Srimad Bhagavatam

Canto 10: The Summum Bonum
Chapter 57: Satrajit Murdered, the Jewel Returned

Text 0: Chapter Summary
Text 1: ÅšrÄ« BÄdarÄyaṇi said: Although Lord Govinda was fully aware of what had actually occurred, when He heard reports that the PÄṇá¸avas and Queen KuntÄ« had burned to death, He went with Lord BalarÄma to the kingdom of the Kurus to fulfill the family obligations expected of Him.
Text 2: The two Lords met with BhÄ«á¹£ma, Ká¹›pa, Vidura, GÄndhÄrÄ« and Droṇa. Showing sorrow equal to theirs, They cried out, “Alas, how painful this is!â€
Text 3: Taking advantage of this opportunity, O King, AkrÅ«ra and Ká¹›tavarmÄ went to ÅšatadhanvÄ and said, “Why not take the Syamantaka jewel?
Text 4: “SatrÄjit promised his jewellike daughter to us but then gave her to Kṛṣṇa instead, contemptuously neglecting us. So why should SatrÄjit not follow his brother’s path?â€
Text 5: His mind thus influenced by their advice, wicked ÅšatadhanvÄ murdered SatrÄjit in his sleep simply out of greed. In this way the sinful ÅšatadhanvÄ shortened his own life span.
Text* 6: As the women of SatrÄjit’s palace screamed and helplessly wept, ÅšatadhanvÄ took the jewel and left, like a butcher after he has killed some animals.
Text 7: When SatyabhÄmÄ saw her dead father, she was plunged into grief. Lamenting “My father, my father! Oh, I am killed!†she fell unconscious.
Text* 8: Queen SatyabhÄmÄ put her father’s corpse in a large vat of oil and went to HastinÄpura, where she sorrowfully told Lord Kṛṣṇa, who was already aware of the situation, about her father’s murder.
Text* 9: When Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord BalarÄma heard this news, O King, They exclaimed, “Alas! This is the greatest tragedy for Us!†Thus imitating the ways of human society, They lamented, Their eyes brimming with tears.
Text* 10: The Supreme Lord returned to His capital with His wife and elder brother. After arriving in DvÄrakÄ, He readied Himself to kill ÅšatadhanvÄ and retrieve the jewel from him.
Text* 11: Upon learning that Lord Kṛṣṇa was preparing to kill him, ÅšatadhanvÄ was struck with fear. To save his life he approached Ká¹›tavarmÄ and begged him for help, but Ká¹›tavarmÄ replied as follows.
Text 12-13: [Ká¹›tavarmÄ said:] I dare not offend the Supreme Lords, Kṛṣṇa and BalarÄma. Indeed, how can one who troubles Them expect any good fortune? Kaá¹sa and all his followers lost both their wealth and their lives because of enmity toward Them, and after battling Them seventeen times JarÄsandha was left without even a chariot.
Text* 14: His appeal refused, ÅšatadhanvÄ went to AkrÅ«ra and begged him for protection. But AkrÅ«ra similarly told him, “Who would oppose the two Personalities of Godhead if he knew Their strength?
Text 15: “It is the Supreme Lord who creates, maintains and destroys this universe simply as His pastime. The cosmic creators cannot even understand His purpose, bewildered as they are by His illusory MÄyÄ.
Text* 16: “As a child of seven, Kṛṣṇa uprooted an entire mountain and held it aloft as easily as a young boy picks up a mushroom.
Text* 17: “I offer my obeisances to that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, whose every deed is amazing. He is the Supreme Soul, the unlimited source and fixed center of all existence.â€
Text 18: His appeal thus rejected by AkrÅ«ra also, ÅšatadhanvÄ placed the precious jewel in AkrÅ«ra’s care and fled on a horse that could travel one hundred yojanas [eight hundred miles].
Text* 19: My dear King, Kṛṣṇa and BalarÄma mounted Kṛṣṇa’s chariot, which flew the flag of Garuá¸a and was yoked with tremendously swift horses, and pursued Their elder’s murderer.
Text* 20: In a garden on the outskirts of MithilÄ, the horse ÅšatadhanvÄ was riding collapsed. Terrified, he abandoned the horse and began to flee on foot, with Kṛṣṇa in angry pursuit.
