THE
PREM SAGUR
Translated into English.
BY
CAPTAIN W. HOLLINGS,
XLVII. REGIMENT BENGAL N. I.
CALCUTTA:
W. RIDSDALE, MILITARY ORPHAN PRESS.
1848.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES I.
Captain Hollings’ transliteration of Hindi uses _ù_/_u_/_ú_ for _a_,
_ee_ for _i_, and _oo_ for _u_. So, for _Shree Krishnù Chund_ read
_Sri Krishna Chand_, _Luchmee_ _Lachmi_ (Lakshmi), _Hustinapoor_
_Hastinapur_, etc.
In lieu of footnotes the translator has placed brief notes in
parentheses inside the text.
Some foreign terms the translator didn’t define:
_bhang_, an intoxicant made from hemp.
_bhangee_ (banghy), a yoke placed on the shoulders for carrying
baskets or boxes.
_Bys_, Vaishya (caste).
_choupur_ (chaupur), a board game similar to pachisi.
_Chundal_ (chandal or chandala), a person of low caste.
_Chutree_, Kshatriya (caste).
_coss_/_koss_, a unit of distance, varying between about 1¼ and 2½
English miles.
_dhobee_, a person of low caste employed as a washerman.
_eight principal parts the body_, the forehead, body, arms, knees, and
feet. To “touch the ground with the eight principal parts of the body”
implies the person is lying flat on the ground.
_five elements of nature_, air, earth, ether, fire, and water.
_ghaut_ (ghat), a path or stairway that descends to a river.
_ghuree_ (ghari or ghurry), a unit of time. This book figures
sixty-four gharis in a twenty-four-hour day (or 1 ghari = 22½ minutes).
Note: it is more common to define sixty gharis in a day (1 ghari = 24
minutes).
_goonja_ (gunja) seed, _Abrus precatorius_, a flowering plant whose
colorful seeds are used as beads or in percussive instruments.
_holee_ powder, colorful powder (gulal) used in the Holi festival.
_jogee_ (yogi), a devotee who practices the Yoga philosophy.
_jowar_, millet.
_kudum_ (kadam) tree, a tropical evergreen.
“_must_” elephant(s), the Eastwick translation uses _furious_
elephant(s).
_palkee_ (palki), a palanquin.
_puhur_ (pahar), unit of time equal to three hours.
_roolee_ (roli), mixture of alum, rice, turmeric, and acid, used to
paint sectarial marks on the forehead.
_ruth_ (rath), a carriage or chariot.
_six flavours_, acrid, astringent, bitter, salt, sour, and sweet.
_Soodrú_, Shudra (caste).
_The three worlds_, Heaven, Earth, and Hell.
_tiluk_ (tilak), a sectarial mark on the forehead.
_toolsee_ (tulsi), _Ocimum Sanctum_, or holy basil.
PREFACE TO THE TRANSLATION
OF THE
PREM SAGUR.
The object of this translation is to render the work easily
intelligible to the young Student: in fact, to assist the beginner
from the commencement of his study of the Prem Sagur, in
understanding what he is reading about, and the explanations of his
Pundit.
With this view, I have endeavoured to make the translation a tolerably
literal one, keeping close to what I considered to be the meaning of
the text, without, however, wishing to translate every sentence
exactly literally.
The Hindee language is well worthy the careful study of every public
Officer in India, as being the one, which is most commonly spoken by
inhabitants of almost every part of the country.
To the Military man this language is of special use, as it not only
enables him thoroughly to understand his men on points of common
occurrence and of duty; but by being able to converse freely with
them, to study their habits, manners, customs, their general turn of
thought and opinions.
The Hindee of the Prem Sagur is remarkably pure, and the book is, I
believe, an Examination Book at all the Presidencies.
W. Hollings, _Captain_,
47_th Regiment._
Lucknow,
10_th February_, 1848.
CONTENTS.
Chapter I.
