Again Shookdeo Jee began to say to the Raja Pureechit,--O Raja! I
will now narrate how Huri came into the womb, and how Bruhmù and the
other gods sung the praises of the fœtus, and how Dewee took Buldeo
Jee to Gokool--One day the Raja Kuns came and sat in his court, and
having summoned all his demons said to them, “All the gods have been
born upon the earth, and amongst them Krishnù will also make his
descent. Narud, the sage, has explained this secret to me; for this
reason, it is right, that you should go, and utterly destroy all the
family of Judoo, so that not one of them may be left alive.”
Having obtained this order, all made their obeisance and departed, and
after coming to the city, searching for and seizing the members of the
family of Judoo, they began to bind them,--and whether they were
eating, drinking, standing, sitting, asleep, awake, or going to and
fro from place to place, they did not let go a single one; and having
surrounded them, they brought them into one place, and put them all to
death by burning, drowning, dashing them against stones, and other
tortures.--In this manner, all the devils both great and small,
assuming various frightful shapes, began to search every city,
village, lane, and house for the members of the family of Judoo, and
to destroy them; and the family of Judoo being distressed, and
abandoning their country, fled, taking only their lives with them. All
this time, all the other wives of Basoodeo came with Rohnee from
Muttra to Gokool, where Basoodeo’s chief friend, Nund Jee was
dwelling, who received them with great affection, and restored them to
confidence, and they dwelt in his house with great delight. When Kuns
began thus to vex the gods, and to commit great crimes, Vishnù
created an illusive form from his eyes, which, joining its hands, came
before him. Vishnù said to it, “Go thou now, and make a descent into
the city of Muttra, where the demon Kuns is causing distress to my
worshippers, and Kusyp and Adit, that is, Jusodha and Dewukee, have
gone; Kuns has closely confined them, and put six of their children to
death; the seventh in the womb now is Luchman Jee, whom having taken
from the womb of Dewukee, and carried to Gokool, place in such a
manner in the womb of Rohnee, that no devil may know of it, and all
the people of that part of the country will celebrate your praises.”
Having thus instructed the illusive form, Shree Narayun said, “Having
first gone, and completed this work, be born in the house of Nund, and
afterwards in that of Basoodeo; I also will come to Nund’s house.” On
hearing this, the illusive form came quickly to Muttra, and entered
the house of Basoodeo, in the form of Mohnee. The fœtus she took away
secretly, she went and gave to Rohnee; all people thought it her first
pregnancy--Bhugwan was born from Rohnee.
In this manner on the fourteenth of the light part of the month Sawun,
on a Wednesday, Buldeo Jee was born in Gokool; and the illusion caused
Basoodeo and Dewukee to dream, that she had carried away their child
from the womb of Dewukee, and given it to Rohnee, and told them not to
be at all anxious. On hearing this in their dream, Basoodeo and
Dewukee awoke from sleep, and began to say to each other, “Bhugwan has
done well in this, but we must now inform Kuns of the circumstance;
otherwise, there is no knowing what pain he may inflict on us
hereafter.” Thinking thus, they informed their guards, who went and
said to Kuns, “O great king! Dewukee has miscarried; no child has been
born.” On hearing this Kuns said in alarm, “Be very careful this time,
because I have a dread of the eighth pregnancy, which the voice from
heaven spoke of.” Having narrated thus much, Shree Shookdeo Jee said,
Raja! Buldeo Jee having thus appeared, when Shree Krishnù came into
the womb of Dewukee, the illusion went and took up its abode in the
womb of Jusodha, the wife of Nund. Both were pregnant, when Dewukee
during a festival went to the Jumna to bathe; by chance Jusodha came,
and met her there--They began to talk of their mutual troubles:
suddenly, Jusodha said to Dewukee, “I will keep your child, and give
you mine.” After this conversation, they both returned to their
respective homes. Afterwards, when Kuns learnt that Dewukee was
pregnant with her eighth child, he surrounded Basoodeo’s house; he
placed guards of devils on all four sides, and having sent for
Basoodeo, said to him, “Do not deceive me this time, bring your child
to me; because on a former occasion I believed what you said.” Having
thus spoken, he placed fetters and handcuffs on Basoodeo and Dewukee;
and having shut them up in one room, placing locks upon locks to
prevent access, Kuns came to his own house, and fasting through fear
went to sleep; and again very early in the morning went to the place,
where Basoodeo and Dewukee were. Seeing that the pregnancy was clearly
manifest, he exclaimed, “In this cave of death, my destruction is
contained; I could kill the mother, but I am afraid of the infamy
which would attach to me from the act, because it would not be right
for me, who am so powerful, to kill a woman--well, I will destroy her
son.” Saying this, and coming outside, he placed as guards elephants,
lions, dogs, and his own powerful warriors--and he himself watched
constantly--but did not obtain a moment’s ease. Wherever he looked, he
beheld during the eight puhurs and sixty-four ghurees Krishnù in the
form of death, from dread of which, he spent every night and day in
most anxious thought. This was the state of Kuns; while Basoodeo and
Dewukee in great affliction, the time for the birth having arrived,
were propitiating Shree Krishnù, when Bhugwan came, and caused them
to dream, and banished all their care by telling them, that he would
soon be born, and put an end to all their anxiety, and told them not
to indulge in regrets. On hearing this, Basoodeo and Dewukee awoke. At
this time Bruhmù, Roodrù, Indrù and all the gods, having left their
chariots in mid air, and being invisible, came to Basoodeo’s house,
and joining their hands, and singing the Vedas, they began to
celebrate the praises of the child in the womb. At which time, no one
saw them, but all heard the musical sounds of the singing of the
Vedas. All the guards were amazed at this strange circumstance, and
Basoodeo and Dewukee were certain, that Bhugwan would quickly put an
end to their troubles.