Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 251
Sourceश्रीरुद्र उवाच- अथ पौंड्रक वासुदेवः काशिराजो वाराणस्यां विविक्ते द्वादशवर्षं महेशमर्च्चयन्निराहारः पंचाक्षरं जजाप १। पौरश्चरणकाले शंकरं स्वनेत्रकमलेन पूजयामास २। ततः शूलपाणिरुमापतिः प्रसन्नो वरं वृणीष्वेति तमाह ३। असौ पंचवक्त्रंसर्वभूतपतिं शिवं प्रसन्नं वरद मम वासुदेवसमानरूपं प्रयच्छेत्युवाच ४। शिवस्तस्मै शंख चक्र गदा पद्मयुत चतुर्भुजं पुंडरीकदलनिभलोचनं वासुदेवसमानकिरीट। ललित कुंतलं पीतवस्त्रकौस्तुभाभरणादि चिह्नान्यपि मह्यं देहीति याचितः शिवः सर्वमपि तस्मै प्रददौ ५। स तु वासुदेवोऽहमिति सर्वलोकान्मोहयामास ६। कदाचित्स्वर्गतः मदबलोत्कटं तं काशिपतिं नारदोऽभ्येत्य वसुदेवसुतमजित्वा वासुदेवत्वं न विद्यते इत्युवाच ७। स तु तस्मिन्नेव क्षणे गरुडपताकायुतरूपं रथमारोप्य चतुरंगाक्षौहिणीबलेन द्वारकामवाप ८। तत्र पुरद्वारि स्वर्णयाने संस्थितो वासुदेवोऽहं युद्धार्थं संप्राप्तोस्मि मामजित्वात ववासुदेवत्वं नास्तीति दूतं प्रेषयामास ९। विष्णुरपि तच्छ्रुत्वा वैनतेयमारुह्य पौंड्रकेण योद्धुं पुरद्वारि विनिष्क्रम्याक्षौहिणीबलेन स्यंदने समासीनं शंखचक्रगदापद्महस्तं पौंड्रकं ददर्श १०। कृष्णोऽथ शार्ङ्गमादाय संवर्ताग्निप्रभैर्बाणैस्तथाश्वगजपदातियुक्तं महदक्षौहिणीबलं मुहूर्तमात्रेण निःशेषं ददाह ११। शरेणैकेन तस्य हस्तावसक्तशंखचक्रगदादिहेतीरपि लीलयैव चिच्छेद १२। पवित्रेण सुदर्शनेन किरीटकुंडलयुतं तस्य शिरः कमलं छित्त्वा वाराणस्यामंतः पुरे निपातयामास १३। तद्दृष्ट्वा सर्वे काशीनिवासिनः किमेतदित्याशंक्य विस्मिता बभूवुः १४। तस्य पौंड्रकस्य सुतो दंडपाणिरिति वासुदेवेन भगवता निहतं स्वपितरं श्रुत्वा मात्रा मृत्युना समादिष्टः स्वपुरोहितेनाभियुक्तो माहेश्वरेण क्रतुना शंकरमियाज १५। स तु प्रसन्नः कृष्णजिघांसया समर्थां माहेश्वरीं कृत्यां तस्मै संप्रीत्या च दत्तवान् १६। स काशिराजस्तां महोश्वरीं ज्वालाकुलोपचितविग्रहां संदीप्तसटाकलापां पिंगलनेत्रां ज्वलत्करालवदनां त्रिशूलहस्तां भस्मांगरागलिप्तां नरमुंडमालाविभूषितां सर्वदेवभयंकरीं रुद्रदत्तां समीक्ष्य सपुत्रदारबांधवसहितं कृष्णं जहीति प्रेरयामास १७। सा तु सर्वलोकभयावहा सर्वां पृथ्वीं स्वतेजसा निर्दहंती प्रलयाशनिनिर्भरस्वनं नदंती द्वारकामवाप १८। तत्रत्याः सर्वेजनास्तां दृष्ट्वा महाप्रलयमिति मत्वा हाहाकारं कुर्वंतः कृष्णं निवेदयामासुः १९। कृष्णोऽपि तान्सर्वान्न भेतव्यमित्युक्त्वा प्राकारतोरणे स्थितां महारौद्रां कृत्यां तथाविधां दृष्ट्वा सकलशस्त्रास्त्रानिवारणसमर्थं सहस्रारं सुदर्शनं तस्या कृत्यायां सहसा मुमोच २०। सा तु कल्पान्तार्ककोटिसमवर्चसा शतयोजनोद्गतं सकलदीप्तास्त्रयुतं हिरण्मयं प्रभापूर्णं सकलजगत्प्रलयस्थितिसमर्थं सहस्रारं सर्वदेवनमस्कृतं जगच्छरणभूतं महासुदर्शनं विलोक्य विनष्टतेजा भयार्ता क्रोशंती वाराणसीं प्रतिदुद्राव २१। सुदर्शनमपि तां कृत्यां भृशमन्वगात् २२। सापि भयार्ता क्रोशंती काशिपतेस्तस्यांतःपुरं प्रविवेश २३। सुदर्शनोऽपि तां वाराणसीं पुरीं प्राप्य सभृत्यबलवाहनं पौंड्रकसुतं दंडपाणिं नामकाशिराजं बहुप्रासादहर्म्यमालिनीं पुरीं माहेश्वरीमपि