Chapter II.
Chapter III.
Chapter IV.
Chapter V.
Chapter VI.
Chapter VII.
Chapter VIII.
Chapter IX.
Chapter X.
Chapter XI.
Chapter XII.
Chapter XIII.
Chapter XIV.
Chapter XV.
Chapter XVI.
Chapter XVII.
Chapter XVIII.
Chapter XIX.
Chapter XX.
Chapter XXI.
Chapter XXII.
Chapter XXIII.
Chapter XXIV.
Chapter XXV.
Chapter XXVI.
Chapter XXVII.
Chapter XXVIII.
Chapter XXIX.
Chapter XXX.
Chapter XXXI.
Chapter XXXII.
Chapter XXXIII.
Chapter XXXIV.
Chapter XXXV.
Chapter XXXVI.
Chapter XXXVII.
Chapter XXXVIII.
Chapter XXXIX.
Chapter XL.
Chapter XLI.
Chapter XLII.
Chapter XLIII.
Chapter XLIV.
Chapter XLV.
Chapter XLVI.
Chapter XLVII.
Chapter XLVIII.
Chapter XLIX.
Chapter L.
Chapter LI.
Chapter LII.
Chapter LIII.
Chapter LIV.
Chapter LV.
Chapter LVI.
Chapter LVII.
Chapter LVIII.
Chapter LIX.
Chapter LX.
Chapter LXI.
Chapter LXII.
Chapter LXIII.
Chapter LXIV.
Chapter LXV.
Chapter LXVI.
Chapter LXVII.
Chapter LXVIII.
Chapter LXIX.
Chapter LXX.
Chapter LXXI.
Chapter LXXII.
Chapter LXXIII.
Chapter LXXIV.
Chapter LXXV.
Chapter LXXVI.
Chapter LXXVII.
Chapter LXXVIII.
Chapter LXXIX.
Chapter LXXX.
Chapter LXXXI.
Chapter LXXXII.
Chapter LXXXIII.
Chapter LXXXIV.
Chapter LXXXV.
Chapter LXXXVI.
Chapter LXXXVII.
Chapter LXXXVIII.
Chapter LXXXIX.
Chapter XC.
THE
PREM SAGUR.
CHAPTER I.
Now is the commencement of the history.--At the end of the great war
of the descendants of Bhurut, when Shree Krishnù disappeared, Pandoo
being greatly grieved went to the Himalaya to undergo dissolution; and
the Raja Pureechit having conquered all countries, began to rule with
justice.--Some days afterwards, the Raja Pureechit went out hunting,
when he saw a bullock and a cow running towards him, in pursuit of
whom a Soodrú with a wooden pestle in his hand was coming along and
striking them. When they came near, the Raja grieved and enraged,
called out to the Soodrú, who art thou, explain who thou art, that
knowingly beatest a bullock and a cow; do you suppose Urjoon to be far
off, that you do not observe his ordinances? Hear me, in the family of
Pandoo, you will not find any such person, in whose presence any one
will be permitted to vex the poor. Saying this, the Raja took his
sword in his hand; the Soodrú on seeing this, stood still with
fear.--The Raja (the lord of men,) having called the bullock and cow
near him, enquired of them, explain to me who you are, are you gods or
Brahmins, and why are you running away? Speak without fear, in my
presence no one has the power of afflicting you.
On hearing this, the bullock bending its head said, “O great king!
this black coloured, frightful figure in the form of Sin, which is
standing in your presence is the Black Age, I am running away on
account of its approach. This, my companion, is the earth in the form
of a cow; she too has come running towards you from dread of the Black
Age. My name is Religion: I have four feet--penance, truth,
compassion, meditation. In the Age of Truth my feet were
complete--consisted of twenty parts; in the Treta Age, they consisted
of sixteen parts; in the Dwapur Age of twelve; and now in the Black
Age, I have only four parts left, for which reason I am not able to
move about in the Black Age.” The earth said, “O incarnation of
justice! I also cannot remain in this age, because men of the Soodrú
caste, having become Rajas, will inflict very many acts of injustice
on me, the weight of which I shall not be able to endure: from dread
of this injustice, I too am running away.”
