Shree Shookdeo Jee said,--O great king! having thus preserved them
all, Shree Krishnù Chund began to play at ball with the cowherds’
children; and where Kalee was, the water of the Jumna for the distance
of four koss boiled in consequence of poison; no beast or bird could
approach it: If any went by mistake, they were scorched by the heat,
and fell into the whirlpool; and no tree was produced on its banks.
There was a solitary, everlasting kudum tree on one shore. The Raja
enquired,--“O great king! how did that kudum tree escape?” The sage
said, On one occasion the bird of Vishnù having ambrosia in its beak,
alighted on that tree; a drop fell from its bill, and for this reason,
that tree escaped. Having proceeded thus far in the narration, Shree
Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja,--O great king! Shree Krishnù Chund Jee
having determined upon the destruction of Kalee, whilst engaged in
playing at ball, climbed up the kudum tree; and as one of his
companions threw the ball from below, it fell into the Jumna, and
Shree Krishnù jumped in at the same time. Having heard the sound of
his jumping in, Kalee began to vomit forth poison, and hissing flames
to say, “Who is this that can live so long in the whirlpool? Perhaps
the undecayable tree, not able to bear my heat, has fallen into the
water, broken in pieces; or some great beast or bird has come, the
noise of which is still heard.” Having thus said the serpent vomited
forth poison from a hundred and ten hoods, while Shree Krishnù
continued swimming. At this time, his companions, weeping and
stretching out their hands, called out; the cows with their mouths
open ran about on all sides, lowing and panting; the cowherds apart
were saying, “Krishnù come out quickly; otherwise, what answer shall
we give, if we go home without you?” They were grieved, and continued
speaking thus, when one of them went to Brindabun, and mentioned, that
Shree Krishnù had jumped into the whirlpool of Kalee. On hearing
this, Rohnee, Jusodha and Nund, with the cowherdesses and cowherds,
came running out weeping, and tumbling over each other on the way,
reached the whirlpool all together. Not seeing Shree Krishnù there,
Nund’s wife being agitated, rushed straight forward to throw herself
into the waters. The cowherdesses, interposing, laid hold of her; and
the cowherds’ children having seized Nund Jee, thus addressed
him--“Having left the great forest, we have come into this one;
nevertheless devils have vexed us exceedingly. Great good fortune has
befallen from evil spirits, (that is, Krishnù has obtained many
successes over them) now how will Huri come forth from the whirlpool?”
In the meantime, Buldeo Jee arrived there also after them, and
explained to all the inhabitants of Bruj--“The immortal Krishnù will
come forth immediately; why are you sad? I did not come with him
to-day; Huri has gone into the whirlpool without me.” Having told so
much of the story, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja Pureechit,--O
great king! whilst Bulram Jee was thus instilling confidence into all
the inhabitants of Bruj, Shree Krishnù went swimming close to Kalee,
who came, and wound himself round his whole body. Upon this Shree
Krishnù became so large, that having quitted him, Kalee came into the
jungle. When hissing, he attacked Krishnù with his hoods, he guarded
himself. Seeing that the inhabitants of Bruj were very much grieved,
Shree Krishnù, having jumped up suddenly, sat all at once on Kalee’s
head. Having the weight of three worlds, Krishnù was very heavy: he
continued dancing on the different hoods, and beat time with his foot.
Upon this, Kalee began to die from the weight, and having dashed his
hoods against the ground, put out his tongues, from which streams of
blood flowed. When all pride of his poison and strength had departed,
he thought “That the first man had descended upon the earth;
otherwise, who has such power that he could escape from my poison?”
Thinking thus, and having abandoned all hope of life, he remained
stupified with fear. The serpent’s wife then came and joining her
hands, and bowing her head, said to Shree Krishnù Chund in a
supplicating tone, “O great king! you have done well in having
destroyed the pride of this tyrannous and presumptuous creature; he
has been fortunate in having now seen you--the feet, which Bruhmù and
all the other gods contemplate, offering up prayers with devout
austerity, shine conspicuously on the head of Kalee.” Having spoken
thus, she said again, “O great king! have compassion on me, and
release Kalee; if not, destroy me also with him; because it is proper
for a wife without her husband, (that is, deprived of her husband,) to
die: and if you consider, he is not all in fault, this is the custom
of our kind, that by having milk given us to drink, our poison
increases.” Having heard this speech of the serpent’s wife, Shree
Krishnù Chund jumped down from Kalee’s head. Then Kalee, making an
obeisance and joining his hands, said, “Lord! be pleased to forgive my
offence: I, through ignorance, attacked you with my hoods; I am a
serpent of an inferior caste, whence could I have the intelligence to
recognize you?” Shree Krishnù said, “What has happened, has happened;
but do not live here any longer, go and dwell with your family in the
island of Kounuck.” On hearing this, Kalee said with fear and
trembling, “O lord of liberality! if I go there, the bird, upon which
Vishnù rides, will eat me up; from dread of which I ran off, and have
come here.”
Shree Krishnù said, “Go there now without fear; no one will say any
thing to you, after having seen the marks of my feet on your head.”
Having thus spoken, and sent for the bird of Vishnù, Shree Krishnù
Chund dissipated the fears of Kalee’s mind. Then Kalee having offered
up devotion in the manner prescribed, with perfumes, lamps and
consecrated food, and having placed many gifts before Krishnù,
joining his hands, said in a supplicatory tone, after he had obtained
permission to depart--“You have danced for four ghurees on my
forehead: Lord! remember this act of friendship.” Thus having spoken,
and made an obeisance, Kalee went with his family to the island of
Kounuck, and Shree Krishnù Chund came out of the water.