Arjuna said:—Thereupon crossing the mountains, rivers and forests we saw
the ocean the abode of Makara. Thereat the ocean, in his true form, with
folded hands and carrying _Argya_, appeared before Janārddana and said
"What am I to do?" (1–2) Having accepted the adoration from the ocean
Janārddana said:—"O Lord of rivers, I wish you to afford passage for my
car" (3). Thereupon Samudra, with folded hands, said to
Garudadhwaja:—"Be pleased O Lord! do not act thus, or else others will
do so (4). O Janārddana, thou didst formerly place me in this
unfathomable expanse. I shall have to follow the way thou wilt institute
(5). If thou dost do so, other kings, elated with the pride of their
strength, will cross me by this way. Therefore O Govinda, do whatever
thou dost think proper (6)." Vāsudeva said: "For my sake and for this
Brāhmana, follow my words. Save me no one else will be able to assail
you" (7). Thereupon, in fear of a curse the ocean again said to
Janārddana:—"Let it be so. O Krishna, O slayer of Keshi, I will dry up
the path in which your car, adorned with flags, will proceed with its
charioteer" (8–9). Vasudeva said:—"O ocean, I had conferred upon you the
boon formerly that you would never be dried up, lest the people might
form an idea of the collection of your gems. You are to stop the
agitation of your water to that extent only that may admit me with my
car. In that case no man will be able to estimate the collection of your
jems" (10-11). Hearing it the ocean said "So be it"; and we proceeded
through that lustrous red water as if we were on land (12). Within a
moment we crossed the ocean, Uttarakuru and Gandhamādana. Thereupon
Jayanta, Vaijayanta, Neela, Rajata, Mahāmeru, Kailasha and Indrakuta,
these seven mountains, assuming various wonderful forms, appeared before
Keshava and saluting Govinda said:—"What are we to do?" Welcoming them
all duly Hrishikesha, the slayer of Madhu, said to the mountains who
stood before him with bending heads "You are to give me passage."
Hearing the words of Krishna and accepting them the mountains gave him
the passage and disappeared. O foremost of Bharata’s race, beholding
this work I was filled with great surprise. However as the sun passes
through clouds so our car careered on unobstructed. And that best of
cars, crossing the seven insular continents, oceans and seven rivers as
well as Lokaloka, entered another region (13–20).
While proceeding thus at a certain place I found the horses carrying the
car with great difficulty. Touching it with my hands I perceived that
the darkness was owing to thick mud. It gradually assumed the form of a
mountain. Seeing it, Govinda dispelled that darkness and mud with his
discus and the sky and the passage of the car became visible (21–23).
When the sky became visible and we came beyond the pale of darkness my
fear was removed and I thought that I was alive. A few moments after I
saw in the sky a bundle of effulgence, of the shape of a man, extending
over all the worlds (24–25). Then Rishikesha entered into that bundle of
effulgence and that best of Brāhmanas and myself waited on the car.
Within a moment the powerful Krishna returned with the four sons of the
Brāhmana and gave those three boys who had been stolen before and the
new born baby into the hands of the Brāhmana (26–28). O emperor,
regaining his sons the Brāhmana was highly pleased and I too was filled
with great joy and surprise (29). O foremost of the Bharatas, afterwards
we, with the Brāhmana’s sons, came out in the same way as we had gone
there. O foremost of kings, arriving at Dwārakā within a moment we saw
that even the first part of the day was not complete. At that I was
again filled with surprise. There upon the highly illustrious Krishna
fed that Brāhmana with his sons and satisfying him with riches sent him
away to his own house (29-32).