On hearing this, the Raja, being angry, said to the Black Age, “I will
put thee to death immediately.”
On hearing this, the Black Age falling at the Raja’s feet, and
imploring him earnestly, began to say, “O lord of the earth! I have
now come under your protection, appoint me some place to dwell
in:--because the three times and the four ages, which Bruhmù has
established, shall not be effaced in any way.”
Hearing this, the Raja Pureechit said to the Black Age--“Dwell in the
following places, in gambling, lying, in the spirit market, harlots’
houses, murder, theft and gold.” Having heard this, the Black Age went
to his appointed abode, and the Raja established Religion in his own
mind; the earth assumed his own form, the Raja returned to his own
city, and began to govern justly and religiously.
After some days, the Raja went again to hunt, and whilst engaged in
the sport, became thirsty. The Black Age was dwelling in the golden
crown on the Raja’s head, and having obtained his opportunity,
deprived the Raja of knowledge. The Raja from thirst came to the spot
where Lomus, a chief of the saints, was seated with his eyes shut,
meditating on Muhadeo, and engaged in religious penance.
On seeing him, Pureechit began to say to himself, this person through
pride of penance remains with his eyes shut, although he saw me.
Entertaining this wicked idea, and having raised up with a bow a dead
snake which had fallen there, and thrown it on the neck of the chief
of the saints, he came home.
On taking off his crown, the Raja recovered his knowledge, and
reflecting began to say, the abode of the Black Age is in gold, he was
upon my head, and this is the reason of my having performed so vicious
an act, as throwing a dead snake on the neck of a chief of the saints;
I now know, that the Black Age has taken his revenge upon me; how
shall I escape from this great sin; why have I not been deprived
to-day of my caste, wealth, family, wives and kingdom--I know not in
what birth, this injustice of my having vexed a Brahmin will be
effaced.
Whilst the Raja Pureechit was drowned in this sea of unfathomable
reflection, some boys engaged in play came to the place where Lomus, a
chief of the saints, was:--they were astonished at seeing a dead snake
on his neck,--and being frightened, began to say to each other,
“Brother, let some one go and tell his son of this, who is playing
with the saints’ children in the grove on the bank of the river
Koushkee.” One of the boys hearing this ran to where Shringee the
saint was playing with the saints’ children.--The boy said to
Shringee, “Brother, why are you playing here; some devil has thrown a
dead black snake on your father’s neck and gone off?”
On hearing this, Shringee’s eyes became red--gnashing his teeth, he
began to tremble; and, being enraged, to say--“In the Black Age proud
Rajas have been produced: from the intoxication of wealth, they have
become blind and inflicters of pain: I will now pronounce a curse on
him, who threw the snake, he shall die on the seventh day from this.”
Having thus spoken, Shringee the saint took the water of the Koushkee
river in the palm of his hand, and pronounced a curse on the Raja
Pureechit, that the snake would bite him on the seventh day.
Having pronounced this curse on the Raja, he came to his father and
took the snake from his neck, and began to say to him, “Father, be of
good cheer, I have pronounced a curse on him, who threw the dead snake
on your neck.” On hearing this, Lomus the saint, awaking from his
meditation, opening his eyes and deeply considering in his mind his
son’s speech, said to him, “O son! what is this thou hast done? why
have you pronounced a curse on the Raja, under whose government we
lived at ease? not a bird, nor a beast even was afflicted. So just was
the government, that the lion and cow dwelt under it without
altercation. O son! what mattered it, if he, in whose country we
lived, threw a dead snake upon me in sport, why did you curse him, and
inflict so heavy a curse for a slight fault? you have been guilty of a
great crime, and neglected to think of what you were doing--you have
abandoned good, and embraced evil. It is necessary for a good man to
cultivate amiable dispositions; not to say anything himself, to hear
what others say, and imitate the good qualities, and avoid the bad
qualities, of all.”
