{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/vp/vp139.htm","path":"hin/vp/vp139.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp139.htm","text":"The Vishnu Purana, translated by Horace Hayman Wilson, [1840]\nJar\u00e1sandha besieges Mathur\u00e1; is defeated, but repeatedly renews the attack.\nPAR\u00c1\u015aARA.--The mighty Kansa had married the two daughters of Jar\u00e1sandha, one named Asti, the other Pr\u00e1pt\u00ed. Jar\u00e1sandha was king of Magadh\u00e1, and a very powerful prince 1; who, when he heard that Krish\u0144a had killed his son-in-law, was much incensed, and, collecting a large force, marched against Mathur\u00e1, determined to put the Y\u00e1davas and Krish\u0144a to the sword. Accordingly he invested the city with three and twenty numerous divisions of his forces 2. R\u00e1ma and Jan\u00e1rddana sallied from the town with a slender, but resolute force, and fought bravely with the armies of Magadh\u00e1. The two youthful leaders prudently resolved to have recourse to their ancient weapons, and accordingly the bow of Hari, with two quivers filled with exhaustless arrows, and the mace called Kaumodaki, and the ploughshare of Balabhadra, as well as the club Saunanda, descended at a wish from heaven. Armed with these weapons, they speedily discomfited the king of Magadh\u00e1 and his hosts, and reentered the city in triumph.\nAlthough the wicked king of Magadh\u00e1, Jar\u00e1sandha, was defeated, yet Krish\u0144a knew that whilst he escaped alive he was not subdued; and in fact he soon returned with a mighty force, and was again forced by R\u00e1ma and Krish\u0144a to fly. Eighteen times 3 did the haughty prince of Magadh\u00e1 renew his attack upon the Y\u00e1davas, headed by Krish\u0144a; and was as often defeated and put to the rout by them, with very inferior numbers. That the Y\u00e1davas were not overpowered by their foes, was owing to the present might of the portion of the discus-armed Vish\u0144u.\n[paragraph continues] It was the pastime of the lord of the universe, in his capacity of man, to launch various weapons against his enemies; for what effort of power to annihilate his foes could be necessary to him, whose fiat creates and destroys the world? but as subjecting himself to human customs, he formed alliances with the brave, and engaged in hostilities with the base. He had recourse to the four devices of policy, or negotiation, presents, sowing dissension, and chastisement; and sometimes even betook himself to flight. Thus imitating the conduct of human beings, the lord of the world pursued at will his sports.\n563:2 With twenty-three Akshouhinis, each consisting of 109,300 infantry, 65,610 horse, 22,870 chariots, and as many elephants. The Hari Van\u015ba enumerates, as the allies or tributaries of Jar\u00e1sandha, a number of princes from various parts of India, but this is a gratuitous embellishment.\n563:3 The Bh\u00e1gavata and Hari Van\u015ba say 'seventeen times.' The latter indulges in a prolix description of the first encounter; nothing of which occurs in the Bh\u00e1gavata, any more than in our text.","title":"The Vishnu Purana: Book V: Chapter XXII","type":"page"}