the Pandavasl and Yadavas both did Asvamedha Yajna ?

[Paramananda das]

the Pandavasl and Yadavas both did Asvamedha Yajna ?

Kusakratha Prabhu translated most of Garga Samhita but left out 7 9 and 10 canto , so I have asked my student in Russia to kindly translate them into English at he has it in Russian so this is the 10 canto of Garga Samhita

Sri Garga Samhita

Canto Ten: Ashvamedha-khanda

Sri Saunaka Rishi said, “O Suta, I have heard from you the Puranas, which contain

countless stories about the pastimes of Lord Hari. Previously, the sage Garga told me

the Garga-samhita, in which the glories of Radha and Krishna were loudly sung. I

would like to hear it again, but from your lips ”.

Sri Garga Muni said, “When eighty-eight thousand sages in the Naimisaranya forest

wanted to hear about Lord Hari, Suta Goswami began to speak.

Sri Suta Goswami said, “O Saunaka, you are truly glorious because you desire to

concentrate on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, who delivers one from

all sins.

Once, after the ashvamedha-yajna was performed by King Ugrasena, Garga Muni

said to himself, “In the Garga-samhita narrated by me, I described the innumerable

pastimes of Lord Krishna, but I did not describe this ashvamedha sacrifice, which the

Lord approved. Now I will tell you about this lila." Garga Muni then narrated

Ashvamedha-khanda, which is like the summit of Mount Sumeru in the land of

Garga-samhita. Then he went to Mathura to see King Vajranabha.

Seeing Garga Muni descend from heaven, King Vajranabha, along with the

brahmanas, greeted him. After washing the feet of the sage, the king sat him on a lion

throne and offered him a garland.

King Vajranabha said, “O sage, you are a welcome guest in my house! I bow down to

you in reverence. Tell me, what service can I do you? You are our family priest and

guru, with your arrival our dynasty became sacred. "

Sri Garga Muni said, "O king, you are ruling your kingdom in good faith under the

rule of Emperor Pariksit."

Sri Suta Goswami said: “While the great sage Gargacarya was speaking, King

Vajranabha remembered his great-grandfather Lord Krishna, and under the influx of

feelings of ecstatic emotion, tears flooded from his eyes. Seeing this, Garga Muni

spoke comforting words to him: “Why are you grieving when I am here? Please tell

me what is the reason for your unhappiness? "

Despite the sage's questions, the king was silent, bowing his head in great sorrow.

Finally, when the sage prompted him to open his mind, King Vajranabha spoke in a

trembling voice: “O teacher, I feel separation from my ancestors, the great Yadavas,

who left this world, leaving me alone. Even my wealth, army and entourage cannot

allay my grief. I witnessed the destruction of the Yadu dynasty, even the great

Dvaraka disappeared into the depths of the ocean. The Lord, having assumed His

four-armed form, returned to His eternal abode. Why do I continue to live? Today I

will renounce everything that I possess and go to a deep forest to perform austerities.

1 2

Sri Garga Muni said, “Please listen to my words, which will surely dispel your

sorrow. I will tell you about the pastimes of Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama, which

will liberate you from all material miseries."

Garga Muni then narrated the Garga-samhita to King Vajranabha for nine days. After

hearing the pastimes of Lord Krishna, King Vajranabha was relieved of his sorrow

and rejoiced in his heart.

Bowing to Garga Muni, he said, “Hearing the stories of Lord Krishna's pastimes, I

got rid of my sorrow. Yet my thirst for hearing the stories of the Lord's pastimes was

never quenched. I have heard King Ugrasena perform the ashvamedha-yajna in

ancient times. Please tell me this story."

Sri Garga Muni said: “Once the sage Narada, accompanied by the Gandharva

Tumburu, after returning from Brahmaloka, arrived at the palace of King Ugrasena.

Narada's body was dark and youthful. King Ugrasena, seeing Narada and Tumbura,

rose from his throne, bowed and offered them a place to sit. Then he washed their

feet, and then he sprinkled this water on his head.

King Ugrasena said: “O sage, having met you, I gained good fortune. What brought

you here? Please tell me what I can do for you."

Sri Narada Muni replied, “O King of the Yadavas, you are famous and glorified. In

response to your devotion, Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama are now living on this

earth. Before, on my order, you performed the rajasuya yajna, and Yudhisthira

performed it on the order of Lord Krishna. However, no king has performed

ashvamedha-yajna since that time. This sacrifice is the best of all, as it takes away all

the sins of a person and bestows deliverance."

Hearing Narada's words, King Ugrasena decided to perform the ashvamedha yagya.

At that moment, Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama appeared in the royal palace. The

King immediately rose to greet Them, and then seated Them on the royal throne.

King Ugrasena said, “O Lord of the universe, my son, Kamsa, killed thousands of

children with the help of demons. Where is my sinful son now? What planet did he

go to after death? I am afraid of the sinful deeds that my wicked son has committed.

It is known that the father will suffer in hell for the sins of his son. Oh Krishna, what

should I do? Narada Muni told me that through the ashvamedha-yajna one can be

freed from all grievous sins. Therefore, if You allow me, then I would like to perform

the ashvamedha-yajna."

Hearing his words, Lord Krishna thought, “I have come down to earth to lighten her

burden. Many demonic kings have already been killed, but many more survived.

Therefore, using the opportunity, I will send the heroic Yadavs to free the Earth from

all the remaining burden."

Thinking thus, Lord Krishna replied to the king, “My dear Ugrasena, because your

son, Kamsa, was killed by My hand, he attained an exalted position. Do not worry.

Believe me. He went to the transcendental abode and received a body like Mine. And 3

by associating with Me, you will also be freed from all sinful consequences. But still

you have to do the ashvamedha-yajna just to become famous."

Satisfied, King Ugrasena replied, “O Lord, I will do as You said. Now kindly tell me

in detail how to perform this horse sacrifice."

Lord Krishna said, "It would be better if you heard about this from the great sage

Narada, who is personally present here."

