UC-NRLF B M Q2t> bflD PREMA-SAGARA OR OCEAN OF LOVE THE PREMA-SAGARA OR OCEAN OF LOVE BEING A LITERAL TRANSLATION OF THE HINDI TEXT OF LALLU LAL KAVI AS EDITED BY THE LATE PROFESSOR EASTWICK, FULLY ANNOTATED AND EXPLAINED GRAMMATICALLY, IDIOMATICALLY AND EXEGETICALLY BY FREDERIC PINCOTT (MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY), AUTHOR OF THE HINDI MANUAL, THE S'AKUNTALA IN HINDI, TRANSLATOR OF THE SANSKRIT HITOPADES'A. ETC., ETC. WESTMINSTER ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE & CO. 2, Whitehall Gardens, S.W. i8q7 LONDON : PRINTED BY GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, LD., ■!T. JiIHn's house, CLEKKENWELL ROAD, E.C. o A20 TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE It is well known to all who have given thought to the languages of India that the Hindi, or Bhasha as the people themselves call it, is the most widely diffused and most important language of India. There are, of course, the great provincial languages — the Bengali, Marathi, Panjabi, Gujarati, Telugu, and Tamil — which are spoken by immense numbers of people, and a knowledge of which is essential to those whose lot is cast in the districts where they are spoken ; but the Bhasha of northern India towers high above them all, both on account of the number of its speakers and the important administrative and commercial interests which attach to the vast stretch of territory in which it is the current form of speech. The various forms of this great Bhasha con- stitute the mother-tongue of about eighty-six millions of people, that is, a population almost as great as those of the French and German empires combined ; and they cover the important region stretching from the Rajmahal hills on the east to Sindh on the west ; and from Kashmir on the north to the borders of the Nizam's territory on the south. Necessarily there are differences, both verbal and grammatical, over a district of this vast extent ; but these differences arrange themselves under two great divi- sions, which have been called respectively the Eastern and the Western Hindi. Of these the Western Hindi is now the more important of the two, on account of the extensive literature which it has produced, and is yearly expanding ; and because of political, commercial, and social considerations. One of the pioneers in the modern literature of this Western Hindi was S'ri Lallu Lai Kavi, Bhasha Munshi in the College of Fort William at the beginning of this century. He was the author of several volumes, the most famed of which are the Raja-iuti^ written in the dialect of Braj, and the Pmua-Sagara^ composed in what is now termed the classical form of Hindi. This latter book has 222730 vi ' Preface always been treated as the first reading-book placed in the hands of Hindi students, and it will long remain a book of primary value to every European resident in northern India. It is a book perfect familiarity with the contents of which is absolutely essential to the missionary ; for it contains the life-work of that revelation of Deity which commands the most absorbing interest among the people of India. The two great objects of worship in modern India, whose influence extends to every act of life, are Rama and Krishna ; the former being the exemplar of heroism and fidelity, and the latter the type of supreme love. The in- cidents in the lives of these adored beings are f;:\miliar to every Hindu throughout the length and breadth of India, and no Western person can understand the people, and no missionary can address himself advantageously to the work of his calling, until he has made himself master of the facts, the philosophy, and the spiritual import of the records enshrined in the Raina- yana of Tiilsl Das, and the story of Krishna's life as related in the Bhagavad-Gitd. It is the latter work which was presented to his countrymen in their great vernacular by Lallu Lai in the Preina-Sagara, a translation of which into English is given in the present volume. The passionate adoration which Hindus feel for S'ri Krishna is conveyed in the following words, quoted from an Indian newspaper of December 27th, 1892 : — *' We cannot but place him in the front rank of those who are regarded by the unanimous voice of all mankind as the spiritual lights which lead men to salvation. All his actions were Nish- kama [without desire], and he left his body while in Samadhi [holy meditation]. He is regarded by the greatest Rishis of this land as the Purna Brahma [perfect God], the incarnation of the Absolute. If one desires to see the very embodiment of the Vedanta philosophy, he will not be satisfied with Buddha or S'ankara, with Rama or Christ, with Muhammad or Chaitanya ; the spiritual grandeur of S'ri Krishna alone will shine before him like the absolute space from whose standpoint the million-fold curtain of Maya is non-existent." Such being the esteem in which S'ri Krishna is held, it is clear that no book could be better suited to the missionary, the teacher, and others who are called upon to mix among the people, in order to learn the great vernacular of India, than the Prema- Sdgara of Lallu Lai. This, in fact, has been the chief use to Preface vii which the book has been put by Europeans, and it must long continue to fulfil that office. The first edition of the text, containing only half of the story, was published in 1805 ; and it was not until 18 10 that Lallii Lai completed the text, and reprinted the whole in a single volume. In 1825 the third edition appeared, with the addition of a vocabulary ; and in 1831 another edition followed. Eleven years after this last, in 1842, a carefully revised edition by Pandit Yoga Dhyan Misra was published under the patronage of the Government in India. Then in 185 1 followed the standard text of Professor Eastwick, which was printed at Hertford under the liberal patronage of the Honourable Court of Directors ; and this has remained the text-book to the present day. There have been two translations into English of this popular and useful work ; one by Captain W. Rollings, of the 47th Regiment Bengal Native Infantry, and the other by Professor Eastwick himself. Captain Hollings's translation from one of the early editions is original and valuable, and the translator's intimate relations with Indians, and familiarity with colloquial Hindi and the ideas current among the people, enabled him to catch the meaning of phrases that would have proved obscure, or even unintelligible, to others less specially qualified. Unfortunately the Captain was a busy man rather than a scholar, and cannot have given sus- tained attention to the whole of his task. The result is a work of uneven merit, which cannot meet the requirements of a student of Hindi. Professor Eastwick made his translation expressly for the use of learners, and states in his Preface that '' every endeavour has been used to make it as literal as possible, without rendering it altogether unintelligible." A comparison between translation and text, however, fails to support this claim ; for the Professor constantly departs from the form of his text for the purpose of miparting a quaintness to his English rendering, and sometimes apparently for no other object than that of presenting the ideas in a manner differing from that of Captain Hollings. Here and there, however, perhaps accidentally, he agrees with the Captain in omitting entire sentences, which are nevertheless found in his own Hindi text. Professor Eastwick also occasionally alters ideas which may have been deemed inelegant, such as changing " an umbrella '' into " a canopy," and " a cuckoo " into '' a bird," viii Preface because in England people do not consider a cuckoo to be a sweet songster. He omits the phrase " with gait like an elephant " when applied to a lady for similar reasons ; and changes " a young man " into " a man of extremely youthful appearance." His translation is furthermore, in many places, at variance with his own text, which is the one he is supposed to be rendering, and he even changes interrogations into affirma- tions. In fact, the Professor's translation is very far from literal, even to the extent of furnishing equivalents for all the sentences as they occur. Poetic effect seems also to have been studied, and words are introduced for which no equivalents are to be found in the original, while points of idiom elsewhere are passed over untranslated. The defects here indicated must have greatly detracted from the utility of the Professor's work. The translation of Professor Eastwick has, however, long been out of print, and the high price obtained for such copies as occasionally change hands is a sufficient indication that a transla- tion of the Prema-Sagara is still in demand. Unfortunately for India, Hindi has not received the encouragement which its im- portance deserves, and it is, therefore, only the trader, teacher, and missionary, who, impelled by necessity, give attention to its study. The consequence is that those desirous of learning this rich, expressive, and useful language are left very much to their own resources. It is to meet this state of things that the present translation of Professor Eastwick's text has been prepared. It has been brought to the level of a beginner who, having acc^uired the elements of the language from a Grammar, takes up the Prema-Sagara as a text-book without any instructor to guide his first attempts at reading, translating, and acquiring Hindi style. No attempt has, therefore, been made to offer anything else than a faithful translation, sentence by sentence, for the practically useful purpose of teaching the learner the exact mean- ing of each phrase, and the explanation of every idiomatic turn as it occurs. It is a book of instruction, and it keeps to that useful purpose throughout. Any attempt to render the literal translation of such a book pleasant reading is worse than viseless ; for, in works like the present, where both the ideas and the idioms of the languages concerned are so violently in contrast with each other, accuracy must inevitably be sacrificed to style, and even to secure the humbler object of well-rounded sentences. Preface ix Those who use this translation must remember that its sole object is to teach the language by giving an accurate rendering of each phrase, and by explaining every idiom in a book the contents of which ought to be known by every European residing in India. The method of translation here adopted has, therefore, been one suited to the progress of the learner. The first chapter is as closely literal as the English language permits, preserving, as far as possible, the very structure of the Hindi sentences, so that the student may realize the logical sequence of ideas in the Indian mind. All words needed to complete the sense are carefully marked by brackets, and all unusual idiomatic constructions are explained. In the second chapter the translation is still quite literal, and all supplementary words are indicated, but a choice of expression has been allowed, showing the adverbial character of the Conjunctive Participle, &c., &c. In the third chapter the structure of the Hindi sentence is less rigidly adhered to ; for by this time the student may be supposed to have acquired some familiarity with Indian methods of thought. In this way, while still translating literally sentence by sentence, a little more play is allowed to the English language, and in the latter half of the book the brackets have been omitted. Throughout the entire book the literalness of the translation is consistently maintained ; but the notes on idioms, &c., neces- sarily diminish as the book proceeds. It is a mistake to suppose that the study of a language is facilitated by placing obstacles in the path of a student under the fallacious idea that it makes him think. The too common result is that it disheartens him, and gives him wrong notions at the beginning of his course, thereby rendering subsequent progress needlessly difficult. The object of this translation is to facilitate progress, and to make the path more easy, so that the student may be encouraged by rapid and real progress, and may acquire a correct idea of the structure of the language he is endeavouring to learn. This help is especially needful in the case of Hindi, because, in most cases, it has to be acquired without tutorial assistance. It has already been stated that this is a translation of Professor Eastwick's text of the Frcina-Sagara^ because that has long been the standard text, and is the only version generally available. The text is, however, disfigured by a plentiful crop of misprints. X Preface and by eccentric and inconsistent spelling. In my notes I have directed attention only to such of these blemishes as affect the sense, or might confuse the learner. It is to be regretted that the transpositions of words indulged in by Lallu Lai from the childish desire to create assonances, were not put right by the Editor. AM these should have been swept out of the prose, and a consistent method of spelling should have been introduced. An entirely fresh Vocabulary is needed, giving all the words occurring in the text, and arranging them in alphabetical order, besides introducing the many very needful corrections. The subject is only alluded to here, lest the student might be occasion- ally puzzled by the differences between the renderings of this translation and some of the statements in that Vocabulary. Frederic Pincott. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. r.iiiksliit becomes Kins^ in Hastinapura — He iusulLs tlie Kishi Lomas — Is cursed by the sun of the Rishi — He repents of his sin, retires to the Ganges to die — He is there visited by the saintly S'ukadev, wlio recounts the surprising history of S'ri Krishna ; the hearing of which confers salvation on King Parikshit — -The birth of Kans — -His efforts to suppress the worship of Vishnu — The birth of Krishna announced . CHAPTER II. The marriage of Uevaki, Kans's sister, to Vasudev — The death of Kafis announced from heaven — His sister's eighth son is to be his destroyer — He attempts to slay his sister — Kills her first six sons — The birth of Balaram ............ CHAPTER III. 17 Kans persecutes the ^'aau family — -Balaram, before birth, transferred from Devaki to Rohini, by the miraculous interposition of Vishnu — Uevaki conceives Krishna — Kafis strictly guards her, to ensure the slaughter of this child .21 CHAPTER IV. Krishna is burn — Supernatural manifestations of joy thereat — Vasudev, by divine aid, conveys the child to Gokul, and leaves it with Jasoda, receiving in exchange a girl, miraculously born the same night . . 24 CHAPTER V. Kafis attempts to destroy the substituted girl — She escaj^es intu space — And derides Kails-- He learns that his future destroyer has escaped him — He persecutes the worshippers of Vishnu ..... 27 CHAPTER VI. Rejoicings in the house of Nand over the birth of Krishna — The cowherds seek to propitiate Kails — Vasudev warns them of their danger . . 29 CHAPTER VII. Kails sends Piitana, a demoness, to destroy Krishna — But the latter sucks out her life — She falls dead — The cowherds cut up her body . . 31 xii Contents CHAPTER VIII. I'AGE Festivities when Krishna is twenty-seven days ol J — Tiie demon S'akatasur attempts to destroy him, but is killed by Krishna — The demon Trinawart killed by Krishna when five months old • • • • 33 CHAPTER IX. Vasudev sends his family priest to name Balaram and Krishna— Krishna steals the butter-milk — And when cauglit contrives to escape — He eats dirt — .Vnd his mother beholds, instead, the three worlds in his mouth . 35 CHAPTER X. Churning as busily practised in Nand's house — Ktishna breaks the chuniing- sticks — Upsets the buttermilk — His mother ties him to a wooden mortar to stop his pranks ......... 39 CHAPTER XI. Krishna goes to release Nal and Kuvar from a curse pronounced in a former liirth — He drags the wooden mortar along with him — He tears up tlie trees in which the victims are confined — Their gratitude therefor 40 CHAPTER XII. The cowherds find Krishna by the uprooted trees — Nand and his followers escape from Gokul to Brindaban — Krishna, at five years old, slays the demon Bachchhasur, and the demon Bakasur . . . > . 42 CHAPTER XIII. The i-erpent-demon Aghasur swallows Krishna and all his companions — Krishna swells out monstrously and bursts the serpent .... 44 CHAPTER XIV. Pirahma steals away Krishna's companions and the cows, and confines them in a cave — Krishna creates illusive imitations of them — He frightens Brahma by causing his illusions to appear more god-like than the divinities ............ 45 CHAPTER XV. Brahma asks pardon of Krishna — He releases the real kine and cowherds, after a twelvemonth's incarceration ....... 47 CHAPTER XVI. Balaram slays the demon Dhenuk, whc) had assumed the form of an ass . 48 CHAPTER XVII. Krishija conquers the poisonous snake Kali — He compels him to remove his residence to Ramanaka Dwipa ....... 50 Contents xili CHAPTER XVIII. Krishna frightens his companions by producing a conflagration around them — He tranquillizes them by drinking it up 53 CHAPTER XIX. Balaram destroys the demon Pralamb, by blows of his fist • • • • 55 CHAPTER XX. Krishna provokes and extinguishes a second conflagration . . . . 56 CHAPTER XXI. Description of the Rainy Season . . . . . . . . -57 ^"^ CHAPTER XXII. The virtues of Krishna's flute extolled ....... 58 CHAPTER XXIII. Krishna steals the cowherdesses' clothes while they are bathing — He expounds the spiritual meaning of his action ..... 59 CHAPTER XXIV. Krishna sends to beg food from the Brahmans of Mathura — They refuse to give when asked — Tiieir wives, on the contrary, run with food — Spiritual reward of the women — T he husbands repent . . . . .62 CHAPTER XXV. Krishna seduces the cowherds from the worship of Indra — He induces them to worship the mountain Gobardhan — He personates that moun- tain-god for deceptive purposes ... . . ... 65 CHAPTER XXVI. Iiidra's anger — He attempts to destroy the cowherds— Krishna protects them by holding the mountain Gobardhan over them, on the tip of his finger ............. 69 CHAPTER XXVII. The astonishment ol the cowherds at this last miracle . . . . -71 CHAPTER XXVIII. Indra acknowledges Krishna's superiority . . . . . . .72 xiv Contents CHAPTER XXIX. TAGF. Nand is seized by the servants of Varuna while bathing in the Jumna ; but is released by Krishna — Varuna acknowledges his superiority — Krishna creates a heaven similar to that of \^ishnu, to gratify the curiosity of the people of Braj ........ 74 CHAPTER XXX. Krishna dances with the cowherdesses— He takes them lu the lake Manasarowar ........... 7^ CHAPTER XXXI. Krishna roams through the forest alone with Radhika — He suddenly deserts her ............ So CHAPTER XXXII. Krishna abandons all the cowherdesses, in order to test the strength of their affection 83 CHAPTER XXXIII. Krishna returns to the cowherdesses, and tells them why he left them . . 84 CHAPTER XXXIV. Krishna dances with the cowherdesses his special dance — The reason for the dance explained . . . . . ■ .... 86 CHAPTER XXXV. Krishna gives salvation to Sudarsan — He slays S'ankhachur, and gives his jewel to Balaram .......... 89 CHAPTER XXXVI. The cowherdesses sing the praises of Krishna ...... 91 CHAPTER XXXVII. Krishna slays an Asura in the form of a bull, and himself bathes at all the places of pilgrimage, miraculously brought together, to expiate the crime — Kans endeavours to entrap him at an entertainment — The mission of Akriir for that purpose ....... 92 CHAPTER XXXVIII. Krishna destroys the Asuras Kesi and Byomasur ...... 97 CHAPTER XXXIX. Akrur arrives at Brindaban, and delivers his message ..... 99 Contents xv chapter xl. I'ACF. Krishna accepts the invitation, and goes to Matliura with Nand and all the cowherds — Akrur, on the road, sees Krishna in his celestial form . loi CHAPTER XLI. Akrur celebrates the glory of Krishna ........ 105 CHAPTER XLH. Krishna and his companions enter Matlnua — Description of the citj' — Krishna robs the King's washerman, and then kills him . . . 106 CHAPTER XLHI. Kubja offers service to Krishna, and is promised a reward — Krishna breaks the bow of Mahadev, and slaughters the guard . . . . .110 CHAPTER XLIV. Krishna slays tlie elephant Kubaliya . . . . . . . .114 CHAPTER XLV. Krishna and Balaram engage in a wrestling match, and kill their antagonists — Krishna then slays Kans . . . 1 17 CHAPTER XLVI. Krishna releases Vasudev and Devaki from prison, places Ugrasen on the throne, and dismisses the cowherds to Brindaban- — -Krishna and Balaram are invested with the Brahmanical thread, and pursue Vedic studies — He slays the Asura S'ankhasur, and takes his shell as his own weapon . 119 CHAPTER XLVH. Krishna sends Udho to Brindaban to comfort the cowherds and covi^- herdesses ............ 128 CHAPTER XLVHI. Udho delivers his message — The cowherdesses are deeply distressed by it — They reproach Krishna for leaving them, but accept perforce the philosophy of tJdho 132 CHAPTER XLLX. Krishna redeems his promises to Kubja and Akrur ..... 138 CHAPTER L. Akrur is sent to Hastinapur to inquire after the Pandavas — He finds them tyrannized over by the Kauravas — End of the first half of the story , 130 XV i Contents CHAPTER LI. l-AGE Jurasindhu invades Mathuia with a vast army, but is defeated — lie attacks seventeen limes with fresh armies, and is each time defeated — Narad incites Kalayaman to attack Krishna, and he advances with nn army of barbarians — Krishna then abandons Mathura, and retires with his tribe to Dwaraka on the sea ........ 142 CHAPTER LH. Krislina lures Kalayaman into a cave, where he is killed by a glance from the awakened Muchukund — Krishna chased by Jurasindhu up a mountain, where he is supposed to be burnt up ; but he miraculously returns to Dwaraka — ^Jurasindhu occupies Mathura .... 147 CHAPTER LHI. yj The marriage of Balaram with Rewati — The birth of Rnkmini at Kundalpur '' ,_._.;^:;Ji£rbeaAilY^Her father discusses in council a suitable husband for -;,^— — her — Krishna is generally accepted — Rukma insists on the choice of S'isupal — Rukmini sends to Ki-ishna to lay her heart at his feet . .152 CHAPTER LIV, Krishna hurries to Kundalpur to secure Rukmini — He is followed by Balaram with an army — Rukmini's anxiety as to his timely arrival — Krishna, by arrangement, meets Rukmini at a temple of Devi, and carries her off . . . ■ . . . . . . .160 CHAPTER LV. S'isupal and Jurasindhu pursue Krishna with an army, but are defeated — • Rukma then attempts an attack, but is taken prisoner — Rukma is shaved and bound to Krishna's chariot — At the intercession of Rukmini he is released — Rukma then abandons Kundalpur, and founds the city of Bhojakatu — The marriage of Krishna at Dwaraka .... 16S CHAPTER LVI. The birth of Pradyumna — He is carried off by Sambar and cast into the sea — He is swallowed by a fish, and brought back to Sambar's kitchen — He is there nourished by Rati, by desire of Sambar — On attaining his majority he slays Sambar and carries off Rati . . . . .176 CHAPTER LVH. The wondrous jewel Sumantaka is obtained from the Sun by Satrajit — It is lost by his brother Prasen, and falls into the possession of Jamwant, a bear — Krishni recovers the jewel and returns it to Satrajit, and receives Satibhama in marriage as a recompense . . . . . 181 CHAPTER LVIII. Duryodhan attempts to murder the Pandavas — Krishna and Balaram hasten to Hastinapur to protect them— Akrur persuades Satadhanwa to revenL'e himself on Satrajit and to steal the wonderful jewel — Satadhanwa does Contents xvii PAGE SO, and gives the jewel to Akriir— The latter carries the gem to Prayag, and Bataram goes in search of it — A pestilence rages in Dwaraka ; but Akriir returns therewith the jewel and gives it to Krishna, who presents it to Satibhama 1S9 CHAPTER LIX. The adventures of Krishna and Balaram at Hastinapur — Krishna marries Kalindi — He directs the element Fire to satisfy his hunger by consum- ing a forest — Krishna stops the conflagration at the abode of a demon Maya, who builds a golden house for Krishna in return for his kindness — Krishna carries off Mitrabinda, Satya, and Bliadra . .197 CHAPTER LX. Bhaumasur carries off and conceals sixteen thousand one hundred princesses — Krishna slays him and marries the girls ...... 205 CHAPTER LXI. Krishna's conversation with his wife Rukmini . . . . • .213 CHAPTER LXH. Krishna's wives have ten sons and one daughter each — Pradyumna carries off Charumati, and has a son by her named Aniruddha — Balaram plays dice wuh Rukma— He is cheated, and slays Rukma .... 217 CHAPTER LXni. S'iva bestows a thousand arms on Vanasur, who begins to tear up mountains and trees — He wishes to fight with S'iva, but is diverted Irom doing so \ by an artifice— Vanasur's daughter falls in love with Aniruddha, and / brings him secretly into her apartments-^Vanasur discovers the affair, and captures and imprisons Aniruddha 223 CHAPTER LXIV. Krishna hears of his grandson's imprisonment, overcomes ^ anasur, and releases Aniruddha ....... . . 240 CHAPTER LXV. The story of Raja Nrig— He is changed into a lizard, and lives for ages in a dry well— He is released from this state by Krishna .... 249 CHAPTER LXVL Balaram visits Nand and Jasoda at Braj, and dances with the cowherdesscs . 253 a xviii Contents CHAPTER Lxvn. PAGE Paunrik assumes the appearance of Vishnu, and is worshipped as a god — He is accordingly slain by Krishna — -His son gets power from S'iva to revenge his father's death — His emissaries set fire to Dwaraka, but he is repuLed and slain by Krishna's discus ....... 258 CHAPTER LXVIII. Contest between Balaram and the monkey Dubid — The latter is slain . .261 CHAPTER LXIX. Sambu endeavours to carry off Lakshmaiia, the daughter of Duryodhan — He is takea prisoner — Balaram demands his release ; and on refusal, drags tliecity of Hastinapur, with his plough, to the bank of the Ganges, in order to drown the whole inhabitants — He forgives the offence, but leaves the city on the river's bank. ....... 263 CHAPTER LXX. N&rad visits Krishna, and observes his manner of living with his many wives 267 CHAPTER LXXI. Krishna is solicited to release twenty thousand kings from captivity ; and, at the same time, called to a great sacrifice of the Pandavas . . . 270 CHAPTER LXXn. Krishna goes to Hastinapur, to consult with the Pandavas about the release of the twenty thousand kings ........ 272 CHAPTER LXXHI. Krishija, Bhima, and Arjuna visit Jarasandha in disguise — Krishna relates the stories of Harischandra, Ratidev, and Udddl — ^Jarasandha is chal- lenged to fight — He fights with Bhima, and after a twenty-seven days' combat, he is slain — Krishna performs his funeral obsequies, and instals his soil Sahadev in his place ......... 274 CHAPTER LXXIV. The twenty thousand kings are released by Krishna, and are directed to be present at the sacrifice of the Pandavas 28 1 CHAPTER LXXV. Vudhishthira's great sacrifice — S'isupal abuses Krishna, and is slain by the discus — Duryodhan is dissatisfied, but conceals the feeling . . . 283 CHAPTER LXXVI. Explanation of Duryodhan's vexation — He makes himself ridiculous, and retires in anger ........ ... 287 Contents xIx chapter lxxvii. PAGF S'aUva obtains power from S'iva to reventje S'isupal's death — He assaults Dwaraka, and commits great havoc — Krishna comes to the rescue, but (alls under S'alwa's illusive power — At last frees himself from it, and slays S'alwa ............ 289 CHAPTER LXXVHI. Krishna slays Vrikadant and Vidflra'h — He then goes to Hastinapur to assist the Pandavas against the Kauravas — Balaram proceeds on pil- grimat^e, and slays SiAt Ji, the relater of the Mahabharata, for a slight discourtesy ............ 293 CHAPTER LXXIX. Balaram slays Jalav — He converses with Krishna about the war of the Mahabharata — He is purified from the crime of killing Sut Ji . ■ 296 CHAPTER LXXX. The story of Sudama^He seeks relief in his poverty from Krishna . . 298 CHAPTER LXXXI. Sudama's self-abnegation is rewarded with riches ..... 300 CHAPTER LXXXH. Kiishna and Balarfim go to Hastinapur to bathe during an eclipse— Cause of the sanctity of ttie place — Parasuram avenges Jamadagni's death — The inhabitants of Braj visit Krishna ....... 302 CHAPTER LXXXIH. The wives of Krishna relate to Draupadi the process of their respective marriages ............ 307 CHAPTER LXXXIV. Vasudev, the father of Krishna, performs a sacrifice ..... 308 CHAPTER LXXXV. Krishna, to please his mother, brings from Vama his six elder brothers, who had beea slain by Kafis . . . . . , . . .311 CHAPTER LXXXVI. The marriage of Subhadra, and wrath of Balaram thereat .... 313 CHAPTER LXXXVn. The manner in which the Veda glorifies the Deity .... 316 XX Contents CHAPTKR LXXXVIII. PAGE The story of Vrikasur — S'iva allows him to turn into ashes anyone on whose head he lays his hand — He attempts, by this means, to destroy S'iva — Krishna relieves S'iva from his danger by inducing Vrikasur to destroy himself . . . • • . . . • • -Si^ CHAPTER LXXXIX. Bhrigu tests the gods and proves that Vishnu, in the form of Hari, is the most excellent of the gods — Arjuna undertakes to preserve the children of a Brahman, but fails to do so — Krishna redeems his promise for him, 320 CHAPTER XC. Description of Krishna's happy life with his numerous wives — 'His vast oftspring, and the schools established for their instruction . . . 325 Page 164, note ^,for p. 49 nad^. 149. PREM-SAGAR; OR, OCEAN OF LOVE REVERENCE TO THE HOLY GANES'A.i Obstacle-cleaving, most famous, elephant-faced, resplendent, Grant the boon [that] much advanced may be pure ^ speech [and] intellectual delight. Thee, [whose] two feet the world is gazing on, and meditating on day and night ; Mother of the Universe, Saraswati ! ^ grant aptness and eloquence to me, remembering [thee]. [At] one time the story of the Tenth Section of the holy Bhagavata [Purana], composed by Vyasadev, Chaturbhuj Misra converted into couplets and quatrains [in] Braj-Bhasha, that, for [the use] of the College, in the reign of the revered king of kings, the repository of all [good] qualities, the virtuous, profoundly ' Ganesa, = gana, "company," and lia, "lord"; "the leader of the troop" [of subordinate deities]. He is the Hindu god of sagacity, with a human body and an elephant's head, having, however, only one tusk. The head is, no doubt, complimentary to the well-known sagacity of the elephant ; but the Brahmavai- varta-Purana asserts that it was due to the first glance which the planet Saturn gave to the new-born son of S'iva and Parvati. No sooner had that ill-omened glance fallen on the infant than his head flew off, and re-united with Krishna in the realms of bliss ; hereupon Vishnu, hastily finding a sleeping elephant, cut off the head and clapped it on the child's shoulders. Ganesa both causes and removes obstacles, and his name is, therefore, cited at the commencement of all under- takings, whether literary or practical. " For vishad read viiiad, i.e. " pure," not " poisonous." ^ Sarasvati means "the watery," and is the name of a stream in the Punjab which watered the holy region of the Hindus in Vedic times. On the banks of this stream the solemn sacrifices were performed ; and the flow of these purifynig waters was compared, and afterwards identified, with the flow of purifying speech, prayers, and sacred texts. Thus she came to be regarded as the goddess of speech, the inventress of the Devanagari alphabet, the patroness of wisdom and the sciences, the mother of the Vedas, and the wife of Brahma. This explains her invocation at the beginning of a literary composition, B 2 Prem-Sagar intelligent, and illustrious Governor-General the Marquis of Wellesley, — [He] adorned poets [and] scholars, clothing [them in] jewels [and] ornaments ; Having repeatedly investigated knowledge, he [to] the delight [of his] heart made all subject [to himself] ; [By] the fame [of his] munificence, all around, the hearts of poets were elevated, They are coming [and] they are receiving rubies, jewels, horses, elephants, and much wealth. And by order of the revered patron, the gifted conferrer of happiness, Mr. John Gilchrist, in the year [of Vikramaditya] 1 860,1 S'ri Lallu Ji Lai, the poet, a Gujarat! Brahman, [of the] Sahasra Avadich [family], an inhabitant of Agra, taking the gist of it, rejecting foreign vocables, [and] relating [it] in the pure language of Dehli [and] Agra, has named [the book] Prema- Sagara. But, by the departure of the revered John Gilchrist, it remained half-done and half-printed.^ That same [book] now, under the rule of the famous ruler of kings, the most compas- sionate, beneficent, renowned, and glorious Gilbert Lord Minto ; by order of the famous, the abode of happiness, liberality, and kind- ness, the fortunate and powerful. Captain John WiUiam Taylor ; and by aid of the revered, profoundly intelligent ocean of kindness, the benevolent and fortunate. Dr. William Hunter ; and with the suggestions of the revered, most accomplished, kind, and fortunate. Lieutenant Abraham Lockett ; that [aforesaid] poet, in the year [of Vikramaditya] 1866, completed [and] printed [the book], for the instruction of the students of the College.^ ^ The era of Vikramaditya began fifty-six years before Christ ; and, therefore, by deducting that number the date of the corresponding Christian year can always be ascertained. - Lit., "formed and half-formed, printed and half-printed"; but the phrase means simply " half-done." ^ The gentlemen here spoken of were : — Richard Colley, Earl of Mornington, brother of the great Duke of Wellington. He was Governor-General of India from lyih May, 1798, to 30th July, 1805 ; and, in consequence of the success of his administration, was created Marquis Wellesley. The Earl of Minto was Governor-General from 31st July, 1807, to 4th October, 1813. Dr. Gilchrist was a medical officer in the employ of the East India Company, at the beginning of this century, who devoted his attention to the cultivation of the patois which formed the medium of communication between the Persian rulers of northern India and the inhabitants. He caused a whole literature to be written in this mongrel dialect, and by copiously enriching it with Persian words, may be said to have created what Europeans call the Hindustani language. This artificial form of speech having been adopted for public business in 1830, has spread since then at a prodigious rate, and has had the unfortunate result of greatly obstructing communication between the rulers and the ruled. Capt. Taylor and Lieut. Lockett were officers of the East India Company's Bengal Army, who, with Dr. Hunter, of the Medical Service, were the active collaborateurs of John Gilchrist in the creation of Urdii, Prem-Sagar CHAPTER I. Paiiksliit becomes King in Hastinapura — He insults the Rishi Lomas — Is cursed by the son of the Rishi — He repents of his sin, retires to the Ganges to die^ — He is there visited l^y the saintly S'ukadev, who recounts the surprising history of S'ri Krishna ; the hearing ot which confers salvation on King Parikshit — The birth of Kaus — His efforts to suppress the worship of Vishnu — The birth of Krishna announced. Now [is] the story's beginning. i At the end of the great Bharata [war] ,3 when S'ri Krishna had disappeared/'Hhe Pandavas,^ having become deeply grieved [and] having given the dominion of Hastinapur to Parikshit, went to the Himalayas for [final] dis- solution ; and King Parikshit, having subdued all countries, began to reign justly. After some time,^ one day, King Parikshit went to the chase, [and] '^ there saw a cow and a bull running along towards [him],^ behind them a S'udra, with ^ a club [in his] hand, was [also] coming, beating [them]. When they drew near, the King [having become] grieved and enraged,^ called to the S'udra [and] said, " Hi ! who art thou ? Explain thyself, that thou art beating a cow and a bull, knowingly.!*^ Hast thou supposed Arjun ^ This should be a//ia katharambhah. It is a Sanskrit phrase. ^ After Mahdhharat the word yiiddh is understood, as is frequently the case. It means " the great war of the descendants of Rharata," in which the sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, who were descended from Kuru and Bharata, contended for mastery in the neighbourhood of Hastinapur, near Dehli. Bharata was the son of Dushyant and S'akuntala, and the story of his birth is told in Kalidasa's well-known drama, bearing his mother's name. ■* For antaradhan read antafdkdn. '' The Pandavas are the five brothers, the reputed sons of Pandu, who formed one of the contending parties in the great war. Their renunciation of hard-won sovereignty is related in the Mahaprasthanika section of the Mahabharata. '" kitne ek is indefinite ; din = " time." ^ to is here the correlative of ek din. ' chala and, "to advance towards"; danre chalA and, "to approach in a running condition." Colloquially, da/tre chale d^o is the equivalent of " Hurry up ! " or " Look sharp ! " ^ The Past Participle thus inflected implies concurrency as to time; ///. "a club [being] held [in] the hand," i e. " with a club in his hand." 3 For i/uiw/diii/d/ read j7iitnj7iitid/. The /w is the termination of the Con- junctive Participle, applicable to all three of the verbs. '" The Conjunctive Participle may often be thu^ translated adverbially. This disjointed sentence is the fira instance of the rhyming prose with which Lallii Lai has filled this book. The jingle of sound is revealed l)y printing the words thus — Are I tu kaun hai ? apna bakhdn kar, Jo marta hai ga,e au bail \s.o jdnkar. The next two sentences are also rhyming couplets. Attention will not again be called to this ; but whenever the student meets with an awkwardly constructed sentence, he may tind the explanation in some iranspoiition of words to produce a rhyme. B 2 4 Prem-SAgar gone afar, and hence hast disregarded ^ his law ? Hear [me] ! in the family of Pandu ~ thou wilt not find any such person in whose " presence anyone shall oppress the humble." Sa^'ing this much, the King took [his] sword in [his] hand ; [the other] perceiving that [action], stood still from fear.* Then the King, having called the cow and bull near [him], asked, "Who are you ? Tell me clearly ; ^ gods are you or Brahmaus ? and why are you fleeing awa}' ? ® Tell [me] this fearlessly ; while I am here ' no one has so much power as to afflict you."^ This much was heard ; then ^ the bull, having inclined lo [his] head, said, " Maharaj ! this form of evil, [this] black-coloured, frightful figure, which is standing in your presence, is the Kali- yug ; ^1 because of his coming I am fleeing away. This cow-formed [one] ^~ is the Earth ; she also is fleeing from fear of this same [Kali-yug]. My name is Dharma ; ^'^ I have four feet — penance, truth, compassion, and meditation. In the Satyayug my feet were twenty-twentieths, i^ in the Treta-yug [they were] sixteen, in the Dwapara [they were] twelve, now in the Kali-yug four- twentieths remain ; hence during the Kali-[yug] I am unable to move about." ^^ The Earth said, " O incarnation of justice ! I also cannot remain in this Age [of the world] ,^^ because S'iadras ^ Lit., " not recognized." ^ For Pandu read Pdndu throughout. ^ This untranslatable ki is quite idiomatic as a pivot linking two clauses, one of which illustrates as well as complements the other. '' Lit., " became erect through fear." ^ btijhakar = " instructingly." ^ bhAgd jdnd is continuative, on the model oi chald jdtid. ' mere rahte, " my remaining," i.e. " while I am remaining here." s it72i andy^; are correlative. 9 The to simply emphasizes tab. 10 For bhukd x&a.djlmkd. 11 The Kali-yug is the last of the four ages into which the life of every cosmical creation is divided. The names of the four ages are Krita or Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali ; the first endures for 4000 divine years, with a period of 400 divine years both before and after as a kind of twilight ; the second age lasts for 3000 divine years, with two periods of twilight of 300 years each ; the third age endures for 2000 divine years, having 200 years of twilight both before and after ; and the fourth age will consist of 1000 divine years, with two twilights of loo years each. The divine years are each as long as 360 years of men, and therefore the duralion of a creation is a tolerably protracted period. It may tranquillize the nervous to know that the present, or Kali, age is to endure for 432 000 years of men, of which only a^out 5000 years are as yet expired. ^- stvariip is an affix ; for pirthi read prithwi throughout. ^^ Dharma is Justice personified (based on dri, "to hold, fix, restrain "), and hence also applied to Virtue and Religion. In Manu's Code (i. 98) it is asserted that the birth of every Brahman is a re-incarnation of Dharma. '■* bisivd is the twentietti part of anything ; therefore, bis biswe xat.z.\\% "twenty twentieths," or the whole. Hindu arithmetic is throughout quarternary, and consantly presents multip'es of four. '* That is to say. Justice and Religion have but little currency in the Kali- yug- ^^ This Passive construction combined with the Ablative expresses impossi- bility. Prem-Sagar 5 having becoiiit; kings will inflict upon me excessive wrongs, ^ their burden I shall be unable to endure ; from this fear I also am fleeing." Upon hearing this the King angrily said to the Kali- yug, "I [will] kill thee on the instant." ^ He agitatedly having fallen at the King's feet, entreatingly said, '' Lord of the earth ! -^ now, indeed, I am come [under] your protection ; * please indicate some place for me to remain in ; because the Three Times and the Four Ages which Brahma created can in no way be obliterated." ^ Upon hearing this much, King Parikshit said to the Kali-yug, " Dwell in these places [only],^' — in gambling, lying, the alcohol market, harlots' houses, murder, theft, and gold." Having heard this, the Kali-[yug], for his part,'^ departed to his location, and the King fixed religion in his heart, [and] the Earth assumed^ its proper form. The King then came [back] to the city, and began to rule religiously. Some time [having] elapsed, '•' the King again once ^^ went out to hunt, and [by] continuing the sport ^^ became i- thirsty. In the very [golden] crown on his head the Kali-yug was actually resid- ing ; 1-^ he, having found his opportunity, made the King ignorant. The King urged by ^^ thirst, came where ^-^ the Rishi Lomas,i'' seated 1^ [with his] eyes closed, engaged in the meditation * adharni is plural, as is seen by the following tin. " The Present tense used for the Future, to show the promptness of the act. ^ For Prithinath read Prithwiuath. ■* Lit., "into your asylum''; saran should be saran, and the word is properly masculine. " For mete ne read iiieie na ; lit., " in any way [one] may efface, they will not be effaced." This is highly idiomatic. ^ The "only" is implied by it/ii, "these many," which of course excludes other places. ' Here to indicates a contrast. The Kali-yug, for his part, does one act, and the King does another act. * mil gaj, "mingled with," " passed into." ^ bite is the Past Participle, with the Locative idea understood, as "on the lapse of a certain time." '° This text abounds in intrusive anuswaras. This santain is for sai/iai, tlie vulgar form of samaya. These blemishes are too numerous to be further specified. '^ The repetition of khelte indicates the continued nature of the action. ^- bhayd is equivalent to /ni^d. It is constantly found in poetry ; and is colloquial in many places. •^ Notice the emphatic particles here; to, "very," and /li, " actually." '"' The Genitive to express " by " with a Past Participle is a useful idiom. 1^ For kalian read walidn. 1" Lomasa means " shaggy" or " hairy," and it is the name of a Muni or saint celebrated in the Mahabharata ; but in the Adi-parvan, ^^ 40, &c., where the story of the Prem-Sagar is told, the saint is named S'amika, who was the brother of Vasudeva and the son of S'ura, the grandfather of Krishna. S'ura was of the Yadu or Lunar race. These relationships explain the antagonism between the Krishna party and that of the Kauravas mentioned later on. '' asan mare is a peculiar idiom ; dsan is the seat or hams, and asan mdrnd is to squat like a devotee. 6 Prem-Sagar of Hari, was performing austerity.^ Having perceived him, Parikshit began to say within himself, " This one, from conceit of his austerity, having seen me, is keeping his eyes shut." Having formed this evil opinion, he raised with [his] bow a dead snake [which] was lying there, [and] having thrown [it] on the neck of the Rishi, came [to] his own home. [On] taking off the crown, wisdom returned to the King ; then [he], having reflected [on what had occurred], said, " Kali-yug's abode is in gold ; this was on my head ; hence I had so evil a thought that, having taken a dead snake [I] cast it on the Rishi's neck. There- fore, I now understand that Kali-yug has taken his revenge on me. How shall I escape from this grievous sin ? Rather,- why did not all that I possess ^^ depart to-day — wealth, caste-folk, wife, and kingdom ? I know^ not into what birth this wickedness will extend, that I have annoyed a Brahman." King Parikshit, for his part, was in one place ^ sunk in this unfathomable ocean of cogitation ; elsewhere several boys, playing about, came upon ^ [the spot] where the Rishi Lomas was. Having seen the dead snake on his neck they were astounded, and agitatedly said among themselves, " Brothers ! let someone go [and] tell his son, who, in the grove on the banks of the river Kau.siki,^ is sporting with the sons of the Rishis." One, upon hearing [this], ran [and] went [to] where Rishi S'ringi was play- ing with the children. [He] said, " Friend ! are you playing here ! Some wretch, having thrown a dead snake on your father's neck, has gone [off]." On hearing [this], the eyes of Rishi S'ringi became red, grinding his teeth together,^ he quiveringly shook, and angrily said, " In the Kali-yug arrogant kings have arisen, by the intoxication of wealth having become blind, they ^ kar raha tha is the Progressive Imperfect. Every verb admits of tliis inflexion ; and it implies that, at tlie time specified, the action spoken of was actually in progress. The next phrase gives the Progressive Present tense. - baran is the Sanskrit varum, " better," " rather," "preferably." The mis- take of considering this word to represent varn, " caste," has caused a general misapprehension of the meaning of this passage. The phrase occurs in the next page [p. 4] of the text without the word baran, because no preference is there intended. ^ mei'd sab, " my all," " all that I possess." "* jdnMi ; this is really a Present Tense become aoristic by efflux of time. Colloquially, and in proverbs, the Aorist constantly preserves its original character. " yakdn . . . jahdn . . . tahdn, imply concurrence of action, i.e. while the King was doing one thing, in one place, elsewhere the boys were doing something else. ® nikalnd, added to the base of another verb, imparts an idea of suddenness, or of the unanticipated, to it; thus /a nikalnd, "to meet with accidentally," a nikalnd, " to come upon." 7 The Kausiki is the river Kosi, in Bihar. * The repetition of pis and thar expresses the repetition of the act ; lagd belongs to kdm^ne and kahne. Prem-Sagar 7 are become oppressors.^ Now I will curse him ; ^ he himself shall suffer that very death." Having spoken thus, Rishi S'ringi, having taken the water of the Kausiki in the palm of the hand,-^ cursed King Parikshit, thus, " This very snake, on the seventh day, shall bite thee." Having in this way cursed the King, [and] come near his father, [he] removed the snake from the neck [and] said, " O father ! be of good cheer ! * I have cursed him by whom the dead snake was placed on your neck." On hearing this statement the Rishi Lomas, having recovered consciousness [and] unclosed [his] eyes, after reflecting with his contemplative faculties, said, " O son ! what [is] this [that] thou hast done ? why didst [thou] curse the King ? During his reign we have been ^ happy ; no beast [or] bird even has been afflicted ; so just has the govern- ment been that, during it, the lion [and] the cow were remaining together [and] saying nothing [amiss] to each other.*' O son ! what mattered it that [we] have been ridiculed by him in whose kingdom we have dwelt ? ^ Why did [you] curse him [who] threw the dead snake ? Thou hast committed a very great sin [by pronouncing] such a curse on a slight offence. [Thou] didst not reflect at all in [thy] heart ; [thou] hast abandoned good, [and] chosen evil alone. A virtuous person ought to maintain an amiable disposition ; to say nothing himself, to hearken [to the words] of others ; to accept the good of all, [and] avoid the evil." Having said this much, the Rishi Lomas, calling a pupil, said, " Do you go to King Parikshit [and] inform him that the Rishi S'ringi 8 has cursed [him]. Good people,'-^ indeed, will surely blame [S'ringi] ; but let [the King] hear, and be heedful." Obeying this injunction of the preceptor, the pupil went onward to the place where the King [being] seated was meditating. On his arrival [he] said, " Maharaj ! the Rishi S'ringi has imposed this curse on you, that, on the seventh day, Takshak ^^ shall bite * Notice the rhyming transpositions l.ere. ^ For dilhim read dim him. This is the Aorist fortified with the substantive verb, and it is a common colloquiaHsm. ■* Libations are offered by taking water in the two hands placed side by side and sHghtly hollowed. Such libations of water accompanied all solemn assevera- tions, and ceremonial observances. "* Lit., " sustain thy body." ^ The word ///£• occasionally bears the sense of "have been"; but here the word is used, and the words are transposed, to produce a word-jingle between sukhi and dukhf. " Implying that they were not at variance. ' kyd hu^d, "what has occurred?" or "what matters it?" Jianse is plura^ and the phrase is literally, "ridiculed of him." This use of the Genitive is of wide application. ^ For Srigo read S'riitgi. 8 Yoxbhald read hhak ; it is a Gujarati inflexion, inadvertently employed by Lallu Lai. Notice that dehingc is the emphatic Future, " will surely give." '" Takbhaka is one of the principal Nagas or snakes of Fatala, or the nether 8 Prem-Sagar [you] ; now do 3'ou [so] order your actions that you may escape from the noose of Karma." ^ Upon hearing this, the King joyfully arose [and], with joined hands,- said, "The Rishi has conferred a great favour on me, in that -^ [he] has cursed [me] ; because I had fallen into the boundless thought-ocean of delusion, [and he] has released me from that.'' ^ When the Saint's pupil departed, the King himself, for his part, took the Vairagi vow, and having summoned Janamejaya,^ [and] having given [him] the sovereignty, said, " O son ! protect cows and Brahmans, and give contentment to the people." Having said this, he came [to] the female apartments, [and] beheld the women all dejected. The queens upon perceiving the King, having fallen at [his] feet, began bewailingly to say, " Maharaj ! we weak ones will be unable to endure separation from you ; ^ than this, [it is] better [that] we should give up life with you." The King said, " Listen ; it is fitting [that] a wife should do that by which her husband's piety may endure, and no obstacle be placed in [the path of] exalted duty." Having said this, [and] having abandoned the illusion of wealth, caste-folk, family, and sovereignty, [and] having become free from [worldly] fascination,'^ went [and] sat on the banks of the Ganges, to accomplish his Yoga.^ Whoever heard [of] this [circum- stance] was deeply grieved and regretful,^ [and] refrained not from tears. And when the sages heard the intelligence that King Parikshit, in consequence of Rishi S'ringi's curse, had come regions. These Nagas are associated, in a friendly way, with the Krishna cult, Buddhism, and the Lunar dynasty. ' Karma is a sacro-philosophical term. It comprises acts committed in I his life, all of which inevitably produce results in the future ; it also means the aggre- gate result of those aci ions, whicli carries the unsanctified soul onwards to fresh states of existence conformable to ihe resultant of their forces ; it furthermore implies, as in the texi above, the result of actions performed in a previous existence, the consequences of which are now being endured. PariksLit is invited to do something meritorious in order to neutralize the tendencies to ill-fortune which the Karma he biou^ht into the world with him is manifesting. It is this which impels him to the voluntary surrender of state and dignity, and the pious exercises of his las' few days. ^ The attitude of respect. '^ jo for " in that " is very idiomatic. * Lit.^ " that, having extracted, he has put out." ^ Janaiiiejaya means ''causing men to tremble." He was the son of Parikshit, the son of Abhimanya, tlie son of Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers engaged in the Mahabharata war. In revenge for his father's death, he performed a great sacrifice for the extermination of Nagas ; and Vyasa related for his edification the whole of the MahabJiarata poem. " Notice the Genitive to express "from." ' For niraniohi read ninnohi. ^ Yoga, or "junction," is the re-union of the individual soul with the universal soul, and is, therefore, the attaining emancipation from continued transmigration. This extinction of individuality is to be attained by profound meditation. ^ pachhtd,e pachhtd/, "having repeatedly regretted," hd^e hd/ kar, "with sighs and sighs." Prem-Sagar 9 and sat down to die on the banks of the Ganges, then Vyasa,i Vasishtha,- Bharadvaya,-^ Katyayana,^ Parasara,^ Narada,*^ Viswa- mitra/ Vasudeva,^ Jamadagni,'-' &c., [in all] 88,000 Rishis came, and having spread [their] seats, sat down in rows, [and] each having reflected deeply [on his] own doctrine, began to rehearse ^ Vydsa means "the arranger"; it is the name or title conferred on the reputed arranger of the hymns of the Rig-veda, the Puranas, the compiler of the Mahabharata, and a number of other works, and the founder of the Vedanta philosophy. He was the son of Parasara, and by command of his mother, became the father of Dhritarashtra and Pandu (whose children fought out the Maha- bharata contest), and Vidura, and S'uka, the narrator of the Bhagavata-Purana, the Tenth Section of which book is the Prem-Sagar. Vyasa is commonly known as Krishna-Dwaipayana, because he was of dark complexion {kn'shna), and born on an island {chuipa). - Vasishtha means "most wealthy." He was a famous saint of Vedic times, who specially cherished a miraculous cow, called Nandini, who conferred all desired objects on him. He was the great champion of Brahmanic exclusivenes?, and violently opposed Visvamitra, the saint of the military caste, who assumed priestly functions. Vasishtha is stated to have descended from Mitraand Varuna, solar deities, and to have been the family priest of Sudas, Ikshwaku, and Rama- chandra, royal personages of the solar race. He is the Rishi, or author, of the seventh Mandala of the Rig-veda. ^ Bharadvdja means " one of Bharadvaja's race "; a name applied to a great many people famous in Brahmanic lore, but here it means Drona, the pre- ceptor of the Kauravas and Pandavas, This Drona played an important part throughout the Mahabharata contest, and afterwards became king of a part of Panchala. ■• Katydyana is the author of several famous works on grammar and ritual. He added the supplementary rules, or Vartikas, to Panini's Grammar ; and he was the author of a grammatical treatise explanatory of the Yajur-veda, and of a celebrated liturgical work for the use of Advaryu priests, who performed all the manual functions at the sacrifices, such as preparing the ground, adjusting the vessels, procuring the animals, lighting the fire, killing the creature offered, &c. Katyayana is considered to be the same as Vararuchi, the author of the Prakrita- prakasa, or grammar of the local dialects of ancient India, ^ Pardiara was the son of Vasishtha and father of Vyasa ; but his genealogy is unsettled. He is the author of some hymns of the Rig-veda, and was also the compiler of a law-book. His name and association with Vasishtha suggest a connection with Parasu or Parasu-Rama, the destroyer of the Kshatriya race. ® Ndrada was one of the divine Rishis or saints, and author of several hymns in the Rig-veda. Mythologically he acts as messenger to the gods, and is spoken of as a son of Brahma. In the later literature he appears as the friend of Krishna, and as a kind of patron saint of music. ^ Visvamitra, "the friend of all " ; a famous Kshatriya, descended from Pururavas of the Lunar race. He is also said to have been the brother of Satya- vati, the mother of Jamadagni and grandmother of Parasu-Rama ; and the whole of the hymns of the Third Mandala of the Rig-veda are ascribed to him, and members of his family. He is chiefly famous for his attempt at first to induce Vasishtha to confer spiritual power upon him ; and afterwards for his success in forcing himself into the priesthood in despite of the violent antagonism of his opponent. He is accounted the father of S'akuntala. ** Vdsudeva, " son of Vasudeva," is an epithet of Krishna. Vasudeva was the son of S'ura, a descendant of Yadu of the Lunar line ; and he was the brother of Kunti, mother of the Pandava princes, who were thus cousins of Krishna. '^Jamadagni, "blazing fire," was descended from Bhrigu, progenitor of the great Bhargava family. He was only sixth in descent from the god Brahma, and was the father of Parasu-Rama, the destroyer of the Kshatriyas. He is related t(j have joined Visvamitra in antagonism to Vasishtha. lo Prem-Sagar to the King various kinds of Dharma. Hereupon,Miaving per- ceived the King's faith, S'ri S'ukadev Ji 2 also arrived in a nude vState •' [with] a book under his arm.^ On seeing him all the sages there rose up, [and] stood erect ; ^ and King Parikshit, also, standing [with] hands closed, supplicatingly said, " O abode of mercy ! [you] have shown me much compassion in that, [at] this time, you have remembered me." [When the King had] said this much, the sage S'ukadev also seated [himself] ; then the King said to the Rishis, *' Maharajas ! S'ukadev Ji [is] indeed the son of Vyas Ji and the grandson of Parasar Ji ; having seen him, you, although ^ very exalted sages, arose ; that, indeed, was not fitting ; tell [me] the cause of this, that the doubt of my heart may depart." Then the sage Parasar said, " O King ! how great [soever] we Rishis are, in knowledge we are quite inferior to S'uka ; therefore all [of us] paid reverence to S'uka ; some [too] in the hope that he is " the saviour of the saved ; because from his very birth ,^ having become an Udasi,^ he has dwelt in the forest ; and, O King ! some great uprising of virtue i" has taken place for thee also, in that S'ukadev Ji has come. He will declare ^^ the most excellent creed of all creeds, from which thou, having escaped from birth and death, wilt cross ^^ the ocean of existence." Having heard this speech King Parikshit, having prostrated [himself], asked ^'^ S'ri S'ukadev Ji, "Maharaj ! explain religion to me ; how shall I escape from the noose of Karma ? what shall I perform in seven days ? [My] impiety is boundless ; how shall I cross the ocean of existence ? " S'ri S'ukadev Ji said, " O King ! think not thou the time short ; salvation there is in the meditation of only one hour ; [just] as ' This use of i?' to mark a change of subject is highly idiomatic ; it is untrans- latable ; for it is tine t/ieii, which means " hereupon." ' S'ukadeva is the same as S'uka, son of Yyasa, the narrator of the whole Bhagavata-Purana. Ji is a respectful adjunct to a name. ^ di^ainbar, "clothed with the atmosphere," therefore, naked. '' Lit., "a book in the arm-pit." ^ For kharhe read khare. ^ This use of hoke for " although " is very idiomatic. 7 For hai read hain, to agree with ye. The implication is that S'ukadev, because of his piety, is to be the cause of others crossing the ocean of existence as well as himself. ^ Lit., " Since he took birth, from that very time," &c. ^ Udasis are religious mendicants who have become indifferent to all mundane wants and emotions. They are distributed all over India, and form a prominent sect of the Sikh community. 1" punya-jidaya, as the word should be spelled, is a compound meaning " virtue's rise " ; hu,d is often thus used for " has occurred " or " taken place." The King's virtuous merit has been enhanced by the mere presence of the sage. '^ All the plural forms here are only respectful to S'ukadev. '- pAr hogd, " wilt be on the other side." 1^ This use of ko, instead of se, with pju-hhua is rare. It means "inquire about," "ask concerning." Colloquially, with the Imperative, a little irri- tation is often implied by it; as, 2is ko piicliJio, "ask him (and don't bother me)." Prem-Sagar 1 1 the Saint Narad imparted knowledge to King Shashtangul/ and he in only two hours obtained salvation ; to you, then, seven days are abundant. If with undivided attention 2 [you] should meditate, with your own knowledge you will understand all ; such as,-' * What is the body ? of what is it the abode ? who manifests [himself] in it ? ' " Having heard this, the King delightedly^ asked, *' Maharaj ! what sort of religious duty is the best of duties? Kindly tell [me]." Then S'ukadev said, "O King ! as among all religions the Vaishnava religion is the best, so among Puranas the Bhagavata [is best]. Wherever the worshippers of Hari ^ relate this story, all places of pilgrimage and [all] religion will come [together] ; ^ however many Puranas there are, there is not one [of them] equal to the Bhagavata ; [for] this reason I will relate ^ to you the twelve sections [of] * the great Puraiia, which the sage Vyas imparted to me. Do thou, with faith and with delight, give attention [and] hear." Then, indeed. King Parikshit, with pleasure, began to listen, and S'ukadev, as agreed,'^ [began] to recite. When the saint had recited nine sections [of] the story, the King said, " Compassionate to the humble ! now, mercifully, be good enough to relate the story of the incarnation of S'ri Krishna ; because /le is our helper and family deity." S'ukadev Ji said, " O King ! you have given me much happiness in that [you] have asked [about] this topic. Listen, I [will] tell [you] with plea- sure. i'* In the Yadu family there was, at first, a king named Bhajaman, whose son [was] Prithiku, Prithiku's [son was] Vidurath, whose [son was] Surasen, who, having conquered the nine divisions of the earth, obtained renown. His wife's name was Marishya, who had ^^ ten sons and five daughters ; the eldest son among them [was] Vasudev, in the eighth pregnancy of whose wife S'ri Krishna-Chandra took birth. When Vasudev had arisen, the gods in Surapur played the instruments ^^ of ^ Shashtangula means "the sixtieth finger" ; but I have no knowledge of this early subject of death-bed repentance. - A synonymous expression is ekdgrachitt hokar, " having the intellect fixed on one object." ■* Here, again, is another most idiomatic use of /ci. * harashke is the Conjunctive Participle of harashnd. ^ Here also stmdivcn hain and dzuert hain give instances of the colloquial use of the substantive verb with the Aorist. Hai'i is a name of Krishna. '' Meaning that the merit will be as great as that of observing every duty and visiting every place of pilgrimage. ^ Present Tense for the Future. * It is quite idiomatic to omit the sign of the Genitive in such constructions ; thus, " ten bighas of land " is das biglie javiin. ^ nem se, or niyain se, may also mean "according to rule" or "in the pre- scribed way "; or " with self-restraint " or " devoutly." 1" Lit., " having become pleased." '^ An ellipsis of hdn, " place," ox pas, " near," is indicated by the Genitive ke ; and this is why the inflected masculine form is used irrespective of the gender of the thing possessed. 12 The n at the end of bdjan is a sign of the plural. 12 Pkem-Sagar rejoicing. And among the five daughters of Surasen, Kunti was the eldest, who married Pandu, whose story is celebrated in the Mahabharata. But Vasudev Ji at first married King Rohan's daughter Rohini,i afterwards seventeen [other wives]. When eighteen [royal] weddings had taken place, he married, in Mathura, Devaki, the sister of Kans ; upon which ^ a heavenly voice occurred, to this effect,-^ ' In the eighth pregnancy of this girl the destroyer^ of Kans will be produced.' Having heard this, Kaiis shut up the sister [and] the sister's husband in a house, and S'ri Krishna took birth just there." On hearing this much of the story, King Parikshit said, " Maharaj ! how did Kaiis take birth ? who conferred [this] great boon upon him ? and in what manner ^ did Krishna arise ? [and] further, by what method did he arrive [at] Gokul ? This do you instructively relate to me." S'ri S'ukadev ^Ji said : — [There was] a king of the city of Mathura named Ahuk ; he had two sons ; the name of one [was] Devak, [of] the other, Ugrasen. After a certain time, Ugrasen alone became king of that place ; who had only one wife, named Pavanarekha. She was exceedingly beautiful and faithful, [and] at all times remained in sole obedience to her husband^ One day she was menstruating ; then, having received permission from her husband, accompanied by [her] friends and companions, having mounted a car, she went to play in a wood. There, amidst the densest trees, flowers of various kinds were blooming ; a fragrance-laden most gentle and cool air was floating onwards ; the cuckoo, the dove, the parrot, the peacock, were uttering their most sweet [and] heart-pleasing sounds ; and in one direction the Jumna was rippling on quite apart. Hereupon the Queen, beholding this scene, descended from the car [and] walked on. Then suddenly [being] alone she turned aside mistakenly.? There a demon, named Drumalik, also, by chance, arrived. He, having perceived her 3'outh and the beauty of her form, remained in astonishment, and began to say within himself, " With her I ought to have enjoyment." Having resolved on this, immediately assuming the appearance of King Ugrasen, [and] going before the Queen, said, " Embrace me." The Queen said, " Maharaj ! by day to sport amorously is not fitting ; because, in this [conduct], virtue and religion depart. Are you not aware [of this], that you have contemplated so evil a thought ? " ' Rohini is the name of the ninth Nakshatra or Lunar asterisrn ; she is, there- fore, appropriately connected with the Lunar race. - tahan, "there" ; logically, " in that predicament." ^ ki may occasionally be thus rendered. ^ Kcila, "time," is also used for " destiny," and is often personified and invested with the attributes of Yama, the regent of the dead. " kaiin riti sc, for kis riii se, is common enough colloquially. ^ dtkon pahar, "the eight watches," comprising both day and night; -, "city after city, ' khoj khoj, "searching about," and dukk pit,e /<'/', "they severally receiving affliction." 2 2 PrKM SaCAR [there] liappily. When Kafis thus began to afflict the gods, and to act most sinfully, then Vishnu produced from his own eyes an illusion,! [and] that, [with] joined hands, came before [him]. [He] said to it, " Do thou go at once into the world, assume incarnate form, in the city of Mathura, where the wicked Kaiis is afflicting my worshippers ; and Kasyap and Aditi, who, as - Vasudev [and] Devaki, are gone into Braj, them [he] has incarcerated. Six children of theirs Kaiis has slain ; now Lakshman Ji is in the seventh pregnane}'. Having removed him from Devaki's womb, [and] conveyed [him] into Gokul, so place [him] in Rohini's belly that no wicked one may know [of it], and all the people of that place may celebrate th}' glory.'' Thus having instructed the Illusion, S'ri Nara3-an" said, " Do thou at first go, execute this task, [and] take birth in the house of Nand ; afterwards take incarnate form [in] Vasudev's place. I, also, am coming [in] Nand's house." On hearing this much, the Illusion came hastily into Mathura, [and] assuming the form of Mohani,'^ entered in the house of Vasudev. The foetus which was secretly abstracted [she] went [and] gave to Rohini. All think [it] a first conception. Bhagwan became Rohini's. In this wa}', on Wednesday, the fourteenth [day of] the bright half [of] Sawan,^ Baladev took birth in Gokul ; and the Illusion, going to Vasudev [and] Devaki, gave [them] a dream, thus, " I, having taken 3-our son from the womb, have given [it] to Rohini ; therefore, do not have any anxiety [on its account]." On hearing this, Vasudev [and] Devaki woke up, and began to say to each other, " This, indeed, Bhagwan has done well, but at once [we] should inform Kaiis, otherwise who knows^ afterwards what affliction [he] may give [us]." Having thus pondered, [they] explained [the matter] to the guards. They having gone to Kaiis, repeated [it], thus, " Maharaj ! Devaki's foetus mis- carried ; the child was not at all completed." ^ On hearing this, ' M&ya, "Illusion," is constantly personified and identified with Durga ; here the numeral ek shows that " an illusion " is intended. " //o = " havinij become," which is here equivalent to "as," "in the character of " ^ Ndrciyana is a name of Vishnu, as being sprung from Nara, or the original male, the personified Purusha, or first human being. Ancient Hindus say that the word is derived from ndra + ayana, " coming from the water." ■* Mohatii is the name of a demoness, the daughter of Garbha-hantri, and therefore a suitable disguise for the secret accomplishment of the purpose, * I hat is, Just on full moon of the month July-August. * kydjdnive, " what is known?" The ioxxn jdniye is on the model oi chdhiye, "is wished," "is desirable." They are Passive Aoiists, formed by the insenion of t ; a method of forming the Passive largely availed of in Panjabi. '• kuchhi is equivalent to kuchh bhi. Prem-Sagar 2^ Kans agitatedly said, " You this time ^ will be careful ; 2 because to me there is fear of only the eighth foetus ; which the heavenly voice proclaimed." 3 Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — O King ! Baldev Jf, then, was thus manifested ; and when S'ri Krishna came into the womb of Devaki, just then the Illusion went [and] took up [its] abode in the belly of Jasoda, the wife of Nand. Both were with child.* During a certain festival,^ Devaki went [to] the Jumna [to] bathe ; there, by chance Jasoda also came [and] was met [by her] ; then, between them- selves, conversation was started about [their] trouble. At last Jasoda, giving this promise to Devaki, said, " Thy child I will keep ; my own to thee I will give." Having thus promised, this one came [to] her home, and that one [to] hers.^ After- wards, when Kails knew that there was an eighth pregnancy of Devaki, then, going [there], he surrounded Vasvidev's house. All around, he placed a guard of Daityas, and, calling for Vasudev, said, " Now act not treacherously with me ; bring your son, [and] give [him up]. Then ^ I regarded your mere state- ment." Saying thus, [he] caused Vasudev [and] Devaki to wear gyves and manacles, shutting [them] in an apartment, placing lock upon lock, coming into [his] own palace, and, fasting through fear, [he] slept. Then, as soon as it was dawn, he went where ^ Vasudev [and] Devaki were. Perceiving the indication of preg- nancy, he said,^ " In this very cave of Yama ^^ is my destiny. I could, indeed, slay [her] ; but I fear the ignominy, because, ' Z?V., " the time of now "; it is the exact equivalent of the English " this time." when more or less of contrast is implied vviih some oiher time. ^ kariyo is aoristic ; but the respectful forms in -0 convey a sense of futurity ; as " You'll please be careful this time." ^ kah jdnd is a little emphatic ; and, therefore, implies more than " to say." Notice that the regimen follows the last member of the compound. "■ The ki indicates a change of subject connected with the matter in hand. (See note ', p. 10.) ' Parb means "knuckle " or "joint " ; and the word indicates the "turning- points " in the calendar which are of felicitous augury ; such as the full and change of the moon, the equinoctial and solstitial periods, an anniversary, &c., &c. * The elision here is strictly idiomatic ; it would be unidiomatic to insert the missing words. 7 " Then " means " on that former occasion'': hence, also, the use of the Past Perfect tense. * For wahon read wakAn. ^ The Inceptive lagnd, attached to another verb, need not necessarily be rendered by "to begin to " ; for it expresses that which is resumed after au interval, and other similar ideas ; kahne lagd may thus mean, " he addressed himself to speaking," or, simply, " he said." In this passage, for Jagd read lagd. '" Yama, " the restrainer," is the god who rules the spirits of the dead, and he has his abode in the southern quarter, whither all souls repair after death to receive from him the rewards or punishments due to their course of life on earth. lie has many, and conflicting, attributes, according lo various points of view from which different writers regarded his funclious. 24 Prem-Sagar being exceedingly powerful, the killing [of] a woman [is] not ^ fitting. Better [that] I shall slay only her son." Saying thus, [and] coming out, he places there a guard [of] elephants, lions, dogs, and his greatest warriors ; and himself, also, comes con- stantly on guard ;- but, even for a moment, obtains no ease. Wherever [he] looks [during] the eight watches [or] sixty-four gharis^^ nothing but Destiny [in] the form of Krishna comes [in] sight. From fear of this, becoming apprehensive, night and day he spends in anxiety.'^ On the one hand, of Kaiis, then, there was this condition, on the other,^ Vasudev and Devaki, [on] the days [of pregnancy being] complete, in great distress were invoking S'ri Krishna alone ; when,*^ in the midst of this, Bhagwan, coming, gave them a dream, and saying this much removed the grief of their minds,''' " We, very quickly having taken birth, are [about to] remove your anxiety ; do not you now regret." Hearing this, Vasudev [and] Devaki awoke ; thereupon Brahma, Rudra, Indra, &c., all the gods, leaving their chariots in mid-air [and] assuming invisible forms, came into the house of Vasudev, and severally joining [their] hands, [and] chaunting the Veda, began to praise the foetus. Then they were not seen by anyone, but the sound of .the Veda all heard. Perceiving this marvel, all the guards were astonished ; and Vasudev [and] Devaki were satisfied thus, *' Bhagwan speedily will remove our pain." CHAPTER IV. Krishna is liorn — Supernatural manifestations of icy thereat — Vasudev, Ly divine aid, conveys the child to Gokul, and leaves it with Jasoda, receiving in exchange a girl, miraculously bom the same night. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — O King ! when S'ri Krishua-Chand began to take birth, in the mind of everyone such pleasures arose that even the name [of] aflBiction remained not ; with ^ For iiahon read naJirh. ^ The Conjunctive Participle is here adverbial, meaning " guardingly," or " attentively." "* The eight pahars and sixty-four gharis are alternative expressions ; each indicates the entire period of day and night. \ ghar'i is 22^^ minutes. ■* All these Aoristb with the sense of the Present tense should be in the Singu- lar, as Lallii Lai himself printed them. " The words idhar . . . itdhar are frequently thus used in stating concurrent events. It is quite colloquial. " See notes ', p. lo, and ■*, p. 23. ' Here Una andy'i; are correlalivcsj the latter being necessitated by the former. Pre.m-Sagar 25 delight, woods [and] groves, severally becoming green, began to blossom and fruit ; rivers, streams, [and] lakes to fill ; on them various kinds of birds [began] to gambol ; and [in] every city, village, [and] house festivities to be [celebrated]. Brahmans [began] to perform sacrifice ; the guardians of the ten regions 1 to rejoice ; the clouds to revolve over the district of Braj ;3 the gods, seated in their respective chariots, to rain down flowers from space ; Vidyadhars,-^ Gandharvas,^ Charanas,^ playing big- drums, kettle-drums, and pipes, [began] to sing the virtues [of the new-born] ; and, in one direction, all the Apsarases,^ beginning [with] Urvasi,^ were dancing on, when, in such a time, [on] Wednesday, the eighth [of] the dark half [of the month] Bhadofi, in the Lunar asterism [of] Rohini, [at] mid- night, S'ri Krishna took birth ; and being cloud-coloured, moon- faced, lotus-eyed, yellow-silk girdled, crown-wearing, wearing the five-element necklace,^ and jewel-studded adornments, four-arm shaped,'-' holding the shell, the discus, the club, [and] the lotus, [he] revealed [himself] to Vasudev [and] Devaki. On seeing [him], being astonished, they both presciently reflected, then [they] knew [him] as Adi-Purusha ; i" then, joining the hands, supplicatingly [they] said, " Ours [is] great fortune, ^^ that your Honour has revealed [yourself], and brought to an end [our] births and deaths." ^^ Having said this mvich, [they] related the whole foregoing story ; the various ways in which Kans had afflicted them. There[upon] S'ri Krishna-Chand said, " Now do you have no more anxiety in [your] hearts on any matter ; because I have become incarnate for the express purpose of removing your ' The regions of space are supposed to be presided over by a double set of guardians, one of which is astronomical, the other mythological. The sun, moon, and planets have separate quarters assigned to them ; and along with them, also in separate quarters, Brahma, Indra, Yama, &c., hold sway. The word in the text should have been printed dikpal. " In a hot covuitry rain-clouds produce happiness. •* Vidyadhm'as, "magicians," were attendants on the gods, in possession of magical knowledge. Their functions were both good and evil, like genii or fairies. ■• See note ^, p. 17. ^ Charanas were celestial officials whose duty it was to panegyrize the gods. * Apsaras, " moving in the aqueous." These are celestial nymphs, wives of the Gandharvas, whose residence is the aqueous medium in which clouds float. They sport about, dance, change their shape at will, and are fond of bathing. ' Ui-vaii, the name of a nymph of Indra's heaven, who became the wife of Pururavas, and formed the heronie of Kalidasa's famous drama called " V'ikra- morvasi." * Baijan/i, or, as it should have been printed, Vaijayanti, is a necklace of Vishnu representing the five elements of nature — sapphire for the earth, pearl for water, ruby for fire, topaz for air, and diamond for ether. '•' The form kiye may be used thus with substantives, like the English termina- tion -ed, to give a participial sense. '" ^(//./'//r^^j'/^a is primeval spirit or the first male ; it is a term often applied to Vishnu. " bhog or bhiiqya, " fortune," is generally treated as plural. '- That is, "released us irom fii'lher transmigrations." 26 Prkim-Sagar affliction ; but, for the present, convey me [to] Gokul ; and at this very time Jasoda has had ^ a daughter ; bring that [and] give [it] to kafis. I [will] state the reason for my going ; hear it : Nand [and] Jasoda performed austerity, having brought [their] hearts to me alone ; [They] wish to see the joy of offspring, I [will] go [and] stay some time [with them]. Afterwards, having killed Kans, I will return [to you] ; ^ do you fix fortitude in your hearts." Having thus instructed Vasudev [and] Devaki, S'ri Krishna, as a child,^ began to cry, and spread his illusion around ; then the [spiritual] knowledge of Vasudev [and] Devaki departed, and they thought thus, "We have a son." Thinking this, [and] vowing in [their] hearts [an offering of] ten thousand cows, raising the boy on [their] lap, [they] embraced [him]. Looking again and again [at] his face, both of them repeatedly heaving deep sighs, [they] began to say to each other, " If, by any way, we could send away this boy, then [he] would escape from the hand of the sinner Kaiis." Vasudev said : — Without Destiny no one preserves [anything] ; the fate [that is] written, that same becomes fruitful.'* Then, joining [her] hands, Devaki says, " [Our] friend Nand dwells in Gokul ; Jasoda will remove our pain ; your wife Rohini [is] there. Convey this child there." Thus having heard, Vasudev per- plexedly said, " How shall I be released from this firm binding, [and] convey [him] away ? " As this statement was uttered, all the gyves and manacles ^ fell open, the encircling gateways went open,<^ the watchmen were subdued [by] profound sleep. ^ Then Vasudev Ji having placed S'ri Krishna in a Avinnowing- basket, put [him] on [his] head, and hastily departed for Gokul. Above the god rains ; behind a lion who roars ; Vasudev is reflecting, having seen the Jumna [in] excessive flood. Standing on the river's bank, Vasudev began to reflect, thus, " Behind a lion is roaring, and in front the unfordable Jumna is ' See note '\ p. il. " an milnd, "to come and meet with," is a compound implying "' to return to anyone." ^ The Conjunctive Participle bati, "having been made," or " becoming," is often used as the equivalent ol the English '" as." ■• The Hindus be.icve that a person'^ fate is written on his forehead. * For dathkari read hatlikari. * For daghar read ughar. ' There is an ellipsis here; more fully the sentence '\% achd nind ke has men bav-'i " they were in the power of unconscious sleej).'' Prem-Sagar 27 flowing, now what shall I do ? " Having spoken thus, [and] fixed [his] thought on Bhagwan, he entered the Jumna. As he proceeded forwards, the river was rising ; when the water came up to [his] nose, then he was exceedingly agitated. Knowing him to be perplexed, S'ri Krishna, having stretched forth his foot, gave the hiilikdr} On [his] foot touching [it] the Jumna became fordable. Vasudev having crossed, arrived at Nand's gate ; there he found the door open, [and] having gone within, [he] looks ; then all are lying asleep. Y^o-sx has thrown [over them] such a fascination that there was no remembrance to Jasoda even of the existence of a girl. Vasudev Ji put Krishna then to sleep beside Jasoda, and having taken the girl, quickly took his way [home]. Having crossed the river, [he] returned to where Devaki was seated reflecting, [and] giving the girl, [he] told the happy [circumstances] of that place [i.e. Gokul].^ On hearing [that], Devaki, being pleased, said, " O husband ! now let Kaiis slay [me], still [there is] no anxiety [on that account], because from the hand of this wicked one the son has escaped." Having related this much [of the] tale, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — When Vasudev had brought the girl, the doors closed up just as they were before, and both of them wore [their] manacles [and] gyves. The girl cried out ; [and] having heard the noise of the weeping the guards awoke ; then each seizing his weapon, [and] becoming alert, began to discharge their firelocks. Hearing the noise of these, the elephants began to trumpet, the lions to roar, and the dogs to bark. At the same moment, in the midst of the dark night, in the rain, a watchman came [and] said to Kaiis, [with] joined hands, " Maharaj ! your enemy has arisen." Hearing this, Kaiis fainted [and] fell. CHAPTER V. Kaiis attempts to destroy the subslituled giil — She escapes into space — And derides Kaiis-- Me learns that his futuie destroyer has escaped him — He persecutes the worshippers of Vishnu. On hearing [of] the birth of the child, Kaiis arose, fearing [and] trembling, [and stood] erect ; and having taken sword in hand, falteringly, [with] dishevelled hair, bathed in sweat, in an agitated condition, he drew near to [his] sister. When he snatched the * That is, " uttering the syllable kihn." This is a mystical incantation as old as Vedic times. * There is an elision of ttU here, as is shown by the gender of the verb. 2 8 Prk.m-Sagar girl from her hand, she [with] joined hands, said, " O, brother ! this girl is thy niece ; do not kill her ; she is my last child. i The boys are killed ; pain on their account exceedingly troubles me ; needlessly killing the girl, why aggravate the sin ? " Kafis said, " I will not give the girl to thee living. He who marries this one will kill me." Having said this, [and] having come out, just as he wished that, by swinging [her] round he [will] dash [her] on a stone, at that instant, escaping from [his] hand, the girl went to the sky, and, crying out, proclaimed this, " O Kaiis ! what has [resulted] from dashing me down ? Thy enemy has somewhere taken birth ; - now thou wilt not be preserved alive." Hearing this, Kaiis having repented,''^ came to where ^ Vasudev [and] Devaki were. On arriving [he] cut the manacles [and] gyves from their hands [and] feet, and supplicatingly said, " I have committed great sin in that [I] have killed your sons ; how will this stain be remitted ? in what birth will my salvation take place ? Your deities were false who said that in Devaki's eighth pregnancy there will be a boy ; that not having taken place, a girl has been [born instead] ; that, also, having escaped from [my] hand, is gone to heaven. Now, compassionately, keep not my fault in [your] soul ; because [what is] written by Fate,^ no one is able to obliterate ; from being come*^ into this world, the living, dying, association, [and] dissociation, of humanity is not [to be] escaped. They who are wise, esteem dying [and] living [as] just the same ; but the conceited regard [them] as friends [and] enemies. You, indeed, are very virtuous [and] truthful, in that, for our sake, [you] have brought your sons [to me]." Having said this, when Kaiis began repeatedly to entreat,^ Vasudev Ji said, " Maharaj ! you say true ; in this there is no fault of yours ; Fate wrote this in our destiny." Hearing thus, Kaiis, becoming pleased, most friendlily conducted Vasudev [and] Devaki [to] his own house, caused [them] to be fed, [and] dressed [in] robes, very courteously re-conducted them both [to] the same place [in which they previously were]. And calling for his Minister, said, " Devi has declared*^ [thus], ' Thy enemy is born into the world ; ' hence, now, wherever 3'ou may find the gods, kill [them] ; for they uttered to me the false ''' statement, that ' In the ^ ponchhiid, "to wipe," pet ponchhan, "womb-wiping,"' hence "the last child." ^ Notice the use of /e chitkd. It is the first time the form lias occurred in the book. It expresses tliat " the thing has been done," notwithstanding the counter efforts of Kans. * Many of these jingling repetitions (achhtd pachhia) have occurred, and will occur ; they are quite colloquial, and not to be despised. ■* Yox jahAn x^fsA jahan, '" See note ", p. 5. * Notice the Passive Participle here ; the sense is, " once entered in this world." ' " To clasp the hands" here means "to entreat." ** See note '^, p. 23. '■* Vol jhuljii xcixiXJlu'ilhi. Prem-Sagar 29 eighth pregnancy thy enemy will be [born].' " The Minister said, " Maharaj ! what great affair is their destruction ? they, for- sooth, are beggars by birth ; whenever your Honour may be angry they will flee away.^ What power have they, that they should confront you ? Brahma, for his part, remains all day in thought [and] meditation ; Mahadev " consumes [the intoxicants] bhang and thorn-apple ; nothing of Indra's prevails against you ; -^ there remains Narayan that understands not war, he remains with Lakshmi, mindful of happiness." Kaus said, " Where shall we find Narayan, and [in] what way conquer [him] ? tell [me] that." The Minister said, " Maharaj ! if 3'Ou wish to conquer Narayan, then destroy now the house of those [with] whom [he] ever remains — Brahmans, Vaishnavas, Jogis,* Jatis,^ Tapasis,*^ SannyasisJ Vairagis,^ &c., as many as are Hari's worshippers, among them, from the boy up to the old man, not even one should remain living." Hearing this, Kaiis said to his chief adviser, " Do you go and slay all." Having received [this] order, the Minister, accompanied by many Rakshasas, taking leave, went into the city and began, by fraud [and] force, to search out [and] slay cows, Brahmans, children, and worshippers of Hari. CHAPTER VI. Rejoicings in the house of Nand over the birtli of Krishna — The cowherds seek to propitiate Kails — Vasudev warns them of their danger. Havixg said this much [of] the tale, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — O King ! on one occasion Nand [and] Jasoda performed great ' Not'ce the idiomatic use of the Genitive mjamn ke hhikhari, " beggars of, or from, birih." It is used in a great variety of similar expressions. The form koiiyegd is respectlul, with a sense 01 luturity, "when you may please to be angry." - Alahadev is a name of S'iva or Rudra. ^ This is a peculiar sentence. Indra k& kuchh, " anything of Indra," tiiin par, "upon, or against, you," «a, " not," ^aj'a/, " prevails," the Aorist of basdiia, from vas, " power," a verb not found in the dictionaries, in the sense ot " to prevail," "have power over." This verb occurs further on, and in Chapter LVIII. ■* Jogis, or, more properly, Yogiiis, are devotees who practise the ^'oga philosophy, which leads to the belief that by effective meditation the powers of nature can be abrogated, and the limitations of time and space removed. ^ Jatis, or, rather, \atins, are devotees who hold their passions under restraint. " Tapaiis are those who practise tafas, or bodily torments, by way of dtvotion. ~' Saymyasins, which should be thus spelled, irom sa7n •\- ni ■\- as, "to lay aside," are ascetics who have set aside, or renounced, the world, in order to give their lives to religious exercises. * Fairdgins are ascetics who are free from worldly desire, or passion ; they have attained indifTerentisni. T^o Prem-Sagar austerity for a son ; there ^ S'ri Narayan himself granted the boon, thus, " We shall take birth in your house." When S'ri Krishna came, at the time of midnight, on Wednesday, the eighth [day] of the dark half of [the month] Bhadoii, then Jasoda, as soon as she awoke, perceiving the face of a son, spoke to Nand. [She] felt excessive joy, and thought [that] her life [was] fruitful. As soon as it was dawn, having arisen, Nand Ji sent for the Pandits and astrologers ; they came, bringing each of them his book and calendar. Giving each of them a seat, [he] courteously caused them to sit down. They, by the rules of the S'astras, having settled the year, month, lunar station, the day, the lunar mansion, the conjunction [of planets], [and] Karana, 2 having re- flected on the zodiacal sign, and settled the moment, [they] said, " Maharaj ! in considering our S'astras it thus appears, that this boy having become a second Vidhata,^ [and] having slain all the Asuras, [and] removed the burden of Braj,will be called the Lord of Cowherdesses. All the world will sing the glory of this one." Hearing this, Nand Ji vowed [an offering of] two hundred thousand cows dressed in silk, with golden horns, silver hoofs, [and] copper backs ; and making many presents, giving fees to Brahmans, [and] receiving blessings, [he] dismissed [the Pandits, &c.]. Then he called for all the musicians of the town ; they severally came [and] each began to manifest his special attain- ment ; musicians played, dancers danced, singers sang, [and] male and female panegyrists [began] to celebrate the glory [of the inviter] ; and as many cowherds as belonged to Gokul. causing their wives to bring vessels of curds on their heads, [and] making up various kinds of disguises, dancing [and] singing, came to offer congratulations to Nand. On their coming they played so [heartily] at dadhikado ^ that in Gokul [the ground] was made nothing but curds. ^ When the game of dadhikado was ended, then Nand Ji, giving food [and] drink to all, and dressing [them] in robes, making the tilak^ [and] giving betel-leaf, dismissed [them]. In this way, for several days, congratulation continued ; during this [time] whoever came [and] asked anything obtained from Nand Ji what [they] severally wanted. Having become free from the congratulations, Nand Ji called all the cowherds and said, " Brothers ! we have heard that Kavis is sending to seize children; there is no knowing, some wicked one ma}- say something [about ' See note ^, p. 12. 