastened to Prāgjyotiṣa.

20. There Kṛṣṇa fought with Naraka who had a great army. In that battle Lord Kṛṣṇa killed thousands of asuras.

21. By hurling his discus the discus-bearing lord, the powerful destroyer of asuras, split Naraka into two, Naraka, son of the Earth, who was hurling weapons and missiles on him.

22. When Naraka was killed, the Earth approached the lord of the universe taking with her the earrings of Aditi. She spoke these words:—

The Earth said:

23. O lord, when I was lifted up by you in the form of a Boar, this son had been born of me as a result of my contact with you.

24. He had been given to me by you and now has been struck down by you. Take back these two ear-rings and protect his children.

25. It is for reducing my own burden that O lord of gentle and pleasant face, you have come to this worlds a part of yours.

26. You are the creator, re-creator, annihilator, eternal source of origin and one whose form is identical with that of the universe. O Acyuta, how am I to eulogise you?

27. You are the one all-pervading and the pervaded; deed, the doer and the thing done. You are the Ātman, the inner soul of all living beings. O Acyuta, how can I eulogise you?

28. You are the Supreme Ātman, the innermost soul, the soul of living beings, the eternal lord. These are not your praises. They are the statements of facts. How shall anyone go about (this act of eulogy)?

29. O lord, the soul of all-living beings, be pleased. May What is done by Naraka be excused for making him free from defects. My son has already been struck down.

Vyāsa said:

50. “So be it”, the lord said to the Earth. O excellent sages, the conceiver and creator of the living beings took up jewels from the residence of Naraka.

51. The lord of unequalled exploits saw sixteen thousand one hundred virgins in the harem, O excellent brahmins.

32-35. He saw six thousand terrible elephants with four tusks and two million and one hundred thousand Kamboja horses. Immediately the lord despatched those girls, elephants and horses to Dvārakā through the servants of Naraka. The umbrella of Varuṇa and the jewel mountain were put on the back of Garuḍa the lord of birds. Accompanied by Satyabhāmā, Kṛṣṇa mounted Garuḍa and went to Heaven to restore ear-rings to Aditi.