Philosophy and Religion / Harivamsa

Harivamsa

68. The destruction of Khara and Dhenuka

VAISHAMPAYNA said:—After the king of serpents had been vanquished by Krishna in the lake of Yamunā Rāma and Keshava began to range there (1).

Thereupon going to the mountain Govarddhana¹ along with their precious kine, those two heroic sens of Vasudeva beheld a huge forest of palm trees, situate, on its north, on the bank of Yamunā (2-3).

They were greatly delighted at its sight and began to range in that charming forest of palm trees covered with palm leaves like two new grown plants (4).

It was well levelled, cool, coated with black earth and profuse grass and was freed from stones and clods of earth. Dark-blue and tall palm trees, with fruits and branches hanging, shone there like the trunks of elephants (5–6).

While thus ranging Dāmodara, the foremost of speakers, said to Sangkarshana : "O reverend sir, this forest-land is perfumed with the fragrance of ripe palm fruits. Let us both quickly pluck the sweet, ripe and dark-blue fruits.

While its smell is so very sweet and pleasing to the odiferous organ it must undoubtedly be delicious like ambrosia. This is (in short) my conviction (7–9).”

Hearing the words of Dāmodara, Rohini’s son smilingly shook the trees with a view of felling down the fruits (10).

Appearing like a desert, although very useful, that forest of palm trees was unworthy of being resorted to and traversed by men like a habitation of the Rākshasas (11).

For encircled by a herd of mules that huge and dreadful demon Dhenuka used always to live there, in the shape of an ass (12).

Terrifying men, beasts and birds there that wicked minded ass used to protect the forest of palm trees (13).

Hearing the sound of the fall of palm fruits he grew exceedingly enraged and could not bear it like unto an elephant (14).

Shaking his manes in anger, lipting up his tail in delight and scratching the earth with his hoof that Daitya, of motionless eyes and wide lips, followed the sound of palm fruits and arrived where the son of Rohini was (15–16).

Beholding under the palm tree that immortal son of Rohini resembling a flag in form, that Daitya-chief Khara, having the teeth for his weapon, all on a sudden bit him; and then turning back his face he struck his breast with his long legs (17–18).

Then holding that demon in the shape of an ass by the legs and whirling his head and shoulders (Sangkarshana) threw him up on the top of the palm tree (16).

He too, with his thighs, waist, neck and back mutilated and a disfigured form, fell down on earth along with palm fruits (20).

Beholding that ass thus dead and shorn of beauty Baladeva threw up his other relations too on the top of the tree (21).

At that time the ground there was covered with palm fruits and bodies of the asses and it shone there like the autumnal sky covered with clouds (22).

Thus when that Daitya, in the form of an ass, was slain with all his followers that forest of plam trees assumed again a picturesque view (23).

When that most excellent white forest of palm trees was shorn of fear the kine began to range there with great glee (24).

And entering that forest the milkmen, rangers of woods, began to move about on all sides divested of sorrow and fear (25).

Observing the kine roam on all sides at ease the two sons of Vasudeva, powerful like elephants, spread there seats of grass and sat down at ease (26).

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