Parāçara said Thus meditating, Akrura, born in the race of the Yadus,
bowed his hand down to the feet of Hari saying—"I am Akrura". And
Krishna placed his hand upon him, which was marked with the flag, the
thunder-bolt, the lotus, and drew him towards him and affectionately
embraced him.
Being thus honored by him, Balarāma and Kesava, delighted, entered with
him their own habitation. Having entered into conversation with them and
been fed, he related to them everything duly, how their father
Anakadundhubi, the princess Devaki and even his own father had been
insulted by the wicked demon Kansa and for what purpose he had been
despatched. Having heard all from him the illustrious slayer of Kesin
said—"O thou of liberal gift, I know all thou hast said; O great one, I
shall devise proper measures for this—do not think otherwise of this;
consider Kansa as already slain. Rāma and I will go to Mathura tomorrow
along with you. The elders of the cow-herds shall accompany us carrying
sufficient offerings. Rest here tonight and drive all thy anxiety.
Within three nights I will destroy Kansa and all his followers".
Having thus commanded the cow-herds, Akrura with Kesava and Rāma retired
to rest and slept soundly in the house of Nanda. The next morning was
clear and the young men prepared to proceed to Mathura with Akrura. The
females of the cow-herds, on seeing them about to depart, were much
afflicted. They wept bitterly—their bracelets were loose upon their
arms—and they thus thought within themselves—"If Govinda goes to
Mathura, how will he come back to Gokula? His ears will be pleased by
the sweet and finished conversation of the damsels of the city. And
being used to the language of the graceful females of Mathura he will
never again like the rustic expressions of the Gopees. Hari, the pride
of our village is taken away and a fatal blow is laid upon us by
inexorable destiny.
"The women of the city have sweet smiles, graceful language, beautiful
air, elegant gait and significant glances. Hari is of rustic breeding,
and, captivated by their fascinations, what likelihood is there of his
returning to the society of any one amongst us? Kevasa, who has mounted
the car to go to Mathura, has been deceived by the cruel, vile, and
desperate Akrura. Does not the unfeeling traitor know the affection that
we all here feel for our Hari, the joy of our eyes, that he is taking
him away? Unkind that he is, Govinda is departing from us, along with
Rāma: haste! let us stop him! Why talk of telling our seniors that we
cannot bear his loss? What can they do for us, we are consumed by the
fires of separation? The Gopas, with Nanda at their head, are themselves
preparing to depart; no one makes any attempt to detain Govinda. Bright
is the morning that succeeds to this night for the women of Mathura, for
the bees of their eyes will feed upon the lotus face of Achyuta. Happy
are they who may go hence without impediment, and behold, enraptured,
Krishna on his journey. A great festival will delight today the eyes of
the inhabitants of Mathura when they will behold the person of Govinda.
What pleasurable dream was seen by the happy damsels of the city that
their graceful eyes shall behold unobstructed the countenance of
Krishna! Alas! the eyes of the females of cow-herds have been deprived
of their vision by the relentless Brahmā, after he had shown them this
great treasure. Hari departing with his love for us decayed, the
bracelets from our arms slip. The cruel-hearted Akrura urges on the
steeds; who does not feel pity for females like us who are bewailing?
Alas! behold the dust of Krishna's chariot-wheels! and now he is
distanced from us by that for even that dust is no longer to be seen".
Thus lamented by the damsels, Kesava and Rāma left the hamlet of Vraja.
Travelling in a car drawn by quick-coursing steeds they reached, at
noon, the banks of the Yamuna when Akrura requested them to halt a
little whilst he performed the usual daily ceremonial in the river. They
having agreed to this, the high-minded Akrura bathed in the water and
rinsed his mouth and then entering the stream he stood meditating upon
the Supreme Being. He beheld, in his meditation, Balabhadra, having a
thousand-hooded heads, a garland of jasmine flowers, having large-red
eyes resembling lotus petals, surrounded by Vasuki, Rambba and other
mighty serpents, praised by Gandharvas, decorated with garlands of wild
flowers, clad in dark-coloured raiment, crowned with a chaplet of
lotuses, adorned with brilliant ear-rings, drunk and standing at the
bottom of the river in the water. He saw on his lap Vishnu, having four
arms, and holding conch, discus, and mace, having the complexion of
cloud, coppery and expansive eyes, excellent ear-rings and an elegant
form, clad in yellow clothes, adorned with many coloured flowers and
appearing like a cloud adorned with streams of lightnings and the bow of
Indra; his breast was marked with celestial sign, four arms were adorned
with keyuras and head with a brilliant crown: he was attended by
Sanandana and other holy sages, who, fixing their eyes upon the tips of
their noses, were absorbed in profound meditation.
Understanding them as Krishna and Balarāma, Akrura was struck with
amazement; and he thought how they could so quickly have got there from
the chariot. He desired to ask them of this, but Janarddana deprived him
of the faculty of speech at that moment. Having come out of the waters
he then came to the chariot and saw there, like before, Rāma and Krishna
stationed in their human forms. And having entered the stream again he
saw those two forms praised by Gandharvas, great ascetics, Siddhas and
great serpents. Apprehending then their real nature he eulogized the
eternal deity gifted with discriminative knowledge.
Akrura said:—"Salutation to thee, who art uniform and manifold, all
pervading, Supreme spirit, of inconceivable glory and who art simple
existence. Salutation to thee, O inscrutable, who art truth and the
essence of oblations. Salutation to thee, O Lord, whose nature is
unknown, who art beyond primeval matter, who existest in five forms,
identical with the elements, with the faculties, with matter, with the
living soul and with the Supreme spirit. Be propitiated with me, O soul
of the universe, essence of all things, perishable or eternal, whether
addressed by the name Brahmā, Vishnu, Siva or like. I adore thee, O God,
whose nature is indestructible, whose purposes cannot be deciphered,
whose name even is unknown; for the attributes of kind or appellation
are not applicable to thee, who art that, the supreme Brahman, eternal,
unchangeable, uncreated. But as our objects can not be accomplished but
through some specific from, thou art termed by us Krishna, Achyuta,
Ananta or Vishnu. Thou, unborn divinity, art all the objects of these
impersonation; thou art the gods and all other beings; thou art the
whole world, thou art all. Soul of the universe, thou art free from
change and there is nothing except thee in all this existence. Thou art
Brahmā, Pasupati, Aryaman, Dhātri and Vidhātri! Thou art Indra, air,
fire, the regent of the waters, the god of wealth and the judge of the
dead; and thou, although but one, presidest over the world with various
energies directed to various purposes. Thou, identical with the solar
ray, createst the universe: all elementary substance is composed of thy
qualities; and thy supreme form is denoted by the imperishable term Sat.
I bow to him who is identical with true knowledge and who is and is not
perceptible. Salutation to him the lord Vasudeva, to Sankarsana, to
Pradyumna and to Aniruddha".