King Ugrasena addressed Sri Narada, “O brahmana, what horse should I use for this

sacrifice? How many brahmanas should perform this yajna? What reward should

they be offered after this sacrifice? "

Sri Narada Muni replied, “My dear king, the sacrificial horse should be white, its tail

yellow, its head red and its ears black. This horse must be very handsome and

slender. He should wander the Earth, in whatever direction he wants, on the full

moon of the month of Chaitra. Mighty warriors must protect him for one year, until

he returns. During this time, the one who performs this sacrifice must patiently await

it. While the horse is wandering around the earth, wherever he urinates or defecates,

there the brahmanas should perform a fire sacrifice, and then distribute in the form of

alms to a thousand cows. On the horse's head, there should be a gold plate engraved

with the name of the person who intends to perform the sacrifice. The warriors

defending the horse should proclaim: “We have released this horse. If someone

considers himself powerful and strong enough, he can catch him. If he catches him,

he will have to fight us."

Twenty thousand brahmanas must be invited to perform the ashvamedha yagya.

Each of them should come from a noble family, be well versed in the Vedas and

experienced in severe austerities. At the beginning of the sacrifice, each brahmana

should receive in the form of dakshina one thousand horses, one hundred elephants,

two hundred chariots, one thousand cows and two hundred bharas of gold. The same

amount should be offered to them after the sacrifice. While the sacrificial horse

wanders the Earth for one year, the one who performs the sacrifice must be celibate

and sleep on the floor. For this reason, many kings are afraid to perform this horse

sacrifice. Now, if you consider yourself capable of performing this sacrifice, you

should call Garga Muni."

King Ugrasena told Narada that he would perform the sacrifice and asked the sage to

go to his stable and choose a horse. After carefully examining the king's horses,

which were of different colors, Narada Muni said to Ugrasena in the presence of Sri

Krishna: “O king, all the horses in your stable are very beautiful, you cannot find

such horses anywhere in the world. By the grace of Lord Krishna, you have some

truly amazing horses, but there is no horse with black ears. "

These words painfully echoed in the heart of King Ugrasena, He thought: "How then

to carry out this sacrifice?"

Seeing the king's sadness, Lord Krishna smiled and said, “O king, do not be sad and 4

listen to Me. Go to My stable and choose a horse with black ears."

The king hurried to Krishna's stable and, entering there, he saw thousands of horses

with black ears. They were all white like the full moon, and they had red heads and

yellow tails. Each horse was remarkable for its striking beauty. The astonished king

glorified Lord Krishna, the performer of the desires of His devotees. Krishna then

asked the king to choose a horse and immediately begin preparing the sacrifice. Then

Ugrasena, together with Krishna and Narada, returned to the royal assembly.

With the permission of Sri Krishna, Narada and Tumburu left the palace on their

mission. After that Ugrasena sent a messenger to invite me (Garg Muni) I

immediately went out and soon saw Dvaraka at some distance, not far from Mount

Raivata.

The Gomati River served as a moat, encircling the city, which was surrounded by

various types of flowering trees. The birds in these trees came from Vaikuntha and

chanted the holy names of Lord Krishna. Entering the city, I saw that all the

inhabitants of the city were talking about something. Their houses were golden in

color and there was a festive atmosphere everywhere. There were many temples of

Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, and numerous military guards stood at the doors of the

palaces. The roads were paved with silver, and of the 900,000 palaces, 16,000 were

particularly magnificent. Every resident of the city chanted the glories of Lord

Krishna and Lord Balarama.

After looking around the city, I went to the Sudharma assembly hall, which belongs

to Sri Krishna. When I arrived there, Maharaja Ugrasena rose from his throne and

offered me hospitality. Then he washed my feet in the presence of all the Yadavas

and sprinkled this water on his head.

Maharaja Ugrasena said, “O brahmana, I have heard the glories of ashvamedha-yajna

from the mouth of Narada Muni. I would like to perform this sacrifice with your

permission."

Sri Garga Muni replied, “I wholeheartedly approve of your intention. By performing

this sacrifice, you will be glorified in all three worlds. However, I must ask you, who

will protect the sacrificial horse? I know that you have many enemies in this world.

Will you send Pradyumna for this purpose, and when will you begin this sacrifice?"

King Ugrasena seemed to be disturbed in this respect, and in this state he looked

anxiously at Lord Krishna. Then the Lord smiled and, taking the betel nut, said: “All

the Yadavas are endowed with great strength and all are skilled in fighting. Oh

Yadavas, any of you who would like to protect the sacrificial horse, come here and

take this betel nut."

After that, all the Yadava warriors looked at each other in surprise. The betel nut

remained in Krishna's hands for twenty minutes. Finally, Aniruddha, the great

archer, took the betel nut from the hands of Krishna.

Addressing King Ugrasena, Aniruddha said: “O Lord of the Earth, I will protect the 5

sacrificial horse from your enemies. If I cannot protect the sacrificial horse, then the

sin of a ksatriya will fall on me, which embraces the wife of a brahmana, the wife of

a vaisya or a sudra. I will suffer the consequences of sinning a person who first

accepts a brahmana guru and then rejects him.”

Sri Krishna was pleased with the words of His grandson, so He took his hand with

great love and said, "My dear Aniruddha, to protect this horse for a whole year, you

must come back."

At that time, Siva and Brahma appeared there, and then Indra and all the other

demigods, desiring to see the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna. The Lord together with

Ugrasena invited them. Then, sitting by Krsna and Balarama, Brahma asked to speak.

Brahma said, “My dear Lord, Your grandson Aniruddha is only a boy. How can he

protect the sacrificial horse from his powerful enemies? I think Pradyumna is more

suitable for this role. Or if not Pradyumna, then Baladeva, or You yourself could

protect the sacrificial horse."

Lord Krishna, smiling, replied, “O Brahma, what can I do? Aniruddha is unshakable

and persistent in this task. He does not listen to Me, and therefore, if you want, you

can try to dissuade him."

Garga Muni said to Vajranabha: “Then Brahma, along with the moon god,

approached Aniruddha. And the amazing thing was that they entered the body of

Aniruddha. This astonished Indra and the other demigods, as well as the Yadavas

and everyone present, O King, your father (Aniruddha) was an expansion of the

Supreme Lord.

Then King Ugrasena retired to the royal chambers and there he saw his wife

Ruchimati sitting on her bed. The queen got up and invited her husband, who told

her about his plans.

King Ugrasena said, "With the permission of Lord Krishna, I have decided to

perform the ashvamedha-yajna, because by this yajna all my desires will be

fulfilled."