Saying this, Lomus the saint called one of his pupils, and told him to
go and tell the Raja Pureechit, that Shringee had pronounced a curse
on him; good men will impute blame to Shringee for what he has done,
but the Raja on receiving this message will be on his guard. In
obedience to the words of his spiritual preceptor, the pupil came to
the place where the Raja was sitting in meditation, and said to him on
his arrival--“Shringee the saint has pronounced this curse on you,
that the snake shall bite you on the seventh day--do you now arrange
so that you may escape from the noose of fate.” On hearing this, the
Raja stood up with delight, and joining his hands together began to
say, “The saint has done me a great kindness in pronouncing a curse,
because I had fallen into the boundless thoughted sea of delusion,
from which he has released me.”
When the disciple of the sage departed, the Raja performed penance by
abandoning all the pleasures of the world, and having sent for
Junmejye and made over his throne to him, said, “O son! cherish the
cow and the Brahmin, and give contentment to the subject.” Saying
this, he went into the female apartments: the women on seeing him were
all sad; his wives (the Ranees) on beholding him fell weeping at his
feet, and exclaimed, “O great king! we weak creatures will not be able
to endure separation from you; for which reason it is better that we
should give up our lives with yours.”--The Raja said in reply, “It is
right for a woman to act in such a way, that the character and dignity
of her husband may be maintained, and not to throw any obstacle in the
way of an excellent work.”
Having said this, and having abandoned relatives, kindred, and all
private and public wealth, he went and sat down on the shore of the
Ganges to perform penance: whoever heard of the circumstance was much
grieved and distressed, and shed tears.
When the sages heard that the Raja Pureechit had gone to the bank of
the Ganges to die, in consequence of Shringee’s curse, Byas, Bisist,
Bhurdooaj, Kalyayun, Purasur, Narud, Biswamittrù, Bamdeo, Jumdugun,
and eighty-eight thousand sages came, and sat down in rows, and
thinking upon their Shastrùs began to explain various kinds of
religious observances to the Raja--In the meantime, having seen the
Raja’s faith, Shree Shookdeo Jee came also, with a book under his arm,
and naked. On seeing him, all the sages rose up, and the Raja
Pureechit rising up in a supplicating posture, and making an obeisance
began to say, “O abode of compassion! you have shown great mercy in
remembering me at this time.”
When the Raja had thus spoken, Shookdeo the sage also sat down, when
the Raja said to the sages, “O great kings! Shookdeo Jee is the son of
Byas Jee, and the grandson of Purasur Jee, on seeing whom you, who are
saints of high rank, rose up, which I do not think right: explain the
reason of this, that the doubts of my mind may be dissipated.”
Purasur the sage said, “Raja! all of us saints, however high in
degree, are inferior in understanding to Shook, and, therefore, we
have all treated him with such respect; some in this hope, that he is
the Saviour of the saved, because from the time of his birth he has
spent his life in sadness in the desert; and Raja! all your great
excellencies have been increased by the coming of Shookdeo Jee. This
will be pronounced the greatest and best of religious and virtuous
acts, (dhurum) by means of which having been freed from life and
death, you will cross over the sea of the world.” On hearing this,
Raja Pureechit having prostrated himself before Shookdeo Jee, said, “O
great king! explain the duties of religion to me; how shall I escape
from the noose of fate, what shall I do in seven days? My impiety has
been very great, how shall I cross over the sea of the world?”
Shree Shookdeo Jee replied, “Raja! do not think the time short, as
release can be obtained by religious meditation for an hour, just in
the same way that Narud the sage imparted understanding to the Raja
Ruktangool, and he obtained release in two hours; seven days are quite
sufficient time for you; if you will meditate attentively, you will
understand all; what the body is, whose abode it is, and who manifests
light in it.”
