Killing of Shrigala at the hands of Shri Krishna crowning of the son of Shrigala as king of Karavirapura

Vaishampayana said: О Janamejaya, on receiving the news of the arrival of (Shri Krishna and others) monarch Shrigala who had been terrific in the war, and valorous like Indra, apprehending an attack over his city, came out of the town.

He moved on riding a chariot. His chariot was shining like the sun. He could move in the battle ground, without any obstruction. All types of weapons were stored in his chariot. The rumbling sound of his chariot wheels appeared for his loud laugh. The chariot resmbled the Mandarachala mountain, which had been variously decorated with ornaments. I had innumerable quivers filled with everlasting arrows. Its resembling sound resembled the thundering sound of the ocean. The fast moving horses of green clour had been yoked in the chariot. It could not stop even over the mountain peak. Its yoking rod was covered with the gold and its axle was quite strong. The chariot looked quite graceful. It was bound with the beautiful strings. Its lustre was spreading everywhere. It moved with the fast speed like that of Garuda — the king of birds. If resembled the chariot of Indra in which green horses were yoked and which flew in the sky. Shrigala had appropriately been reciting Gayatri-mantra had adored the sun. After the completion of his vrata, the sun god has presented Shrigala chariot, which had the golden reins resembling the sun rays to control the horses. The chariot could destroy the best of the enemy chariots. The king Shrigala riding over the chariot reached before Shri Krishna in the same way as the fire fly reached over the fire flame.

The bow and arrows held by him in his hands appeared quite fine. He was adorned with the coat of arms as well as a garland of golden beads. His upper garment and the turban were of white colour, but his eyes appeared as burning like the fire.

He was shaking his bow again and again, stretched it cord, and was issuing deep breath like the fire flames.

Shining with his ornaments, the king Shrigala had the radiance of the Meru mountain. Mounted over the chariot, he looked like the Himalaya — king of mountains.

His thundering sound was submerged in the rumbling sound of the chariot wheels. The earth felt upset with the weight of his moving chariot and started shaking.

He was illustrious like the Lokapalas and had a gigantic form like the mountain.

On the other hand Shrigala having been filled with rage riding in his fast moving chariot reached before Shri Krishna, displayed his anxiety to wage the war.

Finding Shri Krishna standing before him the desire of Shrigala to wage a war was ignited. As the clouds collectively pour rain over the mountain peak, Shrigala too started showering the rain of arrows over Shri Krishna.

Then Shri Krishna, smilingly stood there to face his attack. Then both of them fought a terrific war in the battlefield, like the two intoxicated elephants fighting in the forest.

Then the king Shrigala who had fallen from grace due to illusion, spoke under the influence of arrogance, to Shri Krishna.

“I am aware of your activities over the Gomantaka mountain, relating to the leaderless rulers in the battle field, I am fully aware of the defeat of the Ksatriyas there. But these Ksatriyas were cowads, devoid of prowess and patience. They had never fought a war.

But presently you be prepared to fight as per your wish. I am the king of this place. In case I surround you from all the sides, then what would you do, because you are not at all competent to wage war.

You are alone, while I am leading a vast army. Therefore it would not be proper for me to fight with you presently. In case I am alone on this side and you are alone on that side, then both of us can fight very well.

What is the use of killing ordinary people. You and I should stand in the battle ground. Then either of us should face the death.

In case you are killed, there would be only one Vasudeva left in the world. In case I am killed even then there would be one Vasudeva left in the world.”

On hearing the words of Shrigala, the merciful Vasudeva, spoke to the jealous morarch, “You better attack first.” Thus speaking, he held cakra in his hand.

Then Shrigala, who displayed his prowess quickly, overpowered with anger, started showering the rain of arrows at Shri Krishna.

The glorious Shrigala also attacked over Shri Krishna with mUsalas and other weapons as well.

Shri Krishna stood their unmoved, facing the weapons shot by Shrigala, which issued fire flames, mercilessly. Having been wounded with the weapons of Shrigala, Shri Krishna was agritated a bit and he shot his cakra at Shrigala.

The valorous and arrogant Shrigala got himself seated over his chariot and did not move from his seat. At the same time the cakra of Shri Krishna struck Shrigala badly.

Thereafter the cakra at once returned to the hand of Shri Krishna. After having been wounded with cakra, the chest of Shrigala was torn out and he started bleeding excessively and fell down on the ground like a mountain having been struck with vajra. He then met with his end.