Saddened by the loss of her sons, Ruchimati said, “O king, all my wealth is worthless

without my sons. I hope that after performing this sacrifice, I will have many sons. "

Hearing this, the king was saddened and replied: “The desire to have a son always

torments a person's heart. We’re both old now. I advise you to give up such material

desires and instead surrender yourself to the eternal Lord Krishna, who grants

liberation from the bondage of birth and death. "

Ruchimati replied, “You say that after this sacrifice, all desires will be fulfilled. If

possible, I would like to see my lost sons. Remember how Krishna brought back the

deceased son of His teacher."

Sri Garga Muni continued: “Then Ugrasena called me and Lord Krishna, and after

performing the ceremony of worshiping us, he opened his thoughts.

Lord Krishna said, “O king, your sons were killed on the battlefield and therefore 6

they are now living in paradise. Yet, if you successfully perform this great sacrifice, I

will show you your sons."

The king calmed his queen and returned to the royal assembly. Due to the presence

of the demigods, the king felt uneasy to be seated on a throne in front of them.

However, Lord Krishna took him by the hand and made him sit on the royal throne.

Then all the necessary attributes for the sacrifice were prepared and the sacrificial

arena was built. When everything was ready, Lord Krishna asked His son

Pradyumna to bring a sacrificial horse. When the horse arrived at the sacrificial

arena, I (Garga Muni) initiated the king and queen in the sacrifice process. After that,

the king distributed the required charity to the brahmanas and fixed a gold plate on

the horse's head, announcing his intention to perform ashvamedha-yajna to the

world. While fixing the gold plate on the horse's head, victorious music sounded,

accompanied by the sound of shells and the exultant exclamations of the great

warriors.

While the Vedic mantras were chanted, the sacrificial horse was released to wander

around the world. King Ugrasena instructed and inspired Aniruddha while the

brahmanas consecrated him to protect the sacrificial horse. All the demigods offered

gifts to Aniruddha, and Lord Krishna, his grandfather, gave him the chakra. Lord

Shiva gave Aniruddha a trident, Pradyumna gave him a bow and two quivers with

inexhaustible arrows. Uddhava gave him the crown, Varuna gave him fetters,

Yamaraj gave Yamadandu, and Visvakarma gave a divine chariot drawn by a

thousand horses. As Aniruddha rode out, the demigods from heaven poured flowers

on him, and the women of Dvaraka threw down unpeeled rice. After bowing to all

the sages and asking permission from his wives, Aniruddha set off on his journey.

Lord Krishna, Balarama, Ugrasena, Vasudeva and Pradyumna went out to see

Aniruddha.

The sacrificial horse roamed the Earth wherever he pleased, and Aniruddha and his

army followed him. For some time, the sacrificial horse roamed freely in different

countries, since all the kings of these countries were well aware of the power of

Krishna and therefore were not inclined to fight with His grandson.

When the horse reached the city of Mahishmati, on the banks of the Narmada River,

the son of King Indranila named Niladvaja saw him while hunting. Fascinated by the

beauty of the horse, which was adorned with the handprints of young girls with

saffron powder and with two chamars around the neck, the prince caught the horse

and read the message on a gold plate.

The proud prince was offended by the words on the golden plate proclaiming King

Ugrasena the lord of all kings. Taking the horse, Niladvaja brought him to his father,

Indranila, who was a great devotee of Lord Siva.

King Indranila said: “Before I voluntarily paid tribute to King Ugrasena for the

Rajasuya yajna. Now I will not remain passive. We have to fight Aniruddha, and I 7

am sure that Lord Shiva, who is pleased with me, will come and help us."

Sri Garga Muni continued: “When the Yadavas saw that the sacrificial horse had

disappeared, Aniruddha asked Uddhava about it. And Uddhava explained to him that

King Mahishmati had received blessings from Lord Shiva, and therefore there is no

doubt that it was he who stole the horse. So a fierce battle ensued between the

Yadavas and the army of King Indranila. After all of Indranila's sons were killed,

Indranila entered the battle, but was immediately defeated. Feeling humiliated, the

king returned to the capital and sat down to meditate on his adored deity, Lord Shiva,

and Mahadev appeared before him. Learning about everything from the king, Lord

Shiva assured him: “Do not worry. My blessings cannot be false. Neither demons,

nor demigods, nor humans can defeat you. But you should never offend Lord

Krishna, because He is the master of everything. Therefore, go and let the sacrificial

horse go. " Saying this, Lord Shiva disappeared, and the king, obeying his order,

returned the horse and gave them great wealth as a tribute. When Indranila appeared

before Aniruddha and asked about possible service, Krishna's grandson asked him to

accompany the Yadavas and thus help in protecting the sacrificial horse. King

Indranila agreed.

While the Yadavas were crossing various countries, the sacrificial horse was

sometimes kidnapped and then released after a fierce battle. Many kings voluntarily

paid tribute, but those who considered themselves great heroes fought. Wandering

the Earth, the horse eventually wandered into the kingdom of women. The beautiful

queen Surupa ruled this land. She occupied the royal throne, since there was not a

single living king left in this kingdom. Whatever man in this country had an intimate

relationship with a woman, he died within a year.

When the women of this country saw the sacrificial horse grazing in the garden, he

charmed them with his beauty, and they immediately reported him to the queen.

After reading the inscription on the golden plaque on the horse's head, Queen Surupa

decided to fight the Yadavas. All the women climbed onto the chariots, saddled

horses, elephants and prepared to shoot arrows at the Yadav army.

When Aniruddha asked about the enemy and learned that an army of women had

come up against them, he was surprised and wanted to know more about their

history. A king named Hemangada told a story that he heard from his ancestor

Yagyavalkya.

In Satya-yuga, a king named Naripala ruled over this province. His queen was called

Mohini. This king was completely captivated by the beauty of his queen, and

enjoyed marital bliss with her for a hundred years, having lost count of time, day and

night. Absorbed in conjugal delights, the king forgot about the affairs of the kingdom

and the welfare of his subjects. As a result, all residents became unhappy, having lost

the royal protection. Seeing all this, Queen Mohini began to administer justice in

accordance with her abilities.Once the sage Ashtavakra came there to meet the king. When the sage was walking

in the inner apartments of the palace, the king, bewitched by female beauty, laughed

at him for his ugliness. Angry, Ashtavakra Muni cursed the king: “O unfortunate fool

who is overly attached to women! From that day on, only women will rule this

kingdom, since no king will survive. You had better leave this kingdom, because in

this country any man who has sex with a woman will die in the same year. ” After

uttering this curse, Ashtavakra Muni withdrew, and the king became a eunuch.