2 Karanas are lunar periods of time, two of which are equal to a lunar day, or the time during which the moon travels 6' of space. Thtre are eleven Karanas, having separate names. * A name of Brahma. * A game of pelting each other with curds an 3 clay, on Krishna's festival. * Lit., " curds [and] curds was made." ^ That is, making marks on the forehead, between the eyebrows, for ornamental or religious purposes. Coloured earths are generally employed. Prem-Sagar 31 us] ; hence it is proper that, taking presents, we should go all together, and pay [our] yearly tribute." ^ Accepting this direc- tion, all severally brought h-om their houses milk, curds, butter, and money, loading [them] on carts, accompanied by Nand, going from Gokul [they] came [to] Mathura. Having met with Kaiis [they] made their presents,- [and] having paid every kauri^ being dismissed, [and] having saluted,^ [they] took their way [home- wards]. As soon as [they] were come to the bank of the Jumna, hearing the news, Vasudev Ji arrived [there also, and] having met with Nand Ji [and] asked [about his] welfare, said, " There is no kins- man and friend of ours like you in the world ; because, when there was a load of misfortune upon us, then [we] sent the preg- nant Rohini [to] your place. She had a boy, that you have nurtured, and brought up. How far can we extol 3'our virtue ? " ^ Having said this much [he] again inquired, " Tell [me], are Ram- Krishna and [your] wife Jasoda well ? " Nand Ji said, " By your honour's favour all are well ; and the source of our life, your Baldev Ji, is also prosperous, [during] the existence of whom, by your virtue and power, we have had a son ; but one of your afflictions afflicts us." Vasudev said, " Friend ! nothing prevails against Vidhata ; the line of destiny is obliterated by no one ; hence having come into the world, [and] experienced the pain [of] afflic- tion ; who regrets ?" Thus having imparted wisdom [he] said, — " Do you go speedily [to] your home ; Kafis has committed heavy oppression ; The mean [wretch] is sending to search for children ; the death of virtuous subjects has occurred. You, forsooth, have come along here, and Rakshasas are going about searching ; none knows, some wicked one, having gone, may be exciting mischief in Gokul ! " On hearing this, Nand Ji, agitatedly, taking all with [him], reflecting, went from Mathura, to Gokul. CHAPTER VH. Kaii, sends Putana, a demoness, to destroy Krishna — But the latter sucks out her life — She falls dead — The cowherds cut up her body. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — O King ! the Minister of Kafis, then, taking many Rakshasas with [him], was solely [engaged in] goino- ' Notice the addition of and ; idiom requires one to say" give and come back," or " go and come back," or " do and come," &c. ^ '1 here is here a play on the words bhetnd, " to visit," and bhet " a present." ' chukand, " to finish," " to settle" ; here it means " to satisfy every kauri" Le. the shells used for small change. ■• Thejuhdr is a kind of prostration before a superior. * Meaning that they cannot sufficiently thank him. The interrogative is often thus employed to indicate a negation. 32 Prem-Sagar about slaughtering ; when ^ Kafis called a Rakshasi named Putana [and] said, '' Go thou ; as many children as thou findest of the Yadubansis, kill." Hearing this, she, being pleased, prostrated [herself, and] departed ; then [she] began to say within herself, — " Nand has had a son ; deserted [is] Gokul village ; By stratagem immediately I will bring [it] ; becoming a cowherdess, I will go." Saying this, with the sixteen ornaments [and] twelve decora- tions, putting poison in her breast, assuming a fascinating form, deceitfully, holding a lotus-flower in [her] hand, decked out, [she] went as [if] the adorned Lakshmi may be going to her husband. Having arrived in Gokul, smiling [she] went into Nand's mansion. Having seen her, one and all, becoming fasci- nated, remained as though forgetting [themselves]. This one, going, seated [herself] near Jasoda, and asking [her] welfare, gave a blessing, thus, " Thy hero Kahn,~ may [he] live a myriad years." Thus putting forward friendship, having taken the boy from the hand of Jasoda [and] placed [it] on [her] lap, as [she] began to give [him] milk, S'ri Krishna, with both hands seizing the nipple [and] applying [his] mouth, began to drink the milk with the life. Then, indeed, becoming exceedingly alarmed, Putana cried out, " What sort [of being is] thy son, Jasoda ; [he is] not human ; this is the messenger of Yama. Thinking [it] a cord, I have grasped a snake ; if from this one's hand I shall escape living, then I wall never again come into Gokul." Thus having said, [and] having fled, [she] came out of the village ; but Krishna did not release [her]. At last her life was taken. She, writhing [in agony], fell as falls ^ the thunderbolt from the sky. Hearing the tremendous sound, Rohini and Jasoda came, weeping [and] wailing, where Putana was lying dead, covering two kos [of ground] ; * and after them all the village [folk,] arising, ran. They see, then, Krishna on its breast mounted, sucking away [at] the milk. Quickly raising [him], kissing [his] face, [and] embracing [him, they] conveyed [him] home ; [then] inviting the skilful, they began exorcising ; and the cowherdesses [and] cowherds standing near Putana were saying among themselves, that, " Brother ! hearing the crash of this one's falling we feared so that our breast is still throbbing ; none knows what the condition of the child must have been." ^ In the meantime Nand Ji arrived from Mathura ; then what does he see ? — a Rakshasi lying dead, and the crowd of inhabitants of Braj standing around. [He] asked, " What [is] this mischief ' See note ■*, p. 4. - A form of the name Krishna, found in the name of the city Kahn-pur or Cawnpore. ^ Yo'c gird xtsAgirt. ■* About four miles. * Notice this use of the Presumptive Perfect, hiij hogi, " must have been.'' These forms are colloquially in constant requisition. Prem-SAgar 33 [which] has occurred ? " They said, " Mah^raj ! at first, this one, being exceedingly beautiful, went giving blessings [in] your house ; having seen her, all the women of Braj remained forgetful. This one, taking Krishna, began to give him milk ; afterwards we know not what circumstance happened." Hear- ing this much, Nand Ji said, " It was great good fortune that the child was saved, and [that] this one fell not on Gokul ; otherwise not even one had remained living, all had been crushed to death beneath her." i Having spoken thus, Nand Ji came home [and] began to [give] alms and perform meritorious acts ; and the cow- herds, with axes, mattocks, spades, [and] hatchets, cutting up Putana's hands [and] feet, were digging [and] digging holes [and] burying [them] ; and collecting together the tiesh [and] skin, burnt [them]. By the burning of that such an odour was diflfused that the world was filled with the fragrance. Having heard this much [of] the tale. King Parikshit asked S'ukadev Ji, " Maharaj ! that Rakshasi [was] most foul [and] a consumer of alcohol [and] flesh ; how [comes it that] fragrance issued from her body ? kindly tell me [that]," The saint said, " O King ! S'ri Krishna-Chand, having drunk [her] milk, gave [her] salvation ; [for] this reason a sweet smell issued," CHAPTER Vni. Festivities when Krisliiia is twenty-seven davs old — The demon S'akatasur attempts to destroy him, but is killed by Krishna — The demon Trinawart killed by Krishna when five months old. S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said, — The asterism [in] which Mohan was [born] came round ; 2 Mother Jasoda prepared everything [according to] rule, all four congratulatory festivities. When Hari was of twenty-seven days,'"' Nand Ji sent an invita- tion to all Brahmans and inhabitants of Braj. They came ; [and he] caused them, courteously, to be seated ; afterwards,* bestowing ^ Notice the use of the Present Imperfect in these sentences, with its sense of " had remained " and " had died." ' For pa^yaun read paryati ; paryau d/, " happened to coi.ie," " it fell to come." Mohan is a name of Krishna. ^ The ordinary expression for " twenty-seven days old." The same idiom is u ed for any other period of time. ■• d^e means " afterwards " as well as "before," because it expresses events which occur by going " iorward " in a course of action. D 34 Pke.m-Sagar much liberality on the Brahmans, [he] dismissed them, and dress- ing the brotherhood [in] robes, caused them to enjoy the six flavours.! At that time the lady Jasoda was playing the hostess ; Rohini was engaged in household duties ; the inhabitants of Braj were laughing away [and] feasting ; the cowherdesses were sing- ing on ; all were in this way absorbed in joy, that there was no thought of Krishna to anyone. And Krishna under a heavy cart, in a cradle, was sleeping unconsciously ; when, in this [state of affairs], becoming hungry, [he] awoke. Having placed [his] big toe in [his] mouth, he began to cry, [and] fidgeting about looked around. Just at that conjuncture a Rakshas, flying by, came upon [the scene, and] perceiving Krishna alone, said within himself, '' This, forsooth, is some very strong one born ; but to-day I will take revenge for Putana on him." Having thus resolved [he] came [and] sat on the cart ; [and] from this very [circumstance] his name has become Sakatasur (i.e. cart-demon). When the cart creakingl}' moved, S'ri Krishna [while] sobbing struck such a kick that that [demon] died, and the cart, breaking to pieces, fell down ; then as many dishes of milk [and] curds as were [there], were all broken to pieces, and, like a river of milk, flowed forth. Having heard the sound of the breaking of the cart and the split- ting of the vessels, the cowherds and cowherdesses came running [there] ; on arriving, Jasoda raising up Krishna, kissed [his] face, [and] embraced [him]. Perceiving this wonder, all said among themselves, " To-day Fate has eiTected great happiness, in that the child has remained safe, and the cart alone is broken up." Having related the tale so far, S'ri S'ukadev said : — O King ! when Hari was of five months [age], Kans sent Trinawart ; he, becoming a whirlwind, went into Gokul. Nand's wife, holding Krishna in [her] lap, was seated in the middle of the courtyard, when, all at once, Kahn became so heavy that Jasoda, through the weight, set [him] down from [her] lap. Hereupon such a storm came that day became night,- and trees [one after another] began to be torn up [and] fall, [and] roofs to fly [by the wind]. Then becoming alarmed, Jasoda Ji essayed to lift up Krishna, but he was not raised. As soon as her hand was removed from his body, Trinawart, taking [him] to the sky, flew away ; and said to himself, thus, " To-day I will not remain [with] this one un- killed." He, for his part, holding Krishna was there this meditating ; here Jasoda Ji, when [she] found [Krishna] not before [her], weeping bitterly began to cry out " Krishna ! Krishna ! " Hearing her noise, all the cowherdesses [and] cowherds came, [and] accompanying [her], ran to search. In the darkness they went feeling about by guess ; furthermore, stumbling, [and] falling about. ^ The six recgnized flavours are. sweet, sour, salt, bitter, acrid, and astrin- gent ; and they are held to comprise every aliment: ry delicacy. 2 See note -, p. 14. Prem-Sagar 35 The cowherdesses roam searching the woods of Braj ; on this side Rohini [and] Jasoda are talking [of the affair] ; Nand [with] the noise of a thunder-cloud is shouting ; the cowherdesses [and] cowherds are crying out excessively. When S'ri Krishna saw all the inhabitants of Braj, along with Nand [and] Jasoda, exceedingly pained, swinging Trinawart round [and] bringing [him] into the courtyard, [he] dashed [him] upon a stone, so that his life vanished from [his] body. The storm was hushed ; it became light [again] ; all [who had] mistakenly strayed came home. They saw, then, the Rakshas lying dead in the courtyard ; S'ri Krishna was playing on the chest. On arriving, Jasoda, taking [him] up, pressed [him to her] neck, and bestowed many gifts on Brahmans. CHAPTER JX. Vasndev sends his family priest to name Balaram and Krishna — Krishna steals the butter-milk — And when caught contrives to escape — He eats dirt — And his mother beholds, instead, the three worlds in his mouth. S'Ri S'uKADEV Ji said : — O King ! oneday Vasudev Ji, sending for the saint Garg, who was a great astrologer and family priest of the Yadubansis, said, " Do you go to Gokul, fix the name of the boy, [and] return. Rohini has been with child ; a son is [born] to her ; How long [is to be his] life, what [his] strength, [and] what is [to be his] name. And Nand Ji has had a son ; he also having invited [you] de- parted." On hearing [this] the saint Garg, being pleased, went, and arrived near Gokul. Then someone, having approached Nand Ji, said, " The family priest of the Yadubansis, the saint Garg Ji, is coming." Having heard this, Nand Ji, delightedly, collecting together the cowherd-children, taking presents, rose up, [and] hastened ; and spreading carpets of silk-cloth, conducted [him] with musical instruments. Having reverenced [him and] seated him on a seat, [and] having received the nectar of his feet,^ women [and] men, [with] joined hands, began to say, " Maharaj ! Ave [have] great fortune that your Honour compassionately having permitted a view [of you] has purified the house. By ' It is considered meritoiious to drink the water in which the feet of a Brahman have been washed. This is called ckaranamrita, "foot's nectar." D 2 36 Prem-Sagar your majesty two sons have been [born] ; one Rohini's [and] one ours ; kindly fix a name for them." The saint Garg said, " Such name-fixing as this is improper ; ^ because, should this affair be spread about, that the saint Garg had gone into Gokul to fix the name of the boys, and Kahs should get [to] hear [of it], then he will know this that someone has conveyed Devaki's son [to] the house of Vasudev's friend ; on this account the family priest Garg has gone ; having understood this, he will send to seize me, and none knows what mischief [it] may bring upon you also ; hence do not you spread [it] about at all ; secretly have the name fixed in the house." ^ Nand said, " Garg Ji ! you have spoken true." Saying this much [he] conducted him within the house, [and] seated [him]. Then the saint Garg, having inquired from Nand Ji the time and lunar day of the birth of both, having examined the zodiacal con- junction, [and] fixed the name, said, " Listen,^ Nand Ji ! of the son of Rohini, the wife of Vasudev, there shall be these-many names : — Sankarshan, Revatiraman, Balada^ii, Balaram, Kalindi- bhedan, Haladhar, and Balabir. And the Krishna-formed one, who is your boy, his names are unnumbered ; but [at] some time [he] was born in the house of Vasudev, therefore [his] name has become Vasudev ; and, it occurs to me, that both these boys of yours, during the four ages, when they are born, are born only "together." * Nand Ji said, " Tell [me] their qualities." The saint Garg replied, " These are second Vidhatas ; their condition is incon- ceivable ; '" but I know this, that having killed Kaiis they will remove the burden of the earth." Having spoken thus, the saint Garg silently departed, and going to Vasudev, related ^ all the news [to him]. Afterwards both the boys day by day began to grow in Gokul, and to delight Nand and Jasoda by childish sport. Dressed in blue [and] yellow frocks, [pretty] little curls scattered over their foreheads, amulets [and] charms fastened [on], necklets placed on their necks, holding toys in their hands, they were playing ; in the courtyard crawling along, they tumble about, and prattle lispingly. Rohini and Jasoda follow close behind [them], lest the boys, [from] fear of anything, should stumble [and] fall." When, ^ For ttahon read nahih. ^ Notice the use of the double causal dharwdnd to express " to have it fixed." ^ For munon read siino. * jaumeh hain are Aorists with the substantive verb as auxiliary. The sense is. " when they are born "' or '' may be born." It is quite common colloquially. They are not Past ten-es. * Here the A'nlative is understood (see note '", p. 4), the construction being, " his condition is not understood anyhow [by anyone]." * The plural kahe is needed ; because sa/ndchdr, " news " is generally treated as a plural noun. '' The idiom is peculiar here; the sentence is really Imperative, meaning literally, " On this account, to wit, Let not, anyhow, the boys, fearing anythi.ig, stumble and lall ! " Prem-SAgar 2)7 having caught hold of the very little calves' and heifers' tails, [they] rise up, and tumble down, then Jasoda and Rohini most affectionately, having raised, embraced them, [and] given [them] milk, fondle them with various kinds of endearments. When S'ri Krishna was grown up, one day, accompanied by cowherd-children, he went into Braj to steal curd [and] butter. Going [they] search in empty house ; what [they] find, that [they] cause [others] to steal. ^ Those whom [they] find sleeping in a house, [they] take [and] bring away their curd-vessels [which are] placed [there] covered up. Where he sees [anything] placed [high] on a netting, there on a stool a plank, on the plank a wooden mortar setting, making a companion stand [on that, and] mounting upon him, [they] take [it] down, eat some, steal [some], and spill [some]. Thus [they] constantly steal [from] the various houses of the cow- herdesses.~ One day, they all took counsel and allowed Mohan to enter a house. As, having entered inside the house, [he] wishes that [he] may steal butter [and] curd, going [and] catching [him, they] said, '' Day by day [you] are coming, night [and] morning ; now where will you go, butter-thief ? " Thus having said, when all the cowherdesses together, taking Kanhaiya, went to give a com- plaint to Jasoda, then S'ri Krishna acted so trickily that he caused that [cowlnerdess] to hold the hand of her own son, and himself running away [re]joined his cowherd-children. They went on [and] having approached Nand's wife, falling [at her] feet, said, "If you should not be displeased, we will tell [you] what a mischievous [thing] Krishna has resolved on. " Milk, curds, butter, butter-milk, nothmg escapes in Braj. Such thefts he perpetrates, returning morning and evening. Wherever they find [a vessel] placed, covered up, they fear- lessly take [it] up, and bring it thence. Some they eat, [some] they cause [others] to steal. Should anyone point out the curds attached to his mouth, he retorts to her saying, ' Thou thy very self put [it there].' In this way they are cantinually coming thieving. To-day we have caught [him], therefore we have brought [him] to show [him] to you." Jasoda said, " Sister ! whose son have you seized [and] brought? Since yesterday, -mv prince Kanha^i has not gone even outside ^ the house. Such truth [as] this are you speaking ! " Hearing this [and] seeing only her own child in [her] hand, they, laughing, were abashed. There[upon] Jasoda having called Krishna, said, " Son ! don't go ' The plurals are respectful to Krishna. ' Notice all these Aorists about here. They indicate the cu^tomaiy character of the different actions. ' For Mhir read bahar. 38 Prem-Sagar in an_vone's place ; what you may wish, take [and] eat in the house." Having heard [this] Kahn says Uspingly, " Mother ! don't beheve them ; These false cowher Jesses tell lies ; they roam about close behind me. In places they get me to hold the milk-pails [and] calves ; some- times they get me to do house-work ; having set me to watch at the door they go about their work ; then deceptively, having returned, they tell tales to you." Hearing thus, the cowherdesses, severally looking [at] the face [of] Hari, smiled [and] went away. One day later on Krishna [and] Balaram were playing in the courtyard with [their] companions, when Kahn ate [some] dirt ; thereupon one companion went [and] informed Jasoda.^ She angrily, taking a switch in [her] hand, got up [and] ran [towards him]. [He] having perceived [his] mother coming filled with passion, wiped [his] mouth [and] stood [there] frightened. As soon as [she] got [to him] she said, '' How now ! - why hast thou eaten dirt ? " Krishna, fearing [and] trembling, said, *' Mother ! who has told thee ? " ^ She said, " Thy friend." Then Mohan angrily asked the friend, "How now! when did I eat dirt ? " ^ He, fearing, said, " Brother ! I know nothing [of] what thou sayest ; what shall I say ? " As soon as Kahn began to expostu- late with the companion, Jasodawent [and] seized him. There- tipon Krishna began to say, '' Mother ! be not thou angry ; do human beings ever eat dirt ? " She said, " I will not listen to th}^ prevarication ; ^ if thou art true, show thy mouth." When S'ri Krishna opened [his] mouth, the three worlds were seen within it.^ Then knowledge came to Jasoda, therefore she began to say within herself, " I am a great fool, in that I am esteeming as my son the Lord of the Three Worlds." Having related the tale thus far, S'ri S'ukadev said to King Parikshit : — O King ! when Nand's wife thought thus, Hari dispersed his illusion ; hereupon Jasoda, having fondled Mohan [and] pressed [him to her] bosom, conducted [him] home. - The word bdt is understood. - Lit., " Why? fellow !" ^ For 'uj se read ttijh se ; but Lallil Lai himself wrote fuj. * Notice that Krislina is made to use the more correct form /natti or iniiti, while his mother uses the rusiic vidti. '■ Present tense for Future : atpati bdt = " incoherent statement," " shuffling," or "prevaiication." ^ I'lie idiom drishti dnd is useful ; men is understood ; and it, therefore, means "to come into sight." The Hindu notion is that rays of sight pass from the person to the object, not vice versa. A knowledge of this fact will explain this and other related idioms. I'he Singular is used because tin lok, " the three worlds," implies "entire creation [was seen]."' Pkem-Sac AR 39 chaptp:r X. Churning as busily practised in Nand's liouse — Ktislina breaks the churi.ing- bticks — Upsels the butter-milk— His mother ties him to a woo..en mortar lo stop his pranks. One day, thinking [it] time for churning curds, Nand's Avife arose quite early, and, having awakened all the cowherdesses, called [them to her] ; they, having come, swept the house, [and] cleaned [it, and] smeared [and] plastered [it with cow-dung], each taking her own churning staff, began to churn curds. Thereupon Nand's wife, also, having taken a largish vessel [and] placed [it] on a porter's knot, spreading a seat [for herself, and] sending for cord and churning-stick, and carefully selecting fresh curd-vessels, sat down to churn for Ram Krishna. At that time, in the house of Nand, such a noise of curd-churning was going on, as though a cloud were thundering. Hereupon Krishna woke up, [and] set-to crying [and] calling out i" Mother! mother!" When nobody heard his shouting, he himself came to Jasoda, and [his] eyes tilled with tears, ill-humouredly sobbing on [and] lisping, he said, "Mother ! [I] called thee several times, but [thou] didst not come to give me breakfast ; is not thy work done yet ? " Having said this much he became cross, [and] pulling the churning-stick from the vessel, [and] thrusting in both [his] hands, he began to take out [and] fling about the butter, to besmear [his] body, to stairip about [with his] feet, [and] to drag at the skirt's end and cry. Then Nand's wife, alarmed, angrily said, " Son ! what conduct [is] this [which you] have developed ? " Come, get up, I will give thee breakfast." Krishna said, " Now I will not take [it] ; At first why was [it] not given. Mother ? [if it] were taken now, [it would be] my misfortune." At length Jasoda, having flattered [him, and] affectionately kissed [his] face, took [him] upon [her] lap, and gave [him] curds, butter, [and] bread, to eat. Hari laughing away was eating ; Nand's wife was feeding him [under] a screen formed by the bottom of [her] dress, so that no one should see." In the meantime a cowherdess came [and] said, " You, forsooth, are seated here ; there all the milk has boiled over^ on the hearth. On hearing'^ this, hastily putting Krishna down from [her] lap, [she] rose [and] ran ; and having gone, saved the milk. 1 fukdran Idge is the Braj form oi pukariie lage. " Plere us par is understood; meaning that •• the sight of anyone should not be on hiniT •* For lipkan read uphaii. * For sanU read smile. 40 Prem-Sagar Here Kahn, having broken the vessels of curds and butter-milk, snapped the churning-stick, [and] having taken a pot full of butter, ran among the cowherd lads. He found a mortar placed upside down, on which he got [and] sat, and causing [his] com- panions to sit around, began to laugh away, [and] to share among them the butter [and] to eat. In [the midst of] this Jasoda, having taken ofif the milk, came [and] saw, that, in the court3'ard and hall, there was a mess of curds and butter-milk. Then, indeed, having reflected, [she] took a switch in [her] hand, [and] went forth ; and, searching about, [she] came where S'ri Krishna, having made a circle [of his companions], was eating [and] causing [others] to eat the butter. As soon as [she] on going [to him] caught [his] hand from behind, Hari, then seeing his mother, crying and beseeching said, " Mother ! who upset the butter-milk ? I don't know. Let me go." Having heard such humble speeches, Jasoda, having laughed [and] thrown the switch from [her] hand, and, being immersed in joy, [under] the guise of anger, i pressed [him to her] breast, [and] taking [him] home, began to tie him to a mortar. Then S'ri Krishna so acted that with whatever string [he] was bound it should become [too] short. Jasoda ~ sent for all the strings of the house, still [he] was not bound. At last, perceiving [that his] mother was pained, he himself allowed the binding [to be effected]. Nand's wafe, having bound [him, and] adminis- tered an oath of [not] unfastening [him] to the cowherdesses, recommenced [her] domestic occupation. CHAPTER XI. Krishna goes to release Nal and Kuvar from a curse pronounced in a former birth— He drain's the wooden mortar along with him- He tears up the trees in which the victims afe confined — Their gratitude therefor. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said :— O King \ to S'ri Krishna while bound came the remembrance of a former birth, that Kuver's^ sons had been cursed by Narad [and that] their deliverance should be effected. Having heard this, King Parikshit asked S'ukadev Ji : — Maharaj 1 how did Narad, the saint, curse the sons of Kuver ? ' For risi-e read ri's ke. ^ YoK Jaaodd K^.AJaiodd. ^ Kuvera is the god of riches generally ; and his resi 'ence is placed in one of the loftiest peaks of the Himalaya mountains. He is accounted regent of the northern region. Prem-Sagar 41 explain that [to me]. S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Kuver's two sons, named Nal [and] Kuvar,i were in Kailas ; " they, by assidu- ously serving S'iva, became exceedingly wealthy. One day, taking [their] wives with [them], they went [to] the woods for diversion. Having gone there [and] drunk wine, [they] became intoxicated. Then, along with [their] wives, having become naked, [they] began to bathe in the Ganges ; and, throwing [their] arms round [each other's] necks, began to indulge in a variety of sports ; hereupon Narad, the saint, [unexpectedly] came there. On seeing him, the women, for their part, came forth and dressed [themselves] ; [but] those drunken [men] remained standing where [they were]. Perceiving their con- dition, Narad Ji said within himself, " These have become proud of their wealth, [and] therefore having become intoxicated [they] esteem pleasure [and] anger as happiness. The poor man has no conceit, [but] to the wealthy, where is the thought of virtue [and] vice ? Fools, by affection for a false body, forget [them- selves] ; having regarded [their] wealth [and] family [they] are elated. The virtuous do not bring the pride of wealth into [their] hearts ; they esteem fortune [and] misfortune as equal." Having said this much, Narad, the saint, cursed them, thus, " For this sin, go you into Gokul, [and] become trees ; when S'ri Krishna shall take incarnate form he will give you deliverance." Narad, the saint, cursed them thus ; in consequence of that they came into Gokul [and] became trees ; their name then became Yamalarjun. Having related the story thus far, S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! having remembered this affair, S'ri Krishna dragged along the wooden mortar to the place where the Yamalarjun trees were. On going there, having cast the mortar cross-wise between both those trees, [he] gave such a jerk that both the trees were up- torn from the root ; and two handsome men, having issued from them, [with] joined hands, praising [him] began to say, " O Lord 1 who but you would take thought of such great sinners as us ? " S'ri Krishna said, " Listen. Narad, the saint, had great compassion on you in that [he] gave [you] deliverance in Gokul. By his favour you have found me ; now ask the boon which may be in your hearts." Yamalarjun said, " Lord of the humble ! this is the favour of Narad Ji alone that [we] have touched your Honour's feet and seen [you] ; now we have no wish for anything ; but please grant only this much that your service may ever remain in our hearts." Hearing this [and] granting the boon, [and] smiling, S'ri Krishna-Chand dismissed them. ^ For Ki'ivcr read KAvar. This misreading was made by both Hollings and Eastwick. ^ Kailasa was the paradise of S'lva, as well as being the residence of Kiivera ; and was situated beyond the Mana"^a lake, among the Ilimal.iya mountains. 42 Prem-Sa(;ar CHAPTER XII. The cowherds find Krishna liy the uprooted trees — Nand and his followers escape (rem Gokul to Brindaban— Krishna, at five years old, slays the demon Bachchhasur, and the demon Bakasiir. S'ri ^ S'uKADEV, the saint, said : — O King ! when both those trees fell, having heard their sound, Nand's wife agitatedly ran. She came where Krishna had been bound to the mortar ; - and all the cowherdesses and cowherds also came after her. When [she] did not find Krishna there, having become alarmed, Jasoda, calling out " Mohan ! Mohan ! " went along saying, " Where has gone [he who] was bound ? O mother ! has anyone seen anywhere my boy Kanha,i ? " Hereupon a Brajwoman ^ came forward [and] said, " Two trees have fallen, Murari * has escaped there." Hearing this, all went forward [and] saw ^ that [in] very truth the trees are lying uprooted, and Krishna between them, bound to the mortar, seated [in a] contracted [attitude]. On going [to him] Nand's wife released Kahn from the mortar, [and] crying, embraced [him] ; and all the cowherdesses, thinking [him] frightened, began to snap [their fingers, and] to clap away [with their hands] to amuse [him]. Thereupon Nand [and] Upanand began saying to each other, " These trees [which] have been growing from age to age, how did [they] come rooted up ? this comes to [our] minds [as] a marvel ; their secret is not at all to be understood [by us]." Hearing this much, a boy related the circumstance of the falling trees just as it occurred ; but no one understood it. One said, " How can this child understand this secret ? " Another said, " Perhaps it may be so ; who can understand Hari's actions ? " In this way, making various kinds of remarks, taking S'ri Krishna, all joyfully came into Gokul. Then Nand Ji [gave] much alms [and] performed virtuous [acts]. After some time had elapsed, Krishna's birthday came round ; then Jasoda Rani sent an invitation to all the family, and, pre- paring a festivity, tied the birthday-knot. When all having met had sat down to the treat, Nand-Ra^e said, " Listen, brethren ! now in this Gokul how is [it possible] to remain ? Day by day dreadful oppressions are occurring ; come, let us go to some such place where we may obtain the comfort of grass and water." Upanand said, " Should [you] go [and] dwell [in] Brindaban, ' For 3^/ read S'ri. ^ Lallu Lai here wrote ulukhal, not ukhal. ' The punctuation of the text is here quite misleading. ■• Murari (properly Mara -h ari), '• the enemy of Mura," a name of Krishna. ' dekhen is the Aorist, with the sense of the Present, and means "they are lookina:." Prem-SaCxAR 43 then [you] will remain [there] with delight." Having heard this statement, Nand Ji caused all to eat [and] drink, [and] having distributed betel-leaf [and] made [them] sit down, and forthwith having summoned an astrologer, asked the [propitious] moment for the journey. That one, having reflected, i said, " For a journey in this direction to-morrow is exceedingly good ; on the left-hand [is] Yogini,^ Disasula ^ [is] behind, and the Moon is [in] front. Undoubtedly your Honour can set out quite early [to-morrow]." Having heard this, all the cowherdesses and cowherds, at that time, went each to his own home ; but early in the morning each loaded his own goods and chattels on carts [and] came [and] collected together. Nand Ji accompanied [them] with [his] family, and proceeding on and on, [and] crossing the river, [in] the evening they arrived [at their destination]. Having pro- pitiated the goddess Brinda,'^ and occupied Brindaban, they all began to reside there with happiness [and] ease. When S'ri Krishna was five years old, he said to [his] mother, " I will go to graze calves ; do thou tell Balada^u not to leave me alone in the wood." She said, " Son ! there are plenty of calf- grazers your servants ; do not you be [for] an instant concealed from before my eyes, darling ! " Kahn said, " If I shall go into the wood to sport, I shall eat food ; otherwise not." Having heard this, Jasoda, calling the cow-boys, [and] consigning Krishna to [the care of] Balaram, said, "You will not go^ far to graze calves ; and before dusk*' come home with both [of them]. You will not leave these alone in the wood ; remain in their very company ; you are their guardians." Having spoken thus, [and] having given [them] food, [she] dispatched Ram Krishna along with them. They, having gone, began to graze calves [on] the bank of the Jumna, and to sport among the cow-boys ; when, hereupon, Bachchhasur, sent by^ Kans, having assumed a deceitful form, arrived. Upon seeing him, all the calves, frightened, fled hither and thither. Then S'ri Krishna indicated by a sign to Baladev Ji, thus, " Brother ! this [is] some Rakshas come." When he, grazing on forwards, approached near to effect [his] ambuscade,^ ^ For bicli&r ke read bichdrke. ^ A Yogiiu is a female demon possessed of magical power ; eight of them attend upon Durga, to perform ill-omened offices. •* For dtsds!t/ read dimiiila, as Lallu Lai wrote it. It means diiii -|- silla, " the quarter of death " ; and is the ninth astronomical Yoga, in which direction it is unpropitious to travel. •* Britidd is a name of the tuht, or sweet basil, plint. It is fabled that Krishna loved a nymph and turned her into the /^/jZ-pIant, which Hindus n^.w adore. " The respectful Imperative in -iyo conveys a sense of futurity as well as request. •> sdnjh na hole, " twilight not being," that is, " before dusk." ' See note '■*, p. 5. ^ That IS, to accomplish his treacherous purpose. 44 P REM -S AGAR S'ri Krishna, having seized the hind leg [and] whirled [him] round, so "dashed [him] down that his life issued from [his] body. Having heard [of] the death of Bachchhasur, Kaiis sent Bakasur. He, having come into Brindaban [and] arranged his ambuscade, [on] the bank of the Jumna went [and] sat, like a mountain. Having seen him, struck with fear the cow-boys began to say to Krishna, "Brother! this, forsooth, [is] some Rakshas, come as a crane ; how shall we escape from his hand ? " These, then, on the one hand, were thus speaking to Krishna ; and, on the other hand, that [Rakshas] also was thus reflecting in [his] mind, " To-day I will not go without killing him." Hereupon, when S'ri Krishna went near him, he, having lifted him (Krishna) in [his] beak, closed [his] mouth. The cow-boys, becoming alarmed, looked about on all sides, [and] crying [and] calling again and again,i began to say, " Alas ! alas ! Haladhar, too, is not here ; what shall we go [and] say to Jasoda ? " Perceiving them to be exceedingly pained, S'ri Krishna became so hot that he could not hold [him] in [his] mouth. When he disgorged him, then he (Krishna) seized him [by] the beak, [and] having pressed the beak under [his] foot, he rent [him] up ; and having collected the calves, accompanied with [his] companions, he went home laughing [and] playing. CHAPTER XIII. The serpent-demon Aghisur swnl'ows Krishna and all his companions — Krishna swells out monstrously, and bursts tlie serpent. S'ri S'ukadev said :— Listen, Maharaj ! At dawn one day S'ri Krishna proceeded to the wood to graze calves ; along with him all the cow-boys, also, each taking food from his home, accom- panied [him] ; and having entered the pasturage, set down the food, [and] set free the calves to graze, they began to smear about their bodies with chalk [and] red ochre, and making [and] putting on ornaments of wild fruits [and] flowers, [they began] to play, and imitating the sounds of beasts [and] birds, [and] with various kinds ot pastime, [began] to dance [and] to sing. Hereupon the Rakshas named Aghasur, sent by Kans, came. He, having become an exceedingly large dragon, sat [with] open * "Again and again'' is indicated by the repetiiion of t'le Conjunctive Participles. Prem-Sagar 45 mouth ; and, with all the companions, S'ri Krishna, also, sporting about, [happened to] go just where he, having arranged [his] ambuscade, was seated open-mouthed. Having perceived him from afar, the cow-boys began to say among themselves, " Brother ! this, forsooth, is some great mountain, the cavern of which is so large." Saying thus, and grazing the calves, they approached near him ; then one boy, perceiving his mouth open, said, "Brother ! this, indeed, is some exceedingly frightful cavern ; we will not go within it ; we are afraid as soon as [we] look [at it]." Then a companion named Tokh said, " Come on, let us go in ; what should frighten us, as long as Krishna [is] with [us] ; if it should be some Asur, then it will be killed in the manner of Bakasur." All the companions, standing, were thus merely conversing, when he drew so deep a breath that all the cow-boys, along with the calves, flying, went [and] fell into his mouth. As soon as the poisonous hot vapour was felt, then the calves, becoming alarmed, began to bellow, and the companions to cry out, *' O beloved Krishna ! quickly take thought [of us] ; otherwise, we all [shall be] burnt to death." As soon as [he] heard their cry, becoming distressed, S'ri Krishna, also, advanced ^ into his mouth. He (the dragon), becoming pleased, closed [his] mouth ; there- upon S'ri Krishna increased his own body so much that his (the dragon's) stomach burst open. All the calves and the cow-boys fell out. Then delightedly the gods, having rained down flowers and nectar, removed the anguish of all [sufferers]. Then the cow-boys began to say to S'ri Krishna, " Brother ! having killed this Asur, to-day thou hast well preserved ~ [us] ; otherwise all had perished." CHAPTER XIV. Brahma st'-als away Krishna's companions and the cows, and confines them in a cave — Krishna creates illusive imitations of them — He frightens Brahma by caus'.ng his illusions to appear more j^od-like than the divmities. Sri S'ukadev said : — O King ! having thus killed Aghasur, S'ri Krishna Chand collected the calves [and], taking the companions with [him], set forth. Having gone some distance, standing in the shade of a kndam-tree. [and] playing the flute, [he] called to all the cowherd lads [and] said, " Brothers ! this is a nice place ; leaving this, where should we go further on ? Sit down just here ^ For bar gaye read bar/i gnye. ' For bachayo read bachdye. 46 Pke.m-Sagar [and] let us eat the food." Upon hearing this, they drove away the calves to graze, and having brought the leaves of swallow- wort, bastard-teak, fig, kadam, and lotus, [and] having made plates [and] cups, [and] brushed [and] cleaned, [they] sat down around S'ri Krishna [in] rows on rows ; and each opening his own [packet of] food, began to share it among themselves. When they had done sharing, S'ri Krishna Chand, standing in the midst of all, having himself first raised a mouthful, gave the order to eat. They began to eat. Among them, wearing a peacock-crown, a floral wreath on the neck, holding a club, assuming the triply-bent form,i wearing yellow silk, covered with yellow cloth, [and] laughing away, S'ri Krishna, also, was feeding all [of them] from his [packet of] food ; and taking up [a little] from the plate of each [and] tasting [and] tasting, he was going on declaring the flavours — the bitter, sweet, hot, [and] pungent ; and in that assembly he appeared as beautiful as the moon among the stars. Then Brahma [and] all the other gods, seated in their chariots, were looking on, from the sky, [at] the happiness of the cowherd assembly, when Brahma, coming from among them, stole away all the calves. And hereupon the cowherd lads, [while eating], becoming anxious, said to S'ri Krishna, " Brother ! we, forsooth, are sitting [and] eating away carelesslv ; no one knows where the calves might have strayed awav to." Then Kanha^i says to the cowherds, '' Do 3-ou all remain at the feast, brothers ! Let no one arise [or] be anxious ; I will collect [and] bring everyone's calf." Having spoken thus, [and] having gone some distance in the wood, when [he] perceived that " Brahma has taken away the calves from here," then S'ri Krishna made [and] brought others just like [them]. Having come here [again, he] sees that the cowherd boys also have been picked up [and] carried away [by Brahma]. Then he made [others] also just as they were; and, perceiving it had bepome evening, taking all with [him, he] came [to] Brindaban. The cowherd bo3's went each to his home ; but no one knew this secret, that, these [are] not our children [and] calves ; rather, day by day the delusion went on increasing still more. Having rehearsed this much [of] the story, S'ri S'ukadev said : — Maharaj ! on that side, Brahma having taken the cowherd boys [and] calves, [and] having filled [them] into the cave of a mountain, [and] put a block of stone on its mouth, forgot [the affair] ; and, on this side, S'ri Krishna Chand was continually indulging in various fresh sports. In this [wav] a year passed ^ Many images of Krishna have the legs, luins, and neck bent. It is a characteri'itic mark. Prem-Sagar 47 away, then the remembrance occurred to Brahma ; therefore he began to say within himself, " Of me, indeed, there has not been even one moment, but [it] has become a year of men ; hence now, come, it should be seen what has taken place in Braj without cowherd boys and calves." Having reflected thus, [he] arose [and] came where they had all been shut up in the cavern. Having raised the stone, [he] sees that the boys and calves are lying sleeping in a pro- found sleep. Going from there [and] coming into Brindaban, having seen the children and calves all just as they [formerly] were, being astonished, [he] began to say, " How came the cowherd boys and calves here ? or has Krishna created them afresh ? '' Having said this much, [he] again went to look at the cavern. In the interval in which he could look from there [and] back, wuthin that, on this side, S'ri Krishna Chand produced such an illusion that, as many cowherd-boys and calves as there were, all became four-armed, and before each [of them] Brahma, Rudra, [and] Indra, are standing [with] joined hands. Seeing [this], Biranch ^ became like a picture; [he] forgot [everything] ; knowledge, thought, all went. As a stone four-faced Devi [is] afflicted [when] become deprived of worship [and] adoration. And, having become afraid, [he] closed [his] e3'es, [and] began to tremble [and] shiver. When the soul-regulating S'ri Krishna Chand perceived that Brahma is exceedingly disquieted, [he] appropriated the share of all,- and himself remained quite alone, just as separated cloud may b-^come one. CHAPTER XV. Brahma asks pardon of Krishna— He releases the real kine and cowherds, after a tuelvemonth's incarceiation. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said ; — O King ! when S'ri Krishna had dissi- pated his illusion, then Brahma acquired knowledge of his own person ; therefore, having reflected [and] approached Bhagwan with extreme humility falling [at his] feet, supplicatingly stand- ing with joined hands, he began to say, " O Lord ! you have ' Bii'nfuh is an epithet of Brahma ; it should be Virack or Virachi, " the creator." The expression "to become like a picture" means "to be struck motionless with astonishment." - aiiH harnd means " to appropriate a share [in some common property]," ani- hara is " a co sharer," " the taker of a share [with another]." The sense here is 48 Prem-Sagar acted very kiiidlv in that [you] have removed my pride ; through this I was remaining bUnd. Of whom is there such intelUgence that, without your compassion, he may understand your actions. By your illusion everything is fascinated ; who is he that may fascinate you ? You are the creator of all ; in each hair of your [body] many Brahmas such as me are lying. Of what account am I ? 1 Compassionate to the humble ! now mercifully forgive [my] transgression ; take no heed [of] my fault." Having heard this much, S'ri Krishna Chand smiled. Then Brahma brought all the cowherd boys and calves fast asleep [and] gave [them to him] ; and having become abashed, [and] having offered praise, [he] went to his own place. Just such an assembly as formerly was, was produced ; a year had elapsed, that no one knew. As the cowherd-boys' sleep passed away- Krishna collected the calves [and] brought [them] ; then boys among them ^ said, "Brother! thou, indeed, hast brought the calves quickly ; we have not found [time] even to eat." Hearing [this] statement, laughing, Bihari says, " I was anxious [on] your account ; [They] were found near in one place grazing ; now go home ; [you] came at dawn." •* Thus talking among themselves, taking the calves, all, laugh- ing [and] playing, came [to] their homes. CHAPTER XVL Bxlaram slays the demon Dlienuk, who had assumed the form of an ass. S'ri S'ukadev said: — Maharaj ! when S'ri Krishna was eight years old, one day he said to Jasoda, " Mother ! I will go to graze cows ; do thou persuade father, ^ that he may send me with the cow- that the illusive cow-boys were co-sharers in the attributes of Krishna ; and that the latter re-ahsorbrd into liim^elf all the portions of his essence appearing in the illusions, and thus became again one. The word anht, means " filament," and if this were the word intended the sense would be just the same ; for it would imply the filaments of his esence rcachmg out into the illusions. ' " In what reckoning " literally ; because Hindus, in enumerating a list of virtuous peisons, estimate their worth by watching the falli ig of chalk in water, as a kind of divination. See Hitopadesa, Introduction, verse 15. ' For to read ton. =* In the four previous editions, three by Lallu Lai himself, and one by Pandit Yogadhyan Misra, this phrase is tin se larke. * See note '^ p. 5. The Genitive here gives the meaning "[You who] are come [here] from dawn, go home." ' For til read tu, and for kaho read kah. Lallii Lai was not guilty of this ungrammatical jumble. Prem-Sagar 49 herds." On hearing this Jasoda spoke with Nand Ji. He having settled a propitious moment, and called the cowherd- boys, on the eighth of the bright half of Kartik, having caused Krishiia to worship a cow-shed, humbly said to the cowherds, " Brothers ! do you continue from to-day to take Ram Krishna also with you to graze cows ; but keep close to him ; do not leave him alone in the wood." Having spoken thus [and] given food, marking Krishna [and] Balaram [on the forehead] with curds, he dismissed [them] with all [the others]. They, being delighted, along with the cowherd-boys taking cows, arrived in the wood. There, seeing the beauty of the wood, S'ri Krishna began to say to Baladev, " Da^ii ! ^ this is an exceedingly agreeable [and] pleasant place ; see, how the trees are bending [and] bending ; and various kinds of beasts [and] birds are sporting." Saying thus, [they] went [and] ascended a lofty hillock, and began to wave about [their] scarves, [and] to shout out, saying, " Black, white,- grey, purple, brown, blue " (the colours of the cows). On hearing [this] all the cows, lowing [and] snorting, ran up. At that time there was such beauty as if, from all sides, variously coloured clouds might have been collected. Then S'ri Krishna Chand, having driven the cows to graze, [and] eaten [his] food with [his] brother, under the shade of a kadam-treQ, resting his head on the thigh of a companion, slept. After a time, when he awoke [he] said to Balaram Ji, '' Da^u ! listen ; let us play this game ; — having arranged separate armies, let us fight." Having said this much, sharing the cows and cow- herd boys, [they] took half each. Then, gathering wild fruits [and] flowers, and filling wallets [with them, they] began to pla}-, with [their] mouths only, trumpets, pipes, horns, tambourines, drums, [and] kettle-drums, [and] to fight, and to shout, " Kill ! kill ! " They fought thus for some time ; then each taking his own company apart, [they] began to pasture the cows. In the midst of this, a companion said to Baladev Ji, " Maha- raj ! at a shortish distance from here there is a palm-grove, in which there are fruits like nectar ; there, [in] the form of an ass, a Rakshas keeps guard." On hearing this statement, Balaram, along with the cowherd boys, entered that wood ; and began, hitting away [with] bricks, stones, clods, and sticks, to knock down fruit. Hearing the noise, the ass named Dhenuk came braying ; and he, on coming, turned round [and] kicked with both heels, on the chest of Baladev Ji ; then he, raising him (the ass) up, dashed [him down]. Then he, having rolled about, got up, pawed the ground, pressed back [his] ears, [and] backing, began to strike out with both heels. He kept on fighting thus ^ Dd/i is a familiar abbreviation of the name Baladev ; it is often applied to fatliers and elder brothers. - Eastwick follows Hollings in inserting " yellow," althoush it is not in his text ; Lallii Lai, and former editions, did, however, insert //V/ here. E 'jO Prkm-Sagar for a long time ; at last Balaram Ji, having seized both liis hind legs [and] swung [him] round, flung him on to a high tree. He, on falling down, died, and along with him that tree also was broken down. By the falling of both [of them] there was an exceeding noise, and all the trees of the forest shook violentl}^. Having seen [this] from afar, Murari says, " The trees have shaken ; there has been a loud noise." Just then a friend of Haladhar came, " Come along, Krishna ! you are called hastily ; an Asur is killed, that same is lying [dead]. On the hearing of this statement, S'ri Krishuaalso went [and] drew near to Balaram. Then the companions of Dhenuk, as many as were Rakshasas, all advanced to the attack. Those S'ri Krishna Chand Ji quite easily killed [and] overthrew. Then, indeed, all the cowherd boys, being delighted, fearlessly gathered fruits, [and] to their own satisfaction filled wallets. And having brought the cows together, S'ri Krishna said to Baladev, " Maharaj ! it is a long- time since we came ; now please go home." On hearing this speech, both the brothers, taking the cows, along with the cow- boys, laughing [and] playing, in the evening returned home ; and the fruit which they had brought, [they] had distributed in all Brindaban. Having dismissed all, he himself slept. Again, on rising at early dawn, S'ri Krishna, having called the cowherd- boys, made breakfast, took the cows, [and] went to the wood ; and by keeping on grazing the cows, arrived at Kalidah.i There the cowherds caused the cows to drink water in the Jumna, and themselves also drank. As they rose up, [after] drinking the water, [they], together with the cows, through the poison, all rolled about. Then S'ri Krishna, having looked [at them] with a glance - of immortality, restored all to life. CHAPTER XVn. Kiishna conquers the poisonous snake Kali — TTc compels him to remove his residence to Ramanaka Dvvipa. Sri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! having thus protected all, S'ri Krishna began to play at ball with the cow-boys. And where Kali was, for a distance of four h)s, the water of the Jumna, ' Kiilidtih is a whirlpool on the Jumna, where the serpent Kali is said to have rtsided. The serpent's name shoidd be Kiilfya throuc^hout. ^ For drishth rcail arishli. Pre.m-Sagar 51 through his poison, was boihng. No beast [or] bird was able to go there. Whoever mistakenly went [there], scorched by the glow, fell into the whirlpool, consumed,^ and on the bank no tree even was produced. One solitary eternal Kadam-tree was on the bank, and no more.^ The King asked, — Maharaj ! how Avas that Kadam-tree saved ? The Saint said, — At one time, holding nectar in [his] beak, Garuda came [and] sat on that tree ; from his mouth one drop fell ; on this account that tree was saved. Having related this much [of] the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to the King : — Maharaj ! S'ri Krishna Chand Ji resolved in his mind on the death of Kali. Playing on at ball [he] went [and] ascended the Kadam-tree. As from below a friend threw the ball, it felH into the Jumna, [and] S'ri Krishna, also, jumped in along with it. Having heard, with [his] ear, the sound of his jumping, he began to vomit poison, and darting forth hisses like fire, to exclaim, " What sort of a one is this, who is still living in the whirlpool ? Perhaps the undecaying tree, unable to endure my violence, has broken down ; or some great beast [or] bird has come, in that still in the water there is a noise." Having said thus, he was vomiting forth poison from all [his] one hundred and ten hoods, and S'ri Krishna was swimming around. Then the friends, weeping, and severally stretching forth [their] hands, were calling out ; the cows, [with] mouths open, on all sides, were lowing, snorting, [and] running about. The cowherds quite apart were saying, '' S'yam ! please come forth quickly ; otherwise, having gone home without you, what answer shall we give ? " These, then, here, being grieved, were thus speaking ; [and] while this was going on, someone went to Brindaban [and] stated that " S'ri Krishna has jumped right into the whirlpool of Kali." Hearing this, Rohini, Jasoda, and Nand, along with the cowherdesses and cowherds, weeping [and] beating [their breasts] rose [and] ran ; and one and all, falling and stumbling, came to the whirlpool of Kali. There not seeing S'ri Krishna, becoming alarmed, Nand's wife went straight forward to fall into the water. Then the cowherdesses, going just between, seized [her], and the cowherd boys, having stopped Nand Ji, were saying thus — Having abandoned the great forest [and] come [into] this wood, still Daityas greatly annoy [us]. Much good fortune has happened from Asuras ; now how will Hari issue from the whirlpool ? Hereupon, from behind, Baladev Ji also came there, and, ^ For parta read pachta, as in all previous editions. - Notice this idiom ; ///., " one eternal Kadam was on the bank ; that alone was." •' For chnlayd read ckala ^i , 2.x\A {ox gird read giri. h.'i gtud \% .'^cniinine the verbs should agree with it, as Lallu Lai made iheni. E 2 52 Prem-Sagar addressing all the inhabitants of Braj, said, "The imperishable Krishna will come [forth] presently ; why are you dejected ? To-day I did not accompany him ; Hari plunged into the whirlpool without me." Having related thus much [of] the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! on the one side Balaram Ji was thus inspiring all with hope, and, on the other, as S'ri Krishna by swimming approached him, he (Kali) wrapped [him- self] round his (Krishna's) whole body. Then S'ri Krishna became so bulky that, on releasing him, it was well.^ Then as that one was repeatedly hissing and darting [his] hoods against him, this one kept on saving himself. At last, perceiving that the inhabitants of Braj were exceedingly grieved, S'ri Krishna suddenly sprang up [and] mounted on his (Kali's) head. Assuming the weight of the three worlds, Murari became ponderous ; He dances about on hood after hood, he beats time with his feet. Then, indeed, through the weight, Kali began to die ; and dashing [his] hoods again and again [on the ground] ,2 he put forth his tongues ; from them streams of blood flowed out. When the poison and the pride of strength was gone, then he perceived in his heart that " Adi-Purush -"^ has assumed incarnate form ; otherwise, in whom is there so much power that he should escape from my poison ? '' Having realized this, he abandoned the hope of life, and remained benumbed.^ Then the serpent's wife having come, joined [her] hands, [and] inclined [her] head, entreatingly said to S'ri Krishna Chand, " Maharaj ! your Honour has done well in that you have removed the pride of this tormentor and exceedingly conceited one ; now his [good] fortune has awakened, in that [he] has obtained a sight of you. The very feet which Brahma, and all the other gods, meditate on, with prayer and self-mortification, are resplendent on the head of Kafi." Having said this much, she again spoke, " Maharaj ! have com- passion on me, [and] please release this one ; otherwise, slaj- me also, along with him ; for death itself is excellent for a woman ' A confusion of persons has made this sentence puzzling It implies that Krishna became so bulky that, on (Kali's) releasing hnn, it turned out well (for Kali) ; in other words, it was well for Kali that he released him. The verb ban ana means " to succeed,"' "be fortunate," *' turn out well." - This describes a peculiarity in the attack of a snake. In striking at, and missing an object, the head knocks on the ground, and ejects a portion of the poison ; on this being repeated several times a snake becomes temporarily less dangerous. Snake-catchers avail themselves of this peculiarity when encounter- ing large poisonous snakes. •' Adi-Furush, " the first male," or primary soul ; a name generally applied to Vishnu. ■* For .f///;fl/ read sital ; but sithal\% colloquial. Prem-Sagar 53 without a husband. And if you please to reflect, then of him even there is no fault ; this is the nature of the species, that it should be fed on milk, [and] the poison should increase." Having heard this statement from the serpent's wife, S'ri Krishna Chand descended from him (Kali) ; then Kali, reveren- tially, with joined hands, said, " Lord ! please to forgive m^^ fault ; I ignorantly darted my hood upon your Honour ; I am a low- caste snake ; where [could] we [get] so much knowledge, that we should recognize you ? " S'ri Krishna said, " Well ! what was was ; but now do not you remain here ; go dwell with your family in Raunak Dip." ^ Hearing this, Kali, fearing [and] trembling, said, *' Lord of Mercy ! should I go there Garuda will eat me up ; from fear of that very one I fled [and], came here." S'ri Krishna said, " Now do thou go there fearlessly ; - from seeing the print of our feet on thy head, no one will say [anything] to you." Having spoken thus, S'ri Krishna Chand at once called for Garuda and expunged fear from the heart of Kali. Then Kali, having per- formed worship, according to precept, with incense, lamps, and consecrated food, [and] having placed before S'ri Krishna many presents, [with] joined hands, supplicating, bidding adieu, said, — " [For] four g/iaris you danced [on] my forehead ; this friendship bear in mind, O Lord ! " Having spoken thus [and] saluted, Kali, with [his] family, went to Kaunak Dip ; and S'ri Krishna Chand came out of the water. CHAPTER XVHL Krishna frightens his companions by producing a conflagration around them — He tranquillizes them by drinking it up. Having heard the tale so far. King Parikshit asked S'ri S'ukadev : — " Maharaj ! Raunak Dip was a nice place ; why did Kali come from there ? and for what purpose did he stay in the Jumna ? Explain this to me, that the doubt may leave my mind." Sri S'ukadev said : — O King ! in Raunak Dip, Garuda, the vehicle of Hari, remains. He is exceedingly powerful ; in consequence, the greatest serpents of that place acknowledging [themselves] de- 1 Raunak Dip is a corruption of Ramanaka Dwipa, " the charming island," which is the name given in the Bhagavata-Purana, and also in the Sukha-Sagara, or Hindi rendering of Babu Makkhan Lai. It is the unaginary spot where Garuda, the enemy of the serpent race, is reposing from his labours. The word has nothing to do with the Arabic raiinaij, as suggested by Prof. Eastwick. '■^ For nirabhaya read nirbhaya. 54 Prem-Sagar feated, were accustomed to give him constantly a snake. They come [and] place [it] on a tree ; he comes and eats [it] up. One da}' Kali, the son of Kadrii, the Nagini, conceited of his venom, went to eat up the food of Garuda. Hereupon Garuda came there, and there was a great fight between the two. At last, recognizing [his] defeat. Kali began to say within himself, " Now how shall I escape from this one's hand ? and where shall I go ? " Having said this much [he] reflected, thus, "I will go [and] stay in Brindaban, then I shall be saved; for this one is unable to go there." Having thus thought, Kali went just there. Then King Parikshit asked S'ri S'ukadev, thus, — " Maharaj ! why was he un- able to go there ; tell that secret ? " S'ukadev said, — O King ! [at] a certain time, the Rishi Saubhari was seated [on] the banks of the Jumna [engaged] in self-mortification. Garuda having gone there, killed a fish [and] ate [it]. Then the Rishi angrily cursed him thus, " If thou shalt come again [to] this place, thou shalt not remain living." [For] this cause he is not able to go there ; and since Kali went there, the name of that place has been the Whirlpool of Kali. Ha\-ing related this much of the tale, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — O King ! when S'ri Krishna Chand came forth [from the water], Nand [and] Jasoda, through delight, [gave] much alms [and] performed virtuous [acts]. Having seen the face of [their] son, happiness was given to [their] eyes ; and life came into the souls of all the dwellers in Braj also. While this was taking place, it became evening ; then they began to say among themselves, " Now, all day being tired out. fatigued, hungry, [and] thirsty, where ^ shall we go home ? let us pass the whole night just here. [When it is] become morning we will go to Brindaban." Saying this, all stayed [and] slept. When half the night had passed, a heavy gloomy storm occurred ; A fire burst out all around ; very furiously burnt trees, forests, [and] cattle. As soon as the fire occurred all woke up, and agitatedly looking round, [and] stretching out [their] hands, thev began to exclaim, " O Krishna ! O Krishna ! save [us] speedily' from this fire, otherwise it, in a moment, will burn all up, [and] reduce [us] to ashes." - When the inhabitants of Braj along with Nand [and] Jasoda had cried out thus, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, on rising up, having, in a twinkling, drank up that fire, removed the anxiety from the hearts of all. As soon as it was morning all came to Brindaban, [and] in every house there were rejoicings [and] con- gratulatory songs. ^ The interrogative here implies that going home is out of the question. 2 Tresent tense for the Future, to mark the imminence of the act. Prem-Sagar 55 CHAPTER XIX. Balaram destroys the demon Pralamb, by blows of his fist. Having told the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev ]i said : — Maharaj ! Now I am about to explain the seasons ; the different sports which S'ri Krishna Chand played in them, attentively listen to. First, the warm season came. That, on coming, took happiness from all the world, and having heated the earth [and] atmosphere, made [them] like fire ; but, by the power of S'ri Krishna, in Brin- daban there was only perpetual spring. Where on the treesof dense arbours climbing-plants flourish, various coloured blossoms were blooming, swarms on swarms of bees were humming on ; on the branches of the mango trees the kokilas were warbling ; pea- cocks were strutting in the coolest of shades ; the sweetest of perfume-laden airs were blowing ; and, on one side of the wood, the Jumna was displaying its beauty quite apart ; there Krishna [and] Balaram, together with [their] companions, leaving the cows, were sporting on, in various surprising games, among themselves. Hereupon the Rakshas named Pralamba, wearing the form of a cowherd, sent by Kaiis, came [among them]. On seeing him, S'ri Krishna Chand, with a sign, said to Baladev Ji, — " [This is] not a friend of ours, Balabir ! this [is] an Asura in a disguised body ; Take means to slay him ; he should not be killed [in] the cowherd form ; When he bears his own form, then do you that instant kill him." Having pointed out this much [of] the matter to Baladev, S'ri Krishna Ji laughingly called Pralamb near [him, and] taking [his] hand said, — " Your appearance [is] most excellent ; without guile [you are] an excellent friend of ours," Having said thus, taking him with [him, and] dividing the cowherd-lads, took half [himself], and gave half to Balaram Ji. Causing two boys to be seated, he began to ask and tell the names of fruits and flowers. In this [game], indicating [name after name], S'ri Krishna was defeated ; Baladev won ; then those on the side of S'ri Krishna ^ mounted the companions of Baladev on [their] shoulders [and] carried [them] off. Thereupon Pralamb took Balaram Ji [and] hurried on beyond all [the others], and enter- ing the wood, increased [the size oi] his body. [At] that time, on that jet-black mountain-like [demon], Baladev Ji was as resplen- ' Notice the use oi -zvitla here. Although an affix usually, it is here employed as an independent word, otherwise the gender of /cl would have changed. 56 Prem-Sagar dent as the moon on a dark cloud ; and the glitter of his earrings was flashing like lightning ; the perspiration was falling like rain. Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! as soon as he got [him] alone [and] was about to sla}' Balaram Ji, at once the latter, by blows of the fist, slew [and] overthrew him. CHAPTER XX. Krishjpa provokes and extinguislies a second conflagration. S'ri S^tkadev Ji said : — O King I when Balaram, having slain Pralamb, came forward, the dark blue cloud (Krishiia) came, with the companions, [and] met him ; and the cowherd lads who were grazing cows in the wood, they also, hearing that an Asura had been slain, left the cows [and] went thither to see. During that time, on this side, the cows, grazing on, passing from the dabli [and] bans [grasses], entered the imnij wood. Having returned thence, both the brothers [when] looking here, then there is not even one cow [to be seen]. Scattered [are] the cows, scattered the cowherds ; forgetting [the path] they are wandering about the munj [and] palm forest ; Mounted on trees, they are mutually shouting ; again and again [calling] names, they are waving waist-cloths. In this [state of things] a friend came, [and with] joined hands, said to SVi Krishna, " Maharaj ! the cows have all entered the munj forest ; after them the cowherd lads dispersedly are search- ing, [and] wandering about." Upon hearing this statement, S'ri Krishna, having mounted on a Kadam-tree, played [his] flute at a high pitch ; the cowherd lads and cows, having thus heard, rending the w//«/' forest, came [and] joined him, as the rivers of the Sawan [and] Bhadon [months], cleaving the high waves, go [and] mingle with the ocean. Meanwhile, what do they behold ? From all sides a raging conflagration is closing in [upon them]. Per- ceiving this, the cowherd lads and companions, exceedingly agitated, being afraid, cried out, " O Krishna ! O Krishna ! save [us] speedily from this fire ; or immediately, in a single instant, all [will] be burnt to death." Krishna said, "Do you all shut your eyes." When they had shut [their] eyes, S'ri Krishna Ji, in a twinkling, put out the fire, and performed another illusion, to wit, having taken all the cowherd lads with the cows into a fig-tree forest, he said, " Now open [your] eyes." Prem-Sagar 57 The cowherds, opening [their] eyes [and] looking about, say, " Where is that fire gone, Murari ? When did the fig-tree forest come back ? This is a marvel, Balabir ! " Having spoken thus, taking the cows, collectively, with Krishna [and] Balaram, [they] came [to] Brindaban ; and all, going to their own houses, said, " To-day, in the forest, Balaram Ji killed the Rakshas named Pralamb ; and in the fuuiij forest there was a conflagration, that also, by the power of Hari, was extinguished." Having related this much [of] the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — O King ! hearing this statement from the mouths of the cowherd lads, all the dwellers in Braj went indeed to see; but they obtained no clue to the proceedings of Krishna. CHAPTER XXI. Description of the Rainy Season. S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Maharaj ! having perceived the exceeding hardship of the hot season, King Rain, reflecting com- passionately on the beasts, birds, and living creatures of the parched earth, (having collected together an army [of] clouds from all sides, advanced^o the contest. Then the clouds which were Thundering were very drums sounding ; and the variously coloured clouds which were gathered round, were heroes, warriors, and champions.! In the very midst of them the flash of the lightning was like the glitter of weapons ; rows of cranes, [in] different places, were like white banners- being fluttered ; frogs [and] peacocks, [in] the manner of bards, were celebrating praises ; and a very great shower of drops was pouring, like a shower of arrows. Per- ceiving Rain coming with this pomp [and] pride, the Hot Season, abandoning the field, escaped with his life. Then the cloud-lover, raining, gave happiness to the earth. She who, after eight months of separation from a husband, was conjoined [with him], took full enjoyment from him. The breasts fell [and] became cool, and the foetus remained ; from that eighteen bearings of sons arose, they also, each taking presents of fruit [and] flowers, began to do homage to [their] father. Then the land of Brindaban became as beautiful as a lovely woman decorated with ornaments ; and in all directions rivers, streams [and] lakes were full, [and] on them ^ For raivate read rmvat. ' For ddhajd read dhivajd ; and in the next line, for bundoh kin read hundon kt. 58 Prem-Sagar swans [and] cranes ^ were giving surpassing beauty [to the scene]. The branches of very lofty trees were waving, on them cuckoos, rain-drop cuckoos, pigeons, parrots, were seated and continued [their] noisy chatter ; and [in] various places, wearing crimson [and] safflower [dyed] dresses, the cowherdesses [and] cowherds, swinging about on swings, in very high strains were singing rain-songs. Again and again going near them, S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram also, playing away at childish sports, were exhibiting additional happiness. In this delight the rainy season passed. Then S'ri Krishna began to say to the cowherd lads, " Brothers ! now the pleasure-giving autumn season is come. Now I know [that] the happiness of all [is] great ; I re- cognize the flavour, the odour,- [and] the beauty ; The constellations at night [are] brilliant [in] the sky ; lucid as '^ Brahma void of qualities. Those who [for] four months have tarried at home ; [when] it became autumn, they abandoned dalliance ; Each hastened to his occupation ; the king advanced against the foreign country.'' CHAPTER XXII. The virtues of Krishn I's flute extolled. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — O Maharaj ! having said this much, S'ri Krishna Chand again, taking the cowherd lads with [him], began to sport ; and while Krishna is grazing cows in the wood, all the cowherdesses, seated within doors, are singing Hari's praises. One day S'ri Krishna played his flute in the wood ; then, hearing the sound of the flute, all the young women of Braj arose precipitately [and] ran ; and having met [in] one place, sat down on the road. Thereupon they began to say among themselves, " Our eyes will then be fully gratified when they obtain a sight of Krishna ; just now, indeed, Kanh, with the cows, in the wood, is singing [and] dancing about ; at evening time he will come hither, then we shall get a look [at him]." Hearing this a cowherdess said, — " Listen, friend ! he has played on the flute ; behold the great- ness of the bamboo tube ! " •* ^ Aftei- sdras insert saras, " surpassing," as in all previous editions. It is dilTicult to guess what Prof. Eastwick was translating about here. ' For sitgaiigh read stigandh. •* mdjiahu = mdjton, "let it be esteemed," " deemed," or " considered," and hence commonly used to express "as though," " as it it were." •* The bamboo is honoured by the condescen.-ion of the great player. Notice that bajaj is here governed by the Kominaiive, not the Agent. Prem-Sagar 59 " How is there in it so much virtue, that all day it continues apphed [to] the mouth of S'ri Krishna, and, drinking the nectar of [his] lip, [and] raining delight, resounds like a cloud ? What ! [is] this more loved even than us, that, night [and] day, Bihari continues holding [it] ? This [thing] made in my presence, has become a rival [wife], mounted on [his] body. When S'ri Krishna, having wiped it with [his] yellow robe, plays [on it], then gods, saints, Kinnaras, [and] Gandharvas, each bringing his wife along [with him], seated severally on cars, eagerly come to listen ; and having heard, having become fasci- nated, remain motionless ^ as pictures. What corresponding mortification has this one inflicted [on itself], that all [things] are subservient to it ? " Hearing this statement a cowherdess replied, " First, then, this, having been produced in the tvibe of a bamboo, [constantly] re- membered Hari ; afterwards, [it] took upon [itself] heat, cold, [and] water ; lastly, having become fragments [and] having burnt [itself, it] inhaled the smoke. What sort of mortification are they performing - like this? It (the flute) became perfect, [and] obtained such a reward as this." Hearing this, a woman of Braj said, " Why did not the Lord of Braj make us flutes, that, night [and] day, we had remained with Hari ? " Having related this much [of] the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji began to say to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! until S'ri Krishna, having grazed the cows, came from the wood, the cowherdesses were constantly ^ celebrating the virtues of Hari. CHAPTER XXHI. Krishna steals llie covvhertlesses' clotlies while they are bathing — He expounds the spiritual meaning of his action. S'rI S'ukadev, the saint, said : — On the passing away of the autumn season, the winter season came, and excessive cold [and] frost began to occur. [At] that time the Braj girls began to say ^ jahdn ke ia/ian mea.w% ^']\\s\. in the same place," that is, M'ithoiit change of position, or motionless. - karte haih is here impersonal ; the third person plural, without an expressed nominative, is often thus used. The sense is, " \\hat greater penance than this does anyone perform ? "' ^ For niit read iiit or n Hya. 6o Prem-Sagar amongst themselves,^ " Listen, companion ! by bathing in the [month of] Ag^han, the sins of birth after birth are departing ; and the desire of the heart is accomphshed ; thus we have heard from the mouth of ancient people." Hearing this statement, it occurred to all of them, thus, " We should bathe [in] Ag^han ; undoubtedly we would obtain S'ri Krishna [as] a boon." Having thus reflected, as soon as [it was] dawn, getting up, donning dresses [and] ornaments, all the Braj girls together came to bathe [in] the Jumna. Having bathed [and] offered an obla- tion to the Sun, [and] come out of the water, [and] made an earthen [image of] Gaur,^ [and] offered sandal-wood, unbroken rice, flowers, [and] fruit, [and] having placed before [it] incense, a lamp, [and] consecrated food, [and] having worshipped, [with] joined hands, inclined head, [and] having gratified Gaur, [they] said, " O Goddess ! we have repeatedly asked from you this boon, that S'ri Krishna should become our lord." According to this rule, the cowherdesses are continually bathing, fasting all day, eating curds and boiled rice in the evening, [and] sleeping [at night] on the earth, so that they might speedily obtain the reward of their vow. One day all the Braj girls, collectively, went to an unfre- quented ghat to bathe, and having gone there [and] taken off their clothes [and] placed [them] on the bank, becoming naked, [and] entered the water, they began to sing repeatedly the virtues of Hari, and to sport [in] the water. At that very time S'ri Krishna also, seated in the shade of a fig-tree, was grazing cows. [By] chance having heard the sound of their singing, he also silently approached, and began to look on, concealedly. At last, as he gazed, when something entered his mind, [he] stole all the clothes [and] went [and] ascended a Kadam-tree ; and tying [them in] a bundle, placed [them] before [himself]. Hereupon, when the cowherdesses looked, [and saw] there were no clothes on the bank, then, in alarm, rising up on all sides, they began to look about, and to say among themselves, " Just now not even a bird came here ; who has taken away the clothes. Mother ? " In the meantime a cowherdess saw that, with a crown on [his] head, a staff in [his] hand, with a yellow sectarial mark, a necklace of wild flowers, wearing yellow robes, with a tied-up bundle of clothes, preserving silence, S'ri Krishna mounted on the Kadam-tree, is seated, concealed. On seeing him [she] cried, " Friend ! behold him, the stealer of our hearts, the stealer of clothes, on the Kadam-tree, holding the bundle, ^ For main read men. ^ Gaur or Gaiiri is a name of Parvati, daughter of the Himalayas, and bride of S'iva. Early legends state that Uma was the name of the daughter of the Hima- layas, and that she performed sati, burning herself for devotion ; in consequence of S'iva's frantic grief thereat, she was given back to him in the form of Parvati. In this form he complained of her dark hue, and she, by pious exercises, attained a golden tint, and was then called Gauri. She is, under other forms, known as Duiija and Kali. Prem-Sagar 6 1 [seated] resplendent." Hearing this speech, and all the young women having seen Krishna, ashamed, entered the water, joined [their] hands, bowed [their] heads, supplicated, [and] coaxingly said, — " Compassionate to the humble ! beloved remover of grief ! O Mohan ! please give our clothes." Hearing thus, Kanha,i says, " I will not give thus, appealing [to] Nand, [I swear] ; ^ Come out one by one, then you'll receive your clothes." The Braj girls angrily said, " This is a nice lesson you have learnt, in that you are saying to us ' Come out naked.' We will go at once [and] tell our fathers [and] friends, then they will come [and] seize you as a thief ; and we will go [and] relate [this] to Nand [and] Jasoda, then they also will properly impart to you instruction. We are ashamed of something; you have blotted out all recognition [on our part]." On hearing this statement, angrily, S'ri Krishna Ji said, " Now you shall obtain the clothes when you fetch them [yourselves], not otherwise." Hearing this [and] fearing, the cowherdesses said, " Compassionate to the humble ! you yourself hold us in remembrance, you are the protector of our husbands ; " whom shall we bring ? For you alone, having made vows, we are bathing in the month Mangsir." S'ri Krishna said, "If you, with sincerity, on my account are bathing [in] Ag^han, then abandon shame [and] evasion, [and] come [and] take your clothes." When S'ri Krishna Chand had said this, the cowherdesses, having reflected among themselves, began to say, " Come, friends ! what Mohan says, that alone we should respect ; because he knows all [the state] -^ of our body [and] mind ; what shame [is there] in this ? " Having thus settled among themselves, obeying the direction of S'ri Krishna, concealing with the hands the breast [and] privities, all the young women issued from the water, with heads bowed down, [and] when they went [and] stood before [him] on the shore, S'ri Krishna laughingly said, " Now, with joined hands, come forward, then I will give the clothes." The cowherdesses said, — "Why are you deceiving [us], Darling of Nand! we are plain simple Braj girls. A trick has been played ; consciousness [and] sense are gone ; you have played this prank, O Hari ! Fortifying [our] hearts we have committed shame ; now do you do something, O Ruler of Braj ! " Having said this, when the cowherdesses joined [their] hands, ^ The equivalent of" I swear by Nand." 2 Meaning "you take thought for our general welfare, you preserve the reputa- tion of our husbands by making us good women." ^ l^cU or pad is understood here. 62 Prem-Sagar S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, having given the clothes, came to them [and] said, " In your hearts, do not be anywise displeased at this aiTair ; I have given 3'ou this lesson, because in the water is the abode of the god Varuna,i hence if anyone becomes naked [and] bathes in the water, all his virtue passes away. Perceiving the affection of your hearts, [and] being delighted, I have imparted this secret to you. Now go home ; then, in the month of Katik, come [again, and] sport with me." S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Maharaj ! Hearing this speech, [and] being pleased [and] contented, the cowherdesses then went to their own homes ; and S'ri Krishna, having come to the lig-tree, taking with [him] cowherds, cows, cowherd lads, [and] companions, moved forward. Then looking again and again on the dense forest all around, he began to recount the greatness of trees, saying, " Behold ! these having come into the world, how much they are taking on themselves [and] giving happiness to [other] people ! It is fortunate that such-like charitable [people] come into the world.'' Speaking thus, [and] advancing onwards, they reached [a spot] near the bank of the Jumna.- CHAPTER XXIV. Krislina sends to beg food from the Brahmans of Mathura — They refuse to give when asked — Tlieir wives, on the contrary, run with food — Spiritual reward of the vvomen^The husbands repent. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — When S'ri Krishna, having arrived near the Jumna, u^as standing, resting [on] a staff, under a tree, all the cowherd lads and companions came, with joined hands, [and] said, " Maharaj ! we are now very hungry ; whatever food we brought has been eaten, still hunger has not departed." Krishna said, " Observe that smoke which is appearing ; the Mathura folk, from fear of Kans, secretly are performing sacrifice. Go to them, having mentioned my name, [and] saluted, with joined hands, stand still ; from a distance ask food with such humility as a beggar, being dependent, asks." Hearing this direction, the cowherds moved on, [and] went where the Mathura folk were seated performing sacrifice. On going there, they, having bowed down, with great humility ' Varttna, " the all-enveloper," that is, the welkin or celestial dome. He is the oldest and grandest of the Vedic deities ; but becoming as-ociated with ideas of water, through the rain-clouds, Sec, his status i^radually changed, unlil at leni^th he became a Icind of Neptune, whose abode was the ocean itself. - I'rof. liastwicl'C has omitted the whole of this sentence; for some reason. Prem-SAgar 63 having joined [their] hands, said, "Maharajas! S'ri Krishna Chand has sent to tell you respectfully through us, thus, ' I am very hungry, kindly send something to eat.' " Hearing this state- ment from the mouths of the cowherds, the Mathura folk angrily said, " You, forsooth, are great fools, that you are telling us this just now. Until the sacrifice is finished we shall give nothing to anyone. Listen ; when we shall sacrifice and anything shall be left, we will share [it]." Again the cowherds, supplicatingly much besought, saying, " Maharajas ! by causing to be fed the hungry who are come to a house, much virtue arises." But they paid no attention to their words ; on the contrary, turning [their] faces from them, they began to say among themselves, — " Great fools [are these] low cattle-feeders ; they ask for rice in the midst of a sacrifice." Then these [cowherds], becoming hopeless, came from thence regretfully to S'ri Krishna [and] said, " Maharaj ! [we] have asked alms [and] lost honour [and] dignity ; still we have met with nothing to eat. Now what shall we do ? " S'ri Krishna Ji said, " Now do you go to their wives and ask ; they are very compassionate [and] virtuous souls. Mark their devotion ! they, as soon as they see you, will covirteously give food." Hearing this, these again went where those [women] were seated cooking. On going [they] said to them, " In the wood S'ri Krishna [while] grazing cows is become hungry, therefore he has sent us to you ; should there be any food, then give [some]." On hear- ing that speech from the mouth of the cowherds, they all, being pleased, taking [and] filling severally golden dishes with food of six flavours,^ rose up [and] hastened, and were hindered by no obstruction.^ The husband of one Mathura woman did not allow [her] to go ; then she meditating [on Krishna] abandoned the body, and before all [the others] went [and] united [with him], as water goes [and] unites with water ; and afterwards all, proceeding on, came where S'ri Krishna Chand, with the cowherd lads, under the shade of a tree, with [his] hand on the shoulder of a companion, in triple-bent beauty,-^ was standing with the flower of a lotus [in his] hand. On coming, having placed the dishes before [him], prostrating, [and] looking again and again [on] the face [of] Hari, they began to say among themselves, '* Friend ! this indeed is the son of Nand, whose name [we], having many times heard, were fixing our thoughts on ; now, looking on the moon-face, render the eyes fruitful, and take the reward of life." Having conversed thus, with joined hands, they began to say, entreatingly, to S'ri Krishna, " Lord of compassion ! without ^ See note ', p. 34. - Lit., " obstructed by anyone, they were not hindered."' See note ■'*, p. 35, for a simihir idiom. •* See note ', j). 46. 64 Pkem-Sagar your favour when does an3'one have a sight of you ? To-day our fortune [is] fehcitous, that [we] have obtained the sight, and have lost the sin of birth upon birth. The fooHsh Brahman, avaricious and conceited, [with] mind soiled [b)-] prosperity, pride, [and] covetousness ; [He] esteems God as man ; blinded by delusion, how should he recognize [anything] ? For whose sake pra3'er, mortification, [and] sacrifice is per- formed, to him why not give food ? Maharaj ! that very wealth, relation, [and] modesty is felici- tous which is useful to you ; and that alone is mortification, prayer, [and] knowledge, in which 3'our name enters." Hearing this statement, S'ri Krishna Chand, asking after their welfare, said, — " Do not pay reverence to me ; I am Nand the chieftain's dark one. Do they who cause themselves to be worshipped by Brah- mans' wives gain any greatness in the world ? You, think- ing me hungry, compassionately, coming into the wood, bore [me in] remembrance. Now what hospitality can I show you here ? Brindaban, our home, [is] far ; in what way can we show respect for you ? Had we been there, we had brought [and] laid before [you] some flowers [and] fruit. ^^ You, for our sake, accepting trouble, have come into the jungle ; and here, from us, nothing has rewarded your service ; there is nothing but regret for this." Thus courteously again he spoke, " [Since] you came, some time has elapsed ; now please set out home ; because your Brahmau [husbands] must be looking out for you ; for without a wife a sacri- fice is not fruitful." Hearing this speech from S'ri Krishna, they, with joined hands, said, " Maharaj ! we feeling affection for your lotus-feet, have entirely abandoned the illusion of family ; for how can we go to the house of those whose words having dis- regarded, [we] arose [and] hastened [here] ? If they should not allow us to enter the house, then where should we dwell ? hence it were well that we should remain under your protection. And, O Lord ! a woman, having formed the desire of seeing 3'ou, was coming with us ; her husband stopped her ; then that woman, distracted^, gave up her life." Upon hearing this state- ment, laughing, S'ri Krishna Chand showed her who, having abandoned [her] bod)-, had come. [He] said, " Listen ! he who acts kindly towards Hari is never destroj-ed. This one came [and] joined me before you." Having related this much [of] the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — ^ Notice this rendering of the Indefinite Imperfect tense. Prem-SAgar 65 Maharaj ! on seeing her, for a time, all remained astounded ; afterwards sense returned ; then they began to celebrate the praise [of] Hari. In the meantime S'ri Krishna Chand, having eaten, said to them, " Now depart to [your] place ; your husbands will say nothing." When S'ri Krishna had thus counselled them, they took leave, prostrated [themselves, and] departed [to] their own homes. And their husbands, having reflected, remorsefully were saying, " We have heard a story in the Purana, that, at some time, Nand [and] Jasoda had performed great austerity for a son ; thereupon Bhagwan, having come, granted this boon, ' I, in the family of Yadu, having become incarnate, will go to your house.' That very one, having taken birth, is come ; who sent to ask food by means of the cowherd lads. What have we done, in that the First Male asked, and [we] gave not food ? For whose sake sacrifice and religion were established, before him to-day we have not been. The First Male we esteemed a man ; we did not regard the speech of the cowherds. We [are] fools, sinners, conceited ; we had no compassion, [nor] understood the ways of Hari. Curse to our minds ! and to this sacrifice ! that [we] did not recognize Bhagwan [and] do [him] service. Women even are better than we ; who, without prayer, austerity, [or] sacrifice, bravely went [and] beheld S'ri Krishna, and [with] their own hands gave him food." Having repented in this strain, the Mathura folk, [standing] before their wives, with joined hands, said, " Felicitous [is] your fortune ! in that you have seen Hari [and] returned ; [it is] only your life [that] is fruitful." CHAPTER XXV. Krishna seduces the cowherds from the worship of Indra — He induces them to worship the mountain Gobardhan — He personates that mountain-god for deceptive purposes. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! as S'ri Krishna Chand raised the mountain Gobardhan, and humbled the pride of Indra, now I am [about to] relate that very story ; do you listen attentively. All the dwellers in Braj, at the anniversary on the fourteenth of the dark half of Katik, having bathed [and] washed, [and] filled a square place with saffron and sandal, [and] having placed various kinds of sweetmeats and confections, with incense [and] lamps, were performing the worship of Indra. ^ This custom, in their 66 Pkem-Sagar place, had come down traditionally. Once that very day arrived; then Nand Ji caused much preparation for a feast to be made ; and in each house of the dwellers in Braj festal preparations were in progress. Thereupon S'ri Krishiia coming asked [his] mother, thus, "Mother, dear! the confections and sweets which are pre- paring in each house, what [does it all mean] ? Explain to me the secret of this, that the doubt of my mind may depart." Jasoda said, " O son ! now there is no leisure for me to tell you this, go [and] ask your father, he will explain [the matter]." Hearing this, having come to Nand [and] Upanand, S'ri Krishna said, " O father ! to-day, for the worship of what god is there this ostentatious display ; for whom confections [and] sweets are pre- paring ? What sort of a bestower of faith, salvation, [and] boons is he ? Tell me his name and qualities, that the doubt of my mind may depart." Nand, the chieftain, said, " Hast thou not as yet understood this secret ? that this is the worship of the master of the clouds, who is lord of the gods, by whose favour increase [and] prosperity is met with in the world, and grass, water, [and] food are produced ; woods [and] groves blossom ~ [and] fruit ; through him all living creatures,^ beasts [and] birds, remain in happiness. This custom of Indra-worship has come down, [in] our familv, from [our] early ancestors ; no new [matter] has been invented just to-day," Hearing this from Nand Ji, S'ri Krishna Chand said, " O father ! though our ancestors, wittingly [or] unwittingly, worshipped Indra or not,"* still now why are you, knowingly, abandoning the path of religion [and] pursuing an impass- able way ? Nothing comes from heeding Indra, for he is not the bestower of faith [and] salvation ; and who obtained increase [and] prosperity from him ? ^ou just say this, to whom did he grant a boon ? " Yes ! one thing is this, that through performing austerity and sacrifice, the gods having made [him] their king, seated [him] on the Indra-throne ; from this anyhow he cannot be a supreme deity. Listen ! when by the Asuras he is frequently defeated, [he] flees, goes somewhere, [and] passes his time in concealment. Why should you respect such a coward ? For what reason do you not recognize your religion ? From what Indra has done, nothing can arise ; what is written in destiny, that alone takes place ; happiness, prosperity, wife, brethren, friends — these, even, all are met with, according to virtue and fate ; and the sun which, for eight months, dries up the water, that same [sun], in four months, causes rain to fall ; from this alone there is, on the earth, grass, water, [and] food. And Brahma, who created the four castes — Brahmans, Kshattriyas, Vaisyas, [and] S'udras, — attached to each of them his particular destiny ; thus, the Brahman should study ' In this sentence for d/iup read d/aij', and for pte/d read //(/'a? is the equivalent of /ia/« jt'. In standard Hindi the phrase would be ham se paltd di)ii na /a/. See note ^ p. 82. Prem-Sagar 87 Krishna used the Yoga-ilkision, [and his] body became many parts ; To all the pleasure [they] were wishing [he] gave, sport [and] the highest affection. As many cowherdesses as were [there,] just so many bodies S'ri Krishna Chand assumed ; [and] taking aU [of them] on the terrace of that dancing ring, again began to dance [and] sport. Two [and] two the cowherdesses joined hands, between each two [was] Hari the companion ; Each thinks that he is at her side, and does not recognize another [of the illusions] ; Finger is placed in [his] fingers ; they whirl round delighted, taking Hari with [them], Cowherdess [and] Nand's son, alternately, [like] a dense clovid [and] lightning all round ; The dark Krishiia, the fair Braj women ; like a gold and sapphire necklace. Maharaj ! in this way standing, the cowherdesses and Krishna began to tune various kinds of musical instruments, to run over the airs of many very difficult melodies, to play [instruments, and] to sing ; and selecting tunes [and] extemporizing in shrill, sharp, solemn [tones, those] raised a half-tone, a tone, [and] a third ; [and] dancing so as to represent speech. And in the joy they became so absorbed, that no recollection remained to them of even body or mind. Here the breasts of some were un- covered ; there the diadems of others had slipped ; on the one side, the pearl necklaces being severally broken were falling ; on the other side, the wild-flower wreaths. The drops of perspira- tion on [their] foreheads were glittering like strings of pearls ; and the ringlets on the most fair faces of the cowherdesses were dishevelled as if young snakes, from lust of nectar, having flown up, had attached [themselves] to the moon. At times a cow- herdess joining with S'ri Krishna's flute, was singing in treble pitch ; sometimes one was tuning her notes quite alone. And when anyone, having stopped the flute, was bringing forth from [her] throat its note entire, exactly as it was, then Hari remained as forgetful [of all else] as a child seeing his face in a mirror is forgetful. In this way, singing [and] dancing on, practising various kinds of coquetry [and] ogling, they were giving [and] receiving enjoy- ment, and mutually pleased, laughing merrily, embracing repeat- edly, [they] were making offerings of clothes [and] ornaments. Then Brahma, Rudra, Indra, and all the other gods, and Gan- dharvas, each with his wife, seated in cars, looking on at the pleasure of the dancing-circle, with delight were raining down flowers. And the wives gazing on that pleasure, enviously were saying in their hearts, that " Had we been born ha Praj, then we 88 Prem-Sagar also had danced [and] sported with Hari." And there was such harmony of the Rags and Raginis,i that, by hearing it, wind [and] water also no longer flowed ; and the moon, together with the starry firmament, being astonished, rained down nectar with its rays. Meanwhile night advanced ; then six months had passed away, and no one was aware of it. From that time the name of that night has been The Night of Brahma. Having related the tale so far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Lord of the Earth ! while engaged in the sport of dancing, a fancy entered the mind of S'ri Krishna Chand ; then taking the cow- herdesses [he] went to the bank of the Jumna, entered the water [and] sported in the stream, [and] having relieved fatigue, [and] come out, [and] satisfied the desire of all, [he] said, " Now four gharis of the night remain, do you all go home." Hearing this direction [and] becoming dejected, the cowherd- esses said, " Lord ! how can we leave your lotus-feet [and] go home ? Our greedy mind, indeed, does not at all agree [to what you have] said." S'ri Krishna said, "Listen ; as Jogis- meditate on me you also should meditate ; wherever you may be I will be near you." On hearing this remark, having become satisfied, all took leave [and] each went to her own home ; and no one among their families knew this secret, that they had not been there. Having heard thus much of the story, King Parikshit asked S'ri S'ukadev Ji, the saint, thus, " Compassionate to the humble ! explain to me this. If S'ri Krishna Chand, indeed, took incarnate form [and] came [into the world] in order to slay Asuras [and] remove the burden of the earth, and to give happiness to good [and] pious [people, and] to promote the course of virtue, why did he dance [and] sport with the wives of others ? This, indeed, is the act of a libertine, who^ enjoys the wife of another." S'ukadev Ji said, — Listen, King ! 3'ou do not understand this mystery, [and] regard God as human ; By the remembrance of whom sin departs, effulgent cleansing fires are [his] body ; As anything falling into a fire, that same, having become fire, burns. ^ Rags and Raginis are different modes of constructine; melodies according to the Indian principles of mu^ic. There are six Rags, or principal modes, and each of these has five dependent methods, or Raginis. Sometimes the total number is reckoned as thirty-two. These different forms of melody have nothing in com- mon with Emopean principles of composition ; but depend upon the arrangement of sounds in a way best calculated to awaken special sentiments ; thus the melodies of the various Rags are allotted to different periods of the day. - Noticeya« as the sign of the plural ; and remark that the form kijiyo is used because a sense of futurity is intended. The meditation is to take place in the subsequent course of the women's lives. •* For joh rend JO, Prem-Sagar 89 What are not the powerful doing ? They, indeed, by acting, interfere with destiny ; as S'iva Ji took poison, and having swallowed [it] adorned his throat, and made a necklace of a black snake. ^ Who knows their course of action ? They, indeed, do nothing for themselves ; [but] they who hold their worship in remembrance [and] ask. any boon, they give to them just svich [a boon as they ask]. Of them, then, this is the method, that they appear united to all ; but, having reflected, you will perceive [that] they show [themselves] as separate from all, as the leaf of the lotus in water [is from the water]. I have already informed you of the birth of the cowherdesses, that the goddesses and the texts of the Veda, to see [and] touch Hari, came [and] took birth in Braj. And in this way S'ri Radhika also, having obtained the boon from Brahma, for the purpose of serving S'ri Krishna Chand, came [and] took birth, and remained in the service of the Lord. Having said this much, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! it is said thus, " Revere the actions of Hari, but do not give [your] mind to the doing of them." If anyone celebrates the fame of the Lord of Cowherdesses, [he] attains, fearless [and] unmoved, the highest dignity ; and the fruit which results from bathing at sixty-eight places of pilgrimage, just such result is met with by singing the praises of S'ri Krishna. CHAPTER XXXV. Krishna givei salvation to Sudaism — He slays S'ankhachur, and gives his jewel to Balaram. S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, resumed : — O King ! I am [about to] relate the episode how S'ri Krishna Ji caused Vidyadhar to cross [the ocean of existence] and slew S'ankhachiir ; 2 do you listen attentively. One day, Nand Ji, having called for all the cow- herds, said to them, " Brothers ! when the birth of Krishna took place, I made this promise to the family goddess Ambika,^ that when Krishna should be twelve years old, on that day I would go out, with the city [folk], and with the sound of musical instru- ^ These statements refer to the legend that, at the mythical churning of the ocean for the proouction of the water of life, h'lva swallowed the poison previously generated, which turned his throat blue. The lilueness of S'iva's neck is held to enhance his beauty. The snake, also, v\hich S'iva wears as a terrifying Fymbol, becomes an adornment by reposing on his person. - Vidyildhar, means " the bearer of spells," and is reckoned one of a class of genii S'ankhachiir means " one whose top-knot is in the form of a shell." =* Avibikit is a name of Paivati, the wife of S'iva ; it is also the name of one of the female domestic deities of the Jaina sect. 90 Prem-Sagar ments perform [her] worship. That day, by her favour, we have seen to-day ; now we should go forth, and perform worship." On hearing this speech from the mouth of Nand Ji, all the cowherds rose [and] ran, and each of them hastily fetched from his house the materials for worship. Then, indeed, Nand Ra^e also caused the apparatus for worship, and milk, curds, [and] butter to be placed on carts and bahaiigis^'^ accompanied by [his] family, and went on [until] he arrived at the place [sacred to] Ambika. Having gone there [and] bathed in the waters of the Saraswati, Nand Ji called the Purohit, [and] taking all with [him, he] entered the temple of the goddess, [and] worshipped according to the Scriptures. And the things which had been brought to be offered were placed before [her, and] having perambulated [ceremoniously, and] joined hands, [he] said with humility, " Mother ! by thy favour Kanh has become twelve years old." Having spoken thus, [and] prostrated [himself, he] came out of the temple, [and] fed a thousand Brahmans. Hereupon, as it had become late, Nand Ji, with all the inhabitants of Braj, having performed their vows of pilgrimage, remained on the spot. At night they were sleeping, when a dragon came [and] seized the foot of Nand Ra^e, and began to swallow [it]. Then on seeing that, with fear [and] agitation, he began to exclaim, " O Krishiia! speedily remember me, otherwise this [creature] will devour me." 3 On hearing his voice all the Braj -dwellers, both men and women,^ started from sleep, [and] having gone near Nand Ji, [and] procured light, they saw a dragon was lying there, holding his foot. Meanwhile S'ri Krishna Chand Ji having arrived, as soon as he, before them all, had placed his foot on the back [of the dragon], it at once changed its form, [and] becoming a hand- some man, making obeisance, stood before [Krishna] with joined hands. Then S'ri Krishna asked him, " Who art thou ? and for what sin didst thou become a dragon ? tell [me] that." He, hanging his head, '^meekly said, " Searcher of Hearts ! you know all my origin, that I am the magician named Sudarsan. I was dwelling in Surapur, and, through pride, esteemed nobody any- thing in comparison with my beauty and excellence. " One day, seated in a car, I went out for a turn ; then, where the Rishi Angiras * was seated performing penance, I went back- ^ Bamboo poles laid over the shoulder, with goods attached to each end, for easy carriage. - Here the Present tense stands for the Future, to show the imminence of the act. Motice, also, the form iiigle (not nigal). This participial form increases the emphasis and rapidity of the idea. See Hindi Manual, p. 190. In all previous editions he Krishna ! is repeated ; and as Easlwick himself translates. ^ It would have been more in conformity with practice to have written kyd strt kya purush ; but in all previous editions it is as in text. ■* Angiras is a famous Rishi, or saint, and the author of many hymns of the Rig-veda. He is one of the seven great Rishis, and had a miraculous origin from Brahma's mouth. He is r puted the father of several gods, the saced hymns, and even of mankind. Prkm-Sagar 91 wards and forwards over him a hundred times. Once, as he saw the shadow of the car, he looked up [and] angrily cursed me, thus, ' O conceited one ! become a dragon-snake ! ' "This much issued from his mouth, when T, becoming a dragon, fell down. Then the Rishi said, ' Thy deliverance will be through S'ri Krishna Chand ' ; on this account I came and seized the foot of Nand Ra^e Ji, that you, by coming, might deliver me; therefore. Lord of Compassion ! you, having come, have kindly delivered me." Having said which, Vidyadhar performed per- ambulation, [and] receiving the command from Hari, [he] prostrated himself, took leave, mounted [his] car [and] went to Surlok. And, having witnessed this incident, all the Braj- dwellers were amazed. At length, as soon as it dawned, having presented themselves before the goddess, they went all together to Brindaban. Having related the story so far, S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Lord of the Earth ! once Haladhar and Gobind, with the cow- herdesses, were singing away delightedly, one moonlit night, in the wood, when, in the midst of it, a Yaksha named S'ankhachur, an attendant on Kuver,i on whose head [was] a jewel, and [who was] exceedingly strong, [suddenly] came [upon them]. [He] saw, then, on one side, all the cowherdesses engaged in sport, and,^ on the other side, Krishna and Baladev, enraptured, singing away as if intoxicated. When some [idea] occurred to him, [he] sur- rounded the Braj girls, [and driving them] before [him] was carrying them off. Then the Braj women, being frightened, cried out, " Save [us], Krishiia ! Balaram ! " On hearing this issuing from the mouth of the cowherdesses, both the brothers, tearing up a tree [and] bearing it in their hands, ran forward, as a raging elephant rushes on a lion; and, having come there, said to the cowherdesses, " Fear no one, we are arrived." On perceiving them like Death, the Yaksha was terrified, abandoned the cowherdesses, [and] fled for his life. Then Nandalal left Baladev Ji with the cowherdesses ; and went himself, seized [the Yaksha] by the back-hair [and] threw [him] down ; finally, striking transversely, [he] cut off his head, took the jewel, came [back and] gave it to Balaram Ji. CHAPTER XXXVL The cowherdesses sing the praises of Krishna. S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — O King ! while Hari is grazing cows in the forest, the Braj girls come to Nand's wife, sit down, [and] sing the glory of the Lord. The sports which S'ri ^ The god of riches. 2 For sau read attr. 92 Prem-Sagar Krishna played in the woods, the cowherdesses related, seated at home. " Listen, Friend ! [when] he is playing the flute, animals and birds find gratification. Devi, with her lord, reclined [in] the car ; [their] ears, hearing the sound, were fascinated. Bracelet [and] ring fall from the hand, [the sound] has stolen away recollection from the perturbed mind and body.^ Just then," says a woman of Braj, " the clouds, quite over- come, left off" thundering ; Hari is singing with unwavering delight ; eyebrows, hand, and cheek, [he] sways [to the metre] ; The doe, with her loved one, hearing the flute, is brought to a standstill ; the Jumna is deflected, the cows are there collected together. The fascinated clouds form a shade, like an umbrella held over Krishna ; Now Hari hastens to the thick arbour, [and] again all come [with him] to the fig-tree ; 2 The roaming cows are following ; [when] collected he took them to water. It is become evening ; now Hari returns ; the cow lows, the flute sounded." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! in this way, the cowherdesses all day are continually celebrating the virtues of Hari, and at eventide, going forth [and] meeting with S'ri Krishna Chand, the source of joy, they joyfully conduct [him home] ; and then the lady Jasoda also, having affectionately wiped the dust-covered face of [her] son, embraces [him, and] feels delight. CHAPTER XXXVn. Krishna slays an Asura in the form of a bull, and himself bathes at all the places of pilgrimage, miraculously brought together, to expiate the crime -Kaiis endeavours to entrap him at an entertainment— The mission of Akrur for that purpose. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! one day S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram, having grazed the cows, were returning home at night from the wood ; hereupon an Asura came, as a very large bull, and mingled with the cows. * parahiii is 3rd pers. plural Aorist oi paran ((or par mi), "to fall"; /lart is the Past tense of harnd, and agrees with its object siidhi, as usual. Both Eastwick and Hollings failed to catch the meaning of this passage. - ab . . . pu>ii, " now . . . and again," mean thai at one time he does one thing, and at another time something else. Prem-Sagar 93 His body reached to the sky ; [he] made [his] back as hard as a stone ; Two great horns, sharp [and] erect, [were his] ; [his] red eyes were filled with excessive rage ; With tail up-lifted, he careers about roaring ; stopping [and] stopping, wandering about, [he] drops dung ; [His] shoulder writhes, [he] moves [his] ears ; all the gods, abandoning [their] cars, took flight ; With [his] hoof [he] digs up the river-banks ; and upsets a mountain with [his] back ; Then everyone became affrighted ; the guardians of the world [and] those of the [ten] quarters [of space] trembled ; The earth shook ; S'esha quivered ; woman and cow mis- carry. On seeing this all the cows scattered to the right and left, and the Braj-dwellers running came where, behind all, Krishna [and] Balaram were coming along. Making obeisance [they] said, " Maharaj ! in front an exceedingly great bull is standing ; save us from him." Upon hearing this statement, the Searcher of Hearts, S'ri Krishna Chand, said, " Do not fear him at all ; that low creature, assuming the form of a bull, has come ; he wishes his death from us." Having said this much, [he] went forward, [and] looking at him the Forester said, " Come to us, thou who hast assumed a deceitful body, why art thou terrifying others ? why art thou not coming near me ? That which is called the enemy of the lion does not rush upon the deer. See ! I myself am Gobind in the form of Death. I have slain [and] extirpated many such as you." Having spoken thus, then, striking his arms [defiantly], he challenged [thus], "Come: fight with me." On hearing this speech, the Asura rushed on as angrily as though the thunder- bolt of Indra were come. As often as Hari forced him back, so often he, regaining strength, was coming on. Once as he (Hari) dashed him down, he irritatedly arose and squeezed Hari between both [his] horns. Then S'ri Krishna Ji, also, dexterously slipping out, quickly put [his] foot on [the Asura's] foot, and, seizing his horns, wrung [them] round as anyone wrings round a wet cloth. At length he sank [and] fell, and his life departed [from him]. Then all the gods, seated each in his car, joyfully began to rain down flowers, and the cowherdesses and cowherds began to celebrate the glory of Krishna. Hereupon S'ri Radhika Ji came and said to Hari, " Maharaj ! in that you have killed a bull-formed [object], sin has resulted, therefore do you now come [and] bathe at a place of pilgrimage, then touch anyone." ^ On hearing this expression, ^ The sense is, as sin has been incurred by slaying an object which was merely in the form of a cow, therefore purification should be performed before touching anyone. Notice is kd, meaning " from this." 94 Prem-Sac.ar the Lord said, " I [will] summon all places of pilgrimage into Braj itself." Saying this, he went to Gobardhan [and] caused two deep pits to be dug. There all the places of pilgrimage came in bodily form, and each pronouncing his own name threw water in those [pits], and departed. Then S'ri Krishna Chand having bathed in them, came out, gave many cows in alms, fed numerous Brahmans, [and] became purified. And from that very day those [tanks] have been renowned as ^ the Tank of Krishna [and] the Tank of Radha. Having related this episode, S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Maharaj ! one day Narad Muni Ji came to Kans, and when, in order to increase his anger, he expounded to him the existence of Balaram and S'yam,- the coming of Maya, and the secret of the departure of Krishna, Kaiis angrily said, " Narad Ji ! you speak the truth. At first he came [and] gave a son, increasing the confidence [of my] mind ; As a cheat, having shown something, takes all one's wealth, [and] runs off." Having said this, he summoned Vasudev, seized [and] bound [him], and placing [his] hand on [his] shoulder, said with emotion, — " I have discovered [that] thou wast a deceiver ; I thought thee a good person ; Thou didst send away Krishna [and] gave [him] to Nand ; Devi came [and] revealed to us [the affair] ; In [thy] mind was one thing, the mouth said something different ; to-day surely I will kill [thee], just here ; The friend, kinsman, servant, [or] helper, [who] practises deceit [is] a great sinner ; [Thy] mouth was sweet, [thy] mind filled [with] poison, through deceit ; He who [is] self-interested [and] inimical to others, than him a fiend is better." ^ Having chattered thus, Kans began to address Narad Ji thus, " Maharaj ! I have not discovered anything of the secret of this [fellow's] mind ; there was a boy, and a girl was brought and shown ; he whom [they] said had been miscarried, went into Gokul [and] became Baladev." Having said this much, [he] angrily bit [his] lip [and] raised [his] sword, when just as he was about to slay Vasudev,^ Narad, the saint, seizing [his] hand said, ^ Notice this use oi karke for "as." * S'ydm, '• the dark blue " ; a name of Krishna. ^ ju in the second hemistich, is the relative, tis se is the correlative ; dpakdj or dpakdjt is " one who labours for sell," and para-drohiyd, is " one who injures another." ■* Lit., " as he wished thus, ' Let me slay Vasudev.' " Prem-Sagar 95 " O King ! keep Vasudev to-day, and act so that Krishna and Baladev may come here." ^ When Narad, the saint, had thus counselled [and] departed, Kans shut up Vasudev [and] Devaki in a chamber, but himself becoming disturbed by dread, he called for the Rakshas named Kesi [and] said, — " O mighty one ! thou [art] my retainer ; I have great hope from thee ; Do thou go at once into Braj, [and] having slain Ram [and] Krishna, show [their bodies] to me." Upon hearing this direction, Kesi,- having received the order, took leave, prostrated [himself, and] departed to Brindaban ; and KailS sent for Sal, Tusal, Chanur, Arisht, Byomasur, and others his ministers. They came, [and he] began to instruct them, thus, " My enemy has come near to dwell ; do you, having reflected in your minds, extract the thorn which rankles in my heart." The ministers said, " Lord of the Earth ! you yourself are powerful, whom do you fear ? What great thing is it to slay Rama [and] Krishna ? Do not be anxious ; we will point out [to you] the device by which they may come here, by stratagem or force. " In the first place, let vis have constructed here, in a good fashion, such a beautiful arena, that, upon hearing of its splendour, the folk of the various cities and villages shall arise and hurry to see [it]; afterwards, do you cause a sacrifice to be offered to Mahadev, and have goats [and] buffaloes sent for, as offerings. Having heard this news, all the Braj-dwellers will bring offerings, and with them Rama [and] Krishna will also come. Then some wrestler will overthrow them, or some other strong [fellow] will slay them at the gate." On hearing this statement, — Kans, giving heed, said, " Good advice the ministers have given." He summoned wrestlers, treated [them] respectfully, [and] gave [them] betel.^ He then convened a meeting [and] said to his greatest Rak- shasas, " When our nephews Rama [and] Krishna come here, let someone among you slay them, that the worry of my mind may depart." Having instructed them thus, he next called his Mahout, and said [to him], "A violent elephant is in thy power; do thou take [him] to the gate [and] stay there.'' When those two ^ /is men, " in that which " may induce Krishna and Baladev to come, do thou act. - For ti read to. ^ The throwing down of betel was a challenge to a difficult exploit ; those who toolc up llie betel pledged themselves to attempt the task. ■* Nut ice the Re^pectlul Imperative in -yo, because implying an idea of futurity. 96 Prem-Sagar shall come, and place foot on the door, do thou cause them to be torn in pieces by the elephant. Let them not escape by any means. If thou shalt slay those two, thou shalt receive whatever you may ask." i Thus having addressed [and] admonished all, [and] having fixed the fourteenth of the dark half of Karttik for the sacrifice to S'iva, Kans, at eventide, summoned Akrur, received [him] most courteously, conducted [him] within the house, placed [him] near him on a throne, took [his] hand, [and] with exceeding affection said, " You are the greatest in the family of Yadu, intelli- gent, religious, [and] brave ; therefore, all know [and] honour you. There is no one who, having seen you, is not pleased ; hence, as Bawan 3 went [and] eflFected the object of Indra, and by stratagem deprived Bali of the whole of his kingdom, and sent Raja Bali to Patala ; so do you perform my work. Then at once go to Brindaban, and, as best you can,^ by force or fraud, bring hither the two sons of Devaki. It is said, ' They who are great, themselves bearing the pain, effect the object of others.' Herein to you, indeed, is [committed] the entirety of my reputation. What more shall we say ? As best you can, bring them here ; then here they will be quite easily killed ; either, on seeing [them] Chanur will overthrow [them], or the elephant Kubaliya will seize [and] tear [them] to pieces. Otherwise, I alone will arise [and] slay [them], and will effect my purpose with my own hand; and, having slain those two, afterwards I will kill Ugrasen, because he is very deceitful, [and] wishes my death. Afterwards Devaki's father Devak, having burnt with fire, I will submerge in water, [and] along with him, having slain Vasudev, I will eradicate the worshippers of Hari. Then reigning free from annoyance, I will go [and] unite with Jurasindhu, the fierce, who is my friend, from fear of whom the nine divisions [of the universe] tremble, and whose attendants are Narakasur, Banasur, and other most large [and] mighty Rakshasas ; — provided you bring [here] Rama [and] Krishna." Having said these words, Kaiis began to instruct Akrur, thus, " Do you, having gone into Brindaban, say in the house of Nand, ' There is a sacrifice to S'iva ; a bow is set up, and there will be various other sports there.' Hearing this, Nand, Upanand, with the cowherds, will bring goats [and] buffaloes as presents ; along with them Krishna [and] Baladev will also come to see. This device for bringing them I have pointed out to you ; for the rest, you are intelligent ; if any other story will succeed, then make it up [and] say [it]. What more should I say to you? It is said, — 1 miinh-vumga-dhan, " mouth-asked-wealth," anything the mouth may ask. This idiom is often brought into requisition. ^ Bawau, "the dwarf," the fifth incarnation of Vishnu. ^ jyon bane, "as it maybe"; an idiom often employed to express, " to the best of one's ability," " anyhow one can." Prem-Sagar 9jr Should the ambassador be of surprising [capacity] ; whose intelligence [is] his strength ; Bold in the afifairs of others ; place confidence in him.''^ On hearing this statement, at first Akriir reflected in his mind thus, " If I now say anything honestly to him, then this [person] will not regard [it]; it is, therefore, better that now I should say what is pleasing [and] agreeable to his mind. So it is said in another place, ' Say that which pleases one.' " Having reflected thus, Akriir, joining [his] hands [and] inclining [his] head, said, " Maharaj ! you have given good advice ; we also have accepted this direction most respectfully .^ Nothing has power over fate.-^ A man forms many designs [and] hurries [to their realisation], but obtains the mere [previously] written result of fate. They project one thing ; another happens. [The design] imagined in one's mind does not occur.*^ Binding the future, you have excogi- tated this affair. It is not known what will happen. I have accepted 3'our direction ; to-morrow at dawn I will go, and Rama [and] Krishna I will bring." Saying thus, [and] taking leave from Kans, Akrur came home. CHAPTER XXXVIII. Krishna destroys the Asuras Kesi and Byomasur. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharfij ! I am [about to] relate all the particulars, how S'ri Krishna Chand killed Kesi, and Narad went [and] praised [him, and] afterwards [how] Hari killed Byomasur; do you listen attentively. As soon as it was dawn, Kesi came into Brindaban as an exceedingly high terrific horse ; and, with very red eyes, distended nostrils, ears [and] tail erect, [he] began to paw about [and] tear up the ground, and to neigh [and] writhe [his] shoulders repeatedly, and to kick. On seeing him, the cow-boys, feeling dread, ran off, [and] went [and] told S'ri Krishna. He, having heard, came where he was, and, having seen him, tightening [his] girdle for the fray, striking [his] arms, [and] roaring like a lion, said, " O thou who art greatly beloved of Kans, and hast come as a horse ! why art thou following others about ? Come, fight with me, that I may see thy might. How long wilt thou flutter round the lamp like a ^ tdtanau should be one word ; it is a Braj form for " of him." - si7- charlia^c, " having raised it to the head," as a sign of submission. ■* Lit., " no power moves over fate." '' After chitd, a Participle used adjectivally, some such word as abhiprdya is understood. H 98 Prem-Sagar moth ? Tlty death has drawn near." Hearing this speech, Kesi angrily began to say within himself, " To-day I will see this one's might, and having seized [and] chewed [him] up like sugar-cane, I will accomplish Kans's object." Having said this much, opening [his] mouth, [he] ran as though he would swallow up the whole world. On coming up at first, as he stretched forth [his] mouth at S'ri Krishna, the latter at once with a push forced [him] backwards. When the second time, having recovered [himself, he] stretched forth [his] head [and] ran, S'ri Krishna putting his hand in his mouth, making [it] like an iron staff, so extended [it] that he stopped his ten orifices with it. Then Kesi agitatedly said within himself, " Now [my] body is splitting. How is this ? [I] myself have taken my own death into [my] mouth. As a fish, swallowing the hook, gives up life, so I also have lost my life." Saying this, he made many attempts to get the hand out, but not one were of avail. At last, breath being stopped, the stomach burst, and staggering [he] fell. Then from his body the blood flowed forth like a river. At that time, the cow-boys severally coming began to look on ; and Krishna, going forward into the wood, stood under the shadow of a Kadam-tree. Meanwhile, Narad Muni Ji arrived [there] with a lute in [his] hand. Making obeisance, standing up, [and] sounding the lute, recounting all the sports and actions of S'ri Krishna Chand's past [and] future, said, " Lord of Compassion ! your sports are infinite ! In whom is there so much capacity that he can recount your exploits ? But I know your compassion so far that you, to give happiness to worshippers, and for the preserva- tion of the good, and for the purpose of destroying wicked Asuras, again [and] again taking incarnate form, becoming manifest in the world, are removing the burden of the earth." On hearing this speech, the Lord dismissed Narad, the saint. He prostrating [himself] set forth ; and [Krishna] himself, accom- panied by all the cow-boys [and] friends, having seated [himself] under a fig-tree, first having made one a minister, another a councillor, another a general, himself becoming King, they began to play the game of royalty, and afterwards blind man's buff. Having told the story so far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Lord of the Earth !— " He killed Kesi early in the morning," Kans heard this remark ; He says to Byomasur, [with] shuddering, trembling frame, " Foe-destroying Byomasur, the powerful ! thy frame is excellent in the world. As the Son of the Wind 1 [was the assistant] of Rama, just so [art] thou my messenger of death ; ' "Son of the Wind" (in Sanskrit f'az'andfmaja) is an epithet of Hanuman, the monkey, who was the friend of Rama. Prem-SAgar 99 Slay [and] bring [here] the son of Vasudev ; to-day perform my object [and] return." Having heard this, joining [his] hands, Byomasur said, " Maharaj ! whatever shall be possible I will do to-day ; my body is at your service. They who are greedy of life, feel abashed [at] giving life for their master. The glory [and] virtue of [both] servant and wife is in this, that he [or she] gives up life for the master's sake." Having said thus [and] taking up the betel on [account of] Krishna [and] Baladev,^ [and] making obeisance to Kaiis, Byomasur went to Brindaban. Going along the road, having assumed the disguise of a cowherd, he proceeded on, [and] arrived where Hari was playing blind man's bufifwith the cow-boys [and] friends. On going [there], when from afar he joined [his] hands [and] said to S'ri Krishna Chand, " Maharaj ! cause me also to play with you," then Hari calling him near said, " Do not keep the desire of anything within thyself; play with us whatever sport thou desirest." Having heard this, becoming pleased, [he] said, " The game of wolf and rams is a good one." S'ri Krishna Chand smilingly said, " Very well ; do thou become the wolf, and the cow-boys be the rams." They began to play together. Then that Asura, taking them one by one, and placing [them] in a cave of the mountain, placing a stone across its mouth [and] confining [them], came back. When he had so placed them all [and] returned, and S'ri Krishna remained alone, [he] chal- lenged [him, and] said, " To-day I will accomplish the object of Kans, and will slay all the Yadubansis." Having spoken thus, abandoning the disguise of a cowherd, [and] becoming in truth a wolf, as he sprang upon Hari the latter seized [him], gripped [his] throat, [and] with blows of the fist beat [him] to death, as they slaughter a goat for sacrifice. CHAPTER XXXIX. Akrur arrives at Brindaban, and delivers his message. S'ri S'ukadkv, the saint, said : — Maharaj ! Kesi and Byomasur were killed on the I2th of the dark half of Karttik ; and, quite early in the morning of the 13th, Akrur came to Kans, took leave, mounted [his] chariot, [and] reflecting within himself as follows, set out towards Brindaban: "What devotion, penance, sacrifice, alms, pilgrimage, [or] vow, have I performed, of such [a nature] that, by its merit, I should obtain this result ? As far as I know, all this life [I] have never invoked the name of Hari. ^ See note •'', p. 95. H 2 loo Prem-Sagar [I] have al\va3's remained in the society of Kaiis ; where should I get the secret of worship ? Yes ! [in some] previous birth, [I] may have performed some virtuous act, and this, probably,^ is the result of the force of its merit, that Kans has sent me to bring S'ri Krishna Chand, the source of joy. Now, [by] going [and] getting a sight of him [I] shall render my birth profitable. " Having joined [my] hands, I shall fall at [his] feet ; then, the dust of the feet on [my] head I will place.- Those feet which the removers of sin, S'ri Brahma and the rest, are worshipping ; Those feet which alighted [on] the head of Kali ; those feet filled with the breast [and] sandal ; 3 They danced well the circular dance ; the feet which roamed after the cows ; [By] the dust of which feet Ahilya crossed [the ocean of existence] ; from which feet the Ganges issued ; Having tricked Bali, [those feet] accomplished the object of Indra ; those feet I shall see to-day. Omens are to me propitious ; herds of deer are passing to the right." Maharaj ! having reflected thus, Akriir then began to say within himself, " Let them by no means suppose me the mes- senger of Kaiis ! " Again he reflected, " He whose name is ' The Searcher of Hearts ' regards the affection of the heart, and recog- nizes every friend [and] foe. He will never think thus ; on the contrary, upon seeing me, he will embrace [me, and] place his soft lotus-like hand on my head ; then I shall give pleasure to my Chakor-like eyes,^ [by] regarding fixedly that moon-body of which Brahma, Rudra, Indra, and all the other gods are con- tinually thinking." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! in this way reflecting, [and] driving [his] chariot, Akrur Ji went from this direction ; and from the wood, [in] the other direction, S'ri Krishna [and] Baladev, with the cow-lads, having grazed the cattle, were also come. Then there ^ ho to ho = " may probably be." ^ parihaun and dharihaiin should have been printed as here, and not divided into two, as in text. ^ East wick considers kiicha chandana to stand for kuchandana, " red sanders " ; but the latter word is formed by the prefix kit, " bad," " inferior," and the poet is not likely to have selected the inferior sandal-wood as the stuffing for the sacred feet. Hollings expands the word kiich, "the breast," into "the milk of the breast," and he probably took counsel from Indians on the point. The allusion is most likely to the softness and smoothness of the sandal-scented feet. The phrase does not occur in the Sukha-Sagar, nor in the Bhagavata-Purana. [But a later edition reads : je pad ktichJi chaiidan son hhare.'\ ■* The Chakor, or red partridge, is supposed to derive much delight from gazing fixedly at the moon. Prem-Sagar ib'j was a mutual meeting of them both ^ just outside Brindaban. On perceiving Hari's beauty from afar, Akriir descended from the chariot, [and] running with extreme agitation, went [and] fell at his feet ; and was so enraptured that speech came not from [his mouth. With excessive delight, water began to rain from [his eyes. Then S'ri Krishna Ji raised him up, [and] embracing [him with exceeding tenderness, took [his] hand, [and] conducted [him] home. There Nand Ra^e, on seeing Akrur Ji, was pleased, arose, [and] embraced [him], and did [him] much honour. Having caused [his] feet to be washed, [he] seated [him]. The bath-attendants came bearing oil ; having applied sweet-smelling unguents, [they] caused [him] to be bathed ; Jasoda gave [him] a cooking-place [and] a board [on which to sit and eat, and] fed [him] with the six-flavoured delicacy. When, having rinsed his mouth, [he] sat down to eat betel, then Nand Ji, having asked after [his] welfare, said, " You, in- deed, are a very worthy person among the Yadubaiisis, and have always preserved your dignity ; tell [me] now, how are you faring with the wicked Kafis, and what is the condition of the people there ? tell the whole secret." Akrur Ji said, — " Since Kafis has been [in] Madhupuri,"- [he] has given pain to everyone. [You] have asked, what [is] the city's prosperity ; the con- dition of the subjects is miserable. As long as Kans is in Mathura, how will the Yadu family escape ? As the hunter is the enemy of animal, rams [and] she- goats, So is Kans [the enemy] of the subjects ; everyone suffers distress." Having said this, again [he] spoke, " You, indeed, know the proceedings of Kaiis ; what more shall we say ? " CHAPTER XL. Krishna accepts the invitation, and i^oes to Mathura with Nand and all the cow- herds — Akrur, on the road, sees Krishna in his celestial form. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Lord of the Earth ! when Nand Ji had done conversing, Krishna [and] Balaram, calling Akrtu- by a sign, led [him] apart. ' in se iin se ; ihe juxtaposition of inflexions in th's way implies mulua'iiy. - Madhu^uri, " the city of honey " ; a name of JN^athura. 7 02 PrEM-SaGAR Respectfully [they] asked [his] welfare ; "Tell [us], paternal uncle, the affairs of Mathura; Are Vasudev [and] Devaki well ? Has the king fallen out their foe ? Exceedingly wicked is our maternal uncle Kaiis, who has done away with the whole Yadu race. Some violent disease of the Yadu family has taken birth [and] come ; that has plagued all the Yadubaiisis ; and, if you ask the truth, Vasudev [and] Devaki are getting all this misery for our sake ; had they not concealed us, they would not have got [into] all this trouble." Having spoken thus, Krishna again said, — " What did they say to you [when you were] going, they whose debtors we shall ever remain ? They must be thinking of us, in [their] difficulty, suffering deep distress." Hearing this, Akrur Ji said, *' Lord of Compassion ! you know all. How shall I relate the injustice of Kaiis, who has friendship with no one. Vasudev and Ugrasen are constantly meditating on death ; but, up to the present time, they have escaped by their destiny ; but since Narad, the saint, came [and] stated circum- stantially all the particulars of your existence, gyves and manacles have been placed on Vasudev, [and he] is kept in great misery. And to-morrow, at his (Kans's) place, there is [to be] a sacrifice to Mahadev, and a bow has been set up, everybody will come to see ; therefore [he] has sent me to call you, telling [me] this, ' You go [and] cause to be brought [here] Nand Ra^e with offer- ings for the sacrifice, along with Rama [and] Krishna ' ; there- fore I am come to take you." Having heard this statement from Akrur Ji, Rama [and] Krishna came [and] said to Nand Ra^e,— "Kaiis has called for [us], listen. Father ; Uncle Akrur has told [us] this affair. Take milk, rams, [and] she-goats ; it is the sacrifice of the bow ; give these [as offerings]. Let all go together along with you ; the king has spoken ; there should be no tarrying." When S'ri Krishna Chand Ji had thus counselled [and] spoken to Nand Ji, Nand Ra^e Ji immediately summoned criers, and sent round a proclamation through all the city, saying this, " To- morrow, as soon as dawn [breaks], everyone assembling will go to Mathura ; the king has summoned [us]." From hearing this statement, as soon as it Avas dawn, each taking a present, all the Braj -dwellers arrived ; and Nand Ji also, taking milk, curds, butter, rams, goats, [and] buffaloes, causing carts to be yoked, accompanied them ; and Krishna [and] Baladev also, taking with them their cow-lads [and] friends, mounted a chariot. Prem-Sagar 103 In front were Nand [and] Upanand ; after all [were] Haladhar [and] Govinda. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said: — Lord of the Earth ! all at once hearing of S'ri Krishna Chand's departure, all the Braj cowherdesses, having become exceedingly agitated [and] distressed, abandoning home, rising in confusion, ran ; and lamenting, raving, stumbling [and] falling, came where S'ri Krishna Chand's chariot was. As soon as they came, having stationed [themselves] around the chariot [with] joined hands, beseechingly they began to say, " Why are you leaving us. Lord of Braj ? Everything is given [into] your possession ; the affection of the good never dimin- ishes ; it ever remains, like the lines on the hand ; but the affec- tion of a fool remains not, like a wall of sand. What fault has been committed against you such that you are going [with your] back towards us? " Having thus addressed S'ri Krishna Chand, next the cowherdesses, looking towards Akrur, said, — "This Akriir is very cruel ; ^ [he] knows nothing of our pain ; Without whom for an instant, everyone [of us] is widowed, that one [he] is taking away with him ; Deceitful Kriir has become hard-hearted ; who gave the name Akrur in vain ? O Akrur ! perverse, void of understanding ! why [are you] afflicting the weak [and] helpless ? " Uttering such very bitter expressions, abandoning reflection [and] modesty, seizing the chariot of Hari, [they] began to say among themselves, " The women of Mathura are exceedingly wanton, cunning, beautiful, [and] accomplished ; Bihari forming friendship with them, becoming subject to their accomplishments and graces will remain there ; then why should he think of us ? They are very fortunate who will remain with the beloved one. What fault has happened in our devotion [and] penance, for which S'ri Krishna Chand is deserting us?" Having said thus among themselves, again they began to say to Hari, " Your name is the Lord of Cowherdesses, why are you not taking us along with you ? " Without you how will each moment pass ? [when] for an instant concealed, the bosom bursts [with grief]. Having shown affection, why are you causing separation ? relentless, pitiless, you bear no affection." The beautiful ones are thus praying there ; fallen into the ocean of misery, [they] are thinking. They remained gazing steadfastly towards Hari ; like a charmed doe [or] the Chakor [gazing at] the moon ; Tears are bursting forth from [their] eyes ; [their] locks having become loosened, are scattered over [their] faces. ' Ak?-i1i; "kind," kr^ir, " cruel." A play on words. I04 Prem-Sagar S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — O King ! at that time the cow- herdesses were in the condition whicli I have stated ; and Jasoda Rani, with motherly affection, embracing [her] son, weeping greatly, with exceeding affection was saying, " Son ! take pro- vision for the number of days [that may elapse till] you return thence ; having gone there, make friendship with no one ; speedily come [back, and] show yourself to your mother." Hearing this speech, S'ri Krishna descended from the chariot, [and] having instructed [and] counselled all, [and] taken leave of [his] mother, prostrating [himself, and] receiving [her] bless- ing, [he] again mounted the chariot [and] departed. Then, from the one direction, Jasoda Ji, with the cowherdesses, exceed- ingly agitated, crving greatly, were calling out " Krishna ! " and from the other direction, S'ri Krishna, standing on the chariot, was keeping on calling out [and] saying, " Do you go home ; don't worry about anything ; in only four or five days we shall be back again." Thus calling out and gazing on, when the chariot had dis- appeared [in] the distance, and the dust had spread to the heavens, insomuch that even the pennon of the chariot was no longer visible, then, becoming disconsolate, all at once, the whole of them, convulsed like fishes without water, swooned [and] fell. After a time, regaining consciousness, [they] arose ; and fixing the hope of the engagement [to return] in mind, [and] con- soling [herself], in the one direction, Jasoda Ji, taking all the cowherdesses, weiit to Brindaban ; and, in the other direction, S'ri Krishna Chand, with all [his party], proceeding on, arrived at the bank of the Jumna. There the cow-lads drank water, and Hari also stopped the chariot in the shade of a fig-tree. When Akrur, thinking to bathe, descended from the chariot, S'ri Krishna Chand said to Nand Ra,e, " Do you, please, take all the cow-lads [and] proceed onwards ; let Uncle Akrur bathe, afterwards, we also [will] come [and] join [you]." Hearing this, taking all [the party], Nand Ji advanced ; and Akriir Ji, having undressed, washed [his] hands [and] feet, rinsed [his] mouth, [and,] having gone to the bank, entered the water, taken a dive, worshipped, [offered] a libation, prayed, [and] meditated, again dived, [and] opening [his] eyes, looked in the water, then S'ri Krishna appeared there with his chariot. Again, having raised [his] head, he beheld [that] the Yadu Chief is seated [in] the very same place; He is astonished, reflecting [in his] heart, " Murari [is] on the chariot afar ; Both [the brothers] are seated [under] the shade of the fig-tree ; [yet] I see those very [two] in the water; I don't apprehend the mystery i [of their being] out [and] in [the water] ; which shall I call [their] true forms ? " ' For med read hhed. Pkem-Sagar 105 Maharaj ! Akrur Ji continuing to observe one and the same form out [and] in [the water], was simply reflecting, when, in the midst of it, at first, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, becoming four- armed [and] bearing the shell, discus, club, [and] lotus, appeared in the water with all [his] worshippers, Suras, Munis, Kinnaras, Gandharvas, and others ; and, afterwards, having become S'eshasa^i,! [he appeared again]. Then Akrur, having seen [that], was still more perplexed. CHAPTER XLI. Akrur celebrates the glory of Krishna. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! [while] continuing to stand in the water, knowledge [came] to Akrur, by meditating on the Lord, during a long time ; then, joining [his] hands [and] making obeisance, [he] began to say, " O Bhagwan ! you alone are Creator [and] Destroyer ! for the sake of worshippers, having come into the world, you assume endless shapes ; and gods, men, [and] saints are [but] parts of you ; having become manifest trom you alone, they are so contained in you alone, as water [v/hich,] having issued from the ocean, is received [back] into the ocean 1 Your greatness is incomparable ! who can utter it ? you ever remain Virat-swariipa ! - [Your] head [is] heaven, the earth [is your] foot, the sea [your] belly, the sky [your] navel, the clouds [your] hair, trees [are] the down [of your body], fire [your] mouth, the ten quarters [your] ears, [your] eyes [are] the moon and sun, Indra [is your] arm, [your] intellect [is] Brahma, [your] self-consciousness [is] Rudra, thunder [is 3'our] speech, air [is your] breath, water [is your] semen, the closing of [your] eyes [is] night [and] day. In this form you are ever resplendent ! Who can recognize you ? " In this way having offered praises, Akrur, meditating on the feet of the Lord, said, " Lord of Compassion ! keep me in your protection ! " 1 S'eshasLi^t, " the sleeper on S'esha." This alludes to the mythological sleep of Vishnu on the back of the snake S'esha, before the creation of the present world. While so reposing Brahma arose from out of his form, and proceeded with the work of creation. 2 Virdt-swarupa, " consisting of Viraj." The first progeny of Brahma, or the primary male power, produced from the female portion of Brahma's own sub- stance, was named Viraj, or "the resplendtnt." From Viraj all animated creation arose, and thus the term Viiat-swariipa intimates that Krishna is Creation embodied. Io6 pREM-SACAk CHAPTER XLII. Krishna and his companions enter Mathura — Description of the city — Krishna robs the King's washerman, and then kills him. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! when S'ri Krishna Chanel had exhibited [himself] in a variety of forms in the water, Hke the delusions of a juggler, [and] had withdrawn [the illusion], Akrur Ji, having issued from the water [and] come to the bank, per- formed obeisance to Hari. Then the beloved of Nand asked Akrur, thus, *' Uncle ! in the cold season, why stay so long a time in the water ? We were anxious about you, [asking] W hy has uncle forgotten to think of going on the journey ? Having gone [into tlie water], did you see anything strange ? ^ Explain this [matter], that the doubt of our minds may depart." Having heard [this], Akriir, closing [his] hands, said, "You know all. Lord of Braj ! [You] revealed [yourself] admirably in the water ; no action of Krishna [need occasion] surprise ; I have become confident of you ; quickly, O Lord ! set foot [towards] Mathura. Please delay not here ; speedily go [and] accomplish the work." On hearing this statement, Hari hastily seated [himself] on the chariot, [and] taking Akriir with [him], departed, [and] stopped [at the halting-place]. And Nand, all the cowherds, and the rest, who had gone on ahead, had pitched [their] tents outside Mathura ; — and watching for Krishna [and] Baladev, with exceeding anxiety, began to say among themselves, " Why so much delay [in] bathing ? and why has Hari not yet come ? " — where, hereupon, coming along, the Source of Joy, S'ri Krishna Chand, also went [and] met [them]. Then, [with] hands joined [and] head bent down, beseechingly, Akrur Ji said, " King of Braj ! now come [and] make my house holy ; and revealing [yourself] to your worshippers, give [them] happiness," On hearing this request, Hari said to Akrur, — " First discharge [your] duty towards Kans, then point out your dwelling ; Present the submission of all who had [previously] gone away."- Having heard [this], Akriir went [with] downcast head. ' Eastwick omits this phrase from his translation. Hollings does not. - The expression jii jd^e has been evaded by both Hollings and Eastwick. It means " they who having gone " ; but its grammatical connection with the rest of the line is not evident. Krishna directs Akrur to present the humble respects of all those who had previously left Mathura, but who were now returned to attend the great sacrifice. The expression does not occur in the Sukha-Sagar nor in the Bhagavata-Purana . Prem-Sagar 107 Proceeding onwards, for a certain time, [he] descended from [his] chariot [and] arrived where Kans was seated [in] an assembled council. On seeing him, [the King] arose from the throne, came down, [and] with exceeding friendliness met [him], and very courteously taking [his] hand, [and] conducting [him], caused [him] to sit near him on the throne, [and] asking his welfare, said, " Tell me news of where you went." Having heard [this], Akrur, instructing, said, " The greatness of Braj is unutterable. How shall I express the greatness of Nand ? I placed your direction on [my] head ; ^ Rama and Krishna are both come ; all the Braj -dwellers have brought offerings ; [Their] tents are pitched on the river-bank ; carts [and] a great crowd have alighted." Hearing this, Kans joyfully said, "Akrur Ji! to-day you have done a great thing for me, in that [you] have brought Rama [and] Krishna ; now go home and repose." Having related the story so far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! having received the command of Kans, Akrur Ji went to his house. He began to reflect ; and [outside the city,] where Nand [and] Upanand were seated, Haladhar and Gobind [went and] asked them, thus, " Should we receive your permission, we will inspect the city." Having heard this, at first Nand Ra^e Ji brought out some sweetmeats to eat, [which] both the brothers ate together ; afterwards [he] said, " Well, go, see, [and] return ; but stay not long." As soon as this direction had issued from the mouth of Nand, the chieftain, gladly both the brothers, accompanied by their cow-boys [and] friends, proceeded to see the city. Advancing forwards, [they] saw then [that] there are, outside the city, all around, woods, groves, flowers, [and] fruits ; on them birds are seated warbling a great variety of pleasing notes ; and very great lakes filled with pure water, in them blossoming lotuses, on which swarms on swarms of bees are humming ; and on the banks swans, cranes, and other [water-] birds are disporting [them- selves] ; a cool, perfumed, gentle breeze is blowing ; and at the enclosures of the very large gardens betel-grounds were planted ; in the very midst, beds of various kinds of flowers extending for miles are blooming ; in various places, at the stone wells [and] water-pits, wheels [and] buckets were in motion ; [and] gardeners, singing away sweet songs, were irrigating. Having gazed upon this beauty of the woods [and] groves, being delighted, the Lord, with all [his companions], entered the town ' See note ^ p. 97 ; but for c/tard/ read charhd/. loS Prem-Sagar of Mathura. What is that cit\- hke ? around which [are] copper forts, and a strongly built wide ditch with water ; four cr3'sta] gates, whose panels were of eight metals, inlaid with gold ; and in the city, palaces of various colours — red, yellow, green, [and] white — of five store3-s [and] seven storeys, so high that they were holding converse with the clouds, the brilliance of whose spires [and] pinnacles shone like lightning ; banners [and] streamers were fluttering ; from lattices, windows, [and] apertures, came the sweet savour of incense ; at each door were placed pillars of plantain-tree and golden vessels filled with [growing] sprouts ; garlands [and] wreaths were formed ; in every house instruments were playing ; and, on one side, a variety of jewelled golden palaces, belonging to the King, were glittering, the beauty of which cannot be described. Such [was] the beautiful, delightful city of Mathura, which S'ri Krishna [and] Baladev, taking the cow-lads with [them], w^ent to see. There was great bustle [in] the city of Mathura, [on] the coming [of] Nand's son ; [On] hearing [it], all the people of the city ran, forgetting house [and] work ; And the beautiful women of Mathura, hearing [the news with their] ears [were] really much agitated, They called out this speech to each other, " Balabhadra [and] Murari are coming, Akrur is bringing them ; come, Friend, now our eyes will see ; "' Some left [their] food [and] bathing ; some rose [and] left dressing [their] hair. They forgot the amorous dalliance of [their] husbands ; ornaments [and] clothes were put on anyhow ; Just as they were [they] rose [and] ran ; [they] came to look [upon] Krishiia ; Laying aside shame, modest}^ [and] fear, some [at] the windows, some at the balconies ; some stood [at] the doors, some ran wandering about the lanes ; Wherever the w^omen stood, stretching out [their] arms, [they] pointed to the Lord ; " In blue dress [was] the fair Balaram ; [with] 3-ellow silk Ghanasyam ^ Avas covered ; These are the two nephews of Kans ; from them no Asura escapes ; Of whose accomplished manhood ~ we are hearing, their form let us see with full eyes ; In a former birth someone did [some] meritorious act ; therefore Providence has given this manifestation [as a] reward." ^ Ghanasyam, " dark-blue cloud," a name of Krishna, referring to his dark colour. 2 purushdrth means "man's object," and comprises all the lofty purposes for which mm exists. Tlie implication in the text is that Krishna was the embodi- ment of all that man should be and desire. Prem-SAgar 109 Having related the tale thus far, S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Maharaj ! in this way, all the citizens, whether women or men, were keeping on conversing in a variety of ways, [and] looking on [the brothers], were in ecstasy ; and in whatever market, road, [or] square, Krishna [and] Balaram, with all [their entou- rage] were happening to be,' there, each standing at his own house, sprinkling respectively perfume [and] sandal-scent, joyfully they (the people) were raining down flowers ; and these regarding steadfastly the splendour of the city, kept on saying thus to the cow-lads, "Brothers! let no one mistake [the way] ; and if any- one should mistake, let him go to the last encampment." Mean- while, having gone some distance, what do they see ? — the washermen of Kans, laden [with] bundles of washed clothes, bearing large packages, intoxicated, besmeared with colour, singing the praises of Kans, were coming along from outside the city. Seeing them, S'ri Krishna Chand said to Baladev Ji, " Brother ! snatch from them all the clothes ; dress yourself, and cause the cow-lads to be dressed [in them] ; what remains allow to be plundered." Having instructed the brother thus, Hari, having gone near the washermen with all [his companions], said, — " Give us clean clothes ; after we have met the King [and] returned, take [them] back ; The dresses [of honour] we shall get from the King, some from among them we shall give to you." On hearing this statement, the chief washerman among them laughingly began to say, — "Having folded, we shall deposit [them] ; do you come up to the King's door ; Then, having approached the gate, take [them] ; give [us] what you please. [You] are roaming from wood to Avood grazing cows ; cow- herds [by] caste, wearers of blankets ; Having assumed the guise of jugglers [you] are come ; the wearing of royal garments suits [your] inclination ; Joining together [and] proceeding to the King [in] the hope of obtaining dresses [of honour]. What good hope of life [you have], that same [you] are again now about to lose." Having heard this remark of the washerman, Hari again smiling said, " We, for our part, are asking in a straightforward manner, why do you understand us in a reversed sense ? No harm will happen to you through giving us the clothes ; on the other hand, there will be acquisition of fame." Hearing this statement, the washerman angrily said, "Just look at the face [of ' ho nikaln&, though "separated, should be construed together; the compound verb means " to pass," "pass by/' " happen to be," or " to turn up." iio Prem-Sagar the fellow who wants] to wear the King's cloth ; go from before me, otherwise I [will] slay [you] at once." On hearing this speech, angrily S'ri Krishna Chand struck [him] obliquely [a blow with] one hand, that his head flew off like an ear of Indian corn. Then all the companions and servants who were with him, one and all, abandoning the bundles [and] packages, fled for their lives, and going to Kaiis cried out. On the other side, S'ri Krishna Ji took all the clothes, and having dressed himself, [and] caused [his] brother to be dressed, [and] shared [some] among the cow-lads, the rest he gave to plunder. Then the cow- lads, each being exceedingly pleased, began to put on the clothes in random fashion. Having tightened the waist, they put the coat [on their] feet, and thrust the drawers on their arms ; They knew not the secret of dressing ; Krishna was laughing in his heart. As they were advancing onwards from there, a tailor having come, prostrated [himself], stood up, joined [his] hands [and] said. " Maharaj ! I, so to speak, am called Kans's servant, but in [my] heart I am ever celebrating your virtues alone. Kindly bid [me], then I will fit the clothes, by which [means] I shall be called your servant.'' As soon as this speech issued from his mouth, the Searcher of Hearts, S'ri Krishna Chand, knowing him to be his servant, called him near [and] said, " Thou art come at a good time ; good, fit [the clothes]." Then he quickly unseaming, opening, cutting, trimming, sewing, accurately adjusting, [and] arranging, dressed all [of them], together with Rama [and] Krishna, in the clothes. Then the beloved of Nand, giving him emancipation, [and] taking [him] with him, proceeded onwards. There came the gardener Sudama, [and] respectfully took [the party] to [his] house ; He dressed them all in garlands ; [in] the gardener's house were rejoicings. CHAPTER XLin. Kubja offers service to Krishna, and is promised a reward — Krishna breaks the bow of Mahadev, 2nd slaughters the guard. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Lord of the Earth ! perceiving the attachment of the gardener, [and] being gratified [thereby], S'ri Krishna Chand, having conferred beatitude upon him, moving forward thence, [he] sees before [him] in a lane a hump- Prem-SAgar 1 1 1 backed woman, with cups filled with saflFron and sandal, placed in the middle of a tray, [which she] held in [her] hand, awaiting [him]. Hari asked her, " Who art thou ? and where art thou taking this ? " She said, " Compassionate to the Lowly ! I am the servant of Kans ; my name is Kubja ; I constantly rub [and] apply sandal to [the body of] Kans ; but with [my] heart I am celebrating your virtues ; by the power of this [mental service] to-day, having obtained a sight of you, [I] have made [my] birth advantageous, and have received profit from [my] eyes. Now the desire of [this] servant is this, that I may receive the Lord's command, then [with] my own hands I may apply sandal [to your body]." Perceiving her deep devotion, Hari said, " If there is [any] satisfaction to thee in this, then apply [it]." Upon hearing this declaration, when Kubja, with great affection [and] earnestness had rubbed sandal on Rama [and] Krishna, then S'ri Krishna Chand, perceiving the affection of her heart, kindly placing foot on foot, [and] applying two fingers under [her] chin, drew [her] up, [and] made her straight. On the application of the hand of Hari she became very beautiful, and with exceeding meekness began to say to the Lord, *' Lord of Compassion ! as you have kindly made this servant's body straight, compassionately now come [and] make [her] home hol}^, and, taking rest, give happi- ness to [this] servant." Having heard this, Hari, taking her hand, smiling, began to say, — " Thou hast removed our fatigue, having met [us, thou] hast applied cool sandal ; [Thy] beauty, disposition, [and] qualities, O fair one ! [are] excellent ; my affection for thee will be endless ; Having slain Kans I will come [and] meet you." Saying thus, Murari moved onwards. And Kubja, having returned home, [and] having filled a chauk 1 with saffron [and] sandal, [and] fixing in [her] mind the hope of meeting Hari, began to indulge in rejoicings. The women of Mathura come there, [and] having seen [her] are astonished [and] say, " Great indeed is thy fortune, O Kubja ! to whom the Creator has shown affection. What diflficult penance have [you] performed, such [that] the Lord of Cowherdesses has met [and] embraced you ? We, well [formed], have not seen Hari ; thee [he] has met, [and] been exceedingly loving to." All the women are talking thus there ; Murari is roaming about, looking [at] Mathura. ^ A chauk is a square place which, at marriages and other festive occasions, is filled with sweetmeats, etc., which are consecrated and distributed among visitors. 1 1 2 Prem-Sagar In the midst of looking about [in] the cit}', the Lord, with all [his companions], arrived at the gate of the bow. On perceiving them hilariously coming, with their [bodies] stained with colour, the gate-keepers angrily said, " Whither are you coming along, in this direction, boors ! Stand off; this is the royal portal." Pretending not to hear what the door-keepers said, Hari, with the others, went straight on, and proceeded to the place where the bow of Mahadev, [which was] as long as three palm-trees, massive, [and] heavy, had been placed. On reaching [it, he] quickly took [it] up, [and] having drawn [it] with the greatest ease, broke [it] as an elephant breaks a sugar-cane. Hereupon all the guards placed there by Kans, who were watching the bow, attacked [Hari]. The Lord slew [and] over- threw them also. Then the citizens, having seen this act, by reflection having become assured [in their minds], began to say among themselves, " Behold ! the King, seated in his house, ^ has invited his own death ; he will not escape alive from the hands of these two." And Kans, having heard the tremendous sound of the breaking bow, being terrified, began to ask his people, " What was this the great sound of? " Hereupon several of the King's people, who, standing afar, were seeing [what had occurred], uncovering [their] heads, went [to the King, and] exclaimed, " We swear by the King ! " Rama [and] Krishna, having come, have excited a great bustle in the city ; having broken the bow of S'iva, [they] have slain all the guards." On hearing this statement, Kans, calling many soldiers, said, " Do you go with these, and by fraud [or] force slay Krishiia [and] Baladev immediately, [and] return." As soon as this direction issued from the mouth of Kans, each taking his arms [and] weapons went where both the brothers were standing. As soon as these challenged them, they came and slew all these also. When Hari saw that, " No servant of Kans now remains here ; " he said to Balaram, " Brother ! it is very long since we came ; we should go to the tents ; because Father Nand, keeping on watching for us, must be anxious [on our account]." Having spoken thus, taking all the cow-lads with [him], the Lord, pro- ceeding with Balaram, came where the tents had been pitched. On coming [there] he said to Nand, the chieftain, " Father ! we, having gone into the city, have witnessed good sport, [and] re- turned "; and he showed his clothes to the cowherds. Then, having looked, Nand, counselling, said, " Kanh ! your habit is not departing [from you] ; This is not our village [in] the Braj forest ; it is the place of Kans Ra^e ; Here do not violence ; bear in mind my instruction, O son ! " ' g/iar haHhe., " seated at home," means that the danger was needless. A king in the discharge of his duties may expect to meet death, but here Kails, " in a perfectly uncalled-for way," invited his own destruction. 2 Lzf., " the oath of the King ! " Prem-Sagar 1 1 3 When Nand Ra^e Ji had ended this counsel, the beloved of Nand very affectionately said, " Father ! [we] are hungry ; please give what our mother has sent [for us] to eat." On hearing this, he brought out [and] gave the comestible matter which had come with [them]. Krishna [and] Baladev, having accepted [it], in conjunction with the cow-lads, ate [it] up. Having related the story so far, S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Maharaj ! on the one hand, these, having come, [and] with great gratifica- tion having supped, slept ; and, on the other, hearing again and again i of the doings of S'ri Krishna, in the mind of Kans exceeding anxiety arose ; then he had no peace either sitting or standing. He was fretting [in his] heart of hearts, [but] his pain [he] was not telling to anyone. It is said, — As the weevil eats into wood, [and] no one knows the pain [the wood suflTers], So anxiety being in the mind, intelligence, strength [and] the body, diminish. At last [he] became greatly agitated ; then having gone into the palace, he went to sleep on the bed ; but through fear sleep did not come to him. Three watches [of] the night passed [he] remaining awake ; [he] closed [his] eyelids, there was sleep for a moment. Then he saw a dream in [his] mind, — the phantom of [his] body is going about without a head ; Sometimes naked [he] bathes in sand ; having taken poison, mounted [on] an ass, he hurries along ; Accompanied by demons he dwells [in] a cemetery ; [on his] breast a garland of blood-red flowers. [He] saw flaming trees all around, [and] young children seated on them. Maharaj ! when Kaiis saw such a dream, then he, becoming exceedingly agitated, woke up, and reflecting seriously, having got up, [he] came out. Having summoned his advisers [he] said, " You go at once, [and] have the arena swept, sprinkled [and] prepared ; and having summoned all the Braj -dwellers, along with Nand [and] Upanaud, and Vasudev and the rest of the Yadubansis, into the arena, have [them] seated ; and all the various countries' kings who are come [here, invite] them also ; in the interim, I also [will] come." Having received the command of Kans, the ministers came into the arena. Having had it swept [and] sprinkled, [and] having spread there silken screens, [and] having had aflfixed [there] flags, banners, wreaths [and] garlands, [and] having caused various kinds of instruments to be played, [they] sent to summon everyone. They came, and each severally going seated * Lallu Lai, and previous editions, have the repetition smt sun here. I 114 Prem-Sagar [himself] on his own platform. Hereupon Raja Kans also, filled with excessive pride, came [and] seated [himself] on his da'is. Then the gods, seated in their cars, began to look on from the sky. CHAPTER XLIV. Krishna slays the elephant Kubaliya. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! at dawn, when Nand, Upanand, and all the remaining very great cowherds, went into the assembly of the arena, then S'ri Krishna Chand Ji said to Baladev Ji, " Brother ! all the cowherds have gone before ; now make no delay, quickly proceed, with the cow-lads [and] friends, to see the arena." On hearing this speech, Balaram Ji arose [and] stood up, and said to all the cowherd companions, " Brothers ! come on ; let us see the preparation of the arena." On hearing this direction, immediately all accompanied [him] ; at last S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram, disguised [as] jugglers, taking with [them] cow-lads [and] companions, moving on, having come to the gate of the arena, stopped where the furious elephant Kubaliya, strong as ten thousand elephants, was standing swaying [backwards and forwards]. Having seen the furious elephant [at] the door, Balaram called out to the elephant-keeper, " Listen, Mahaut ! to our advice ; do you take the elephant [to] a distance from the door. Allow us to go near the King, otherwise the destruction of the elephant will occur. I tell [you ; it is] no fault of ours ; do not think ^ Hari a child. This is the Lord of the Three Worlds ; having destroyed the wicked, he is come to remove the burden of the earth." Having heard this, the driver angrily said, ** I know ; having grazed cows, he is become Lord of the Three Worlds ; therefore, having come here, like a great hero, he is standing hesitating. Do not fancy [this] bow-breaking ; my elephant has the strength of ten thousand elephants ; until you fight with this you shall not go inside. You, indeed, have slain many strong ones ; but to-day, should you escape from the power of this one, I shall think 3-ou are very mighty." ' jdno must htjdne, as in previous editions. Prem-Sagau 1 1 5 Then, becoming angry, Haladhar said, " Listen, O low-caste fool! I will dash [you] down with [your] elephant ; say [your] observations with restrained mouth. Delay is not good, as the elephant will die i immediately. I tell thee loudly ; at once obey what I say." On hearing these words, angrily the driver urged on the elephant. As he charged upon Baladev Ji, the latter, swinging round [his] hand, struck such a blow that he, shrinking up [his] trunk [and] screaming, retreated back. Seeing this exploit, the greatest warriors of Kaiis, who were standing looking on, de- spairing of their lives, [in their] inmost hearts began to say, " Who will be able to conquer these very powerful ones ? " And the driver also, perceiving the elephant in retreat, feeling much fear, began to reflect in [his] mind, thus, " If these boys should not be killed, then Kaiis will not leave me living." Having re- flected thus, he again, goading on, inflamed the elephant, and urged [him] upon the two brothers. On coming up, having seized Hari with [his] trunk, [and] thrown [him] down, as he angrily squeezed [him] with [his] tusks, the Lord, making his body minute, escaped between the tusks. Immediately all arose with fear, — gods, saints, citizens [and] women. Having passed between the two tusks, [he] escapes ; the Lord, the Treasury of Strength, gives the challenge ; He rises together with the elephant ; then [in] sport [he] drives [him] along. Immediately [the people] had a master,- having seen all the exploits of S'yam. Hearing the driving [noise, his] great anger was increased ; twitching [his] trunk, again the elephant rushed [for- ward] ; Murari remained ensconced under [his] belly ; thinking [him] gone, the elephant kept looking for [him] ; Appearing behind, Hari again shouted out ; Baladev went round in front ; They both began to make the elephant gambol ; everybody was frightened [at] seeing [this]. Maharaj ! sometimes Balaram, seizing the trunk, was pulling him ; sometimes S'yam [by] seizing the tail ; and when he was coming to catch them, they slipped away. For some time they kept on sporting with it thus, as they used to sport with calves, in [their] infancy. At last Hari, seizing the tail [and] swinging [it] round, dashed it down, and killed it with blows. [He] drew ' marihai = marCi^^a. ^ sandth means " with a lord," or possessed of a lord or ruler ; the implication being that, previously, the people were without a competent ruler. I 2 ii6 Preim-Sagar out the tusks, then, from its mouth, blood, hke a river, flowed forth. On the death of the elephant, the driver came defiantly; the Lord quickly slew him also, [and] threw [him] under the feet of the elephant ; and laughing away, both the brothers, disguised as jugglers, each with a tusk of the elephant in [his] hand, went [and] stood within the arena. Then each of those who saw the beloved of Nand perceived him according to his own individual nature ; the wrestlers esteemed [him] a wrestler, the kings thought [him] a king, the gods understood [him as] their Lord, the cow-lads [as] a friend, Nand [and] Upanand supposed [him] a boy, and the young women of the city [thought him] the treasury of beauty ; and Kaiis and the rest of the Rakshasas looked [upon him] as Death. Maharaj ! on looking at them, Kaiis, being greatly afraid, cried out, '' O wrestlers, seize [and] kill them, or drive [them] from before me." As these words issued from the mouth of Kans all the wrestlers, taking with [them] teachers, sons, [and] pupils, disguised in various ways, striking their arms [defiantly], for the purpose of joining [in battle], came round S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram, on all sides. As they came on, these [brothers] also, gathering strength, stood [to receive them]. Then from among them Chanur, looking towards them, impertinently said, " Listen ! to- day our king is somewhat dejected, therefore, to divert [his] spirits, [he] wishes to see your fighting ; for you, having rusti- cated in a forest, have acquired all knowledge ; but do not be anxious in [your] mind about anj'thing ; wrestle with us [and] give pleasure to your king." S'ri Krishna said, " The King's Majesty, with great kindness, has invited us to-day ; what shall we do to effect his purpose ? You are exceedingly strong [and] accomplished ; we [are] ignorant boys ; how shall we join hands [in wrestling] with you ? It is said [that] marriage, enmity, and friendship, should be made with equals. But we have no power over the King's Majesty ; therefore we agree to what you say. Spare us ; do not exert strength [and] fling us down. It is fitting to both of us [that] that should be done in which duty resides, and unitedly [we] should give pleasure to our King." Hearing [this], Chanur, being fearful, says, "Your conduct is incomprehensible ; You two [are] not mortal children ; [you] are some dissem- bling strong ones. Playing [with] the bow [you] broke [it] in two pieces ; Kubaliya was instantly killed [and] crossed [the ocean of existence] ; [Who] fights with you, experiences no loss ; ^ ever3'one knows these things." ' Meaning that, if killed, he obtains salvation by Krishna, as the elephant mentioned in the preceding line. Pkem-Sagar 117 CHAPTER XLV. Krishna and Balaram engage in a wrestling match, and kill their antagonists — Krishna then slays Kafis. S'ri S'ukade^^, the saint, said : — Lord of the Earth ! with such- Hke statements as these, Chanur, striking [his] arms, confronted S'ri Krishna, and Mushtak came [and] joined battle with Balaram Ji. Mutual wrestling began between them. [They] joined head to head, arm to arm, eye to eye ; Gripping each other's feet, leaping, clinging [together], snatching at, [and] shaking [each other]. Then all the people, looking on at both parties, began to say among themselves, " Brothers ! there is great injustice in this meeting ; behold ! what are these children, treasuries of beauty, [compared with] these powerful wrestlers, like thunder-bolts ! If [we] prohibit [the contest], Kans will be angry ; if [we] do not prohibit [it], our virtue is gone ; therefore it is now not proper to remain here, because we have no power [in the niatter]." Maharaj ! on the one hand all the people were speaking thus ; on the other, S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram were wrestling with the wrestlers. At last these two brothers threw down [and] killed those two wrestlers. On their death, all the [other] wrestlers rushed upon [them] ; the Lord, in an instant, killed [and] over- threw them also. Then the worshippers of Hari, being de- lighted, severally played musical instruments [and] began to cry, " Victory ! victory ! " and the gods, seated in their cars, [began] respectively to celebrate Krishna's praises from the sky, [and] to rain down flowers ; and Kans, getting extremely pained, being agitated, [and] angry, began to say to his folk, " Fellows ! why are you playing instruments ? Is the victory of Krishna agreeable to you ? " Thus having spoken, [he next] said, " These two boys are very wanton ; seize [and] bind them [and] take them out of the assembly, and seize the treacherous Vasudev, [and] Ugrasen along with Devaki, [and] bring [then-i along]. First slay them ; afterwards kill these two also." As soon as this direction had issued from the mouth of Kans, Murari, the friend of worshippers, in an instant slaying all the Asuras, [and] leaping up, mounted [the place] where, on an exceedingly lofty dais, wearing a coat of mail, helmeted, with shield [and] sword, in great pride Kans was seated. He, on perceiving this one near, like Death, in terror stood up, and began to tremble violently. He wished from [his] heart to fly ; but through shame he could not fly. Raising up shield [and] sword, he began to aim blows. Then the beloved of Nand, watching his opportunity, was escaping from his blows ; and gods, men, saints, [and] Gan- ii8 Prem-SAgar dharvas, respective!}' seeing this great fight, being alarmed, were cr3-ing out, " O Lord ! O Lord ! speedily slay this wicked one." For some time the fight lasted on the dais ; at length the Lord, knowing them all to be pained, seizing his hair, flung him down from the dais, and himself also leaped from above, so that his (Kans's) life passed out from the body. Then all the people of the assembly cried out, " S'ri Krishna Chand has slain the fellow Kans." Having heard this cry, gods, men, [and] saints were all exceedingly delighted. The gods, delighted, again and again uttered praises [and] rained heaps of flowers ; Being pleased, [they] caused drums to beat, [and] said, " Victory ! victory ! Nand ! Nand ! " The men [and] women of the town of Mathura [had] all their hearts expanded [with joy]. Having seen the moon-face of Hari, just as the beautiful lotus [in] the wood is expanded [by seeing the moon]. Having related the tale so far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Incarnation of Virtue ! on the death of Kaiis, his eight exceedingly strong brothers advanced to fight. The Lord killed [and] overthrew them also. When Hari saw that no Rakshas remained there, he dragged along the corpse of Kans [and] brought [it] to the bank of the Jumna ; and both the brothers sat down [and] took rest. From that day, the name of that place has been Visranta Ghat. Subsequently, having heard of the death of Kans, the wives of Kaiis, together with the wives of his younger brothers, being greatly agitated, grieving bitterly, came where, on the bank of the Jumna, the two heroes, with the corpse, were seated ; and each severally looking on the face of her husband, [and] calling to mind the happiness [he had conferred on them, and] cele- brating [his] virtues, in agitation falling about, were on the point of death. 1 Hereupon the Treasury of Compassion, Kanh, kindly going near them said, — " Mother ! listen ; grieve not ; give water 2 to uncle dear. No one lives for ever ; he [is] false who calls [an^-thing] his own. No one [is] mother, father, son, [or] relation ; there is nothing but a succession of birth [and] death ; As long as a relation ■' remains with one, so long, by asso- ciating [with him] should one derive happiness." ^ Lit., "began to die." * '• To give water," means to pour out a libation of water mixed with sesamum seeds, to propitiate the manes. It is an essential part of the funeral obsequies ; and is also cd^t^ til&njalt dend, from///, "sesamum seed," and anjaii,th.Q two hands held together like a cup to hold water. ^ safi»tand \s a corv\\'(>\\on o^ sainbandh, "a connection," or " relation." Tiiis word is not found in dictionaries, nor in Eastwick's Vocabulary. Prem-Sagar 119 Maharaj ! when S'ri Krishna Chand had counselled the queens thus, they rose up thence comforted, came to the bank of the Jumna, [and] poured out the libation to [their] husband. And the Lord himself, with [his] own hand, applying the light [to the pyre] of Kaiis, performed his funeral rites. 1 CHAPTER XLVI. Krishna releases Vasudev and Devaki from prison, places Ugrasen on the throne, and dismisses the cowherds to Brindaban — Krishna and Balaram are invested witli the Brahmanical thread, and pursue Vedic studies — He slays the Asura S'ankhasur, and takes his shell as his own weapon. S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — O King ! the queens, together with the brothers' wives, having bathed, washed, [and] lamented, went thence to the royal palace. And S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram, having come to Vasudev [and] Devaki, [and] having struck the manacles [and] gyves from their hands [and] feet, prostrating [themselves], stood before [them, with] joined hands. Then, perceiving the form of the Lord, knowledge came to Vasudev [and] Devaki. Then they, satisfied in their own minds, knew that these are both Creators ; having taken incarnate form [and] slain the Asuras, they are come into the world to remove the burden of the earth. When Vasudev [and] Devaki knew this in their minds, then Hari, the Searcher of Hearts, diffused his illusive power, [and] that removed the impression from their minds. Then again they esteemed him as a son ; in the meantime S'ri Krishna Chand, with exceeding humility, said, — " You, for a long time, have suffered heavy affliction ; [and] are bearing us much in remembrance. In this [there is] no fault of ours ; because since you placed us in Gokul, [in] the house of Nand, we have been subject to others ; we have had 110 power. But this was ever coming into [our] minds, ' [We] have never given any happiness to her in whose womb, after remaining ten months, [we] took birth ; nor have we - seen the happiness of [our] parents ; [we] have wasted life to no purpose [in] the house of strangers. They have en- dured great affliction for us ; from us nothing originated [for] ' It is the duty of the nearest relative, or successor, to apply the torch to the funeral pyre of a dead peron. - lie should come after ham Mn, as Pandit Yogadhyan Misra prints the passage. I20 Prem-Sagar their service. In the world they alone are capable who serve their parents. We remained their debtors, [and] were unable to serve [them].' " Lord of the Earth ! when S'ri Krishna Ji had thus stated the grief of his heart, then, with the greatest joy, those two [parents] affectionately embraced these two [sons], and feeling happy lost all [their] recent affliction. Having thus given happiness to [their] parents, both the brothers, proceeding on from thence, came to Ugrasen, and joining [their] hands, said, — " Grandfather dear ! please now to reign ; to-day is a lucky day, — the stars are propitious." As soon as this issued from the mouth of Hari, Raja Ugrasen got up, drew near, [and] falling at the feet of S'ri Krishna Chand, began to say, " Lord of Compassion ! hear my humble petition. As you, having slain the very wicked Kans with all the Asuras, have given happiness to worshippers, be pleased to sit on the throne ; rule now over Madhupuri, [and] cherish the subjects." The Lord said, "Maharaj ! the Yadubansis have no regal rights ; everyone knows this. When King Jajati ^ was become old, he summoned his son Yadu and said, ' Give me vour youth, and accept [in exchange] my old age.' Hearing this he reflected within himself thus, ' If I shall give youth to father, [he] having become this youth will indulge [sexually], in this sin will accrue to me ; therefore, the not doing of this is better.' Having re- flected thus, he said, ' Father ! this cannot be [done] by me.' On hearing this. King Jajati angrily cursed Yadu thus, ' Go ; in thy family a king shall never be.' " In the midst of this, his younger son named Puru, coming before [him] with hands joined, said, ' Father ! give me your aged condition, and do you accept my youthfulness ; this body is of no use [to me] ; if it is useful to you, what can be better ? ' When Puru had thus spoken, King Jajati, being pleased, gave his old state, [and] accepting the 3'outhful condition of that [son], said, ' The succession to the throne shall remain in thy family.' Therefore, grandfather dear ! we are Yadubansis ; it is not proper for us to reign. " Do you sit [on the throne, and] reign ; set aside all doubt ; We will execute every order which ^-ou ma}' give us ; He who will not execute your commands, him we will severely punish ; Have no other care [or] anxiety ; [but] with justice give happiness to the subjects ; Those of the Yadu race who [from] fear of Kans, having left the city have gone abroad, ^ Jajali, properly Yayati, was a famous monarch of the Lunar race. The par- ticulars of his life are related in the Sambhava-parvan of the Adi-parvan of the Mahabharata. PrEM-SaGAR 12 1 Now search for, [and] recall them ; give [them] happiness, [and] cause them to dwell in Mathura ; Worship Brahmans, cows, [and] gods ; give [your] mind to the preservation of these." Having related the tale so far, S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Incarnation of Justice ! the king of kings, benefactor of wor- shippers, S'ri Krishna Chand, knowing Ugrasen to be his wor- shipper, having instructed [him] thus, [and] seated [him] on the throne, gave [him] the mark of royalty [on the forehead], and having displayed the umbrella [of authority], both the brothers, [with] their own hands, acted as fanners. Then all the inhabitants of the town, being immersed in ex- ceeding delight, began to utter thanks, and the gods [began] to rain down flowers. Maharaj ! having thus placed Ugrasen on the throne, both the brothers took many dresses and ornaments with them. Proceeding thence, they came to Nand Ra^e Ji, and standing in his presence [with] joined hands, most submissively said, " How can we make [enough of] your greatness ? if there were a thousand tongues, we should not be able to express your goodness. You, loving us greatly, cherished us as your own sons, [and] showed [us] tender kindness ; and [our] mother Jasoda, also, loves [us] greatly, [and] fixes her affection upon us alone, deeming us always her own sons, never even mentally esteeming us as strangers." Having spoken thus, again S'ri Krishna Chand said, " O Father ! having heard this declaration do not you think ill of it. We utter the thought of our hearts, [when we say] that you alone shall we call parents. But now, for some time, we shall stay in Mathura, [and] having seen our caste-folk, we shall hear the condition of the Yadu family, and, having rejoined our parents, we shall give [them] happiness ; for they have endured much misery for our sakes. Had they not conveyed us to your [place] there, they would not have received [this] affliction." Saying this much, [and] placing the dresses [and] ornaments before Nand, the chieftain, the Lord, having become free [from the trammels of] affection, said, — " Express [our] respects to mother ; [and] do you continue to love us." As soon as this statement issued from the mouth of S'ri Krishna, Nand Ra^e, being greatly dejected, began to sigh deeply ; and the cow-lads reflecting [began] to say in their inmost hearts, " They are saying a strange thing ; from this it appears to us that they treacherously wish to leave [us] ; otherwise [they] would not have uttered such a harsh speech." Maharaj ! at length, from among them, a companion named Sudama said, " Brother Kanhaiya ! what work hast thou now in Mathura, that harshly abandoning [thy] father, [thou] remainest here ? [It] was well done [that you] killed Kans ; all the work is accomplished ; now 122 PrEM-SaGAR please accompany Nand, and having gone into Brindaban, rule [there] ; having seen the royalty of this place, do not covet [it] in your heart ; you will not get such happiness [here] as there. " Listen ! having seen royalty, fools forget [themselves] ; having seen elephants [and] horses [they] are puffed out [with pride]. Do not leave Brindaban to reside anywhere else. There it is always spring-time. The beauty of the dense woods, and of the Jumn^t, is never forgotten by the mind. Brother ! if you give up that happiness, [and] do not attend to what we say, [and] having abandoned the illusion of parental affection, should stay here, what greatness will be yours in [doing] this ? You will serve Ugrasen, and night [and] day will be in anxiety. You will be subject to him to whom you have given the government. How will you endure this discredit ? This is better than that, that you should not give pain to Nand Ra^e, [but] accompany him [back]. Reflect on the woods, streams, [and] sports of Braj ; do not let the remembrance of the cows pass from [your] mind, We will not abandon [you], O Lord of Braj ! all will go along with you." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! [when they had] said several such things, about ten or twenty remained with S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram Ji, and the}- advised Nand Ra^e sa3'ing, " Do you, taking all [with you], go on before without hesitation ; afterwards we, also, bringing these with [us, will] come along." On hearing these words, [then] became — Disturbed [in mind] all the herdsmen ; like [people] stung by a snake ; Irresolutely looking [at] the face [of] Hari ; fixed, as a painted picture. Then Baladev Ji, seeing Nand Ra,e greatly pained, began to counsel [him] thus, "Father! why are you feeling such grief? Li a few days, having finished [our] work here, we also [will] come. We dismiss you in advance for this [reason], that our mother, being alone, must be disquieted ; by your being gone [hence] she will be somewhat comforted." Nand Ji said, " Son ! do you come with us at once, then, having met [your mother], return [here]." Having spoken thus, becoming much agitated Nand remains embracing the f'eet [of Krishna] ; [His] radiance was wasted awa}-, [his] understanding dimmed, [he] could not retain the water of [his] eyes. Maharaj ! when S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, free from illusive power, saw that Nand, the chieftain, together with the cowherd-lads, were greatly agitated, he reflected within himself thus, " [If] these shall be separated from me, then [they] will not remain living." Prem-Sagar 123 At once he released his illusive force by v/hich all the world is kept in delusion. On [its] coming, it made Nand Ji, with all [the others], unwise. Then the Lord said, " Father ! why do you regret so much ? first consider this, that between Mathura and Brindaban the mere interval is what ? 1 We are not going to any distance from you, that you [should] experience so much affliction. The people of Brindaban must be troubled, therefore we send you on in advance." When the Lord had thus explained [the matter] to Nand, the chieftain, the latter feeling comforted, [with] joined hands, said, " O Lord ! if it appears thus to your mind, what power have I [to gainsay it] ? I am going ; [I] cannot set aside your direc- tion." As soon as this declaration issued from the mouth of Nand Ji, Hari dismissed Nand Ra,e, with all the cowherds [and] cow-lads, to Brindaban ; and the two brothers themselves, with some of the companions, remained in Mathura. Then the cow- herds, along with Nand — Went along all the way thinking deeply, like a gambler [who] has lost everything ; Some [with] consciousness, some without consciousness ; [with] staggering feet, falling in the way ; Going [to] Brindaban, [but] looking [to] Madhuban ; 2 [with] agitated frames, the pain of separation increased. In this way, somehow or other, they arrived at Brindaban. On hearing of their coming Queen Jasoda, much agitated, came running ; and not seeing Rama [and] Krishna, becoming greatly distressed, began to say to Nand Ji, — " O husband ! where have you lost the sons ? you are coming bringing dresses [and] ornaments ; [You] have thrown away gold [and] preserved glass ; aban- doning nectar, [you] have foolishly tasted poison ; As a blind person, having obtained the philosopher's stone, [and] thrown it away, then, on hearing [its] virtues, strikes [his] forehead. So you also have lost the sons, and have brought in return dresses [and] ornaments. Now, without them, what will you do with your wealth, O foolish husband? For whom, [on] the eyelids being closed, the breast is rent, say, without them, how will the time pass ? '^ When they spoke to you of separation, how was your heart ? " Hearing these words, Nand Ji was much grieved, and, holding- down [his] head, made this remark, " True it is that S'ri Krishna ' Implying that the interval is very short. 2 Mad'htiban is a name of Mathura. (See note -, p. loi.) •* Meaning that, losing sight of them during even the twinkling of the eye ■was the cau-e of anguish, what, then, must be the result of any protracted separation ! 124 Prem-Sagar gave these clothes [and] ornaments, but I have no recollection as to who brought [them here]. And how shall I say what Krishna said ? Having heard [then] thou, also, wilt become pained. Having slain Kans, [he] then came to me, [he] uttered love-removing speeches ; They became the sons of Vasudev ; having fascinated our [affection, they] are gone ; I, then, O wife ! was astounded ; [they] spoke of our nourishing [them].i Now, [do] not, O wife ! say ' son ' in speaking to Hari ; know [him as] God, and continue worshipping [him]. Him, I, at the ver}- first, knew to be Narayan ; but, [under] the force of illusion, [I] esteemed [him] as a son." Maharaj ! when Nand Ra^e Ji had related [these] perfectly true statements made by S'ri Krishna, then, becoming subject to the illusion. Queen Jasoda, sometimes thinking the Lord her son, grieving in [her] inmost heart, repeatedly agitated, was crying ; and some- times, with wisdom, knowing [him as] God, meditating on him, celebrating [his] praises, [she] was losing the grief of [her] heart. And, in this fashion, all Brindaban-dwellers, whether women or men, saturated with the love of Hari, were saying various kinds of things ; these I have not the power to describe ; therefore, now, I am relating the sports of Mathura ; do you listen attentively. Thus, — When Haladhar and Govind, having dismissed Nand Ra^e, went to Vasudev [and] Devaki, then they, [b}'] seeing him, forgetting misery, experienced such happiness as an ascetic, having performed asceticism, feels when he gains the fruit of his penance. Afterwards Vasudev Ji said to Devaki, thus, " Krishna [and] Baladev have remained with strangers ; they have eaten [and] drunk with them ; and do not know even the customs of their caste ; therefore, it is now fitting that [we] should send for [and] question the Purohit. What he may say, that we will do." Devaki said, " Very well." Then Vasudev Ji sent for his family priest Garga Muni Ji. He came. This one, having told him all about the doubt of his heart, asked thus, " Maharaj ! now kindly tell us what is fitting for us to do." Garga, the saint, said, " First summon [by] in- vitation all the caste-brethren ; afterwards, having performed the caste ceremonies, invest Rama [and] Krishna with the sacrificial cord." - ^ poskan-bkaran, is a compound substantive, meaning " nourishment," " maintenance." The separation of the compound has led to mistranslation here. - karma implies the ceremonial observances practised by the members of the different castes ; the jatte/t, is the thread with which all members of the Brah- manical community are invested when admitted to participation in sacrificial acts. Prem-Sagar 125 As soon as this direction had issued from the mouth of the Purohit, Vasudev Ji sent an invitation into the city, [and] in- vited all the Brahmans and Yadubansis. They came, [and he] caused them to be seated with much courtesy. Then, at first, Vasudev, according to prescription performing the caste-rites, had the horoscope written, [and] gave to the Brahmans ten thousand cows, with golden horns, copper backs, [and] silver hoofs, [and] draped in yellow silk, which [he] had vowed at the time of S'ri Krishna Ji's birth. Afterwards having a festival prepared, [and] having observed all customs [and] ob- servances according to the prescriptions of the Veda, [he] in- vested Rama [and] Krishna with the sacrificial thread ; and giving something to the two brothers, sent [them] forth to study learning. • They proceeding on, came to the place of a highly scholarly and very intelligent Rishi, named Sandipan, of the town of Awantika, who was in the city of Kasi. Prostrating [themselves, and] standing [with] joined hands before [him], with exceeding humility [they] said : — " Rishi Ra,e ! have compassion on us ; give heed, [and] bestow [upon us] the gift of knowledge." Maharaj ! when S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram had spoken thus humbly to the Rishi Sandipan, then he very affectionately placed them in his house, and began to instruct [them] very kindly. After a time they, having studied the four Vedas, the Upavedas, the six S'astras, the nine Grammars, the eighteen Puranas, the Mantras, Yantras, Tantras, Agama, Jyotish, Vaidik, Kok, Sangit, [and] Pingala,i they became treasuries of the fourteen [branches of] knowledge. Then, one day, the two brothers, [with] joined hands, most meekly said to the preceptor, " Maharaj ! it is said that if one should take incarnate form [in] many births, [and] give bountifully [in each], still a [suitable] return for [the gift of] knowledge would not be given ; but you, taking into view our abilit}^, should order a preceptor's fee, then ^ The four Vedas are the Rig-veda, Yajur-veda, Sama-veda, and Atharva-veda ; the Upavedas, according to the Bhagavata-Purana, whence the Prem-Sagar originated, are four treatises on medicine, military science, music, and meclianics, respectively ; but I suspect the term is here used as synonymous \\ itli Vedanga, or the six supplementary treatises to the Vedas, on phonetics, ceremonial, verbal inflection, etymology, metre, and the calendar ; the six S'&stras are the six Darsanas, or schools of philosophy, named Mimaiisa, Vedanta, Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Sankhya, and Voga ; the nine Grammars, and the eighteen Puranas, or mytho- logical cosmogonies, are self-explanatory ; the Mantras are spells or incantations ; Yantras are amulets or mystic formula^ ; the Tantras are treatises professing to teach methods for the attainment of superhuman power, and other such mysteries ; Agama may mean "traditional doctrine," or a special treatise inculcating the worship of S'iva and his S'akti, but the latter is, probably, nut the meaning here ; fyotish is astronomy ; Vaidik or Vaidya means medical science ; Kok a treatise on philoprogenitiveiiess, connected with ancestral worship ; Sangit is the art of music ; and Pingala is the name of the author of a famous treatise on prosody. 126 Prem-Sagar we, having given to the extent of [our] power, [and] receiving [your] blessing, will go [to] our home." As soon as this statement had issued from the mouth of S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram, the Rishi Sandipan, having risen from there, went inside the house reflecting deeply, and he explained to his wife their secret, thus, " These [two], Rama [and] Krishna, who are both boys, are the imperishable Primordial Male ; having taken incarnate form for the sake of worshippers, [they] have come into the world to remove the burden of the earth. I witnessed their sports [and] discovered this secret; for they who are studying uninterruptedly, again and again taking birth, even they cannot reach the bottom of the sea of knowledge ; and, behold ! with this state of childhood, in a very short time, these [two] have crossed such an impassable [and] limitless ocean. Whatever they wish done they can do in an instant." Having said this, then [he] added, — " What should be asked from them, O wife ? " Having heard [this], the beauty, having reflected, says, " Do you go [and] ask [for our] dead son. If he be Hari, he will bring [and] give it." The Rishi Sandipan, with [his] wife, having come out from the house reflecting thus, facing S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram Ji, [with] joined hands, humbly said, " Maharaj ! I had a son ; taking him with [me], I with the family, on a certain festival went to bathe in the sea. Having arrived there [and] taken off [our] clothes, as [I] began to bathe, with all, on the bank, a great wave of the ocean came, [and] my son was washed away in it. He never came out again ; some shark swallowed him ; I have great grief for him ; if you wish to give a preceptor's fee, then bring [back, and] give that son, and remove the affliction of our hearts." Having heard this, S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram, making obei- sance to the preceptor and the preceptor's wife, ascended the chariot, proceeded towards the sea, for the purpose of bringing their son ; and, proceeding on, after a certain time, [they] came to the shore [of the sea], when, perceiving them coming on angrily, the sea, having become terrified, assumed man's form, [and] bringing many presents, issuing from the water, came [and] stood before them, trembling [and] shaking, on the shore, and setting down the presents [and] prostrating [himself, with] joined hands, [and] head drooping, with great humility, said, — "Great [is my] fortune! the Lord has revealed [himself] ; what affair has occurred to bring you here ? " S'ri Krishna Chand said : — " Our preceptor divinity came here with [his] family to bathe ; his son which you washed away with a wave [and] took, bring [back, and] return. For this purpose we are come here." Prem-Sagar 127 Hearing [this], the sea, with bowed head, said, " I did not wash away [and] take him ; You are the preceptor of all, the Lord of the World ; [you] are the Lord [who] assumed the form of Rama. I have greatly feared since then, and have kept within the limits [of my duty]." Hari said, " If thou didst not take [him], then who else took him away from here ? " The sea said, " Lord of Compassion ! I [will] explain this mystery. There is within me an Asura named S'ankhasur, in the form of a shell. He gives trouble to all creatures moving in the water ; and if anyone comes to bathe on the bank, [he] seizes [and] takes them away. Probably he may have taken away your preceptor's son ; I do not know. Please come in yourself [and] see." Hearing thus, Krishna eagerly entered, [and], going on, reached the centre of the sea ; Upon seeing S'ankhasur [he] killed [him] ; rending open [his] stomach, [he] cast [him] out; [He] did not find the preceptor's son in him; [he] said regretfully [to] Balabhadra, " Brother ! I have killed this one to no purpose." Balaram Ji said, " Do not [be] anxious. Now do you bear this [as an emblem]." Hearing this, Hari made that shell his weapon. Afterwards, proceeding onwards thence, the two brothers came into the city of Yama,i the name of which is Sanyamani {i.e. " restraining "), and Dharmaraj is the ruler there. On seeing them, Dharmaraj rose from his throne, [and] coming forward, courteously conducted [them in]. Having seated [them] on the throne, washed [their] feet, [and] accepted [their] foot-water, [he] said, " Happy [is] this place ! happy [is] this city ! where the Lord having come, has manifested [him- self], and has fulfilled the purpose of his worshippers ! Now please give some command that [your] servant may execute it." The Lord said, "Bring my preceptor's son [and] give [him to me]." As soon as this direction issued from the mouth of Hari, Dharmaraj went quickly [and] brought the lad, and [with] joined hands, humbly said, " Lord of Compassion ! by your favour I knew from the very first that you would come to take the preceptor's son; therefore I preserved him carefully. Up to the present [I] have not given to this boy a [second] birth." Maharaj ! having said thus, Dharmaraj gave the boy to Hari. The Lord accepted [him], and immediately seating him on the chariot, proceeded thence, [and], in a certain time, bringing [him], stood before the preceptor. And the two brothers, having joined [their] hands, said, " Divine Preceptor ! now what order is there ? " ^ Yama, the Regent of the Dead. 128 Prem-Sagar Hearing these words [and] seeing the son, the Rishi Sandipan, being greatly pleased, gave many blessings to S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram, [and] said, — " Now what should I ask, O Murari ? [You] have given me a son [and] great happiness; A disciple such as you [is] a great glory to me ; [in] peace [and] happiness now set forth home." When the preceptor had thus ordered, both the brothers, taking leave [and] prostrating [themselves], seated on the chariot, proceeded on from there [and] came near the city of Mathura. Having heard of their coming, the Raja Ugrasen, with Vasudev, [and] the citizens, both women and men, all rose up [and] hurried [to him], and having come out of the city, met [him], obtained great happiness, [and] spreading silken carpets, conducted the Lord, with sounding instruments, into the city. Then in every house festivities began to take place, and congratulatory songs to resound. CHAPTER XLVII. Krishna sends Udho to Brindaban to comfort the cowherds and cowherdesses. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Lord of the Earth ! I am [about to] relate the diversion how S'ri Krishna Chand remembered Brin- daban, do you listen attentively. One day Hari said to Balaram Ji, " Brother ! all the residents at Brindaban, by remembering me, must be experiencing great grief, because the limit [of time] I had fixed with them has expired; therefore it is now fitting that someone should be sent there, that [he] may go, console them, [and] return." Having thus advised [his] brother, Hari called for Udho [and] said, " O Udho ! for one thing, you are a great friend of ours, for another, [3'ou are] very clever, wise, and bold; therefore we wish to send you to Brindaban, that you may go [and] impart knowledge to Nand, Jasoda, and the cowherdesses, [and] con- sole them, [and] return; and bring Mother Rohini [here]." Udho said, " Whatever order [is given shall be obeyed]." Then S'ri Krishna Chand said, " First of all, do 3'ou cause knowledge to arise in Nand the chieftain, and in Jasoda Ji, [and] clear away their mental fascination, [and] in this way counselling [them], say that they should think me near [and] abandon grief, and abandoning the "idea [of] son, [they] should worship [me] Prp:m-Sagar 129 as God. Afterwards say to those cowherdesses, who, for my service, have abandoned respect for the world [and] the Vedas, [and] day and night are celebrating the glory [of my] sports, and, [on] the hope of the limit [of my absence] being formed, have taken their lives in [their] hands,^ thus. Do you abandon the idea [of] husband, [and] worship Hari as God, and give up grieving at separation." Maharaj ! having directed Udho thus, both the brothers together wrote a letter, in which were written suitable courtesies, compliments, [and] blessings, to Nand, Jasoda, the cowherds [and] the lads, and having advised all the young women of Braj [to practise] devotion, gave [it into] the charge of Udho, and said, " You alone will read out this letter; as far as you are able advise them all [and] return speedily.'' Having uttered this message, the Lord, dressing Udho in his own clothes, ornaments, [and] crown, and seating [him] in his own chariot, dismissed [him] to Brindaban. He driving the chariot, proceeding on, for a certain time, from Mathura, drew near to Brindaban. Then what does he see there ? that, on the trees of deeply embowered arbours, various kinds of birds are uttering fascinating melodies, and [that] hither and thither, white, yellow, brown, [and] black cows, like clouds, are roaming about; and [that], in various places, cowherdesses, cowherds, [and] cow-lads, are singing the glories of S'ri Krishna. Rejoicing [on] seeing this beauty, [and] reverencing [it on] recognizing [it as] the place of the Lord's sport, as Udho Ji went near the village someone from afar, having recognized the chariot of Hari, came near, [and] having asked his name, went to Nand the chieftain [and] said, " Maharaj ! disguised as S'ri Krishna [and] with his chariot, someone named Udho is come from Mathura." Upon hearing this statement, just as Nand Ra^e was seated at the village-green, in the midst of the assembled cowherds, rising up [he] hurried, and immediately went near to Udho Ji. Re- cognizing [him as] a companion of Rama [and] Krishna, [he] met [him] cordially, and asking [about his] prosperity very courteously conducted him to [his] house. First having his feet washed, [he] gave [him] a seat to sit upon ; then causing six- flavoured food to be prepared, [he] hospitably entertained Udho Ji. When he (tJdho) had fed with relish, then [Nand] had a nice white bed, [soft] as foam, prepared. After a time, when Udho had slept [and] arisen, Nand the chieftain went [and] sat near him, and began to say, " Tell me, Udho Ji ! is the son of Siirasen, our excellent friend Vasudev Ji, with his family, in happiness ? and what affection has he for us ? " Having spoken thus, [he] added, — ^ That is, that they are rea^'y to sacrifice if cKsaprointed in tlicir hope of meeting him again. K 1 30 Prem-Sagar " Tell me the welfare of our son, with whom you ever remain ; Does he ever remember us ? without him we experience great affliction. Having said to all [that he was] coming, [he] departed ; the interval has elapsed some time ago. Continually arising, Jasoda, having churned the curd [and] made the butter, puts [it aside] for Hari. Does Kanh ever remember her, and the young women of Braj, who are imbued with love for him ; or not ? " Having related the story thus far, S'ri Sukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Lord of the Earth ! in this way keeping on asking news, and recounting over the former sports of S'ri Krishna Chand, Nand Ra,e Ji, saturated [with] the delight of love, having said thus much, meditating on the Lord, became silent. He has slain the very powerful Kaiis, and others ; why should Krishna now forget us ? Meanwhile, greatly agitated, forgetful of personal considerations, mentally distressed [and] weeping, Jasoda Rani, having come near to Udho Ji, asked about the prosperity of Rama [and] Krishna, [and] said, " Tell [me], "Odho Ji ! how has Hari stayed there so long without us ? and what message has [he] sent ? and when will [he] come [and] show [himself] ? " Upon hearing this, at first, tJdho Ji read out S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram's letter to Nand [and] Jasoda ; afterwards he began to counsel them, thus, " Who can declare the greatness of those in whose house Bhagwan took birth, and conferred happiness by [his] childish sports ? You are very fortunate ; for he who [is] the Adi-Purush, the Creator of the eternal S'iva and Viranch,i who has neither mother, father, brother, nor relative, you are considering [and] treating him as your own son, and remain with your minds ever fixed in meditation on him. When can he remain far from you ? It is said, — Hari is ever near [those in] the power of love ; who bears a body for the good of human-kind ; How can anyone be high [or] low, to one who has neither friend nor enemy ? Whoever bears in mind [his] adoration [and] worship, will unite with [and] become a follower of Hari. As the bee takes away an insect, and moulds [it into] its own form ; and as the female bee remains enclosed in the blossom of the lotus, and the male bee continues all night buzzing over her, [and] quits her not to go elsewhere, just so those who love Hari and meditate on him, he also conforms to himself, and ever remains close to them." Having spoken thus, Udho Ji then added, " Now do you no ^ Virancha and Viranchi are names of Brahma. Prem-Sagar 131 longer consider Hari as a son ; esteem [him] as God ; He, the Searcher of Hearts, the befriender of worshippers, the Lord, having come [and] revealed [himself], will fulfil your desire. Do not be anxious on any account." Maharaj ! in this way, repeating and listening to various kinds of statements, when all night had been passed, and the four last gharis remained, then Ildho Ji said to Nand Ra^e, " Maharaj ! now it is time to churn curds ; if I receive your directions, [I will] go and bathe in the Jumna." Nand the chieftain said, " Very well." Having said this, he remained seated there in deep meditation ; and Udho Ji rising, hastily seated [himself] in the chariot, [and] came to the bank of the Jumna. [He] first removed [his] clothes [and] purified [his] body ; afterwards, going near the water, [and] placing dust [on his] head, joining [his] hands, [and] singing the great praises of Kalindi,i [and] rinsing the mouth, [he] entered the water ; and having completed [his] bathing, washing, morning ceremonies, worship, [and] oblations, [he] began to pray. At that time all the young women of Braj also got up ; and each brushing her house, swept, plastered, [and] smeared [with fresh cow-dung, and burnt] incense [and lighted] lamps, began to churn curds. The churning of the curds thundered like clouds ; they sa ng [and] the sound of their anklets was clanging. Having churned the curd, [they] took the butter ; [they] did the work of the house ; Then, all together, the fair ones, the women of Braj, went [for] water. Maharaj ! those cowherdesses, distracted [at] the absence of S'ri Krishna, [and] singing his praises alone, in their respective companies, meditating [on] his love, began to sing the sports of the Lord, as they went along. One says, " I have met Kanha^i " ; another says, " He has gone off to hide ; Having caught ^ my arm from behind, Hari is standing [in] the shadow of [that] fig- tree." One says, " [I] saw [him] milking cows " ; another says, " [I] saw [him] at early dawn " ; One says, " He is grazing cattle ; listen, pay attention ; [he] is playing the flute ; This road we will not go, Mother ! the young Kanha^i will ask alms [of us]. He will loosen the knots [and] break [our] pitchers ; having looked [at us] for a moment, he will steal [our] hearts. * Kdlindt, an abbreviation of Kali Nadi, " the black river." A name of the Jumna. ^ Itikd^t and pakri are Conjunctive Participles, for luka^c and pakre, under t influence of Kaiihd,i. K 2 132 Prem-Sagar He is hidden somewhere ; he will come running [out upon us] ; then where shall we be able to go ? " Speaking thus, the women of Braj proceeded on ; agitated [by reason of] separation [from] Krishna, [with] bodies heavy [from grief]. CHAPTER XLVHI. Udho delivers his message — The cowherdesses are deeply distressed by it — They reproach Krishna for leaving them, but accept perforce the philosophy of Udho, S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Lord of the Earth ! when Udho Ji had finished prayer, then having issued from the water, put on [his] clothes [and] ornaments, [and] seated [himself] in the chariot, as he proceeded from the banks of the Kalindi towards ^ the house of Nand, then the cowherdesses who had come out to draw water, saw the chariot coming along the road from some distance. On seeing [it], they began to say among themselves, " Whose is this chariot coming along? Look at it [first], then advance forwards." Hearing this, one cowherdess among them said, "Friends ! may it by no means be that that deceitful Akrur has come 2 who took away S'ri Krishna Chand and caused [him] to dwell in Mathura, and to slay Kans ! " Hearing this much, another from among them said, " Why has this treacherous one come again ? Once he took away the source of our life, will [he] now take the life [itself] ? " Maharaj ! saying various things of this kind among themselves — The Braj women stopped there, having taken the pitchers from [their] heads [and] placed [them] down. Hereupon, ^ when the chariot drew near, the cowherdesses, having seen Udho Ji, at some little distance, began to say among themselves, " Friend ! this is some dark-coloured, lotus-eyed, crowned, garland-wearing, yellow silk clothed, yellow scarf dressed, S'ri Krishna Chand like [person], seated in a chariot, coming along looking towards us." Then one cowherdess from among them said, " Friend ! this one, indeed, came, since yester- day, to Nand's place ; his name is Udho ; and S'ri Krishna Chand has sent some message through him." Upon hearing this statement, seeing [that it was] a lonely ^ For hi read ki. 2 kaliin . . . na, "by no means." This very idiomatic phrase implies, "Let us hope that it is not that deceitful Akrur come again ! " Prem-Sagar 133 spot, the cowherdesses, laying aside all consideration [and] modesty, running [forward] went near to IJdho Ji, and regarding [him as] the friend of Hari, prostrating [themselves], [and] asking about the welfare [of Krishna], with hands joined, [they] stood around the chariot on all sides. Perceiving their affection, IJdho also descended from the chariot. Then all the cowherdesses, seating him in the shadow of a tree, seated themselves also all around [him], and affectionately began to say, — " [You] have done well, Udho ! [that] you are come ; you have brought news of Madho ; ^ [You] remain ever near Krishna ; tell [us] the message he delivered [to you] ; [You] were sent for the sake of the mother and father ; [he] takes thought of no one else. [We] gave everything [into] his possession ; [our] souls are entangled with [his] feet. [He] is become quite selfish ; now, giving pain to everyone, [he] is gone. And as a bird abandons a tree destitute of fruit, just so has Hari left us. We gave all we possessed to him, still he has not become ours." Maharaj ! when, absorbed in love, the cowherdesses had uttered many expressions of this character, tJdho, having perceived the firmness of their affection, as he was about to arise to make obeisance, a certain cowherdess, seeing a black bee sitting on a blossom, spoke to Udho [under] the pretence [of speaking to this], " O honey-maker ! thou hast drunk the sweets of Madhava's lotus-feet, for this [reason] thy name became Madhu-kar ; and [thou] art the friend of the deceiver, on this account he has made thee his messenger [and] sent [thee]. Do not thou touch our feet ; because we know [that] as many as are dark- coloured are all deceivers. Such as thou art, just such is S'yam ; therefore do not thou make obeissance to us. As thou roamest about taking sweets from flower after flower, and belong to none, so he also, having made love, belongs to nobody." The cowherdess was speaking thus when another black bee came. On seeing that, a cowherdess named Lalita said, — " O bee ! do you remain apart ; go [and] tell this in Madhu- puri,— Where the hump-backed queen and S'ri Krishna Chand are enjoying themselves, — Are we speaking [of this as the practice] of one birth ? this is your practice in birth after birth. Bali Raja gave everything, [you] sent him to Patala,^ and a virtuous wife such as Sita [you] turned out of doors [for] no fault. When you ' Madho, properly Mddhava, " honey-like." A name of Krishna. - FdtdUi is one of the principal hells. 134 Prem-Sagar made their condition [such as] this, what has happened to us ? " ^ Speaking thus, again all the cowherdesses, together, [with] joined hands, began to say to Udho, " Udho Ji ! we, without Krishna, are widowed ; do you take us with you." S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! as soon as this speech had issued from the mouth of the cowherdesses, Udho Ji said, *' The message which S'ri Krishna Chand wrote [and] sent, I [will] expound [to you] ; do you attentively listen. It is written, ' Do you give up the hope of enjoyment [and] practise devotion ; I will never be absent from you.' And it is said, ' Night and day you are meditating on me ; therefore no one is loved by me equal [to] you.' " Having said this much, then Udho Ji added, " He who is the Adi-Purush, the eternal Hari, with him you have made unending love ; and him whom everyone describes as the invisible, imper- ceptible, [and] the inscrutable, you have regarded as your hus- band. Just as earth, air, water, fire, [and] ether are resident in the body, so the Lord is resplendent in you ; but by virtue of illusion he appears distinct. Bear him in mind [and] meditate [on him]. He ever remains [in] the power of his worshippers. - And, from being near, knowledge [and] meditation are destroyed ; therefore Hari, having gone, has made [his] residence at a distance. And S'ri Krishna Chand has also counselled me thus, ' Playing on the flute, [I] called you into the wood ; and when [I] saw the manifestation of [your] love and abandonment, then I, joining with you, frolicked.' When you forgot the God-hood, Yadu Ra^e vanished. Then when you, by knowledge, meditated on Hari in [your] minds, knowing the devotion of your hearts, the Lord came [and] revealed [himself]." Maharaj ! as soon as this declaration had issued from the mouth of Udho Ji — Then the cowherdesses angrily said, " [We] have heard [your] statement, now stand apart [from us] ; You have told us of knowledge, devotion, [and] intelligence ; [you say], 'Abandon meditation,' [and you] point out [to us] the sky. Who calls him Narayan whose mind is fixed on sport ? ^ He who gave pleasure from childhood, why has he become the invisible [and] imperceptible ? He who is endowed with every [good] quality [and is] beautiful in form, why has he become void of qualities and formless ? Since our souls [are] in [his] beloved body, who will listen to your words ? " * Implying that their h'ttle inconvenience is as nothing compared with the great injuries done to the others. - Thai is, accessible to them, and willing to help them. •* Here Eastwick follows Hollings's mistranslation without noticing the word ko or the punctuation ot his own text. Prem-Sagar 135 One friend, having arisen [and] reflected, said, " Let us con- ciliate IJdho Ji ; Friend ! say nothing to him ; continue to look [on his] countenance [and] Hsten to [his] words." One says, " [It is] not this one's fault ; he is come, sent by Kubja ; Now he is singing the song which Kubja taught him. S'yam never speaks as this one has come into Braj [and] spoken. Who can listen to such a thing. Mother ! Having heard [it] a pain arises, — we cannot endure it. [He] says, ' Abandon pleasure [and] practise devotion ' ; how will Madhava say such [a thing] ? Prayer, penance, self-restraint, vows, [and religious] observ- ance, — all this [is] the practice of widows. Live [from] age [to] age, young Kanha^i, — the bestower of happiness on our heads. Who brings [into use] the ashes of cow-dung [while her] husband [is] living ? Say ; where is this practice current ? To us, vows, devotion, [and] fasts, in this world, [is] con- stant affection [for] the feet [of] the son of Nand. Udho ! who will blame you ? Kubja causes all to dance this dance." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Maharaj ! when he heard such expressions, Jmbued with affection, from the mouth of the cowherdesses, Udho, regret- ting in his inmost heart [his] having mentioned the subject of devotion, being ashamed, preserved silence, [and] remained with bent-down head. Then a cowherdess asked, " Say ; is Balabhadra well ? and does he also ever think of childhood's affection [and] call us to mind, or not ? " Hearing this, some other cowherdess among them gave answer thus, " Friend ! you, indeed, are cowherdesses [and] rustics ; and Mathura has beautiful women ; being [in] their power, Hari disports [himself] ; why should he now think of us ? Since [he] has gone there [and] resided, O Friend ! he has become the beloved of others. If at first we had known this, how would [we] have allowed [him] to go ? Now, by regretting, nothing is gained ; it is more fitting that, laying aside grief, we continue hoping [for the expiry] of the stipulated time ; because, as [for] eight months, earth, woods, [and] mountains, with the hope of rain, endure heat, and that [rain] having come, cools them, so Hari, also, having come, will meet [us]." One says, " Hari has accomplished [his] purpose ; [he] has slain [his] enemy [and] taken the kingdom ; Why should [he] come to Brindaban ? Why abandon royalty [and] graze cows ? 136 Prem-Sagar Abandon, O Friend ! [all] hope of the limited time ; doubt should depart, [his return] has become hopeless." One woman said, agitatedly, " Why should hope [of] Krishna be abandoned ? The woods, mountains, and banks of the Jumna, wherever S'ri Krishna [and] Balabir sported, looking upon each place the recollection of Hari, our soul's lord, comes up." Having said thus, she added, '' This Braj has become an ocean of misery ; [his] name [is] a boat [in] the midst [of] the stream ; [We] are sinking [in] the water of abandonment and separa- tion ; when will Krishna take [us] across ? [He] was ' Lord of Cowherdesses ' ; why is the remem- brance [of that] departed ? Is there not any shame at the name ? " Having heard these words, Udho Ji, reflecting in his inmost heart, began to say, " Praise to these cowherdesses, and to their fortitude, who have resigned everything [and] are absorbed in the meditation of S'ri Krishna Chand ! " Maharaj ! Udho Ji, having seen their love, was in the act of praising [it] in his inmost heart, when, at that moment, all the cowherdesses arose, [and] stood up, and very courteously conducted Udho Ji to their abode. Perceiving their affection, he also went there [and] ate [with them], and having rested [and] related the story of S'ri Krishna, [he] g-ive them much happiness. Then all the cowherdesses, having shown [their] veneration for Udho Ji, [and] placed before [him] manj'^ presents, [with] joined hands, said with great humility, " Udho Ji ! do you go to Hari [and] say, ' Lord ! formerly you were showing great kindness ; taking [us by] the hand, you used to lead [us] about ; now, having attained nobilit}^, [at] the suggestion of the city-woman Kubja, [you] have written [to us about] devotion. We weak, impure [creatures] are not yet become even the mouth of the pre- ceptor ; 1 what knowledge can we have ? ' For him [we have] the affection of childhood ; what do we know of the method of devotion ? Why is that Hari conferring union [and] departing ? ~ this is not an affair for a message ; Udho ! explain [to him, and] say. Our lives are going ; come [and] preserve [them]." ^ Meaning that they have never been instructed by a spiritual preceptor, and are therefore unable even to repeat what he may have said to them. - Here is a complicated play on words. Vog nicans "conjunction," "union," and, therefore, spiritual union witli the Divine, rendered in the translation by " devotion." Krislma counsels them to seek spiritual union ; and they ask why he gives a lesson on union while disuniting \\\'C!\%q\{ from them. The name Hari is also used on account of its doulde eiymoloijy, from hri, " to take away," •'remove," and hri, "to blush," "be ashamed." This is emphasized by the pronoun we. Prem-Sagar 137 Maharaj ! having said thus much, all the cowherdesses, medi- tating on Hari, were ahsorbed ; and tJdho, prostrating [himself before] them, rose from thence, seated [himself] on the chariot, [and] came into Gobardhan. There he stayed some time, then, when he departed thence, he went wherever S'ri Krishna Chand Ji had sported ; and remained two or three days at each place. At length, after a time, he returned to Brindaban, and going to Nand [and] Jasoda, having joined [his] hands, [he] said, " Having seen your affection, I have stayed thus-long in Braj ; now should I receive [your] command, [I] will go to Mathura." On hearing these words, Jasoda Rani, going into the house, brought milk, curds, butter, and plenty of sweetmeats, and giving [them] to Udho Ji, said, " You will give ^ this to the beloved S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram, and say to sister Devaki thus, ' Send my Krishiia [and] Balaram ; do not delay.' " Having uttered this message, Nand's wife, being exceedingly agitated, began to weep. Then Nand Ji said, " LJdho Ji, what more can we say to you ? You yourself are clever, virtuous, and intelligent ; on our part, go [and] speak so to the Lord that he, reflecting on the sorrow of the Braj -dwellers, may come [and] show [himself], and not to lose remembrance of us." Having said this much, when Nand Rc%e shed tears, and as many of the Braj-dwellers, whether men or women, who were standing there, they also were all crying, then Udho Ji, coun- selling [and] instructing them, giving [them] hope, [and] fortifying [them], took leave, [and] taking Rohini with [him], started for Mathura, and, proceeding on for a certain time, arrived at [the abode of] S'ri Krishna Chand. On seeing him, S'ri Krishna [and] Baladev rose up [and] em- braced [him], and very affectionately asking about his prosperity, began to inquire the news of Brindaban. " Tell [us], tJdho Ji ! are all the Braj-dwellers, as well as Nand [and] Jasoda, in happi- ness ? and are they ever thinking of us, or not ? " Udho Ji said, " Maharaj ! the greatness of Braj, and the affection of the Braj- dwellers, is more than I can express. You are their life ; night and day they are thinking of you alone. And I saw [that] the affection of the cowherdesses, is as the method of perfect worship. [As] told by you, [I] went [and] delivered the message concerning devotion ; but I got from them the [real] secret of devotion." Having delivered this news, Udho Ji said, " Compassionate to the humble ! what more should T say ? You, the Searcher of Hearts, know [the secrets] of every heart. In very few [words] please understand that in Braj, all [things], whether irrational or rational, without a sight of you, are very miserable ; they are only hoping for the [expiry of the] limited period [of your absence]." On hearing this statement, when both the brothers were ' tuiii . . . deiiii, a respectful form of U.c Imperulive. 138 Prem-SAgar become dejected, Udho Ji, taking leave of S'ri Krishna Chand, having conveyed the message of Nand [and] Jasoda to Vasudev [and] Devaki, went home ; and Rohini Ji, having met S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram [once more], with great joy dwelt in her own palace. CHAPTER XLIX. Krishna redeems his promises to Kubja and Akrur. S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Maharaj ! one day, S'ri Krishna, the sportive, the benefactor of worshippers, reflecting on the affection of Kubja, [in order] to redeem his promise, taking t)dho with [him], went to her house. When Kubja knew [that] Hari was come, [she] had silk foot-cloths spread [for him]. Rising, [she] showed great delight ; the accumulation of former merit was all on the alert ; ^ Causing tJdho to take a seat, Murari entered the interior of the palace. Having gone there, he sees that, in a picture-gallery, a bright carpet is spread ; on it a beautiful couch, adorned with flowers, is prepared. Hari went [and] reclined on that, and Kubja, going into another apartment, anointed [herself with] fragrant unguents, bathed, washed, combed her hair, put on clean clothes [and] ornaments, adorned herself from head to foot, ate betel, applied scent, [and] went towards S'ri Krishna Chand as amorously as Rati " may have approached her husband. And veiled from modesty, with fear at the first interview, she remained apart, standing silent. On seeing [her], S'ri Krishna Chand, the source of joy, taking [her] hand, seated her near himself, and fulfilled her wish. Then arising, [he] came towards Udho ; smiling, [and] casting down [his] eyes, [he] was ashamed. Maharaj ! having thus given happiness to Kubja, taking Udho Ji with [him], S'ri Krishna Chand returned to his house, and began to say to Balaram Ji, " Brother ! I said to Akrur Ji that I would go see his house ; therefore, first we should go there ; afterwards, having sent him to Hastinapur, let us inquire the news of that place." Having said this much, both the brothers went to Akrur's house. He, on perceiving the Lord, found much happiness, [and] bowing down [and] placing the dust [of Krishna's] feet ' The merit acquired in former births was about to be recompensed. "^ Psyche, or the Goddess of Love, and wife of Kama-deva. Prem-SAgar 139 on [his] head, [with] joined hands, humbly said, " Lord of Compassion ! you have been very kind to come [and] show [yourself], and make my house pure." Hearing this, S'ri Krishna Chand said, " Uncle ! why are [you] exalting [me] so much ? We are your children." Having spoken thus, [he] added, " Uncle ! by your merit the Asuras were destroyed ; but there is only one anxiety in my mind, in that [we] hear that Pandu has departed [to] Vaikunth, and [that] by the hand of Duryodhan our five brothers are afflicted. [My] aunt Kunti^ is greatly troubled; who, except you, will go [and] console [her] ? " On hearing these words, Akrur Ji said to Hari, " Do not be anxious on this point ; I will go to Hastinapur, and, having consoled her, will come [and] bring tidings of that place." CHAPTER L. Akiur is sent to Hastinapur to inquire after the Pandavas — He finds them tyrannized over by the Kauravas — End of the first half of the story. S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Lord of the Earth ! when S'ri Krishna Ji heard thus from the mouth of Akrur, he dismissed him to get tidings of Pandu. He, having seated [himself] on the chariot, proceeded on, in the course of time reached Hastinapur from Mathura ; and, descending from the chariot, [and] going where Raja Duryodhan was seated on a throne in his court, saluting [him], stood [there]. On seeing him, Duryodhan, with the [whole] assembly, rose [and] embraced [him], and very courteously causing [him] to be seated beside him, [and] asking after his welfare, said, — " [Are] Surasen [and] Vasudev well ? Are Mohan [and] Balaram well ? " Raja Ugrasen [is] beneficial to no one ; he remembers no one ; "Having slain [his] son, he rules ; he has no concern with anyone." - ^ Kunti was the first wife of Pandu. " This rendering is doubtful. For " well " we might substitute "good," and take the verse satirically ; or it may be affirmative. In the second verse kihin is a misprint ; Lallu Lai wrote kihi ; but to give the meaning I have ascribed to the passage it should be litd^iS. kehi hit. A zy^z is interrogative, and is the equivalent of kis ko (not ktsi ko), and hei is the poetic foim of heii, "a sword " or " weapon " ; this would translate literally, " To whom is not Raja. Ugrasen a sword?" but this seems contradicted by the second half of the verse, "he thinks of no one." I favour Prof. Eastwick's version; Hollings is all at sea here. 140 Prem-Sagar When Duryodhan spoke thus, Akrur hstened [and] remained silent, and began to say in his inmost heart, " This is an assemblage of sinners. It is not fit that I should remain here ; because if I shall stay, this [fellow] will utter many similar ex- pressions. When shall such be heard by me ? Therefore it is not good to stay here." Having reflected thus, Akriir Ji arose [and], taking Vidur with [him], went [to] the abode of Pandu. Having gone there, he sees that Kunti, from grief for her husband, with great agitation, is crying. Going near her [he] sat down ; and began to console [her], thus, " Mother ! no one has any power over Vidhana,i and no one, becoming immortal, continues living for ever. Creatures having bodies endure pain [and] pleasure ; therefore it is not proper for man to be anxious ; for by becoming anxious nothing is gained ; there is only the giving of pain to the heart." Maharaj ! when Akrur Ji, thus advising [and] consoling, spoke to Kunti, she became thoughtful [and] silent, and, asking after his welfare, said, " TeU [me], Akrur Ji ! are my mother, father, and brother Vasudev Ji, with the family, well ? And does S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram ever remember their five brothers, Bhima, Yudhishthira, Arjuna, Nakula, [and] Sahadeva ? 2 These are here fallen into the ocean of grief ; when Avill they come [and] save them ? We cannot endure the affliction of this blind Dhritarashtra ; because he follows the advice of Duryodhana. Day [and] night he continues plotting the destruction of the five [brothers]. Several times [he] has mixed poison ; [once] my Bhimasen drank that." "Having said this much, Kunti added, "Tell [me], Akrur Ji ! when all the Kauravas are thus inimical, to whose face are these my children to look,^ and how shall [they] escape death [and] grow up ? This is a great affliction ; how shall I describe [it] ? As a doe separated from the herd is terrified, so I also continue ever dejected. They who slew Kaiis and the other Asuras, are my protectors. " Go [and] tell [them] the affliction of the brothers Bhima, Yudhishthira, [and] Arjuna." When Kunti, thus humbly had uttered [these] words, Akrur, having heard [her], wept ; and exhorting [her] said, "Mother! be not at all anxious. These who are your five sons are vefy powerful [and] famous. They will utterly destroy enemies and wicked ones ; S'ri Govind is [on] their side." Having spoken thus, Akrur Ji added, " S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram telling me this, sent me to you, ' Say to aunt, be not pained at anything ; we are coming to you ver}- quickly.' " ' Vidbana is a name of Brahma. - These are the names of the five Pandava princes, the heroes of the Mahabharala war. ^ chahna is one of the many words omitted from the Vocabulary. It means *' to loolv towards," in the sinse of expecting assisiance. Prem-Sagar 1 4 1 Maharaj ! having thus stated what S'ri Krishna had said, Akrur Ji, having counsehed, consoled, [and] rendered Kunti hopeful, took leave, [and], accompanied by Vidur, went to Dhritarashtra, and said to him, " You are an old man, why are 3'ou acting so unjustly ? in that, having become subject to [your] son, you have seized the government of your brother, [and] are afflicting [your] nephews ? Where is this [deemed] right, that you are committing such wrong ? " The eyes being gone, it is not seen [in] the heart, [that] the family is passing away, through wickedness. Why did you, [when] prosperous without exertion [of your own], seize the kingdom of [your] brother, and afflict Bhima [and] Yudhishthira ? " On hearing these words, Dhritarashtra, taking the hand of Akriir, said, " What can I do ? No one listens to what I say. All these follow each his own opinion ; I am become as a fool before them ; therefore I say nothing in their affairs. Sitting apart, silently, I worship my Lord." When Dhritarashtra had thus spoken, Akrur Ji, prostrating [himself], rose up thence, ascended the chariot, [and] proceeding on from Hastinapur, came into the city of Mathura. [He] told the words of Pandu to Ugrasen [and] Vasudev ; [That] the sons of Kunti [are] greatly afflicted, [and] their bodies are become emaciated [with grief]. Having thus related to Ugrasen [and] Vasudev Ji all the news of Hastinapur, Akrur Ji then, going to S'ri Krishna [and] Balaram Ji, [and] making obeisance, [with] joined hands, said, " Maharaj ! I went into Hastinapur [and] saw [that] your aunt and five brothers are greatly afflicted at the hands of the Kauravas. What more shall [I] say ? You are the Searcher of Hearts. Nothing is concealed from you of the condition and contrarieties of that place." Having spoken thus, Akrur Ji, having delivered the message of Kunti, took leave, [and] went home. And having heard all the news, S'ri Krishna [and] Baladev, who are the gods of all gods, sat down, after the manner of men, and began to reflect anxiously on removing the burden of the earth. S'ri Sukadev, the saint, having related the story to King Parikshit thus far, said : — Lord of the Earth ! what I have sung of the glory of the Braj -forest [and] Mathura is called the first half; now I shall sing the latter half, if I receive strength from the Lord of Dwaraka.i END OF THE FIRST HALF. ^ Divarakd means "the gated," or possessed of many gates. It is the name of the capital of Krishna, on the western point of Gujarat, now submerged. 142 Prem-Sagar CHAPTER LI. The Latter Half of the Story is \ow being written. Jurasindhu invades Mathuia with a vast army, but is defeated — He attacks seventeen limes with fresh armies, and is each time defeated — Narad incites Kalayaman to attack Krishna, and he advances with an army of barbarians — Krishna then abandons Mathura, and retires with his tribe to Dwaraka on the sea. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! I am about to relate the whole story how S'ri Krishna Chand, with his army, having conquered Jurasindhu,^ and destroyed Kalayaman,^ and effected the salvation ^ of Muchakund,^ left Braj and went to reside in Dwaraka ; be atten- tive, and listen heedfully. Raja Ugrasen, then, was ruling the city of Mathura with politic skill ; and S'ri Krishiia and Balaram, like servants, were obedient to his orders ; hence, the king and his subjects were happy, but, exceptionally, ^ the queens of Kaiis alone, from grief for their husband, were ver}' unhappy. They neither slept, nor felt hunger or thirst, but all day long were in a state of dejection. One day the two sisters, with deep concern, said to one another, " As subjects without a king, and night without the moon, attain no splendour, so a woman also, without a husband, has no beauty. Now, having become husbandless, it is not good to remain here ; therefore it is better that we go to our father's house, and stay there." Maharaj ! the two queens, having thus arranged between themselves, sent for a car, mounted upon it, and proceeding on from Mathura, came to their father's place in the district of Magadha ; and those two, with many tears, related to their father all the news as to how S'ri Krishna and Balaram Ji had killed Kans, along with all the Asuras. On hearing this, Jurasindhu angrily entered his council, and said, " What powerful ones are these w^ho have arisen in the Yadu family, who have killed the very powerful Kaiis, with all the Asuras, and have made my daughters widows ? I will at once hasten with my whole army to attack them ; and having burnt the city of Mathura, with all the Yadubaiisis, will bind Rama and ^ This should h^ Jardsandka, a king of Magadha and Chedi, father-in-law to Kafis. He was slain in single combat, by Bhimasen, the second of the Pandava princes. - This should be Kalayavan, an Asura destroyed by a stratagem. ' Lit., " caused to cross" [the ocean of repeated existences]. ■* This is Miichukiinda, the son of Mandhatri, who rendered assistance to the gods in the subjugation of certain demons. ^ This use oi ek, " one," is highly idiomatic. It means "special," "peculiar," "unique." Indians will sometimes sa.y, A ngrezt log bhi ek bare hi ddnd hain, "The English are singularly wise." Prem-Sagar 143 Krishna, and bring them alive ; then is my name Jurasindhu, not otherwise." Having said this, he immediately wrote letters to the kings all around, telling them to come to him bringing their respective armies, as he intended to take revenge for Kans, and to exter- minate the Yadubansis. On receiving the letter of Jurasindhu, the kings of all the various countries came on quickly, each accompanied by his army ; and, on his side, Jurasindhu also put the whole of his army into thorough order. At length, when Jurasindhu, accompanied by the whole army of Asuras, marched from the district of Magadha towards the city of Mathura, there were with him twenty-three complete armies. This is the sum of a complete army : — twenty-one thousand eight hundred and seventy chariots, the same number of elephants, one hundred and nine thousand three hundred and fifty footmen, and sixty- thousand horsemen. Twenty-three such complete armies were with him ; and to what extent shall I describe how powerful each Rakshas among them was ? Maharaj ! when Jurasindhu, accompanied by the whole army of Asuras, noisily advanced, the guardians of the ten regions began to tremble violently, and all the gods to fly,, through fear. The earth, from the mere weight, ^ began to sway like a roof. At length, in the course of time, he arrived, and surrounded the city of Mathura on all sides. Then the citizens, being exceedingly terrified, went to S'ri Krishna Chand, and exclaimed, " Maharaj ! Jurasindhu has come and surrounded the city on all sides. Now, what shall we do, and where shall we go ? " On hearing this statement, Hari began to reflect a little. Meanwhile, Balaram Ji came and said to the Lord, *' Maharaj I you have taken incarnate form for the purpose of removing the afflictions of worshippers. Now please assume a body of fire, burn up the forest formed of Asuras, and remove the burden of the earth." Hearing this, S'ri Krishna Chand went with him to Ugrasen, and said, " Maharaj ! Give its the order to fight, and do' you, taking all the Yadubansis, protect the fort." Having said this, as he approached his parents all the citizens surrounded him, and, with great agitation, began to say, " O Krishna ! O Krishna ! now how shall we escape from the hands^ of these Asuras ? " Then Hari, perceiving that all, including his parents, were distracted by fear, admonished them thus, " Do not be in any way anxious ; this army of Asuras which you see, in a. single instant, in this very spot, will disappear, as bubbles of water vanish in a pool." Having spoken thus, and admonished and encouraged all, and taken leave from them, as the Lord- advanced the gods sent two chariots for them filled with weapons. ^ I have considered bojh to have been intended for a verbal noun, from boj'hnd, with which 7iyart agrees. Both Rollings and Eastwick failed to give a good rendering of this passage. 144 Prem-Sagar They came and stopped before them ; then these two brothers seated themselves on those two chariots. The two Yadu-chiefs issued forth ; they went and arrived amidst the army. They came upon the place where Jurasindhu was standing. On seeing him, Jurasindhu, with much haughtiness, said to S'ri Krishna Chand, " O thou ! fl\' from before me ; how should I slay thee ? thou art not my equal, that I should move a weapon against thee. Well ! I will look at Balaram.'' S'ri Krishna Chand said, " O conceited fool ! what is this thou art chattering ? They who are valiant do not utter great speeches to anyone; they show humility ^ to all. When occasion arises they show their strength. Are they at all worthy who sound their praises with their own mouths ? It is said that what thunders does not rain.2 Hence, what avails this useless chattering ? " On hearing these words, Jurasindhu became enraged, and S'ri Krishijia and Balaram, retiring, stood ready. He also, with all his army, rushed after them, and shouting out, cried, " O wicked ones ! where will you fly from before me ? Having for a long time escaped alive, what have you imagined in 3'our hearts ? Now you will not be allowed to remain living. I will send you also, with all the Yadubaiisis, just where Kans and all the Asuras are gone." Maharaj ! as soon as these wicked words had issued from the mouth of that Asura, having gone a certain distance, the two brothers again stood read^^ S'ri Krishna Ji took all the weapons, and Balaram Ji the plough and pestle. When the Asura army went near them, both the heroes, shouting, rushed at them as lions rush upon a herd of elephants, and began to smite with their weapons. Then the drum which was sounding was roaring like a thunder- cloud, and the army of Rakshasas which had closed around on all sides overshadowed like masses of cloud, and the shower of weapons was like a downpour of rain. In the midst, S'ri Krishna and Balaram, in fighting, were ^ as resplendent as lightning gleams in dense clouds. All the gods, seated in their respective cars, looking on from the sky, were celebrating the glories of the Lord, and were invoking victory on him ; and the Yadubaiisis, along with Ugrasen, in great anxiety were regretting in their hearts, thus, " What is this we have done, that we have allowed S'ri Krishna and Balaram to go into the army of the Asuras ? " Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said :— Lord of the Earth ! when in the course of the fighting the greater portion of the Asuras ^ was cut to pieces, Baladev Ji descended from his chariot and bound Jurasindhu. Hereupon, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji went and said to Balaram, '' Brother ! release him alive ; don't kill him ; for he will go if living, and come again with ^ For di/atd read dhiatd. ^ Equivalent to " A barking dog never bites." ^ For la^ne read lagie. ■* For AsuioTi read Asiiron. Prem-Sagar 145 Asuras, and having killed them we shall remove the burden from the earth. But if we should not release him alive, the Rakshasas who have escaped will not come into our power." Having thus advised Baladev Ji, the Lord had Jurasindhu released.^ He went among those of his people who had fled, and escaped from the battle. Looking all around, he says regretfully, " The whole army is vanished and gone ; My grief has become excessive ; how can I live ? - Now let me abandon my home and become an ascetic ! " Then his minister, advising, said, " Why should a wise person like you despair ? Sometimes defeat, and again there is victory ; no one aban- dons government and country. What matters it that you are defeated in the present con- flict ? Having collected our army afresh, we will come and send Krishna and Balaram, with all the Yadubansis, to heaven. Do not be anxious on any point." Maharaj ! having thus advised and instructed, the minister conducted home Jurasindhu and the Asuras who had fled and escaped from the battle, and there he began again to organize the army. On this side, S'ri Krishna and Balaram, what are they seeing on the battle-field ? A river of blood is flowing forth, in which chariots without charioteers are floating about, like boats. In various places dead elephants are seen lying like mountains ; from their wounds blood spurts forth like fountains. There Mahadev Ji, with ghosts and goblins, in extreme delight, is dancing and singing away, and forming and wearing chaplets of skulls. Female ghosts, goblins, and ascetics, keep on filling skulls and drinking the blood. Vultures, jackals, and crows, seated on the corpses, are feasting on the flesh, and fighting among themselves. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! the Wind collected together as many chariots, elephants, horses, and Rakshasas as remained on the field, and Fire, in an instant, consuming the whole, reduced them to ashes. The five elements mingled with the five elements.'^ On their coming everyone beheld them ; but on their going no one saw whither they had gone. Having thus destroyed the Asuras and removed the burden of the earth, S'ri Krishna and Balaram, the benefactors of worshippers, came to Ugrasen, and prostrating themselves, and joining their hands, said, *' Maharaj ! by your merit and power the army of the Asuras has been slain and driven back ; ^ This is an intensive compound. See Hindi Manual (ed. 1890), p. 190. 2 jije is iox jijye, " it sliould be lived," and kaise ji/ye here means '* How should I live ?" The {oxvc\.jiJye is parallel with the well-known chdhiye. 3 According to Hindu belief visible creation is formed from the five elements — earth, air, fire, water, and ether. These elements exist either free, or combined in specific lorms. Death or destruction, therefore, means merely release from the compacting bond, allowing the elements to resume their free state. L 146 Prem-Sagar now reign fearlessly, and give happiness to the subjects." As soon as this speech had issued from their mouths, Raja Ugrasen, feehng extreme dehght, made great rejoicings, and began to rule righteously. In the meanwhile, after a certain time, Jurasindhu, with as many troops as before, came again to attack ; and S'ri Krishna and Balaram Ji, just as before, again routed and slew them. In this way, Jurasindhu came to attack seventeen times, each time with twenty-three complete armies ; and the Lord again and again slew and drove them back. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! while this was taking place, when some idea came into the mind of Narad, the saint, then he suddenly arose and went to Kalayaman's abode. On seeing him, he (Kalayaman) arose, with the assembly, and stood up, and prostrating himself, and joining his hands, he asked, " Maharaj ! what has occasioned your coming here ? " Having heard this, Narad, reflecting, said, " In Mathura are Balabhadra and Murari ; Except thee, no one can kill them ; nothing can result from Jurasindhu ; Thou art deathless and very powerful ; Baladev and Hari are children." Having said this, Narad Ji added, " He whom thou seest cloud- coloured, lotus-eyed, with beautiful body, dressed in silk, and wearing a yellow scarf, his pursuit thou wilt not abandon without killing him." Having said this, Narad, the saint, went away; and Kalayaman began to organize his army. Meanwhile, in the course of a certain time, he collected together thirty millions of great and exceedingly frightful barbarians, such that their arms and necks were thick, their teeth large, their garb filthy, their hair brown, their eyes red X-\}^q. ghuhghchi seeds ; 1 taking these with him, and with beating drums, he came to attack the city of Mathura, and surrounded it on all sides. Then S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, viewing his proceedings, reflected within himself, thus, " Now it is not good to stay here ; for to-day this one has come to attack, and to-morrow Jurasindhu also may attack, then the subjects will suffer affliction ; therefore this is better that I should not stay here, but go with all of them and reside else- where." Maharaj ! Hari, having reflected thus, summoned Viswakarma,^ and instructing him, said, " Do thou go im- mediately and build a city in the midst of the sea, such that all the Yadubaiisis may remain happily in it, but may not know ^ The Abrtis precatoritis, a bright red seed with a black patch on it, much like the eye of a crab. - Viswakar?>td, the Nominative sing. masc. of the Sanskrit Viswakarman, means " the universal fabricator," or "all-maker." He is accounted the son of Brahma, and was the architect of the gods. His functions seem to have changed greatly between Vedic and modern times. Prem-Sagar 147 this secret, that they are not in their own houses. And, in an instant, convey them all there." On hearing these words, having gone, Viswakarma, having constructed in a single night a city of twelve yojanas ^ extent, in the midst of the sea, on the discus of Vishnu," as S'ri Krishna had told him, and giving it the name Dwaraka, came and told Hari. Then the Lord ordered him thus, " At once do thou convey ^ all the Yadubansis there, so that nobody should know the secret of where they are come or who conveyed them." When this direction had issued from the mouth of the Lord, in the very middle of the night, Viswakarma transported all the Yadubansis, together with Ugrasen and Vasudev ; and S'ri Krishna and Baladev went there also. Hereupon, hearing the sound of the waves of the sea, all the Yadubansis woke up, and, being greatly astonished, began to say among themselves, " Whence has the sea come into Mathura ? This mystery passes comprehension." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Lord of the Earth ! having thus settled all the Yadubansis in Dwaraka, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji said to Baladev Ji, " Brother ! now we should go, protect the subjects, and slay Kalayaman." Having said this, both the brothers went thence, and came into the Braj district. CHAPTER LIL Krishna lures Kalayaman into a cave, where he is killed by a glance from the awakened Muchukund — Krishna chased by Jurasindhu up a mountain, where he is supposed to be burnt up ; but he miraculously returns to Dwaraka — Jurasindhu occupies Mathura. S'ri S'lTKADEV, the saint, said : — Maharaj ! on coming into the district of Braj, S'ri Krishna Chand left Balaram Ji in Mathura, and himself, the ocean of beauty, the light of the world, dressed in silk, wearing a yellow scarf, adorned with all ornaments, going into the army of Kalayaman, suddenly appeared before him.* He, upon seeing him, said within himself, " Surely this is Krishna. All the marks which Narad, the saint, pointed out are found in * yojana is a measure of distance, about nine miles. * The word siidarmna, " good-looking," or " beautiful," is the name of the discus with which Vishnu or Krishna is armed. * pahunchd ^c de is another intensive compound similar to chhitra^e diya on p. 100 of text. See Hindi Mamial (ed. 1890), p. 190. '' ho ttikalnu means " to turn up " in a more or less unexpected way. L 2 148 Prem-Sagar this one. This one has slain Kaiis and the other Asuras, and has slaughtered all the armies of Jurasindhu." Thus reflecting in his mind, — Jurasindhu thus calling out, said, " Why, Murari, are you fleeing away ? Come near ; now act with me ; stand still and fight ; I am not Jurasindhu nor Kaiis ; I will annihilate the Yadava family." O King ! having spoken thus, Kalayaman, with exceeding conceit, leaving his whole army behind, pursued S'ri Krishna Chand alone ; but that fool did not know the secret of the Lord. Hari fled on just before him, and at arm's length he hurried on close behind. At length, fleeing on and on, when they had advanced some distance, the Lord entered into the cave of a mountain. Having gone there, he sees a man lying asleep. Hastily covering him with his yellow robe, he himself remained apart concealed. Afterwards Kalayaman also, galloping and driving, arrived in that dark cavern ; and seeing that sleeping man covered with a yellow robe, thought within himself that it was Krishna deceitfully sleeping. Maharaj ! reflecting thus within himself, angrily giving a kick to that sleeping one, Kalayaman said, " O trickster ! are you pre- tending to sleep tranquilly, like an honest man ? Get up ; I am about to kill thee immediately." Speaking thus, he snatched away the silk dress from off" him. He awoke from sleep ; and when he angrily looked towards this [Kalayaman], the latter, being burnt up, was reduced to ashes. On hearing these words. King Parikshit said : — " O S'ukadev ! explain this and say, Who was he who had gone and stayed in the cave ? Why did the other become ashes from his glance ? Who gave him that great boon ? " 1 S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Lord of the Earth ! Muchukund, the son of Khattri Manadhata, of the Ikshwaku race, was exceed- ingly strong and very powerful, whose fame in breaking to pieces the armies of his enemies was spread through the nine regions of the earth. Once all the gods, harassed by the Asuras, greatly alarmed, came to Muchukund, and very submissively said, " Maharaj ! the x\suras have greatly increased ; now we cannot escape from their hands ; quickly protect us. This custom has come down tradi- tionally, that whenever gods, saints, or rishis became weak, Kshatri5^as assisted them." On hearing these words, Muchukund accompanied them, and went and began to combat with the Asuras. In this contest several ages were passed in fighting. Then the gods said to Muchukund, " Maharaj ! you have undergone much fatigue on 1 The boon is the power of consuming another -with a glance. Prem-SAgar 149 our account ; now sit down somewhere and rest yourself, and give the body ease. For a long time you have fought ; your wealth, house, together with your family, are gone ; No one of yours remains there ; therefore now do not set out for home. Go wherever else you are inclined." Hearing this, Muchu- kund said to the gods, " Lords of Compassion ! please kindly point out to me some retired spot, where I may go and sleep tranquilly, and no one may wake me." On hearing these words, being pleased, the gods said to Muchukund, " Maharaj ! please go into a cave in the Dhawalagiri mountain, and sleep ; no one will wake you there ; and if anyone, knowingly or unknowingly, shall go there and wake you, then, on seeing him, he shall be consumed to ashes by your glance." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to the King : — Maharaj ! having thus obtained the boon from the gods, Muchukund remained in that cave ; hence, as soon as his glance fell upon him, Kalayaman was burnt to ashes. Afterwards, the abode of compassion, Kanh, the benefactor of worshippers, cloud-coloured, moon-faced, lotus-eyed, becoming four-armed, bearing the shell, discus, club, and lotus, peacock-crowned, with Makara-shaped earring,^ wearing a floral wreath and yellow silken robes, revealed himself to Muchukund. On seeing the form of the Lord, he prostrated himself flat on the earth,2 then rising up, with joined hands, said, " Lord of Compassion ! as you, having entered this very dark cave, by causing light have dis- pelled darkness, so now, by kindly imparting the mystery of your name, remove the doubt of my mind also." S'ri Krishna Chand said, " My births, actions, and qualities are manifold ; they can, by no means, be reckoned, though anyone should reckon ever so much ; but I will relate the mystery of this birth, hear it : — On the present occasion I took birth in the house of Vasudev ; therefore my name became Vasudev ; and I alone, having killed Karis, along with all the Asuras, have re- moved the burden of the earth. And seventeen times, Jurasindhu, with forces of twenty-three complete armies each, advanced to make war; he also was defeated by me alone. And this Kalaya- man, bringing a crowd of three karors of barbarians, came to fight : he, by your glance, is burnt to death." As soon as these words had issued from the mouth of the Lord, having heard them, Muchukund became wise ; then he said, " Maharaj ! your illu- ' The Makara is a fabulous animal, regarded as an emblem of Kama, the god of love. It is also one of the nine treasures of Kuvera, the god of riches. ^ The word ashtdng means " eight members," that is, the eight members of the human body. There are several enumerations, but, for the purpose of prostra- tion, they are the forehead, both arms, the body, the knees, and the feet. This implies that the body is brought " flat on the earth." 150 Prem-SAgar sion is predominant ; it has fascinated the whole world. By reason of it, no one keeps in balance any remembrance or understanding. You perform acts for the happiness of all ; therefore you endure great affliction ; As a bone pricks a dog's mouth ; he sucks his own blood ; He thinks it oozes from that very bone ; he esteems a mis- fortune happiness. And, Maharaj ! he who has come into this world, without your kindness is not able to issue from this dark well in the form of an abode ; therefore I also am anxious as to how I shall escape from the house-formed well." S'ri Krishna Ji said, " Listen, Muchukund ! the matter is just as thou hast said ; but I am pointing out the method of thy salvation,^ do thou do it. Thou, having obtained sovereignty, for territory, wealth, and women, committed grievous injustice, that, unless penance be performed, will not leave you ; therefore, having gone into the northern region, do thou perform austerity. Having abandoned this your body, then thou wilt take birth in the house of a Rishi ; then thou wilt obtain deliverance." Maharaj ! when Muchu- kund heard these words, he thought thus, " Now the Kali Yug is come." Thinking this, he took leave from the Lord, and having prostrated himself, and perambulated round, Muchukund went to Badrinath ; and S'ri Krishna Chand Ji came into Mathura, and said to Balaram, — " I have extirpated Kalayaman, and sent Muchukund to the district of Badri ; The army of Kalayaman is dense ; that has encompassed our Mathura ; Come ; let us slay the barbarians there, and remove the burden of the whole earth." Having spoken thus, S'ri Krishna Chand, taking Haladhar with him, issued from the city of Mathura and came where Kalaya- man's army was drawn up ; and, on coming, both began to fight with it. At length, when, by fighting on, the army of bar- barians was all slain by the Lord, he said to Baladev Ji, " Brother ! now we should take all the wealth of Mathura and send it to Dwaraka." Balaram Ji said, " Very well." Then S'ri Krishna Chand had all the wealth of Mathura brought out, and had it laden on buffaloes, carts, camels, and elephants, and sent it to Dwaraka. In the meantime, Jurasindhu, again taking twenty- three complete armies, advanced against the city of Mathura. Then S'ri Krishna and Balaram, in great agitation, issued forth, and going in his presence, showed themselves, and fled away, in order to obliterate the distress of his mind. Then the minister said to Jurasindhu, " Maharaj ! who is so strong as to stand before ^ Lit., " thy crossing " [the ocean of repeated existences]. Prem-Sagar 151 your Majesty ? See ! these two brothers Krishna and Balaram, having abandoned all wealth and home, taking their lives only, through fear of you, are fleeing away naked-footed." ^ Hearing these words from the adviser, Jurasindhu also pursued them with his army, thus loudl}^ exclaiming, — " Why are you fleeing away timidly ? make a stand and do something ; Why are you stumbling, recovering yourselves, and trembling so violently ? Your death is come near." Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Lord of the Earth ! when S'ri Krishna and Baladev Ji, having fled, showed the manner of mankind, then all the recent grief departed from the heart of Jurasindhu, and he became greatly delighted, such that any description of it is impossible. Afterwards S'ri Krishna and Balaram, fleeing on, ascended a mountain, named Gautam, which was eleven yojanas high,- and went and stood on its summit. Seeing that, Jurasindhu loudly exclaimed, '' Balabhadra and Murari have ascended the peak ; Now how will they escape from us ? Set fire to this mountain." As soon as this direction had issued from the mouth of Jurasindhu, all the Asuras went and surrounded that mountain, and bringing wood and doors from every town and village, arranged them all around. Placing on that old clothes saturated with ghi and oil, they set fire to it. When that fire blazed up to the peak of the mountain, those two brothers took the road from there to Dwaraka in such a way that no one ever saw them going. And the mountain was burnt to ashes. Then Jurasindhu, thinking that S'ri Krishna and Balaram were burnt to death along with the mountain, felt great delight, and came with his whole army into the city of Mathura ; and assuming the govern- ment of the place, issued a proclamation in the town, and established his station there. He pulled down all the old palaces of Ugrasen and Vasudev, and he had fresh ones built for himself. Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to the King : — Maharaj ! in this way, having deceived Jurasindhu, S'ri Krishna and Balaram went and dwelt in Dwaraki ; and Jurasindhu also, going from the town of Mathura, taking all his army, making great rejoicings, being free from doubt, returned home. ^ prdn le bliAgmi means "to fly for one's life" ; nange fdfin, "naked feet," a necessary consequence of any attempt to run in Indian shoes. ^ Notice the abrupt, but idiomatic, change in construction here. Lit, "S'ri Krishna and Balaram, fleeing on, there was a mountain named Gautam eleven yojanas high, they ascended that," &c. 152 Prem-Sagar CHAPTER LIII. The marriage of Balaram with Rewati — The birth of Rukmini at Kundalpur— Her beauty— Her father discusses in council a suitable husband for her — Krishna is generally accepted — Rukma insists on the choice of S'isupal — Rukmini sends to Krishna to lay her heart at his feet. S'rI S'ukadkv, the saint, said : — Maharaj ! now hear the con- tinuation of the story. When S'ri Krishna Chand, the source of joy, having killed Kalayaman, saved Muchukund, deceived Jura- sindhu, and taken Baladev Ji with him, he went into Dwaraka, then life came into the souls of all the Yadubansis, and happiness was diffused in the whole town. All the citizens began to live in peace and happiness. Meanwhile, after a certain time, one day, several Yadubansis went to Raja Ugrasen and said, " Maharaj ! Balaram's marriage should now somehow be effected ; because he is become capable." On hearing these words Raja Ugrasen called a Brahman, and instructing him carefully, said, " O god ! do you go somewhere, and having seen a good family and house, effect the betrothal of Balaram Ji, and return." Having spoken thus, and having sent for roll} unbroken rice, a silver coin, and a cocoa- nut, Ugrasen Ji made the sectarial mark on the Brahman,^ gave him the coin and the cocoa-nut, and dismissed him. He, proceeding on, went to the abode of Raja Rewat, in the country of Arnta ; and having betrothed Balaram Ji to his daughter Rewati, and fixed the auspicious moment, he caused the ilka •' to be brought by his (Rewat's) Brahman, and brought him to Raja Ugrasen in Dwaraka ; and he related all that had occurred there. On hearing it, Raja Ugrasen, being exceedingl}' pleased, called for that Brahman who had conveyed the tika^ caused a festivity to be prepared, and accepted the nuptial gifts ; and having presented him with much wealth, dismissed him. Afterwards, himself, accompanied by all the Yadubansis, with much pomp, going into the country of Arnta, effected the marriage of Balaram Ji. Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said to the King : — Lord of the Earth ! in this way all the Yadubaiisis effected the marriage of Baladev Ji ; and S'ri Krishna Chand Ji himself alone, taking his brother, went into Kundalpur, and having fought with Rakshasas, seized Rukmini, the daughter of Bhishmak Nares, the betrothed of S'isupal, and bringing her to his house, married her. Hearing this. King Parikshit asked S'ri S'ukadev Ji : — Ocean of Compassion ! in what way did S'ri ^ roU is a mixture of rice, turmeric, alum, and some acid, used by Hindus to make the sectarial mark on the forehead. ^ The -kar of the Conjunctive Participle has here the force of -ed in English ; lit., "He tilak-&di that Brahman." ^ The tikd are the nuptial gifts which the relatives of the bride have to send to the bridegroom. Prem-Sagar 153 Krishna Chand go into Kundalpur, slay the Asuras, and bring away Rukmini, the daughter of Bhishmak ? Explain that to me. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! please listen attentively, I will expound the whole mystery of that place. There is a city named Kundalpur in the country of jj^idarbh ; there is a king named Bhishmak, whose fame is spread all around. In his house S'ri Sita Ji ^ went, and took incarnate form. As soon as the daughter was born. Raja Bhishmak sent for the astrologers. They came, fixed the auspicious moment, fixed on Rukmini as the name of the girl, and said, " Maharaj ! it is our opinion that this girl will be exceedingly well disposed, good-natured, a treasury of beauty, and in good qualities the equal of Lakshmi, and that she will be married to the Adi-Purush." As soon as this statement issued from the mouth of the astrologers, Raia Bhishmak, feeling very happy, made great rejoicing, and gave a good deal to some Brahmans. Afterwards, that girl began to grow up day by day, like a digit of the moon, and sporting about in childish play, gave pleasure to her parents. Meanwhile she became somewhat older ; then she began to play many different kinds of surprising games with her friends and companions. One day, that girl with eyes like a deer, voice like a cuckoo, with eye-lash like the Champak flower, and face like the - moon, went to play blind man's buff with her friends. Then at the time of play all the companions began to say to her, " Ruk- mini ! thou art come to spoil our fun ; for where thou art hiding in the dark with us, there is light from thy moon-like face, therefore we cannot hide." H(p!arinp ; fhis^ sh e smiled and rema ined silent. Having related the tale thus far, S'ri S'ukadev saidl^=^Mahar^j ! in this way she was sporting with her friends, and day by day her beauty was doubling, when unexpectedly 3 Narad Ji came into Kundalpur, and, having seen Rukmini, went into Dwaraka to S'ri Krishna Chand, and said to him, " Maharaj ! in Kundalpur, in the house of Raja Bhishmak, there is born a daughter, a mine of beauty, excellence, and amiability, the rival of -^ Lakshmi ; she is suitable for you." From the time when this secret was heard"* from Narad, the saint, Hari set his mind '" upon her night and day. Maharaj ! by this process S'ri Krishna Chand heard of the name and qualities of Rukmini ; and I will relate how Rukmini heard of the name and fame of the Lord. On one occasion, several mendicants from various countries went into Kundalpur, and cele- brated the glories of S'ri Krishna Chand, recounting how the ' For Sitd ki read Sitd Ji in text. Sita was the bride of the illustrious hero Rama. * The ki marks transition of thought, and the phrase implies that the visit occurred in the midst of the circumstances related, in a somewhat unexpected manner. ^ For ka read ki, ^ The vexh szen pdnd means " to get to hear," "to come to know of "; but there is no Nominative in the sentence, and Lallu Ldl has treated it as a Passive. * This may equally well be rendered by " fixed his heart." 154 Prem-Sagar Lord took birth in Mathura, and having gone into Gokul and Brindaban and joined the cowherd lads, indulged in childish sports, and having slain the Asuras, and removed the burden of the earth, had given happiness to the Yadubansis. On hearing of the actions of Hari, all the citizens with great astonishment began to say among themselves, " When shall we see with our eyes him of whose sports we have heard with our ears ? " In the midst of this, by some means, the mendicants went into the court of Raja Bhishmak and began to celebrate the exploits and virtues of the Lord. Then — The beautiful Rukmini ascended a balcony ; the sound of Hari's actions fell on her ears ; She is astonished, her mind is spell-bound ; then, peeping, she wishes to see ; Having heard, the Princess remained attentive ; the creeping- plant of love sprang up in her bosom. The beautiful one was absorbed and agitated with emotion ; Hari's virtues deprived her of consciousness and sense. Having spoken thus, S'ri S'ukadevji said : — Lord of the Earth ! in this way S'ri Rukmini Ji heard of the fame and name of the Lord. Then, from that ver}' day, night and day, during the eight watches or sixty-four gharls} she continues thinking of him while sleeping, waking, sitting, standing, walking, moving about, eating, drinking, or playing ; ami is constantly celebrating his virtues. Continually she rises early in the morning, and having bathed and made an earthen image of Gauri,^ and having offered roli^ unbroken rice, and flowers, and propitiated her with incense, lamps, and consecrated food, with joined hands and bowed head, constantly says before her, — " Do you, O Gauri ! have pity on me ; give the Lord of the Yadus for husband, and remove my affliction." In this way Rukmini began to pass her time. One day she was playing with her companions, when Raja Bhishmak, seeing her, thinking within himself, began to sa}^, " This one is now become marriageable ; should we not speedily give her some- where, people will ridicule us. It is said that, ' In whose house there may be a grown-up daughter, his alms-giving, virtuous conduct, prayer, and penance, are useless ; because, from what is done, no virtue accrues, until he be discharged from the debt due to his daughter.' " ^ Having reflected thus. Raja Bhishmak ^ These are alternative expressions for the whole day. " Gauri, " the brilliant," is a name of the goddess Parvati, the wife of S'iva. But the word Gatir or Gauri is here used because Rukmini being under the marriageable age, she herself was a gaiir, and therefore turned to PaiTati under the form Gaur. The word also means " turmeric," a colour used in marriage ceremonies. * A sacred obligation rests on every Hindu to see that his daughter is not unmarried when she attains puberty. Prem-SAgar 155 came into his court, and summoning all his councillors and family folk, said, " Brothers ! my daughter is become marriageable, on this account we should search somewhere for a respectable, vir- tuous, handsome, and well-disposed husband." On hearing these words, those people recounted the family, virtues, personal appearance, and prowess of the kings of various countries ; but what anyone said made no impression on the mind of Raja Bhishmak. Then his eldest son, whose name was Rukma, began to say, " Father ! S'isupal, the king of the city of Chanderi, is very powerful, and in every respect our equal. Let us betroth Rukmini to him there, and get reputation in the world." Maharaj ! when the king made as if he did not hear what he also said, then his younger son Rukmakes said, — *' Father ! let us give Rukmini to Krishna ; let us betroth her to Vasudev ; " ^ Hearing this, Bhishmak says delightedly, " O son ! thou hast said well ; " Thou, child ! art much wiser than all ; I approve of what you said. It is said, — By inquiring of small and great, make your resolve sure ; Accept the gist of the statement ; this is the way of the world." Having spoken thus, Raja Bhishmak added, " This is good counsel uttered by Rukmakes. Among the Yadubansis, Raja Siirasen has become very famous and powerful ; Vasudev Ji is Ais son. How great are they in whose house the Adi-Purush, the indestructible, god of all gods, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, took birth, and destroyed the very powerful Kaiis and the other Rakshasas ; and having removed the burden of the earth, gave splendour to the Yadu family ; and gave happiness to the subjects as well as all the Yadubansis ! So, if we give Rukmini to S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, Lord of Dwaraka, then we shall acquire fame and greatness in the world." On hearing these words, all the members of the assembty, being greatly pleased, said, "Maharaj! this has been thought out by you ; such a husband and house will not be met with elsewhere. This is best, that we should marry Rukmini to S'ri Krishna Chand alone." Maharaj ! when all the members of the council had thus spoken, then Raja Bhishmak's eldest son, whose name was Rukma, hearing it, petulantly said, — " These great blockheads are talking without understanding ; they do not know Krishna's circumstances ; ' Vastidev is used for Vasudev in text, on account of the metre. ^ ten is for tain, " by thee." This is made clear by Pandit Yogadhyan Misra's punctuation : kaht, pilt ! ten niki bdt. 156 Prem-SAgar He has remained sixteen years with Nand, then everyone called him a cowherd ; Clothed in a blanket he grazed cows ; seated in the cow-field he ate his labourer's fare ; He is a village cowherd. What is there stable about his o-enealogy ? Whose son can we call him, the secret of whose very parents is unknown ? One thinks him of Nand the cowherd ; another esteems him as^ of Vasudev ; but up to the present time no one has yet discovered the secret as to whose son Krishna is ; therefore anyone says what comes in his mind. Maharaj ! every- body knows and respects us ; but when did the Yadubaiisis become kings ? What does it signify that, a short time since, by strength, they have acquired greatness ; the former stain will not now pass away. He is called the servant of Ugrasen ; shall we get any fame in the world by a betrothal with him ? It is said, ' Marriage, enmity, and friendship should be made with equals, then lustre is obtained.'- If we give her to Krishna, people will say, ' The brother-in-law '^ of a cowherd ! ' From that all our name and fame will depart." Alaharaj ! having spoken thus, Rukma added, " S'isupal, the king of the city of Chanderi, is very strong and powerful ; from fear of him all tremble violently; and royalty has come down in his house from antiquity ; therefore it is now best that Rukmini should be given to him, and Krishna's name even should not again be brought before me." On hearing these words, the people of the council, through fear, feeling deep regret in their hearts, remained silent ; and Raja Bhishmak also said nothing. Hereupon, Rukma, summoning astrologers, fixed the propitious day and moment, and sent the nuptial gift to Raja S'isupal's place, by the hand of a Brahman. That Brahman, taking the nuptial gift, proceeded on, and going into the cit}- of Chanderi, arrived in the court of Raja S'isupal. On seeing him, the king, making obeisance, asked the Brahman, " Tell me, O Divinity ! whence come you ? and with what object are you come ? " Then that Brahman, giving a blessing, related all the circumstances of his going. On hearing him, being pleased, Raji S'isupal, sum- moning his Purohit, accepted the nuptial gifts, and giving some- thing considerable to that Brahman, dismissed him. Afterwards he invited Jurasindhu and all other kings of the various countries. They, each bringing his army, came ; then this one also, taking his arm}-, went forth to the marriage. That Brahman came and told Raja Bhishmak that he had taken the nuptial gift, saying, " Maharaj ! I, having given the present to Raja S'isupal, am ' This use of ^ar to express " as " is very idiomatic. - Here we have two more Aoristic Passives parallel to chahiye, " it should be wished.'' In Panjabi the Passive is regularly formed by the insertion of /. In both cases it is a survival of the Sanskrit Passive form. ' A grossly immoral innuendo is conveyed under this term. Prem-SAgar 157 returned ; he, with much pomp, leading the marriage procession is coming to the wedding ; do you do your duty." Hearing this, Raja Bhishmak, at first, was greatly dejected ; afterwards, having reflected somewhat, he went into the palace and told his queen. She, having heard, inviting musicians and all the ladies of the family, had festivities prepared, and began to perform all the customary ceremonies of marriage. Then the king, coming out, ordered his chiefs and ministers to collect together all the things which they should have in the marriage of a girl. On receiving the king's order, the advisers and chiefs prepared and sent for everything immediately, and brought and laid them before him. The people saw and heard ; then this rumour spread about the city, that tlie marriage of Rukmini with S'ri Krishna Chand was in progress: that the wicked Rukma did not allow to take place ; now it will be with S'isupal. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Lord of the Earth ! in the city, then, this was the talk in each house, and in the palace the women, singing and playing music, were performing the customary ceremonies. The Brahmans, reciting and reciting the Vedas, were having the marriage ceremonies performed. In various places drums were being beaten. Again and again posts of sprouting plantain were being fixed in the ground ; golden vessels were being filled, and the people were placing them down ; and garlands and wreaths of flowers they were fastening ; and in one direction the citizens were sweeping and cleansing, quite separately, the markets, roads, and squares, and covering them with silk canopies. In this way both in and out of the house a bustle was going on, when, just then, two or three friends went and said to Rukmini, — " Rukma has given thee to S'isupal ; now, Rukmini ! thou hast become a queen." Thinking, and bowing her head, she said, " The Lord of the World is mine, by heart, acknowledgment, and vow ! " 1 Having said this, Rukmini, in much anxiety, sent for a Brah- man, and joining her hands, supplicated and extolled him highly, and having explained to him all her desire, said, " Maharaj ! take my message to Dwaraka, and delivering it to the Lord of Dwaraka, get him to come with you; then I shall be deeply grateful to you,- and shall know this, that you alone, com- passionately, have given me S'ri Krishna as husband." On hearing these words the Brahman said, " Good ! tell me ^ The absence of verb or inflexion, save the one word mere, "of me," renders the meaning very obscure. Eastwick is altogether wrong ; Hollings catches the import, and that is all. The Siikha-Sdgar gives the clue by the prose rendering, Mere sivamt manasd-vAcha-karmand se S'yd mastindar Vaikimthaiidth hain, " My husband, by thought, word, and deed, is S'yamasundar, the Lord of Vaikunth." -^ Lit., " I will acknowledge your great virtue," 158 Prem-SAgar the message and I will take it, and will repeat it to S'ri Krishna Chand. He is the Lord of Compassion ; if he will condescend to come with me, I will bring him." When this declaration had issued from the mouth of the Brahman, Rukmini, at once writing an affectionate letter, gave it into his possession, and said, " Give the letter to S'ri Krishna Chand, the source of joy, and tell him from me, that this servant, with joined hands and great humility, says that ' You are the Searcher of Hearts, and know the thoughts 1 of every mind ; what more shall I say ? I have taken refuge with you ; now my modesty is your affair;- do that b}- which it may be preserved, and, coming to this servant, speedily reveal yourself.' " Maharaj ! this having been said and heard, when Rukmini dismissed the Brahman, he, meditating on the Lord and calling on his name, set out for Dwaraka, and, through his desire for Hari, arrived there at the mere saying of a word.'^ Going there, he saw that the city is in the midst of the sea, and that all around it there are very great mountains, and woods and groves give their splendour, in which the cries of various animals and the notes of birds resound ; and beautiful lakes filled with pure water, in which lotuses are blooming, upon which swarms on swarms of bees are humming ; and, on the bank, geese and cranes are disporting themselves ; gardens of fruits and flowers of various kinds extend for miles ; on the borders of these betel gardens are flourishing. At the pits and wells, gardeners are standing, sing- ing sweet melodies, working the water-wheels and buckets, and irrigating with water high and low objects; and crowds upon crowds of water-bearing women were at the landing-stairs. Beholding this beauty, and being delighted, as that Brahman advanced onwards, what does he see ? All around the city is a very lofty rampart, in which are four gateways, in which are gold-inlaid and jewel-studded panels ; and within the city are glittering gold, silver, and jewel-studded, five-storeyed and seven- storeyed palaces, so high that they conversed with the clouds, the spires and pinnacles of which are brilliant as lightning. Various coloured flags and standards are fluttering ; from windows, casements, apertures, and lattice-work, fragrant odours are emanating ; at each door are placed posts of sprouting plantain, and golden vessels filled ; garlands and wreaths are suspended, and in every house joyful instruments are sounding ; in various places, stories, legends, and conversations about Hari are going on ; the eighteen castes are dwelling in ease and happiness; and the discus called Sudarsan protects the city. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — 1 The word bat is here understood. 2 Notice the Dative, " to you," meaning that the thing spoken of " relates to " or is ''concerned with" the person addressed. 3 Meaning, "in the time required for the utterance of a word," or "imme- diately." Prem-Sagar 159 Raja ! looking on at such a beautiful and pleasing city of Dvvaraka, that Brahman entered and stood in the court of Raja Ugrasen, and giving a benediction, he asked, " Where is S'ri Krishna Chand ? " Then someone pointed out to him the palace of Hari. When he went and stood there, the door-porter, seeing him, prostrated himself and asked, — " Who are you, and whence come ? The letter of what country have you brought ? " He said, *' I am a Brahman, and a resident of Kundalpur. I am come to deliver the letter of Rukmini, the daughter of Raja Bhishmak, to S'ri Krishna Chand." On hearing these words, the door-keeper said, " Maharaj ! Sir, be pleased to enter the palace. S'ri Krishna Chand is opposite, resplendent on a throne." Having heard that statement, the Brahman went inside; then Hari, on seeing him, descended from the throne, prostrated him- self, and showed great respect; and placing him on the throne, washed his feet, and drank his foot-water, and began to perform the service which one renders to a tutelary deity. At length, having applied fragrant unguents, and bathed and washed him, and caused him to partake of six-flavoured food; next, he gave betel, and perfumed him with saffron and sandal, placed on him a necklace of flowers, conducted him into a jewelled palace, and caused him to repose on a handsome jewel-studded couch. Maharaj ! he also fatigued by the journey was very tired indeed ;i on lying down he obtained rest, and slept. S'ri Krishna Ji, for a certain time, then, sat there desirous of hearing what he had to say. He was constantly saying in his inmost heart, " Now he will get up. Now he will get up." At last, when he saw that he did not rise, seating himself at his feet, he began to rub his feet. Hereupon his sleep was broken, and he arose and sat up. Then Hari, inquiring after his welfare, asked, — " Is your king and country well ? " Tell us your com- mission ; What purpose are you come for, and by showing yourself have given us happiness ? " The Brahman said, " Abode of Compassion ! please give heed and listen; I am about to relate the cause of my coming. Maharaj ! the daughter of Raja Bhishmak of Kunclalpur, since she heard your name and excellence, has night and day con- tinued meditating on you, and was desirous of serving the lotus- feet; and an opportunity even occurred, but the affair mis- ^ Notice the structure of this most idiomatic sentence. The phrase />df kd Mrd, "defeated by the road, " or " dead beat by the journey"; qwA thakd to thd hi, " tired, indeed, he was, very." Such forms are thoroughly colloquial. 2 tJimtanaitn should be printed as one word ; it is the Braj equivalent of tutnhdrd. Both Hollings and Eastwick have understood tanaun to be a form of tanu, " the body," or " person," and have thus missed the meaning of the verse. i6o Prem-Sagar carried." The Lord said, " How was that ? " The Brahman rephed, " Compassionate to the lowly ! one day Raja Bhishmak, having summoned all his family and the members of his council, said, ' Brothers ! the daughter is become fit for marriage; now a husband for her should be settled upon." As soon as this speech had issued from the mouth of the king, they recounted the family, the virtues, the reputation, and valour of several different kings; but they made no impression on his mind.^ Then Rukmakes mentioned your name; then, being pleased, the king approved of what he had said, and said to them all, ' Brothers ! in my mind, what this has said has become a line of stone; ^ what do you say ? ' They said, ' Maharaj ! if the three worlds were to be searched, still such another house and bride- groom would not be found; therefore, it is now fitting that no delay should occur; Rukmini's marriage should speedily take place with S'ri Krishna Chand.' Maharaj ! this affair had been resolved on; whereupon Rukma interposed, and betrothed Rukmini to S'isupal. Now he, bringing with him the whole army of Asuras, has advanced to the marriage." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Lord of the Earth! that Brahman, having thus related all the news, gave the letter of Rukmini Ji into the possession of Hari. The Lord very affectionately took the letter, and clasped it to his bosom; and having read it, was pleased, and said to the Brahman, "Divinity! be anxious on no point. I, having gone with you, and having destroyed the Asuras, will fulfil her wish." Having heard this, the Brahman was comforted; but Hari, thinking of Rukmini, began to be anxious. CHAPTER LIV. Krishna hurries to Kundalpur to secure Rukmini — He is followed by Balaram with an army — Rukmini's anxiety as to liis timely arrival — Krishna, by arrangement, meets Rukmini at a temple of Devi, and carries her off. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — O King ! S'ri Krishna Chand, having thus fortified the Brahman, added, — "As, by friction, having kindled, they draw forth fire from wood. So I will bring the beautiful one, having destroyed the army of Asuras." ^ That is, " tliey did not meet his inclination." ' That is, " is engraven on my mind." Prem-Sagar i6i Having said this, then putting on nice clothes and ornaments which were pleasing, and going to Raja Ugrasen, the Lord, having joined his hands, said, " Maharaj ! Bhishmak, the king of Kundalpur, having written a letter about the giving away of his daughter, by means of his Purohit, has invited me alone. If you command me, I will go, and marry his daughter." Having heard, Ugrasen says thus, "Why rests your heart on a distant country ? You are going there alone, Murari ! Let no discord arise with anyone ! Then who will convey to us here intelligence of you ? " Having spoken thus, Ugrasen added, " Good ! if you wish to go there, then do both you brothers go, with all your armies; and having effected the marriage, speedily set out back. Do not quarrel and wrangle with anyone there; because should you be long-lived, then many beautiful ones will come and remain with you." On receiving the order, S'ri Krishna Chand said, "Maharaj! you have spoken truly; but I am going on ahead; you will please send Balaram Ji, with the army, afterwards." Having spoken thus, Hari, having taken leave of Ugrasen and Vasudev, came towards that Brahman, and sent for his charioteer Darak, and the chariot. He, on receiving the Lord's command, immediately yoked the four-horsed chariot. Then S'ri Krishna Chand ascended it, and placing the Brahman beside him, set out from Dwaraka towards Kundalpur. When they issued from the city, what do they see ? Herds and herds of deer are running along on the right side, and, in front, a lion and lioness, with their prey, are approaching, roaring. Having seen this pro- pitious omen, the Brahman, having reflected in his mind, said, " Maharaj ! now, from seeing this omen, this occurs to me, that just as these, having accomplished their object, are approaching, just so you, also, having accomplished your object, will come." S'ri Krishna Chand said, " By your kindness." ^ Having said this, Hari advanced beyond that place, and visiting various new countries, cities, and villages, arrived in Kundalpur. Then he saw there that, in various places, from the objects provided for the marriage which were placed ready, the beauty of the city was much enhanced.^ The lanes are swept, the squares have awnings; the}'' are sprinkled with perfume and sandal; Spinach and betel were formed into bunches, and between each golden cocoa-nuts were inserted. ' A common method of saying " Tliank you ! " implying that what may have occurred has resulted " from tlie kindness " of the inquirer. - The phrase aur ki aii^, "other of other," is common colloquially. It im- plies that one condition has become another condition ; the gender of the genitival sign changing with the idea alluded to. Here it is ck/iabi, " beauty," and, therefore, the feminine form is used. It is parallel to din ki rdt ho ga^i, " of day night became," that is, " day became night," M 1 62 Prem-Sagar Green leaves, fruits, and flowers, in profusion; at every house, wreaths, Flags, banners, and garlands, are stretched; and handsome vessels made of gold. And in every house there was joy. Maharaj ! such, indeed, was the splendour of this city. And in the palace the festivities which were going on, how can anyone describe them ? Only when seen is that possible. Afterwards, S'ri Krishna, having seen the whole city, came and encamped in an enclosure of Raja Bhishmak ; and having seated himself in the cool shade, and become cool, he said to that Brahman, " Divinity ! you first go and announce the news of my arrival to Rukmini Ji, that she may be comforted, and grief removed from her mind ; afterwards come and let me know the private matters there, that I may then devise the remedy." The Brahman said, " Lord of Compassion ! to-day is the first day of the marriage ; there is great bustle and pomp in the palace. I am going ; but should I find Rukmini Ji alone, I will impart to her the secret of your coming." Having spoken thus, the Brahman went thence. Alaharaj ! on this side Hari, then, arrived quietly and alone ; and, on the other side, S'isupal, bringing all the Asura army, with Jurasindhu, came with such pomp that it had no bounds ; and came with such a crowd that, by the weight, S'eshanagi began to totter, and the earth to overturn. Having received notice of his coming. Raja Bhishmak went forward to receive him, with his councillors and the members of his family ; and having advanced very courteously to meet them, and having invested them in wedding garments, and presented them with jewel-studded weapons and ornaments, and elephants and horses, conducted them into the city ; and gave them a reception-room ; - then he respectfully provided them with food and drink. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev, the saint, said : — Maharaj ! I am now stating the intermediate story, please listen attentively. When S'ri Krishna Chand set out from Dwaraka, then all the Yadubaiisis went and said to Raja Ugrasen, "Maharaj ! we have heard that Raja S'isupal, with the whole army of Asuras and Jurasindhu, is come into Kundalpur to a marriage, and that Hari has gone there alone ; therefore we know that there will be a combat there between him and S'ri Krishna Ji. Knowing this, even, how can we become indifferent, and abandoning Hari, stay here ? our inclination does not agree to this. For the rest, let what you order be done."^ ' S'eshanag is the thousand-headed snake who is supposed to support the world. - Ajanwdsd is a place provided in a bride's house for the reception of the numerous train which accompanies the bridegroom. ^ That is, " we are ready to carry out your instructions in anything necessary to give effect to our wishes," Prem-Sagar 163 On hearing this statement, Raja Ugrasen, being exceeding alarmed, and disquieted, called Balaram Ji to him, and, explaining the matter, said, " Do you take all my army, and speedily go to Kundalpur before the arrival 1 of S'ri Krishna, and get him to come back with you." On receiving the king's command, Baladev Ji, having collected fifty-six karors of Yadavas, set out for Kundalpur. Then the army of elephants — black, white, and smoke-tinted — appeared like a mass of cloud ; and their perfectly white teeth, like rows of cranes ; the drum resounded like thunder, and the weapons were glittering like lightning ; troops and troops of horse-soldiers, wearing red and yellow dresses, were seen hither and thither ; rows upon rows of chariots were going along, ghttering. Looking on upon the splendour of these, and being delighted, the gods, with much friendship, each seated in his car, kept raining down flowers from the sky, and were wishing victory to S'ri Krishiia Chand, the root of joy. While this was going on, taking all the army, and proceeding on, just as Hari arrived in Kundalpur, Balaram Ji also arrived there. Having related thus, S'ri S'ukadev Ji added :— Maharaj ! S'ri Krishna Chand, the ocean of beauty, the light of the world, had in this way reached Kundalpur ; but Rukmini, not having heard the news of his coming, — Dissatisfied, she looks all around ; as the moon becomes dimmed at dawn ; Great anxiety increased in the heart of the beautiful one ; she gazed, standing on a lofty balcony ; Ascending repeatedly she peeps through casement and door ; from her eyes a stream of water is released ; Dissatisfied, with clouded mind ; she draws deep sighs ; Agitated, with water raining from her eyes ; reflecting sadly, she says, — " Why has Hari not yet come ? his name, indeed, is Searcher of Hearts. What fault has occurred through me, such that he has not yet thought of me ? Has not the Brahman arrived there ? Or, thinking me ugly, has Hari no reliance or affection for me ? Or, hearing of the coming of Jurasindhu, has the Lord not come ? To-morrow is the wedding-day, and the Asura has come. Should he to-morrow take my hand, then how shall this sinful soul survive without Hari ? Prayer, penance, vows, and religious duty have not protected me ; ^ now what shall I do, and where shall I go ? S'isupal has come with his marriage- procession ; why does the Lord, Compassionate to the Lowly, delay?" When these words had issued from the mouth of Rukmini, 1 The repetition o{ na pahimckte ira^lie?, a continuation of the idea, meaning " in the course of his not arriving," that is, " before he arrives." - are and, '"to come into protection," " to act as protector," is a form parallel with the more common M/n and, " to come into use," " to be useful." M 2 i64 Prem-Sagar then a friend said, " How will Hari come into a far country with- out the permission of his father and relatives ? " And another said, " He whose name is Searcher of Hearts, and Compassionate to the Lowly, cannot live without coming. Rukmini ! be com- forted ; be not distressed. My heart is filled with this assurance that someone will come immediately and say that Hari has come." Maharaj ! those two were chattering on thus between themselves, when, in the midst of it,i the Brahman came, and pronouncing a blessing, said, " S'ri Krishna Chand Ji has come, and is encamped in the royal enclosure, and Baladev Ji, bringing all the army, is coming afterwards." Upon seeing the Brahman and hearing these words, life came into the soul of Rukmini Ji, and she then felt such happiness as a devotee feels when he has attained the reward of his austerity. Afterwards S'ri Rukmini Ji, joining her hands and inclining her head, said in the presence of that Brahman, " To-day you having come and announced the arrival of Hari, have given me life ; what shall I give in return ? Were I to give the illusion ~ of the three worlds, I should still not be free from the obligation I owe you." Having spoken thus, she restrained herself, and remained abashed. Then that Brahman, being highly gratified, pronouncing a benediction, rose from thence, and went to Raja Bhishmak. And he explained everything, and told him of the circumstances of the arrival of S'ri Krishna. On hearing the authentic account, Raja Bhishmak arose and hastened, and, pro- ceeding on, came where S'ri Krishna and Balaram, the abode of happiness, were staying in the enclosure. On coming, he prostrated with the eight members,^ and standing in his presence, with hands joined, Raja Bhishmak said, — "You, O Hari! are the word of my heart •,'^ how shall I utter what the wicked have done ? Now my desire is fully accomplished, in that you have come and revealed yourself." Having thus spoken, and provided tents for the Lord, Raja Bhishmak came to his own house, and anxiously began to say, — ^ The phrase waise men refers to the manner of what was taking place, and implies that "while things were going on in the manner just described, the Brahman came," &c. The more common ifne men refers, of course, to quantity, and implies that on so much having taken place, something fresh occurs. - The maya, or " illusion," implies all those fancied realities which constitute the illusion of existence ; and, therefore, it implies " wealth," " power," &c., in fact, " the whole universe." 3 See note ^ p. 49. ■» "The word of my heart," means, the word constantly thought of, or the name perpetually invoked. It is strange that, although Eastwick refers to this passage in the Vocabulary, and explains it properly, he yet follows Hollings in his translation, and renders bach by " root " ; because, apparently, it is the name of orrice-root. It is not impossible that the expression in the Text may be an apocopated form of the common phrase man-vach-kari?i^^ " thought, word, and deed." In this case, the import would be similar, implying that Hari was the speaker's all-in-all, Prem-Sagar 165 " Everyone knows the exploits of Hari ; who knows what will now take place ? " And all the citizens, both women and men, coming where S'ri Krishna and Baladev were, and bowing their heads, and singing the praises of the Lord, and eulogizing, were thus saying among themselves, " S'ri Krishna alone is the fitting husband of Rukmini. Vidhana,! grant that this pair maybe united, and may live long ! " Meanwhile, from something which came into the mind of the two brothers, they went to see the city. Then in the markets, roads, and squares in which these two brothers were going along, crowds on crowds of men and women were close to them ; and they, sprinkling over them perfume, sandal, and rose-water, and showering down flowers, and stretching out their hands, were speaking thus among themselves, and pointing out the Lord : — " Balaram is dressed in blue ; Ghanas}-am ~ is wearing yellow silk ; With earrings tremulous, and crown resting on head ; the lotus-eyes wish to steal our hearts." And these were going along looking about them. At length, having seen all the city and the army of Raja S'isupal, they re- turned to their own camp. And having heard the news of their arrival, Raja Bhishmak's eldest son, being exceeding wrathful, went to his father, and began to say, " Tell me truly, at whose invitation has Krishna come here ? I have not got at the myster}', how he came here uninvited. A marriage affair is a matter of happiness ; what has this one to do with that ? These two decep- tive, perverse people go only where they stir up strife. If you wish your own welfare you will tell me the truth. At whose invitation are they come ? " Maharaj ! Rukma having thus threatened his father, rising up from there, went in a state of perplexity where Rajas S'isupal and Jurasindhu were seated in their assemblies, and said to them, " Rama and Krishna are come here ; inform all your people of that, that they may be careful." On hearing the name of the two brothers, Raja S'isupal, looking back on the exploits of Hari's life, was dejected, and began to reflect deeply ; and Jurasindhu began to say, " Listen ! wherever these two come they stir vip some mis- chief or other.^ They are very powerful and deceptive. In Braj they have slain quite easily Kaiis and the other very great Rak- shasas. Do not you think them children ; they, fighting with anyone, have never been conquered. S'ri Krishna seventeen times destroyed my army ; when I attacked the eighteenth time, ' See note ', p. 140. ^ Ghanasyam, " the dark blue cloud," a name of Krishna. ■* Notice awen hain and ?nachdwen hain, the Aorist fortified with the Sub- stantive verb. It is really a Present tense, here used in a continuative or habitual sense. 1 66 Prem-SAgar he fled and ascended a mountain ; and when I set it on hre, he trickily went off to Dwaraka. This one's secret no one has gained ; now he has come here to do mischief ; He is a trickster ; he will practise trickery ; by no one will he be understood. ^ Therefore, now some plan should be devised by which all our reputations may be preserved." When Jurasindhu had said thus much, Rukma spoke thus, " What things are they about which you are so apprehensive ? I know them well ; that they were wandering about various woods, singing, dancing, playing the flute, and grazing cows. What do these rustics know about the science of war ? Have no anxiety in your mind about any- thing ; I, in a moment, will slay and repulse Krishna and Balaram, with all the Yadubansis." S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! that day, Rukma, having counselled and encouraged Jurasindhu and S'isupal, returned to his home ; and they passed the night in uncertainty. As soon as it was dawn, on the one hand. Raja S'isupal and Jurasindhu, think- ing it the marriage-day, were engaged in the bustle of setting forth the marriage-procession ; and, on the other hand, at Raja Bhishmak's place also festivities began to take place. Hereupon, Rukmini Ji, on rising up, sent to inform S'ri Krishna Chand, through a Brahman, thus, " Abode of Compassion ! to-day is the wedding-day ; when two gharts of day remain, I shall go to wor- ship at the temple of Devi, to the east of the cit}'. My honour is yours ; do that by which it may be preserved." x\fterwards, when about one watch of the day had passed, the friends, companions, and women of the family arrived. These, on coming, at first having filled a square place in the courtyard with large pearls, and arranged a golden bejewelled seat, seated Rukmini upon it, had her rubbed with oil by seven married women ; - afterwards, having applied perfumed unguents, bathed and washed her, they adorned her with the sixteen decorations and dressed her in the twelve ornaments,''' covered her with a red bodice, and seated her fully prepared. Meanwhile, about four gharis of the day remained. Then Rukmini the young, taking with her all her friends and companions, went, with sounding music, to worship Devi ; then Raja Bhishmak made some of his people accompany her for protection. ^ janyau parai is the Braj form oi jdna pare. This phrase is equivalent to kisi sc naktn jdnd jdwe. - The husbands of the women who perform this office must be living at the time. ^ The sixteen appliances for decoration are: — i, tooth-brush; 2, tooth- powder ; 3, cosmetic ; 4, minium ; 5, saffron ; 6, antimony ; 7, spangles, 8, hair-oil; 9, comb; 10, perfume; 11, betel; 12, paint for teeth and lips; 13, indigo ; 14. henna ; 15, flowers ; 16, red dye. The twelve ornaments are the Wangles, ankleis, nose-ring, &c. Prem-Sagar 167 Having got the news that the king's daughter was gone out of the city to worship Devi, Raja S'isupal also, from fear of S'ri Krishna Chand, summoned his greatest heroes, champions, braves, vahant men, and soldiers, and having given them most minute ^ instructions, sent them forth to watch over Rukmini Ji. They, also, going, with their several weapons elevated, accompanied the king's daughter. Then Rukmini Ji, adorned with every ornament, with troops on troops of friends and companions, in the shade of a screen, moving along in the environment of the blackest Rak- shasas, was as beautiful as the moon with a cluster of stars in the midst of a dark cloud. At length, after a time, moving on, she arrived at the temple of Devi. Having gone there and washed her hands and feet, and rinsed her mouth, becoming purified, the king's daughter, at first, with sandal, unbroken rice, flowers, per- fumes, lamps, and consecrated food, devoutly worshipped Devi, according to the Vedic ritual ; afterwards, having caused female Brahmans to be fed with desirable food, and clothed them in nice garments, and drawn the sacred mark with roli^" and applied rice thereto, she gave them a fee, and received from them a blessing. Afterwards, having perambulated round Devi, that moon-faced one, of the colour of the Champak blossom, with eyes like a deer, voice like the cuckoo, gait like an elephant, taking her friends, being in anxiety about meeting Hari, as she was about to depart thence, having finished her devotions, S'ri Krishna Chand also, seated alone in his chariot, arrived where all the warriors atten- dant on Rukmini were standing armed with weapons. Having related thus much, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Having worshipped Gaur, as soon as she went forth, one says agitatedly, " Hark ! beautiful one ! Hari is come; see his pennon waving." Hearing these words from the friend, and seeing the ensign of the chariot of the Lord, the king's daughter with extreme delight was unable to contain herself, and placing her hand on the hand of her companion, and assuming a fascinating appearance, hoping to join Hari, slightly smiling, she was so moving with slow pace amidst them all that her beauty cannot be described. Afterwards, upon seeing S'ri Krishna Chand all the guards stood as though deprived of sense, and the screen fell from their hands, whereupon they beheld the fascinating form of Rukmini Ji ; then, becoming still more confounded, they became so feeble that they lost all consciousness of body and mind. Having strung her eyebrow-bow, and drawn the string of her darkened eyelashes. And discharged the arrows of her glances, she slays, but they remain living. 1 Sab bhdnti thick ntch, '• eveiy kind of up and down," or " all the ins and outs of the affair." ^ See note \ p. 152. I 68 Prem-Sagar Maharaj ! then all the Rakshasas stood merely gazing, like painted pictures ; and S'ri Krishna Chand, amidst them all, made the chariot advance to Rukmini, and stood there. On seeing the Lord of her life, she modestly stretched out her hand to meet him ; then the Lord, raising her with the left hand, seated her on the chariot. With trembling body, and exceedingly abashed mind ; abandoning all, she set out with Hari ; As a Vairagi abandons his house, and fixes his affection on the feet of Krishna. Maharaj ! Rukmini Ji then obtained the reward of her prayers, penance, vows, and virtuous acts, and her recent sorrow was all dissipated. The enemies, with their weapons, stood looking at her face ; the Lord, taking Rukmini from the midst of them, proceeded — As a lion springs into the midst of many packs of jackals. Seizing his prey, walks off fearless and roaring. Afterwards, on S'ri Krishna Chand's going off, Balaram Ji, also, sounding the drum, accompanied by all the arm}', went and rejoined him. CHAPTER LV. S'isupal and Jurasindhu pursue Krishna with an army, but are defeated — Rukma then attempts an attack, but is taken prisoner — Rukma is shaved and bound to Krishna's chariot — At the intercession of Rukmini he is released — Rukma then abandons Kundalpur, and founds the city of Bhojakatu — The marriage of Krishna at Dwaraka. S'kI Sukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! having gone some distance, S'ri Krishna Chand, looking at the thoughtful and bashful Rukmini Ji, said, " Beautiful one ! now be not anxious about anything ; I, by the sound of my shell, will remove all the fear of your mind ; and, having arrived in Dwaraka, will marry you according to Vedic rites." Having spoken thus, the Lord, having placed his necklace on her, and seated her on the left side, sounded the shell, when all the attendants of S'isupal and Jurasindhu started up. This affair spread throughout the whole city, that Hari had taken away Rukmini. Meanwhile, hearing of the abduction of Rukmini from the mouths of those people who had gone with the king's daughter to watch over her. Rajas S'isupal and Jurasindhu, in great wrath, putting on coats of mail and helmets, fastening waist-belts, attached all their weapons, and each taking his army, hurried after Krishiia to fight with him ; and having gone near him, flourish- ing about their weapons, they challenged thus, " Ho ! why are Prem-SAgar 169 you fleeing away ? Stop ! take your arms and fight. Those who aie Khatriyas, heroes and braves, do not turn their backs in the field." Maharaj ! on hearing these words the Yadavas again faced them, and the weapons began to fly on both sides. Then the child Rukmini, greatly alarmed, concealing herself with her veil, was weeping much, and heaving deep sighs ; and looking steadfastly at the face of her lover, reflecting in her inmost heart, was saying thus, " He, for me, is enduring this affliction." The Lord, the Searcher of Hearts, knowing the secret of Rukmini's mind, said, " Beautiful one ! why art thou fearing ? In thy very sight, having smitten the Asura army, I will remove the burden of the earth. Do not thou be anxious in thy mind on any point." Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! at that time, the gods, seated in their respective cars, are seeing what from the sky ? that — The Yadavas are warring with the Asuras ; there is a great battle ; Krishna stands looking on ; Balaram is fighting. The kettle-drvmi is sounding ; bards are singing war-songs ; panegyrists are celebrating glories ; horseman with horseman, elephant-rider with elephant-rider, charioteer with charioteer, foot-soldier with foot-soldier, are in close combat. Heroes and braves of this side and that, attacking each other, are striking blows ; and cowards, abandoning the field, are fleeing with their lives. The wovmded are standing up writhing ; headless trunks, with swords in their hands, are moving around on all sides ; and corpses on corpses are lying about. From them a river of blood has flowed ; in that, here and there, elephants, who have fallen dead, appear like islands, and their trunks like alligators. Mahadev, accompanied by ghosts, goblins, and spirits, choosing heads, were making and wearing skull-garlands ; and vultures, jackals, and dogs, fighting among themselves, were dragging away at the corpses, and rending and devouring them. Crows, plucking out the eyes from the carcases, were carrying them off. At length, in the very sight of the gods, Balaram Ji cut down the Asura army as an agriculturist cuts down his crop. Thereupon Jurasindhu and S'isupal, on their whole army being destroyed, accompanied by a few of the wounded, fled, and went to a place, and halted. There S'isupal, with many regrets, shaking his head, said to Jurasindhu, " Now that ignominy has been attained, and a stain put on the family, it is not right to live in the world ; there- fore, should you give leave, I will go into the battle and die fighting. Otherwise, I will make the woods my dwelling ; I will take Yogi vows ; I will abandon all hope ; Honour and character are gone ; now why should I live ? why, by preserving life, should I accept disgrace ? " 1 70 Prem-Sagar Having heard this speech, Jurasindhu said, " Maharaj ! 3'ou are wise, and in all things intelligent ; ^ how shall I counsel you ? Those who are intelligent people do not grieve over what has occurred ; - because the Creator of good and evil is quite another. Man has no power ; this dependent one is subject to another. As a wooden image, when the juggler makes it dance, dances ; just so man is subject to the Creator. He does what he pleases ; therefore, in pleasure and pain no delight or grief should be felt ; all should be regarded as a dream. I took twenty-three separate complete armies, seventeen times, and attacked the city of Mathura, and this very Krishna seventeen times defeated the whole of my army. I felt no grief ; and, the eighteenth time, when the army of this one was destroyed, I felt no delight either. This one fled, and ascended a mountain ; I burnt him just there ; there is no knowing how this one lived ; the conduct of this one is in no wise to be understood." Having said this, Jurasindhu added, " Maharaj ! this is now fitting, that this circumstance should be set aside. It is said, that, if life be spared, then after- wards everything remains ; as it happened to me ; having been defeated seventeen times, I conquered the eighteenth time. Therefore, that should be done, in which 3'our welfare may be, and perverseness should be abandoned," Maharaj ! when Jurasindhu had thus counselled and spoken, the other one was somewhat comforted, and taking with him as many wounded soldiers as were saved, with sorrow and regret, accompanied Jurasindhu. These, then, having been thus defeated, went from here. But listen to the aff"airs of the place where the house of S'isupal was. Anticipating the return of her son, when the mother of S'isupal began to prepare festivities, a sneeze occurred before her, and her right eye began to throb. Having perceived this ill omen, her forehead throbbed ; hereupon some- one came and said, "Your son's entire army is cut up, and even the bride has not been obtained ; now, fleeing thence, he comes with his bare life." On hearing these words, the mother of S'isupal was greatly troubled, and remained speechless. Afterwards, having heard of the flight of S'isupal and Jura- sindhu, Rukma, in great anger, came and sat in his council, and began to declaim to all, thus, " Krishna can never escape from my hands to go anywhere.^ I will go immediately, kill him, and bring back Rukmini ; then my name is Rukma ; otherwise, I will not again come into Kundalpur." Maharaj ! having thus vowed, taking one complete army, Rukma hastened forth to fight with S'ri Krishna Chand ; and he went and surrounded the army of the Yadavas. Then that one said to his people, " Do you slay ^ jdn here is iox jnani. ' huj is adjective to bat, meaning "the affair which has come to pass," or " existent circumstances." ^ Lit., " Krishna, having escaped from my hands, where is he able to go?" The interrogative is often used to imply the impossibility of an event. Prem-Sagar 171 the Yadavas, and I will go forward, and capture Krishna Hving." On hearing these words, his companions began to fight with the Yadubansis, and he, driving his chariot forward, and going near S'ri Krishna Chand, challenged him and said, " O treacherous rustic ! what dost thou know of royal practices ? Just as in infancy thou didst steal milk and curds, so thou hast come here also and removed the beautiful one. I am not a herdsman inhabiting Braj." Saying this he took arrows. He selected those dipped in poison ; drawing the bow he discharged three arrows. Seeing those arrows coming, S'ri Krishna Chand cut them just in their flight. ^ Then Rukma discharged other arrows ; the Lord cut and threw down them also, and preparing his own bow, discharged several arrows so that the charioteer, along with the horses of the chariot, were obliterated ; and the bow being cut from his (Rukma's) hand, fell down. Then Hari cut and threw down as many weapons as he employed. Then he, exceedingly enraged, took up shield and sword, and leaping from the chariot, sprang towards S'ri Krishna Chand, as a foolish jackal comes at an elephant, or as a moth rushes at a lamp. At length, on coming up, he attacked the chariot of Hari with a club, where- upon the Lord at once seized and bound him, and was about to kill him, when Rukmini Ji said, — " Kill him not ; he is my brother ; release, O Lord ! your servant. Fool and blind, what does he know ? The very husband of Lakshmi he esteems mortal. You are the Lord of devotion, first and eternal ; for the sake of worshipper you manifest yourself, O Deity ! How could this stupid recognize you ? or celebrate you ? O Kind to the Lowly ! O Compassionate One ! " Having said this, she pursued, " Good people take no notice of the faults of fools and children, as the lion bestows no thought on the barking of a dog. And if you should kill this one, there will be grief to my father ; and to do this is not right of you. In whatever place your feet fall, all creatures there are in delight. It would be a very strange thing if, with a relation such as you,^ Raja Bhishmak should suffer grief for a son." Maharaj ! having spoken thus, Rukmini Ji once more said, " You have acted well ^ bich hi, " the very midst," that is, in the midst, or course, of their passage through the air. Eastwick translates " severed them in two " ; \i\x\. bich hi kdtnd means " to ward off" any weapon thrown. - rahte is elliptical, meaning "on the being," or "during the existence"; therefore the phrase is, " while a relation such as you exists ; " the inference being that so powerful a son-in-law ought to protect his father-in-law from ill, and not himself be the source of misery. 172 Prem-Sagar towards a relative, in that you have seized and bound him, and with sword in hand, are ready to slay him." Then becoming extremely agitated, trembling, with eyes filled with tears, sobbing, and falling at his feet, she beseechingly ^ resumed : — " O Lord ! give to me my relative [as] an alms ; obtain thus much glory in the world." From hearing this remark, and from looking towards Rukmini Ji, all the anger of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji was tranquillized ; then he did not slay him,^ but beckoned to the charioteer. He quickly stripped off his turban, and tying his hands behind his back, and shaving his moustaches, beard, and head, leaving seven locks of hair, bound him behind the chariot. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maha- raj ! S'ri Krishna, in this direction, reduced Rukma to this con- dition, and, from yonder, Baladev, having cut up and defeated the whole army of Asuras, came to meet his brother as a white elephant, having broken off, eaten, and scattered the lotuses in a lotus-pool, wearying [of the sport] retires. At length, after a time, he came near the Lord, and perceiving Rukma bound, very testily said to S'ri Krishna Ji, "What is this you have done, that you have seized and bound your brother-in-law ? Your bad habits are not departing — In binding this one you have shown little sense ; by this, Krishna ! you have made a breach in the relationship ; And have fixed a stain on the Yadu family ; now who will form [matrimonial] alliance with us ? -^ When this one came before you to fight, why did you not counsel him and send him back ? " Maharaj ! having spoken thus, Balaram Ji released and counselled Rukma, and very cour- teously dismissed him. Then joining his hands with great humility, Balaram, the abode of happiness, said to Rvikmini Ji, " O beauteous one ! this condition of your brother which has occurred involves no fault of ours ; this is the fruit of his actions done in a former birth. And it is, also, the duty of Kshatriyas, on account of territory, wealth, and women, to mutually equip armies, and to make war [on each other]. Do not be displeased at what has happened ; regard my statement as the very truth, [that] defeat and victory are associated intimately with him.^ But this world is an ocean of misery ; having come here, where is happiness ? ^ god pasdrnd mtscns literally " to spread out the skirt," that is, to ask some gift ; hence, to beseech, beg, entreat. ^ Lit., " strike him from life." ^ For kari hai read karihai, " will do." The hai is the sign of the Braj Future tense. * Hdr and Jii are both feminine, but the singular verb is used to agree with the nearer of the two. The M is eiKphatic to indicate the intimacy of the connection ; the sense being that such changes of circumstances are unavoidably connected with the soldier's calling. Prem-SAgar 173 But men, being in the power of delusion, acknowledge from pure imagination,! [such things as] misery and happiness, good and bad, defeat and victory, association and separation ; but in this [matter] there is no delight [or] grief to the soul. Do not be uneasy at your brother's being disfigured ; for wise folk say the soul [is] immortal, destruction [is predicable] of the body, on this account, from the body's being dishonoured, nothing of the soul's is gone." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Incarnation of virtue ! when Balaram Ji had thus counselled Rukmini, — Having heard, the beauteous one reflected in her mind, and was ashamed [in presence] of her husband's elder brother ; With a sign - she says to her loved one, " Urge on the chariot, O King of Braj ! " She screens her body with a veil, and utters the sweet speech to Hari ; " Balada^u stands before us, O husband ! drive the chariot quickly." As soon as this speech had issued from the mouth of S'ri Rukmini Ji, on the one side S'ri Krishna Chand Ji drove the chariot towards Dvvaraka, and, on the other side, Rukma, going among his people, began, with deep concern, to say, " I came from Kundalpur having made this vow, that I will go at once and, having slain Krishna and Balaram, along with all the Yadubaiisis, will bring back Rukmini. That vow of mine has not been fulfilled ; but, on the contrary, I have lost my honour. Now I shall no longer live ; having abandoned this country and the condition of a householder,-^ and having become a Vairagi, I will go somewhere and die.'' When Rukma had said this, someone among his people said, " Maharaj ! you are a great hero, and very powerful ; in that ■* they escaped alive from your hand was their good fortune ; they got out by force of their destiny ; ^ otherwise, when can any enemy, opposing you, escape alive ? You are sagacious ; why contemplate such a course [as that which you have just ex- pressed] ? sometimes there is defeat, sometimes victory ; but it is the duty of warriors and heroes not to abandon fortitude. Well, then ! the enemy has escaped to-day, another time we ^ man hi man se, " from notliing but tlie mind." ^ f/idn/nn = men ; sainon men, or sainon se, means "with signs, winks, gestures." •* Grihasthasrama is the state or condition of a householder, involving all social duties and worldly cares. ^ Jo is the equivalent of " in that," and the correlative is so ; literally, "from your hand in that they escaped living, that same was their good time." The plural "good days" indicates "fortune," "luck." ' Yox prdrabdh yqz6. prdrabdhi. 1 74 Prem-SAgar shall slay him." Maharaj ! when this one had thus counselled Rukma, the latter began to say this, " Listen, — [I have been] defeated by them, and honour is gone ; in my heart there is much shame ; May I die^ [if] I go to Kundalpur ; rather let me found an altogether different town." Having said this, he founded a city, and sent for his son, wife, and property ; It - was named Bhojakatu. In this way Rukma founded a town. Maharaj ! on that side, Rukma, then, remained there at enmity with King Bhishmak ; and, on this side, S'ri Krishna Chand and Baladev Ji, proceeding on, drew near to Dwaraka. When the dust flew about and overshadowed the sky, the citizens became aware [of his approach]. As soon as they perceived Hari coming, they prepared the city ; Its beauty became that of the three worlds ; ^ by whom can it be uttered ? '^ Then there were festivities in every house ; at every door posts of plantain were fixed ; golden vessels with water and fresh sprouts were placed ; flags and banners fluttered ; garlands and wreaths were attached ; and in every market, road, and square, troops upon troops of 3'oung maidens were standing bear- ing four-sided lamps ; -^ and Raja Ugrasen also, along with all the Yadubaiisis, advancing triumphantly to meet them, with every customary ceremony ,'' conducted Balaram, the abode of happi- ness, and S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of joy, into the city. The beauty of the preparation at that time is indescribable. In the hearts of all, both women and men, joy was diffused. Coming before the Lord, all of them respectively were welcoming him with presents ; and the women, from their doors, gates, pavilions, and upper rooms, were singing songs of rejoicing, and lowering down drtcis^^ and raining down flowers ; and S'ri Krishna Chand and * Janm na hon, " let not births be," that is, future l^irths. He imprecates janm-t>mran, or " eternal death, " on himself. " For tdkaitn read td kau ; it is the genitive inflexion, meaning, "its name was fixed as Bhojakatu." ^ All the splendours of heaven, earth, and hell were concenti\ated in it. ■• kauii pai = kis se, meaning that no one can describe the beauty of the city. ^ A lamp divided into four compartments and having four wicks, emblematic of the four -faced Brahma, is used at every Hindu marriage ceremony. ^ riti bhanti kar, " with customs and manners " ; that is, all sorts of customary ceremonies. ' The drtd ceremony is performed at marriages. It consists of presenting the bridegi-Qom, on his reaching the house of the bride, with a platter, divided into several compartments ; in the midst of which there is a lamp made of flour filled with ghi, in which there are several lighted wicks. This object is waved round the head of the bridegroom. Prem-Sagar 175 Baladev Ji, as was fitting, kept on delighting the hearts of all. At length, proceeding on in this way, they reached and entered the royal palace. Some days afterwards, one day S'ri Krishna Ji went into the royal court, where Raja Ugrasen, Siirasen, Vasudev, and all the other greatest Yadubaiisis were seated ; and having saluted, he said before them, " When anyone, having conquered in battle, carries off a beauteous one, it is called a Rakshas marriage." On hearing this statement, Surasen Ji summoned the Purohit, and, advising him, said, " Do you fix the day for S'ri Krishna's marriage." He immediately opened an almanac, and seeing a good month, day, time, and asterism, and reflecting on a pro- pitious sun and moon, he fixed the wedding-day. Then Raja Ugrasen gave this order to his minister, " Do you get together all that is necessary for the marriage " ; and, sitting down him- self, and writing various letters, had them sent away, in the charge of Brahmaus, to the Pandavas, Kauravas, and other kings of the country and foreign parts. Maharaj ! on receiving the letter, all the kings, respectively being pleased, arose and hastened, and they were accompanied by Brahmans, Pandits, bards, and even beggars. And on receiving the news, Raja Bhishmak also, having con- signed to a Brahman much clothes, weapons, jewelled ornaments, and chariots, elephants, horses, slaves, and sedan chairs with female slaves, and in his very heart vowing the gift of his daughter, ver}' humbly sent to Dwaraka. From one direction, the kings of various countries came ; and from this other direc- tion, that Brahman also came, bearing all the paraphernalia sent by Raja Bhishmak. The splendour of Dwaraka city at that time is indescribable. Afterwards the marriage-day arrived ; then, with all the usual ceremonies, the husband and girl were taken beneath the marriage-structure and seated. And all the greatest chiefs of the Yadubansi race also came and sat down. Then, — The Pandits there are reciting the Vedas ; Hari with Ruk- mini is circumambulating round ; Drums, kettle-drums, and pipes are resounding; the delighted gods are raining down flowers ; Mystics, saints, bards, and heavenly minstrels, being 1 in the sky, are all looking on ; Seated in cars around they are bending their heads ; the wives of the gods are all singing songs of rejoicing. The Lord hand in hand^ [with Rukmini] finished the perambulation, and seated Rukmini on the left side ; ^ baye is here exceptionally used for hokar. It will be seen that ihe verbal forms here are all aoristic. ^ hath gahyati = "hand-taken"; part of the ceremony of a Hindu marriage being the perambulation seven times round the sacred fire, hand in hand, and tied together. The next line relates that the knots were unloosened. 176 Prem-Sagar The knot was undone, the sitting-board was returned ; the family goddess was then worshipped ; Hari and the beauteous one unloose the bracelet ; they sport with the prepared milk and rice ; Exceeding delight penetrated the Lord of the world ; having looked on and being delighted, all give ^ blessings ; " May the pair Hari and Rukmini live long ; whose nature has imbibed the water of immortality." They gave gifts to the Brahmaus who had come ; they clothed the minstrels and panegyrists ; The kings who had come from various countries, they dis- missed and escorted all back.- Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! the person who shall read and hear the story of Hari and Rukmini, and having read and heard shall bear it in mind, shall obtain faith, salvation, and renown. Again, the fruit which results from the horse and other sacrifices,^ the bestowal of cows and other creatures, bathing in the Ganges and other streams, the making of pilgrimages to Prayag and other places, that fruit is obtained by relating and hearing the story of Hari. CHAPTER LVI. The birth of Pradyumna — He Ls carried off by Sambar and cast into the sea — He is swallowed by a fish, and brought back to Sambar's kitchen — He is there nourished by Rati, by desire of Sambar — On attaining his majority he slays Sambar and carries oft' Rati. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! one da}' S'ri Mahadev Ji •* was seated in his own place in meditation, when ^ all at once Kamadev ^ came and annoyed [him]. Then Hara's^ meditation was broken, and, becoming deprived, of knowledge, he began to sport with Parvati Ji.^ Hereupon, after some time, when knowledge returned to S'iva Ji while he was continuing dallying, he became enraged and burnt Kamadev to ashes. ^ dmihin is the 3rd pers. pi. Pres. It is the Aorist den fortified by a termina- tion, such forms being common colloquially, - The allusions in these verses are to customs and ceremonies of Hindu marriage hich would require an essay to explain. * For aswainedddi read aswamedhddi. ■* Mahadev is a name of S'iva. * The particle Z'zhere merely marks a transition of ideas, which I have expressed by " when." ^ KAmadev, " the god of desire," a name of the Indian Cupid. 7 Hara is another name of S'iva. 8 Parvati is the name of S'iva's wife. Prem-SAgar 177 When S'iva burnt up the powerful Kamadev, Rati ^ lost all fortitude ; Without a husband the pure one is greatly agitated ; her body agitated and restless. Kama's wife wanders about, writhing, and crying "Husband! husband ! " embraces the earth. Perceiving the woman greatly distressed without her hus- band, Gaura^ thus addressed her, — " O Rati! do not be anxious ; hear the secret by which thou wilt meet with thy husband. I relate it [now] : First, then, he will be born in the house of S'ri Krishna Chand, and his name will be Pradyumna. Afterwards Sambar ^ will take him away and will set him adrift on the ocean. Then through being in the stomach of a fish,^ he will come into the kitchen of that very Sambar. Do thou go and remain just there ; when he comes thou wilt take and nourish ^' him. Then he, having slain Sambar, will take thee with him, and go into Dwaraka and dwell there happily." Maharaj ! — S'iva's queen thus counselled Rati. Then, recovering forti- tude, she came to Sambar's house ; The beauteous one in the kitchen remains ; night and day expecting her loved one." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! there Rati, with the hope of meeting the loved one, began to stay thus ; and here Rukmini became pregnant ; and in ten months, in full time, a son was born. Having received this news, the astrologers came, settled the propitious moment, and said to Vasudev, '' Maharaj ! having seen the lucky star of this child, it occurs to us that, in beauty, goodness, and bravery, he will be equal to S'ri Krishna Chand Ji himself ; but during in- fancy he will remain in water ; afterwards, having slain an enenty, he will come and meet you with his wife." Saying this, and fixing his name as Pradyumna, the astrologers took their fee, and were dismissed ; and, in the house of Vasudev, the customary cere- monies and rejoicings began. Afterwards, S'ri Narad, the saint, having gone and forthwith counselled Sambar, said, " In what [sort of] sleep art thou sleeping ? Hast thou consciousness or ' /I'fl/?, "delight" or "pleasure," is the name of Kamadev's wife, the Indian Psyche. * Gaura is a name of Pilrvati, the wife of S'iva. •^ Sambar, or properly S'ambara, is the name of a Daitya or demon of drought. II is legend goes back to Vedic times. ^ pet men ho, "having been in the stomach." This use of lio or hok.ir is equivalent to vid. ^ The Imperative in -iyo implies futurity. It differs from the form -iye, which is respectful. *■ Lit.y " wishing for the loved one's path." N 178 Prem-Sagar not?'' He said, "What?" This one replied, "The incar- nation of thy enemy Kama, named Pradyumna, is born in the house of S'ri Krishna Chand." Raja ! Narad Ji, having thus cautioned Sarnbar, departed ; and Sambar, reflecting in his inmost heart, fixed upon this device, " In the form of wind, I will go there and fetch him away, and set him adrift on the ocean ; then the anxiety of my mind will be obliterated, and I shall become void of fear." With this thought, Sambar arose from there, and becoming invisible, went on and came into the palace of S'ri Krishiia Chand, where Rukmini Ji, in the lying-in chamber, pressing with her hand and fondling to her breast, was giving milk to the babe. And he silently stood in ambush. As soon as Rukmini Ji's hand became separated from the child, the Asura, disseminating his illusion, took him up and so conveyed him away that, among the women seated there, no one either saw or knew who had come, or m what form, or how he had taken [the child] up and carried it off. Afterwards, not seeing the child, Rukmini Ji was exceed- ingly agitated, and began to cry. Having heard the sound of her weeping, all the Yadubaiisis, both men and women, came around, and giving utterance to a variety of remarks, began to be anxious. Hereupon Narad Ji ^ having arrived, counselled them all, and said, " Do not be at all apprehensive at the departure of the child. He has nothing to fear. He may go anywhere, but death will not affect him. Childhood having passed, he will come and meet you along with a beautiful wife." Maharaj ! having thus imparted the secret to all the Yadubaiisis, and counselled them, when Narad had taken leave, they also, having thought the matter over, became satisfied. Now hear the tale further. Sambar, who had carried away Pradyumna, threw him into the ocean. There a fish swallowed him ; that fish was swallowed by another big fish. Hereupon a fisherman having gone there, as soon as he threw his net, that fish entered it. The fisherman, having drawn the net, and seen the fish, being exceedingly pleased, took it, and came home. At length that fish was given by him to Raja Sambar. The Raja accepted it and sent it to his kitchen. When the cook cut that fish open, another fish came from within it. When the stomach of that one was split open, a dark-complexioned, very beautiful boy came from within it. On seeing that he was much as- tonished ; and he took that boy and gave it to Rati. She accepted it with the greatest pleasure. Sambar heard of this affair, and sending for Rati, said, " Nourish this boy excellently with care." Hearing this remark of the king. Rati, taking that boy, came to her own house. Then Narad Ji going there said, — * For na read ne ; and for samjn&kar read samjhakar. Prem-Sagar 1 79 " Now do thou carefully uourish this one ; then the husband Pradaman will come and manifest himself. Having killed Sambar, he will take thee away ; his infancy will be passed here." ^ Having imparted this much of the secret, Narad the saint de- parted, and Rati, very kindly and attentively, began to nourish [the child]. As the boy grew up the desire of meeting her husband grew upon Rati. Sometimes she looked upon his form and affectionately pressed him to her bosom ; sometimes, kissing his eyes, mouth, and cheeks, she herself smilingly clung to his neck, and was saying thus, — " The Lord has brought about this fortunate conjuncture; I have found my husband in a fish." And, Maharaj ! She brought milk affectionately, and kindly caused him to drink it ; Dandling him and singing his praises, she, loving, was calling him " husband." Afterwards, when Pradyumna was five years old, Rati, dressing him in various kinds of clothes and ornaments, began to realise the desire - of her heart, and to give pleasure to her eyes. Then when that boy, taking hold of the hem of Rati's garment, began to say, " Mother ! mother ! " she, laughing, said, " O husband ! what is this you are saying ? I am your wife ; do you reflect in your heart and look [into the matter]. Parvati said this to me, * Do thou go and stay in Sambar's house ; thy husband will be born in the house of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji ; he will come to thee through the stomach of a fish.' And Narad Ji also said, ' Do not thou be dejected ; thy husband is coming to meet thee.''^ Since then, cherishing the hope of meeting you, I have taken up my abode here. By your coming my hope is fulfilled." Having said this. Rati then taught her husband the whole science of archery. When he became clever in archery, one day Rati said to her husband, " Husband ! now it is no longer right to remain here ; because your mother, S'ri Rukmini Ji, without you is as pained and distressed as a cow without a calf ; hence this is proper that, having slain Sambar, you should take me with you, go into Dwaraka, and show yourself to your mother and father, and give pleasure to those who are longing to see you." S'ri S'ukadev Ji, having recounted this aflFair, said to the king : — Maharaj ! in this way hearing Rati's words again and again, when ^ For difai hai read bitaihai. The hai is only the termination of the Future tense. " The word sdd\% generally feminine ; but is treated as masculine in all editions of the Piem-Sagar. ■' The Present tense is here used for the proximate Future, meaning " He will soon rejoin you." N 2 i8o Prem-SAgar Pradyumna Ji was grown up, one day, playing about, he went near to Raja Sambar. Upon seeing him, esteeming him as his own very son, he tenderly said, " I have brought this boy up as my own son." As soon as he heard this, Pradyumna Ji very angrily said, " I, a child, am thy enemy ; now do thou fight and see my strength." Saying thus, he challenged ^ and confronted him. Then Sambar laughingly said, " Brother ! whence has this second Pradyumna come on my account ? What ! have I fed with milk and developed a snake, that he is speaking thus ? " Having said this, he continued, " Why art thou saying these words ? Are the messengers of death come to take thee ? " Maharaj ! as soon as he heard these words from the mouth of Sambar, he said, " Pradyumna is my own name ; do thou to-day fight with me. Thou, indeed, sent me adrift " on the ocean ; but now I am come again to take my revenge. Thou thyself hast developed thine own death in thine own house. Who is whose son ? and who is whose father ? " ^ Hearing this, Sambar seized a weapon ; the temper of his heart was inflated with anger ; Like the foot placed in the dark on the tail of a snake. Then Sambar sent for all his army, and taking Pradyumna outside, and angrily raising a club, and roaring like a thunder- cloud, said, " Let me see now who will save thee from death." Saying this, as he rushed forward and struck out with a club, Pradyumna easily cut it down. Then that one angrily hurled fiery arrows, and this one, letting go watery arrows, extinguished them. Then Sambar, with excessive anger, made [use of] all the weapons which were near him ; but this one promptly cut them down one after the other.^ When no weapon was left in his possession, Pradyumna angrily rushed forward and grappled [with him], and a wrestling match began between them. After a time, this one fiew up to the sky with that one ; having arrived there, he cut off his head with a sword, and threw it down ; and came back and slaughtered the army of the Asuras. Sambar being slain, Rati obtained happiness ; and immediately a car came from heaven. Rati and her husband both mounted and seated themselves upon it, and went to Dwaraka, as if a beautiful cloud were going accompanied by lightning. And proceeding onwards, they arrived where golden palaces were glittering, like the lofty Sumeru mountain.^ Descending from ' Lit., "to strike the arms," because wrestlers strike their hands on the arms before ti"ying a fall. ^ Notice this emphatic form of the Past tense, which is difficult to render exactly in English. It is proHuced by placing the auxiliary in the early part of a phrase; and is common colloquially. Here it also assists one of Laliil l^al's jingling rhymes ; for bahSyd is intended to rhyme with phir dya. ^ These interrogatives, as is often the case, imply a denial, meaning, " I am not your son ; neither are you my father." ■• ''one after the other " is implied in the repetition oi kat. * Stimcru, or, as it is more commonly written. Merit, is a falndous moun lain of Prem-Sagar i8i the car, they both suddenly entered the female apartments. Having seen them, all the beauteous ones were startled, and, having supposed that S'ri Krishna was come accompanied by a beautiful woman, they were abashed. But no one knew this secret that it was Pradyumna ; all were calling him nothing but Krishna. 1 Hereupon, when Pradyumna Ji said, " Where are our parents } " Rukmini Ji said to her friends, " O friends ! who is this one in the likeness of Hari ? " They said, " It occurs to us that this is undoubtedly " the son of Krishna alone." As soon as she heard these words, a stream of milk flowed forth from the breast of Rukmini Ji, and her left arm began to throb, and her heart was agitated to embrace him ; but without her husband's permission she was unable to embrace him. Then Narad Ji having come there, and having related the foregoing story, obliterated the doubt from all their minds. Then Rukmini Ji, running, kissed the head of her son, pressed him to her bosom ; and having effected the marriage with the customary ceremonies, received her son and his wife into the house. Then all the Yadubafisis, both women and men, came, and made festivity, and were highly delighted. In every house songs of congratulation resounded ; and happiness was diffused throughout the whole city of Dwaraka. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! in this way Pradyumna having been born, and having spent his youth elsewhere, and slain his enemy, came into the city of Dwaraka accompanied by Rati. In every house joy and festivities took place. CHAPTER LVII. The wondrous jewel Sumantaka is obtained from the Sun by Satrajit — It is lost by his brother Prasen, and falls into the possession of Jamwant, a bear — Krishna recovers the jewel and returns it to Satrajit, and receives Satibhama in marriage as a recompense. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! Satrajit'^ at first accused S'ri Krishna Chand of stealing a jewel ; afterwards perceiving the the Himalayas, of stupendous proportions, on which the river Ganges falls, in its descent from heaven to earth. It is compared to the heart of a lotus, from which the several regions of the universe extend like the petals. Its four faces, fronting east, south, west, and north, are coloured white, yellow, black, and red, respectively ; and the Regents of the four cardinal points occupy their appropriate sides of the mountain. The summit is the residence of Brahma, and it is a favourite resort of the subordinate divinities and saints. ^ Lit., " Krishna, only Krishna, they were saying." ^ samajh men and, " to come into comprehension," "to occur to one's appre- hension." The phrase ho na ho, " be or not be," " whatever may be or not be," is used adverbially to express "undoubtedly," or " unquestionably." ^ Satrdjtt means "always conquering," and also "conqueror of the great." i82 Prem-SAgar falsity [of the charge], and becoming ashamed, he ^ gave his daughter Satibhama in marriage to Hari. Having heard this, King Parikshit asked S'ri S'ukadev Ji, thus: — O abode of compassion ! who was Satrajit ? where did he obtain the jewel ? and how did he accuse Hari of theft ? afterwards, how did he discover the falsity and give the girl in marriage ? Do you expound and tell me this. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! please listen ; I will explain all this. 2 Satrajit was a Yadava. For a long time he performed a very arduous austerity to the Sun ; then the Sun-god, being pleased, called him near, and giving him a jewel, said, " The name of this jewel is Sumantaka,'^ in it is the abiding-place of happiness and prosperity ; always honour it, and esteem it my equal in power and glory. If thou shalt meditate upon it with prayer, penance, self-restraint, and vows, thou wilt obtain from this any- thing thou mayest ask.'^ In whatever country, city, or house this shall go, misery, poverty, and death will never come ; good times will always be there ; and so also will there be increase and success." Maharaj ! having spoken thus, the Sun-god dismissed Satrajit ; and he, taking the jewel, came to his house. Afterwards, rising quite early, having performed his morning ablution and being released from his meditations and libations, he was ever in the habit of worshipping the jewel with sandal, whole rice, flowers, incense, lamps, and consecrated food ; and taking the eight loads of gold which issued from that jewel, he remained happy. One day while worshipping, Satrajit, having looked uponUhe beauty and splendour of the jewel, reflected within himself,^ thus, " It would be well were this jewel taken and shown to S'ri Krishna Chand." Having reflected thus, and having fastened the jewel on his neck, Satrajit went into the assembly of the Yadubaiisis. Having perceived the brilliance of the jewel from a distance, all the Yadubansis rose up, and said to S'ri Krishna Ji, "Maharaj! the Sun is advancing from a longing desire to see you. Brahma, Rudra, Indra, and all the other gods, are meditating on you ; and fixing their thought on you the entire day they are celebrating your praises. You are the indestructible First Male ; Kamala^ He was the son of Nighna and the father of Satyabhama ; and was killed by S'atadhanwan. ^ For ns se read ? Intimating that he escaped by a miracle. ^ Haladhar, " the bearer of the plough," a name of Balaram. Prem-Sagar 215 You wrote and sent, indeed, these words, ' Come and release me from S'isupal.' That engagement was yours ; it was no wish of mine. At present you have lost nothing, [therefore] beauteous onel heed my words : — Should there be any high-familied, virtuous, and powerful sovereign worthy of you, go and live with him." Maharaj ! on hearing this speech, S'ri Rukmini Ji, being astounded, staggered, and fell down, and dropped on the earth ; and, like a fish deprived of water, fluttered, became senseless, and began to heave deep sighs. Then, — Here, the curls, on her beautiful face, were entangled to- gether ; Like the Moon, in forgetfulness, fallen ; or a snake drinking the water of life. Having seen this action, S'ri Krishna Chand, saying this much, rose up in trepidation, " This one, indeed, is just abandoning life ;"'! and, having become four-armed, went up to her, and raising her up with two arms, and seating her on his lap, with one arm he began to fan her, and with another hand to arrange her curls. Maharaj ! then the beloved of Nand, become subject to love, began to make a variety of efforts. Sometimes he was wiping the moon-face of the beloved one with his silken robe, sometimes he was placing his soft lotus-like hand on her heart. At length, after some time, life came back into the soul of S'ri Rukmini Ji. Then Hari said, — "Thou, indeed, O beauteous one! [hast] deep love ; thou didst not retain any fortitude in thy heart ; Thou, in thy mind, thoughtest, ' [I am] really abandoned.' I, jesting with love, was depressing [you]. Now, do thou, O beauteous one, be comforted ; tranquillize thy spirits, and unclose thy eyes ; As long as thou art not speaking, O beloved one ! so long I am experiencing heavy affliction." The lady, hearing the words of her lover, became conscious ; having opened her lotus-eyes, she looked. On seeing that Krishna held her in his lap, she was ashamed, and greatly abashed in heart ; In confusion she arose and stood up, and joined hands, and fell at Hari's feet ; Krishna said, putting his hand on her back, " Good ! good ! in that [thou] from love [became] insensible ! I arranged a joke, and that you understood as the very truth. It is not fitting to be angry over a jesting matter. Arise ; now put away anger, and remove grief from your heart." ' That is, " on the point of death." 2i6 Prem-Sagar Maharaj ! on hearing these words, S'ri Rukmini Ji arose, and, joining her hands and bowing her head, said, " Maharaj ! that which you said, to wit,^*Iam not suitable to you,' was truly said ; because you are the husband of Lakshmi, and the Lord of S'iva and Viranch ; who is your equal in the three worlds ? O Lord of the Universe ! the person who should leave you and hasten to another, he is as one who, neglecting the glory of Hari, should sing the praises of a vulture. Maharaj ! that which you said, to wit, ' Do you look out for some very powerful king ' ; [as to] that, who in the three worlds is more powerful and a greater king than you ? Tell me that. " Brahma, Rudra, Lidra, and all the remaining boon-giving deities, are at your service ; by your favour they give boons to and make very strong, renowned, famous, and glorious, those whom they please ; and those people who, for a hundred years, perform some very difficult austerity for you, obtain royal dignity. Again, they who, forgetful of your service, meditation, prayer, and penance, abandon rectitude and act iniquitously, they themselves lose their all, and are depraved. Lord of Com- passion ! of you, indeed, there is ever this custom, that, for the sake of your devotees, having come into the world, you are again and again becoming incarnate, and destroying the wicked Rakshasas, and removing the burden of the earth, and giving happiness to your own people, make them successful. " And, O Lord ! on whomsoever is your great favour, and when he, having attained wealth, royalty, youth, beauty, and power, becoming blinded by conceit, forgets duty, destiny, penance, truth, compassion, worship, and service, then you cause him to become poor ; because the poor ever continue to meditate and reflect on you ; therefore a poor person is pleasing to you. Upon whom your great favour is to be, will ever remain destitute of wealth." Maharaj ! having said this, Rukmini resumed, " O Lord of Life ! I will not do as Amba, daughter of Indradawan, the king of the city of Kashi, did ; she left her husband, and went to Raja Bhishma ; and w4ien he did not keep her, then she went back to her husband ; then her husband turned her out, and she sat on the bank of the Ganges, and performed great penance to Mahadev. Bholanath ~ came and gave her the boon she asked ; by the power of this boon she went and took her revenge on Raja Bhishma. That will not be [done] by me.-'^ And you, O Lord ! have said this, ' Some mendicant extolled [me]. You paid heed to his statement, and sent a Brahman to me.' The mendicants were S'iva, Viranch, and S'arada ;'^ Narad at all times sings your praises. ^ Notice this use of ki. " Bholai.ath is a name of S'iva or Mahadev. ^ Equivalent to, " I cannot do that." ^ S'aiada, "autumnal," or "perennial"'; a name of both Durga and Saraswati. Prem-Sagar 217 A Brahman was sent, knowing you to be compassionate ; you came and effected the destruction of the wicked ; Knowing my meekness, you brought this handmaid with you ; you, O Lord ! have given me greatness." Having heard this, Krishna says, " Listen, beloved one ! you have experienced my knowledge, meditation, and pro- cedure ; 1 You were affectionately cognizant of service and devotion ; my heart honoured thee alone." Maharaj ! on hearing these words from the mouth of the Lord, becoming satisfied, Rukmini Ji again began to serve Hari. CHAPTER LXn. Krishna's whes have ten sons and one daughter each — Pradyumna carries off Charumati, and has a son by her ranied Aniruddha — Balaiam plays dice with RiU-ima — -He is clieated, and slays Rukma. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! having taken his sixteen thousand one hundred and eight wives, S'ri Krishna Chand began to sport with delight in the city of Dwaraka ; and the eight queens remain in Hari's attendance during the eight watches of the day. Ever rising at the dawn, one would wash his face ; another would apply unguents, and cause him to bathe ; another prepare and cause him to eat six-flavoured food ; another would make and feed the beloved one with nice pan^ prepared with cloves, cardamoms, mace, and nutmeg ; another, selecting clean clothes and jewel-studded ornaments, and having perfumed and prepared them, was causing the loved one to wear them ; and another was smoothing his feet [with her hands]. Maharaj ! in this way, all the queens, in various manners, served the Lord continually, and Hari, in every way, gave them happiness. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! in the course of several years, — Each of the queens of the Lord of the Yadus brought forth children ; Each had a daughter [like] Lakshmi, and ten dutiful sons apiece. ' The "knowledge" here spoken of is that understanding emanating from Krishna which fits the recipient for final emancipation ; the " meditation " is tlrat profound thought on Krishna which confers knowledge on the devotee ; and by " procedure "' is meant the course of conduct regulating transcendental things. 2i8 Prem-Sagar One hundred and sixty-one thousand, such was the increase, one in essence.^ These were the sons of Krishna, infinite in good quahties, strength, and beauty. All were cloud-coloured, moon-faced, lotus-eyed, and dressed in blue and yellow frocks ; with knotted-string and wooden charms placed on their necks, and in every house, by their respective childish sports, were giving happiness to their parents ; and their mothers, in a variety of ways cherishing them, were bringing them up. Maharaj ! having heard of the existence of the sons of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, Rukma said to his wife, " Now I will not give my daughter Charumati to the son of Kritavarma, who has asked for her. I will hold a Swayauivara. Do you send someone, and invite my sister Rukmini with her son." On hearing these words, Rukma's wife very humbly wrote a letter to her sister-in-law, and invited her with her son, by the assistance of a Brahman ;2 and arranged the Swayaihvara. On receiving the letter of her brother and sister-in-law, Rukmini Ji, receiving permission from S'ri Krishna Chand, and taking leave, proceeded on with her son, and reached, from Dwaraka, her brother's house in Bhojakat. Having seen her, Rukma obtained great happiness ; respect- fully he bowed down his head. Falling at her feet, the brother's wife said, "There was a carrying-ofT ; since then now you are come [for the first time]." 3 Having said this, she again said to Rukmini Ji, " Sister-in-law ! since you have come, show kindness and sympathy to us, and please take this daughter Charumati for your son." On hearing these words, Rukmini Ji said, " Sister-in-law ! you know your husband's course of action ; do not cause a quarrel to arise with anyone. Nothing can be predicated of my brother's affairs. Who knows what he may do, or when [he may do it] ? There- fore, on his saying or doing anything, there attaches apprehen- sion." Rukma said, " Sister ! now do you have no kind of fear ; no misfortune will arise. It is a direction of the Veda that, in the southern country, the gift of a daughter should be conferred 1 The arithmetic is a little wrong here ; for if each of the wives, as stated, had eleven children, there should have been a rising family of 177,188 sons and daughters. The Siikha-Sagara is also wrong, for that book specifically states that there were 121,080 sons and 16,108 daughters, or a total of 137.188 chil- dren. The Vishnu-Pwdna is nearer, and puts down the total as 180,000. The whole of these figures are, probably, astronomical. In Buddhist tradition 16,000 is spoken of as a desirable number of wives ; and 108 is a number of felicitous import all over India to the present day. 2 This phrase, Brahman ke hath, means " through or by means of a Brah- man." 3' That is, "This is the first time you have paid us a visit since you were carried off." Prem-Sagar 219 on a sister's son ; on this account, I will give my daughter Charumati to your son Pradyumna. Having abandoned an inimical disposition towards S'ri Krishna Ji, I will contract fresh relations [with him]." Maharaj ! having said this much, when Rukma rose from that place and went into the Court, Pradyumna Ji also, receiving permission from his mother, having arrayed himself, went into the Swayamvara. Then what do they see ! the kings of various countries, dressed in various kinds of garments, with weapons and ornaments fastened on, adorned, and having in their hearts the desire for marriage, were all standing ; and the girl, with the wreath of victory in her hand, casting her eyes around, was walking round in the midst ; but her eyesight was resting on no one. Hereupon, as soon as Pradyumna went into the midst of the tiwayamvara^ on seeing him, that girl, becoming fascinated, came [forward] and placed the wreath of victory on his neck. All the kings regretfully stood staring,^ with disconcerted counte- nances ; and began to say within themselves, '' Let us see how he will take away this girl from before us. We will snatch [her from him] in the road." Maharaj ! all the kings, then, were speaking thus, and Rukma conducted the husband and girl beneath the canopy, and having made vows according to Vedic ritual, gave the girl, and, in her dowry, gave very much wealth and objects, which were limitless. Subsequently, S'ri Rukmini Ji, having married her son, and taken leave of her brother and sister-in-law, taking the son and his wife, mounted the chariot, when she went to the city of Dwaraka, all the kings came and blocked the way, so that they should fight with Pradyumna, and take away the girl. Perceiving this evil intention of theirs, Pradyumna, also, taking his arms and weapons, was ready for the conflict. For some time they combated with each other ;2 at length Pradyumna Ji, having smitten and put them all to flight, arrived at the city of Dwaraka with joy and rejoicing. Having obtained news of his arrival, all the members of the family, both women and men, came out of the city and, with customary ceremonies, spreading silken foot-cloths, conducted him, with the sound of music. There was rejoicing throughout the whole city, and they began to reside happily in the palace. Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! after some years Pradyumna Ji, son of S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of joy, had a son. Then S'ri Krishna Ji, having summoned the astrologers, and caused all the members of the family to be seated, and provided an entertain- ment, named [the child] in the manner prescribed by the law- books. The astrologers having inspected the horoscope, and ^ jnimh dckhtc rah jatta means "to keep staring with astonishment." " Notice that the idea of mutuahty is here expressed by a repetition of the Ablative case. 2 2C Prem-Sagar settled the year, month, fortnight, solar day, lunar day, hour, the sign, and the lunar mansion, fixed upon Aniruddha ^ as the name of the boy. Then, — [He] cannot contain himself ; ~ the presenting of gifts and fees to the twice-born Gives no satiety to Krishna ; [for] a son is born to Prad- yumna.^ Maharaj ! having received the news of the existence of the grand- son, Rukma at first wrote this very kindly in a letter to his sister and his sister's husband, " Should your grandson be married to my granddaughter, it will be very pleasant ; " and afterwards, summoning a Brahman, and giving him roli^ unbroken rice, money, and a cocoa-nut, explained what he wanted thus : " Do you go into the city of Dwaraka, and, on my part, very humbly, "give the nuptial gifts to Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna, who is also my daughter's son, and then return." On hearing these words, the Brahman, taking the nuptial gift and the pro- pitious forecast along with him, proceeded on, and went to S'ri Krishna Chand in the city of Dwaraka. Having seen him, the Lord, with great courtesy and respect, asked, " Tell me, O god ! to what is your visit due ? " The Brahman said, " Maharaj ! I am sent by Raja Bhishmak's son Rukma, and I am come with the nuptial present and propitious forecast for uniting your grandson and his granddaughter." On hearing this statement, S'ri Krishna Ji, having summoned ten of the brotherhood, and accepted the nuptial present and forecast, gave a great deal to the Brahmaii, and dismissed him ; and going himself to Balaram Ji, began to think of starting. Ultimately those two brothers, rising up and going to Raja Ugrasen, related all the intelligence, and having taken leave of him, came forth, and sending about for all the paraphernalia of a marriage procession, they began to have it collected together. When, after several days, all the arrangements were ready, the Lord, with great pomp and ceremony, taking the marriage pro- cession, went from Dwaraka to the city of Bhojakat. Then, on a glittering chariot, S'ri Rukmini Ji was going along seated with her son and grandson ; and, seated in another chariot, S'ri Krishna Chand and Balaram were proceeding. At length, after a certain time, the Lord arrived there with them all. Maharaj ! on the arrival of the marriage procession, Rukma, taking with him Kalinga and all the other kings of the various countries, went out of the city, met the party, clothed them all ^ In the Temiya-Jataka, Aniruddha is spoken of as the nephew of Buddha ; affording one of the many points of union between the two faitiis. - fhiild tia sanidnd, " not to be contained puffed out," idiomatically expresses " to be overjoyed," "not to be able to contain oneself with joy." ■^ The sense is that Krishna was so overjoyed that no amount of extrava!;ance could satiate his desire to make presents. PrEM-SaGAR 22 1 in robes of honour, and most respectfully had them conducted into the female apartments. Afterwards, having caused all to eat and drink, he had them led under the pavilion, and he gave the girl according to Vedic ordinances. The presents which were given in her dowry to what extent can I describe ? It is unutterable. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! as soon as the marriage was completed, Raja Bhishmak went into the female apartments, and with joined hands, and great humility, said secretly to S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, " Maharaj ! the marriage is completed, and harmony prevails ; now please take thought for speedy departure, because, — ■ The kings and relatives whom Rukma has invited, they are all wicked and mischievous ; Let no strife arise with anyone ; for this very reason I speak, O Murari ! " As soon as Raja Bhishmak, having said this, had gone, Rukma came to S'ri Rukmini Ji, — Rukmini says loudly, " How shall we reach home ? The kings your guests, come here allied with you, are enemies. If you, brother ! wish us well, speedily come and conduct us ; Otherwise, in the midst of pleasantness unpleasantness will be seen arising." On hearing this speech, Rukma said, " Sister ! do not be anxious about anything. I, at first, will dismiss those kings who have come as guests from various countries ; after- wards I will do what you tell me." Having said this much, Rukma rose up from that place, and went to the kings who had come as guests. They began to say altogether, " Rukma ! you have bestowed all this property of your house vipon Krishna and Baladev ; and the}^, through pride, have not taken it in good part. This is one matter of chagrin to us ; and another is, that the thorn of that affair does not leave our hearts that Balaram disgraced you." Maharaj ! on hearing these words Rukma became angry. Then Raja Kalinga said, " One thing has occurred to me. If you tell me to do so, I will state it." Rukma said, " Tell me." Then he said, " We have nothing to do with S'ri Krishna ; but summon Balaram, then we, having played dice with him, will win back all the wealth. As he is conceited, we will send him back empty- handed." As soon as Kalinga had said this, Rukma rose up from thence, and, reflecting somewhat, went to Balaram Ji and said, " Maharaj ! all the kings have respectfully invited you to play dice." Having heard this, Balabhadra at once came there ; the kings arose and bowed their heads. Afterwards, all the kings, having acted courteously towards 2 22 PrEM-SAgAR Balaram Ji, said, " You are well practised at dice-play ; therefore we wish to play with you." Having said this, they sent for and spread the dice-cloth, and \j:]iaicpar^ began between Rukma and Balaram. At first Rukma won ten times ; then he began to say to Baladev Ji, " The wealth is all expended ; now with what will you play ? " Hereupon Raja Kalinga said it was a difficult matter, and laughed. Having remarked this action, Baladev Ji bent down his head, and began to reflect. Then Rukma staked at one time ten karords of rupees, which, when Balaram having won had picked up, all of them wranglingly said,i "This throw fell to Rukma ; why are you collecting the rupees ? " Having heard that, Balaram gave it all back ; he staked a hundred million, and took up the dice. Then Haladhar won and Rukma lost. Then, also, cheatingly all the kings made out that Rukma had won ; and thus said, — " Gambling and dice and chess-play, what do you know of these, O villager I Kings understand gambling and the actions of war ; herds- men understand cows." On hearing these words, Baladev Ji's wrath increased as the waves of the sea increase at the full moon. At length, somehow or other, Balaram Ji restrained his anger, and counselled his mind, and then staked seven hundred million rupees, and began to play. Then, also, Baladev Ji won, and the whole of them cheatingly said that it was Rukma alone who had won. Imme- diately on the occurrence of this injustice, there was a voice from heaven, to this effect, " Haladhar won and Rukma lost. O kings ! why have you uttered a false statement ? " Maharaj ! when all the kings as well as Rukma pretended not to hear the celestial voice, Baladev Ji, getting into a violent rage, said, — " A betrothal has been effected, but enmity has not been abandoned ; you have again stirred up contention with us ; I will kill thee, O unjust one ! let my brother's wife take it well or ill. Now I will listen to no one's [words] ; to-day I will take the life of the cheat." 2 Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit: — Maharaj ! at length Balaram Ji, in the sight of all, slew Rukma ; and flinging Kalinga down, with a blow of the fist knocked out his teeth, and said, " Thou, also, didst stretch open thy mouth and grin." Afterwards having slain and put to flight all the kings, Balaram Ji came to S'ri Krishna Chand Ji in the female apartments, and related the whole episode there. ^ For bol read bole. - Here, also, karihaiin and harihaun should not have been divided into two. Prem-Sagar 223 On hearing that, Hari, with all [his part}^], set out from thence, and proceeding on, arrived with joy and rejoicing in Dwaraka. As soon as he came there, happiness was diffused throughout the entire city, and in every house festivities began to be held. S'ri Krishna Ji and Baladev Ji went before Raja Ugrasen, and with joined hands said, " JVIaharaj ! through your excellence and majesty we have celebrated the marriage of Aniruddha, and having slain the wicked Rukma, have returned." CHAPTER LXIII. S'iva bestows a thousand arms on Vanasur, who begins to tear up mountains and trees — He wishes to fight with S'iva, but is diverted from doing so by an aitidce — Vanasur's daugiiter falls in love with Aniruddha, and biings him secretly into her apartments — Vaiiasur discovers the affair, and captures and imprisons Aniruddha. S'ri S'ukadkv Ji said : — Now if I should receive the strength of S'ri Dwarakanath,! I will relate all the story of the abduction of Usha. As she, at night time, saw Aniruddha in a dream, and, becoming attached " to him, fretted, and then as Chitrarekha brought Aniruddha and united him to Usha, in that way I am about to relate the whole subject ; do you pay attention and listen. In the family of Brahma, at first there was Kasyapa ; his son was Hiranyakasyapa,^ who was very strong, exceedingly powerful, and deathless. His son Harijan became the worshipper of the Lord named Prahlad ;* his son was Raja Virochaii, and Virochan's was Raja Bali, whose glory and virtue are still diffused through the world, and that the Lord, assuming the Vamana incarnation, having tricked Raja Bali, sent him to Patala.' His ' A name of Krishna. * For dmkta read dsakta. This misreading has led Eastwick into a mistrans- lation. 