Like a mountain getting shattered with the fall of vajra, the king Shrigala feU on the ground, all his warriors feeling painful at heart fled from the battle ground.

Some of the soldiers, entering the city, feeling confused and painful, started crying, bitterly.

Some of the soldiers started grieving in the battle ground as well. Remembering the good, their master had done to them, they were not leaving the body of their master.

Thereafter the lotus eyed Lord Krishna spoke in the deep voice like the clouds and assured them for their lives.

Raising his right hand in the finger of which he held the cakra, he spoke to the soldiers of enemy army, “O soldiers, donot be afraid, for the sake of the sin of this sinner, I shall not kill the innocent people, because this does not behove of the valorous warriors.

The soldiers meekly crying looked at the king Shrigala lying on the ground. Their faces had been torn out washed with tears. The chest of the king had been torn out by the cakra. He was lying on the ground like a mountain with a broken peak.

All his Countries and the people of the city were meekly lamenting, having been filled with grief and tears were flowing from their eyes.

Listening to the cries of the people in choked voice, the queens of Shrigala apprehending misfortune, came out of the palaces while crying.

Finding their desirable husband king Shrigala lying on the ground they started lamenting pathetically wounding their breasts with their nails.

Those ladies beating their chests, breasts had the dishevelled hair and mercilessly indulged in loud cries.

All the queens were filled with grief, and were shedding tears from the rubbed eyes. Then raising both their hands, they fell over the chest of the ruler.

The eyes of the queens appeared like the lotus as faded out with the hail storm.

The queens kept on crying, finding their husband lying over the ground and beating their breasts, lamented pathetically.

They made Sukradeva, the son of Shrigala ahead of them and started crying aloud (standing around the body of the king) lamenting at the same time. Tears were flawing from the eyes of his boy as well.

They uttered, “O valorous Maharaja, your valorous son is still a boy and could not attain maturity. Then how can he become the king without you?

О lord of our lives, why have you suddenly departed for the other world, leaving your queens of the heram. We had not yet been fully satisfied with the pleasures you provided to us. Alas! we have become widows, now what should we do?”

Padmavati was the chief queen of Shrigala, who was the best of the ladies. She accompanied with her son went to Vasudeva — Shri Krishna, while crying.

She said, “O valorous one, the one who has been killed by you in the battle ground, this boy is the son of the same king and has come here to take refuge with you.

Had the king bowed before you, introduced himself in a humble manner, obeyed your command, then he would not have lost his life in a single attack from your side.

Had the foolish ruler behaved with you like a relative, then he would not have fallen, to be eaten by the wild and carnivorus animals and birds.

О sinless warrior, he is the son of your dead relative. Therefore you protect him like your own son.”

On hearing the words of the queen, Krishna the foremost of the orators and belonging to the race of Yadus, spoke in a sweet noice.

“О royal queen, my entire anger has vanished with the death of the evil soul. Now I am in my normal position. I am in fact your king and relative.

О chaste queen, with your unblemished words, my entire anger has vanished. This son of the king Shrigala, is also like a son to me. There is no doubt it.

For his comfort, I shall not only make him fearless, but shall also crown him (in place of his father.) you better summon all your people, courtiers and the priests, so as to establish this boy over the encestral throne of his forefathers.

Thereafter all people, the courtiers, the priests, arrived there for the crowning ceremony of the prince, where SI Krishna and Balarama were present.

Thereafter, the valorous lord Janardana, placing the prince over the lion throne, performed his abhiseka appropriately.

Crowning the son of Shrigala as the ruler of Karavirapur, Shri Krishna thought it proper to leave that place on the same day.

As Indra proceeds to the heaven, similarly lord Krishna, riding the chariot received by him in war, produceded on to the city of Mathura.

Then the noble king Sukradeva, the terror for the enemies, accompanied with the children, old and the young, the people together with the body of Shrigala placed in a palanquin, collectively walked on the path towards the west.

The body was cremated in the cremation ground prefoming the last rites for the manes.

Performing as a king, the son, gave away thounsands of artiches in Sraddha besides perfoming oblation in water. Thus after the death of his father, the king Sukradeva with a grieved heart, offered oblation in water to the departed soul of his father, and then entered the city.

Here ends chapter — 44, of Visnu parva of the Harivamsa Purana a khilabhaga of the epic of Mahabharata relating to the killing of Shrigala by Krishna and crowing of the sun of Shrigala as the king of karavirapur. (CVrs. 1-65, P.T. = 5460)

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