On hearing this the Raja enquired with great delight, “O great king!
which is the most excellent Dhurum, kindly explain to me.” Shookdeo
Jee said, “The Vishnù Dhurum is the greatest amongst the Dhurums, and
the Shree Bhagwut amongst the Pooranùs; wherever the worshippers of
Vishnù recite this history, there all religious observances, and
pilgrimages will come together: Among all the Pooranùs, there is none
equal to the Bhagwut, for which reason I will recite to you nine parts
of the great Pooranù, in which Byas the sage has instructed me;
listen with faith and joy.”--Upon this the Raja Pureechit began to
listen with pleasure, and Shookdeo Jee according to his promise to
recite.
When the sage had recited nine parts of the history, the Raja said,
“Kind to the poor! have the goodness now to explain to me the history
of the descent upon earth of Shree Krishnù, because he is our
supporter and the object of worship of our family.” Shookdeo Jee said,
“You have conferred great pleasure on me in asking for this account; I
shall most joyfully relate it. In the family of Yudoo the first Raja
was named Bhugwan, whose son was Prithikoo, and Prithikoo’s son was
Bidooruth, Bidooruth’s son was Soorsen, who, having conquered nine
divisions of the earth, obtained celebrity. Bidooruth’s wife’s name
was Mirkya, who had ten sons and five daughters; the eldest son was
Basoodeo in whose wife’s eighth pregnancy Shree Krishnù Chund Jee was
born. When Basoodeo Jee was born, the gods had musical rejoicings in
the heavens.
“And amongst the five daughters of Soorsen, Koontee was the eldest,
who married Pandoo, whose story has been sung in the Muhabharut; and
Basoodeo Jee married first Rohnee, the daughter of Raja Rohun, and
afterwards seventeen other wives--After he had married eighteen times,
he married at Muttra, Dewukee, the sister of Kuns, upon which there
was a voice from heaven, that in the eighth pregnancy of this girl the
destroyer of Kuns shall be born. On hearing this Kuns had his sister
and her husband shut up in a house, and Shree Krishnù was born
there.” On hearing thus much of the story, the Raja Pureechit said, “O
great king! how was Kuns born, who conferred a great blessing upon
him, and in what manner was Krishnù brought into the world, and how
did he arrive in Gokool:--please explain these circumstances to me.”
Shree Shookdeo Jee said, “There was a Raja of Muttra named Ahuk, who
had two sons, one named Dewuk, the other Oogursen. After some time,
Oogursen became Raja, who had only one wife, named Paourekha, very
beautiful and chaste, and at all times obedient to the commands of her
husband. One day she had the menses, and by permission of her husband
had gone out on a party of pleasure to the jungle, in company with her
female attendants; there on trees of many kinds, all sorts of flowers
were blossoming; a cool gentle breeze filled with perfume was blowing;
cuckoos, pigeons, parrots and peacocks were pouring forth sweet and
pleasing notes, and on one side under a hill, the Jumna was flowing
apart. The Ranee, on viewing this scene, descended from her car, and
whilst walking along alone, suddenly lost her way. By accident, a
demon named Dromullik, came there, and remained gazing in astonishment
at her youth, and beautiful appearance; and he began to say to
himself, I must have connexion with her. Having resolved upon this,
and immediately assuming the form of the Raja Oogursen, he went into
the presence of the Ranee, and said to her, embrace me. The Ranee
replied, “O great king! it is not right to indulge in amatory
pleasures in the day-time, because by so doing the good and religious
qualities of the mind are destroyed. What are you not aware of this,
that you have thought of such a vicious act?”