2 The more correct form of the name is Hiranyakasipu. He was the son of Kasyapa by Diti, and obtained a boon from Brahma that he should not be slain by god, or man, or animal. This immunity from death caused him to commit many enormities, until he was torn to pieces by Vishnu in the form of Nara-sifiha, or " half-man half-lion " incarnation. * The form Fahaldd is due to Lallu Lai's limited knowledge of Sanskrit. It was Prahlad's adoration of Vishnu which brought about the Narasiilha incarna- tion. * Bali is the offering made to a deity as an act of worship, and is also the name of a Daitya, to humble whose pride Vishnu assumed the form of a Vd;/iana, or " dwarf," and received as a reward for pleasing Bali as much territory as he could cover with three steps. He immediately expanded his limbs to a prodigious extent, and covered the earth with one step, the heavens with the second step, but generously allowed Bali to go to Patala, or hell. 2 24 Prem-Sagar eldest son was the very heroic and most glorious Vanasur. He dwelt in S'onitapur, and continually went to Kailas ^ to worship S'iva, and to cherish sacred duties, speak the truth, and to keep his sensual organs in subjection. Maharaj ! one day Vanasur, having gone to Kailas and worshipped Hara,- passing into affec- tion, he began, by devotion, to play away upon the drum, and to dance and sing. Having heard his singing and playing, S'ri Mahadev, the Lord of the simple-hearted, was pleased, and began, along with Parvati Ji, to dance and to play the tabor. ^ At length, dancing and dancing on, S'ankar "^ attained great happiness, and, being gratified, called Vanasur near him and said, " Son ! I am gratified with you ; ask a boon ; the boon thou shalt ask I will give thee. Thou, [with thy] hand, hast played music excellently ; [by my] ears hearing [it], my mind is gratified." As soon as he had heard these words, O Maharaj ! Vanasur, joining his hands and bowing his head, very humbly said, " Lord of Compassion ! if you have had compassion on me,^ then first make me immortal and confer upon me the dominion of the whole earth ; afterwards make me so strong that no one may obtain conquest over me." ^ Mahadev Ji said, " I have granted to thee this boon, and have made thee free from all fear ; in the three worlds no one shall attain thy strength, and Vidhata ^ even shall have no power over thee.^ Having played music excellently, thou gavest supreme happiness to me ; I, with greatly delighted heart, have given to thee a thousand arms.^ Now do thou go home, rest contented, and exercise immove- able power." Maharaj ! having heard this decree from the mouth of Bholanath,^*^ and having acquired a thousand arms, Vanasur, having become exceedingly happy, and having circumambulated, bowed his head, took leave, and having received permission, ^ Kailas is a lofty mountain, supposed to be in the Himalaya range, where Kuvera, the god of riches, had his residence, and where the paradise of S'iva was located. ' Hara is a name of S'iva, and Hari is a name of Vishnu. ^ The damarii is a small double-headed drum with a narrow waist, which is held in the hand while the ends are tapped with the fingers. It is one of the attributes of S'iva. "• A name of S'iva. It means "the conferrer of happiness." * Notice this mere par, in which the Genitive is used as a base. It is not uncommon in parts of Northern India, and constantly crops up in books. ^ ZzV. , " that no one may conquer from me." '' A name of Brahma. 8 Lit., "no power of Vidhata even shall act upon thee." This is a very useful idiom. 9 "Arms" are symbolical of power; therefore, "a thousand arms" means " unlimiied power." '" A name of S'iva. Prem-Sagar 225 came to S'onitapur. Afterwards, having conquered the three worlds, and made all the gods subject, he constructed around the city a wide deep trench of water, and a fortress of fire and water, and, having become fearless, began to reign happily. After a certain time, — Without fighting,! the arms, throbbing and irritating ex- cessively, became powerful ; Says Vana, " With whom shall I fight ? now against whom shall I advance ? Through not fighting, a violent irritation has occurred ; who will satisfy the desire of my heart ? " Having said this, Vanasur went out from his house and began to tear up mountains, to break them up, and reduce them to powder, and he went from country to country. When he had finished breaking up all the mountains, and the irritation and annoyance of his arms had not ceased, then, — Says Vana, " With whom shall I fight ? " What shall I do with so many arms ? How can I endure the burden of my strength ? I will go again, and speak to Hari." Maharaj ! having thus communed with himself, Vanasur went before Mahadev Ji, and with joined hands and downcast head, said, " O Bearer of the Trident ! 2 Lord of the Three Worlds ! the thousand arms which you kindly gave me have become a burden to my body ; now I cannot endure their strength. De- vise some remedy for this ; please point out to me some very powerful person for me to fight with. In the three worlds I do not see anyone so heroic that he can stand before me and fight. Yea ! as you have compassionately made me very powerful, so now kindly fight with me, and let the desire of my heart be, perhaps, satisfied.^ Otherwise, point out some other very power- ful one with whom I may go and fight, and remove the distress of my mind." Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! having heard this sort of language from Vanasur, Mahadev Ji felt a convulsion ^ and said this much within himself, " I, forsooth, thinking this one a worthy person, granted the boon, now he is ready to fight with me. The pride of strength has come to this fool ; he shall not escape ahve. He who has become self-conceited on coming into the world lives ^ * larwe is the Braj inflected Infinitive = larne. ^ This should be one word, and spelt with the lingual n, z.s pani. 3 This repetition of the verb with the particle to between, implies doubt or uncertainty. See the Hindi Manual (3rd edit.), p. 142. ■* Lit., " experienced a twist," from anger or arrogance. ° The Past tense jiyd implies that he is as good as dea^ already. It is common colloquially to use the Past to express what is speedily 10 be accom- plished. Q 2 26 Pkem-Sagar not long." Communing thus within himself, Mahadev Ji said, "Vanasur ! be not uneasy, one to fight with thee, in a short time, will be [born] in the incarnation of S'ri Krishna in the Yadu family. Except him,i in the three worlds, there is no one to confront thee." Having heard this statement, Vanasur being greatly pleased, said, " Lord ! when will that person become in- carnate ? and how shall I know when he is born ? " O King ! S'iva Ji, having given a flag to Vanasur, said, " Take this banner and set it up over your palace. When this banner shall break and fall of its own accord, thou wilt ^ know that thy enemy is born." Maharaj ! when S'ankar had advised and spoken to him ^ thus, Vanasur took the flag, bowed his head, and went home ; sub- sequently, having reached his house and mounted the flag on his palace, he was day by day thinking of this alone, " When will that person manifest himself? and when shall I fight with him ? " Hereupon, after several years had elapsed, his chief queen, whose name was Vanawati, became pregnant, and in the fulness of time a girl was born. Then Vanasur, having sum- moned the astrologers, said, " Reckon out and tell me the name and qualities of this girl." As soon as these words were uttered, the astrologers quickly determined the year, month, fortnight, lunar day, day [of the week], hour, lucky moment,'* and having reflected on the propitious sign, and fixed upon Usha^ as the girl's name, said, " This girl will be a mine of beauty, good qualities, and amiability, and will be very intelligent ; her planets and signs have presented themselves just thus." Having heard this, Vanasur was greatly pleased, and, first, having given bountifully to the astrologers, dismissed them ; and, afterwards, having summoned the musicians, caused fes- tivities to be prepared. Then as the girl began to grow up Vanasur began to love her exceedingly. When Usha was seven years old, her father, as S'onitapur was quite close to Kailas, sent her there, with several friends and companions, to be instructed by S'iva and Parvati. Usha, having conciliated Ganesa and Saraswati,^ went before S'iva and Parvati, and with joined hands and bowed head, meekly said, " O Ocean of Compassion ! S'iva and Gauri ! kindly give to me your servant the gift of know- ledge, and acquire glory in the world." Maharaj ! having heard ^ Notice ihis method of expressing " except." In prose it is better to write tts ke bind. - Notice this use of the form -iyo to imply futurity. See Hindi Manual (3rd edit.), pp. 149- 150. ^ For this use of the Dative with kahnd see Hindi Manual (3rd edit.), pp. 92, 93. ■* Tlie curious form mahural in the text should, of course, be mnhth-tt. ^ Usha is derived from ztshas, " the dawn." The u should be short, not long as in the text. •■ Ganesa, the elephant-headed deity, or god of wisdom ; and Saraswati, the goddess of speech. Prem-Sagar 227 the exceedingly humble speech of Usha, S'iva and Parvati Ji, being pleased, caused her to begin to be learned. She, con- stantly going, studied on. Hereupon, in the course of a certain time, having studied all the literary treatises, she became accom- plished and wise, and began to play all instruments. One day, Usha, together with Parvati Ji, was playing on the lute and singing according to the method of song, 1 when S'iva Ji came and said to Parvati, " O beloved one ! the Kamadev whom I had consumed, S'ri Krishna Ji has now raised up." Having said this, S'ri Mahadev Ji, taking Girija- with him, went to the banks of the Ganges, and having thoroughly bathed,^ and desired happi- ness, very amorously began to adorn Parvati with clothes and ornaments, and to be affectionate to her. At length, becoming enraptured in excessive joy, and playing away on the tabor, danced violently the Tandav dance,'* and sang away, according to the method of the treatises on song, began to gratify S'iva,* and to embrace her very affectionately. Then Usha, gazing upon the happiness and affection of S'iva and Gauri, and desiring to get a husband, said within herself, " Should I have a husband, then I also would be able to sport with him in the manner of S'iva and Parvati. A desirous female without a husband is as destitute of lustre as the night without the moon." Maharaj ! when Usha had said this within herself, S'ri Parvati Ji, the Searcher of Hearts, knowing the internal emotions^ of Usha, called her near affectionatel}^, and lovingly counselling her said, " Daughter ! do not be anxious in thy heart about any- thing ; thy husband will come and meet thee in a dream. Thou wilt have him searched for, and wilt enjoy happiness with that very one." ^ Having conferred this boon, S'iva's queen dismissed Usha ; and she, having studied all learning, and obtained a boon, prostrating herself, went to her own father. The father gave her an exceedingly beautiful separate palace to live in ; and she, taking several friends and companions, began to reside there, and day by day grew up. Maharaj ! when that girl was twelve years of age, having per- ^ For sdngit read sangit. This mny be intended for a proper noun, and should be rendered " according to the method of the Sangita." There are two well- known Sanskrit treatises on this subject, called respectively Sattglta- Katiiakara and Sangila-Pdrijata. The allusion may be to these treatises, for the first of them dates from a high antiquity. The word does not occur in the Bhagavata' Ftirdna. ^ Girijd means "mountain-born." It is synonymous with Pdrvati (from pamata, " a mountain "), and the name arose from the tradition that she was tiie daughter of Himavat, king of the Snowy mountains. Another of her names is Unid, around which name the earliest traditions of this goddess ch'.ster. •* See Hindi Manttal (3rd edit.), p. 191, for this idiom ;//^(?/ iihild,e. ^ This is a frantic dance indulged in by the votaries of S'iva. ^ S'iva is the feminine form of S'iva, and, of course, means Parvati. ® For an'ara gati read aiitargati. ' These forms in -iyo express directions or orders to be accom]ilished in the future. Q 2 2 28 Prem-Sagar ceived the brilliancy of her moon-face, the full moon became deprived of beauty ; in comparison with the darkness of the child, the blackness of the new moon began to fade ; having perceived the tapering of her hair, the female snake, casting her slough, slunk away ; having looked upon the curvature of her eyebrows, the bow began to throb ; having seen the largeness and coquetry of her eyes, the deer, fish, and wagtail, were abashed ; gazing on the beauty of her nose, the sesamum flower withered away ; viewing the red of her lips, the Bimba began to be restless ; having glanced at her rows of teeth, the heart of the pomegranate was rent ; looking at the softness of her cheeks, the rose abstained from blossoming ; having inspected the roundness of her neck, pigeons began to flutter ; having viewed the nipples of her breasts, the buds of the lotus fell into the lake ; perceiving the slimness of whose ^ waist, the lioness retired to the forest ; looking at the smoothness of her thighs, the plantain was vexed ; ^ noticing the yellowness of her body, gold was ashamed, and the Champaka was abashed ; compared with her hands and feet, the lotus retained no dignity. Such was that elephant-gaited, cuckoo-voiced, fresh maiden, resplen- dent from the excellence of her youthfulness, who took away the beauty from all these. Subsequently, one day, that fresh maiden having applied sweet-scented unguents, and washed away with pure water every impurity, and combed her hair, and arranged the parting, and filled in the division with pearls, and had used collyrium and tooth-powder, and applied henna and cochineal, and eaten betel, and having sent for excellent jewel-studded golden ornaments, and arrayed herself in head-decorations, forehead pendants, forehead circlet, a forehead band, an ear-knot, earrings, four-pearl ear ornaments^ pearl earrings, a nose-ring of large pearls, a gold patch on the nose-ring, with pendants, a neck-brooch threaded on a necklace of two rows of pearls, a moon-necklace, a gold and coral necklace, a five-stringed necklet, a seven-stringed necklet, a neck ornament on the throat itself, armlets, nine-gemmed bracelets, bangles, wristlets, bracelets, rings, signets, seals, toe- rings, girdles of bells, anklets of sorts, footlets, great-toe rings, and toe-ornaments ; and arrayed herself in a clean glittering wide petticoat with a border of real pearls, and a brilliant dress with a border and a hem, and a splendid bodice, close-fitting, and over that a glittering veil, and having furthermore perfumed herself ; with this adornment, like Lakshmi, she Avent out, smiling fre- quently, with her friends, to pay respects to her parents. When, having arrived in front of them, and prostrated herself, Usha stood up, Vanasur, having perceived the splendour of her j'outh, saying this in his own heart, dismissed her, " She is now marriageable." Afterwards he sent some Rakshasas to guard * This should, piooably, be tci's, not Ji's. ° Z;V., "ate camphor." Prem-Sagar 229 her palace, and despatched several Rakshasis to watch over her. They went there, and began to remain on the alert day and night, 1 and the Rakshasis began to serve her. Mahiraj ! that princess was constantly performing penance, giving alms, and keeping vows, for the sake of a husband, and continually worshipping S'ri Parvati Ji. One day, being at leisure from the constant discharge of religious duties, at night time seated alone on her bed, she was reflecting in her heart thus, " Let us see when father will effect my marriage, and in what manner I shall meet my husband." Having said this, she went to sleep thinking only of a husband ; then, in a dream, what does she see ? —A person of youthful age, dark complexion, moon- faced, lotus-eyed, very beautiful, in the form of Kama,- of fasci- nating appearance, dressed in yellow silk robes, with a peacock crown on his head, in triple-bent beauty,^ with jewel-studded ornaments, with alligator-shaped earrings, a wild-flower garland, and one of gunja-seed ;* and covered with a yellow garment, very coquettishly came and stood before her. She, on seeing him, was charmed, and abashed, and remained with head bent down. Then he, having uttered some words imbued with love, increased his affection, drew near, took her hand, embraced her, and made her forget the doubts of her heart, her diffidence and bashfulness. Then mutually having cast aside reserve and bashfulness, seated on the bed, they indulged in blandishments, ogling, embraces, and kisses, began to give and receive happiness, and being absorbed in delight they began to converse lovingly, — when, in the midst of this,^ after a time, as Usha lovingly desired to embrace the husband and press him to her bosom, sleep passed from her eyes, and just as she was with arms outstretched for the embrace, she remained dejected and regretful. She awoke, sincerely sorrowing ; supreme misery was upon her ; " Where has gone, that lord of my life ? " She looks all around wistfully. Usha reflects, " Whom shall I meet ? ^ How may I see that one again ? If I to-day had continued sleeping, my lover had never departed [from me]. Why was I about to clasp him happily, when this slumber left my eyes ? ^ Lit., " during the eight watches." - See note ^, p. 176. ■* That is, with legs, back, and neck bent ; supposed to be a graceful attitude. * The Abrus precatorius, a red seed with a black patch on it, not unlike a crab's eye. * The /J'z indicates transit'on of ideas, the sense being akin to " all at once, while this was going on," ikc. " She asks this because she does not know who has been with her. 230 Prem-Sagar On his going, the night became clogged ; now how will this fatality pass away ? ^ Without the beloved one my soul is exceedingly uneasy ; while not seeing him my eyes are longing ; My ears are desirous to hear his voice ; where has the happiness-giving loved one gone ? If, in a dream, I should again see my sweetheart, I will resign my life to him." 2 Maharaj ! having said this, Usha became greatly dejected, meditated on her lover, went to bed, muffled up her face and laid down.2 When night had gone and day was come, and one-and- a-half watch of the day had passed, her friends and companions, unitedly, began to say among themselves, '* What has occurred to-day that Usha, when so much of the day has passed, still sleeping, has not risen ? " Having heard this, Chitrarekha, the daughter of Vanasur's minister Kushabhand,* having gone into the picture gallery, sees what ? — that Usha, in the curtained bed, troubled in mind, dejected in spirits, lying motionless, was sobbing and heaving deep sighs. Having seen this her condition, — Chitrarekha agitatedly said, " O Friend, do thou explain to me, Truly, to-day why art thou, fallen into the ocean of utter separation, grieving ? Crying and cr3ang, thou art heaving deep sighs, for what cause is thy body and mind disturbed ? I will remove the grief of thy heart ; I will do every act thy heart has desired. [There is] no other friend so close as I ; thou hast confidence in me. ^ There is a little word-play here. Yama (or Jam) is the president of the nether regions, who inspects the record, and regulates the future destiny of de- parted souls. It also means "restraint," "stoppage," " coagulation," and in this sense is the base of the Hindi vtrh j'ani/id, " to be congealed." As a femi- nine noun the word da/ means '" destiny." '• fate " (as in the phrases c/a/ lagnd, " to be unfortunate," and da/ m&rd, "smitten by fate"), and also " the deity " ; while jaihai IS for jd-ihai, 3rd pers. sing. Fut. o( jdttaun, "to go." Thus we may extract the two meanings, " The night has become congealed, O God ! how will it now move on [again] ?" and, " The night is become Yama (the Regent of Fate), how will this destiny (or fatality) now proceed?" Such far-fetched alliances of ideas will often be met with in verse. Both Hollings and Eastwick tran.slate jaihai as a Past tense in order to arrive at some meaning. Prof. Eastwick says in a note that da/ yields no sense ; a statement certainly in- correct. ^ Prdn means the five vital airs, hence " life " ; kisi ke sdth kar detid is " to give up to anyone," " to transfer to anyone." •* Meaning that she took to her bed in grief and covered her head in a sulky manner. ■• Here Lallu Lai has, blunderingly, inserted Kiishabhdnd for Ktishmdnd, the name of a kind ol spirit or imp ; but even thus he is wrong, for the name of this mini ter was A'mub/idnda, oikmnbha -\- anda, as Pandit Yogadhyan Misra properly prints it. Prem-Sagar 231 Throughout the whole world I will wander ; wherever I go I will effect [thy] purposes ; Brahma has granted me a boon ; and has made everything subject to me ; S'arada ^ keeps with me ; by her power I will do what [thou] mayest say ; Understand [me to be] so highly enchanting [that I can] deceive and bring [here] Brahma, Rudra, and Indra ; No one knows my mystery ; my own attributes myself explains ; No one else can thus tell it, however good or bad he may be; 2 Now do thou tell all thy affair ; how has this night passed ? Act not deceitfully towards me, O loved one ! I will accomplish all thy hopes." Maharaj ! on hearing these words, Usha, with great modesty and downcast head, came near to Chitrarekha, and, with a sweet voice, said, " Friend ! I, thinking thee my friend, will relate the whole affair of last night. Do thou keep it in thine own heart, and [if] thou canst devise some remedy, then do. Last night, in a dream, a man, of the colour of a cloud, and a face like the moon,'^ and eyes like lotuses, wearing a yellow silk robe, and covered with a yellow scarf, came and sat near me ; and he, dis- playing great affection, carried away my heart in his hand.^ I also, abandoning reserve and bashfulness, began to converse with him. At length, while conversing on, as love came upon me, I stretched my hand to lay hold of him, and hereupon my sleep departed, and his fascinating form remained in my thoughts. I never saw or heard of such a one ; how shall I describe [him] as [he was] ? His beauty is indescribable ; he is gone, having stolen away my heart. When I, in Kailas, was studying learning at S'ri Mahadev Ji's, S'ri Parvati Ji said to me, ' Thy husband will come and meet thee in a dream ; thou wilt have him searched for.' That hus- band last night met me in a dream ; where shall I find him ? and to whom shall I relate the agonies of my separation [from him] 7 Where shall I go ? in what manner shall I seek him ? I neither know his name nor his residence." Maharaj ! when, having said ' A name of Saraswati. - kahihai should be one word ; and kin stands for kyon na. In standard Hindi this last ptirase would be ko^i kaisd bhald burd kyon na ho. ^ These epithets are compounds, and should have been printed as single words. This one is chandravadan, not chantra bad an ; this latter spelling induced Hollings to mistake the meaning of the phrase. ■* That is, "he took my heart captive." 232 Prem-Sagar this, Usha, sighing deeply, sank dispiritedly, Chitrarekha said, " Friend ! now do not thou be anxious about anything in thy heart. I will search for, and cause thy husband to join thee, wherever he may be. I have power to go throughout the three worlds. Wherever he may be, there I will go and do my best to bring him to you.i Do thou tell me his name, and give me leave to go." Usha said, "Sister ! that proverb is applicable to thee, to wit, ' She was dead because she did not breathe.' If I had known only his name and village, what would there have been to be miserable about ? Some remedy or other would have been applied." Having heard this, Chitrarekha said, " Friend ! do not thou grieve over this either. I will draw and show thee the men of the three worlds ; seeing the captor of thy heart among them thou wilt point him out ; then the bringing and uniting [him to thee] is my affair." Then, laughing, Usha said, " Very well." Maharaj ! as soon as this expression issued from the mouth of Usha, Chitrarekha called for all the drawing materials, and sat down on the ground ; and having propitiated Ganesa and S'arada, and meditated on her spiritual preceptor, began to draw. At first she drew and exhibited the three worlds, the fourteen subdivisions, the seven islands, the nine divisions of the earth, the sky, the seven oceans, all the eight [spiritual] worlds, along with Vaikunth.2 Afterwards, all the gods, Danavas.^ Gandharvas,* Kinnaras,^ Yakshas,^ Rishis,7 Munis,*^ Lokapals,^ Digpals,!" and the kings of all countries, Chitrarekha drew separately, and exhibited one by one ; but Usha did not find the one she wished for among them. Then Chitrarekha began to draw severally and to show one at a time the forms of the Yadubaiisis ; hereupon, on seeing the portrait of Aniruddha, Usha said, — * Lit., " As it will be effected, just so will I bring [him]." " The heaven of Vishnu. ^ The Danavas are Tiianic giants, descended from Danu, one of the daughters of Daksha, the wife of Kasyapa. Sometimes they are reckoned as forty ; sometimes as a hundred or more. ■* The Gandharvas here are probably only the heavenly mus'cians. * '1 he Kinnaras are human-bodied, horse-headed monsters, reckoned among the celestial choristers, and also as assistants of Kuvera, the god of wealth. ^ Yakshas are demi-gods attendant on Kuvera, the god of riches. Various accounts of their origin are given ; and they are sometimes regarded as benevolent, and sometimes as malevolent. ' Rishis are ancient saints, to whom the hymns of the Vedas are held to have been revealed direct from heaven. Seven Rishis is the orthodox number anciently spoken of; but the original declarer, or composer, of any of the hymns is con- sidered as a Rishi ; and ultimately the name was applied to any specially saintly person. ^ A Muni is a saint, or holy man, inspired with divine knowledge ; and this inspiration he can attain by self-mortification and mental abstraction. ' Lokapals are deities appointed by Brahma at the creation of the world to act as guardians to the different orders of beings. '" Digpals are guardians of the four quarters of space and the four intermediate points. Prem-Sagar 233 " Now I have found ni)'^ heart-stealer, O Friend ! This one came to me at night. Now, O Friend ! do thou devise some means ; search out this one and bring him from somewhere." Having heard, Chitrarekha spoke thus, " Now how shall this one escape from me ? " Having spoken thus, Chitrarekha resumed, thus, " Friend ! thou dost not know this one ; I recognize ^ him. This Yadu- bansi is the grandson of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, the son of Pradyumna Ji, and his name is Aniruddha. At the banks of the sea, in the water, there is a city named Dwaraka, where this one dwells. By command of Hari, watch over that city is constantly maintained by the discus Sudarsan, so that no Daitya, Danava, or wicked person, should come and annoy the Yadubansis ; and if anyone should come to the city, then he should not gain admittance without the permission of Rajas Ugrasen and Surasen." Maharaj ! on hearing this statement, Usha, having become greatly dejected, said, " Friend ! if that is such a terrible place, how wilt thou go there and bring me my husband ? " Chitrarekha said, " Companion ! be free from anxiety on this point ; by the power of Hari, I will bring the lord of thy life to thee." Having said this, Chitrarekha, wearing clothes marked with the name of Rama, and having drawn the cowherdesses sectarial mark of upright lines 2 of sandal ; and having placed marks on her breast, the upper part of the arm, and throat, and casting a very large garland of tulsi on her neck, and taking a rosary of the very large beads of tulsi in her hand, drawing over her a chequered blanket, under her arm a sitting-cloth folded up, and pressing [there also] the book of the Bhagavadgitd^ assuming the guise of a chief worshipper of Vishnu, speaking thus to Usha, with bowed head, taking leave, she started for Dwaraka, — " Now by the path of the sky, through ^ mid-air T will go ; I will bring thy husband ; then is my name Chitrarekha." Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! Chitrarekha, by her illusive power, mounting upon the undulations of the air, in a dark night, with a dark cloud, in an instant, went into the city of Dwaraka, and shone like lightning ; and entered into the palace of S'ri Krishna Chand, so that her going was unknown to anyone. Afterwards, she searching and searching about, went where Aniruddha, sleeping alone on a bed, was sporting in a dream with Usha. On ^ Here we have another instance of the Aorist fortified by the Substantive verb. See Hindi Manual (3rd edit.), p. 139. ^ This should be lirddhapundi-a, the upright lines drawn on the forehead of wov<;hi| pers of Vishnu. •* hwai = hokay. See Hindi Manual {T^xi edit.), p. 199. 2 34 Pkem-Sagar seeing him, she quickly raised the couch of the sleeping one, and at once took her departure. While sleeping, along with the couch, she conveyed him away for the sake of Usha ; Taking Aniruddha, she went where Usha sat in anxiety. Maharaj ! as soon as she saw Aniruddha with the couch, Usha, at first, being a little shocked, went and fell at the feet of Chitrarekha ; afterwards she began to address her thus, " Blessed, blessed, be thy energy and courage ! in that thou wentest to so terrible a place, and, in a moment, took up and brought [him] with the couch ; and fulfilled your promise. Thou hast taken all this trouble for me ; I cannot recompense thee for it. I remain debtor to thy kindness." Chitrarekha said, " Friend ! in the world this is a great hap- piness, that we may give happiness to others ; and this act also is worthy, viz. to be assistant. This body is of no use ; should it be able to be useful to anyone, that of itself is an excellent use [to put it to]. In this is both one's own good and the supreme good."i Maharaj ! having made this statement, Chitrarekha again speaking thus, took leave, and went to her house, to wit, " Friend ! by the power of Bhagwan 1 2 have brought thy husband and united him to thee ; now do thou awaken him and fulfil thy desire." As soon as Chitrarekha had departed, Usha, exceed- ingly pleased and ashamed, but having fear of the first meeting, began to say in her inmost heart, — " By saying what word shall I arouse the loved one ? and how shall I press him to my breast with embraces ? " At length, having tuned her lute, she began to play the sweetest of sounds. On hearing the sound of the lute, Aniruddha Ji woke up, and looking about on all sides, began to say within himself, " What place is this ? whose palace ? how did I come here ? and who brought me, with the couch, while sleeping ? " Maharaj ! then Aniruddha, giving expression to various kinds of remarks, was wondering ; and Usha, with reserve and bashful- ness, fearing the first interview, standing aside in a corner, and inspecting ^ the moon-face of her lover, was giving happiness to her partridge-like eyes. While this Avas going on — Aniruddha, seeing her, said, with astonishment, " Tell me, beauteous one ! thy circumstances. ^ paramdrth is not *' another's advantage," as both Rollings and Eastwick translate, but /(zrawa, " the chief," a;7/^, "object" All Hindu philosophy was directed towards securing "the primary object " of existence, that is, to know God and to become identified with Him. The text states that, by assisting others, we not only further our selfish purposes, but also attain the chief end of our being. " viane should, of course, be main ue. ^ Lallu Lai and his Indian Editor repeat the word nirakh to express the many glances she gave. Prem-Sagar 235 Who art thou ? why didst thou come to me ? or didst thou bring me thyself? Do not deem truth and falsehood as one. I behold [things] like a dream.'' Maharaj ! Aniruddha Ji spoke these words ; and Usha gave no reply ; rather, being still more bashful, she shrank into the corner. Then he hastily seized her by the hand, led her to the couch and seated her there, and speaking words imbued with love, he removed entirely the reserve, bashfulness and fear of her heart. Afterwards they, both seated on the bed, with mutual blandishments, and ogling, began to give and receive happiness, and to recite their love-story. While this was going on, in the midst of the conversation, Aniruddha Ji asked Usha, " O beauteous one ! how didst thou at first see me ? and, afterwards, in what way send for me here ? Explain this mystery to me, that the doubt of my mind may depart." On hearing these words, Usha, looking at her husband's countenance, delightedly said, — " You came and met me in a dream, and stole away my heart and departed ; I awoke, and deep grief took possession of my heart. Then I told Chitrarekha, She it was, O Lord ! who brought you here ; her actions are not to be comprehended." Having said this, Usha resumed, " Maharaj ! I, for my part, have related all the particulars of the way in which I saw and obtained you ; now do you, please, explain your affairs and tell me how you saw me, O King of the Yadavas ! " Having heard these words, Aniruddha, being highly delighted, smilingly said, " O beauteous one ! I also was looking upon thee last night in a dream, when, in the sleep itself, somebody raised me up and brought me here. The secret of this I have not yet discovered, that is, who brought me. I awoke, then I saw thee alone." Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! in this way those two, the lover and the loved, conversing between themselves, increased their affection, they began to indulge in various kinds of love-sports, and to banish the pain of [previous] separation. Afterwards, perceiving the insipidity of the betel, the coldness of the pearl-necklace, and the dimness of the light of the lamp, Usha, having gone out, saw that it was the time of dawn. The light of the moon had waned, the stars were deprived of light, the blush of dawn was diffused over the sky, on all sides birds warbled on the lake, the night- lotus had faded, and the day-lotus had blossomed, and the male and female ruddy-goose had united together. Maharaj ! observing this state of things, at once shutting all the doors, Usha, greatly agitated, came into the house, and very 236 Prem-Sagar affectionately embracing her husband, laid herself down ; after- Avards, having concealed her husband, and hidden him from her friends and companions, secretl}^ began to serve her husband. At length the friends and companions were aware of Aniruddha's coming. Then she, day and night, began to enjoy happiness with her husband. One day Usha's mother came to inquire after her daughter ; then she secretly saw that she was seated in a chamber with a very handsome young man, and was gaily playing dice with him. On seeing this, without uttering a word, softly, inwardly pleased, and blessing [her daughter], silently, she returned to her own house. Subsequently, after some time, one day, Usha, seeing her hus- band asleep, thinking this in her mind, hesitatingly came from out the house, " Let it by no means be ^ that anyone, by not seeing me, should think in her heart that Usha does not go out of the house because of her husband." Maharaj ! Usha, having left her husband alone, went out, it is true, but could not stay away from him. 2 Having re-entered the house and shut the door, she began to disport [again]. Having noticed this action, the wardens said among themselves, " Brother ! what is this to-day, that the princess, after many days, came out of the house, and then re- tracing her steps, went away ? " On hearing these words, one among them said, " Brother ! I have been noticing ^ for some time past that the door of Usha's palace has remained closed day and night, and within the house some man is sometimes laughing away and conversing, and sometimes is playing at dice." Another said, " If this is true, let us go to Vanasur and tell him ; why do we remain consciously inactive? " One said, " This is not to be uttered ; do you all keep seated apart ; Let it be good or bad as it likes, •^ no one can efface destiny. Say nothing about the maiden ; look on silently, and remain quite inactive." Maharaj ! the gate-keepers were in the act of making these remarks among themselves, when, accompanied by several soldiers, walking round and about, Vanasur lighted on that spot,^ and casting his eyes above the palace, and not seeing the flag ^ When not translating in the direct form, kahin aisd na ho ki may be rendered by " lest." 2 This Passive form of the Neuter verb raJmd, like similar constructions with Active verbs, implies the impossibility of the idea spoken of. This accounts for the masculine fomi. It is the remaining from him which could not be endured. Notice the expression y^f/g to; it is the emphatic Statical form. See Hhidt Manual (3rd edit.), pp. 182, 183. ^ The Present tense is used with the Ablative in sentences implying " since," or " for some time past." ^ For bhald read bhalt, and for the idiom see Hindi Manual (3rd edit.), p. 142. ' The compound d nikahid implies the unexpectedness of the coming. Prem-Sagar 237 given by S'iva, said, " What is become of the flag from here ? " The gate-keepers repUed, " Maharaj ! as regards that, many days ago it broke and fell." On hearing that statement, recollecting the promise of S'iva Ji, becoming thoughtful, Vanasur said, — " When did the flag and flagstaff" fall ? My enemy Hari has become incarnate somewhere." As soon as this direction had issued from the mouth of Vanasur, a door-keeper, having come and stood before him, with joined hands and bowed head, said, " Maharaj ! there is one thing; but that I am unable to utter ; if I receive your Honour's command, then somehow or other I will state it." Vanasur commanded [thus], " Well ! say it." Then the warden said, " Maharaj ! forgive the fault. For several days we have been seeing that, in the princess's palace some man has come. Day and night he continues conversing. We do not know the secret concerning him, as to who the man is, and when and where he came from, and what he is doing." On hearing this statement, and giving credence to it, Vanasur, very angrily, raising a weapon, softly entering Usha's palace alone, and secretly, sees what ? — why, a man, dark-complexioned, very beautiful, covered by a yellow scarf, negligently in sleep, laying down slumbering with Usha. Vanasur reflects thus in his heart, " On a sleeping one being killed, there will be sin." Maharaj ! having thus reflected in his heart, Vanasur, for his part, placing there several gviards, told them this, " As soon as this one wakes up, you will go and tell me." Having gone home, convened an assembly, and summoned all the Rakshasas, he began to say, " My enemy has arrived ; do you take the whole army and go surround the palace of Usha; later on, I also shall come." Subsequently, on the one hand, having received the command of Vanasur, all the Rakshasas came and surrounded the house of Usha; and on the other hand, Aniruddha Ji and the princess, having awakened from sleep, began to play with chess-men and dice. Hereupon, while playing away at dice, what does Usha see ? — why, on all sides, a dense, fearful cloud had come around, lightning began to flash ; frogs, peacocks, and sparrow-hawks began to utter cries. Maharaj ! on hearing the voice of the sparrow-hawk, the princess, saying this, clung to the neck of her lover, — " O sparrow-hawk ! do not you make [this] piya piya [calling]; 1 desist from this language of separation." Hereupon, someone, going, said to Vanasur, "Maharaj ! your enemy is awake." On hearing the name of his enemy, Vanasur 1 This imitative noise of the sparrow-hawk also means " Lover ! lover ! " as though calling away the loved one. 238 Prem-Sagar rose up with exceeding wrath, and taking his weapons, went and stood at Usha's door, and began secretly to peep in. At length, while looking on, — Vanasur thus conceitedly says, " O fellow ! who art thou within the house, With cloud-coloured body, fascinating as Madan,i lotus-eyed, wearing yellow raiment ? O thief ! why art thou not coming out ? Whence now wilt thou obtain life from me ? " - Maharaj ! when Vanasur, bawling out, had thus uttered these words, Usha and Aniruddha, having heard and seen, became exceedingly uneasy. Then the princess, experiencing much anxiety, becoming frightened, sighed deeply, and said to her husband, " Maharaj ! my father, with the army of Asuras, has come to attack; now how will you escape from his hand ? " Then, indeed, angrily Aniruddha says, " Do not thou fear, O wife ! The jackal-herd of Rakshas and Asuras, in an instant, I will destroy." Having spoken thus, Aniruddha Ji, having recited passages from the Veda, summoned a rock one hundred and eight cubits [in size], and taking it in his hand, he issued forth, and, going into the midst of the army, challenged Vanasur. As soon as he came out, Vanasur prepared his bow, and, taking the whole army, so burst upon Aniruddha Ji as a swarm of honey-bees rushes on anyone. When the Asuras began to hurl various kinds of weapons, then angrily Aniruddha Ji, by means of the rock, so struck at several of them that the Asura army was scattered like scum [on a stagnant pool]. Some were killed, some were wounded; the saved fled away. Then Vanasur went, and got all together, and began to fight [again]. Maharaj ! as many weapons as the Asuras were hurling went only in this direction or that, and not even one was touching the body of Aniruddha Ji. The weapons which would have fallen on Aniruddha, were cut in two by the edge of the rock; The blows of the rock were unendurable; like the thunder- bolt-blows which the Regent of the gods makes; On its hitting, heads were split down the midst; thighs and arms were broken, and bodies severed. At last, fighting on, when Vanasur alone remained, and all the army was cut up, then he, astonished in his heart, having said this, caught and bound Aniruddha Ji in a noose, to wit, " Plow shall I conquer this invincible one ? " Having related thus much of the tale, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to * A name of Kama, the god of love. ^ That is, " How will you preserve your life from me?" Pkem-Sagar 239 King Parikshit: — Maharaj ! when Vanasur, having bound Ani- ruddha Ji with a noose, took him into his assembly, then Aniruddha Ji, for his part, was thus meditating in his heart, " To me trouble may or may not befall, but it is not proper to make the promise of Brahma a falsity; because if I should forcibly escape from the noose, he will be dishonoured; therefore it is better simply to remain bound." And Vanasur was saying this, "O boy ! now I am about to kill thee. If anyone should be thy helper, then do thou summon [him]." While this was going on, Usha, hearing of this condition of her lover, said to Chitrarekha, "Friend! a curse is on my life if my husband should be in affliction, and I should eat and sleep happily I" Chitrarekha said, " Friend ! do not thou be at all anxious; no one will be able to do anything against thy husband. Be tranquil; S'ri Krishna Chand and Balaram Ji, accompanied by all the Yadubansis, will immediately come to the attack; and, smiting the Asura host, will release and carry off Aniruddha along with thee. They have this very custom that, whatever king's pretty daughter they hear of, by force or fraud, as best they can they carry her off. This is the grandson of him who, having fought with the very strong and most famous Rajas S'isupal and Jurasindhu, carried away Rukmini, the daughter of Raja Bhishmak, from Kundalapur. Just so will he now take thee away; do not thou be apprehensive about any- thing." Usha said, " Friend ! I cannot endure this affliction, — My loved one is carried off^ bound in a noose; a poison- charged flame consumes my body; How can I lie down with ease ? 2 how can my eyes behold the loved one's affliction ? The loved one has fallen into calamity, why should I live ? I will neither eat food, nor drink water; Now, Vanasur, kill my husband, or give me the refuge of my husband;^ What is to be, will be; what will anyone say to that ? I regard not the shame of the world or the Vedas; with the loved one, I consider misery [as] happiness itself." Maharaj ! when Usha had spoken thus to Chitrarekha, she went near her husband, and sat down fearless and unhesitating. Then someone went to Vanasur, and said, " Maharaj ! the princess has come out of the house and has gone near that man." On hearing these words, Vanasur, summoning his son Skandh, said, " Son ! do you raise your sister up from the assembly, take her indoors, and confine her there, and do not let her go out." On receiving the command of his father, Skandh went to his sister, and angrily said, " What is this thou hast done, sinner ! that thou hast lost shame of the world, and for thine own ^ hart is made feminine merely to rhyme with bhari. - semi = se, " with." ^ That is, " either kill him or give liim back to me." 240 Prem-Sagar modesty ? O low creature ! Shall I kill thee ? It would be sin; and I fear 1 even ill-repute." Usha said, "Brother! what is pleasing to you, say and do. The husband which Parvati Ji gave to me I have accepted. Should I abandon this one, and run after another, then I should raise reproach against myself. Women of low family abandon their husbands; this is the custom which has come down traditionally in the world. [If] she is disgraced with him with whom Vidhna^ has allied her, then she is disgraced." ^ Maharaj ! on hearing these words, Skandh angrily seizing her hand, carried oflF Usha thence into'* the palace, and did not let her go out again. Then removing Aniruddha Ji also from there, he conveyed him elsewhere, and confined him. Then, on the one hand, Aniruddha Ji, in the absence of his wife, was grieving greatly, and, on the other hand, the princess in the absence of her husband, abstaining from food and drink, began to perform severe penance. While this was taking place, after a certain time, Narad Muni Ji, at first, going to Aniruddha Ji, counselled him thus, " Do not be anxious about anything ; S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of jo}^, and Balaram, the abode of happiness, will immediately make war upon the Rakshasas, and release you, and take you away." Then, going to Vanasur, he said, " Raja ! he whom you have seized with a noose and bound is S'ri Krishna's grandson, and Prad- yumna Ji's son ; and Aniruddha is his name. You know the Yadubaiisis very well ; what you know, that do. I came to make you careful on this point ; having done that, I go." ^ Having heard this, saying this much to Narad Ji, he dismissed him, to wit, " Narad Ji ! I know all about it." CHAPTER LXIV. Krishna hears of his grandson's imprisonment, overcomes Vanasur, and releases Aniruddlia. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! when Aniruddha Ji had been four months in bondage, Narad Ji went into the city of Dwaraka. Then what does he see there ? — that all the Yadavas are greatly ^ Here, again, we have the Aorist with the Substantive verb. * A name of Brahmi. ' Meaning that there is no more to be said on the point. * Afier niandir LaHu Lai put men. ^ Here, again, the Past tense is used to express the imminence of the departure ; he is as good as gone. Prem-Sagar 241 dejected, disturbed in mind, and \va>ted in body ; and S'ri Krishna Ji and Balarani Ji, seated in their midst, were sa3ing, with much anxiety, " Who has taken the lad, and conveyed him from here ? " This kind of discourse was going on, and in the female apartments violent lamentation was maintained, such that no one was listening to what anyone was saying. As soon as Narad Ji went, all the people, both women and men, rose and hastened to him ; and in great agitation, with emaciated bodies, and dis- turbed minds, crying and lamenting, went and stood before him. Subsequently, submissively, with joined hands and bowed heads, and repeatedly beseeching, they began to inquire of Narad Ji all the particulars. "Speak the truth, O King of Rishis ! with which, being comforted, we may preserve our lives. How shall we obtain tidings of Aniruddha ? Tell us, O holy one ! let us rest on that." ' As soon as he had heard this much, S'ri Narad Ji said, '' Do not be anxious about anything ; but remove the grief from your mind. Aniruddha is alive and well in S'onitapur ; where, having gone, he has enjoved himself with the daughter of Raja Vanasur ; therefore that [king] has seized and bound him Avith a noose. Without a fight he will, in no wise, release Aniruddha Ji. I have stated this secret matter to you ; for the rest, give effect to any remed}' you may be able to originate." Maharaj ! having related this intelligence, Narad Muni Ji, for his part, departed. After- wards all the Yadubafisis went to Raja Ugrasen and said, " Maharaj ! we have received exact intelligence that Aniruddha Ji is in S'onitapur, in the palace of Vanasur. He has enjoyed that [king's] daughter ; therefore that [king] has kept him bound with a noose. Now what is the order for us?'' On hearing this statement, Raja Ugrasen said, " Take the whole of my army, and, as best you can, release and bring back Ani- ruddha." As soon as this order had issued from the mouth of Ugrasen, O Maharaj ! all the Yadavas, taking the army of Raja Ugrasen, were ^ accompanied by Balaram Ji ; and S'ri Krishna Chand and Pradyumna Ji, mounted on Garuda, went, in front of all, to S'onitapur. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! when Balaram, taking the whole army of Raja Ugrasen, and sounding the kettle-drum, proceeded from the city of Dwaraka to vS'onitapur, the splendour of that circumstance is indescribable, inasmuch as, in front of all there was a row of huge- ' Tiie exact meaning of this phrase is not obvious. The words td kc ha! mean " by force of that ■' or " by the aid of that,"' but what is alluded to can only i)e corjjectured. Both HoUings and Ea^twick suggestively translate " so that we may rely on your words," and probably the anticipated btatement is what is meant by la. - I'or //a,c read /it//, R 242 PkemSagar tusked furious elephants, on which the kettle-drum was being sounded, and flags and banners were fluttering ; after them, another hne of elephants with canopied howdahs, on which were seated the greatest Yadava soldiers, warriors, heroes, and braves, wearing coats of mail and helmets and armed with every kind of weapon. After them, row upon row of chariots were seen ; and in their rear troop after troop of cavalry were moving along, making their various coloured horses dressed in collars, harness, and tasselled strings and armour, pace, stop, dance, jump and leap ; and in their very midst, panegyrists were celebrating their glory, and bards were singing war- songs. After them was pro- ceeding the army of foot-soldiers, like an army of locusts, with shields, swords, knives, poignards, daggers, dhops} darts, javelins, spears, lances, broad-swords, double-edged swords, bows, arrows, clubs, discuses, axes, pole-axes, iron-pointed staves, sword-sticks, curved and serpentine daggers, and various kinds of arms and weapons ; and in their midst, the sound of kettle-drums, drums, tambourines, flutes, fifes, and horns, which arose, were exceedingly pleasing. The dust flew up and spread to the sky ; the sun was concealed ; it became like ^ night ; The male and female chakwa ^ were separated ; beautiful women enjoyed themselves with their husbands ; The blue lotus bloomed, the white lotus drooped ; nocturnal animals prowled about, thinking it was night. Having related the tale thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! when Balaram Ji, with twelve complete armies, de- molishing, with much ostentation, the forts, strongholds, and fastnesses of that [king], and desolating the country, arrived at S'ouitapur, and S'ri Krishna Chand and Pradyumna Ji also had joined him, someone, being greatly frightened and alarmed, with joined hands and bowed head, said to Vanasur, " Maharaj ! Krishna and Balaram, with all their army, have advanced to attack, and they have breached and thrown down our forts, strongholds, and defences, and have come and surrounded the city on all sides ; now what is [your] command ? " As soon as he heard this, Vanasur very angrily summoned his greatest Rakshasas and said, " Do you take all your forces, march out of the city, and halt in front of Krishna and Balaram ; after- wards I also will come." Maharaj ! on receiving the order, those Asuras, immediately taking the twelve complete armies, came, with arms and weapons, and stood before S'ri Krishna and Balaram Ji to fight. Close after them came Vanasur also, having meditated on S'ri Mahadev and his service, ready ' dhop is the name of a long, straight sword. " bhAii is a form of the postposition bhave, " like." 3 These birds are supposed to separate from each other at night. Prem-Sagar ^3 ■ prepared. S'ukadev the saint said : — Maharaj ! as soon as he meditated, the throne of S'iva Ji rocked, and his meditation was broken ; then he, by reflection, knew that trouble had happened to his worshipper, and that he should then go and dispel his anxiety. Having reflected thus in his heart, and having divided his body with Parvati Ji, and bound up his matted locks, and applied ashes, and consumed a large quantity of hemp, swallow-wort, and thorn-apple, and put on a Brahmanical cord of white snakes, and covered himself with elephant hide, and put on a necklace of skulls and a garland of snakes, holding his trident, bow, hand- drum, and skull, mounted on Nandiya,i and taking an army of spirits, goblins, fiends, female demons, female imps, she-spirits, she-goblins, and female fiends, &c., Bholanath went forth. The beauty of that pageantry is indescribable, inasmuch as in his ear was an earring of elephant-gem, on his forehead a moon, on his head he bears the Ganges, and makes his eyes intensely red, and with frightful aspect he assumes the form of the Destroyer. In this way playing and singing, and causing his army to dance, he was proceeding on ; insomuch that that appearance can be realized only on being seen ; it cannot be uttered.^ At length, in a certain time, S'iva Ji, leading his army, arrived'^ where Vanasur, with all the Asura army, was standing. On seeing Hara, Vanasur delightedly said, " Ocean of mercy ! who but you would at this time remember me ? Your glory will consume them ; now how will the Yadava family survive ? " Having stated this, he proceeded to say, " Maharaj ! let there be on this occasion a fair fight ; and let one oppose one, and fight in single combat." Maharaj ! when this remark had issued from the mouth of Vanasur, then, on the one side, the Asuras stood fronting for battle, and on the other side, the Yadubansis came and were ready. On both sides the instruments began to sound. The heroes, braves, soldiers, warriors, and the resolute began to prepare their weapons ; and the irresolute, timid, and cowardly began to fly from the field and to save their lives. Then S'iva Ji, in the form of the Destro3-er, was opposed to S'ri Krishna Chand ; and Vanasur was opposite to Balaram Ji ; Skandh encountered Pradyumna Ji ; and in this way one en- gaged with the other ; and from both sides the weapons began ^ Nandiyd, Ndndiyd, or Nandin, are names of the bull on which S'iva rides. ' This highly idiomatic sentence becomes simple when it is understood that dekhe is a past participle in the locative, used (as is fiequently the case in Sanskrit) to express " on being " or " wlien " in connection with the idea of the base. The phrase is literally, "That form only on being seen comes into being ; it comes not into utterance." ■* The presence of /^z is here idiomatically correct, altliough it is untranslatable. The comma after it should, however, Ije removed, for it belongs to the word jahdn which follows. R 2 244 Prem-Sagar to tiy. On that side, the bow Pinak [was] in the hand of S'iva Ji ; on this side [stood] the Lord of the Yadus with the bow Sarang. S'iva Ji discharged the Brahma arrow ; S'ri Krishna Ji cut and brought down the Brahma weapon. Then Rudra sent forth a mighty wind ; that Hari evaded by fiery energy. Then Mahadev produced fire ; Murari caused rain and extinguished that, and created a fierce blaze, which ran into the army of Sadasiva ; ^ that, having burnt ^ the beards, moustachios, and hair, made all the Asuras frightful in aspect. When the Asura army began to burn, and there was a great outcry for deliverance, Bholanath caused rain to fall and cooled the burnt and half-burnt Rakshasas, sprites, and goblins ; and himself very angril}" took the Narayani arrow in order to hurl it. Then reflecting somewhat in his heart, he did not hurl it, he put it down. Then it was that S'ri Krishna Ji, hurling the arrow Alasya, stupefied them all, and began to cut up the Asura arm}', as a husbandman cuts his crop. Having seen this exploit, when Mahadev, having reflected, said within himself, " Now without a cataclysmic war there is no success ; " then Skandh, mounted on a peacock, rushed forward, and from the sky dis- charged an arrow on the army of S'ri Krishna Ji. Then Pradyumna says to Hari, " [Someone] has mounted a peacock and is fighting from above ; Give the order, ' Let there be fierce fight ' ; I will sla}'- [him] ; he will at once fall to the earth." As soon as this was said, the Lord gave the order, and Prad- yumna Ji shot an arrow which hit the peacock, and Skandh fell down. As soon as Skandh fell, Vanasur angrily bent five bows, and fixing two arrows apiece on each of the bows, began to pour them down like rain, and S'ri Krishna Chand began to cut them in the very midst. Maharaj ! then the kettle-drums, drums, and tambourines, of both sides, were playing ; panegyrists were sing- ing fa soncfl like the Dhamal ; ^ from wounds streams of blood were running as from syrmges ; here and there, m various places, the bright red blood looked like gulal ;^ in the midst, sprites, goblins, and fiends, who having assumed various frightful forms were wandering about, were sporting like mimics, and the river of blood flowed forth like a stream of colour. How [call it] a battle ? it was like the Hoh festival going on on both sides. Hereupon, after the fighting had been going on for some time, S'ri Krishna Ji shot an arrow so that the charioteer of the chariot of that [other king] was swept away, and the horses were scared. At length, on the death of the charioteer, Vanasur also left the battle-field and fled, and S'ri Krishna Ji pursued him. 1 Saddsiva, " the ever felicitous " ; a name of S'iva. ^ jaldykc should be one word ; it is the Conjunctive Participle o^ jaldiia. ■* The Dhamal is a song sung at the Holi festival : .y/ agrees with ^V^/ understood. * The bright red powder scattered about at the Holi festival. Prem-Sagar 245 Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! having received intelHgence of the flight of Vanasur, his mother, whose name was Katra, then in fearsome guise, with dishevelled locks, came stark naked and stood before S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, and began to cry out. On seeing her the Lord closed his eyes, and having heard her voice he turned his back ; During which time Vanasur fled, and his army was rallied. Maharaj ! until Vanasur had organized a complete army and come there, Katra did not retire from before S'ri Krishna Ji ; [but] having seen her son's army she went home. Afterwards Vanasur came and fought valiantly, but could not stand before the Lord ; then he fled and went to Mahadev Ji. Having seen Vanasur afflicted with fear, S'iva Ji very angrily summoned a violent fever and sent it at the army of S'ri Krishna Ji. That very powerful and energetic one, whose energy was the equal of the sun's, with three heads, nine feet, six hands, three eyes, and fearsome guise, came and penetrated the army of S'ri Krishna Chand. Through his energy the Yadubansis began to burn, and to shake and tremble. At length, being greatly pained and agitated, the Yadubansis came and said to S'ri Krishna Ji, " Maharaj ! the fever of S'iva Ji having come, has burnt up and killed the whole army, now save us from his hand, otherwise not even one Yadubaiisi will escape alive.'' Maharaj ! having heard this, and perceiving them to be distressed, Hari sent forth the ague. That rushed upon the fever of Mahadev. On seeing it that fever timidly fled, and, continuing his retreat, came to Sadasiva Ji. Then the fever says to Mahadev, " Grant an asylum ; Krishna's fever is burning [me]." Hearing this statement, Mahadev Ji said, " Except S'ri Krishna Chand, there is no one in the three worlds who can remove S'ri Krishna Chand Ji's fever ; therefore this is better that thou go to S'ri Murari, the helper of devotees." Having heard the speech of S'iva, and reflected, the violent fever went before S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of joy, and with joined hands, humbly, submis- sively, and entreatingiy said, " O Ocean of Compassion ! Friend of the Humble ! the Purifier of the Fallen ! the Compassionator of the Lowly ! forgive my fault, and save me from your fever. You are the Lord, the God of Brahma and the others ; your power is incomprehensible, O Lord of the Universe ! You alone having created, arranged what was created ; O Krishna ! the universe is all your illusion ; By your favour, I comprehend this ; knowledge was granted ; the Creator of the universe became visible." 246 Prem-Sagar On hearing this speech, Hari, the Compassionate, said, " Thou hast come to my protection ; therefore thou art saved ; other- wise thou hadst not escaped hving. I have pardoned thy fault on the present occasion ; do not again attack my worshippers and servants ; this is my order to thee.'' The fever said, " Ocean of Compassion ! whoever shall hear this story, ague, intermittent fever, and tertiary ague, will never attack." Then S'ri Krishna Chand resumed, " Now do thou go to Mahadev ; stay not here, otherwise my fever will give thee trouble." On receiving this command, taking leave and prostrating himself, the violent fever went to Sadasiva Ji, and the pain of the fever was entirely subdued. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! Whoever hears this conversation, will have no fear of fever. Afterwards Vanasur, very angrily, taking bows and arrows in all his hands, came before the Lord, and challenged him, and said, — " I fought a severe combat with 3'ou ; still our desire is not satisfied." When, having said this, he began to discharge arrows with all his hands, S'ri Krishna Chand, releasing the discus Sudarsan, cut off all his arms except four, as anyone in a moment would lop off the branches of a tree. On the cutting off of his arms, Vanasur, being stupefied, fell down. A river of blood flowed forth from the wounds ; in that the arms appeared like alligators and fishes ; the severed heads of elephants were sinking like crocodiles ; in the midst, chariots, like rafts and barges, were floating about ; and hither and thither in the battle-field dogs, jackals, vultures, and other beasts and birds, were dragging about the corpses, and quarrelling and wrangling with each other, were rending and devouring them, while crows, picking out the eyes from the heads, were taking and flying away with them. S'ri S'ukadev Jt said : — Maharaj ! seeing this to be the condition of the battle-field, Vanasur became exceedingly dejected, and began to regret. At length, becoming destitute of strength, he went to Sadasiva. Then, — Rudra, having reflected in his mind, says, " Now you should gratify Hari." Having said this much, S'ri Mahadev Ji, taking Vanasur with him, and reading the Veda [as they went], came where S'ri Krishna Chand was standing in the field of battle. Having thrown Vanasur at his feet, S'iva Ji with joined hands said, '' O [thou who art] merciful [to those who] come for sanctuary ! now this Vanasur has come to thy asylum ; compassionately look on him, and bear not his fault in mind. You are repeatedly becoming incarnate, to remove the burden of the earth, and to Pre.m-Sagar 247 destroy the wicked and cause the world to cross [the ocean of existence]. You are the Lord, invisible, inseparable, eternal ; for the sake of worshippers you came into the world and are mani- festing Bhagwant,! otherwise you ever remain in the form of Virat,- of whom this is the form : heaven is the head, the sky is the navel, the earth is the foot, the ocean is the belly, Indra is the arms, the hills are the nails, the clouds are the hair, trees are the down, the moon and sun are the eyes, Brahma is the mind, Rudra is the pride, the air is the breath, day and night are the shutting and opening of the eyes, thunder is the voice. In such a form you ever abide ; by no one are you com- prehended. And this world is an ocean of misery ; it is filled with water in the form of anxiety and delusion. O Lord ! without the help of the boat of your name, no one is able to go across this most difficult ocean ; and thus many are sinking and floundering. The man who, having obtained a mortal body, shall not bear your worship in mind and offer up prayer, will forget religion and enhance his sin. He who having come into the world does not call upon your name, has abandoned nectar and drunk poison. He in whose heart you have come and dwelt, having celebrated your virtues, has obtained faith and salvation." Having said this much, S'ri Mahadev Ji resumed, " O Ocean of Compassion ! Friend of the Lowly ! your greatness is unbounded. Who has so much power that he can celebrate it, and understand your exploits ? Now have compassion upon me, and pardon the fault of this Vaiiasur, and give him faith in you. He also is entitled to your faith, since he is part of the family of the devotee Prahlad." S'ri Krishna Chand said, " S'iva Ji ! there is no difference between you and me, and whoever shall suppose there is difference will fall into a great hell, and will never obtain me. He who has meditated on you, has finally obtained me. This one has guilelessly invoked your name, therefore I have made him four-armed. To whomsoever you have granted, or shall grant, a boon, him I have protected and shall protect." ' A name of Krishna; therefore the plirase may be rendered " manifcstuig yourself." ^ V/rdt is the Nominative form of zn'rdj, " the radiant." The exact mytho- logical position of Viraj is not clear. Manii says (i. 32) that Brahma divided his substance into male and female, and from the female portion Viraj arose. Tliis Viraj was male, and from him was produced the first Manu (also styled the Sell- exisient Manu), who created the ten Prajapatis, or progenitors of human kind. The Purusha-sukta of the Rig-veda states that Viraj was produced from Purusha (the primal male), and that Purusha was then produced from Viraj. The Puranas give somewhat conflicting accounts of this metaphysical conception, which is, not improbably, merely intended to express the creation of form from the formless. The Harivansa states that Vishnu created Viraj ; and this connection would account for his association here with Krishna. The Vishnu-Purai.ia also (i. 12) declares that Viraj sprang from Vishnu ; but immediately afterwards identiiies Viraj with \'ishnu himself. 2/\S Prkm-Sagar Maharaj ! as soon as this promise had issued from the mouth of the Lord, vSadasiva Ji, prostrating himself and taking leave-, went to Kailas with his army, and S'ri Krishna Chand remained just where he was. Then Vanasur, with joined hands, and bowed head, submissively said, " O Lord of the Lowly ! as you have now compassionately caused me to cross [the ocean of existence], now come and purify your servant's house, and take Aniruddha Ji and Usha Ji along with 3'OU." On hearing this statement, S'ri Bihari, the benefactor of devotees, taking Pradyumna Ji with him, set out for the house of Vanasur. Maharaj ! then Vanasur, being greatly delighted, with great courtesy conducted the Lord, spreading silken carpets for his feet. Afterwards — Having washed his feet he took his foot-water, and, sipping it, placed it on his forehead. He then resumed, " The foot-water which to all is difficult of attainment, I have obtained b}' the favour of Hari, and have lost the sin of various births. This foot-water purities the three worlds ; its name is Ganges. Brahma filled an ascetic's pot with it ; S'iva Ji placed it on his head. Then gods, saints, and Rishis honoured it, and Bhagirath, having performed austerity to the three gods, brought it into the world ; since then its name has been Bhagirathi. This is the remover of the stain of sin,i the purifier, the giver of happiness to the saintly, the ladder to \"aikurith ; and he who has bathed in it has lost the sin of various births. He who has drunk the water of the Ganges has certainly attained beatitude ; thevwho have seen Bhagirathi have subdued the whole world." Maharaj I^ having said this much, Vanasur, bringing Aniruddha Ji and Usha, with hands joined, before the Lord, said, — " Pardon mv fault, what was to be was ; I have given this Ushi [as] a slave." Having spoken thus, \'anasur, according to Vedic prescriptioji, gave his daughter ; and in her dowry bestowed much of which there were no bounds.^ Having told so much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! as soon as the marriage had taken place, S'ri Krishna Chand, having given to Vanasur hope and encouragement, and seated him on the throne, took leave, accompanied by his grand- son and grand-daughter, and causing the kettle-drums to play, set out thence to the city of Dwarak^, with all the Yadubansis. Having received intelligence of their coming, all the inhabitants of Dwarak^ went out of the city, and escorted the Lord with a musical procession. Then the inhabitants of the town, singing ^ Eastwick translates " crimes and stains," but malahnrani is one word, " stain - remover," as Pandit Yogadhy^n Misra prints it. Eastwick entirely omits the next two phrases ; and HoUings omits the entire pa!r>agc, from one jaitm janm kd f-dp ganii'dyn to the other. - That IS, he gave boundlc;s wcalili. Prem-Sagar 249 songs of rejoicing, from markets, roads, sqviares, halls, and houses, were making festivity ; and Rukmini and all the other beauteous ones were singing songs of congratulation in the royal palace, and were observmg the usual ceremonies ; and the gods, each seated in his own car, were raining down flowers, and uttering shouts of victory ; and, in the house and out, throughout the whole city, joy was prevailing. Then 1 Balaram, the abode of happiness, and S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of joy, dismissed all the Yadubaiisis, and went and resided in the palace with Ani- ruddha and Usha, Usha was brought into the house ; on seeing her Krishna's wives were delighted ; The mother-in-law gave blessings and embraced her ; having seen her and being delighted, she dressed her in ornaments. CHAPTER LXV^ The story of Raja Nrip^lle is changed into a hzaid, and lives for ages in a dry well — He is released from this slate by Krishna, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Mahdraj ! Rayl Nrig,^ of the Tkshwaku * race, was wise, liberal, virtuous, and brave. He gave unnumbered cows in alms. If the grains of sand of the Ganges, and the drops of rain in the month Bhc^daun, and the stars of heaven could be counted, then the cows given in alms by Raja Nrig could also be counted. A king who was so wise, great, and liberal, having" for a slight fault become a lizard, abode in a dried-up well ; him S'ri Krishna Chand Ji delivered. Having related the story thus far, King Parikshit asked S'ri vS'ukadev Ji ; — Maharaj ! for what sin did so virtuous and liberal a king become a lizard and remain in a dried-up well, and how did S'ri Krishna Chand Ji cause hiin to cross [the ocean of existence] ? Do you explain this story to mc, that the doubt of my mind may- be removed. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! do vou pay heed, give atten- ' The /'/ marivS transition from one line of thought to another. - Some confusion exists about this personality. The V'ishnu-Purana (iv. i) speaks of him as the son of Manu Vaivaswata an I brother of Ikshwaku ; but the Bliai;avala-Purana says he was of the Naga or Serpent race. The tradition here given is alluded to in the Lir'iga-Purana ; but is more fully told in the Mahabharata "(Annsasana-parvan, 3452). ■' Ikshwaku was the first king of the Solar d)iia?ty al Aj'odhyao 250 Prem-Sagar tion, and listen ; I will explain the whole tale just as it occurred. Raja Nrig, then, was simply keeping on constantly giving cows in alms ; but one day, having bathed quite early, and performed the twilight acts of worship, he sent for a thousand white, purple, black, yellow, brown, and grey cows, with silver hoofs, golden horns, and copper backs, and had them dressed in silk, and vowed [them in alms] ; and in addition to them he gave to the Brahmans large quantities of food and wealth. They taking them, went to their own homes. Next day the king again, in that way, began to make a gift of cows. Then one cow of the former day's vow, unknown [to the king], came and joined [the others] ; that one, also, the king gave away along with those cows. The Brahman accepting them went to his house. Afterwards the other Brahman recognized his cow, and stopped it in the road and said, " This cow is mine ; I received it yesterday from the king's place. Brother ! why art thou going with this ? " The Brah- man said, "This, indeed, I am just coming along with from the king's place ; how was it thine ? " Maharaj ! both those Brahmans in this way, with [exclamations of] " Mine, mine," began to dispute. At length, wrangling on, they both went to the king. The king having heard both their statements, joined his hands, and submissively said, — " Let one accept a lakh of rupees, and let one give the other the cow." On hearing this speech, both the wrangling Brahmans very angrily said, " Maharaj ! the cow which, after uttering a blessing, we have received, we will not give up even by receiving a karor of rupees ; this is [connected] with our souls." Maharaj ! again the king, falling repeated^ at the feet of those Brahmans, in various ways flattered and counselled them ; but those vindictive Brahmans paid no heed to what the king said. At length very angrily sa3nng this, both the Brahmans left the cow and departed, " Maharaj ! the cow which you vowed and gave to us, and which we blessed, stretched out our hands, and took, that cow is not to be given for money. Well ! [if] it thus remains with you it does not signify." Maharaj ! on the departure of the Brahmans, Raja Nrig was at first dejected and began to say within his heart, " This impiety occurred through me unconsciously ; how shall it be removed ? " and afterwards he began to be extremely liberal and pious. After some time had elapsed, Raja Nrig, in the course of time,^ died. The emissaries of Yama took him to Dharmaraj.2 Dhar- maraj, on seeing the king, rose from his throne and stood up ; then, having placed him courteously on the seat, said most affectionately, " Maharaj ! you have great merit, and few sins ; tell me which will you first be requited for ? " * Lit., "having become subject to Time," that is, Fate or Destiny. ^ Dharmaraj and Yama are names for the judge of departed souls. Prem-Sagar 251 Having heard this, Nrig, with joined hands, says, " Let not my virtue pass away, O Lord ! First I will suffer for the sin ; having assumed a body I will suffer 1 affliction." On hearing this statement, Dharmaraj said to Raja Nrig, " Maharaj ! you unknowingly a second time gave in alms a cow which had already been given in alms ; for this fault you will have to become a lizard and remain in a dried-up well in the midst of a forest on the banks of the Gomti. When, at the end of the Dwapara age,^ S'ri Krishna Chand shall become incarnate, he will give you deliverance." Maharaj ! having said this, Dharmaraj remained silent, and Raja Nrig, immediately becom- ing a lizard, fell down into a dried-up well, and by feeding on living creatures began to live there. Afterwards, on several ages having elapsed, at the end of the Dwapara age, S'ri Krishna Chand ]i became incarnate ; and, having sported in Braj, when he went to Dwaraka, and had sons and grandsons, one day several of the sons and grandsons of S'ri Krishna Ji, joining together, went to hunt, and, while hunting in the wood, became thirsty. By chance, they, while hunting about for water in the wood, went to that dried-up well where Raja Nrig, having taken birth as a lizard, remained. On peering into the well, one of them cried aloud to them all, " O brothers ! see, what a great lizard there is in this well." On hearing this statement, all of them ran, and stood on the coping-stone of the well and began to unite their turbans and waist-bands together, to let them down, and to haul [him up], and to say among themselves, " Brothers ! without getting this one out of the well we will not go from here." Maharaj ! when he did not come out with that rope of turbans and waist-bands, they sent for, from the village, very thick and powerful ropes of hemp, thread, tniina'^ and leather, and attaching a noose to the lizard in the well, began forcibly to haul him ; but he was not even moved from there. Then someone, going into Dwaraka, said to S'ri Krishna Ji, " Maharaj ! there is a very large, heavy lizard within a dried-up well in the wood. All the Princes have dragged him [till] they are tired ; but he does not come out." On hearing these words, Hari arose and hastened, and, pro- ceeding onwards, came where all the boys were pulling out the lizard. On seeing the Lord, all the boys said, " Father ! see, what a big lizard this is ! we, for a long time, have been getting it out, but it does not come out." Maharaj ! having heard this speech, as soon as S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, having descended into the well, had placed his foot on his body, at once he quitted that body, and became a very handsome man. ^ sahihaun should be one word, as being the 1st pers. sing. Future. " See note ^, p. 183. 3 mi'mja is the name of a grass {Saaharum niiinja) from wliith ropes are made. 252 Prem-Sagar In the form of a king he remained holding the feet [of Krishna] ; with joined hands and bowed head, he soHcits [thus], — " Ocean of Compassion ! you have acted very mercifully in that 3-0U have come and remembered me in this great calamity." S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! when he, having assumed human form, began to speak in this kind of way to Hari, the children of the Yadavas, and the sons and grandsons of Hari, with astonish- ment began to ask S'ri Krishna Chand, thus, " Maharaj ! what is this ? and for what offence did he become a lizard and stay here ? Kindh' tell us that, then the doubt in our minds will depart." Then the Lord himself, telling [them] nothing, said to the king,— " Explain your secret, so that all, having paid attention, may hear ; Who are you ? Whence did vou come from ? For what sin did you obtain this body ? " Having heard, the king said, with joined hands, "You know all, O Lord of the Yadus ! Nevertheless 3'ou are asking, 1 therefore I will tell [all]. My name is Raja Nrig ; for your sake, I gave innumerable cows to Brahmans. It happened one day that I, having vowed several cows, gave them to Brahmans. Next dav one of those cows came back ; that one I, with other cows, unintentionally gave in alms to another Brahman. As soon as he had accepted it and gone out, the first Brahman, recognizing his cow, said to him, ' This cow is mine ; I obtained it 3'esterda3- from the king's place. Why art thou taking it awa^- ? ' The other said, ' I am coming with it straight from the king's place ; how is it thine ? ' Maharaj ! those two Brahmans, while quarrelling on this point, came to me. I counselled them and said, ' In exchange for one cow, receive from me a hundred thousand cows, and let one ot you give up this cow.' " Maharaj ! those two obstinately did not agree to my proposal. At length, leaving the cow, the}^ both angrily- went away. I, deeply regretting [what had occurred], sat patientlv. At last the messengers of Yama conducted me to Dharmaraj. Dharmaraj asked me, thus, ' Raja ! thy virtue is great, and thy sin is small. Tell me, which will you first have the requital of ? ' I said, ' Sin.' On hearing this word, O Maharaj ! Dharmaraj said, ' Raja ! thou gavest a second time to a Brahman a cow already given ; for this impiet}' do thou, having become a lizard, go on earth, and stay in a dried-up well in the midst of a wood on the banks of the Gomti. When, at the end of the Dwapara age, S'ri Krishna Chand, having become incarnate, shall go near thee, thy release shall be accomplished.' Maharaj I since then I, in the form of a lizard, ' Here wc have llic 2iid pers. iuslcacl of llic jid pcr.^. pi. wilh ap. Prem-Sagar 253 have been l_ving in this dried-up well, meditating on your lotus- feet. Now, having come, you have delivered me from great affliction, and carried me across the ocean of existence." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! having said this much. Raja Nrig, being dismissed, sat in a car and went to Vaikunth ; and S'ri Krishna Chand counselled all the youths and cowherds, and said, — " Let no one injure a Brahman ; let no one take away the portion of a Brahman ; Hold not back what has been vowed in the heart ; speak truthful words to Brahmans ; He who takes back what he has given to a Brahman, Yama gives him a punishment as great as this [of Nrig] ; Remain the servants of Brahmans ; bear [patiently] all the faults of a Brahman ; He who reveres a Brahman, reveres me ; let no one suppose there is a difference between a Brahman and me. He who shall think there is a difference between me and a Brahman will fall into hell ; and he who shall revere a Brahmaii will obtain me, and without doubt will enter the supreme abiding-place." Maharaj ! having said these words, S'ri Krishna Ji conducted them all thence, and set out for the city of Dwaraka. CHAPTER LXVI. Balaram visits Nand and Jasoda at Braj, and dances with the cowherd esses. S'ri Sukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! once S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of joy, and Balaram, the abode of happiness, were seated in their jewelled palace ; whereupon Baladev Ji said to the Lord, " Brother ! when Kaiis sent to call us from Brindaban, and we started for Mathura, you and I promised the cowherdesses, and Nand and Jasoda, that we should speedily go and meet them ; how- ever, not going there, we have come and dwelt in Dwaraka. They must be thinking about us ; if you permit it, we will go see our birthplace, and, having comforted them, will return." The Lord said, " Very well ! " On hearing this, Balaram Ji took leave of all, and taking his plough and club, mounted his chariot, and set out. Maharaj ! the kings of the towns, cities, and villages into 254 Prem-Sagar which Balaram Ji was going, advanced to meet him, and with great courtesy conducted him ; and he continued to give con- solation to each of them. After a time, proceeding onwards, Balaram Ji arrived at the city of Avantika. He paid respect to his instructor in knowledge ; Balaram stayed there ten da3's. Afterwards, taking leave of the Guru, Baladev Ji, proceeding onwards, arrived in Gokul. Then what does he see ! In the woods, in all directions, cows are wandering about, lowing and panting, with mouths gaping open, without eating grass, thinking about S'ri Krishna Chand, and paying heed to the tones of his flute. Close behind them, the cowherd lads were going along, imbued with love, singing the praises of Hari, and hither and thither the inhabitants of the city were celebrating the exploits and sports of the Lord. Maharaj ! having gone to the birthplace and witnessed this condition of the inhabitants of Braj and the cows, Balaram Ji compassionately brought tears into his eyes. Then having seen the flag and banner of the chariot, and thinking that S'ri Krishna Chand and Balaram Ji were come, all the cowherd lads came running. On their coming, the Lord,i having de- scended from the chariot, began to embrace each separately and very affectionately to ask their welfare. Hereupon someone went and said to Nand and Jasoda, " Baladev Ji has come." On re- ceiving this intelligence, Nand, Jasoda, and the chief cowherds arose and hastened. Having perceived them coming from a distance, Balaram Ji ran, and went and threw himself at the feet of Nand Ra^e. Then Nand Ji, greatly delighted, with eyes filled with tears, very aff"ectionately raised up Balaram Ji, and embraced him, and lost the pain of separation. Then the Lord — Went and clasped the feet of Yasamati.^ She tenderly embraced him. She met, embraced, and kept holding him to her bosom ; a stream of tears flowed from her e3'es. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to the King : — Maharaj ! having met thus, Nand Ra^e Ji conducted Balaram Ji into the house, and began to ask about his welfare, thus, " Tell me ; are Ugrasen, Vasudev, and all the other Yadavas, and S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of joy, happy ? and do they ever think of us? " Balaram Ji said, " By your favour, all are in joy and happiness, and ever, at all times, continue to celebrate your virtues." Having heard this, Nand Ra^e was silent. Then Jasoda the queen, remembering S'ri Krishna Ji, with eyes filled with tears, agitatedly said, '' Baladev Ji ! is our beloved S'ri Krishna Ji well, the star of our eyes ? " Balaram Ji said, " He is very well.'' Then Nand's queen resumed, " Baladev ! since Hari set out from • Notice that here Balaram is called Frabhii, " the Lord," ^ A name of Vasoda or Jasoda. Prem-Sagar 255 hence, darkness has been before my eyes ; I have continued day and night meditating on him, and he, forgetting all remembrance of me, has gone and ensconced himself in Dwaraka. And see, my sisters Devaki and Rohini also have given up all affection for me. [I] thought Gokul near Mathura ; still it was considered that I lived at a distance ; [I thought], Hari is coming to meet and rejoin [us] ; he did not return ; this they ^ have done." Maharaj ! when Jasoda Ji, having said this much, becoming greatly agitated, began to cry, Balaram Ji counselled, encouraged, and gave her confidence. Then he having eaten and partaken of betel, went out of the house. Then what does he see ! All the young women of Braj, with emaciated bodies, disordered minds, dishevelled hair, squalid appearance, desponding souls, oblivious of household affairs, imbued with love, intoxicated with youthfulness, singing Hari's praises, agitated in consequence of separation [from a loved one], were proceeding hither and thither like drunken creatures. Maharaj ! on seeing Balaram Ji, they became exceedingly pleased, and rushed to him, and prostrating themselves, and standing on all sides with joined hands, they began to ask and to say, " Tell us, O Balaram ! abode of happi- ness ! now where dwells our life, the beauteous S'yam ? Does Bihari ever bear us in mind, or having attained power, has he altogether forgotten former affection ? Since he went from here, he sent [only] once a message, through t)dho, enjoining penance. Then he took no thought of anyone. Now he has gone and taken up his abode in the ocean ; then why should he take thought of anyone ? " On hearing these words, a cowherdess cried out, " Friend ! who would regret the love of Hari, when this conduct of his is seen by all ? He is not - desired of anyone, who has turned his back on his parents. He was not remaining an hour without Radha ; this is she who has stopped him.^ Again, what advantage have you and I got by abandoning household duties, sacrificing respect for our families, and the good opinion of the world, and leaving children and husband, for the love of Hari ? At length, having embarked us on the ^ That is, Devaki and Rohini. 2 ndhin should be one word ; it is a dialectal form of nahin. The separation has caused Eastwick to introduce a second phrase in his translation which is not intended here. ■* This phrase is not clear. There is no such word as barsdnd, in the sense of "stay," "stop," or "restrain ;" but it may be intended for Hrsdjid, "to cause to remain"; birsdne part viOulA mean "she had to stop (him)"; but it mii^'ht also imply " she happened to be stayed." Neither Lallu Lai nor Eastwick give the word in their vocabularies ; and Eastwick follows Hollings in translating " causes him to stop away." The phrase is ironical. 256 Prem-Sagar vessel ot love, he has abandoned us in the midst of the ocean of separation. Now we are hearing that, having gone into Dwaraka, the Lord has contracted many marriages, and that S'ri Krishna has removed and married sixteen thousand one hundred princesses which Bhaumasur had kept in his house. Now from them there have been sons, grandsons, and grand- daughters ; why should he leave them and come here ? " Hearing this, another cowherdess said, " Friend ! do not expend any regret over the words of Hari ; because IJdho Ji came and related all his good qualities." Having said this much, she resumed, " Friends ! should you heed my advice now, — Let us touch the feet of Haladhar Ji, and continue to sing only his virtues ; He is fair, not dark bodied ; he will not act deceptively." Having heard, Sankarshan ^ replied, " For vour sake I have made this journey ; When we went we said to you that we should come ; there- fore Krishna has sent me to Braj ; I will stay two months, and dance the circular dance ; I will fulfil all your hopes."' Maharaj ! Balaram Ji, having said this much, directed all the young women of Braj, thus, " To-day is the night of Madhumas ; ~ decorate yourselves and come into the wood ; I will dance the circular dance with j'ou." Having said this, Balaram Ji, in the evening, set out for the wood. After him, all the young women of Braj also, wearing nice dresses and ornaments, and adorned from head to foot, came near to Baladev Ji, — All stood with heads bent ; the beauty of Haladhar cannot be described ; Golden-coloured, wearing blue robes ; moon-faced, lotus- eyed, captivating the heart ; An earring in one ear shed its lustre, as though sun and moon together shone ; The other ear had imbibed the flavour of the glory of Hari ; the ear did not bear a second earring ; On each member of his body were numerous ornaments ; the splendour of which baffles description ; The beauteous ones fell at his feet, saying this, — " Engage in delightful sport and the circular dance [with us]." Maharaj ! on hearing this remark Balaram Ji made [the mystic sound] Iiiok"" On his making the sound ////». all the things * Sankarshan is a name of Balaram. - Madhumas is a name of the munth Chaitra (March- April) ; "the night," rr.eans the nigiit of the full moon. ■' This mysterious exclamation is the equivalent of o))i, which is considered a union of the three letters (7, 11, m, emblematical of N'ishnu, S'iva, and Brahma, rcspecti\cly ; or of the three \'e(!as. It is used li)- liolh Ijudtlhists and Hindus. Prem-Sagar 257 [needful] for the circular dance came and presented themselves. Then, indeed, all the cowherdesses, abandoning reflection and modesty, and taking lutes, tabors, cymbals, pipes, flutes, and all other instruments, began to play and sing, and, with merry- makings, dancing about and gesticulation, to gratify the Lord. Having heard and seen their playing, singing, and dancing, and being delighted, Baladev Ji also, having drunk vCiruni} mingled with them all, and began to sing, and dance, and to perform various kinds of sports, and to give and receive pleasure. Then the gods, the Gandharvas, the Kinnaras, the Yakshas, with their respective wives, came, seated in cars, and singing the virtues of the Lord, rained down flowers from the sky ; the Moon with its starry sphere, looking on at the happiness of the circle of the dance, was showering down nectar with its rays, and air and water also were stopped in their course. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! in this way Balaram Ji stayed in Braj, and during the two months Chaitra and Baisakh danced and sported at night with the young women of Braj, and in the day-time, gave Nand and Jasoda happiness by relating the history of Hari. One day at night-time while engaged in these [festivities], Balaram Ji went, — And having reposed on the banks of the stream, Ram angrily said there, " Yamuna ! do thou flow here, and bathe me with a thousand streams ; If thou shalt not obey my words, your waters shall be divided into several portions." Maharaj ! when Yamuna conceitedly paid no attention to what Balaram Ji said, he angrily with his plough drew her [towards himself], and 2 bathed. From that day to the present the Yamuna has been bent there. Afterwards, having bathed and relieved his fatigue, Balaram Ji, having given pleasure to all the cowherdesses, took them with him, and, going from the woods, came into the city. There, — The cowherdesses said, " Hear, O Lord of Braj ! take us, too, with you." Having heard these words, Balaram Ji, giving hope and encouragement to the cowherdesses, inspired them with confi- dence, and dismissed them, and on their being dismissed he went to Nand and Jasoda. Then having counselled them also, and strengthened them, and sta3^ed several days, he took leave and went to Dwaraka ; and, in the course of time, arrived there. * Vdriini is a spirituous liquor made from hogweed distilled with tlie juice of the date or palm. " Vox jau read an or aur. S 2^:8 P REM- S AGAR CHAPTER LXVII. Paunrik assumes the appearance of Vishnu, and is worshipped as a god— He is accordingly slain by Krishna — His son gets power from S'iva to revenge his father's death — His emissaries set fire to Dwaraka, but he is repulsed and slain by Krishna's discus. S'ri Sukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! there was a king in the city of Kasi, named Paunrik ; ^ he was strong and very famous. He assumed the guise of Vishnu, and by force and fraud captivated the minds of all. He constantly wore a yellow dress, a five- gemmed necklace,^ a pearl necklace, and a garland of various gems, and bearing the shell, discus, club, and lotus, and having made two wooden arms, and placed a Garuda made of mere wood on a horse, he went about mounted on it. He called himself Vasudev Paunrik, and caused himself to be worshipped by all. The king who would not obey his commands he attacked ; then having smitten him, he held him in subjection. Having told the tale thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! seeing and hearing this conduct of his, the people of various countries, cities, villages, and houses, began to talk about it thus, " One Vasudev has been manifested in the family of Yadu in the land of Braj, that one is dwelling in the city of Dwaraka. A second [Vasudev] has now appeared in Kasi ; which of the two shall we recognize and acknowledge as the true one ? " Maharaj ! in various countries this report was in circulation, when, having obtained some inkling of the affair, Vasudev Paunrik one day came into his assembly and said, — " Who is the Krishna who lives in Dwaraka, whom the world calls Vasudev ? For the sake of devotees, I am become incarnate on earth ; he has there assumed my guise." Having spoken thus, he summoned a messenger, and having explained the height and depth of the affair, sent him into Dwaraka, to S'ri Krishna Chand with these words, "Thou who, having assumed my guise, art going about, either abandon that ; otherwise reflect on war." On receiving the order, the mes- seno-er, taking leave, proceeded along from Kasi, and arrived at the city of Dwaraka ; and going into the assembly of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, presented himself. The Lord asked him thus, " Who art thou ? and whence art thou come ? " He replied, " I am the messenger of Vasudev Paunrik of the city of Kasi. I am sent by ' This should be Paundraka, a king of the Paundra country to the south of Bihar and Bengal. - The necklace of Vishnu, composed of sapphire, pearl, ruby, topaz, and diamond. Prem-Sagar 259 my master, 1 and am come to you to deliver some message. [If you] tell [me to do so] I will state [it]." S'ri Krishna Chand said, " Good ! tell me." As soon as this direction issued from the mouth of the Lord, the messenger stood up, and joining his hands, said, " Maharaj ! Vasudev Paunrik said, 'I am indeed the Lord of the Three Worlds, and Creator of the Universe. Who art thou who, assuming my guise, and flying from fear of Jurasindhu, hast gone to live in Dwaraka ? Either give up imitating me and speedily come and take refuge with me, other- wise I will come and destroy thee with all the Yadubansis, and having removed the burden of the earth, will cherish my wor- shippers. I alone am the invisible, the incomprehensible, the incorporeal ; gods, saints, sages, and men continually pray to, worship, and give alms for me. I alone as Brahma create ; as Vishnu preserve ; as S'iva destroy. I alone, in the form of a fish, rescued the sinking Vedas ; in the form of a tortoise, I supported the mountain [on which the universe rests] ; as a boar, I sus- tained the earth ; having taken incarnate form as Narasiiiha, I killed Hiranyakasyapa ; having become incarnate as a dwarf, I deceived Bali ; and, having assumed the Rama-avatar, I killed the very wicked Ravaiia. This is my special work, that whenever the Asuras come and annoy my worshippers, then I take incarnate form and remove the burden of the earth.' " Having told the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! the messenger of Vasudev Paunrik was making these statements, and S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of joy, seated on his jewelled throne, in the assembly of the Yadavas, was listening laughingly, when, in the midst of it, a certain Yadava cried out, — " Has Yama come to take thee, that thou speakest such words ? Shall we slay thee, wretch ! Thou art come in the quarrel of a deceiver. If thou hadst not been an emissary, we had not let thee go unkilled. It is not right to slay a messenger." Maharaj ! when the Yadubansi had said this, S'ri Krishna Ji called the messenger near, and counselling him, said, *' Do thou go, and say to thy Vasudev thus, ' Krishna says, Having desisted from imitating thee, I am coming to thy refuge ; be careful.' " On hearing these words, the messenger, prostrating himself, took leave ; and S'ri Krishna Chand Ji also taking his army, set out for the city of Kasi. The messenger went and said to Vasudev Paunrik, " Maharaj ! I went into Dwaraka and stated to S'ri Krishna all the message you told me. Having heard it, he said, ' Do thou go and tell thy master thus. Be careful ; I having desisted from imitating thee, am coming to take refuge with thee.' " * Notice the Past Participle with the Genitive to express "sent liy " ; and tlie omission of ko after kaliiu\ S 2 26o Preim-Sagar Maharaj ! just as the messenger was saying these words, some- one came and said, " Maharaj ! why is your majesty sitting care- lessly ? S'ri Krishiia with his army has come to the attack." On hearing this statement, Vasudev Paunrik, in that very guise came hastily to the attack with his whole army, and, moving on, came and confronted S'ri Krishna Chand Ji. Along with him another king of Kasi also hurried to the attack. On both sides the armies stood arrayed against each other. They began to sound the warlike instruments ; and the heroes, braves, and soldiers began to fight, and the cowards to quit the field and to fly with their lives. Then while fighting on, directed by Fate, Vasudev Paunrik, just in that fashion, came before S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, and challenged him. Seeing him in the guise of Vishnu, all the Yadubansis asked S'ri Krishna Chand thus, " Maharaj ! how shall we kill him in this guise ? " The Lord said. " There is no fault in killing a deceiver." Having said this, Hari gave order to the discus S'udarsan. He, on going, tore up the two arms made of wood ; with that the [wooden] Garuda was also broken, and the horse ran away. When Vasudev Paunrik fell down, S'udarsan cut off his head and threw it away. On the head being cut off. King Paunrik passed over [the ocean of existence] ; the head went and fell in Kasi, Where was his female apartment ; the beauteous ones seeing his head, Cried and tore their hair, saying this, " Who is the doer of this action ? You, indeed, were undecaving and immortal ; how is it that life is gone in a twinkling ? " Maharaj ! having heard the lamentation of the queens, a son of his named Sudaksh came there, and having seen the head of his father cut off, very angrily began to sa}', " Who has killed my father ? I will not live without taking revenge for this." Having told the tale thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! having slain Vasudev Paunrik, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, taking the whole of his army, set out for Dwaraka. And the son of [Paunrik] began to practise severe austerity to Mahadev Ji in order to obtain revenge for his father. Hereupon, after some time, one day, being pleased, Mahadev Bholanath came and said, "Ask a boon." This one replied, " Maharaj ! grant me this boon, that I may take revenge on S'ri Krishna for my father." S'iva Ji said, " Good ! if thou desirest to take revenge do one thing." He said, " What ? " [The other] replied, " Offer a sacrifice with the Vedic prayers backwards ; b}- so doing a female Rakshas will issue from the fire ; whatever thou wilt say to her she will do." Having heard this promise from the mouth of S'iva Ji, Maharaj ! he went and summoned Brahmans, prepared an altar, got together sesamum, barle}', ghi, sugar, and all the other essentials Prem-Sagar 261 for a burnt-offering, prepared a S'akala} and began to sacrifice by- repeating Vedic prayers backwards. At length, while keeping on sacrificing, from the vessel of fire a female Rakshas named Kritya came forth. She, burning away the cities, countries, and villages in the very rear of S'ri Krishna Ji, arrived in the city of Dwaraka, and began to consume the city. Seeing the city in flames, all the Yadubaiisis being afraid, went to S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, and cried out, " Maharaj ! how shall we escape from this fire ? It is coming on consuming the whole city." The Lord said, " Do not be anxious on any point. This female Rakshas, named Kritya, has come from Kasi. I will at once arrange about her." Maharaj ! having said this much, S'ri Krishna Ji gave order to the discus S'udarsan, thus, " Smite and drive back this one, and immediately go, burn up the city of Kasi, and return." On receiving the command of Hari, the discus S'udarsan smote and put to flight Kritya, and, on the mere speaking of a word, went and burnt up Kasi. The subjects fled, wandering about in distress ; they bitterly abused Sudaksh ; The discus returned, having consumed the city of S'iva ; he came and told it to Krishna. CHAPTER LXVIII. Contest between Balaram and the monkey Dubid — The latter is slain. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! I am about to give an exact recital of the story, how Balarain, the abode of happiness, the receptacle of beauty, kiUed the monkey Dubid ; " do you listen attentively. One day Dubid, who was the minister of Sugriv, and the brother of the monkey Mayandri,'^ and the friend of Bhaumasur, began to say, " There is a thorn in my mind which perpetually annoys me." Hearing this, someone asked him, thus, " Maharaj ! what is that ? " He replied, " Should I slay him who has killed my friend Bhaumasur, the pain of my mind would depart." ^ A S'dkala is a mixture of the ingredients just mentioned, in order to offer sacrifice accordmg to the prescription of the S'dkala school of Vedic teachers. This school seems to have superseded all others ; for their text uf the Rig-veda is the only one now extant. - The name is properly Dwivid, "double-cunning." The story is told in the Vishiui-Purana, V. xxxvi. '^ Properly Alainda. 262 Prem-Sagar Maharaj ! having said this, he immediately advanced in great anger against the city of Dwaraka, laying waste the country of S'ri Krishna Chand and harassing the people. Some he washed away by pouring down water ; some he consumed by raining down fire ; some he dashed down from mountains ; some he flung mountains upon ; some he drowned in the ocean ; some he seized, bound, and concealed in caverns ; the belhes of some he ripped up ; some he slew with uprooted trees. In this way he was keeping on injuring the people ; and wherever he was finding saints, sages and gods seated, he was raining down ordure, urine, and blood. At length, in this way afflicting and oppressing the people, he arrived at the city of Dwaraka, and, assuming a minute form, he went and sat on the palace of S'ri Krishna Chand. Having seen him, all the beauteous ones within the palace, shutting up the doors, fled away and hid themselves. Then he, having obtained news of Balaram Ji, with this thought in his heart, went on to Mount Rewat, — " First I will slay Haladhar ; afterwards I will take the life of Krishna." Where Baladev Ji was sporting with his M-ives, O Maharaj ! what does he there covertly see ? Balaram, having drunk spirituous liquor, and having taken all his wives with him, is indulging in a variety of sports, singing away, bathing, and causing [the others] to bathe, in the midst of a tank. Having witnessed this scene, Dubid climbed up a tree, and chattering away and snarling, began to jump and skip about from branch to branch and to play tricks, and began to void ordure and to micturate where there was a vessel full of spirituous liquor, and where all their clothes had been placed. As soon as all the beauteous ones saw the monkey, they timidly cried out, " Maharaj ! whence has this monkey come, who keeps on terrifying us and voiding excrement and urine on our clothes? " On hearing these words, Baladev Ji, coming out of the tank, laughingly threw a clod of earth ; thereupon the [monke}'], thinking him intoxicated, snarling very angrily, came down. As soon as he came down he overturned the pitcher full of spirituous liquor, which had been placed at the side [of the tank], and tore up all the clothes into shreds. Then, indeed, Balaram Ji angrily uplifted his plough and pestle ; and the other one, becoming as big as a mountain, advancing to fight against the Lord, stood ready. From the one side, the one was wielding the plough and pestle, and, on the other, the other one [was hurling] trees and hills. Both together are fighting desperately ; they are not giving back in the least from their position. Maharaj ! these two powerful ones, then, were fighting fearlessl}-, practising various kinds of feints and stratagems ; but the very life was passing awa}- from the spectators through fear. At Prem-Sagar 263 length, the Lord knowing that they were distressed, smote and overthrew Dubid. As soon as he was dead, gods, men, and saints, and the souls of all were rejoiced, and grief was dispelled. The gods, swelling out [with jo}-], are raining down flowers, and are hailing Haladhar with [shouts of] " Victory ! victory ! " Having related the story thus far, SVi S'ukadev ]i said : — Maharaj ! that very monkey had existed from the Treta age ; him Baladev Ji smote and released [from existence]. Afterwards, Balaram, the abode of happiness, having given happiness to all, taking [them] with [him] thence, came into the city of S'ri Dwaraka, and related the news of the death of Dubid to all the Yadubaiisis. CHAPTER LXIX. Sambu endeavours to carry off Lakshmana, the daughter of Duryorlhan — He is taken prisoner — Balaram demands his release ; and on refusal, drags the city of Hastinapur, with his plough, to the bank of the Ganges, in order to drown the whole inhabitants — He forgives the offence, but leaves the city on the river's bank. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! now I am about to relate the story of the marriage of Lakshmaaa, the daughter of Duryodhan, to wut, how Sambti ^ went to Hastinapur and married her. Maharaj ! when Lakshmana, the daughter of Duryodhan, was marriageable, her father, writing various letters, summoned the kings of all different countries, and prepared a Sivayamvara. On obtaining news of the Swayamvara, S'ri Krishna Chand's son, who was [produced] from Jamavati, and named Sambu, also arrived there. Having gone there, what does Sambu see?— the kings of various countries, strong, accomplished, receptacles of beauty, very in- telligent, wearing excellent dresses and jewel-studded ornaments, armed with weapons, in profound silence, in the midst of the Swayamvara^ were standing in rows, and behind them, in the same way, all the Kauravas also. Here and there outside musical instruments were sounding ; within, merry-makers were carrying on rejoicings ; in the midst of all, the princess, beloved by her parents, bearing a garland, was moving about, a delicate image ^ Properly S'dmha, the son of Krishna by JambavatT. He is often mentioned in Pauranic legends, and was a great advocate of sun-worship. The St'iiya-s/otra is ascribed to him. The iradiiion here related is given also in the \'ishnu- Purana, \. xxxv. 264 Prem-Sagar like that of the eyes/ and saying this in her heart, " Whom shall I choose ? " Maharaj ! when that beauteous one, amiable, the receptacle of beaut}', bearing the garland, bashfully moving about came before Sambu, he, abandoning thought and reserve, fearlessly seized her hand, seated her in his chariot, and took the road [home]. All the kings remained standing, looking [at each other's] faces ; and Karna, Drona, S'alya, Bhurisrava, Duryodhan, and all the other Kauravas also, at that time, said nothing. Then becoming angry, they began to say among themselves, " See ! what has this one done, who, having come into harmony, has produced discord." Karna said, " This is always the way of the Yadubafisis ; wherever auspicious business is proceeding they cause nothing but mischief." S'alya said, — " Destitute of caste, they have quite recently been exalted ; having attained royalty, they have become insolent." ~ On hearing these words all the Kauravas, with great wrath, seizing each his weapon, and saying this, rushed to the attack, " Let us see how strong he is who, taking the girl from before us, shall go forth ;" and went and surrounded Sambu in the middle of the path.^ Afterwards, from both sides, the weapons began to fly. At length, after a certain time of fighting, when Sambu's charioteer was killed and he had alighted, they surrounded and seized him, bound and carried him away. Having stood him in the very centre of the assembly, they asked him, thus, " Now where is thy valour gone ? " Having heard this, he remained abashed. Hereupon Narad Ji came, and said to all the Kauravas as well as Raja Duryodhan, " This is the son of S'ri Krishna Chand, named Sambii ; do not say anything to him ; what was to be has occurred. Immediately they receive the intelligence about him, S'ri Krishna and Balaram will fit out an army and come ; whatever should be said or heard, please say and hear that with them. To taunt a boy is by no means becoming of you. He may or may not have acted with boyish indiscretion." ^ Maharaj ! having spoken thus, Narad Ji took leave, and, pro- ceeding on, went to the city of Dwaraka, and, going into the assembly of Ugrasen Raja, stood there. On seeing him all stood up, with heads bowed ; a seat was instantly brought and given to him. * Futli means a doll, puppet, or delicate creature, and also the pupil of the eye. The phrase means that slie was a piitU (delicate, slim creature) like the pidli (pupil) of the eyes. - Lit., "mounted on the head." •' Prof. Eastwick omits this sentence. "* This idiom more commonly occurs with the Aorist, as in us ki siidh lo to lo, a few lines further on ; because it implies "may or may not." Here it menus literally " he did then he did," implying that it was uuimporlaut whether he did or not. See Hindi Manual, p. 142. Prem-Sagar 265 On being seated, Narad Ji said, " Maharaj ! tlie Kauravas, having bound Sambu, have given him, and are giving him, much trouble. If now you should go and take thought for him then do so ; if not, the escape of Sambu afterwards will be difficult. The Kauravas have become very proud ; they have shown neither respect nor consideration for you ; They have bound the boy as one would bind an enemy." On hearing these words, Raja Ugrasen, ver}^ angrily summon- ing the Yadubansis, said, " Do you immediately take the whole of our army and march against Hastinapur, and having slain the Kauravas and released Sambu, bring him here." On receiving the order of the king, when the whole army was ready to start, Balaram Ji, counselling Raja Ugrasen, said, " Maharaj ! please do not send an army against them ; if you will permit me, I will go and complain to them, and will release and bring Sambu ; let me see why they have seized and bound Sambu. Unless I go,i the mystery of this affair will not be cleared up." As soon as these words were said. Raja Ugrasen gave permission to Balaram Ji to go to Hastinapur, and Baladev Ji, taking along with him several of the greatest scholars, Brahmans, and Narad the saint, went forth from Dwaraka, and proceeding onwards, arrived at Hastinapur. Then the Lord, having pitched his tent in an enclosure outside the city, said to Narad Ji, "Maharaj ! we have encamped here ; please go and announce the news of our arrival to the Kauravas." Having received the command of the Lord, Narad Ji w^ent into the city and announced the news of the coming of Balaram Ji. Having heard, all became attentive ; having advanced, they went there to receive him ; Bhishma, Karna, and Drona, went forth together ; they took with them fine clothes and silk robes ; Duryodhan, saying this, hastened, "My preceptor Sankarshan has come." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to the king : — Maharaj ! all the Kauravas, having gone into that en- closure, met Balaram Ji, and made him presents, and fallino^ at his feet, with joined hands, offered manifold praises. Afterwards, having applied perfume and sandal, anfl placed on him a garland of flowers, they spread foot-cloths of silk, and had him conducted with a musical procession into the city. Then, having him entertained with food of six flavours, they sat near, and made inquiries about the comfort and prosperity of all, and asked, " Maharaj I what is the cause of your coming here ? " As soon as this speech had issued from the mouth of the Kauravas, Balaram ' Notice this useful idiom, bin mere gay c, " witliout my being gone," "unless I go." 2 66 Pkem-Sa(^ar 0- of you to act antagonistically towards us. You were many, he but one boy ; you fought [with him], having abandoned understanding and discrimination ; You intentionally committed great injustice ; relinquishing respect for the world, you seized possession of a son i [of Krishna] ; Now you have become so proud that you have designedly afflicted him." Maliaraj ! on hearing these words, the Kauravas very angrily said, " Balaram Ji ! enough ! enough ! do not magnify Ugrasen too much. Such things cannot be listened to by us. It is only four days since " nobody knew or respected Ugrasen. Since he made a betrothal in our family he obtained dignity, now he has sent you to deliver a haughty message to ns ! Is he not ashamed of himself, in that, having obtained dominion, sitting quietly in Dwaraka, and having entirely forgotten recent events, he says whatever he pleases? Is that day forgotten, in which he was associating and eating with cowherds and Gujars'' in Mathura ? We have quickly reaped the fruit of conferring sovereignty upon him, by allowing him to eat with us, and by forming an alliance with him. Had we conferred favour on a perfect person, he would have recognized our kindness as long as he lived. Some- one has truly said that the friendship of the mean is like a wall of sand." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! having said several such kind of things, Kania, Drona, Bhishma, Duryodhan, S'alya, and all the other Kauravas, proudly arose severally, and went to their homes ; and Balaram Ji, listening to their statements, and laughing [over the affair], sat there repeating this within his heart, "They have become proud of sovereignty and power, in that they are uttering such-like things ; otherwise would they offer these discourtesies to that Ugrasen, the Lord of Brahma, Rudra, and Indra, to whom [these three] bow the head ? Then my name is not Baladev if I do not sink all the Kauravas, with their city, in the Ganges." _ Maharaj ! having said this much, Baladev Ji, with great anger, drao'o'ed with his plough all the Kauravas, with their cit}-, to the ban^ks of the Ganges, and was about to immerse them, whereupon beino- areatly agitated and frightened, all the Kauravas came with joined hands and bowed heads, and beseechingly and submissively said " Maharaj ! please forgive our offence ; we have come to 1 For sur read nti, as Lallu Lai wrote. ' That is, " only a short time ago." s A caste of Rajputs formerly notorious for robbery. They came from Gujaiat ; hence their name. Prem-Sagar 267 your protection, now please save us ; what you shall say we will do ; we will ever remain in obedience to' the orders of Raja Ugrasen." Raja ! as soon as these words were uttered Balarain's anger was pacified, and the city, which, by drawing with his plough, he had brought to the bank of the Ganges, he placed just there. From that time Hastinapur has been on the bank of the Ganges ; formerly it was not there. Afterwards, they released Sambu, and Raja Duryodhan, having propitiated his uncle and nephews, conducted them to his house, provided entertainments, and gave his daughter to Sambu, according to Vedic ritual, ^ and in [the matter of] her dowry he devoted much property. Having recited thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! in this way Balaram Ji went to Hastinapur, removed the pride of the Kauravas, and released and had his nephew married Then there was delight in the whole city of Dwaraka, and Baladev Ji went and explained to Raja Ugrasen all the circumstances connected with Hastinapur. CHAPTER LXX. Narad visits Krishna, and observes his manner of living witli liis many wives. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! once it occurred to Narad Ji that it was desirable to go and see how S'ri Krishna Chand was practising the duties of a householder with sixteen thousand one hundred and eight wives. Having reflected thus much, he proceeded on and came to the city of Dwaraka. Then what does he see outside the city ? In some places, in orchards, were standing various kinds of exceedingly lofty trees, flourishing, loaded with fruits and flowers waving about ; on these pigeons, parrots, cuckoos, peacocks, and other birds were seated, warbling heart-fascinating .songs ; in other places, lotuses were blooming in beautiful lakes, and on these swarms upon swarms of bees were buzzing ; on the banks, birds, together with the goose and crane, were making a merry clattering ; elsewhere, in flower-gardens, the gardeners were singing away with sweet melodies, throwing the water high and low, and drawing water on to the garden- beds ; elsewhere, at the wells and water-pits, wheels and buckets were at work, and at the watering-quays crowds on crowds of female water-carriers were engaged. Their beauty is indescribable ; only by being seen can it be realized. Maharaj ! Narad Ji having seen, and having been delighted ' For Tt-'i/ /■£) read Ved Id, 268 Pkem-Sagar with the beauty of the woods and groves, on going into the city, sees exceedingly beautiful golden and jewelled palaces glittering brilliantly ; upon these flags and banners are fluttering ; on each gateway garlands and wreaths are bound ; at the doors are placed pillars of plantain and golden pots filled with sprouts ; from the lattices, windows, and apertures of every house the smoke of incense issuing was circling round like a dark cloud, and in the midst of that, golden pinnacles and points were glittering like lightning ; in every house worship, recitation, burnt-offering, sacrifice, and alms-giving was going on ; in various places adoration, meditation, songs, stories, and conversation about the Puranas was going forward ; and here and there the Yadubafisis were seated, holding court like that of Indra ; and happiness was diffused throughout the entire city. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! as soon as Narad Ji entered the city, he was delighted, and began to say, " In what palace shall I first of all go, in order that I may find S'ri Krishna Chand ? " Maharaj ! having said this in his heart, Narad Ji at first went into the palace of S'ri Rukmini Ji. There S'ri Krishna Chand was residing : that one, on seeing him, rose and stood up. Rukmini Ji filled and brought a vessel of water. The Lord having washed [his] feet, placed [him] on a seat, and set perfume, lamps, and consecrated food [before him], and offered adoration, with joined hands said to Narad Ji, — " Happiness and prosperity follow those men in whose house the feet of good people fall ; You, having come to the house [of me], a householder, for the sake of passing me across [the ocean of existence], are revealing j^ourself to me." Maharaj ! on the issuing ^ of this statement from the mouth of the Lord, Narad Ji, having given this blessing, went into the palace of Jambavati, " Lord of the World ! may you remain long the head - of S'ri Rukmini ! " Then he saw Hari engaged in playing chaupar. On seeing Narad Ji, as soon as the Lord rose up, Narad Ji gave a blessing and turned back again. Then he went to Satibhama's place, and saw S'ri Krishna Chand seated and applying oil and perfume. Narad Ji returned silently thence, because it is said in the S'astras that at the time of applying oil,^ a king should not salute nor a Brahman bless. Afterwards, Narad Ji went to the house of Kalindi, and there he saw that Hari was sleeping. Maharaj ! Kalindi, on seeing Narad Ji, having pressed Hari's feet, woke him up. The Lord on awakening went near the sage, prostrated himself, and with joined hands said, " The feet of the good are like the water of a place of pilgrimage — ' For nikalne read nikalte. " That is, "the protector" or "guardian." ' Oil applied to the body was deemed impure ; see Manu, iv. 132. Prem-Sagar 269 wherever the}^ fall they make the place pure." Having heard this, Narad Ji having given a blessing, went thence and stopped, and [then] entered the residence of Mitrabinda. There he saw that a Brahman-feast was in progress, and S'ri Krishna playing the host. Having seen Narad Ji, the Lord said, " Maharaj ! as you have done me the favour of coming, please partake of the offering also, and give me 3^our leavings, and purify my house," Narad Ji said, " Maharaj ! I am going about a little, [then] I shall return ; please feast the Brahmans ; I will come and receive the leavings of the Brahmans." Having spoken thus, Narad Ji took leave, and set out for the house of Satya, and what does he see there ? S'ri Bihari, the benefactor of devotees, seated delightedly amusing himself. Having seen this episode, Narad Ji turned back again. Then he went to Bhadra's place, and saw that Hari was [there] eating. Returning thence, he started for the house of Lakshmana, and there he saw that the Lord was bathing. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! in this way Narad Muni Ji went the rounds of the sixteen thousand one hundred and eight houses, and saw no house without S'ri Krishna ; wherever he looked there he saw Hari engaged in the work of the duties of a householder. Having seen this marvel- Astonishment came 1 into the mind of Narad, " There is no house without Krishna ; In whatever house I go, there is Hari, the beloved ; thus has the Lord spread out his pastimes ; In each of the sixteen thousand and eight plus one hundred houses there is the mountain-bearer with a beauteous one." Being delighted, the sage, speaking [thus], reflected, " This is your Yogi-illusion, O Lord of the Yadus ! No one can comprehend it ; who can escape from your illusive power ? " Maharaj ! when Narad Ji, with astonishment, had said these words, the Lord, S'ri Krishna Chand, the bestower of happiness, said, " O Narad ! do not thou be distressed in thy mind ; my illusive power is exceedingly powerful, and is diffused throughout the whole world. It fascinates even me, then what power can another have that he should escape from its reach, and, having come into the world, not be fashioned in it ? " Narad, having heard this, humbly said, with bowed head, " Have compassion on me, Yadu Ra^e ; that your worship may ever remain in my thoughts, and my heart remain subject to 5'our illusion, and not desire sensual 1 This word eh does not occur in the dictionaries. It is a form of tlie Sanskrit e, etuin, " to come," to rhyme with greh, " house." 270 Prem-Sagar objects." Raja ! having said this much, Narad Ji took his leave from the Lord, prostrated himself, and playing on the lute and celebrating [the Lord's] qualities, went to his own place ; and S'ri Krishna continued sporting in Dwaraka. CHAPTER LXXL Krishna is solicited to release twenty thousand kings from captivity ; and, at the same time, called to a great sacrifice of the Pandavas. S'Ri S'uKADEV Ji said : — Maharaj ! one day S'ri Krishna Chand, at night-time, was sporting with S'ri Rukmini Ji, and S'ri Rukmini Ji was seated absorbed in happiness. She was giving happiness to her eye-partridges ^ by looking on the moon-face of her beloved one. When, in the meantime, the night passed away ; the birds chirruped, the dawn overspread the sky ; the partridge suffered separation, and the male and female ruddy- goose were united ; the lotus bloomed, the water-lilies drooped ; the moon was deprived of beauty, and the sun's power increased ; all people awoke, and began to engage themselves in their various domestic occupations. Then Rukmini Ji, for her part, quitting Hari's side, with modesty and reserve, began to engage herself in domestic duties ; and S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, having purified his body, washed his face and hands and bathed, and become free from- prayer, meditation, worship, and oblations, and having given various kinds of alms to the Brahmaus, and being easy in mind about his daily duties, and having received the morning offering ^ and having eaten it with betel, cloves, cardamoms, mace, and nut- meg, and having sent for and dressed himself in elegant clothes and ornaments, and put on his weapons, he went to Raja Ugrasen. Then, having saluted [the king], he went into the centre of the assembly of Yadubaiisis, and sat on a jewelled throne. Maharaj ! at that very time a Brahman went and said to the door-porter, " Go to S'ri Krishna Chand Ji and say, ' A Brahman desirous of seeing you stands at the door ; should he receive the Lord's permission he will come in.' " Having heard ' The chakor, or partridge, is believed to be fascinated hy looking at the moon. ' Nichint or nikhint, " free fr.jm care," because the duties have been properly performed; the same meaning attaches to suchit, "easy in mind," in the same line. " Bdlabkog (or Afohanabhoif) is the name of a morning offering made to Krishna; not "sport with children," as Eastwick renders it. Pkem-SAgar 271 the words of the Brahman, the door-porter went to Bhagwan and said, " Maharaj ! a Brahman desirous of seeing you stands at the door ; should he receive permission, he will come in." Hari said, " Bring him at once," On the words issuing from the mouth of the Lord, the door-porter immediately conducted the Brahman before him. Upon seeing the Brahman, S'ri Krishna Chand descended from his throne, prostrated himself, advanced, and taking him by the hand, conducted him into the palace, and seating him on a jewelled throne beside himself, began to ask, " Tell me, O Deity ! whence has your Honour come, and for what purpose did you set forth ? " The Brahman said, " Ocean of Compassion ! Friend of the Lowly ! I am come from the country of Magadha, and I bring a message from twenty thousand kings." The Lord said, " What is that ? " The Brahman said, " Maharaj I the twenty thousand kings whom Jurasandha has forcibly seized and put in manacles and gyves, and confined, have most submissively sent this message to you through me : — Lord of the Lowly ! this is ever and at all times your custom, that whenever the Asuras are annoying your wor- shippers, you, taking incarnate form, are protecting your devo- tees. O Lord ! as you released Prahlad from Hiranyakasyapa, and the elephant from the alligator, ^ just so compassionately now kmdly release us from the hand of this most wicked one. We are in great affliction ; except you, no one has the power to rescue us from this great calamity, and effect our release." Maharaj ! as soon as he heard these words, the Lord merci- fully said, " O Divinity ! now do not be anxious ; their anxiety is mine."- On hearing these words, the Brahman being gratified, began to bless S'ri Krishna Chand. Li the meantime 5s'arad Ji came and presented himself. Having saluted him, S'ri Krishna Chand asked him, " Narad Ji ! you are going and coming every- where, tell me how are, now-a-days, our brother Yudhishthira and the other five Piindavas ? and what are they doing ? For some time we have received no news of them ; therefore my thought is fixed upon them." Narad Ji said, " Maharaj ! I am just come from those very people ; they are, indeed, well and prosperous,^ but at the present time they are very anxious about the preparations for a rdjdsuya sacrifice ; ^ and hour after hour are saying that, without the assistance of S'ri Krishna Chand our sacrifice will not be complete ; therefore, Maharaj ! be pleased to agree to my proposal, — ^ Both HoUings and Eastwick translate this as "shark ;" but the Hindus, in their pictures of the incident, represent a crocodile or alligator. - That is, "it is now my part to look after them." •^ Notice this method of marking a little emphasis by placing haiu first in the sentence. ■• A rajasiiya was a great sacrifice performed at the coronation of a supreme or universal sovereign. The particular sacrifice hci'e alluded to is described in tiie Sabha-parvan of the Mahabharata. 272 Prem-Sagar First arrange their sacrifice, afterwards direct your steps somewhere else." Maharaj ! on hearing these words from the mouth of Narad Ji, the Lord summoned Udho Ji, and said, — " Udho ! you are my friend ; never absent from my mind and eyes ; Urgent affairs [call me] in both directions ; where shall I go first ? Tell me, O hero ! There there are kings in deep misfortune, placing hope on me they are experiencing distress ; Here the Pandavas together have prepared a sacrifice." Thus speaking, the Lord addressed him. CHAPTER LXXH. Krishna goes to Hastinapur, to consult with the Pandavas about the release of the twenty thousand kings, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said :— Maharaj ! at first S'ri Krishna Chand Ji dismissed the Brahman who had brought the message of the kings, with these words, " Divinity ! do you go and say to the kings from us, ' Do not be anxious on any account, I am coming speedily, and will release you.' " Maharaj ! having said this, S'ri Krishna Chand dismissed the Brahman, and taking Udho Ji with him, went into the court of kings Ugrasen and Siirasen ; and they laid before them all the circumstances. They, having heard, remained silent. Hereupon Udho Ji said, '' Maharaj ! do both these things ; first release the kings from Jurasandha ; afterwards go and prepare the sacrifice ; because no one else but a king can perform the ceremonies of a Rajasuya sacrifice, and there are twenty thousand kings congregated there. Should you cause them to be released, they would all, expressing gratitude,^ without being invited, go and perform the duties of the sacrifice. Maharaj ! should anyone conquer the ten regions [of the world], still he would not find so many kings congregated together. Therefore, this is now best that you should go to Hastinapur, meet and consult with the Pandavas, and then do what should be done."- Maharaj ! having said this much, Udho Ji resumed, " Maharaj ! ' Lit., " having acknowleged [your good] qualities." ^ chaliyc and kariye are respectful Aorists, not Imperatives (see Hhidi Manila f, p. 141) ; and kdin kantd is the equivalent of the Sanskrit Future Passive Parti- ciple (see Hindi Manual^ p. i7Sj' Pkem-Sagar 273 Raja Jarasandha is very liberal, and a respecter and worshipper of cows and Brahmans. Whoever goes and asks anything from him receives it ; a mendicant does not come disappointed from his place. He speaks not falsely ; with whomsoever his word is pledged he keeps faith. And he has the strength of ten thousand elephants ; his strength is equal to that of Bhimasen. O Lord ! if you go there, take Bhimasen also along with you. It occurs to me that his death is [to be] through Bhimasen." 1 Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Raja ! when Udho Ji had said these words, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji took leave of Rajas Ugrasen and Surasen, and said to all the Yadubansis, " Get ready our army ; we will go to Hastinapur." On hearing these words, all the Yadubansis pre- pared and led forth the army, and the Lord also accompanied them with his eight queens. Maharaj ! when S'ri Krishna Chand, with his family, led his army, with kettle-drumming, and went from the city of Dwaraka to Hastinapur, the splendour of the cavalcade was indescribable. Li front was the stronghold of elephants ; on the left and right was the protection of chariots and horses ; in the centre was the seraglio ; and behind, accom- panied by the whole army, and protecting all, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji was coming along. Wherever the encampment was, there, for several yojanas in extent, a beautiful and pleasing city was formed. The kings of various countries, being afraid, severally came, met them, and made presents ; and the Lord, perceiving them to be timid, consoled them in every wav- At length, moving on in pomp, Hari arrived with all [his followers] near Hastinapur. Hereupon someone went to Raja Yudhishthira and said, " Maharaj ! some king, leading a great army, and a multitude [of followers], has advanced to your Honour's country. Your Honour should speedily look to it, otherwise you may deem him arrived here." Maharaj ! on hear- ing this statement, Raja Yudhishthira, being greatly alarmed, saying this to his two younger brothers Nakul and Sahadev, sent them before the Lord, " Do you go see what king is coming." On receiving the king's command, — Sahadev and Nakul saw and returned, and said these words to the king, *' Lord of our lives ! Hari has come." Having heard [that], the king put away [all] anxiety. Afterwards, with great delight. Raja Yudhishthira summoned Bhima and Arjuna, and said, " Brothers! do you four brothers advance and conduct vS'ri Krishna Chand, the root of jo}'." Maharaj ! having received the order of the king, and having heard of the arrival of the Lord, those four brothers were greatly pleased, and taking all the essentials for the meeting and pa3'ing ' Prof. Eastwick omits this sentence. 2y4 Prem-Sagar respects, and accompanied by the greatest scholars, they went to conduct the Lord with a musical procession. At length, having met each other with great respect and consideration, and made presents and offered adoration, according to the prescriptions of the Veda, these four brothers, spreading silken foot-cloths and sprinkling perfume, sandal, and rose-water, and showering dovv'n silver and gold flowers, and offering incense, lamps, and con- secrated food, conducted S'ri Krishna Ji, and all [his followers], with a musical procession, into the city. Raja Yudhishthira, having met the Lord, acknowledged great happiness, and esteemed his life's work fruitful. Afterwards, without and within, all met all, and showed suitable mutual respect, and gave pleasure to [each other's] eyes. In the houses and outside them, there was joy in the whole city ; and S'ri Krishiia Chand remained there, and began to give happiness to all. CHAPTER LXXIIL Krishna, Bhima, and Arjuna visit Jarasandha in disguise — Krishna relates the stories of Harischandra, Ratidev, and Uddal — ^Jarasandha is challenged to fight — -He fights with Bhima, and after a twenty-seven days' combat, he is slain — Krishna performs his funeral obsequies, and instals his sou Sahadev in his place. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! one day S'ri Krishna Chand, the ocean of compassion, the friend of the lowly, the benefactor of worshippers, was seated in an assemblage of sages, saints, Brahmans, and Kshatriyas, when Raja Yudhishthira came, and beseechingly and humbly, with hands joined and head bowed, said, " O Lord of S'iva and Viranch l^ gods, saints, sages and chief Vo^h are ever meditating on you. You are invisible, incompre- hensible, and indivisible ; no one knows your mystery. Saints and chief Yogis worship- with undivided attention ; you never enter their minds for an instant ; To us, in our very houses, you are revealing yourself ; you feel love for your worshippers. Such sports as you, O Mohan ! engage in, are not to be comprehended by anyone ; The world is lost in illusion ; with us you act in the way of the world ; ' \'iranch is a name of Brahma. " For ghdwat read dliawat. Prem-Sagar 275 Those who keep you in remembrance, O Lord of the World ! you regard as your superiors ; You are far from the proud, [but are] the root of hfe to the truth-speaker."! Maharaj ! having said this. Raja Yudhishthira resumed, " O Compassionate to the Lowly ! through your kindness, all my desires have been accomplished ; but only one desire remains." The Lord said, " What is that 1 " The Raja replied, " Maharaj ! I have this wish, Let me perform a rdjasiiya sacrifice and offer it to you ; then I shall cross the ocean of existence." On hearing these words, S'ri Krishna Chand, being pleased, said, " Raja ! this is a good wish which you have made ; in this, gods, men, saints, and sages, will all be gratified. This suits everyone, and there will be no difficulty to you in doing this ; because your four brothers, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakul, and Sahadev, are very famous and exceedingly powerful. Li the world there is now no such person who can withstand them. First send these that they may go and, having conquered the kings of the ten quarters [of the world], may bring them into subjection to you ; afterwards you may tranquilly perform the sacrifice." Raja ! as soon as these words had issued from the mouth of the Lord, Raja Yudhishthira summoned his four brothers, gave them armies, and sent the four of them in the four directions. Sahadev Ji set out for the south, Nakul started for the west, Arjuna hurried to the north, and Bhimasen Ji came to the east. Afterwards, within a certain time, O Maharaj ! those four, having, by the power of Hari, conquered the seven dwipas and nine divisions [of the universe],- and having subjugated the kings of the ten quarters, brought them with them. Then Raja Yudhishthira, joining his hands, said to S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, " Maharaj ! by your Honour's assistance, this work has indeed been accomplished, now what are your orders ? " Hereupon Udho Ji said, " Incarna- tion of Justice ! the kings of all countries, for their part, are come ; but now there is one, the king of the country of Magadha, Jarasandha alone, who is not subject to you ; until he shall become subject, the performance of even the sacrifice will not be effective. Maharaj ! Jarasandha, the son of Raja Jaindrath, is very powerful and famous, exceedingly liberal and virtuous. No one has power to withstand him." As soon as Raja Yudhishthira, having heard ' These verses are intended to express the different treatment accorded to believers and unbelievers. Saints even, who rely on their own efforts, meet with no encouragement, but the pious are visited by the Lord ; to the world every- thing is a delusion, but to the pious the Lord acts as an ordinary mortal; Ugrasen, Vasudev, and others, because of their devotion, are treated as superiors. - Dwipa means an "island." According to ancient Hindu notions of geography, the world was formed in the shape of seven concentric circles, the central point being Mount Meru. Each circle of earth was separated from the next by a circumambient ocean of water. The divipas are sometimes reckoned as four, nine, or thuteen. The "nine divisions" mean the divisions of India or Bharata itself. They are named in Vhhnn-Purana, IL iii. T 2 276 Prem-Sagar this statement, had become dejected, S'ri Krishna Chand said, " Maharaj ! do not be anxious about anything. Give the order to me, along with brothers Bhima and Arjuna, and we will, either by force or stratagem, seize and bring him, or kill him.'' On hearing these words. Raja Yudhishthira gave order to both the brothers. Then Hari took the road to the country of Magadha, taking them both with him. Having advanced [some distance], S'ri Krishna Ji said to Arjuna and Bhima in the way, " Having assumed the form of Brahmans, let us step forward ; let the enemy be slain by fraud or force." Maharaj ! having said this, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji assumed the guise of a Brahman ; along with him Bhima and Arjuna also took the guise of Brahmans. All three [of them] having made the tripitnd^ and taken a book under their arms, arrayed in brilliant, handsome forms, they went along either as the three embodied qualities, truth, passion, and darkness, might be going along, or as the three times, [past, present, and future]. At length, in the course of a certain time, travelling on, they arrived in the country of Magadha ; and at mid-day stood at the gate of Raja Jara- sandha. Having seen their disguise, the door-keepers went and said to the king, " Maharaj ! three Brahman guests, very splendid, great scholars, exceedingly learned, are standing at the door in want of something ; what is the order for us [with respect to them] ? " Maharaj ! on hearing these words. Raja Jarasandha rose and came, and saluting the three, conducted them very courteously into the house. Afterwards, having seated them on a throne, he himself stood before them with joined hands, and, having looked upon them and reflected much, he said, — " The mendicant who comes to the door, that guest is called a great king ; You are not Brahmans, but powerful warriors ; nothing deceptive is worthy ; The deceiver who comes in deceptive appearance ma}- deceive and go away, [but] is not called honest ; Your martial lustre is not concealed ; 3-ou appear to be mighty heroes and braves ; You are three glorious brothers ; bestowers of boons, like S'iva, Viranch, and Hari ; B}' mental inference I have comprehended [you] ; do you, O divinities ! relate particulars of yourselves. I will do whatever 3-ou may wish ; I will not swerve from my word ; A geaercus person never speaks falsely ; he does not keep back wealth, bodv, or all he possesses ; Ask [what you please], that very gift I will give — son, wife, possessions, or life." ' The trifui}d are the three horizontal marks drawn with tlie ashes of cow-dung, which are the distinguishing marks of a worshipper of S'lva. Prem-SAgar 277 Maharaj ! on hearing these words, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji said, " Maharaj ! once on a time Raja Harischandra,! whose fame is still spread throughout the world, became very munificent. Listen ! at one time, in the country of Harischandra, a famine occurred, and, being without food, all the people began to die ; then the king, selling all that he possessed, began to feed them all. When the wealth of country and city was gone, and the king was desti- tute, one day, at evening, he had sat down hungry with his family, in this plight, Visvamitra came, and in order to test his faithfulness, said these words, ' Maharaj ! give me wealth, and take the reward of giving a daughter.' - On hearing this speech, he brought all that was in the house and gave it. Again the Rishi said, ' Maharaj ! my object will not be effected with this amount.' Then the king sold his male and female servants, and brought the money and gave it ; and having parted with wealth and attendants, without money and without servants, he remained with [onl}^] wife and son. Again the Rishi said, ' Image of Justice ! my purpose is not effected with this money. Now to whom shall I go and beg ? No one in the world appears to me more wealthy, virtuous, and liberal than thou. Yes, there is a Chandala,^ named Supach, a receptacle of illusion ;^ tell me, then, shall I go ask wealth from him ? But there is shame in this also, inasmuch as, having asked from so liberal a king [as you], what shall I beg from him ? ' Maharaj ! on hearing these words, Raja Harischandra, taking Visvamitra along with him, went to that Chandala's house ; and he said to him, ' Brother ! do thou keep me in pledge for a year, and fulfil this one's desire.' Supach answered — ' How will you do my drudgery ? How will 3'ou remove passion and darkness from the mind ? You are a king, very glorious and might}' ; mine is merely low drudgery. Maharaj ! my work is this, to go and watch in the graveyard, and should a corpse come, I levy a tax on it; beyond that I take care of my own household. If this can be [done] by you, I will give money and keep you in bond.' The king said, 'Good! I will serve you for a year ; do you give this one the money.' Maharaj ! as soon as this statement had issued from the mouth of the king, Supach counted out the money and gave it to Visvamitra ; who accepted it and went to his house ; and the king remaining there, began to perform his service. After some ' The pathetic story of Harischandra is told in the Aiiareya-Brdhmana, and in numerous more modern forms. It is one of the oldest of Indian traditions, and dates l)eyond the Vedic period itself. - That is, a reward equal to that of bestowing a daughter in marriage. ' A Chandala is the lowest of the castes, produced from a S'udra lather and a Brahman mother. ■* That is, one so wealthy that he may be called a very receptacle for worldly property, the whole of which is esteemed mere illusion. 278 Prem-Sagar time, becoming subject to Fate, Raja Harischandra's son Ro- hitaswa died. The queen, taking the corpse, went to the burning- place, and as soon as she had constructed the pyre and was beginning to perform the ceremony of burning, the king came and demanded the tax. The queen, being pained and distressed, said, ' Behold, and reflect in your heart, O king ! This is your son Rohitaswa ; and for paying the tax I have nothing else with me than this cloth which I stand here wearing.' The king said, ' I have no power in this matter. I am employed on my master's business. Should I not do my master's work, my truth would depart.' Maharaj ! on hearing this speech, when the queen placed her hand on the border to take off the cloth, the three worlds trembled. Immediately, Bhagwan, having seen the rectitude of the king and queen, first sent a chariot, and afterwards, having revealed himself, released all three [from further transmigration]. Maharf-j ! when Vidhata, having revivified Rohitaswa, and seated the king and queen with their son on the chariot, gave the order to go to Vaikunth, then Raja Harischandra, joining his hands, said to Bhagwan, ' O Friend of the Lowly ! Purifier of the Fallen ! Compassionate to the Poor ! how can I go and enjoy repose in the Vaikunth abode without Supach ? ' Having heard this speech, and knowing the design of the king's heart, S'ri Hari, the benefactor of worshippers, the ocean of compassion, caused Supach also, together with [his whole] city, to cross [the ocean of existence] along with the king, queen, and prince. On that side, Harischandra obtained the immortality ; on this side, for ages and ages his fame has descended." Maharaj ! having imparted this matter to Jarasandha, S'ri Krishiia Chand Ji said, " Maharaj ! hear further that Ratidev performed such a penance that for forty-eight days he remained without drinking water, and just as he sat down to drink, a certain thirsty person came. He did not drink the water himself; he gave it to that thirsty man. By that gift of water he obtained salvation. Again, Raja Bali gave munificent alms; therefore he obtained the sovereignty of Ratal ; and to the present time his fame has come down to us. Again, observe that Uddal the saint was [accustomed to] eat at [intervals of] six months. Once, at his eating time, a certain guest came to his house; he did not eat his food himself, but fed the hungry one with it; and died of that very state of hunger [in which he was]. Finally, by conferring that alms of food, he mounted a chariot and went to Vaikunth. " Again, on one occasion, Raja Indra, taking all the gods with him, went and said to Dadhichi, ' Maharaj ! we cannot now escape from the hand of Vritasur; if you should give us [one Prem-Sagar 279 of] your bones, we shall escape from his hand, otherwise it will be difficult to escape; because without a weapon of your bone, he in no wise will be killed.' Maharaj ! on hearing these words, Dadhichi, having caused his body to be licked by a cow, extracted his thigh bone and gave it. The gods took it, and formed a thunderbolt from that bone; and Dadhichi having lost his life, obtained a dwelling in Vaikunth. Such were the boundless givers, whose fame is celebrated in the world." Raja ! having spoken thus, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji said to Jarasandha, "Maharaj! as in other former ages there were magnanimous liberal sovereigns, so now, in these times, are you. As formerly they fulfilled the desires of suppliants, so do you now fulfil our hopes. It has been said, What has not a suppliant asked ? what would not a liberal man give ? He is not covetous of house, son, or wife; he gives body and head, and acquires renown." As soon as these remarks issued from the mouth of the Lord, Jarasandha said, " The suppliant feels not the pain of the giver, still the liberal and constant abandons not his nature; whether he obtains in it happiness or misery. Lo ! Hari, deceitfully becoming a dwarf, went to Raja Bali and asked three paces of ground. Then S'ukra^ cautioned Bali ; still the king did not go from his promise. He gave the earth, along with his body; he has become famous in the world; What fame has the beggar Vishnu acquired ? Having taken all, he still acted perversely. Hence do you first declare your name and purpose, then I will give what you shall ask. I am not speaking falsely." S'rl Krishna Chand said, "Raja ! we are soldiers; my name is Vasudev. You know me very well. These two are Arjuna and Bhima, my paternal cousins. We are come to fight with you; please fight with us ; we are come to ask this only; we ask nothing else." Maharaj ! having heard this from S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, Jara- sandha laughingly said, " Why should I fight with thee ? thou hast already fled from before me; nor will I fight with Arjuna either, for he went to the Vidarbh country disguised as a female. There remains Bhimasen; if you say so, I will fight with him; he is my equal; no shame attaches to me in fighting with him. First do you all eat food; afterwards fight in the wrestling arena." Having given them food, the king came forth, and sent to call Bhimasen thither. ' S'ukra is the jilancl Venus. 2 So Prem-Sagar He gave his own club to him, and took another chib himself ; Where the circle of spectators was formed, Murari went and sat ; There Jarasandha and Bhima stood up simultaneously ; With helmets on their heads and loin-cloths tucked in, their appearance was that of jugglers.'- Maharaj ! when those two heroes, striking their arms, ex- tending their clubs, changing their attitudes, and swaying from side to side, confronted each other in the arena, then it appeared as though two furious elephants had rushed on each other. At first Jarasandha said to Bhimasen, " First do thou strike with the club, because thou, taking the guise of a Brahman, came to my door; hence I will not strike the first blow at thee." Having heard this, Bhimasen said, " Raja ! between you and me there is a fair fight, wherefore this understanding is unnecessary; let who will strike first." Maharaj ! those two heroes having mutually made these remarks, struck with their clubs simultaneously, and began the fight. Each watching his opportunity, striking blows left and right, They protected their bodies and leaped, and stood firm ; the}^ fenced and fought club with club. With a clashing of blows, the clubs dashed together; there arose a noise and great uproar. Having related thus much of the stor}-, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit: — Maharaj ! in this way those two powerful men were waging fair fight all day long, and at evening, coming home, they ate together and reposed. Thus constantly fighting on, twenty-seven days were consumed. Then, one day, at their fighting time, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji reflected in his heart, thus, " This one will not thus be killed; because when he was born then he was produced as two halves. At that time the female demon Jara came and closed the mouth and nose of Jarasandha; then the two halves were united. Having heard this news, his father Jaindrath - summoned astrologers and asked them what the boy's name should be, and what he would become. The astrologers said, ' Maharaj ! his name is Jarasandha, and he will become very famous, undecaying and immortal. As long as his junction shall not be rent apart, he will not be slain by anyone.' Having said this, the astrologers took leave and departed." Maharaj ! S'ri Krishna Ji having reflected within himself on this affair, and having imparted his strength, he split a straw and indicated to Bhimasen by this sign that he should split him up in this way. On this hint of the Lord, Bhimasen seized Jara- ^ The verb dckhid is a local form oi hand, meaning " to be," or " remain " ; baite dchhen is equivalent to bane rahen. ' Tlie name is given as Brihadratha in all Sanskrit authorities. Prem-Sagar 281 sandha and flung him down, and placing a foot on one thigh, he seized the other foot with his hand, and tore him up as anyone would split up a tooth-cleansing stick. As soon as Jarasandha was dead, gods, men and Gandharvas began to play drums, kettle-drums, and fifes, and to rain down flowers, and to raise cries of *' Victory ! " and misery and enmity having departed, joy was difflised throughout the whole city. Then Jarasandha's queen came crying bitterly and stood before S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, and joining her hands said, " Happiness ! happiness ! to you, O Lord ! who have done such an act ! You have taken the life of him who gave you everything. Such is the friendship you are showing to the person who entrusted 1 to you his son, his wealth, and his bod3\ Assuming a deceitful form 3^ou practised guile and violence ; by coming into the world you have acquired this renown." Maharaj ! When Jarasandha's queen, having come before the Abode of Compassion, compassionately" with joined hands, had thus beseechingly spoken, the Lord, being pitiful, first performed Jarasandha's obsequies, and afterwards summoned his son Sahadev, gave him the mark of sovereignty, placed him on the throne and said, " Son ! rule with justice, and protect sages, saints, cows, Brahmans, and your subjects generally." CHAPTER LXXIV. The twenty thousand kings are released by Krishna, and are directed to be present at the sacrifice of the Paiidavas. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! having seated him on the throne, and counselled him, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji said to Sahadev, " Raja ! now do you go and fetch those kings which your father kept shut up in the cave of a mountain." On hear- ing this direction from the mouth of the Lord, Sahadev, the son of Jarasandha, willingly went to the cavern, raised the stone from its mouth, brought forth the twenty thousand eight hundred kings, and led them before Hari. On their coming, wearing manacles and gyves, with iron chains on their necks, nails and hair elongated, their bodies emaciated, minds disturbed, in filthy guise, all the kings, standing in rows before the Lord, with joined hands beseechingly said, " O Ocean of Compassion ! ' For samairpa read samarpai. ^ That is, compassionating her husband's fate. 282 Pkkm-Sagar Friend of the Lowly ! you, coming in good time, have borne us in remembrance ; otherwise all had died. We have obtained a sight of you ; life has come into our souls ; our late misery is all passed away." Maharaj ! on hearing these words, the Ocean of Compassion, S'ri Krishna Chand, had no sooner looked on them than Sahadev immediately led them away, and had the manacles, gyves, and fetters struck ofif, caused them to be shaved, washed, and bathed, fed them with food of six flavours, dressed them in clothes and ornaments, equipped them with weapons, and had them again conducted before Hari. Then S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, be- coming four-armed, and bearing the shell, discus, club, and lotus, revealed himself to them. As soon as the kings saw the form of the Lord, they joined their hands and said, " Lord ! you free the soul from the hard bond of the world ; what was difficult to you in freeing^ us from the bond of Jarasandha ? As you kindly have released us from this difificult bond, so now, please, having taken us from the house-like well, free us from desire, anger, covetous- ness, and fascination, that we seated apart may meditate on you, and cross the ocean of existence." S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! when all the kings had spoken words so imbued with knowledge and self-abnegation, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, being pleased, said, " Listen ! those in whose mind is my service without doubt will obtain faith and salvation. The mind alone is the cause of bondage and release ; to him whose mind is steadfast, house and forest are alike. Be not anxious on any other point ; sta}' at home happily, and rule with justice ; cherish your subjects ; continue in the service of cows and Brahmans ; do not speak falsely ; abandon desire, anger, covetousness, and pride ; worship Hari with willing devotion ; then undoubtedly you will obtain the highest dignity. He who has come into the world and indulged in pride, has not lived long, Lo ! whom has not pride destroyed ? He ~ was celebrated as having a thousand arms and being extremely powerful ; but Paras urara destroyed his strength ; King Venu became Ravana, he went [to destruction] with his pride ; Bhaumasur, Vanasur, and Kans, were extirpated by pride. Let no one indulge the pride of wealth ; he who abandons pride becomes fearless." Having said this much, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji said to all the kings, " Now do you go to your homes, rejoin your families, settle your royal affairs, and before our arrival there, come quickly into Hastinapur, to a Rajasuya sacrifice at Raja Yudhish- thira's place." Maharaj ! as soon as this direction had issued ' For chhurna read chhiirAnd. - This alludes lo Saliasrarjun, sec Chap. LXXXII. Pkem-Sagar 283 from the mouth of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, Sahadev immediately prepared all the articles necessary for the departure of all the kings. They accepting them, took leave of the Lord, and each went to his own country ; and S'ri Krishna Chand Ji also, taking Sahadev with him, went thence with Bhima and Arjuna, and, proceeding onwards, arrived with delight and good fortune at Hastinapur. Afterwards the Lord went to Raja Yudhishthira, and related to him the news of the death of Jarasandha, along with the circumstances of the release of all the kings. Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! just as S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, the root of joy, reached Hastinapur, all those kings, bringing their armies with presents, arrived also ; and having been presented to Raja Yudhishthira, and having given complimentary presents, by direction of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, encamped around Hastina- pur, and came and assisted in the work of the sacrifice. CHAPTER LXXV. Yudhishthira's great sacrifice— S'isupal abuses Krishna, and is slain by the discus — Uuryodhan is dissatisfied, but conceals the feeling. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! I am about to relate how Raja Yudhishthira offered sacrifice, and S'isupal was killed : do you listen attentively. As soon as the twenty thousand eight hundred kings went, then as many other surrounding kings as there were, whether Siiryabaiisis or Chandrabafisis, all came and presented themselves in Hastinapur. Then S'ri Krishna Chand and Raja Yudhishthira unitedly made arrangements for all the kings with all possible courtesy, and allotted a separate office in the sacrifice to each of them. Afterwards S'ri Krishiia Chand Ji said to Raja Yudhishthira, " Maharaj ! we five brothers — Bhima, Arjuna, Nakul, Sahadev, and myself — taking with us all the kings, will do the extraneous work, and do you, please, summon sages, saints and Brahmaiis, and begin the sacrifice." Maharaj ! on hearing these words, Raja Yudhishthira, having invited all the sages, saints, and Brahmaiis, said, " Maharajas ! please order whatever things may be needful in the sacrifice." Maharaj ! as soon as this was said, sages, saints, and Brahmans, earnestly con- sulting books, wrote down on a sheet [of paper] all that is required for a sacrifice ; and the king that instant sent for it, and had it placed before them. The sages, saints, and Brahmans unitedly constructed the altar. All the sages, saints, and Brahmans of the four Vedas, having spread their seats in the 2S4 Pkem-Sagar midst of the altar-place, sat down. Then, havhig become purified, Raja Yudhishthira also came with his wife, the skirts of their garments being fastened together, and sat down ; and Dronacharya, Kripacharya, Dhvitarashtra, Duryodhan, S'isupal, and as many other warriors and great kings as there were, also came and sat down. The Brahmaus having pronounced the benediction, and caused Ganesa to be worshipped, ofifered a jar of water, 1 and invoked the [nine] planets. The king selected [for the ceremony] Bharadwaja, Gotama, Vasishtha, Visvamitra, Vamadeva, Parasara, Vyasa, Kasyapa, and other very great sages, saints, and Brahmaus ; and they recited Vedic texts and sum- moned all the gods, and having caused the king to take the vow of sacrifice,- began the burnt-offering. Maharaj ! having recited the various texts, the sages, saints, and Brahmans began to offer the oblations, and the gods, mani- festly extending severally their hands, began to receive them. Then the Brahmans were reading the Vedas, and all the kings were bringing and presenting the apparatus for the burnt-offering, and Raja Yudhishthira was making the offering ; hereupon the sacrifice was peaceably completed, and the king gave the final oblation. Then gods, men, and saints all began to utter praises to the king ; and Yakshas, Gandharvas, and Kinnaras, began to play severall}' on instruments, to sing praises, and to rain down flowers. Having recited this much of the stor}^, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! having been freed from the sacrifice, Raja Yudhishthira summoned Sahadev Ji, and asked him, — " Who should first be worshipped ? to whom should unbroken rice and forehead-marks be given ? Who is the greatest of gods ? Him we should worship bowing the head." Sahadev Ji said, " Maharaj ! the god of all gods is Vasudev ; no one understands his nature, he is the Lord of Brahma, Rudra, and Indra ; him we should first worship with bowed head. As by applying water to the root of a tree all the branches become flourishing, so by worshipping Hari all the gods are gratified. This one is the creator of the world ; and this one creates, pre- serves, and destroys. His sports are endless ; no one knows their end. This very one is the Lord, the invisible, incompre- hensible, indestructible. At his lotus-feet continually serves Kamala,'^ who has become his servant. For the sake of wor- shippers he has again and again taken incarnate form ; and having assumed bodily form acts in the manner of the world. ^ This is an offering to the gods. Five twigs are placed in the vessel, one of each of the following trees: — Ficiis religwsa {V&eY>v\), Ficiis indica (Banyan), Ficus glomerata (Fig), Mimosa albida (Acacia), and Maiigiftra indua (Mango). - A vow comprising certain gilts in alms. 2 Kamala is a name of the goddess Lakshmi. Prem-Sagar 285 He calls us ' brother,' and comes while we are seated at home ; he causes us to lose ourselves in his illusion ; Great fascination and affection causes us to forget ; we regard God as a brother ; No one appears greater than him ; his worship should be the first." Maharaj ! on hearing these words, all the sages, saints, and kings cried out, " Raja ! Sahadev Ji has said the truth, Hari alone is worthy of our first adoration." Then, indeed, Raja Yudhishthira placed S'ri Krishna Chand Ji on the throne, with his eight queens, and worshipped him with sandal, rice, flowers, incense, lamps, and consecrated food ; afterwards he worshipped all the gods, sages, saints, Brahmans, and kings. He dressed them in variously coloured garments ; and made forehead-marks of sandal and saffron ; he decorated them with floral garlands, and having applied perfumes, the king, as was fitting, gratified them all. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! In worshipping Hari all were happy ; [but] S'isupal's head was bent to the earth. For some time, then, he, with head bent down, remained re- flecting, meditating something in his heart. At length, under the domination of Fate, he angrily descended from the throne, into the middle of the assembly, and shamelessly and fearlessly said, " In this assembly there are Dhritarashtra, Duryodhan, Bhishma, Karna, Dronacharya, and others, all most wise and honourable, but, on the present occasion, the dignity and judgment of all has 'been destroyed. The very greatest of saints remain neglected, ^ and the son of the cowherd Nand has been worshipped ; and no one has said anything. He who, having taken birth in Braj, ate the orts of the cowherd-lads, has received, in this assembly, greatness and lordship. All are thoughtlessly calling him great ; they are giving the power of Lord of the Gods to a crow.^ He who made friends with cowherdesses and cowherds, has been constituted by this assembly as the very holiest ; he who stole from every house and ate milk, curds, butter-milk, and butter, his praise has been sung by all unitedly ; he who received alms on roads and at landing-places, here has been honoured ; he who, by force and fraud, has enjoyed others' wives, him all have vmanimously accorded the first forehead-mark ; he who abolished the worship of Indra in Braj and established that of a mountain, afterwards having caused all the materials for worship to be brought to the mountain, himself by a stratagem devoured them ; ' The phrase baifjie rahe, " left seated," implies that no notice is taken of the saints. ' Ym k&'^^ahi x&2lA Ms; hi. Eastwick has been betrayed into a mistranslation hereby a misprint. Pandit Vogadhyan Misra prints the word correctly. 286 Prem-Sagar yet he was not ashamed ; he whose genealogy, parentage, family, and duties are unsettled, him all have honoured as the Invisible and Indestructible one." Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! in this fashion, being in the power of Fate, Raja S'isupal was uttering various offensive remarks, with respect to S'ri Krishna Chand Ji ; and S'ri Krishna Chand Ji was seated on the throne in the midst of the assembly, and was listening and drawing a line for every statement made. Hereupon Bhishma, Karna, Drona, and the great kings, having heard the reproaches against Hari, very angrily said, " O fool ! thou, seated in the assembly, art disparaging the Lord in our presence ! O base- born ! be silent ; otherwise we shall immediately dash thee down and kill thee." Maharaj ! having said this, each took a weapon, and all the kings rose and hastened to slay S'isupal. Then S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of joy, restraining them all, said, " Do not use your weapons against him ; stand still and behold ; he is being destroyed by his very self. I will endure from him a hundred offences, because I have promised [to do so] ; I will not endure more than a hundred, and therefore I am drawing these hues." Maharaj ! on hearing these words, all of them, joining their hands, inquired thus of S'ri Krishna Chand, " Lord of Compas- sion ! what is the secret of this, that you will be pleased to tolerate a hundred offences from him ? Please kindly explain that to us, in order that the doubt of our hearts may depart." The Lord said, " When he was born he had three eyes and four arms. Having heard this intelligence, his father Raja Damaghosh sum- moned the astrologers and greatest Pandits, and asked thus, ' What sort of boy is this ? Reflect on this matter and answer me.' On hearing the words of the king, the Pandits and astrologers, having pondered on the sacred works, said, ' Maharaj ! he will become very powerful and famous. And this also comes from our meditation, that he will be killed by him from meeting whom one of his eyes and two of his arms will fall down.' Having heard this, his mother Mahadevi, the daughter of Surasen, and sister of Vasudev, my aunt, became greatly dejected, remained day and night in anxiety solely on account of her son. '' After some time, on one occasion, taking her son she came into Dwaraka to her father's house, and presented him to all of them. When he was presented to me, and one eye and two arms fell down, my aunt, binding me by a promise, said, ' His death is [to be] through you ; you will not slay him ; I ask this alms from you.' I said, ' Well ! I will not take note of a hundred of his offences ; after that, [if] he shall commit a fault, I will kill him.' Having taken this promise from me, my aunt took leave of all, and saying this [to herself], went home with her child, 'How should he commit a hundred offences that he should die by the hand of Krishna ! ' " Prem-Sagar 287 Maharaj ! having related this much of the story, S'ri Krishna Ji,i having effaced uncertainty from the minds of all the kings, counted the lines which he had drawn at each offence. On counting them they were exceeding a hundred. Then the Lord commanded the discus Sudarsan, and that immediately cut off the head of S'isupal. A light which issued from his carcase rushed for a time to the sky, then returning, in the sight of all, entered the mouth of S'rf Krishna Chand. Having seen this exploit, gods, men, and saints began to shout " Victory ! Victory ! " and to rain down flowers. Then Murari, the benefactor of worshippers, gave him a third deliverance, and performed his obsequies.- Having heard thus much of the story. King Parikshit asked S'ri S'ukadev Ji thus : — Maharaj ! in what way did the Lord give him a third deliverance ? Please explain that to me. S'ukadev Ji said: — Raja! once he was Hiranyakasyapa ; then the Lord, taking incarnate form as Narasinha, caused him to cross [the ocean of existence] ; a second time, he was Ravana ; then Hari, assuming the Rama-incarnation, released him ; now this is the third time, hence it is the third deliverance. Having heard this much, the King said to the Saint : — Maharaj ! now tell me the continuation of the story. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! on the completion of the sacrifice. Raja Yudhishthira bestov/ed dresses on all the kings and their wives, and gave un- numbered gifts to the Brahmans. It was the work of Raja Dur- yodhan to distribute the presents at the sacrifice. He, from enmity, gave many instead of one ; thereby he obtained renown : still he was not satisfied. Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! as soon as the sacrifice was completed, S'ri Krishna Ji took leave of Raja Yudhishthira, and with his whole army and family, proceeding on from Hastinapur, went to the city of Dwaraka. On the Lord's arrival, rejoicings began in every house, and joy was in the whole city. CHAPTER LXXVI. Explanation of Duryodhan's vexation — He makes himself ridiculous, and retires in anger. King Parikshit said : — Maharaj ! everybody was pleased with the Rajasiiya sacrifice ; but one, Duryodhan, was displeased ; what was the cause of this ? Explain that to me in order that the ' For Krishna Ji se read Krishna Ji ne. ' This episode is fully related in the Mahabharata, Sabba-parvan, 14 iS- 1627, where the particulars are more clearly stated. He represents the (jpposition which the establishment of the Krishna-cult encountered. 2 88 Prem-Sagar perplexity of my mind may depart. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said ; — Raja ! your paternal grandfather was very wise. He gave, in the sacrifice, duties of such a nature and to whom he saw [they were appropriate]. He made^ Bhima superintendent of the food-preparation ; he placed Sahadev over the religious ceremonies ; Nakul was to bring the money ; Arjuna was appointed over the attendance ; S'ri Krishna Chand Ji took the work of washing the feet and removing the orts and the platters ; to Duryodhan he gave the work of distributing the wealth ; and he allotted some separate office to all the kings who were there. Maharaj ! all of them were performing the labour of the sacrifice guilelessly ; but one, Raja Duryodhan alone, was doing the work deceitfully ; therefore he, instead of one was taking several ; having fixed this idea in his own mind that " Should their trea- sury be exhausted, there will be dishonour." By the favour of Bhagwan there was no dishonour ; there was, on the other hand, reputation. On this account he was displeased ; and this also he was not knowing that there was [the auspicious mark of] a wheel on his hand, [by which] if he gave one rupee, four would be collected [in its place]. Having recounted this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! now listen to the sequel of the story. On the departure of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, Raja Yudhishthira, having entertained all the kings with food and drink, and given them dresses of honour], very courteously dismissed them. They severally ar- ranging their armies, set out for their respective countries. After- wards Raja Yudhishthira, taking the Paiulavas and Kauravas with him, went with a musical procession to bathe in the Ganges. Having reached the bank, he prostrated himself, applied dust [to his body], sipped water, and entered the river with his wife. All bathed with them. Then having bathed and washed, and com- pleted the twilight worship, and having put on clothes and orna- ments, accompanied by all, where does Raja Yudhishthira come ? — but to where Maya the Daitya had erected a very beautiful iewel-studded golden palace. Maharaj ! having gone there. Raja "Yudhishthira reclined on a throne. At that time, Gandharvas sang his praises, and bards and panegyrists recounted his fame. In the midst of the assembly dancing-girls were dancing ; outside and inside the house merry-makers were singing, playing instruments, and making festivities ; and Raja Yudhishthira's court was like the court oflndra. Hereupon, on obtaining news of the arrival of Raja Yudhishthira, Raja Duryodhan also, pre- tending deceitful friendship, came there very ostentatiously to meet him. Having rehearsed the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! in the midst of the square, Maya had so contrived affairs, that whoever was going there was fancying ' For hiya read kiy&. Prem-Sagar 289 that dry land was water, and water was dry land. Maharaj ! when Raja Durj'Odhan entered the palace, having seen dry ground, he had the fancy that it was water. He drew together and raised up his clothes. Then advancing further, and perceiving water, he was under the deception that it was land. As he put forward his foot, his clothes were wetted. Having witnessed this action, all the people of the assembly burst out laughing. Raja Yudhishthira, having stopped the laughter, turned away his face. Maharaj ! on hearing the laughter of them all. Raja Duryodhan, being exceedingly ashamed, angrily turned and went back. Having sat down in [his own] court, he began to say, " Having acquired the might of Krishna, Yudhishthira has become exceed- ingly proud ; to-day, seated in his court, he turned me into ridicule. I will be revenged on him, and will break his pride ; then is my name Duryodhan, otherwise it is not." CHAPTER LXXVII. S'alwa'obtains power from S'iva to revenge S'isupal's death — He assaults Dwaraka> and commits great havoc — Krishna comes to the rescue, but falls under S'alwa's- illusive power — At last frees himself from it, and slays S'alvva. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! when S'ri Krishna Chand and Balaram Ji were in Hastinapur, a Daitj'a named S'alwa, a com- panion of S'isupal, who, at the marriage of Rukmini, had received a blow from the hand of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, and fled, began to perform austerities to Mahadev Ji, having said in his heart, " Now I will take my revenge on the Yadubansis." He conquered his sensual organs, making all [of them] sub- missive ; he endured hunger and thirst, and all seasons. In this manner he began to perform austerity, keeping in remembrance the feet ot Mahadev ; Ever on rising he took a handful of sand and ate it ; fixing his mind on S'iva, he performed dreadful austerity. A year was passed in this way ; then, indeed, Mahadev con- ferred a boon [on him]. " From henceforth, thou art become undecaying and immortal, and a chariot of illusion will be made and given to thee by the Daitya Maya ; that will convey thee wherever thou wishest to go ; it will have power to go to all places in the three worlds, through my gift, like a vehicle [of the gods]." Maharaj ! when Sadasiva Ji had conferred the boon, a chariot came and stood before him. He, having bowed to S'iva Ji, mounted the chariot and rushed violently to the city of Dwaraka. u 290 P REM- S AGAR Having gone there, he began to stir up against the inhabitants of the city various kinds of injuries. Sometimes he was raining down fire, sometimes water ; at times he was tearing up trees and casting them on the city ; at times [he flung] mountains. Through fear of him, all the inhabitants of the city, being exceedingly frightened, fled, and went and cried out to Raja Ugrasen, " Justice ! O Maharaj ! a Daitya has come and has stirred up great turmoil in the city. If he shall [continue] this sort of violence, no one will remain alive." Maharaj ! on hearing these words, Raja Ugrasen summoned Pradyumna and Sambu, and said, "See ! this Asura, watching the back of Hari, has come to give pain to my subjects ; devise some remedy for this." Having received the command of the king, Pradyumna Ji, taking the whole army, and seating himself on a chariot, went out of the city, and stood ready to fight ; and perceiving that Sambu was alarmed, he said, " Do not be anxious about anything ; by the puissance of Hari I will overthrow in a moment this Asura." Having made this remark, Pradyumna Ji, having taken the army, seized his weapons, [but] as he confronted that [Asura], the latter exercised such illusive power that day became very dark night. Pradyumna Ji immediately discharged refulgent arrows, and removed the great darkness as the sun's refulgence removes a fog. Then he shot several arrows so that that [i\sura's] chariot was knocked about, and he, confusedly, was sometimes fleeing away and sometimes returning, and raising up a variety of demoniacal illusions, was fighting and giving great anno3^ance to the subjects of the Lord. Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! there was indeed a fierce fight on both sides, when, in the midst of it, all at once Dubid, the minister of the Daitya S'alwa, came and so struck Pradyumna Ji on the chest with a club that he fell down senseless. On seeing him fall, that [Dubid] shrieked out, " I have slain Pradyumna, the son of S'ri Krishna ! " Maharaj ! the Yadavas, for their part, continued the great battle with the Rakshasas. Then Daruk, the charioteer's son, seeing that Pradyumna Ji had fainted, placed him on a chariot, and fled with him from the battle, and brought him into the city. On regaining consciousness, Pradyumna Ji angrily said to the charioteer, — " It was not right of you, knowing me to be senseless, to make me flee [from the field] ; Quitting the field, thou hast brought me home ; this is not the act of a hero ; There is no one in the Yadu family who would abandon the field and flee. Didst thou see me flying anywhere that thou to-day hast brought me flying from the battle ? Whoever hears of this affair will ridicule and despise me. Thou hast not performed this act well, in that needlessly thou hast fixed [on me] the mark Pxem-Sagar 291 of disgrace." Maharaj ! on hearing these words, the charioteer descended from the chariot, and standing before him, with joined hands and bowed head, said, " O Lord ! you are conversant with all polity ; there is no duty in the whole world with which you are unfamiliar. It is said, — ' The hero in a chariot who falls wounded, him let the charioteer take out [of the battle] ; The charioteer who, being wounded, falls, the chariot-rider should save and bear away.' An exceedingly heavy club struck you violently ; you fainted, and consciousness left your body ; Then I took you out of the conflict ; I feared the injury and dishonour of my master ; You have taken rest for an hour, now go and fight again ; You know what is right and proper ; the ridicule of the world should not enter the mind ; Now you will slaughter the whole of them ; you will remove the illusion of the Danava Maya." Maharaj ! having spoken thus, the charioteer took Pradyumna Ji to the water, and having gone there, the latter washed his face, hands, and feet, recovered himself, put on coat of mail and helmet, and grasping his bow and arrows, said to the charioteer, " Well ! what has been has been ; but now do thou take me where Dubid is fighting with the Yadubansis." On hearing these words, the charioteer immediately took the chariot where he was fighting. Ongoing there, this one challenging, said, "Why art thou fighting indiscriminately ? come and confront me, that I may send thee to S'isupal." On hearing this speech, when he rushed upon Pradyumna Ji, the latter, discharging several arrows, struck him down ; and Sambu also, cutting up the army of Asuras, filled up the ocean [with them]. Having related this much of the story, S'rf S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! when all the Yadubafisis in Dwaraka had spent twenty- seven days in fighting with the Asura army, then the Searcher of Hearts, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, while seated in Hastinapur, per- ceived the condition of Dwaraka, and said to Raja Yudhishthira, " Maharaj ! I have seen in a dream at night that, in Dwaraka, a great commotion is going on ; and all the Yadubansis are exceedingly afflicted ; therefore, should you now give the order, I will set out for Dwaraka." Having heard these words. Raja Yudhishthira, having joined his hands, said, *' Let what is the Lord's wish [be carried out]." As soon as this statement had issued from the mouth of Raja Yudhishthira, S'ri Krishna and Balaram, having taken leave from all, as soon as they got outside the city were surprised to see,^ on the left side, a doe running towards them, and, in front, a dog standing and shaking his head. ' Surprise is implied by the interrogative- form of the sentence. V 2 292 Prem-Sagar Having seen these bad omens, Hari said to Balaram Ji, " Brother ! do you come on after with all the rest, I will go on in front." Raja ! having spoken thus to his brother, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji went forward, [but] what does he see on the field of battle ? — that the Asuras, on all sides, are striking great blows on the Yadubafisis, and that these [latter], severally in extreme agitation, are hurling their weapons. As Hari, having seen this state of aflFairs, was standing there somewhat apprehensive, Baladev Ji also afterwards came up. Then S'ri Krishna Ji said to Balaram Ji, " Brother ! do you go and protect the city and the subjects ; I will smite these and come on." Having received the command of the Lord, Baladev Ji, for his part, went on into the city ; and Hari himself went into the battle where Pradyumna Ji was fighting with S'alwa. On the coming of the Lord of the Yadus, there was the sound of the conch-shell, and everybody knew that S'ri Krishna Chand was come. Maharaj ! on the Lord's going there, S'alwa caused his chariot to mount up into the skv, and thence began to rain down arrows like fire. Then S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, having counted out sixteen arrows, shot them so that his chariot and charioteer flew away, and he fell crashing down. As soon as he fell, he righted himself, and shot an arrow into the left arm of Hari, and shouted thus, " O Krishna ! stand still ; I will discover thy strength bv fighting ; thou, indeed, by fraud and force, hast killed S'ankhasur, Bhaumasur, S'isupal., and other most powerful ones ; but now thy escape from my hands is difficult. Now the affair has fallen between you ^ and me ; desist from trickery, and fight ; The powerful Vanasur and Bhaumasur are expecting thee, O Hari ! I will send thee where thou wilt not come back ; shouldst thou flee, thou wilt not obtain greatness." Having heard these words, as S'ri Krishna Ji said this, viz., " O fool ! conceited, cowardly, cruel ! those who are dignified, firm, and heroic soldiers, do not at first talk large words to anyone ; " then he, rushing on, with violent anger, hurled a club at Hari ; but the Lord most easily cut it down. Then S'ri Krishna Chand Ji struck a club at him. Having received that club [blow], he passed into the protection of his illusive power, and remained senseless for two hours. Afterwards he assumed a deceptive form, and, coming before the Lord, said, — " Your mother Devaki, in great agitation, has sent me ; Your enemy S'alwa has seized and carried off Vasudev." Maharaj ! that Asura, having related this statement, went thence, and having produced an illusive Vasudev^ bound and ^ Both Eastvvick and Hollings treat fohi as a Genitive, quite exceptionally. I regard it as an Ablative ; for which there is some poetic authority. Prem-Sagar 293 brought it, and coming before S'ri Krishna Chand, said, " O Krislina ! see ; I have bound and brought thy father ; and now, having cut off his head, and smitten all the Yadubaiisis, I will fill up the ocean ; afterwards, having slain thee, I will establish undivided rule." 1 Maharaj ! having said this, he dragged down the head of the illusive Vasudev, and cut it off in the sight of S'ri Krishna Ji, and, having placed it on the point of a spear, showed it to all. Having witnessed this illusive action, at first the Lord fainted ; afterwards, recovering himself, he began to say in his heart, "How was this, that this one has seized and brought Vasudev Ji from Dwaraka, while Balaram Ji is there ? What ! is this one more powerful than him, that, from before his face, he has taken and brought away Vasudev Ji ? " Maharaj ! the Lord having come into the Asura's illusive power, formed many various suggestions such as these, for some time, and was very apprehensive. At length, by thinking, Hari perceived and got at the whole secret of the contrivance of the Asura's illusion. Then S'ri Krishna Chand challenged him. Having heard the challenge of the Lord, he went to the sky, and began to hurl down thence weapons upon the Lord. Hereupon S'ri Krishna Chand Ji shot several arrows so that he, with his chariot, fell into the ocean. As soon as he fell, he recovered himself, and taking a club, he sprang upon the Lord. Then Hari, with exceeding anger, struck him down with the discus Sudarsan just as the Lord of the gods had struck down the Asura Vritra. Maharaj ! on his falling down, the jewel of his head came out and fell on the earth, and the refulgence entered into the mouth of S'ri Krishna Chand. CHAPTER LXXVm. Krishna slays Vrikadant and Vidiirath— lie then goes to Hastinapur to assist the Fandavas against the Kauravas — Balaram proceeds on pilgrimage, and slays Silt ji, the relater of the JMahabharata, for a slight discourtesy. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! now I am about to relate the story of Vrikadant and Vidurath, the brothers of S'isupal, that is, how they were slain. Since S'isupal had been killed, these two had continued to reflect on taking revenge on S'ri Krishna Chand Ji for their brother. At last, on the death of S'alwa and Dubid, they took all their forces and advanced to attack the city of Dwaraka, and having surrounded it on all sides, began to hurl against it many various kinds of machines and weapons. ' Lii-> "the rule of one umbrella," the umbrella being a symbol of royal dignity. 294 Prem-Sagar A mighty uproar happened in the city ; having heard the outcry, xMurari mounted his chariot. Afterwards S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, having gone outside the city, stood where those two Asuras, armed and in great anger, were ready for battle. On seeing the Lord, Vrikadant very con- ceitedly said, " O Krishna ! do thou first hurl thy weapon ; afterwards I will slay thee. I have said this to thee, so that, when dying, this desire may not linger in thy mind, that thou hast not struck a blow at Vrikadant. Thou hast slain the most powerful ones ; but now thou wilt not escape living from my hand." Maharaj ! having uttered several such malignant words as these, Vrikadant hurled a club at the Lord, that Hari quite easily cut down. Then, having taken a second club, he began to wage a fierce fight with Hari. Then the Lord struck him down ; and his soul came forth and entered into the mouth of the Lord. Afterwards, having witnessed the death of Vrikadant, just as \''idurath advanced to give battle, S'ri Krishna Ji hurled the discus Sudarsan, and that cut off Vidurath's head and brought it down, together with the crown and earrings. Then he smote and put to flight the whole army of Asuras. At that time — The delighted gods rained down flowers ; Kinnaras and bards sang the glories of Hari ; All the demi-gods, the sanctified, and the magicians, ascended their cars and shouted " Victory ! victory ! " Then all said, " Maharaj ! thy sports are infinite ; no one understands the myster\' of it. First there was Hiranyakasyapa and Hiranakus ; afterwards there was Ravana and Kumbhakarna ; now these Dantavakra and S'isupal have come. You have slain these three times, and have given them the highest release ; therefore, your procedure is not in the least understood by anyone." Maharaj ! having said this much, the gods, for their part, made obeisance to the Lord and went away, and Hari began to say to Balaram Ji, " Brother ! there is war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas ; now what shall we do ? " Baladev Ji said, " Abode of Compassion ! be good enough to set off yourself for Hastinapur ; having performed pilgrimage, I also will come." Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! having heard these words, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, for his part, set out for where, in Kurukshetra,i the Kauravas and the Pandavas were waging the war of the Mahabharata, and Balaram Ji went out to perform pilgrimage. Afterwards, in the course of visiting all holy places, Baladev Ji arrived in Nimashar.- ' Lit., " the field of the Kuru," a great battle-field in the neighbourhood of Delhi. ^ The proper name of the place is Naimhhdranya, a forest in which some celebrated saints resided, and where the Mahabharata was recited by Sauti. It was. a famous place of pilgrimage. Prem-Sagar 295 Then what does he see there ? On one side sages and saints are preparing a sacrifice, and, on the other side, in an assembly of sages and saints, Siit Ji,^ seated on a throne, is reciting stories ! On seeing him, S'aunaka^ and all the other saints and sages rose up and made obeisance ; but Sut, reclining on a cushion on the throne, continued looking on, seated. Maharaj ! on Sut's not rising, Balaram Ji said to S'aunaka and all the other sages and saints, " Who has made this fool the speaker, and has given him the seat of Vyasa ? A speaker should be religious, discriminating, and wise ; this one is destitute of good qualities, avaricious, and exceedingly conceited. Again, [such a one] should be free from covetousness and desirous of the chief good ; this one is very covetous and desirous of his own advantage. This seat of Vyasa does not suit one who is destitute of knowledge and who is indiscriminating. Should we kill him, it would not matter much ; ^ but he should be put out from here." On hearing these words, S'aunaka and the other very great saints and sages very meekly said, " Maharaj I you are a hero, resolute, and acquainted with all that is right and politic ; this one is a coward, irresolute, indiscriminating, conceited, and ignorant. Please forgive his fault, because he is seated on the throne of Vyasa, and Brahma has placed him here for the purpose of the sacrifice. The fool has placed in his heart the pride of [his] seat ; [therefore] he did not rise and salute you. This, O Lord ! is his fault ; he has fallen into error, but he is a good man ; Should one kill Sut, it would be sin ; no one in the world would call it good ; Your remarks will not be fruitless ; reflect on this in your own mind." Maharaj ! on hearing these words, Balaram Ji picked up a single blade of kusa grass, and struck Siit gently with it. On its touching him, he died. Having witnessed this exploit, S'aunaka and the other sages and saints, raising lamentations and being greatly dejected, said, " Maharaj ! what was to be has come to pass ; but now kindly remove our anxiety." The Lord said, " What is your desire ? Tell me that, and I will satisfy it." The saints replied, " Maharaj ! let there be no obstruction in any matter in our sacrifices ; this is our desire ; please accomplish that and gain reputation in the world." As soon as these words issued from the mouth of the saints, the Searcher of Hearts, Balaram Ji, summoned the son of Sut, and seating him on the ' The name properly is Sauti. - S'aunaka is a saint of great reputation, the author of the earliest grammatical and ceremonial treatises, and the reputed originator of the system of the four castes. ^ Z/V., "' Should we kill him, what then ? '' 296 Prem-Sagar throne of Vydsa, said, " This one will be more eloquent than his father ; and I, having imparted deathlessness to him, have con- ferred long life [on him]. Now you can sacrifice free from anxiety." CHAPTER LXXIX. Balariim slays ]ii]a.\' — Tie converses with Krishna aliout the war of the Mahil- bharata — He is purified from the crime of killing Sut Ji. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! having received the command of Balaram Ji, when S'aunaka and all the other sages and saints, being greatly pleased, began to offer sacrifice, a Daitya named Jalav, the son of Lav, came, and having raised dense clouds, and caused thunder, he sent forth a very fearful and exceedingly black storm, and began to rain down from the sky blood, excrement, and urine, and to commit various acts of violence. Maharaj ! having witnessed this tyranny of the Daitya, Baladev Ji called his plough and pestle ; they came and presented them- selves. Then being exceedingly angry, the Lord dragged Jalav with the plough, and struck him such a blow on the head with the pestle that — The head was split open ; the life escaped ; there was a stream of blood on that spot ; The terrible hands and arms fell down ; his eyes came from [the sockets], his hair was [blood] -stained. On the death of Jalav, all the saints were greatly pleased, and offered adoration to Baladev, and praising him greatly, made offerings. Next Balaram, the abode of happiness, taking leave thence, went forth on pilgrirnage. Then, O Maharaj ! while making the circuit of the earth by visiting all places of pilgrimage, he arrived where Duryodhan and Bhimasen were carrying on a great conflict in Kurukshetra, and S'ri Krishna, with the Pandavas and very great kings, were standing looking on. On the going of Balaram Ji, both the heroes made obeisance ; one recognizing him as preceptor, the other esteeming him as a brother. Maharaj ! having seen those two fighting, Baladev Ji said, — " O ye two mighty heroes, equal warriors ! now do you resolute ones desist from strife ; Preserve the race of Kuru and Pandu ; relatives and friends have all been destro37ed." Both heard, bowed their heads, and said, '* Now we, having gone [into it], cannot quit the battle-field." P REM- S AGAR 297 Then Duryodhan said, " Divine Preceptor ! I do not speak falsely before you ; please give heed to my words and listen. ThisMahabha'rata war which is going on, and [in which] people have been, are being, and will be killed, [is being carried on] by advice of your brother S'ri Krishna Chand Ji. The Pandavas are fighting solely by the strength of S'ri Krishna Ji, otherwise what power had they that they should fight with the Kauravas ? These helpless ones are as much in the power of Hari as wooden puppets are in the power of a juggler. Wherever he makes them go, there they go. It was not right of him to do such enmity to us by helping the Pandavas. He caused Duhsasan's arm to be torn out by Bhima ; and caused me a blow on the thigh with the club. What more shall we say to you on the present occasion ? What Hari does is now occurring ; this everybody knows." As soon as this speech issued from the mouth of Duryodhan, Balaram Ji, having said this, came near to S'ri Krishna Chand, " You also have abated nothing in doing mischief ! " and said, *' Brother ! what is this you have done ? that you have caused war, and caused Duhsasan's arm to be torn out, and Dur^'odhan's thigh to be wounded ? This is not the method of fair fight, that any strong person should pull out another's arm, or that one should aim a weapon below the belt ! Yea ! this is fair fight, that one should challenge one and use his weapons before his face." S'ri Krishna Chand said, " Brother ! you do not know. These Kauravas are very irreligious and unjust ; their tyranny is beyond description. First, they, at the instigation of Duhsasan, S'akun, and Bhagadant, played dice, and, having cheated, won from Raja Yudhishthira all that he possessed. Duhsasan dragged Draupadi with his hand ; therefore Bhimasen tore out his arm. Duryodhan ordered Draupadi to sit on his thigh ; therefore his thigh was broken." Having said this much; S'ri Krishna Chand resumed, " Brother ! you do not know. However shall I relate the various acts of injustice of this kind which the Kauravas have done to the Pandavas ? For this reason this fire of Bharata will now by no means be extinguished. Make no attempt to remedy it." Maharaj ! as soon as this statement had issued from the mouth of the Lord, Balaram Ji departed from Kurukshetra and came into the city of Dwaraka, and having met Rajas Ugrasen and S'urasen, with joined hands began to say, " Maharajas ! by 3^our virtue and glory 1 have accomplished all the pilgrimages ; but one fault occurred through me." Raja Ugrasen said, "What was that?" Balaram Ji said, " Maharaj ! having gone into Nimashar, I killed Silt. His slaughter is fixed on me. Now, should you permit, I will go again to Nimashar, and having seen the sacrifice, bathed at the place of pilgrimage, and effaced the sin of that slaughter, I will return ; afterwards I will cause Brahmans to be fed, and entertain my caste-folk, by which I shall gain fame in the world." 298 Prem-Sagar Raja Ugrasen said, " Good ! let it be so forthwith." Maharaj ! having obtained the king's permission, Balaram Ji, taking several Yadubafisis with him, went to Nimashar, bathed and gave alms, and became purified. Then having summoned a Purohit, caused a burnt-offering to be made, and entertained Brahmans, and feasted his caste-folk, he became purified according to the usage of the world. Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! He who attentively listens to this story destroys all his sins. CHAPTER LXXX. The story of Sudama — He seeks relief in his poverty from Krishna. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj I now I am about to relate the story of Sudama, how he went to the Lord, and his poverty was terminated ; do you hear it attentively. Towards the southern region there is the country of Dravida ; there Brahmans and traders live as kings ; in whose government there is, in every house, adoration, and remembrance, and meditation on Hari ; also, all are there performing penance, sacrifice, acting religiously, and giving alms ; and virtuous and holy people, cows, and Brahmaiis are reverenced. In that place all are dwelling in this way ; [no one] knows anything else but Hari. In that country there was a Brahman named Sudama, brought up under the same preceptor ^ wnth S'ri Krishna Chand, exceedingly humble, emaciated in body, and very poor, such that there was no thatch on his house, nor anything remaining there to eat. One day Sudama's wife, being distracted by poverty, and suffering much misery, went to her husband, feeling alarm, and fearing and trembling, said, " Maharaj ! now we are suffering much misery through this poverty ; if you should desire to get rid of it, I can point out a means." The Brahman said, '' What is that ? " She replied, " Your great friend is the Lord of the three worlds, S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of joy, dwelling in Dwaraka. Should you go to him this [poverty] will depart ; because he is the giver of wealth, virtue, happiness, and salvation." Maharaj ! when the female Brahman had thus elucidatively spoken, Sudama said, " O loved one ! unless something be given, even S'ri Krishna Chand gives nothing to anyone. I am ver}^ well aware that, in my whole life, I have never given anybody ^ Lit.i "A Guru-brothei. " Pkem-Sagar 299 anything. Without something being given, whence shall I get anything? Yes ! according to thy suggestion, I will go ; then, having seen Krishna, I will return." On hearing these words, the Brahman's wife, having tied up a little rice in a very old white vestment, brought and gave [the grains of rice] as a present for the Lord ; and brought a string, a brass pot, and a staff, and placed them before him. Then Sudama, placing the string and pot on his shoulder, and holding the packet of rice under his arm, and taking the staff in his hand, propitiated Ganesa, meditated on S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, and set out for the city of Dwaraka. Maharaj ! while proceeding on his way, Sudama began to say within himself, " Well ! wealth, for that matter, is not in my destiny ; but, by going to Dwaraka, I shall certainly see S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of joy." Sudama, making thoughts and reflections of this kind, in the course of three watches, arrived in the city of Dwaraka. Then what does he see ?— that the sea is all round the city, and the town is in its midst. What a [beautiful] city it is, around which there are woods, groves, flowers and fruits ; at the ponds, pools, and masonry wells, wheels and buckets are in motion ; in various places troops upon troops of cows are grazing, with each of which cowherd-lads, quite apart, are engaged in sports. Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! Sudama having inspected the beauty of the woods and groves, went and viewed the interior of the city. There were glittering very beautiful golden jewel-studded palaces ; at the variovis meeting-places the Yadubaiisis were seated, forming courts like that of Indra ; in the markets, roads, and squares, various kinds of articles were being sold ; in every house, in all directions, song-singing, alms-giving, the worship of Hari, and the praises of the Lord, were going on ; and the inhabitants of the entire city were in happiness. Maharaj ! continuing to gaze at this marvel, and to ask his way to the palace of S'ri Krishna Chand, Sudama went and stood at the lion-portal ^ of the Lord. He still timidly asked someone, " Where is S'ri Krishna Chand reclining ? " The other replied, " Divinity ! enter the palace ; just opposite you S'ri Krishna Chand Ji is seated on a jewelled throne." Maharaj ! having heard this statement, when Sudama entered, as soon as S'ri Krishna Chand saw him, he descended from the throne, advanced forward, met him, and very affectionately taking him by the hand, led him on. Then having seated him on the throne, washed his feet, and accepted his foot-water, the Lord next smeared him with sandal, applied unbroken rice [to his forehead], decorated him with flowers, and offered adoration to Sudama with incense and lamps. ' That is, the principal entrance. 300 Prem-Sagar Having done this much, the Lord of the Yadus joined his hands, and asked about his health and prosperity. Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to the king : — Maharaj ! having seen this action, the eight queens, together with S'ri Rukmini Ji, and the sixteen thousand eight hundred wives, and all the Yadubansis who were at that time there present, began to say within themselves, " What has this poor, weak, dirty Brahman, destitute of raiment, done in a former birth of such a nature that the Lord of the Three Worlds has shown him so much honour ? " Maharaj ! the Searcher of Hearts, S'ri Krishna Chand, then comprehending the matter in all their hearts, began to converse with Sudama about the preceptor's house, in order to efface their doubt, thus, " Brother ! do you remember that one day the preceptor's wife sent you and me to fetch fuel, and when we had got the fuel from the wood, and tied it into bundles, and placed it on our heads, we went home ; then a storm and rain came on, and it began to rain violently. Water covered the earth all around ; you and I, being soaked, were very miserable, and felt cold, and remained all night under a tree. At dawn, the preceptor came to search in the wood, and very kindly bestowing a benediction, conducted you and me and brought us home? " Having said this much, S'ri Krishna Chand resumed. " Brother ! since you left the preceptor's house I have received no news of you, as to where you were and what you were doing. No^v 3'ou have come and shown yourself, you have given me great happiness, and purified my house." Sudama said, " O Ocean of Compassion ! Friend of the Needy ! the Lord, the Searcher of Hearts ! you know all things ; there is no such thing in the world that is hidden from you." CHAPTER LXXXL Sudama's self-abnegation is rewarded with riches. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said -.—Maharaj ! the Searcher of Hearts, S'ri Krishna Ji, having heard the remark of Sudama, and comprehend- ing his many desires, jestingly said, " Brother ! what present has thy wife sent to me ? Why do you not give it ? Why do you hold it under the arm ? " Maharaj ! having heard these words, Sudama was ashamed and dejected ; and the Lord at once took from under his arm the parcel of rice ; then, opening it, he ate from it with great avidity two handfuls of the rice ; but when the third handful was ready, S'ri Rukmini Ji seized Hari's hand and said, " xMaharaj ! you have given him two worlds ; now will you Prem-Sagar 301 preserve some mere abiding-place for yourself or not ? This Brahman appears to be well-disposed, of good family, impassive, and unworldly ; because he experienced no delight at obtaining wealth ; hence I perceived that he thinks gain and loss to be the same ; he delights not at getting, and grieves not at losing." As soon as these words had issued from the mouth of Rukmini Ji, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji said, " O loved one ! this is my best friend ; how can I express his worth ? He is ever and at all times immersed in my love, and in comparison with that, he esteems the pleasure of the world like grass." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! with various matters of this kind, the Lord, having instructed Rukmini Ji, caused Sudama to be conducted into the palace. Afterwards, having caused him to be fed with food of six flavours, and with betel, Hari conducted Sudama to a couch soft as foam, and placed him thereon. He was indeed quite fatigued by the toil of the journey ;^ he went on the couch, obtained happiness, and slept. The Lord then summoned Visvakarma and said, " Do you go at once, and having built for Sudama an exceedingly beautiful golden and jewelled palace, place in it the eight siddhis^" and the nine tiidhis^ and return, so that he may have no object of desire." As soon as this direction had issued from the mouth of the Lord, Visvakarma went there, and immediately built it and returned, and having told Hari, went back to his place. As soon as it was dawn, Sudama arose, and when he was at leisure from bathing, meditating, adoring, and worshipping, he went to the Lord to take leave. Then S'ri Krishiia Chand Ji was not able to utter anything with his mouth, but, being immersed in love, with eyes filled with tears, in a state of stupe- faction, he remained looking at him. Sudama, having taken leave and made obeisance, went to his own house ; and going along the road, he began to reflect within himself, " It was well that I asked nothing from the Lord. Had I asked something from him he would surely have given it ; but he would have thought me avaricious and covetous. It does not matter ; I shall explain [the matter] to my wife. S'ri Krishna Chand Ji showed me great honour and respect ; and knew me to be free from covetousness ; this to me is [equal toj a lakh [of rupees]." Maharaj ! continuing to make such reflections, Sudama came near his village ; but what does he see ? There is neither that place, nor that broken-down hut ; there is a populous city like that of ^ Notice the method of marking great emphasis in this sentence. - The eight siddhis are eight supernatural faculties for the acquisition of magical power. They are named animan, mahinian, lagku/ian, garimaii, prdpti, prdkdmya, i.sitwa, and vaiitzva. •' The nine nidhis are nine treasures belonging to Kuvera, the god of riches. Their names are padnia, mahapadnia, sankka, 7)iakara, kachchhapa, miikuuda, nanda, iiila, and kharba. They are, probat)ly, the names of precious jewels. 30 2 Prem-Sacar Inilra. On seeing that, Sudama became exceedingly pained, and began to say, " O Lord ! what hast thou done ? Truly I had indeed one misfortune, thou hast given me an additional one ! What is become of my cottage from here ? and where is my wife gone ? Whom shall I ask, and whither shall I search ? " Having said this, and gone to the door, Sudama asked the hall- porter, " Whose is this very beautiful palace ? " The hall-porter replied, " It belongs to Sudama, the friend of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji." On hearing these w^ords, when Sudama was on the point of saying something, his wife, seeing him from within, came near her husband, wearing fine clothes and ornaments, adorned from head to foot, eating betel, perfumed, and accompanied by attendants. She spread silken cloths at his feet, and joining her hands, uttered these words, " Why are you standing [there] ? enter the palace ; put away all sadness from your heart ; After you went, Visvakarma came ; he in an instant erected this palace." Maharaj ! having heard these words from the mouth of his wife, Sudama went into the palace, and perceiving exceeding- riches, was much dejected. The wife said, " Husband ! having acquired wealth, people become happ}' ; you have become sad, what is the cause of this ? Kindly tell me, that the doubt of my mind may depart." Sudama said, " O loved one ! this [wealth] is a great deceiver. It has deceived all the world ; it [now] deceives it, and will [continue to] deceive it. The Lord has given me that, and has not had confidence in m}' love. When did I ask anything from him ? Mv heart is sad about what he has given me." The wife said, " Husband ! you, indeed, asked nothing from S'ri Krishna Chand Ji ; but the Searcher of Hearts knows the desires of every individual. There was a desire for wealth in mj'- heart, and this the Lord has satisfied. Do not imagine anything further in your mind [on the matter]." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! whoever shall hear and recite this topic, that person shall never suffer misery on coming into the world ; and ultimately shall go to a dwelling in Vaikunth. CHAPTER LXXXII. Krishna and Balaiam go to Hastinapur to bathe cUiring an eclipse— Cause of the sanctity of the place — Parasuram avenges Jamadagni's death — The inhabi- tants of Braj visit Kiishna. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! now I am about to relate the stor}' of the Lord's going to Kurukshetra ; do you listen atten- Prem-Sagar 303 tively, how S'ri Krishna Chand and Balaram Ji, accompanied by all the Yadubaiisis from Dwaraka, went to Kurukshetra to bathe, at an eclipse of the sun. The king said : — Maharaj ! be pleased to relate it ; I am listening attentively. Then S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! once having gained intelligence of an eclipse of the sun, S'ri Krishna Chand and Baladev Ji went to Raja Ugrasen and said, " Maharaj ! after a long interval an eclipse of the sun has come about ; if on this occasion, you should go into Kurukshetra and do [what is usual], it will be very meritorious ; because it is written in the sacred books, " Whatever alms shall be given or virtuous act done in Kurukshetra, will be multiplied a thousand-fold." On hearing these words, the Yadubaiisis inquired of S'ri Krishna Chand, " Maharaj ! how did Kurukshetra become such a place of pilgrim- age ? Be kind enough to expound that to us." S'ri Krishna Ji said, " Listen. The sage Jamadagni was very wise, meditative, austere, and glorious. He had three sons ; the eldest of them was Parasuram ; he, becoming a Vairagi, left his home, and went to live in Chitrakut, and began to perform austerity to Sadasiva. On the birth of his sons, the sage, Jama- dagni, giving up the condition of a housekeeper, became a Vairagi, and went into the woods with his wife, and began to do penance. His wife's name was Renuka ; she went one day to invite her sister ; her sister was Raja Sahasrarjun's wife. On the invitation being given, through conceit Raja Sahasrarjun's queen, the sister of Renuka, laughing, said, ' Sister ! if you should be able to provide for us and our army, then give the invitation ; other- wise do not give it.' " Maharaj ! having heard these words, Renuka, disappointed, silently rose from that place and came to her house. Perceiving her dejected, the sage Jamadagni inquired, ' What is the matter to-day, that thou art disconcerted ? ' Maharaj ! on hearing these words, Renuka, crying, told him the affair just as it happened. On hearing it, the sage Jamadagni said to his wife, ' Do thou go, and at once invite thy sister, together with her retinue.' On receiv- ing the instructions of her husband, Renuka went to her sister's house and invited her. Her sister said to her husband, ' To- morrow you and T have to go,i with the army, to eat at the sage Jamadagni's place.' Hearing his wife's words, and saying, ' Ail right,' he laughed and remained silent. As soon as it was dawn, Jamadagni arose, and went to Raja Indra, and asked for Kama- dhenu.- Then he went, and invited and brought Raja Sahasrarjun. He came with the army, and Jamadagni entertained him with food as desired. " Having feasted with the army, Raja Sahasrarjun became greatly ashamed, and began to say in his heart, ' Whence did * Notice this expression in the form of the infinitive, with the force of tlie Sanskrit future passive particip'e. See Hindi Afaimal (3rd edit.), p. 175. ^ This is a wonderful cow whicli yields everything that its possessor desires. 304 Prem-Sagar this one obtain, in a single night, the necessaries for the enter- tainment of so many people ? and how has he prepared them ? This secret is not to be understood.' Having said this, and taken leave, he went to his own house, and sent a Brahman, telling him this, ' Divinity ! do you go to the house of Jamadagni, and bring the secret of this matter, by whose power he, in the course of a single day, invited and entertained me and my army.' On hearing these words, the Brahman quickly went, saw, and returned, and said to Sahasrarjun, ' Maharaj ! Kamadhenu is in his house ; by her power he in a single day invited and enter- tained you.' Having heard this news, Sahasrarjun said to that Brahman, ' Divinity ! do you go and say from me to Jamadagni, that Sahasrarjun has asked for Kamadhenu.' " On hearing the words, that Brahman took the message and went to the sage, and told him what Sahasrarjun had said. The sage replied, ' The cow is not mine that I should give it ; this is the property of Raja Indra ; I am unable to give it to him ; do you go and tell your king so.' On these words being said, the Brahman came and said to Raja Sahasrarjun, ' Maharaj ! the sage has said, that Kamadhenu is not his ; that it belongs to Raja Indra, and that he is unable to give it.' As soon as these words had issued from the mouth of the Brahman, Sahasrarjun sum- moned several of his warriors, and said to them, ' Do you go at once, and release Kamadhenu from the house of Jamadagni and bring it.' " Having received the command of their master, the warriors went to the place of the sage, and when they, having released Dhenu, in the presence of Jamadagni, took it awa}', the sage ran, and going into the path, stopped Kamadhenu. On receiving this intelligence, Sahasrarjun angrily came, and cut oif the sage's head. Kamadhenu fled, and went to Indra's abode. Renuka came and stood near her husband. She tore the hair of her head, and rolled about ; holding his feet, she gave way to despair ; Crying aloud, she beat her breast ; calling out ' Husband ! husband ! ' she lamented. " Then having heard the lamentation and weeping of Renuka, the guardians of the ten regions trembled, and the seat on which Parasuram was performing penance shook, and his meditation was disturbed. On the interruption of the meditation, Parasuram Ji bethought him, took his axe, and came to the spot where his father's corpse was lying, and his mother was standing beating [her breast]. On seeing this, Parasuram Ji became very angry ; hereupon Renuka, weeping continuously, related to her son all the secret of the slaughter of his father. On hearing this matter, Parasuram Ji, saying this to his mother, went where Sahasrarjun was seated in his assembly, ' Mother ! first I will go kill my Prem-Sagar j^o father's enemy, then I will come and take up my father.' On seehig that [enemy], Parasurani Ji angrily said, — * O cruel, cowardly enemy of my family ! you have slain my father and given me suffering.' " Having said this, when Parasurani Ji took his axe and in great anger advanced, the [king] also took his bow and arrow and stood confronting him. Both the strong ones began a fierce fight. At length, fighting on, Parasurani, in the course of four hours, slew Sahasrarjun, and overthrew him. Then his army advanced to the attack ; this also he cut to pieces near that [king's body]. Then he came thence, and performed his father's obsequies, and, having comforted his mother, then, on that very spot, Parasurani offered sacrifice to Rudra. Thenceforward that place has been known as Kshetra. Whoever goes there and during an eclipse gives alms, bathes, performs austerity and sacrifice, has a thousand- fold reward." Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! on hearing this narrative, all the Yadubansis were pleased, and said to S'ri Krishna Cliand Ji, "Maharaj! let us go to Kurukshetra speedily; now make no delay ; because we should arrive at the festival." On hearing these words, S'ri Krishna Chand and Balaram Ji inquired thus of Raja Ugrasen, " Maharaj ! should everybody go to Kurukshetra, who will stay here to guard the city ? " Raja Ugrasen said, " Leave Aniruddha, and go." Having received the king's com- mand, the Lord summoned Aniruddha, counselled him, and said, " Son ! do you stay here and protect cows and Brahmaiis, and cherish the people. I, with the Raja Ji, and all the Yadubansis, will bathe at Kurukshetra and return." Aniruddha Ji said, " That order [shall be obeyed]." Maharaj ! having left Aniruddha alone in the guardianship of the city, Surasen, Vasudev, Udho, Akrur, Kritavrama, and the rest, and the Yadubaiisis, small and great, along with their wives, were ready to start to Kurukshetra with Raja Ugrasen. When Raja L^grasen with his army encamped outside the city, then the whole party assembled together. After these, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji joined them, accompanied by his brother, his brother's wife, all his eight queens and sixteen thousand eight hundred ^ wives, together with their sons and grandsons. On the arrival of the Lord, Raja Ugrasen broke up his encampment from there, and, like Raja Indra, advanced forwards with great pomp and ceremony. Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! proceeding on for some time, S'ri Krishna Chand, with all the Yadubansis, with joy and happiness arrived in Kurukshetra. Having gone there, all bathed during the festival ; and to the extent of his power, everyone gave alms, elephants, horses, ^ Hithet-to they have been reckoned as i6, loo [or i6,ioS, pp. 267, 269, 217, 218 note ^, and Chap. XC.]. The above is no doubt a slip on the part of Lallu Lai. X o 06 Prem-Sagar chariots, palkis, dresses, weapons, jewels, ornaments, food, and money ; afterwards they all encamped there. Maharaj ! having obtained news of the going to Kurukshetra of S'ri Krishna Chand and Balaram Ji, all the neighbouring kings, with their families, each bringing the whole of his particular army, came there and met S'ri Krishna and Balaram Ji. Then all the Kauravas and Pclndavas also, each bringing his own army, with his family, went there and met them. Then Kunti and Draupadi, going into the female apartments of the Yadubaiisis, had interviews with all. Afterwards Kunti, going before her brother, said, " Brother ! I am ver}^ unfortunate ! from the day I was betrothed I have been suffering affliction. Since you gave me in marriage, you have taken no thought of me ; and Rama and Krishna, who are givers of happiness to all, they also have shown me no kindness." Maharaj ! on hearing these words, Vasudev Ji, feeling compassion, with eyes full of tears, said, " Sister ! what art thou saying to me ? I have no power in this matter. The course of fate is incompre- hensible. The will ofHari is predominant. See ! what a variety of miseries I endured through Kans ! All the world is become subject to the Lord ; whatsoever may be the misery suffered, behold ! the world revolves." ^ Maharaj ! having said this much, and counselled and advised his sister, Vasudev Ji went where all the kings were seated in the court of Raja Ugrasen. And Raja Duryodhan, and the other very great kings, and the Pandavas, were extolling Raja Ugrasen alone, thus, " O king ! you are ver}- fortunate, in that you are always obtaining the sight of S'ri Krishna Chand, and are losing the sin of birth after birth. He whom S'iva and Viranch, and all the other gods, are seeking about for, that same Lord is ever protecting you ; he whose mystery the supernaturally powerful, the self-restrained, saints, and sages, cannot gain, that very Hari receives your commands ; he who is Lord of the whole world, that very one bows his head to you." Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! all these kinds of kings having severally come, are praising Raja Ugrasen, and he suitably gratifies them all. Here- upon, having heard of the arrival of S'ri Krishna and Balaram Ji, Nand and Upanand also arrived, with their families, together with all the cowherdesses, cowherds, and cowherd-lads. When they were at leisure from bathing and almsgiving, Nand Ji went where Vasudev and Devaki, with their son, were residing. On seeing them, Vasudev Ji rose and met them, and both of them, with mutual affection, experienced such happiness as anyone feels who has found a thing which was lost. Afterwards Vasudev Ji related to Nand Ra^e Ji all the recent affairs of Braj ; as, [for ^ Me.-\ning that the course of natiue proceeds regardless of individual suffering. Prem-Sagar 307 example,] that Nand Ra^e Ji had brought up S'ri Krishna and Balaram Ji. Maharaj ! on hearing these words, Nand Ra,e Ji's eyes fihed with tears, and he kept looking at the face of Vasudev Ji. At that time, S'ri Krishna and Baladev Ji, in the first place, as is proper, prostrated themselves and made obeisance to Nand and Jasoda Ji ; afterwards, they went and met the cowherd-lads. There the cowherdesses came, and looking" upon the moon-face of Hari, gave happiness to their chakora-eyes,i and received the reward of their lives. Having said this much, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! the love displayed by Nand, Upanand, Jasoda, the cowherdesses, cowherds, and cowherd-lads, on meeting with Vasudev, Devaki, Rohini, S'ri Krishna and Balaram, is indescribable by me ; that, only by being seen, is to be realized. At length, perceiving that all were greatly agitated by their affection, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji said, " Listen, — The mortal who worships me, shall cross fearlessly the ocean of existence ; You have dedicated body, mind, and wealth ; and have regarded me with never-ending affection ; No one is so fortunate as you ; Brahma, Rvidra, Indra — whoever he may be ; I have not come into the meditation of the chief practisers of Yoga ; but have remained with you, and have con- stantly increased my love ; ^ I am dwelling in each body of the whole of you ; the words which I say are incomprehensible and unfathomable. As light,^ water, fire, earth, and ether dwell in the body, so also is my splendour in every mortal frame." S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! when S'ri Krishiia Chand had related the whole of this mystery, all the inhabitants of Braj were comforted. CHAPTER LXXXni. The wives of Krishna relate to Draupadi the process of their respective marriages. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! I will give an account of such mutual conversations as took place between Draupadi and the ^ The Chakora is a bird of the partridge species, said to be fond of gazing at the moon. " Meaning, that the intense meditation of those who habitually practise medita- tion has not been rewarded by a revelation of his presence; but the cowherds have got his presence and increased affection without eflbrt. ^ The word tej, " splendour," is here substituted for the usual vayti, "air"; the eleiiients being ether, fire, air, water, and earth. X 2 3o8 Prem-Sagar wives of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji ; do you listen. One day the wives of the Kauravas and Pandavas were seated near the wives of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, and were celebrating the virtues and exploits of the Lord. Hereupon, when some conversation was going on, Draupadi said to S'ri Rukmini Ji, "O beauteous one! say, how didst thou obtain S'ri Krishna Chand Ji ? " S'ri Rukmini Ji replied, — " Do you listen heedfully, O Draupadi ! how the Lord effected his purpose. It was my father's wish that his daughter should be given to S'ri Krishna Chand ; but my brother set his heart on giving me to Raja S'isupal. 'The latter came to the marriage with a marriage procession, and I sent a Brahman and summoned S'ri Krishna Chand Ji. On the marriage day, as I, having worsiiipped Gauri, went home, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji took me from the midst of the whole Asura army, placed me in a chariot, and took his way home. After that, having obtained intelligence [of what had occurred], the whole Asura army came and fell upon the Lord, but they were quite easily smitten and put to flight by Hari. Then, taking me, he set out for Dwaraka. On going there. Raja Ugrasen, Surasen, and Vasudev Ji married me to S'ri Krishna Chand Ji according to Vedic ritual. On gaining intelligence of the marriage, my father had a very bountiful dowry sent to me." Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! as Draupadi Ji had questioned S'ri Rukmini Ji, and she had answered, just so Draupadi Ji questioned Satyabhama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Bhadra, Satya, Mitrabinda, Lakshmana, and the other sixteen thousand eight hundred ^ queens of S'ri Krishna Chand, and each of them gave a detailed account of the particulars of their respective marriages. CHAPTER LXXXIV. Vasudev, the father of Krishna, performs a sacrifice. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! now I am about to relate the coming of all the sages, and the sacrifice of Vasudev ; do you listen attentively. Maharaj ! one day Raja Ugrasen, Surasen, Vasudev, S'ri Krishna, Balaram, together with all the Yadubaiisis, were seated holding a court, and the kings of all the various countries were present there, when, in the midst of this, with the desire of seeing S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of joy, V3'asa, Vasishha, ' Here the author of the Sukha-Sdgar puts i6,ioo, thus showing that Lallu Lai is merely careles"^, as before. See note \ p. 305, and p. 218, note '. Prem-Sagar 309 Visvamitra, Vamadeva, Parasara, Bhrigu, Pulasti, Bharadwaja, Markandeya,! and the other eighty-eight thousand sages, came there, and along with them Narad Ji also. On seeing them, the entire assembly all rose and stood up. Then all prostrating them- selves, spread silken foot-cloths, and conducted them all into the assembly. Afterwards, S'ri Krishna Chand, having placed them all on seats, washed their feet, drank the ambrosia of their foot-water, and sprinkled it upon the entire assembly. Then, having offered worship to them with sandal, unbroken rice, flovvers, incense, lamps, and consecrated food, he circumambulated them. Next, joining his hands, he stood before them, and said. " Felicitous is our fate, that your honours have come and have revealed yourselves as we were seated in our house. The sight of holy people is equal to bathing in the Ganges. He who obtains a sight of the holy, loses the sin of birth after birth." Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! When S'ri Bhagwan uttered these words, all the sages remained reflecting, — thus, " He who is the Lord, whose form is light, and who is the creator of all creation, when he has said these words, who has broached any other subject [to deserve our attention] ? " When all the saints had said this in their hearts, Narad Ji said, — " Listen, O assembl}' ! all of you, attentively. The illusive power of Hari is incomprehensible. This one himself, as Brahma, creates, as Vishnu preserves, as S'iva destroys ; his actions are infinite ; in this matter no one's intellect is of any avail ; but we know this much by his favour, that the Lord has repeatedly taken incarnate form, and come [upon earth] to give happiness to holy people, to stay the wicked, and to make religion hold on its eternal course." Maharaj ! as soon as he had said these words, and Narad Ji was about to rise up from the assembly, then Vasudev Ji, coming before him, with joined hands, meekly said, " O king of sages ! how can man, having come into the world, escape from fate ? Kindly tell me that." Maharaj ! as soon as these words had issued from the mouth of Vasudev Ji, all the saints and sages kept looking at the face of Narad Ji. Then Narad Ji, having comprehended the object in the hearts of the saints, said, " O Divinities ! do not be surprised at this affair ; the illusion of S'ri Krishna is predominant. This [illusion] has held in subjection the entire world ; by this very thing Vasudev Ji has said these words ; and another one has said this also, that whatever person remains near an37-one, he becomes subject to the illusion of that person's qualities, power, and energy without knowing it. As, — ^ These are the names of the principal authors or sages of the hymns of the Riii-Veda. 3IO Prem-Sagar A dweller on the Ganges, goes elsewhere, and abandoning the Ganges, bathes in well-water ; Just so, the Yadavas have become simpletons, and know nothing of the actions of Krishna." Having said this, Narad Ji, having effaced doubt from the mind of the saints, said to Vasudev Ji, " Maharaj ! it is said in the Scriptures, the man who performs pilgrimage, almsgiving, penance, vows, and sacrifice, is released from the bonds of the world, and attains the supreme state." On hearing these words, and being pleased, Vasudev Ji immediately sent for all the essentials of a sacrifice, and prepared them, and said to the sages and saints, " Kindly begin the sacrifice." Maharaj ! as soon as this remark had issued from the mouth of Vasudev Ji, all the Brahmans made and prepared the place of sacrifice. Hereupon Vasudev Ji, along with his wives, came and sat in the altar-place ; and all the kings and Yadavas prepared to assist in the work of the sacrifice. Having related this much of the storv, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to the king : — Maharaj ! when Vasudev ji came and sat in the altar- place, the saints began the sacrifice, according to the ritual of the Veda ; and began to recite the texts and to offer burnt sacrifice ; and the gods, hurrying severally, in bodily form, ^ began to receive [the offerings]. Maharaj ! when the sacrifice commenced, on the one side, Kinnaras and Gandharvas, playing away on pipes and kettle-drums, were singing praises, and bards and panegyrists were recounting glories ; Urvasi and other apsarases - were dancing ; and gods, seated in their respective celestial cars, were raining down flowers ; and, on the other side, all the festive people were singing, playing on instruments, and making merry, and mendicants shouted " Victory ! victory ! " Meanwhile the sacrifice was completed, and Vasudev Ji gave the final offering, dressed Brahmans in silken robes, adorned them, and gave jewels and much wealth ; and they, reciting severally Vedic texts, gave blessings. Afterwards Vasudev Ji presented dresses and enter- tained the kings of all the various countries also ; then they respectively offered the sacrificial presents, took leave, and pursued their various roads home. Maharaj ! on the departure of all the kings, all the sages and saints also, along with Narad Ji, took leave. Then when Nand Ra^e Ji, with the cowherdesses, cowherds, and cowherd-lads, began to take leave of Vasudev, the circumstances of the occasion are indescribable. On the one side, the Yadubaiisis were making various kinds of affectionate speeches ; and, on the other side, all the Braj-dwellers [were doing the same]. A description of the scene is not to be made ; ^ For sandeh, " doubt," read sadeh, " with a body." - An apsaras is a kind of lairy or female divinity, residing in the sky. Tliey are the wives of the Gandharvas, and are prone ta change their shapes, and are fond of bathing and dancing. Prem-Sagar 311 the happiness, only by being seen, can be reaHzed. At length Vasudev Ji and S'ri Krishna and Balaram Ji, instructed, com- forted, and dressed [in robes of honour] Nand Ra^e Ji, with all the others, and gave them much wealth, and dismissed them. Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! when, in this way, S'ri Krishna Chand and Balaram Ji, having attended the festival, bathed, and sacrificed, had returned into the city of Dwaraka with them all, then in every house there was joy and festivity, and songs of congratulation. CHAPTER LXXXV. Krishna, to please his mother, brings from Yama his six elder brothers, who had been slain by Kafis. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! one day, within the city of Dwaraka, when S'ri Krishna Chand and Balaram Ji went to Vasudev Ji, he, having seen the two brothers, reflecting on this matter in his mind, rose and stood up, viz. In Kurukshetra Narad Ji said that S'ri Krishna Chand is the creator of the world ; and having joined his hands, he said, " O Lord ! invisible, incompre- hensible, indestructible ! always serving you, Kamala^ has be- come a bond-woman ; you are the god of all gods ; no one comprehends your nature ; from you alone is there light in the moon the sun, the earth, and the sky; you alone are causing light in all places ; your illusive power is predominant, it has kept the whole world in forgetfulness [of verities] ; in the three worlds there is no such god, man, or saint, who may have escaped from its power." Maharaj ! having said this much, Vasudev Ji resumed, " Lord ! — No one knows your mystery ; in the Vedas it is described as unfathomable ; No one is your enemy [or] friend ; nor [have you] son, father, [or] beloved whole brother ; You have descended [from heaven] to remove the burden of the earth ; for the sake of men, many disguises you have assumed." Maharaj ! having spoken thus, Vasudev Ji said, " O Ocean of Compassion ! Friend of the Lowly ! as you have saved various sinners, mercifully cause me also to be saved, so that, having crossed the ocean of existence, I may celebrate your- virtues." ^ See note •*, p. 284. " Fora/ kc read dp ke. 3 1 2 Prem-Sagar S'ri Krishna Chand said, " O father ! you are a wise person ; why are you exalting your sons ? Reflect yourself a little in your mind, that the sports of Bhagwat are infinite ; their limit no one up to this da}' has ascertained. Behold ! he — Resides as light in every human frame ; for this very reason the world speaks of him as void of qualities ; He also creates ; he alone removes ; he is mingled [with earthly things], he never can be bound [to them] ; Earth, ether, air, water, and fire, whatever body is [pro- duced] from these five elements, The power of the Lord abides in them all. In the Veda, the precepts say thus." Maharaj ! on hearing these words from the mouth of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, Vasudev Ji, being under the influence of fascination, silently continued to gaze on the countenance of Hari. Then the Lord, proceeding thence, went near his mother ; then, on seeing the face of her son, Devaki Ji said, " O S'ri Krishiia Chand ! the root of joy ! one grief at times pierces me." The Lord said, " What is that ? " Devaki Ji said, " Son ! grief for your six elder brothers, whom Kafis killed, does not depart from my mind." S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! on these words being said, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji went to Fatal, after saying this, " Mother ! do not now grieve ; I will go at once and bring back my brothers." On the departure of the Lord, Raja Bali, having received in- telligence of it, came, and with much pomp and ceremony spread foot-cloths of silk, and caused him to be conducted into his own palace. Afterwards, having seated him on a throne, Raja Bali offered sandal, unbroken rice, and flowers, and placed before him incense, lamps, and consecrated food, and performed worship to S'ri Krishna Chand. Then, standing before him with joined hands, he glorified him greatly, and said, " Maharaj ! what is the cause of your honour's coming here ? " Hari said, " Raja ! in the Satya age there was a sage named Marichi,i a great religious student, wise, truthful, and a worshipper of Hari. His wife's name was Urna ; she had six sons. One day these six brothers, in their youthful state, went into the presence of Prajapati - and laughed. Having seen them laugh, Prajapati very angrily pronounced this curse, ' Do you go, take incarnate form, and become Asuras.' Maharaj ! on hearing these words, the sons of the sage, being greatly frightened, went and fell at the feet of Prajapati, and very be- seechingly and humbly said, ' Ocean of Compassion ! you have cursed us ; but now kindly say when we shall obtain deliverance from this curse.' Having heard their humble words, Prajapati, * Marichi was one of the great primitive sages ; but his genesis is variously described. - Prajapati, "lord of creatures," a title applied to the chief divinities of the Veda, but subsequently converted into a separate deity presiding over procreation. P REM- S Agar 3 [3 being compassionate, said, ' You, having seen S'ri Krishna Chand, shall be liberated.' Maharaj ! — Saying this, their souls departed ; they became the sons which Hariuakus had ; Then they were born to Vasudev ; Kans came and slew them ; On their being killed. Illusion, the giver of happiness, brought them to this place, placed them here, and de- parted. Their mother Devaki grieves for them, therefore I have come here that I may take away my brothers and give them to mother, and remove the anxiety of her mind." S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! as soon as this statement had issued from the mouth of Hari, Raja Bali brought the six boys and gave them, and placed many presents before him. Then the Lord came thence to his mother, accompanied by the brothers. The mother having seen her sons, became greatly pleased. Having heard this affair, joy was in the whole city, and they were released from the curse. CHAPTER LXXXVI. The marriage of Subhacira, and wrath of Balaram thereat. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! I am about to relate how Arjuna carried off S'ri Krishna Chand's sister Subhadra from Dwaraka, and how S'ri Krishna Chand went to reside in Mithila ; do you listen attentive!}'. When Devaki's daughter, who was younger than S'ri Krishna Ji, and whose name was Subhadra, was ready for marriage, Vasudev Ji summoned several Yadubansis, and S'ri Krishna and Balaram Ji, and said, " Now the maiden is marriage- able ; say, to whom shall we give her ? " Balaram Ji said, "It is said that marriage, enmity, and friendship, should be contracted with equals. One thing occurs to me, that this girl should be given to Duryodhan, and that we [thereby] acquire renown and greatness in the world." S'ri Krishna Chand said, " It is my opinion that we should give the girl to Arjuna, and gain reputa- tion in the world." S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! no one said an^^thing as to the proposal of Balaram Ji ; but as soon as these words issued from the mouth of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, all cried out, "It is much the best to give the girl to Arjuna." On hearing this, Balaram Ji, being offended, rose up and went thence, and all the folk, perceiving his ill-humour, were silent. Afterwards, gaining 314 Prem-Saoar intelligence of this, Aijuna, making up the disguise of a Sannyasi/ and taking a staff and a water-pot, went to Dwaraka, and having seen a suitable spot, spread a deer-skin, and sat down on his hams. He remained there during the four months of the rainy- season ; no one got at his secret ; Thinking him a guest, all served him ; for Vishnu's sake they were kind to him ; Krishna knew all his secret ; but told it to no one. Maharaj ! one day Baladev Ji also, taking Arjuna with him to entertain him, had him conducted home. As Arjuna was seated at food, the moon-bodied, deer-eyed Subhadra came in sight. On seeing her, on the one side, Arjuna, becoming fascinated, avoiding the gaze of all, began to look again and again, and to pass this reflection through his mind, " Behold ! when will Vidhata cause me to meet with what is prescribed in my horo- scope ? " and, on the other side, Subhadra Ji, beholding the brilliance of his beauty, being pleased, was saying thus in her heart, — "It is some king ; not a Sannyasi. For what cause has he become an Udasi ? " ~ Maharaj ! having said this, on the one hand, Subhadra Ji, going into the house, began to be uneasy about obtaining a husband, and, on the other hand, after eating, Arjuna, coming to his seat, began to form many various conceptions relative to obtaining his beloved one. While they were in this condition, after some time, on one occasion, at the festival of S'ivaratra, all the in- habitants of the city, whether women or men, went out of the city to worship S'iva. There Subhadra Ji went with her friends and companions. Having gained intelligence of her going, Arjuna also mounted a chariot, and taking a bow and arrows, went and presented himself there. Maharaj ! when, having worshipped S'iva, Subhadra returned, accompanied by her friends, on seeing her, Arjuna abandoned all sharne and modesty, seized her hand, lifted her up, and seating Subhadra in his chariot, took his road homewards. Having heard this, Rama was exceedingly angry ; taking his plough and pestle, he placed them on his shoulder ; He made his e3-es bloodshot ; he spoke in a voice like thunder ; " I will go immediately and produce a cataclysm ; I will pick up the world and place it on my forehead ; ^ A Sannyasi is a devotee who lays down worldly concerns, and even the ceremonial portions of his religion. Me reads only the abstruse metapiiysical treatises, and ceases to perform sacrifice ; he wanders from place to place, and may mix with society, but stdl form no part of it. - Uddbis are religious mendicants who profess freedom from passion and affection. They are a kind of Stoics. Prem-Sagar 315 My sister, my beloved Subhadra, how shall a beggar carry her off ! Now wherever I shall find a Sannyasi I will search them out and exterminate the whole fraternity." Maharaj ! Balaram Ji, for his part, in great anger, was simply chattering and fuming, when, having received intelligence of the affair, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Sambii, and the greatest of the Yadavas, coming before Baladev Ji, and severally joining their hands, said, " Maharaj ! should you order us, then we will go, seize, and bring the enemy.'' Having related the story thus far, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! when Balaram Ji, accompanied by all the Yadubansis, was ready to go after Arjuna, S'ri Krishna Chand ]i went and imparted to Baladev Ji all the secret of the abduction of Subhadra, and with great meekness said, " Brother ! Arjuna, for one thing, is the son of our aunt ; and, for another, he is an excellent friend. He may or may not have done this act, heedfuUy or heedlessly, considerately or inconsiderately, but for us to fight with him is by no means proper ; this is contrary to religion, and contrary to worldly custom. Those who hear of this affair will say that the friendship of the Yadubansis is like a wall of sand." On hearing these words, Balaram Ji, beating his head, angrily said, " Brother ! this is just your work, to raise a fire and run with water ; otherwise, what power had Arjuna that he should take away our sister ? " Having said this, grieved at heart and hot with anger, Balaram Ji, looking at his brother's face, dashed down the plough and pestle, and sat still ; and with him all the Yadubansis also. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! on this side, S'ri Krishna Chand Ji detained all of them with expostulation ; and on the other side, Arjuna, going home, married Subhadra, according to Vedic ritual. On receiving intelligence of the marriage, S'ri Krishna and Balaram Ji dedicated [as dowry] and sent off to Hastinapur, by means of a Brahman, clothes, ornaments, male and female slaves, elephants, horses, chariots, and a large sum of money. Afterwards, S'ri Murari, the benefactor of devotees, having seated himself on a chariot, proceeded to Alithila, where there were two worshippers of his, named Sutadev and Bahulas, one a king, the other a Brahman. Maharaj ! on the departure of the Lord, Narad, Vamadev, Vyasa, Atri, Parasuram, and several other saints, came and joined [the party], and accompanied S'ri Krishna Chand Ji. Then, whatever country it might be that the Lord was passing through, the king of each place advanced, and having offered adoration, was placing presents before him. At length, proceeding onwards, in the course of a certain time, the Lord arrived there. Having received intelligence of the coming of Hari, those two, just as they happened to be then seated, rose up and hurried with presents, and came to S'ri 3i6 Prem-SAgar Krishna Chand. On meeting with the Lord, they both laid their presents before him, prostrated themselves, joined their hands, stood up in his presence, and most meekly said, " O Ocean of Compassion ! Friend of the Lowly ! you have shown great mercy, in that you have revealed yourself to such sinners as we are, and purified us, and put an end to our beingborn and dying." Having related this much of the stor)^, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! the Searcher of Hearts, S'ri Krishna Chand, having perceived the adoration of the hearts of those two worshippers, assuming two forms, went and resided in both their houses. They entertained him in every agreeable manner, and Hari, re- maining there for some time, gave them additional pleasure. Afterwards, when the Lord had fulfilled the desire of their hearts, and had strengthened their knowledge, and proceeded to Dwaraka, the sages and saints took leave by the way, and Hari went and resided in Dwaraka. CHAPTER LXXXVII. The manner in which the Veda glorifies the Deity. Having heard thus much of the story, King Parikshit asked S'ri S'ukadev Ji : — Maharaj ! with regard to what you formerly said, that the Veda extolled the Supreme Lord, how did the Veda extol Brahma void of qualities ? Expound this to me, that the doubt of my mind may depart. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! listen ! he who formed in- tellect, the senses, mind, soul, virtue, wealth, desire, and beatitude, that Lord ever remains in a form void of qualities ; but when he creates Brahmanda,i he becomes a form possessed of qualities ; ^ hence that same single Lord is both with and without qualities. Having said this, S'ukadev the saint resumed : — Raja ! the very question which you have asked was once asked of Naranarayan ^ by Narad Ji. King Parikshit said : — Maharaj ! please relate this, that the doubt of my mind may depart. S'ukadev Ji said : — Raja ! in the Satya age, once Narad Ji went into the World of Truth, where Naranarayan was seated with many other saints engaged in performing austerities, and asked, " Maharaj ! in what way does the Veda glorify the formless Brahma ? Kindly tell me that." Naranarayan said, "Listen, Narad ! the very problem which you have asked of me, once was presented in the world of men, where Sanatan and other sages were seated performing penance. Then the saint Sanandan, by relating a stor}', ^ This is the cosmic egg whence all tangible creation proceeds. ^ F'or iaragun read sagicn. ^ Naranarayan is an epithet of Krishna. Prem-Sagar 317 effaced the doubt of all." Narad Ji said, " Mahaiaj ! I also am staying just there ; had this subject been broached, I also would have heard it." Naranarayan replied, " Narad Ji ! when you had gone to see Bhagwat in Setadip,i then the subject was broached ; hence you did not hear." Having heard this, Narad Ji asked, " Maharaj ! please kindly tell me what was the subject there discussed." Naranarayan said, " Listen, Narad ! When the saints asked this question, Sanandan the saint began to say, ' Listen ! when the great cataclysm occurred, the fourteen cosmic eggs become of the consistence of water; then the perfect Brahma remains slumbering alone. When Bhagwan has the wish to create, then the Vedas issue from his breath, and with joined hands praise him, just as a king who may be sleeping in his own house, and panegyrists, at early dawn, severally singing his glory, wake him up, so that he may become conscious and speedily engage in his duties.' " Having related the matter thus far, Naranarayan said, " Listen, Narad ! when the Vedas have issued from the Lord's mouth they say this : O Lord ! quickly become conscious, and create the universe, and remove your illusion from the minds of living beings, in order that they may recognize your form. Your illusion is predominant ; it keeps all living creatures in ignorance; when released from this, living creatures have the knowledge to understand .you. O Lord! except you, no one can exercise power over this. In whose heart you are dwelling in the form of knowledge, he alone conquers this illusion ; otherwise who has the power to escape from the hand of Illusion ? You are the creator of all ; all creatures having arisen from you alone, are contained in you alone ; just as many objects arise from the earth, and again mingle with it. Anyone may glorify and worship any god, but he glorifies and worships you alone. Just as anyone, having constructed various golden ornaments, may give them different names, but they are only gold ; just in this way you have many forms ; but regard them intelligently, then none of them are anything ; wherever one may look there nothing but you appears. O Lord ! your illusion is infinite ! This it is which, having become the three qualities, truth, passion, and darkness, assumes three forms, and creates, preserves, and destroys the universe. The secret of this no one has discovered, and no one will discover; hence it is fitting for creatures to abandon all desire and meditate on you ; in this alone does his advantage lie." Maharaj ! having related this much of the subject, Naranara3'an said to Narad, " O Narad ! when Sanandan the sage, having related this ancient history, had removed doubt from the minds of all, then Sanak ^ and the other saints worshipped Sanandan, according to the precepts of the Veda." ^ Properly S'w tahvipa. ^ Sanak is one of the four sons of Brahrna, and was a councillor and companion of Vishnu. o 1 8 Prem-Sagar Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — O Raja ! whoever shall hear this conversation between Naravan and Narad will undoubtedly obtain the object of faith, and will attain salvation. The very story of the perfect Brahma which the Vedas sang, was recounted by Sanandan the saint to Sanak and the other saints ; then that very story Naranarayan cele- brated before Narad, and Vyasa obtained it from Narad. Vyasa recited it to me ; and I now have recounted it to you. Whatever person shall hear and relate this story will obtain the reward he desires. The virtue there is in performing penance, sacrifice, almsgiving, and vows, that very virtue resides in telling and hearino- this storv. CHAPTER LXXXVHI. The story of Vrika^^ur — S'iva allows him to turn into ashes anN'one on whose head he lays his hand— He attempts, by this means, to destroy S'iva — Krishna relieves S'iva from his danger by inducing Vrikasur to destroy himself. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! Bhagwat has surprising sports ; this everyone knows. Whoever worships Hari will be poor, and by other gods being reverenced [he becomes] rich.^ Behold ! what is the characteristic peculiarity of Hari and Hara ? The one is the husband of Lakshmi, the other is the husband of Gauri ; the one wears a garland of wild flowers, the other a garland of skulls ; the one has a discus in his hand, the other holds a trident ; the one supports the earth, the other sustains the Ganges ; the one plays on a flute, the other a horn ; the one is the Lord of Vaikunth, the other is a dweller in Kailas ; the one preserves, the other destroys ; the one smears with sandal, the other applies ashes ; the one wears woven fabric, the other a tiger's skin ; the one reads the Veda, the other the Agama ;- the vehicle of one is Garuda, of the other [the bull] Nandi ; the one resides with cowherd-lads, the other with ghouls and ghosts. Both Lords have opposite peculiarities ; make friends with which you please. ^ For mane se one is inclined to read inannc se ; but the careful Pandit Yogadhyan Misra preserves the same reading. IloUings translates it "by serving " {mdnne se) ; and Easlwick evades the difficulty by the phrase " he who reverences other deities." I treat it as the Past Participle which it appears to be. There is warrant for such a use ; but it is not common. " Agama is a general name for the Tantrika books on the mystic and obscene worship of S'iva and his S'akti, or female emanation. Prem-Sagar 319 Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said: — Maharaj ! S'ri Krishna Chand said to Raja Yudhishthira, " O Yudhishthira ! I gradually destroy all the wealth of those to whom I show favour ; because brother, relation, wife, son, and all other members of the famity, abandon one who is destitute of wealth, then impassibility springs up in him. From becoming impassible, he abandons the illusion of wealth and kindred, and becoming free from fascination, worships me with wrapt attention. By the potency of worshipping me, he attains the state of un- changeable Nirvana."! Having said this, S'ukadev Ji resumed : — Maharaj ! by worshipping other deities, the heart's desires are fulfilled ; but emancipation is not obtained. Having related this subject, the saint again spoke to King Parikshit thus: — Maharaj ! on one occasion, when Vrikasur, the son of Kasyapa, had gone out of his house, with the desire of per- forming austerity, he met in the way Narad the saint. On seeing Narad Ji, he prostrated himself, joined his hands, stood up before him, and with great humility said, " Maharaj ! among the three deities, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahadev, which is the readiest granter of boons ? Kindly tell me that, and then I will perform austerity to him." Narad Ji said, " Listen, Vrikasur ! among these three deities, Mahadev Ji is the greatest granter of boons. He delays not in being gratified, or in being vexed. Behold I S'iva Ji, by the performance of very little austerity, being pleased, gave to Sahasrarjun a thousand arms ; and for a very little fault, being angry, he destroyed him." Maharaj 1 having said this, Narad the saint went away, and Vrikasur, having come to his own place, began to perform great austerity and sacrifice to Mahadev. In the course of seven days, he cut off all the flesh from his body, and gave it as a burnt-offering. On the eighth day, when he had made up his mind to cut off" his head, Bholanath came, and seizing his hand, said, " I am pleased with thee ; whatever thou mayest wish, ask ; I will give it to thee at once." As soon as these words issued from the mouth of S'iva Ji, Vrikasur, having joined his hands, said, — " Grant me now such a boon, that on whose head I may place my hand. He may, in a twinkling, become ashes. O Lord ! show me this favour." Maharaj ! as soon as these words were uttered, Mahadev Ji granted him the boon he had asked. On receiving the boon, he went to place his hand on the head of S'iva himself. Then, being frightened, Mahadev Ji left his seat and fled ; and the Asura ran ^ Ninidna has many explanations; literally it means "blown out," like a lamp, and has been held to express annihilation ; but it is frequently taken to mean reabsorption into the Divine, hut whether with, or without, the retention of consciousness is a moot point. Buddhists and Hindus differ in tlieir expositions of this term. 320 Prem-Sagar after him. Maharaj ! wherever Sadasiva turned, he also came close behind him. At length, being greatly agitated, Mahadev Ji went into Vaikunth. Perceiving him to be greatly distressed, the Benefactor of Devotees, the Lord of Vaikunth, S'ri ]\Iurari, the Abode of Compassion, feeling compunction, assumed the guise of a Brahman, and went before Vrikasur and said, " O king ofAsuras! why are you toiling after this one? Expound this matter to me." On hearing these words, Vrikasur related the whole secret. Then Bhagwan said, " O king of Asuras ! It is a very surprising thing that so intelligent a person as )'ou are should be deceived. Who believes any statement to be true of this naked, mad, bhang and thorn-apple eating ascetic ? This one, with [bodv] ever smeared with ashes, entwined with snakes, in frightful guise, accompanied by ghouls and ghosts, resides in a cemetery. Into whose mind do his words come as truth?" Maharaj ! having said this, S'ri Narayan continued, " O king of Asuras ! if you esteem what I say to be false, place your hand on your own head and see [the result]." Maharaj ! on hearing these words from the mouth of the Lord, when Vrikasur, having become foolish through the power of illusion, placed his hand on his own head, he was consumed and became a heap of ashes. On the death of the Asura, instruments of delight began to sound in the city of the gods, and the divinities, shouting " Victory ! victory ! " began to rain down flowers, and Vidyadhars, Gandharvas, and Kinnaras began to sing Hari's praises. Then Hari greatly glorified Hara and dismissed him, and granted to Vrikasur the object of emancipation. S'ri S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! whoever hears and recites this topic will undoubtedly attain the most exalted state, by the favour of Hari and Hara. CHAPTER LXXXIX. Bbrigii tests the gods and proves that Vishnu, in the form of Hari, is the most excellent of the gods — Arjuna undertakes to preserve tlie children of a Brah- man, but fails to do so — Krishna redeems his promise for him. S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! on one occasion, on the banks of the Saraswati, all the sages and saints were seated performing austerity and sacrifice, when someone among them asked, '* Among the three gods, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahes, which is the greatest ? Kindl}?^ tell me that." Hereupon someone said " S'iva," another said "Vishnu," and another said "Brahma" ; but all of them together did not indicate any one as the greatest. Then several of the greatest saints and sager said, " We do not accept the dictum of anyone in this wa}- ; but, in truth, if anj-one Pkem-Sagar 321 should go and make trial of the three gods, and pronounce [one to be] Religion personified, then we will accept his word as true." Maharaj ! having heard these words, all of them assented, and directed Bhrigu, the son of Brahma, to test the three gods, and return to them. On receiving the command, Bhrigu the saint at first went to the world of Brahma, and preserving silence, went and sat in the court of Brahma ; he neither prostrated, nor praised, nor circumambulated. Raja ! having noticed the dis- courtesy of his son, Brahma was very angry, and was on the point of cursing him, but abstained from doing so by reason of his son's consanguinity. ^ Then Bhrigu, perceiving that Brahma was under the influence of passion, rose up from there, and went to Kailas, and he went and stood where S'iva was residing with Parvati. Having seen him, S'iva Ji rose up, and when he was on the point of stretching forth his hand to meet him, the latter sat down. On his seating himself, S'iva Ji was exceedingly enraged, and took his trident in his hand to slay him. Then S'ri Parvati, very meekly, falling at his feet, coimselled Mahadev Ji and said, " This is your younger brother ; please forgive his offence. It is said, — Whatever offence occurs through a child, a holy person never takes note of." Maharaj ! when Parvati Ji had cooled S'iva Ji by counsel, Bhrigu, perceiving that Mahadev Ji was absorbed in darkness, rose up and departed. Then he went into Vaikunth, where Bhagwan was sleeping with Lakshmi on a couch of flowers on a jewel-bespangled, golden, and curtained bedstead. On arriving, Bhrigu gave Bhagwan such a kick on the chest that he started up from sleep. Having seen the saint, Hari left Lakshmi, descended from the bedstead, and having placed the foot of Bhrigu Ji to his head and eyes, he began to press them, and to speak thus, " O king of sages ! please excuse my fault ; the blow of my hard chest was unintentionally given to your lotus-foot. Do not retain this offence in your mind." As soon as these words had issued from the mouth of the Lord, Bhrigu Ji, being greatly pleased, gave praises, took his leave, and came where, on the banks of the Saraswati, all the sages and saints were seated. On his coming, Bhrigu Ji related the whole secret of the three gods, just as it occurred, thus — " Brahma is involved in passion ; Mahadev is immersed in darkness ; Vishnu, who is chief among the virtuous, no other god is greater than he." ' Lit., " my-ness," that is, the son was his own. 32 2 Prem-Sagar On hearing this, the doubt of the sages disappeared, and dehght was in the mind of all ; All praised Vishnu ; immovable faith was fixed in their hearts. Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! I am about to relate an intermediate story ; do you listen attentively. In the city of Dwaraka, Raja Ugrasen, for his part, was reigning virtuously, and S'ri Krishna and Balaram were obedient to him. By the rule of the king, all the people were attentive to their respective duties, and were intelligent in business affairs, and enjoyed happiness and ease. There was also a very amiable and virtuous Brahman residing there. On one occasion, having a son, he died. He took that dead son and went to the gate of Raja Ugrasen, and began to say what came uppermost. " You are very impious, wicked, and sinful ; from the acts and regulations of you alone the subjects are experiencing afifliction, and my son also, through your sin alone, is dead." Maharaj ! having uttered many various expressions of this kind, the Brahman placed the dead boy at the royal portal, and came to his own home. Afterwards he had eight sons, and all eight he deposited in this same fashion at the king's door. When the ninth son was about to be born, that Bj^ahman again went into Raja Ugrasen's court, and standing in tRe presence of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, calling to mind the repeated pain of the death of his sons, and weeping greatly, began to speak thus, " Cursed be the king and his government too ! again, cursed be those people who serve this unrighteous one ! and cursed be me, in that I am abiding in this city ! Had I not remained in the country of these sinners my sons had been saved ! By the unrighteousness of these my sons have died, and no one has protected them." Maharaj ! standing in the midst of the court, the Brahmaii, weeping greatly, uttered many expressions of this kind, but no one said anything. At last, Arjuna, seated near to S'ri Krishna Chand, keeping on hearing this and being disconcerted, said, '• O divinity ! before whom art thou making this statement ? and why art thou grieving so much ? ^ In this court there is no archer who can remove thy affliction. Kings of the present day are selfish ; they are not removing the ills of others, that they may give happiness to their subjects, and that they may pro- tect cows and Brahmans." Having spoken thus, Arjuna again addressed the Brahman thus, " Divinity ! now do you go, and stay in your own house free from anxiety ; when the time for your having a son arrives, please come to me ; I will go with you, and will not allow the boy to die." Maharaj ! on hearing ' Notice here, also, ihe Aorist fortified with the Substantive Verb, in the sense of the Present tense. Prem-Sagar 323 these words, the Brahman angrily said, " Within this assembly, except S'ri Krishna, Balaram, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha, I see no one strong enough to rescue my son from the hand of Death." Arjuna said, " Brahman ! thou dost not know me ; my name is Dhananjay. I promise thee that if I do not save thy son from the hand of Death, I will bring thy dead sons, wherever I may find them, and show them to thee ; and should they also not be found, then I will burn myself in fire along with the bow Gandiv." ^ Maharaj ! when Arjuna had thus bound himself by a covenant, the Brahman, being satisfied, went home. Then, at the time of the son's birth, the Brahman came to Arjuna. Then Arjuna, taking up his bow and arrows, arose and hastened with him. Afterwards, having gone there, Arjuna so thatched his house with arrows, that even air could not enter therein, and himself, bearing his bow and arrows, peregrinated around it. Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit: — Maharaj ! Arjuna resorted to many contrivances to save the child, but it was not saved ; and the day was weeping at the time of the birth of the child. On that day, it did not even breathe ; but came forth dead from the womb itself. Having heard of the birth of a dead boy, Arjuna, abashed, came to S'ri Krishna Chand, and after him came the Brahman also. Maharaj ! on his coming, crying greatly, the Brahman began to say, " O Arjftna ! a curse is to thee and to thy life ! in that, having spoken falsely, thou art showing thy face to people in the world ! O eunuch ! if thou couldst not save my son from death, why didst thou make the promise, that thou wouldst save my son, and if thou couldst not save him thou wouldst bring and give to me all my dead sons ? " Maharaj ! on hearing these words, Arjuna, taking his bow and arrows, rose from that place, and proceeding onwards, went to Dharmaraj,3 in the city of Sanjamani.-^ Having seen him, Dharmaraj arose and stood up; and joining his hands, and giving praises, said, " Maharaj ! what is the cause of your coming here ? " Arjuna said, "I am come to take the sons of a certain Brahman." Dharmaraj said, " Those children have not come here." Maharaj ! as soon as these words issued from the mouth of Dharmaraj, Arjuna, taking leave, thence wandered about everywhere ; but he found the Brahman's sons nowhere. At length, grieving and regretting, he came into the city of Dwaraka, and having pre- pared a funeral pile, he prepared to burn himself along with his bow and arrow. Then having ignited the fire, as Arjuna was ^ The celebrated bow Gandiva, the wonderful powers of whicli are so often alluded to in the Mahabharata, is supposed to have belonged to Prajapati, Biahma, and S'iva. It was presented to Varuna l:)y Soma, or Lumr influence; and Varuna gave it to Agni, or Fire, thereby symbolizing the union of Lunar, Atmospheric, and Solar powers. Agni gave the bow to Arjuna, and thus imparted this combined influence to humanity. * A name of Yama, regent of the dead. ■'' The name of Yama's chief city. Y 2 324 Prem-Sagar about to place himself on the funeral pile, S'ri Murari, the destroyer of pride, came and took him by the hand, and smiling, said, " O Arjuna ! do not burn thyself ; I will fulfil thy promise ; I will bring that Brahman's sons from wherever they may be, and give them to him." Maharaj ! having said this, the Lord of the Three Worlds, having seated himself on his chariot, taking Arjuna with him, he proceeded towards the eastern quarter ; and having crossed the seven oceans, ^ arrived near the mountain Lokalok." Having gone there and descended from the chariot, he entered an exceedingly dark cavern. Then S'ri Krishna Chand Ji issued a command to the discus Sudarsan ; that weapon, pro- ducing the effulgence of myriads of suns, proceeded onwards before the Lord dispelling the dense darkness. Having left the darkness, they advanced a little. Into its great waves they slid,^ with closed eyes they entered into it ; Krishna and Arjuna arrived where S'esh Ji was reposing. On going there, they opened their eyes and saw a large, long, broad, and high, and very beautiful golden and jewel-bespangled palace. There, on the head of S'esh Ji was placed a jewel-studded throne ; on that, in the form of a dark blue cloud, handsome in figure, with face like the moon, eyes like the lotus, wearing a diadem and earrings, clothed in yellow raiment, with silken loin- cloth, with a garland of wild flowers and a necklace of pearls placed on him, the Lord^ himself, in fascinating form, was reclining, and Brahma, Rudra, Indra, and all the other gods, were standing before and glorifying him. Maharaj ! having seen such a form, Arjuna and S'ri Krishna Chand Ji went before the Lord, and prostrating themselves, with joined hands, stated the whole cause of their coming. On hearing the affair, the Lord sent for all the sons of the Brahman and gave them, and Arjuna, having looked upon them, was pleased, and accepted them. Then the Lord said, — " Since you two are portions of me, Hari and Arjuna, look [upon me] as much as you please ; You went upon earth to bear its burden ; you have given much happiness to virtuous and good people ; ^ See note -, p. 275. ^ This is a mountainous belt surrounding the world, at the furthest limit, beyond the seven circumambient oceans. ^ The rendering of this word is conjectural. HoUings renders it by " there were " without regarding the fact that tarang is feminine. Eastwick translates " they entered," but in his Vocabulary he says the word in this very place means " to encircle." For none of these renderings is there any known warrant in the language. The verb lasnd means " to be fitting " or " suitable," also " to shine," "be sticky" or "clammy." In this latter sense I conjecture that the phrase implies " slid" into the waves. ^ The Supreme Lord is here meant. Prem-Sagar 325 You have destroyed all the Asuras and Dait5^as, and have adjusted the affairs of gods, men, and saints ; Since two shares of me are in you, they will accomplish your purposes." Having said this much, Bhagwan dismissed Arjuna and S'ri Krishna Ji. They, taking the children, came 4nto their city ; the Brahman obtained the Brahman's sons ; in every house there was joy, festivity, and songs of congratulation. Having related thus much of the stor}', S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to King Parikshit : — Maharaj ! — Those who hear and meditate on this stor}^, will have sons and prosperity. CHAPTER XC. Description of Krishna's happy life with his numerous wives — His vast offspring, and the schools established for their instruction. S'ri Sukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! in Dwaraka city S'ri Krishna Chand ever abides ; increase and prosperity shine in every house of the Yadubaiisis ; men and women are ever forming fresh designs with dresses and ornaments ; rubbing on scent and sandal, they apply perfume ; the traders have the markets, roads, and squares, sprinkled, swept, and cleaned ; there traders, from various countries are bringing many different articles to sell ; here and there the citizens are amusing themselves ; in different places Brahmans are reciting the Veda ; in every house people are listening to and repeating stories from the Puranas ; good and virtuous people are, night and day, singing the glories of Hari ; charioteers are continually yoking chariots and cars and bringing them to the royal portal ; chariot riders, chief charioteers, elephant riders, cavalrymen, heroes, braves, soldiers, and warriors, are coming to salute the king of the Yadavas ; skilful people are dancing, singing, playing, and delighting ; and bards and pane- gyrists are again and again celebrating glories, and are receiving [as rewards] elephants, horses, vestments, arms, food, money, and golden jewel-studded ornaments. Having related this much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to the King : — Maharaj ! on the one hand, in Raja Ugrasen's capital, there were going on, in this way, a variety of entertainments, and, on the other hand, S'ri Krishna Chand, the root of joy, was ever disporting himself with his sixteen thousand one hundred and eight young women. At times, the young women, engrossed in love, were making themselves up like the Lord ; at times, 326 Prem-Sagar Hari, being ' [similarly] engrossed, is adorning the young women ; and the mutual sports and frolics they indulge in are unutterable ; they are not describable by me ; only by being seen can it be realized. Having said this, S'ukadev Ji said : — Maharaj ! one day, at night time, S'ri Krishna Chand was disporting with all the young women, and, having witnessed the various actions of the Lord, Kinnaras and Gandharvas, playing away on lutes, timbrels, pipes, and kettle-drums, were celebrating praise, and all was in accord, when in the midst of this, while disporting themselves, some- thing occurred to the Lord, he went to the bank of a lake, taking them all with him, and entering the water began to indulge in water-play. Afterwards, while engaged in water-play, all the wives, being absorbed in the love of S'ri Krishna Chand, losing all regard for body and mind, having seen a chakwa and chakivi seated on opposite sides of the lake calling to each other, said, — "O C/iaktui f why art thou concealing grief? through separation from thy lover thou art not sleeping at night ;2 Having become greatly agitated, thou art calling thy lover ! thou art ever reminding us of the lover ; We, for our part, have become his slave-girls." Having spoken thus, they went onwards. Then they began to say to the ocean, " O ocean ! thou who are heaving deep sighs, and art keeping away night and day, why is that ? Art thou separated from anyone ? or is it grief for the lost fourteen jewels ? " Having said this, then, looking at the moon, they said, " O Moon ! why art thou emaciated in body and disturbed in mind ? Hast thou consumption that thou wanest and waxest daily ? or, having looked upon S'ri Krishna Chand Ji, are thy actions and thoughts disconcerted also, as ours are being- disconcerted ? " Having related thus much of the story, S'ri S'ukadev Ji said to the King : — Maharaj ! in this way all the young women said a variety of things to the air, the clouds, the cuckoo, the mountains, the river, and the swan ; those can be imagined. Afterwards all the women are disporting themselves with S'ri Krishna Chand, and remain constant in attendance ; they are celebrating the virtues of the Lord, and receiving the reward which their hearts desired ; and the Lord was carrying out the duties of the house- holder state in a conscientious way. Maharaj ! the sixteen thousand one hundred and eight queens, which have been previously described, had each of them ten sons and one daughter apiece, and their offspring was innumerable. I have not the power to describe them ; but I knew this much, that there were thirty millions eighty-eight thousand one hundred schools for the instruction of S'ri Krishna Chand Ji's offspring, and just the ' For dsakta ko read dsakia ho. ^ See note \ p. 237. Prem-Sagar 327 same number of teachers. Furthermore, whatever sons, sons' sons, and daughters' sons, which S'ri Krishna Chand Ji had, none were deficient in beauty, strength, bravery, wealth, or virtue. Each one excelled the other ; how shall I attempt to describe them ? Having related this much, the sage said : — Maharaj ! I have celebrated the sports of Braj and Dwaraka ; this is felicitous to all. Whoever shall recite it with affection will undoubtedly obtain faith and salvation. By hearing ^ the story of Hari, he will meet with the reward which arises from penance, sacrifice, alms- giving, vows, pilgrimage, and bathing. ' Lallii Lai, and previous editions, put here simne siinane se, "by hearing and reciting " HERE IS THE END. f ETURN CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 202 Main Library 642-3403 OAN PERIOD 1 HOME USE 2 3 5 6 ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS 1 -month loans may be renewed by calling 642-3405 -month loans may be recharged by bringing books to Circulation Desk Renewals and recharges may be made 4 days prior to due date DUE AS STAMPED BELOW UkR2d 1 , fi'C C/R 'i'"' - ■77 « ( ORAA NO DD 6, 40m, 6'76 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY BERKELEY, CA 94720 U.C.BERKELEY LIBRARIES CD^b^b^fl^b 222730 UNIVERSITY OF CAIvIFORNIA WBRARY