Realizing the power of the sage and his foolishness, the king repented, left the

kingdom and began to travel from forest to forest, constantly chanting the holy

names of the Lord. As a result, he attained the highest spiritual abode. Because of

this curse, no king wants to rule this country, and therefore women rule it.

While Aniruddha and King Hemangada were talking, an army of women approached

them. Queen Surupa addressed Aniruddha: “O hero, I challenge you to battle. Why

do you hesitate with such a great army? Having defeated you, I will make you my

tame deer. "

Stung and hurt by her words, Aniruddha replied, “O fair-skinned lady, I do not fight

with women. The horse you have caught is wandering by the order of Lord Krishna,

and therefore it should be returned immediately. What can you oppose to Krishna's

desire? "

Hearing his words of wisdom, Surupa remembered her past life and said: “In ancient

times I was an apsara named Mohini. Once, seeing Lord Brahma, I asked him to

unite with me in conjugal intimacy. When he refused, I cursed him and then went to

the Kukudmati River to perform austerities. Pleased with my tapasya, Brahma

appeared before me and offered me blessings. When I asked to become his wife, he

assured me that in a future birth he will become the grandson of Krishna in Dvaraka,

and he will be called Aniruddha, at which time I will rule the kingdom of women. He

said: "Then I will come and receive you as my wife."

Sri Garga Muni continued: Hearing these words, all the Yadavas were astonished.

Then Aniruddha said to Surupa, "O noble woman, go to Dvaraka, and when I return,

I will accept you as my consort." Satisfied with the outcome of events, the queen

dismissed the sacrificial horse.

While the sacrificial horse roamed the Earth, a demon named Bhishana caught him

and hid him in his kingdom of Upa Lanka, located in the sea. Then Aniruddha and

many Yadava warriors sat on the chariot of Kuvera's puspaka and attacked this city

of demons. After a fierce battle, Aniruddha recaptured his horse and returned to earth

in Kuvera's chariot.

After traveling to various countries, when the horse arrived in Avantipura and

entered the garden, Sandipani Muni, the spiritual master of Lord Krishna, decided to

bathe in the lake at that place. He constantly chanted the holy name of Krsna on a

tulasi beads. After a while, when the Yadav soldiers arrived in this garden, they saw

8a horse in the possession of Prince Bindu. Aniruddha sent Uddhava to talk to the

prince. Prince Bindu invited Uddhava and assured him that he would show the

Yadavas the highest hospitality. The Yadavas set up camp near Avantipur, and that

night Sandipani Muni came to meet Aniruddha. Aniruddha invited Sandipani Muni

to Dvaraka for a horse sacrifice, and the sage gladly agreed.

Aniruddha spent that night talking about Krishna, asking questions of Sandipani

Muni. The next day sage Sandipani and his son got on the chariot and proceeded to

Dvaraka, where they were happily and hospitably received by Krishna and Balarama.

While the sacrificial horse roamed various countries, a demon named Balvala caught

him and took him to his island Panchandzhanya. Uddhava reported this to

Aniruddha, saying that this island was thirty yojanas from the coast. Then Aniruddha

ordered the Yadavas to build a bridge of arrows across the ocean. While the warriors

fired streams of arrows into the ocean, all sea inhabitants hid in fear in the depths of

the sea. At that time the sage Narada announced from heaven, "Not a single arrow

crossed the ocean." Hearing his words, the Yadavas lost their pride. Then Aniruddha

took his bow and shot myriads of arrows in a continuous stream. The great sages

from heaven said: "These arrows crossed the ocean and created a house on the shore

of Panchandzhanya island." In response to their words, the other warriors fired their

arrows, and they also crossed the ocean. Thus the Yadavas built a bridge of thirty

yojanas in length, which reached the island of Panchanjanya. This bridge did not

touch the water and hung in the air. Who can describe the inconceivable potency of

the sons and grandsons of Lord Krishna?

The next morning the Yadavas crossed the bridge to the island where the demons

lived. After a long bloody battle, many demons died. Then Balvala entered the battle

with his son Kunandana. When Balwala and Aniruddha met face to face on the

battlefield, they exchanged mocking words. Then Balvala fired one hundred arrows,

which carried Aniruddha along with his chariot and horses high into the sky and

lowered him to the ashram of Kapila. With the disappearance of Aniruddha, the

Yadava army became discouraged. Other sons of Krishna and the great warriors of

the Yadava army attacked Kunandana, but his arrows also lifted them into the sky

and threw them away for several miles.

The demigods in the sky, headed by Indra, became frightened, while the demons

rejoiced. The sage Kapila, seeing Aniruddha lying unconscious on the ground, laid

his hand on his head and returned to consciousness. Then Aniruddha, bowing to the

sage, returned to the city of demons and again entered the battle. With a fierce

onslaught of his arrows, he sent Kunandana's chariot into the sky, which, flying in

the air, made a deafening sound that astounded everyone around. Then Balvala

appeared before Aniruddha and, exchanging stinging speeches with him, used the

illusion of the demon Maya, creating pitch darkness around. In this darkness, no one

could distinguish friend from enemy. A terrible stream of stones and blood fell upon

9the Yadav army, forcing them to flee. Then Aniruddha dispelled all the spell of

illusion with his mohanastra.

When the illusion dissipated and the sun shone again, Balvala released the

brahmastra, but Aniruddha neutralized her with a reciprocal brahmastra. Then

Balvala set in motion another illusion, from which dancing voluptuous women

appeared everywhere in seductive erotic poses. At the sight of these illusory women,

all the Yadavas became lusty. And then Balvala appeared there and took the lives of

many Yadavs. Aniruddha challenged Balwala, accusing him of using unworthy

fighting methods. When Balvala violently attacked Aniruddha, he released the

terrible weapon of Yamaraja, Kaladanda, tearing the heart of the insidious demon to

shreds. With the death of the demon, all illusion was instantly dispelled.

