Shree Shookdeo Jee said,--Raja! I will now relate to you the history
of the marriage of Luchmuna, the daughter of Doorjodhun, how Sumboo
went to Hastinapoor, and married her. O great king! when the Raja
Doorjodhun’s daughter, Luchmuna, was marriageable, her father sent
letters of invitation to Rajas of different countries, and appointed a
day for the bride to select her own husband; having received
intelligence of the day that had been appointed, Shree Krishnù
Chund’s son, by Jamwutee, named Sumboo, came also to witness the
ceremony. On arriving there he beheld Rajas of all countries powerful,
possessed of excellent qualities, the receptacles of beauty, very
intelligent, wearing elegant dresses and jewelled ornaments, armed and
silent, standing in rows in the midst of the assemblage, and the
Kouruvus were standing in like manner behind them; musical instruments
resounded here and there outside; and inside musicians and singers
were engaged in festivities; in the centre of all the Raja’s daughter,
the beloved of her mother and father, was moving about like a pupil of
the eye, with a garland in her hand, and saying to herself, “Whom
shall I marry?”
O great king! when that sweet dispositioned girl, the abode of beauty,
carrying a garland, and blushing, came, in the course of her circling,
opposite Sumboo, she laid aside all reserve and bashfulness; and
seizing him fearlessly by the hand, and seating him in her chariot,
proceeded homewards. All the Rajas looked on in silent surprise, and
Kurun, Dron, Sulup, Bhoorisurwa, Doorjodhun and the other Kouruvùs
did not at that time say a word; afterwards, being very angry, they
began to say to each other, “See what he has done, spoiling all our
pleasure, and making a happy occasion disagreeable!” Kurun said, “It
is the constant practice of the descendants of Judoo to do acts of
violence on occasions of pleasure, and rejoicing.” Suti said, “They
are men of low caste, who have lately been exalted; since they
obtained sovereignty, they have become insolent and domineering.” On
hearing these words, all the Kouruvùs in great wrath, and seizing
their arms, rushed forth, saying, “Let us see what mighty man will
take way the girl from before us,” and they went and surrounded Sumboo
on the road. Warlike weapons were brought into play on both sides,
when at length the battle had lasted some time, and Sumboo’s
charioteer had been killed, and he himself had descended from his
chariot, they surrounded and carried him away bound, making him stand
up in the middle of the assembly, they enquired, “Where is thy mighty
power now gone?” He was ashamed at hearing this; at this time, Narud
Jee having come, said to Doorjodhun and all the Kouruvùs, “This is
Shree Krishnù’s son, by name Sumboo, do not say any thing to him,
whatever was to happen, has happened, Shree Krishnù and Bulram will
come here with an army, prepared for battle, immediately they receive
intelligence of him, whatever you have to say to him or hear from him,
say and hear it; it is not at all becoming to taunt a child, whatever
act his boyish understanding may have done.”
O great king! having thus spoken, Narud Jee took leave and proceeded
to the city of Dwarka, and went and stood in the court of the Raja
Oogursen; they all rose at seeing him and bowed their heads, and
instantly brought a seat for him. Narud Jee when seated said, “O great
king! the Kouruvùs have bound Sumboo, and have inflicted, and are
still inflicting, great pain upon him. If you wish to take thought of
him, do so now; otherwise it will be difficult for Sumboo to escape.
The Kouruvùs have become very proud, and have shown no respect or
consideration for you, they have bound the child in a manner that any
one would bind an enemy.” Raja Oogursen was very angry at hearing
this, and having summoned the descendants of Judoo, said to them,
“Take all my army and advance against Hustinapoor, and having killed
the Kouruvùs, release and bring Sumboo here.” When the army was ready
to set out on receiving the Raja’s order, Bulram Jee went to explain
to the Raja Oogursen, and said, “O great king! do not send an army
against them; with your permission, I will go and complain to them and
will have Sumboo released, and will bring him away with me; I will see
why they have bound him; unless I go, the reason of this act will not
appear.” Upon this the Raja Oogursen gave Bulram Jee permission to go
to Hustinapoor; and Buldeo Jee went from Dwarka, accompanied by
several great pundits, brahmins and by Narud, the sage, and arrived at
Hustinapoor. Bulram on his arrival, having encamped on a piece of
enclosed ground, said to Narud Jee, “O great king! we have encamped
here; please go and inform the Kouruvùs of my arrival.” On receiving
this order, Narud Jee went to the city and gave information of
Bulram’s arrival; having heard this news they all prepared to go out
and meet him. Bheekum, Kurun and Dron went together, taking handsome
cloth dresses as presents. Doorjodhun went hastily forth, saying, “My
spiritual preceptor, Sunburkhun, has come.”
