भीष्म उवाच चेदिराजकुले जातस्त्र्यक्ष एष चतुर्भुजः। रासभारावसदृशं ररास च ननाद च॥
Bhishma said This Shishupala was born with three eyes and four hands in the dynasty of the kings of Chedi. As soon as he was born, he screamed and brayed like an ass.
तेनास्य मातापितरौ त्रेसतुस्तौ सबान्धवौ। वैकृतं तस्य तौ दृष्ट्वा त्यागायाकुरुतां मतिम्॥
His father and mother along with all their relatives were struck with fear (on seeing this fearful phenomenon). seeing these evil omens, they resolved to abandon him.
ततः सभार्यं नृपतिं सामात्यं सपुरोहितम्। चिन्तासम्मूढहृदयं वागुवाचाशरीरिणी॥
But at that time an invisible voice (thus) said to the king and his wife with their ministers and priest, all of whose hearts were paralysed by anxiety.
एष ते नृपतेः पुत्रः श्रीमाञ्जातो बलाधिकः। तस्मादस्मान्न भेतव्यमव्यगः पाहि वै शिशुम्॥
The Voice said. O king, this your son, who has been (just) born, will become fortunate and superior in strength. Therefore you have no fear from him. Cherish this child without (any) anxiety.
न च वै तस्य मृत्युर्वै न कालः प्रत्युपस्थितः। मृत्युहन्तास्य शस्त्रेण स चोत्पन्नो नराधिप।॥
O king, he will not die. His time is not yet come. He that will kill him with weapons has also been born.
संश्रुत्योदाहृतं वाक्यं भूतमन्तर्हितं ततः। पुत्रस्नेहाभिसंतप्ता जननी वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥
Bhishma said. Having heard these words, the mother becoming anxious by affection for her son, spoke thus to the invisible being.
येनेदमीरितं वाक्यं ममैतं तनयं प्रति। प्राञ्जलिस्तं नमस्यामि ब्रवीतु स पुनर्वचः॥ याथातथ्येन भगवान् देवो वा यदि वेतरः। श्रोतुमिच्छामि पुत्रस्य कोऽस्य मृत्युभविष्यति॥
"I bow with joined hands to him that has uttered these words regarding my son. Let him (the invisible being), whether he is an exalted god or any other being, tell me another word. I desire to hear who will be the slayer of this my son".
अन्तर्भूतं ततो भूतमुवाचेदं पुनर्वचः। यस्योत्सङ्गे गृहीतस्य भुजावभ्यधिकावुभौ॥ पतिष्यतः क्षितितले पञ्चशीर्षाविवोरगौ। तृतीयमेतद् बालस्य ललाटस्थं तु लोचनम्॥ निमज्जिष्यति यं दृष्ट्वा सोऽस्य मृत्युभविष्यति। त्र्यक्षं चतुर्भुजं श्रुत्वा तथा च समुदाहृतम्॥
The invisible being then again said, "He, upon whose lap this child being taken, his extra arms will fall down on the ground like a pair of five headed snakes, and observing whom his third eyes on the forehead will disappear, will be his slayer." Having heard of the child's three eyes and five arms and also of the words of the invisible being.
पृथिव्यां पार्थिवाः सर्वे अभ्यागच्छन् दिदृक्षवः। तान् पूजयित्वा सम्प्राप्तान् यथार्ह स महीपतिः॥
All the kings of the world came to see him. The (Chedi) king worshipped the monarchs that came as each deserved.
एकैकस्य नृपस्याङ्के पुत्रमारोपयत् तदा। एवं राजसहस्राणां पृथक्त्वेन यथाक्रमम्॥ शिशुरङ्कसमारूढो न तत् प्राप निदर्शनम्। एतदेव तु संश्रुत्य द्वारवत्यां महाबलौ॥
And gave his child upon their laps one after the other. Thus the child was placed on the laps of one thousand kings one after the other. But what was heard (from the invisible being) did not come to pass. having heard this (about the child) at Dvaravati, the two greatly powerful heroes.
ततश्चेदिपुरं प्राप्तौ संकर्षणजनार्दनौ। यादवी यादवीं द्रष्टुं स्वसारं तौ पितुस्तदा॥
The Yadu princes, Sankarashans (Valadeva) and Janarddana (Krishna) went to the capital of the Chedi (king) to see their aunt, the princess of the Yadu race (the queen of the Chedi king).
अभिवाद्य यथान्यायं यथाश्रेष्ठं नृपं च ताम्। कुशलानामयं पृष्ट्वा निषण्णौ रामकेशवौ।॥
Saluting every body according to his rank and saluting also the king and the queen and inquiring after every body's welfare, Rama and Keshava (Balaram and Krishna) took their seats.
साभ्यर्च्य तौ तदा वीरौ प्रीत्या चाभ्यधिकं ततः। पुत्रं दामोदरोत्सङ्गे देवी संन्यदधात् स्वयम्॥
When those two heroes were duly worshipped, the queen with great pleasure and joy herself placed the child on the lap of Damodara (Krishna).
न्यस्तमात्रस्य तस्याङ्के भुजावभ्यधिकावुभौ। पेततुस्तच्च नयनं न्यमज्जत ललाटजम्॥
As soon as the child was placed on his lap, his extra arms fell down and the eye on his forehead disappeared.
तद् दृष्ट्वा व्यथिता जस्ता वरं कृष्णमयाचत। दद व मे वरं कृष्ण भयार्ताया महाभुज॥
Seeing this, the queen became alarmed and aggrieved, she begged Krishna to grant her a boon. (She said), O mighty armed hero, I am afflicted with fear; grant me a boon.
त्वं वार्तानां समाश्वासो भीतानामभयप्रदः। एवमुक्तस्ततः कृष्णः सोऽब्रवीद् यदुनन्दनः॥
You are the assuager of all men afflicted with grief; you are the dispeller of every body's fear". Having been thus addressed, the : descendant of Yadu, Krishna replied.
मा भैस्त्वं देवि धर्मज्ञे न मत्तोऽस्ति भयं तव। ददामि कं वरं च करवाणि पितृष्वसः॥
"O lady, do not be alarmed. O virtuous queen, you have no fear from me. O aunt, what boon shall I give you? What shall I do?
शक्यं वा यदि वाशक्यं करिष्यामि वचस्तव। एवमुक्ता ततः कृष्णमब्रवीद् यदुनन्दनम्॥
Whether I am able or not, I shall do what you will say." Having been thus addressed, she thus spoke to the descendant of Yadu, Krishna.
शिशुपालस्यापराधान् क्षमेथास्त्वं महाबला मत्कृते यदुशार्दूल विद्ध्येनं मे वरं प्रभो॥
"O greatly powerful hero, O best of the Yadu race, you will have to pardon for my sake the offence committed by Shishupala. O lord, know, this is the boon I ask”.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच अपराधशतं क्षाम्यं मया ह्यस्य पितृष्वसः। पुत्रस्य ते वधार्हस्य मा त्वं शोके मनः कृथाः॥
Krishna Said O Aunt, even when he will deserve to be killed, in such one hundred (occasions of) offences of this (Shishupala), I will pardon him. Do not be (therefore) aggrieved.
भीष्म उवाच एवमेष नृपः पापः शिशुपालः सुमन्दधीः। त्वां समाह्वयते वीर गोविन्दवरदर्पितः॥
Bhishma said. O Bhima, such is this wretch Shishupala, a king with a wicked heart. Being proud for the boon granted by Govinda (Krishna), he now calls you to battle.