(O janamejaya!) Then lord viShNu, the lord with a soul having numerous forms of life, which are difficult to comprehend, the lord of yAdava-s (kR^iShNa, viShNu) went to see the place on the north bank of the river ga~Nga where he himself had performed penance before.

hari(viShNu, kR^iShNa) himself entered the forest of penance.

Entering the place, he (kR^iShNa) looked for a long time, at the place which makes the mind happy. Then he sat in the sacred hermitage, which increases the merit (of the onlooker).

The one having eyes as beautiful as the lotus flower engaged his mind in meditation. The Lord of the world, the Lord of gods was fixed in meditation, chanting something.

As the preceptor of gods (viShNu, kR^iShNa) was fixed in meditation like a flame blazing steadily at a place devoid of air, a highly terrible sound was heard all around.

Eat, eat, enjoy, go after the animals and send them here by the pleasure of the one who holds the bow shAr~Nga in his hands (kR^iShNa).

Here is viShNu, here is kR^iShNa, here is the lord hari, here is the one who does not suffer a fall. We bow to the lord of gods, viShNu! O lord! O mAdhava! O keshava!

Great sounds such as these were heard in the night, followed immediately by the loud roars of lions, the enemy of animals (such as deer and antelopes).

O king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) The barking sounds of dogs pursuing the animals (such as deer and antelopes), the sounds of terrified animals, sounds of bears and roars of tigers,

the trumpeting of elephants in rut - All these loud sounds were heard, O king, (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued), like an ocean, agitated by a terrible storm.

Sounds stunning all the three worlds were heard in the night. Hearing these loud sounds, hari (kR^iShNa) who was engaged in meditation there,

the lord of the world (kR^iShNa ), was disturbed from the meditation and he took a deep breath. Immediately he thought: What is this great sound?

Whose sound is like this which is combined with my praise? Oh! There is also the barking sound of dogs running in the forest during hunting.

mR^igANAmatha sarveShAM nAdashcha sumahAnayam |
vyAmishrastutiyuktAbhirvAgbhirmama samaMtataH || 3-78-14

All around there are terrible sounds of animals mixed with words praising me.

iti sa~nchintya manasA disho viprekShya sarvataH |
tata Aste haristatra j~nAtuM tatra samudbhavaM ||3-78-15

O king! (janamejaya, vaishampAyana continued) Thinking like this in his mind and looking in all directions, hari (kR^iShNa) sat there to know about the source of the sounds.

tato mR^igaH samAdhAvanyatra tiShTati keshavaH |
tAMshchaivAnucharo rAjansagaNaH samapadyata ||16

Then animals came running to the place where keshava (kR^iShNa) was seated. O king! (janamejaya, vaishampAyana continued) Following the animals, the followers with their groups (dogs) also arrived.

atha vai dIpikA rAja~nChatasho.atha sahasrashaH |
tatastasmo.api vyanashad diveva samapadyata ||3-78-17

Then O king! Hundred thousand torches appeared there. Darkness was banished and there was light all around, as if it was day.

tato.nu bhUtasa~NghAshcha samadR^ishyanta tatra ha |
pishAchAshcha mahAghorA nardanto bahu visvanam ||3-78-18

Then groups of bhUta-s were seen there all around. Many highly terrible pishAcha-s were roaring in many ways.

bhakShayanto.atha pishitaM pibanto rudhiraM bahu |
prAdurAsanmahAghorAH pishAchA vikR^itAnanAH ||3-78-19

The highly terrible pishAcha-s, having deformed faces were seen eating flesh as well as drinking blood.

hanyamAnA hatA rAjanpatantaH patitA mR^igAH |
itashchetashcha dhAvanto bANairviddhA mR^igA dvipaH ||3-78-20

O king! (janamejaya, vaishampAyana continued) The animals such as deer and elephants, were seen as killing as well as being killed, as falling and being felled, running here and there, split by arrows.

tato mR^igasahasrANi samidIrNAni bhArata |
yatrAsau tiShThate devastatra yAtA nirantaram ||3-78-21

Then O bhArata! ( janamejaya, vaishampAyana continued) Thousands of animals arrived and assembled at the place where the Lord (kR^iShNa) was sitting.

antarIkR^itya deveshaM sthitAnItyanushushruma |

We hear that those animals assembled all around the Lord of gods (kR^iShNa)

pishAchyo vikR^itAkArAH karAlA romaharShaNAH ||3-78-22
putravatyaH samApeturyatra tiShThati keshavaH |

The terrible pishAcha-s with deformed faces, who are capable of making the hair stand erect due to fear, along with their sons, arrived at the place where keshava (kR^iShNa) was seated.

shvagaNastatra rAjendra charatyeva tatastataH ||3-78-23
tataH sa bhagavAnviShNuH sarvamAlokya viShTitaH |

O the indra of kings! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) Groups of dogs were running here and there. Then Lord viShNu (kR^iShNa) who was surrounded by them, saw everything.

vismayaM paramaM gatvA pashyannAste sma keshavaH ||3-78-24

With high wonder, keshava (kR^iShNa) watched everything.

kasyaiShA visR^ito nAdaH kasya vAyaM jano.apatat |
ko nu mAM stauti bhaktyA vai bhaviShye prItimAnahaM ||3-78-25

Whose loud sound is this? Whose is this crowd which has arrived here? Who is praising me with devotion? I am becoming pleased with this.

kasya muktiH samAyAtA prIte mayi sudurlabhA |
iti sa~nchintya bhagavAnAste prAkR^itavaddhariH ||3-78-26

Who is getting the deliverance, which is highly difficult to obtain, since I am pleased? Thinking thus in his mind, Lord hari(kR^iShNa) was seated in a normal manner.

iti shrImAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi kailAsayAtrAyAM aShTasaptatitamo.adhyAyaH

This is the seventy-eighth lesson of bhaviShyaparva, harivaMsha, khila of mahabhArata, in kalAsayAtra, samAdhi of KR^iShNa

##Itranslated by G. Shchhaufelberger, schhaufel@wanadoo.fr July 22, 2008
Proof-read by K S Rmachandran, ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca.
If you find any errors compared to Chitrashala Press edition, send corrections to A. Harindranath harindranath_a @ yahoo.com
Translated to English by A. Purushothaman [purushothaman_avaroth @ yahoo.com] and A. Harindranath
January 26, 2013 ##