Meanwhile, Kunandana regained consciousness and stepped onto the chariot. The son

of Krishna, Sunandana, fought with him in a fierce duel. Both of them, wounded by

arrows, were bleeding. Then, after a lengthy exchange of harsh words, Sunandana

fired a sickle-tipped arrow at the demon. However, Kunandana cut this arrow in two

with two arrows. As the back of the arrow fell to the ground, the front flew to the

demon and blew off his head. Seeing the decapitated body lying on the ground, all

the surviving demons began to cry. Then this decapitated body rose from the ground

and proceeded to kill the Yadav soldiers, smashing them with fists and sword. In the

end, Kunandana's decapitated body froze, and so the battle was over to loud,

victorious shouts from the Yadavas.

Balvala and his son were great devotees of Lord Shiva. When Narada Muni informed

Mahadev of their death, Shiva was blinded by an insane rage. Assuming a fiveheaded form, with fifteen eyes, ten arms, a body smeared with ash, with recessed

hair, with a garland of skulls and snakes around his neck, Lord Shiva sat on the bull

Nandi and rushed to the battlefield, intending to destroy Aniruddha and all the

Yadavas. Surrounded by ghosts, shaking the earth, Lord Shiva appeared before the

greatly frightened Yadavas. Even Aniruddha trembled with terror.

Then Mahadev ordered the goddess Bhairava to kill Aniruddha, the bull Nandi -

Sunandana, and Karttikeya - Samba. Millions of ghosts, goblins and witches rushed

to devour the Yadava soldiers and their horses. It was an eerie sight as the ghost

women devoured young flesh and blood, dancing and howling with joy on the

battlefield. Some of the ghosts wove garlands from the heads of the slain warriors

and offered them to Lord Shiva.

The son of Krishna, Diptiman, endowed with courage and valor, with his amazing

arrows began to hit the ghosts, causing them unbearable pain and forcing them to

scatter in the air. Aniruddha then began to fight Bhairava and after a long fight he

used weapons that plunged the ghosts into a lethargic sleep on the battlefield. This

infuriated Lord Shiva even more. Jumping onto the back of the Nandi bull, he rushed

to Aniruddha, and along the way, his bull created chaos, scattering the horns of the

1011

enemy soldiers in different directions. The bull wounded Sunandana with a blow to

the chest, from which he fell to the ground and immediately lost his life.

Having witnessed his death, Aniruddha, heartbroken, became inflamed with rage and,

climbing on an elephant, entered into battle with Lord Siva. The demigods in the

heavens trembled in terror, amazed at the fierce battle between the creator of the

universe (Brahma) and the destroyer of the universe (Shiva), which lasted for three

days.

Finally, after constantly changing weapons, Lord Shiva killed the elephant with his

trident and struck Aniruddha, and he fell to the ground unconscious. Seeing this,

Samba left Karttikeya and, presenting himself before Shiva, said: “I heard the Vedas

from the exalted brahmanas. I heard that in

The Bhagavatam says, Shiva is the best of the Vaisnavas, that he constantly chants

the name of Krsna. But after seeing how Sunandana and Aniruddha fell on the

battlefield, I think that glorifying you as a Vaisnava is false. You killed the son of

Krishna, and after that, how can you be called a Vaisnava? " Hearing Samba's

reproaches, Lord Shiva was pleased and admitted that he was fighting only to protect

his devotees.

Samba then drew a terrifying arrow on his bow and shot it at Mahadev. However,

this arrow did not harm Shiva, just as a garland thrown at an elephant does not cause

him any pain. And a fierce battle broke out between Samba and Mahadev. Watching

this battle, the demigods thought that the world was about to end. The Yadava

warriors, in utter confusion, began chanting the holy names of Lord Krishna.

Realizing the predicament of the Yadavas, Krishna got on His chariot driven by

Daruka and left Dvaraka. In an instant, He appeared on the battlefield. Seeing Sri

Krishna, the Yadavas were filled with great joy. At the sight of his father, Samba

dropped his bow and fell at His lotus feet.

When Lord Shiva saw Shri Krishna come to the battlefield, he became afraid.

Throwing aside his weapon, he approached to the Supreme Lord and said, “O Lord,

please forgive my insolence. I never forget my subordinate position in relation to

You. I am Your part and I can never become equal to You or higher than You. I am

Yours, but You do not belong to me: just like the waves belong to the ocean, but the

ocean never belongs to the waves."

After listening to Shiva, Lord Krishna replied, “What mistake did My son Sunandana

make that you killed him? For what reason did you deprive Aniruddha of the senses?

And why did you come here to fight? "

Lord Shiva said: “O Lord of the universe, O embodiment of compassion, please

protect me, who has lost all shame, and forgive my sins. People suffer only until they

take shelter of Your lotus feet. Kindly allow me to take refuge at You." After uttering

these words, Lord Siva fell at the lotus feet of Sri Krishna with tears in his eyes. The

Lord raised Shiva and said, “O Shiva, all the demigods are protecting their devotees, 12

and you have not done anything wrong. You always live in My heart, and I live in

yours. In fact, there are almost no differences between us. Your devotees prostrate

themselves before Me, and My devotees prostrate themselves before you. "

After speaking these words, Lord Krishna brought His son Sunandana and with His

nectar glance brought him back to life. Then He removed the trident from the heart

of Aniruddha and brought him to consciousness. Following this, the Lord revived all

the lost Yadavs with His compassionate glance. Then the demon Balvala rose from

the dead and asked: "Where is Aniruddha?" Then Lord Siva pacified him by

explaining to him the true position of Sri Krishna. After receiving instructions from

Shiva, Balvala bowed down to Lord Krishna. Then he returned the sacrificial horse

and paid a rich tribute.

After that, the Yadavas returned to land, crossing the bridge of arrows. Krishna

returned to Dvaraka, and Shiva and his associates went to Mount Kailash.

The sacrificial horse continued its journey across the Earth. Many kings, hearing

about the defeat of Balvala, refused to fight the Yadavs and voluntarily paid tribute.

After a month the horse reached Vraja-mandala. After crossing the Yamuna, he

entered the Vrindavan forest and stopped under a tamala tree.

The shepherds who were grazing their cows happily approached the horse, clapping

their hands. Sridama tied the horse with ropes, which he used to tie up the cows, and

took him to Nanda's house. Satisfied, Nanda read the message on the horse's head

and informed the shepherds that this horse belongs to King Ugrasena and is under

the protection of Aniruddha.