When Paourekha had thus spoken, Dromullik having seized the Ranee by
the hand drew her towards him, and accomplished what he wished. After
he had connexion with the Ranee through the artifice of the disguise,
he assumed his own proper form; upon which, the Ranee, being
exceedingly grieved and afflicted, exclaimed, “O unjust, vile sinner!
what tyranny have you committed in destroying my virtue! there is a
curse on your father, mother and spiritual preceptor in thus having
formed your understanding. Why was not thy mother barren, rather than
produce a son like thee? O devil! all men, who destroy the virtue of
women, fall into hell in each successive birth.”--Dromullik said,
“Ranee, do not curse me, for I have given you the fruit of my
excellence: seeing your womb closed, I suffered great anxiety of mind,
which is now gone: from to-day there is a hope of your pregnancy, and
you shall have a son in the tenth month:--and from the good properties
of my body, thy son having conquered the nine divisions of the earth
shall be a king, and shall fight with Krishnù--My first name was
Kalnem: then I had an encounter with Billoo: in my present birth I am
called Dromullik; I have given thee a son, dismiss all anxiety from
thy mind.”
After having thus spoken, when Kalnem had gone away, the Ranee was
restored on reflection to patience of mind.
“Whatever our fate may be, our understanding will be fashioned in
accordance with it--What is to be, will dwell in the mind, all memory
and consciousness will vanish.”
In the mean while, or after this, all the female attendants came up,
and on seeing the Ranee’s ornaments in disorder, one attendant said,
“Where have you been delayed so long, and what has happened to you?”
Paourekha replied, “You left me, O attendants! alone in the forest--a
monkey came and gave me great annoyance, from fear of which I am even
now trembling.”--On hearing this, all the attendants were alarmed and
seating the Ranee immediately on her ruth, brought her home.
When ten months were completed, a son was born, at which time a
violent tempest occurred, the earth began to quake, it became so dark,
that day was turned into night, stars began to fall broken in
fragments, the clouds to thunder, and the lightning to crack.
In this manner, on the thirteenth of the light part of the month Magh,
on a Thursday, Kuns was born, on which occasion the Raja Oogursen
being delighted and having sent for all the musicians of the city,
caused musical entertainments to be given,--and he also sent for all
the Brahmins, pundits and astrologers, and treated them with very
great respect, and dignity. On their arrival, the Raja offered them
seats, after receiving them with great civility. After this, the
astrologers having fixed upon the lucky moment, and division of time,
said to the Raja, “O lord of the earth! this child, named Kuns, who
has been born in your family, shall be very powerful, and shall reign,
associating devils with him, and having caused affliction to the gods,
and the worshippers of Vishnù, after having obtained your kingdom, he
shall die suddenly by the hand of Huri.”
Having told so much of the history, Shookdeo, the Sage, said to the
Raja Pureechit,--Raja! I will now tell you the history of Dewuk, the
brother of Oogursen, who had four sons, and six daughters, which six
he gave in marriage to Basoodeo; the seventh was Dewukee, in
consequence of whose birth, the gods were delighted; and Oogursen also
had ten sons, the eldest of whom was Kuns.
From the time of his birth he was in the habit of going into the city,
and violently seizing little children, and putting them to death after
having shut them up in caves in the hills--Those who were grown up, he
got upon their chests, and strangled them--No one could escape from
this calamity--every one concealed his children--the subjects said,
this Kuns is a devil, he does not belong to the family of
Oogursen--Some great sinner has been born, who has brought affliction
on the whole city.
On hearing this, Oogursen sent for him, and entered into many
explanations with him regarding his conduct, but Kuns paid no
attention to what he said--Upon this, being grieved and distressed,
Oogursen said, “Why was I not without sons rather than have such a son
as this?”