भस्मावशेषां कृत्वा सकलदेवमहर्षिभिः पूज्यमानः पुनरेव द्वारवत्यां कृष्णहस्तं सुसौम्यं कल्पमिव आविवेश २४। अत्र च श्लोका गीयंते । शस्त्रास्त्रमोक्षमजरं दग्ध्वा तद्बलमोजसा । कृत्यां भस्मावशेषं तां ततो वाराणसीं पुरीम् २५। प्रभूतरथमातंगां साश्वां पुंस्त्रीसमन्विताम् । साशेषकोषकोष्ठां तां दुर्निरीक्ष्यां सुरैरपि २६। द्वारोपलक्षिताशेष गृहप्राकारचत्वराम् । प्रददाह हरेश्चक्रं सकलामेव तां पुरीम् २७। अक्षीणगतिसामर्थ्यमसाध्यकृतसाधनम् । तच्चक्रं प्रज्वलद्भासं विष्णोरभ्याययौ करम् २८। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमामहेश्वरसंवादे श्रीकृष्णचरिते पौंड्रकपुत्रकृत्याविध्वंसनं नामैकपंचाशदधिक द्विशततमोऽध्यायः २५१ ।
śrīrudra uvāca- atha pauṃḍraka vāsudevaḥ kāśirājo vārāṇasyāṃ vivikte dvādaśavarṣaṃ maheśamarccayannirāhāraḥ paṃcākṣaraṃ jajāpa 1| pauraścaraṇakāle śaṃkaraṃ svanetrakamalena pūjayāmāsa 2| tataḥ śūlapāṇirumāpatiḥ prasanno varaṃ vṛṇīṣveti tamāha 3| asau paṃcavaktraṃsarvabhūtapatiṃ śivaṃ prasannaṃ varada mama vāsudevasamānarūpaṃ prayacchetyuvāca 4| śivastasmai śaṃkha cakra gadā padmayuta caturbhujaṃ puṃḍarīkadalanibhalocanaṃ vāsudevasamānakirīṭa| lalita kuṃtalaṃ pītavastrakaustubhābharaṇādi cihnānyapi mahyaṃ dehīti yācitaḥ śivaḥ sarvamapi tasmai pradadau 5| sa tu vāsudevo'hamiti sarvalokānmohayāmāsa 6| kadācitsvargataḥ madabalotkaṭaṃ taṃ kāśipatiṃ nārado'bhyetya vasudevasutamajitvā vāsudevatvaṃ na vidyate ityuvāca 7| sa tu tasminneva kṣaṇe garuḍapatākāyutarūpaṃ rathamāropya caturaṃgākṣauhiṇībalena dvārakāmavāpa 8| tatra puradvāri svarṇayāne saṃsthito vāsudevo'haṃ yuddhārthaṃ saṃprāptosmi māmajitvāta vavāsudevatvaṃ nāstīti dūtaṃ preṣayāmāsa 9| viṣṇurapi tacchrutvā vainateyamāruhya pauṃḍrakeṇa yoddhuṃ puradvāri viniṣkramyākṣauhiṇībalena syaṃdane samāsīnaṃ śaṃkhacakragadāpadmahastaṃ pauṃḍrakaṃ dadarśa 10| kṛṣṇo'tha śārṅgamādāya saṃvartāgniprabhairbāṇaistathāśvagajapadātiyuktaṃ mahadakṣauhiṇībalaṃ muhūrtamātreṇa niḥśeṣaṃ dadāha 11| śareṇaikena tasya hastāvasaktaśaṃkhacakragadādihetīrapi līlayaiva ciccheda 12| pavitreṇa sudarśanena kirīṭakuṃḍalayutaṃ tasya śiraḥ kamalaṃ chittvā vārāṇasyāmaṃtaḥ pure nipātayāmāsa 13| taddṛṣṭvā sarve kāśīnivāsinaḥ kimetadityāśaṃkya vismitā babhūvuḥ 14| tasya pauṃḍrakasya suto daṃḍapāṇiriti vāsudevena bhagavatā nihataṃ svapitaraṃ śrutvā mātrā mṛtyunā samādiṣṭaḥ svapurohitenābhiyukto māheśvareṇa kratunā śaṃkaramiyāja 15| sa tu prasannaḥ kṛṣṇajighāṃsayā samarthāṃ māheśvarīṃ kṛtyāṃ tasmai saṃprītyā ca dattavān 16| sa kāśirājastāṃ mahośvarīṃ jvālākulopacitavigrahāṃ saṃdīptasaṭākalāpāṃ piṃgalanetrāṃ jvalatkarālavadanāṃ triśūlahastāṃ bhasmāṃgarāgaliptāṃ naramuṃḍamālāvibhūṣitāṃ sarvadevabhayaṃkarīṃ rudradattāṃ samīkṣya saputradārabāṃdhavasahitaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ jahīti prerayāmāsa 17| sā tu sarvalokabhayāvahā sarvāṃ pṛthvīṃ svatejasā nirdahaṃtī pralayāśaninirbharasvanaṃ nadaṃtī dvārakāmavāpa 18| tatratyāḥ sarvejanāstāṃ dṛṣṭvā mahāpralayamiti matvā hāhākāraṃ kurvaṃtaḥ kṛṣṇaṃ nivedayāmāsuḥ 19| kṛṣṇo'pi tānsarvānna bhetavyamityuktvā prākāratoraṇe sthitāṃ mahāraudrāṃ kṛtyāṃ tathāvidhāṃ dṛṣṭvā sakalaśastrāstrānivāraṇasamarthaṃ sahasrāraṃ sudarśanaṃ tasyā kṛtyāyāṃ sahasā mumoca 20| sā tu kalpāntārkakoṭisamavarcasā śatayojanodgataṃ sakaladīptāstrayutaṃ hiraṇmayaṃ prabhāpūrṇaṃ sakalajagatpralayasthitisamarthaṃ sahasrāraṃ sarvadevanamaskṛtaṃ jagaccharaṇabhūtaṃ mahāsudarśanaṃ vilokya vinaṣṭatejā bhayārtā krośaṃtī vārāṇasīṃ pratidudrāva 21| sudarśanamapi tāṃ kṛtyāṃ bhṛśamanvagāt 22| sāpi bhayārtā krośaṃtī kāśipatestasyāṃtaḥpuraṃ praviveśa 23| sudarśano'pi tāṃ vārāṇasīṃ purīṃ prāpya sabhṛtyabalavāhanaṃ pauṃḍrakasutaṃ daṃḍapāṇiṃ nāmakāśirājaṃ bahuprāsādaharmyamālinīṃ purīṃ māheśvarīmapi bhasmāvaśeṣāṃ kṛtvā sakaladevamaharṣibhiḥ pūjyamānaḥ punareva dvāravatyāṃ kṛṣṇahastaṃ susaumyaṃ kalpamiva āviveśa 24| atra ca ślokā gīyaṃte | śastrāstramokṣamajaraṃ dagdhvā tadbalamojasā | kṛtyāṃ bhasmāvaśeṣaṃ tāṃ tato vārāṇasīṃ purīm 25| prabhūtarathamātaṃgāṃ sāśvāṃ puṃstrīsamanvitām | sāśeṣakoṣakoṣṭhāṃ tāṃ durnirīkṣyāṃ surairapi 26| dvāropalakṣitāśeṣa gṛhaprākāracatvarām | pradadāha hareścakraṃ sakalāmeva tāṃ purīm 27| akṣīṇagatisāmarthyamasādhyakṛtasādhanam | taccakraṃ prajvaladbhāsaṃ viṣṇorabhyāyayau karam 28| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuttarakhaṃḍe umāmaheśvarasaṃvāde śrīkṛṣṇacarite pauṃḍrakaputrakṛtyāvidhvaṃsanaṃ nāmaikapaṃcāśadadhika dviśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ 251 |
English translation
Śrī Rudra said :
1-6. Then Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva , king of Kāsī , fasted in a solitary place, and worshipping Maheśa for twelve years, muttered the five-syllabled formula. At the time of the repetition of the name of the deity he worshipped Śaṃkara with (i.e. by offering) his own lotus-like eye. Then the lord of Umā having the trident in his hand, being pleased, said to him: “Choose a boon”. Then he said to Śiva who had five faces, is the lord of all beings, and was pleased: “O giver of boons, give me a form similar to that of Vāsudeva ( Kṛṣṇa ).” Śiva (gave) him (a form with) four arms with a disc, a conch, a mace and a lotus (held in them), having eyes like lotus-petals, having charming hair with a crown (on it) resembling that of Vāsudeva. Solicited by him as “Give me also the marks like a yellow garment, and ornaments like the Kaustubha ”, Śiva also gave him all that. He enticed all people, saying, “I am Vāsudeva”.
