Shree Shookdeo said,--O great king! when Shree Krishnù was eight
years of age, he one day said to Jusodha, “Mother! I will go and take
the cows to feed; do you prevail on my father to send me with the
cowherds.” Hearing this, Jusodha spoke to Nund Jee on the subject. He
having fixed upon a lucky division of time, equal to forty-eight
minutes, sent for the cowherds’ children; and on the eighth of the
light part of the month Kartik, having caused Krishnù to perform
poojah to a cowshed, he said in a supplicating manner to the cowherds,
“Brothers! from to-day, take Ram Krishnù with you, when you take the
cows to pasture: but stay near him, and do not leave him alone in the
jungle.” Having thus said, and given them food, and marked Krishnù
and Bulram on the forehead with coagulated milk, he dismissed them in
company with all the rest. They were delighted, and went to the jungle
with the cowherds’ children and the cows. There, on beholding the
beauty of the jungle, Shree Krishnù began to say to Buldeo, “Buldeo!
this is a very pleasant, agreeable place; see, how the trees are
bending under the weight of their branches, and beasts and birds of
various kinds, sporting in every direction!”
When he had thus spoken, they ascended a high hillock, and began
waiving white cloths over their heads, to call out to the cows of
different colours, viz. black, white, yellow, purple, brown, blue. On
hearing their voices, they all came running up, lowing and panting. At
this time there was an appearance of such beauty, that it seemed as if
clouds of different colours had been collected from the four quarters.
After this, Shree Krishnù Chund having driven away the cows to feed,
and having eaten his meal with his brother, went to sleep under the
shade of a kudum tree, placing his head on the thigh of a companion.
Having awoke after some time, he said to Bulram, “Let us play this
game: let us fight together, each arranging a separate army in battle
order.” When he had thus spoken, they divided the cows and cowherds’
children into two equal portions; then gathering fruits and flowers
from the jungle and filling wallets with them, they began to play upon
different kinds of martial instruments, and engaging with each other,
to call out. They fought in this manner for some time, and then having
taken their divisions apart, they began to tend upon the cows (that
is, take them to pasture.)
At this time, one of his companions said to Buldeo Jee, “O great king!
at a short distance from this, there is a palm jungle, in which there
are fruits, equal in flavour to nectar; an evil spirit in the shape of
an ass keeps guard there.” On hearing this, Bulram Jee went into that
jungle with the cowherds’ children and began knocking down the fruits
by throwing bricks, stones, clods and sticks. Having heard the noise,
the ass, whose name was Dhenook, came braying to the spot; and on
coming up, he turned round and kicked Buldeo Jee twice on the chest:
upon which, having taken him up, Buldeo dashed him on the ground.
After rolling about, the ass again got up; and pawing the ground, and
putting his ears down, he began to go back, and continue kicking with
both hind legs. He continued fighting in this manner for some time. On
a sudden Bulram Jee having seized both his hind legs, and twisting
them round, threw him upon a high tree, from which he fell down dead:
and with him the tree fell also, broken in pieces. There was a very
loud noise in consequence of the fall of both, and all the trees of
the forest were shaken. Having beheld from a distance, Krishnù said,
“The trees have been shaken, and there has been a great noise.” A
friend of Buldeo’s came, (and said) “Come quickly Krishnù, Buldeo has
sent for you: A demon has been killed, and is lying on the ground.” On
hearing this, Shree Krishnù went also to Bulram. Then all the demons,
who were companions of Dhenook, came and attacked him. Shree Krishnù
Chund easily destroyed them all. Then the cowherds’ children being
delighted and plucking the fruit without fear, filled as many baskets
as they wished; and having brought all the cows together, they said to
Shree Krishnù and Buldeo Jee, “O great kings! it is very long since
we came here, let us now go home.” On hearing this, both brothers,
taking the cows with them, came home laughing and playing with the
cowherds’ children in the evening, and distributed the fruits they
brought throughout the whole of Brindabun. Having dismissed all their
friends and companions they went to sleep. In the morning they rose
very early, and Krishnù having called the cowherds’ children, and
giving them breakfast, taking the cows with him, went to the jungle;
and whilst feeding the cows, they came to the whirlpool where the
serpent Kalee lived--there the cowherds watered the cows in the Jumna,
and drank some water themselves. When they got up after having drank
the water, they, as well as the cows, began rolling on the ground, in
consequence of the poison. Upon this, Shree Krishnù having looked at
them with an immortal glance, (a glance like nectar,) restored them
all to life.