Text* 21: As ÅšatadhanvÄ fled on foot, the Supreme Lord, also going on foot, cut off his head with His sharp-edged disc. The Lord then searched ÅšatadhanvÄ’s upper and lower garments for the Syamantaka jewel.
Text* 22: Not finding the jewel, Lord Kṛṣṇa went to His elder brother and said, “We have killed ÅšatadhanvÄ uselessly. The jewel isn’t here.â€
Text* 23: To this Lord BalarÄma replied, “Indeed, ÅšatadhanvÄ must have placed the jewel in the care of someone. You should return to Our city and find that person.
Text 24: “I wish to visit King Videha, who is most dear to Me.†O King, having said this, Lord BalarÄma, the beloved descendant of Yadu, entered the city of MithilÄ.
Text* 25: The King of MithilÄ immediately rose from his seat when he saw Lord BalarÄma approaching. With great love the King honored the supremely worshipable Lord by offering Him elaborate worship, as stipulated by scriptural injunctions.
Text* 26: The almighty Lord BalarÄma stayed in MithilÄ for several years, honored by His affectionate devotee Janaka MahÄrÄja. During that time Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra’s son Duryodhana learned from BalarÄma the art of fighting with a club.
Text 27: Lord KeÅ›ava arrived in DvÄrakÄ and described the demise of ÅšatadhanvÄ and His own failure to find the Syamantaka jewel. He spoke in a way that would please His beloved, SatyabhÄmÄ.
Text* 28: Lord Kṛṣṇa then had the various funeral rites performed for His deceased relative, SatrÄjit. The Lord attended the funeral along with well-wishers of the family.
Text* 29: When AkrÅ«ra and Ká¹›tavarmÄ, who had originally incited ÅšatadhanvÄ to commit his crime, heard that he had been killed, they fled DvÄrakÄ in terror and took up residence elsewhere.
Text 30: In AkrÅ«ra’s absence ill omens arose in DvÄrakÄ, and the citizens began to suffer continually from physical and mental distresses, as well as from disturbances caused by higher powers and by creatures of the earth.
Text 31: Some men proposed [that the troubles were due to Akrūra’s absence], but they had forgotten the glories of the Supreme Lord, which they themselves had so often described. Indeed, how can calamities occur in a place where the Personality of Godhead, the residence of all the sages, resides?
Text 32: [The elders said:] Previously, when Lord Indra had withheld rain from KÄsÄ« [Benares], the king of that city gave his daughter GÄndinÄ« to Åšvaphalka, who was then visiting him. It soon rained in the kingdom of KÄśī.
Text* 33: Wherever his equally powerful son Akrūra stays, Lord Indra will provide sufficient rain. Indeed, that place will be free of miseries and untimely deaths.
Text 34: Hearing these words from the elders, Lord JanÄrdana, though aware that the absence of AkrÅ«ra was not the only cause of the evil omens, had him summoned back to DvÄrakÄ and spoke to him.
Text 35-36: Lord Kṛṣṇa honored AkrÅ«ra, greeted him confidentially and spoke pleasant words with him. Then the Lord, who was fully aware of AkrÅ«ra’s heart by virtue of His being the knower of everything, smiled and addressed him: “O master of charity, surely the opulent Syamantaka jewel was left in your care by ÅšatadhanvÄ and is still with you. Indeed, We have known this all along.
Text 37: “Since SatrÄjit had no sons, his daughter’s sons should receive his inheritance. They should pay for memorial offerings of water and piṇá¸a, clear their grandfather’s outstanding debts and keep the remainder of the inheritance for themselves.
Text 38-39: “Nevertheless, the jewel should remain in your care, O trustworthy AkrÅ«ra, because no one else can keep it safely. But please show the jewel just once, since My elder brother does not fully believe what I have told Him about it. In this way, O most fortunate one, you will pacify My relatives. [Everyone knows you have the jewel, for] you are now continually performing sacrifices on altars of gold.â€
Text 40: Thus shamed by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s conciliatory words, the son of Śvaphalka brought out the jewel from where he had concealed it in his clothing and gave it to the Lord. The brilliant gem shone like the sun.
Text 41: After the almighty Lord had shown the Syamantaka jewel to His relatives, thus dispelling the false accusations against Him, He returned it to Akrūra.
Text 42: This narration, rich with descriptions of the prowess of Lord Śrī Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, removes sinful reactions and bestows all auspiciousness. Anyone who recites, hears or remembers it will drive away his own infamy and sins and attain peace.