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The seventy-seventh chapter
366. Hearing those words, Kamsa himself tried to accomplish those three feats, but being unable to do so, he gave up the attempt, being overwhelmed by great fear. ||444||
To test who could accomplish this feat, the fearful Kamsa had a proclamation made in the city that whoever could ascend the serpent-bed, blow the conch with one hand, and string the bow with the other hand effortlessly, would be given his daughter in marriage. ||445-446||
Hearing this proclamation, many kings came to Mathurapuri. From the royal palace, Kamsa's brother-in-law, Svarbhanu, who was as radiant as the sun, was coming with his son, Bhanu, with great pomp and splendor. He wanted to stop at the bank of the lake in Godhavana, where large snakes resided, but when he learned from the cowherd boys that it was impossible to take water from this lake except by Krishna, he called Krishna to him and kept his army in place. ||447-450||
Seizing the opportunity, Krishna asked King Svarbhanu, "O King! Where are you going?" Then he told Krishna the whole purpose of going to Mathura. Hearing this, Krishna asked again, "Can people like us also do this feat?" Hearing Krishna's question, Svarbhanu thought, "This is not just a child, he seems to have great merit." With this thought, he replied to Krishna, "If you are capable of doing this feat, then come with us." Saying this, Svarbhanu took Krishna with him like his own son. Going to Mathura, they saw Kamsa as was proper, and then they also saw all those people who were trying to subdue the serpent-bed, etc., but whose pride was broken because they were unsuccessful. Shri Krishna stood near Bhanu and accomplished all three feats, and then, at the signal of Svarbhanu, he quickly returned to Vrindavan. ||451-455||
"This feat has been done by Bhanu," some guards told Kamsa, and some said, "This feat has not been done by Bhanu, but by some other young man." ||456||
Hearing this, King Kamsa said, "If this is so, then let that other young man be searched for. Whose son is he? What is his lineage? And where does he live? The girl will be given to him." ||457||
On the other hand, when Nandagopa was fully convinced that his son was capable of accomplishing this feat, he fled in fear with the cowherd community. ||458||
He will take the kingdom with the seven jewels of the wheel. ||143||
Kamsa tried to accomplish those three feats himself, but he was unable to do so and gave up the attempt, being overwhelmed by great fear. ||444||