Parāçara said:—After the inhabitants of Gokula had been saved by the
upholding of the mountain Govardhana, the chastiser of Paka (Indra)
became desirous of seeing Krishna. Having mounted his huge elephant
Airavata, that lord of the celestials, the destroyer of enemies, beheld
the mighty Krishna on the mount Govardhana, tending cattle, assuming the
person of a cow-boy and encircled by the sons of cow-herds, although the
protector of the universe. He saw above his head, Garuda, the king of
birds, invisible to men, spreading out his wings to shade the head of
Hari. Descending from his elephant and taking him at a distance, Sakra,
having his eyes expanded with delight, said to the Slayer of
Madhu—"Hear! hear, O Krishna, why I have come here; why I have come to
thee; do not think otherwise of it. Thou, O lord, who art the supporter
of the universe, hast descended upon earth to relieve her of her burden.
Being enraged on account of my rites being obstructed, I sent the clouds
to deluge Gokula and they have done this evil deed. By upholding the
mountain, thou hast preserved the cattle and really, O hero, I am much
pleased with thy wonderous deed. The object of the celestials is, now, I
think, accomplished, for with thy single hand thou hast uplifted this
chief of mountains. Being commissioned by the cattle, O Krishna, I have
come to thee, to honour thee for thou didst save them. At their words, I
shall install thee as Upendra and as the Indra of the cows thou shalt be
called Govinda". Saying this, Mahendra took a ewer from his elephant
Airavata and with the holy water it contained performed the regal
ceremony of sprinkling. And as the ceremony was being performed, the
cattle deluged the earth with their milk.
Having thus inaugurated Krishna, Indra, the husband of Sachi, again
affectionately said—"I have done this at the request of the cattle;
hear, I shall speak something else to thee, O noble one, being desirous
of relieving the earth of her burden. O foremost of men, a portion of
mine, under the name of Arjuna, has descended upon earth—do thou protect
him always. He shall assist thee in relieving the earth of her burden.
He should be protected by thee, O Slayer of Madhu, like thy own Self".
The Deity said "I know that in the family of Bharata, thy son has been
born by Pritha. I shall protect him as long as I shall live on this
earth. O Sakra, O Slayer of foes, O lord of the celestials, as long I
shall be on this earth, no one shall be able to vanquish Arjuna in
conflict. The highly powerful Asura Kansa and Arishtha Keshi, Nāraka and
others being slain, there shall take place a terrible conflict, O king
of the celestials; know that, O thousand-eyed deity, as what will
relieve earth of her burden. Do thou go; it behoves thee not to be
anxious for thy son. No enemy of Arjuna shall grow in power before me.
For Arjuna I shall render back Yudhishthira and his brothers to Kunti
after the great battle of Kurukshetra".
Parāçara said:—Being thus addressed, the king of the celestials embraced
Janarddana and having mounted the elephant Airavata again went to the
celestial region. Krishna too with the cows and cow-herds came back to
Vraja by the way sanctified by the looks of the females of the
cow-herds.