Having recited thus much of the history, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to
the Raja,--O great king! all the Kouruvùs went to the enclosure where
Bulram was encamped to visit him, and offered him presents; and,
having fallen at his feet, joining their hands, eulogized him highly;
after this having applied perfume and sandal, and putting a garland of
flowers upon him, and spreading silken cloths, they conducted him, in
musical procession, to the city; they then entertained him with all
kinds of delicacies; and, sitting near him, made various enquiries, “O
great king! why have you come here?” Bulram Jee replied, “I have been
sent by the Raja Oogursen to deliver a message to you.” The Kouruvùs
said, “What message?” Buldeo Jee replied, “The Raja says, that it was
not becoming in you to do an act of enmity towards him: you were many
and he a single child; you fought with him, abandoning all
understanding and discrimination; you intentionally committed a great
injustice, and, relinquishing respect for the world, laid hold of
Krishnù’s son; you have now become very proud, and have designedly
afflicted him.”
O great king! on hearing these words the Kouruvùs said, very angrily,
“Enough! enough! Bulram Jee, do not exalt Oogursen any more, as we
will not listen to you; it is scarcely four days, since no one knew or
respected Oogursen; from the time he connected himself with us he has
obtained high rank, and has now sent us a haughty message: is he not
ashamed, considering that he obtained sovereign power sitting quietly
at Dwarka, to forget entirely his former condition, and now to say
whatever he pleases? Does he forget the day, when he used to associate
and eat with cowherds and Goojurs at Muttra? We have now reaped the
fruits of allowing him to eat with us, and forming an alliance with
him, and procuring sovereign power for him. If we had done these good
acts to a respectable man, he would have been thankful for them all
his life; some one has said truly, ‘That the friendship of a mean
person is like a wall of sand.’”
Having proceeded thus far in the narrative, Shree Shookdeo Jee
said,--O great king! discoursing much in this strain, Kurun, Dron,
Bheekum, Doorjodhun and all the Kouruvùs rose haughtily and went to
their homes. Bulram Jee laughing at what they had said, thought to
himself, “They are proud of their royal power and strength, and,
therefore speak in this strain; otherwise, would they treat with such
disrespect that Oogursen, who is the lord of Bruhmù, Roodrù and
Indrù, to whom the three bow their heads? As my name is Buldeo, I
will drown all the Kouruvùs with their city in the Ganges.”
O great king! having thus said, Buldeo Jee in great wrath laid hold of
all the Kouruvùs and their city with his plough, and took them to a
bank of the Ganges, and was on the point of drowning them, when all
the Kouruvùs came in the greatest alarm and consternation, with
joined hands, bowing their heads, and beseeching earnestly, began to
say, in a submissive tone, “O great king! forgive our fault; we have
come to you for protection, save us now, and we will do whatever you
may order, and will be always obedient to the commands of Raja
Oogursen.”
When, O great king! they had thus spoken, the wrath of Bulram Jee was
appeased, and he allowed the city to remain on the site, to which,
with his plough, he had drawn it, on the banks of the Ganges. From
that day Hustinapoor has been on the banks of the Ganges, formerly it
was not there; he afterwards released Sumboo, and Raja Doorjodhun,
having propitiated his uncle and nephews, and taken them to his house,
prepared a festive entertainment, and gave his daughter in marriage to
Sumboo according to the prescribed injunctions of the Vedas; and
presented her with a very handsome dowry.
Having recited thus much of the history, Shree Shookdeo Jee said,--O
great king; thus did Bulram Jee go to Hustinapoor, lower the pride of
the Kouruvùs, release his nephew and bring him home after his
marriage. At that time there was joy in all the city of Dwarka; and
Buldeo Jee went and explained to the Raja Oogursen all the
circumstances connected with Hustinapoor.