Desiring to meet with the Yadavas, Nanda, along with Yasoda and the other

residents of Vrindavan, left the village. At this time, the Yadava army arrived there,

and also Krishna arrived there in His chariot. Nanda Maharaja felt the right side of

his body tremble, giving him hope that he would meet his beloved son again. He

exclaimed, “O Krishna! Oh Krishna! " When Krishna arrived, He immediately

jumped from the chariot and fell at the feet of His father. Nanda embraced Krishna,

washing Him with tears of love.

Then Krsna met Sridam and His other friends. Due to the long separation and the

feelings that washed over them, no one could utter a word. Then Krishna appeared

before all the inhabitants of Vrindavan in the same form when He left Vrindavan for

Mathura. He manifested Himself in the two-handed form of Syamasundara, holding

a flute in his hand. After this, Krsna, in the company of His parents, went to Nanda's

house. When the Yadavas set up camp on the banks of the Yamuna, Krishna

remained in Nandagram.

In the evening, Radha, who was living in the forest, called for Krishna. When

Krishna came to the bank of the Yamuna, He saw Radhika's abode decorated with

flowering vines. Sri Radha and Her sakhis greeted Krishna with great abundance,

Radharani adorned Herself with expensive clothes and ornaments.13

After Krishna left for Dvaraka, Radharani never dressed in rich clothes, did not adorn

Herself, did not enjoy betel nuts, did not eat tasty food, did not sleep on the bed, and

did not even laugh. When Krishna cast His merciful glance at Her, all the pain of

Radha's separation immediately disappeared. Then Radha asked Krishna why He left

Vrindavan. She said that in His absence one moment seemed to Her as the yuga, and

one day seemed to be the life of Brahma. In response, Krishna consoled Her by

saying that there really can be no separation between Them, because He and She are

one Soul, divided into two Persons to enjoy transcendental pastimes.

Then Krishna began to play the flute, as He did in childhood. Hearing the sound of

the flute, all the gopis left their homes and ran into the forest to meet Krishna. At that

time, the entire Vrindavan forest was transformed, and every gopi saw that it was

made of precious transcendental stones and filled with beautiful verandas of desire

trees. Inside each veranda, Krishna sat with Radha on a magnificent throne,

surrounded by the gopis. They all shone with unique beauty, and the whole

atmosphere was so amazing that it defies description. Radha and Krishna sat

surrounded by the gopis who served Him lovingly.

Then Krsna expanded Himself that many forms, as there were gopis, and by playing

the flute began the rasa-lila festival. However, after some time, the gopis became

proud of their great fortune and began to say what was not true.

The gopis of Vrindavan said, “One day Krishna left us and went to Mathura in search

of charming girls. When He could not find the young beauties there, He went to

Dvaraka. In His endless pursuit of pleasures with women, He married Rukmini, the

daughter of King Bhismaka, but in spite of this, He remained dissatisfied. Then He

married 16,000 girls, but none of them could satisfy His heart. Finally, He repented

and returned to Vrindavan. Only now He is happy, contemplating our unsurpassed

beauty. Therefore, it became clear to us that we are the most beautiful and worthy

girls in all the worlds. Only we are able to completely subdue Krishna! "

Sri Garga Muni said, “In response to these words, Krishna suddenly disappeared,

taking Radha with Him. Thereafter, Krishna walked with Radha in the forest of

Vrindavan while the gopis frantically searched for Him. When Krishna heard the

sound of their anklets approaching, He told Radha that the gopis must be looking for

Them. And They hid from the gopis. Radha and Krishna walked in all twelve forests

of Vraja. After long walks, Radha was tired. Therefore She asked Krsna to carry Her.

Krishna said, "Okay, sit on My shoulders." However, having said this, He suddenly

disappeared.

After some time, the gopis found Radha and together they began to grieve over their

failure, repenting of their pride. Yet Krishna again appeared before them, and the rasa

dance continued. In the morning Krishna returned to Nanda's palace, Radha returned

to Vrishabhanu's palace, and the gopis returned to their homes. Due to the illusion of

Yogamaya, none of the gopas could understand that their wives had been absent all 14

night.

In this way, Krishna lived in Vrindavan for eight days. Then, when Yasoda saw Him

preparing to leave, her heart was again pierced by the pain of the impending

separation. Krishna assured her that he would return to Vrindavan after the

ashvamedha-yajna. Also, all the inhabitants of Vrindavan were plunged into sorrow

upon learning that Krishna was leaving for Dvaraka. But the Lord met with each of

them and gave assurances of His return.

After that, the sacrificial horse again embarked on a journey and after a while

reached the limits of Hastinapura, the abode of the Kauravas. Duryodhana, the king

of the Kauravas, was hunting in the forest at that time, and when he saw the horse, he

joyfully captured him. Karna, Bhishma, Kripacharya, Dronacharya and others

accompanied the Kaurava king. After reading the message on the horse's head, the

Kauravas laughed at the pride of the Yadavs and decided to fight.

The Kauravas gathered a myriad army and soon met face to face with the Yadavas on

the battlefield. When the battle began, Bhishma went out to fight against Samba.

With a strong blow from his club, Bhishma knocked Samba to the ground, knocking

him out of consciousness. Also, Satyaki fought with Duryodhana, he broke the

chariot of Duryodhana and wounded him so that he fainted. Then after some time,

Krishna, along with Aniruddha, arrived with another part of the Yadava army.

When they entered the battle, Duryodhana was frightened and, fleeing from the

battlefield, fled to Hastinapura. Seeing this, the other Kauravas followed him, and

thus the Yadavas were victorious.

When the blind King Dhrtarastra heard about the incident, he asked Vidura for

advice on what to do in such a situation. As expected, Vidura advised that the

sacrificial horse should be returned and Lord Krishna should be worshiped. Then the

Kauravas walked to the Yadavas, bringing with them paraphernalia for worshiping

the Lord, wanting to receive darshan of Krishna. Each of the great warriors of the

Kauravas glorified and offered respect to Krishna. Thus the conflict between the

Kauravas and the Yadavas was settled, and the sacrificial horse was returned to the

Yadavas.