It is said, that when a degenerate son is born in a family, good name
and character depart. When Kuns was eight years old, he made an attack
upon the Mugudh country:--the Raja of that country, Jurasindhoo, was
very powerful, with whom Kuns contended; and Jurasindhoo acknowledged
the power of Kuns, and, treating him with great deference as his
superior, gave him two daughters in marriage, whom Kuns brought with
him to Muttra, and began to increase his enmity against Oogursen. One
day he said in a fit of rage to his father, “Give up calling on the
name of Ram, and offer up your secret prayers to Muhadeo”--_the father
replied_, “Ram is my lord and the dispeller of my griefs; if I do not
worship him, how shall I as a sinful man cross over the sea of the
world”--Hearing this, Kuns was enraged, and having seized his father
took possession of the whole government, and issued a proclamation in
the city, that no one should be allowed to offer up sacrifices or
gifts, or say prayers, or call upon the name of Ram--Such great
tyranny prevailed, that the Cow and Brahmin, and the worshipper of
Vishnù began to suffer affliction, and the earth to perish from
excessive burdens. When Kuns had taken possession of the government of
all the Rajas, he went one day with his army to attack the Raja
Indrù--Upon this occasion, a minister said to him, “O great king! the
country of Indrù cannot be obtained without prayer and devotion: do
not be proud on account of your strength--consider, how their pride
brought Rawun and Koombhkurun to such destruction, that not one of
their family has been left.”
Having narrated so much of the history, Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja
Pureechit,--O Raja! when this excessive tyranny was exercised upon the
earth, she (the earth) assumed the form of a cow, and went lowing into
the country of the gods--and having gone to Indrù’s court, bowing her
head, she told all her troubles--“O great king! evil spirits have
begun to commit great crimes in the world, from dread of whom Religion
and Justice have departed--and if I receive your orders, I will
abandon the world, and descend to the regions below.”--On hearing
this, Indrù, accompanied by all the gods, went to Bruhmù--Bruhmù
having heard what they said took them all to Muhadeo, who, having
heard the circumstances, went accompanied by all the gods to the
place, where Narayun was sleeping in a sea of milk. Knowing him to be
asleep, Bruhmù, Roodrù, Indrù and all the gods stood up with their
hands in a supplicating posture, and making obeisances began to sing
the praises of the Vedas--“O great and powerful king! who can describe
thy greatness? In the form of a fish you rescued the drowning
Vedas--in the shape of a tortoise you supported a hill on your
back:--being transformed into a boar, you placed the earth upon one of
your tusks; in the form of a dwarf, you circumvented the Raja Bul;
descending on the earth as Purusram, and having destroyed the
Chutrees, you gave the earth to Kusyp, the sage; descending on the
earth as Ram, you destroyed the great demon, Rawun: and whenever
devils afflict your worshippers, you come to their assistance.--O
lord! the earth, much distressed by the tyranny of Kunsù, is calling
out to thee--be pleased to take her case quickly into consideration,
and having destroyed all demons, give pleasure to the good.”
The gods continued thus singing the excellencies of Narayun, when
there was a voice from Heaven--Bruhmù explained to all the gods, that
the voice they had just heard instructed them all, both gods and
goddesses to go to Brujmundul, and to be born in the city of Muttra:
hereafter Vishnù, assuming four shapes, will descend upon the earth
in the house of Basoodeo, and the womb of Dewukee, and by his childish
sports will give pleasure to Nund and Jusodha--When Bruhmù had given
this explanation, the gods, sages, heavenly musicians and singers were
all, together with their wives, born upon the earth, and came to
Brujmundul; they called themselves of the family of Yudoo, and
cowherds, and the female guardians of the four Vedas went to Bruhmù,
and said, “We too will descend upon the earth as cowherdesses, and
attend upon Basoodeo”--Saying this, they also came to Bruj, and called
themselves cowherdesses. When all the gods had arrived at Muttra,
Vishnù began to meditate in the sea of milk, that Luchmun should
first be Bulram, afterwards he (Vishnù) should be named Basoodeo;
Bhurut should be Purdomun; Suttroogun should be Anooroodrù, and Seeta
should descend on the earth as Rookmunee.