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Harivamsha Purana

Chapter 76 - the return of the celestial tree

O the one of kuru race (O janamejaya!) Afterwards, when kR^iShNa remembered him, the one with the wealth of penance, the best among the sages, the best among speakers, nArada arrived there.

O the king of men! (O janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) The son of vasudeva (kR^iShNa) worshipped him as prescribed and invited him with devotion for offerings as required.

O the one of bharata race! (O janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) At the appropriate time for eating, lord kR^iShNa worshipped the great sage who had taken bath, with garlands and fragrances.

Lord kR^iShNa, the creator of all beings, who pervades everywhere, along with his dear wife satya(bhAmA), with a highly pleased mind, served all of them with tasty food.

The woman with good luck, satyabhAmA put a garland of flowers on kR^iShNa's neck and tied kR^iShNa on to the pArijAta tree.

Afterwards, with the permission of keshava (kR^iShNa), goddess satyabhAmA, gave kR^iShNa as an offering, along with water, thousand cows and a mountain of gold to nArada.

That was shining, mixed with sparkling jewels and mingled with seeds of sesamum and other grains.

nArada, the best among sages, accepted all the offerings. He was highly pleased. After eating food, he said to keshava (kR^iShNa).

 (nArada said) O keshava (kR^iShNa)! Now you are mine since satya(bhAmA) has given you to me as an offering along with water. Follow me and do as I tell you.

 (vaishampAyana said: O janamejaya!) The slayer of madhu (kR^iShNa) said, this is best. Then janArdana followed nArada who started walking.

Then the best among sages, expert in mockery, did many mocking deeds and said: Now stop. I am going away.

He removed the garland of flowers from kR^iShNa's neck. Then nArada said: Offer me the cow kapilA, along with her calf as compensation (price).

Along with seeds of sesamum and gold, give me the skin of black antelope. O kR^iShNa! The lord with bull as his flag (shiva) has decreed these as the price.

lord of men! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana said) The lord of the senses, the slayer of madhu (kR^iShNa) said, smiling, let it be so, to the best of the sages (nArada) and did as he was told to do.

 (kR^iShNa said) O nArada, O the one who knows the principles of dharma! Accept a boon from me as you wish. O the one who knows the principles of dharma, I will grant you that boon, I am highly pleased with you.

nArada said:

O eternal viShNu! You shall be pleased with me always. O the one with great intellect! With your pleasure, I shall attain beatitude.

O nArAyaNa! O the refuge of good men! I shall become the one, not born from the womb. In all my future births, I shall become a brAhmin.

 (vaishampAyana continued): O the one of the bharata race (janamejaya)! Lord viShNu (kR^iShNa) said let it be. Then the best among sages, the one with high intellect, nArada became most happy.

O the one of kuru race! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana said) satya(bhAmA) dear to hari (kR^iShNa) had invited the sixteen thousand wives of viShNu (kR^iShNa) of incomparable splendour.

O the king of men! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana said) The wife of hari (kR^iShNa) (satyabhAmA) took the items one by one from those given by shachI to the son of vasudeva (kR^iShNa) and gave to them.

Then, the pArijAta tree started flourishing from there, as ordered by the great soul, nArada to the son of vasudeva (kR^iShNa).

O the son of kuru! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana said) All those invited by the great soul keshava (kR^iShNa) saw the abundance of pArijAta tree.

hari (kR^iShNa) also invited pANDava-s along with pRitha (kunti) and draupadI of great splendour and subhadra as well.

O the son of kuru! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana said) He also invited shrutashrava and her sons and bhIShmaka with his sons and other friends, kinsmen and relatives.

O king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana said) janArdana (kR^iShNa) enjoyed with phAlguna, the son of pR^itha (arjuna) with his women and all prosperity.

After one year was completed, the slayer of keshi, the best among deva-s, the one who desires the welfare of all, (kR^iShNa) took the pArijAta tree again to heaven.

There, the one having immeasurable valiancy, the one with high intellect, the lord (kR^iShNa) saw kashyapa and aditi, his parents along with shakra (indra).

Then the mother aditi told the slayer of madhu (kR^iShNa): O the best among deva-s! Both of you should always have brotherhood in this manner.

O janArdana (kR^iShNa)! You may now fulfill the desire of my mind. (vaishampAyana continued) Then kR^iShNa, the one of supreme soul said, let it be, to his mother.

Bidding farewell to his parents, the son of vasudeva (kR^iShNa), having great splendour, told indra as follows, at the appropriate time.

 (kR^iShNa said) O the lord of deva-s! O the one who gives respect to others! The one with great soul, the great deva (shiva) directed me about asura-s residing inside the earth who deserve to be killed.

I shall kill those best among asura-s on the tenth day from today. This shall be overseen by the one with great soul, pravara.

The valiant jayanta will also take part in the slaying of asura-s. One will be a human being and the other will be a son of a deva.

Those asura-s, proud due to the boon given by brahma, can not be killed even by deva-s. It seems that they are to be killed by us, who are human beings.

 (vaishampAyana continued :) hari (indra), pleased, said, let it be, to kR^iShNa. O janamejaya! Then the deva-s (indra and kR^iShNa) embraced each other.