Hearing about the defeat of the Kauravas, no king dared to capture the sacrificial

horse. A whole year passed in this way. Feeling anxious, Aniruddha approached

Uddhava and expressed his concerns to him.

Aniruddha said, “King Ugrasena has to perform ashvamedha-yajna in the month of

Caitra, there are only a few days left. What should I do?"

Uddhava replied, "There is no one left to oppose you on this earth except the

demigods in the sky, so return to Dvaraka."

Addressing the sacrificial horse, Aniruddha said, “O king of horses, if there is

anyone who can oppose us, then find that person. If not, then return to Dvaraka."

Hearing these words, the sacrificial horse rushed back to Dvaraka. 15

Indra went incognito to Earth in search of a sacrificial horse. Even if Indra and the

other demigods are under the control of the illusory energy, then what about ordinary

people? However, seeing the myriad army and strength of the Yadavas, who were

under the protection of Krishna, Indra lost all hope and returned to his heavenly

abode.

Having reached the borders of Dvaraka, Aniruddha sent Uddhava to inform Ugrasena

of the return of the sacrificial horse. Then King Ugrasena and other senior Yadavas

came out to greet Lord Krishna and His grandson Aniruddha. As Sri Krishna,

Aniruddha and the other heroes of Yadava entered Dvaraka, they were greeted by the

whole city.

During the ashvamedha yajna, all the residents of Vrindavan were present, invited by

Krishna. King Dhrtarastra was also present there along with his sons and the sons of

Pandu. All the great sages arrived there, and the Earth Goddess also appeared there in

the form of a cow. The Ganges and all other holy places arrived there in personified

forms,

Srila Vyasadeva, the chief priest, informed Ugrasena that the sixty-four four

(husbands and wives) should go to the river Gomati and fetch water. Then Aditi with

Kashyapa, Arundhati with Vasishta, Kripi with Drona, Anasuya with Atri, Rukmini

with Krishna, Revati with Balarama, Mayavati with Pradyumna, Usha with

Aniruddha, Subhadra with Arjuna and Lakshmana with Samba went there.

When Narada saw Krishna walking with Rukmini, he decided to provoke a quarrel.

Narada went to Satyabhama. Finding her in a secluded place, he informed her that

Krishna had neglected her by going with Rukmini to fetch water. After speaking

many cunning words, Narada aroused Satyabhama's anger and made her cry.

Krishna understood another trick of Narada and, expanding Himself in many forms,

in one of them went to Satyabhama. Coming to Satyabhama, Krishna explained to

her that He had asked Balarama to take His place so that He could come and dine

with her. Seeing that Satyabhama had calmed down, the frustrated Narada went to

the Jambavati palace and repeated the same. Hearing Narada's words, stirring up

jealousy, Jambavati smiled and informed him that Krishna had already dined with

her and was now resting. Puzzled, Narada went to Mitravinda and again spoke words

that inflame envy. In response, Mitravinda informed Narada that Krishna was in the

next room and was playing with His grandson.

So Narada went from one palace of Krsna to another, visiting all the queens of

Krsna, and found that Krsna was already there. Feeling great disappointment, Narada

decided to go to the gopis. When he approached Radha, he was amazed to see

Krishna playing dice with Her and the sakhis.

When Narada decided to visit the devotees of Krishna, the Lord received him

hospitably. After performing a rite of worship for the sage, Lord said in a soft voice,

“O brahmana, what are you so much concerned about? I saw you in each of My16

palaces. Therefore I have taken many forms. Because you are a brahmana, I cannot

punish you, but still, I want to ask you. Just return to the sacrifice and enjoy the

celebration. I am the Lord of everything, but still, I worship the brahmanas. Be sure

that at the sacrifice you will receive all the unthinkable benefits."

Sri Garga Muni continued, “Thus Narada became pleased and returned to the arena

of sacrifice. Meanwhile, Krishna and Rukmini and other consorts came to the Gomati

River. Having filled the vessels, they returned to the sacrificial arena and offered

water to King Ugrasen. At this great sacrifice, Bhima was in charge of the kitchen,

Arjuna met the guests, Duryodhana was the treasurer, and Karna gave alms. When

Ugrasena asked Krishna, “What service would He like to take upon Himself?”, The

Lord replied, “In Indraprastha I washed the feet of the brahmanas. Therefore, I want

to do the same here. "

Then twenty thousand brahmanas proceeded to perform the sacrifice. Streams of

ghee, the thickness of an elephant's trunk, poured into the sacrificial fire.

Agni then turned to Ugrasena: "Now you must give me a sacrificial horse."

In response to these words, Ugrasena told the horse: “Did you hear what Agni said?

Even after consuming a lot of ghee, the fire demigod wants to swallow you."

After these words, the contented horse looked at Krishna and nodded his head

approvingly. Understanding the horse's intention, Srila Vyasadeva told Baladeva,

“Take Your sword and chop off the horse's head for the satisfaction of Agni. By

offering this horse to the fire, Agni will be satisfied."

Then Balarama cut off the horse's head, which rose into the sky and was swallowed

up by the sun. This miracle amazed everyone.

Lord Krishna then pierced the heart of the horse with a trident, from which streams of

flowers emanated. The spiritual spark left the horse's body and entered the body of

Lord Krishna. After that, the horse's body turned into crushed camphor, which

crumbled to the ground. This dust resembled the ashes covering the body of Lord

Shiva. The aroma of this camphor spread throughout Dvaraka.

And then Srila Vyasadeva solemnly announced to King Ugrasena: "Your sacrifice

has ended successfully!"

Following this, this camphor was offered to the sacrificial fire. At the end of the

sacrifice, King Ugrasena took a ritual bath with his wife. He then offered a

sumptuous feast to all the guests and generously distributed alms. In the end, the

inhabitants of Vrindavan, having received gifts of love from Krishna, returned home,

like all the invited sages.

Sri Krishna then summoned Kamsa and the other nine murdered sons of Ugrasena.

They all came from Vaikuntha and appeared before their father, who was sitting with

his wife Ruchimati. Each of them had four arms, resembling Lord Vishnu, and held

in their hands a conch, disc, club and lotus. Seeing Ugrasena and his queen, Kamsa

and his brothers returned to Vaikuntha.17

Thereafter, at the request of King Ugrasena, Srila Vyasadeva recited Krishnasahasra-stotra. Hearing this amazing stotra, Ugrasena performed a ceremony of

worship of the great sage. Krishna then went to Mithila to see His devotees, King

Bahulashva and Srutadeva, and returned to Dvaraka again.