7-9. Sometime Nārada , having come from heaven to that king of Kāśī , who was haughty with pride and power, said: “You cannot have the status of Vāsudeva without conquering Vasudeva ’s son.” That moment only he, having put himself into a chariot with Garuḍa -banner, reached Dvārakā with the army of four divisions, (numbering) an akṣauhiṇī . There he sent a messenger (to Kṛṣṇa to tell him) “I, Vāsudeva standing in a golden carriage at the gate of the city, have come to fight (with you). Without conquering me you cannot have the status of Vāsudeva.”
10-14. Viṣṇu (i.e. Kṛṣṇa) too, having heard it, mounted upon Garuḍa and on coming out to fight with Pauṇḍraka, saw at the gate Pauṇḍraka with an army (numbering) an akṣauhiṇī, and seated in a chariot, and having a conch, a disc, a mace and a lotus in his hands. Kṛṣṇa took the Śārṅga (bow) and in a short time only completely destroyed that army (numbering) an akṣauhiṇī, consisting of horses, elephants and foot-soldiers with arrows resembling the fire of destruction in brightness. And with one arrow he easily chopped off the weapons in his hands like the conch, disc, mace etc. Having cut off his lotus-like head (adorned) with a crown, by means of his pure Sudarśana (disc), he caused it to fall into the harem in (the city of) Vārāṇasī . Seeing it all the residents of Kāśī, fearing ‘What is this?’ were amazed.
15-17. Daṇḍapāṇi , Pauṇḍraka’s son, having heard that his father was killed by lord Vāsudeva, and directed by his mother, (as if) by Death, and told by his priest, offered a sacrifice, called Māheśvara , to Śaṅkara . He, being pleased, affectionately gave him a Kṛtyā (a female deity capable of destruction and proficient in magic) belonging to Maheśvara and capable of killing Kṛṣṇa. That Kāśī king, seeing that Kṛtyā of Maheśvara, that had a body full of a group of flames, had a blazing mass of hair, had tawny eyes, whose face was blazing and fierce, that had a trident in her hand, whose body was smeared with ash, who was adorned with the string of human heads, that caused fear to all gods, was presented by Rudra , impelled her to kill Kṛṣṇa along with his sons, wives and relations.
18-19. And she causing fear to the entire world, burning with her lustre the whole earth, and roaring with a sound strong like the fire at the time of deluge reached Dvārakā. All people staying there saw her and thinking it to be a great deluge, and wailing aloud, reported it to Kṛṣṇa.
20-24. Kṛṣṇa too told all of them not to fear, and seeing that very fierce Kṛtyā standing like that at the portal of the rampart, suddenly discharged that Sudarśana of a thousand spokes, capable of keeping off all weapons and missiles at the Kṛtyā. She, with lustre resembling that of a crore of suns at the time of the end of a kalpa , seeing that great Sudarśana, going up a hundred yojanas , possessed of a thousand blazing weapons, made of gold, full of lustre, capable of making the entire world reduced to a condition at the time of deluge, saluted by all gods, the refuge of the entire world, lost her lustre, was overcome by fear, and crying (aloud) she ran to Vārāṇasī. Sudarśana too closely pursued her. She too, overcome by fear and crying entered that city of the king of Kāśī. Sudarśana also, reaching the city of Vārāṇasī, reducing to ash Pauṇḍraka’s son, Daṇḍapāṇi, along with servants and army and elephants, so also the city of Maheśvara having many palaces and mansions, and being worshipped by all gods and great sages, again reached Kṛṣṇa’s hand which was very soft, like a kalpa (sacred precept?). And about this the (following) verses are sung:
25-28. Having burnt with vigour that army discharging weapons and missiles and never decaying, reducing to ash the Kṛtyā, then the city of Vārāṇasī which had many chariots and elephants, and along with horses and men and women, and all stores and granaries, which was difficult to be seen even by gods, the houses, ramparts and courtyards of which were marked with doors, that disc of Viṣṇu burnt the entire city only. That disc, with its power of movement unexhausted, having accomplished what cannot be accomplished, with its lustre blazing, came to Viṣṇu’s hand.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 14739, revision 336711 (2022-04-26T10:48:01Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365836.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.