At that time the Pandavas were already living in exile. Despite the fact that Krishna

personally went to Hastinapura asking for peace, war was inevitable. When Krishna

took a vow not to fight in battle, Balarama went on a pilgrimage to the holy places to

avoid conflict.

After the victory of the Pandavas at the Battle of Kuruksetra, Maharaja Yudhisthira

performed the ashvamedha-yajna. After that, in Dvaraka, the Yadavas were cursed,

and the cause of their death was a quarrel between them, where they killed each

other. At that time Krsna was sitting under a banyan tree when Uddhava came to

Him and took shelter of His feet. Balarama returned to His eternal abode. Then

Krishna went to Vrindavan and informed all the inhabitants of Vrindavan that they

should return to Goloka, the spiritual world, because very soon the age of Kali will

appear, where all the good qualities of people will disappear and the unfavorable

influence of this age will come.

While Krishna was talking with the inhabitants of Vrindavan, a huge chariot five

yojanas in length appeared there, descending from Goloka. This chariot had two

thousand wheels and was drawn by a thousand horses. Then Lord Vishnu manifested

from the body of Krsna along with Lakshmi. They got on the chariot and went to the

ocean of milk. Krishna and Radha ascended this divine chariot, while all the

inhabitants of Vraja put on their original forms, and then also ascended it. Thus, led

by Lord Krishna, they returned to the eternal spiritual abode of Goloka Vrindavan.

Meanwhile, Arjuna performed a funeral ceremony for all the Yadavas. He freed

himself from grief by remembering the instructions of Krsna, which He gave him in

the Bhagavad-gita. Then Yudhishthira left the kingdom with his brothers and reached

the highest destination. After the departure of Lord Krishna, all of Dvaraka, along

with Mount Raivata, sank into the ocean.

King Vajranabha asked, “O sage, Krsna is beyond material nature. Why does He

have a dark body color? "

Sri Garga Muni said, "The color of the conjugal rasa is dark, and Krsna is the Lord of

this rasa."

King Vajranabha said, "Kali-yuga is coming soon, please tell me about this terrible

age."

Sri Garga Muni said, “In the age of Kali, Lord Jagannatha will remain on earth for

ten thousand years. The Ganges will flow on Earth for five thousand years. In this

age of Kali, women will become independent and act according to their desires.

Sinful people will hunt for prostitutes, for other people's wives and other people's

wealth. All people will belong to one varna - sudras." 18

King Vajranabha asked, "How can people in this age of degradation be liberated?"

Sri Garga Muni replied, “Vamana, Brahma, Sesha and Sanaka-kumara will establish

dharma in this age at the request of Lord Vishnu, assuming the form of brahmanas.

From the expansion of Vamana, Vishnuswamy will appear, from the expansion of

Sesha - Ramanuja, from the expansion of Sanaka-kumar - Nimbarka, and from the

expansion of Brahma - Madhvacarya. They will establish their sampradayas. What

was achieved in Satya-yuga through meditation, in Treta-yuga - through performing

sacrifices, in Dvapara-yuga - through worship in the temple, in Kali-yuga people will

be able to attain the highest benefit through chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna.

King Vajranabha asked, “O sage, which of all gates is the best? Which of all the holy

tirthas is the highest? And who is the greatest of all gods? "

Sri Garga Muni replied, “Ekadashi-vrata is the best, Ganga is the highest of all holy

tirthas, and Lord Krishna is the greatest of all. He is the Original Supreme

Personality of Godhead.

A guru who does not inspire his disciples to serve Lord Krishna with devotion is a

guru in name only. The same goes for a father, friend, king, or brother. Those who

are very proud of their talents, scholarship, wealth, possessions and abilities, and who

consider the beauty of their wife and children to be eternal, and are not engaged in

the devotional service of the Lord, are like the living dead.

O king, the essence of everything I have told you is the pastimes of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. Constantly listening to these stories, a person

acquires all the desired goals of life."

Sri Suta Goswami said: “King Vajranabha, hearing the words of sage Garga, felt

deep satisfaction. With great devotion, he fixed his mind on the lotus feet of the Lord

and offered the sage immense wealth in gratitude. Having received this dakshina,

Garga Muni bade farewell to the king and left. Then he distributed all this wealth to

the brahmanas.

After this, King Vajranabha performed the ashvamedha-yajna, as advised by Garga

Muni, and installed the Kesava Deity in Mathura, Harideva in Govardhana, and

Govinda in Vrindavan. After some time, Uddhava went to King Vajranabha and told

him the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Then Vajranabha handed over the reins of government

to his son Pratibahu, and, together with Uddhava on the divine chariot, went to the

spiritual world, to Goloka Vrindavan. Pratibahu ruled the southern part of Mathura,

while Janamenjaya ruled the northern part."

In conclusion, Sri Suta Goswami said: “As the Ganga is the most holy of all rivers, as

Sri Krishna is the Supreme Lord, as Prayag is the king of holy places, so Gargasamhita is the best of all Samhitas. Just as one gets satisfaction by hearing SrimadBhagavatam, so he gets spiritual satisfaction by hearing Sri Garga-samhita.

Om tat sat

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Paramananda Das

+2
interesting thing is the Pandavas also performed Asvamedha Yajna as described in the Mahabharata , and Lord Balarama was opposed at first and said the Yadavas should do it, and Krsna told Balarama no the Pandavas will, so this could lead to speculation that the pastime in the 10 canto of Garga Samhita was in a different day of Brahma ? Since Krsna only appears once in the day of Brahma ,but that does not seem to be the case so that would be a speculation

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Paramananda Das

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in Garga Samhita it is stated the pastimes found took place in the Kalpa we live in now known as Varaha Kalpa

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Paramananda Das

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2) Vārāhakalpa (वाराहकल्प):—[=vārāha-kalpa] [from vārāha] m. ‘Boar Kalpa’, Name of the now existing Kalpa or day of Brahmā (being the first of the second Parārdha of Brahmā’s existence), [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]

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Paramananda Das

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so how the Pandavas and Yadavas both did Asvamedha Yajna ?