Shree Shookdeo Jee said,--Raja! I will now relate the story of
Krishnù’s journey to the country about Delhi; listen with attention,
how Shree Krishnù Chund and Bulram went to Koorchetrù to bathe on
the occasion of an eclipse of the sun, accompanied by all the
descendants of Judoo. The Raja said, “O great king! be pleased to
recite the story; I will listen with attention.” Then Shree Shookdeo
Jee said, O great king! on one occasion, having obtained intelligence
of an eclipse of the sun, Shree Krishnù Chund and Buldeo Jee having
gone to Raja Oogursen said, “O great king! an eclipse of the sun has,
after a long interval, occurred, it will be a very virtuous act, if
you go to Koorchetrù, and hold this festival there; because it is
written in the Shastrùs, ‘That whoever shall offer gifts or do acts
of moral or religious merit at Koorchetrù, shall be deemed a thousand
fold excellent.’” On hearing these words, the descendants of Judoo
enquired from Shree Krishnù Chund Jee, “O great king! how did
Koorchetrù become so eminent a place of pilgrimage, be pleased to do
us the favour to explain?” Shree Krishnù Jee replied, “Listen,
Jumdugun, the sage, was very wise, given to religious meditation, a
strict performer of penance and of a glorious reputation. He had three
sons, the eldest of whom was Purshooram, who having abandoned the
pleasures of the world, went and dwelt in Chitrùkoot, and began to
perform penance in honor of Sudashivù. On the birth of his children,
Jumdugun, the sage, having given up house keeping and forsaken the
world, went into the forest with his wife, and began to practise
devout austerity; his wife’s name was Renooka, who went one day to
invite her sister, who was the wife of the Raja Suhusrajoorun; when
she had given the invitation, Raja Suhusrajoorun’s wife, the sister of
Renooka, indulging in pride, said laughing, ‘If sister, you can feed
me and my army, give the invitation, otherwise do not give it.’ O
great king! having heard this, Renooka was annoyed and rising up
thence without speaking a word came home. Perceiving that she was in
low spirits, Jumdugun, the sage, enquired, ‘What has happened to-day,
that you are out of humour.’ Upon his making the enquiry, Renooka
shedding tears, mentioned all the circumstances, as they had occurred.
On hearing them, Jumdugun, the sage, said to his wife, ‘Well! go now
and invite your sister with her army.’ When Renooka received her
husband’s order, she went to her sister’s house and invited her. The
sister said to her husband, ‘You and I, together with our army, must
go to-morrow to eat our food at the house of Jumdugun, the sage.’
Having heard and assented to what his wife said he laughed and was
silent. Jumdugun rose very early next morning and went to Raja Indrù,
and asked for the cow Kamdhenoo, and afterwards went and invited, and
brought back with him the Raja Suhusrajoorun; he came with his army,
and Jumdugun Jee entertained them all with every kind of food they
desired. When he and his army had eaten their food, Raja Suhusrajoorun
was very much ashamed and began to say to himself, ‘Whence has he
obtained the means of feeding so many people during the night, and how
he has prepared the food, I cannot understand the secret of all this.’
Having thus spoken, and taken leave he went home, and despatched a
brahmin, saying to him, ‘O divinity! go to the house of Jumdugun, and
bring me information, by whose power he has, in one day, invited and
entertained me and my army.’ On hearing these words, the brahmin went
off quickly, and having made his observations came back, and said to
Suhusrajoorun, ‘O great king! the cow Kamdhenoo is in his house,
through whose power he has been able to invite, and entertain you in
the course of a day.’ Suhusrajoorun said to the brahmin, in reply to
this intelligence, ‘O divinity! go from me, and say to Jumdugun the
sage, that I beg the cow Kamdhenoo from him.’ The brahmin on hearing
these words, went with the message to the sage, and mentioned what
Suhusrajoorun had said. The sage replied, ‘The cow does not belong to
me, that I can give it, it belongs to Raja Indrù, and I cannot give
it; go and tell your Raja so.’ Upon his saying this, the brahmin came,
and said to Raja Suhusrajoorun, ‘O great king! the sage says that the
cow Kamdhenoo is not his, but belongs to Raja Indrù; and he cannot
give it to you.’ When the brahmin had thus spoken, Suhusrajoorun sent
for several of his warriors, and said to them, ‘Go now, and loosen and
bring here from the house of Jumdugun the cow Kamdhenoo.’ The
warriors, on receiving their master’s order, went to the sage’s house;
and when, after having loosened the cow, they carried it off in
presence of Jumdugun, the sage ran and stopped Kamdhenoo on the road.
Having received intelligence of this, Suhusrajoorun was enraged, and
came and cut off the sage’s head, Kamdhenoo ran off to Indrù, and
Renooka came and stood near her husband’s body, she rolled upon the
ground, tearing her hair, and sat down, laying hold of his feet; she
struck her breast, shedding tears; and calling tenderly upon her
husband, poured forth lamentations. At that time, the guardian deities
of the ten quarters trembled, when they heard the cries and weeping of
Renooka; and the seat of Purshooram, shook, as he was engaged in
penance, and his meditations were interrupted. On his meditations
being disturbed, Purshooram, having reflected, took his axe, and came
to the spot, where his father’s corpse had fallen, and where his
mother was standing, striking her breast. On seeing this, Purshooram
Jee became very wroth; and at the same time, Renooka explained with
tears to her son all the circumstances of her husband’s slaughter.
When he had heard the account, Purshooram went to where Suhusrajoorun
was seated in the midst of his court, having first said to his mother,
‘Mother! I will first slay my father’s enemy, and afterwards come and
take up my father’s body.’ On seeing the Raja, Purshooram Jee said
angrily, ‘O pitiless, cowardly, malicious enemy of your family! you
have killed my father, and brought great grief upon me.’ When having
thus spoken, Purshooram seized his axe, and advanced in great wrath,
the Raja confronted him with a bow and arrows. The two strong men
began a mighty contest. At length, after they had fought about four
hours, Purshooram Jee killed and overthrew Suhusrajoorun, whose army
then attacked him, and which he also destroyed near the Raja’s body;
he afterwards came thence, and performed his father’s funeral
obsequies; and having comforted his mother, Purshooram Jee then
offered sacrifice to Roodrù at that place; and from that time, the
place has been called, and become famous as a place of holy
pilgrimage, whoever goes there during an eclipse of the sun, and
offers gifts, or bathes or performs penance or sacrifice, will receive
a reward of a thousand fold excellence.”
Having proceeded thus far in the narrative, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to
the Raja Pureechit,--O great king! on hearing this story, all the
descendants of Judoo were delighted, and said to Shree Krishnù Chund
Jee, “O great king! be pleased to go quickly to Koorchetrù, and do
not now delay, because it is necessary to arrive there in time for the
festival.” On hearing this, Shree Krishnù Chund and Bulram Jee
enquired from the Raja Oogursen, “Who, O great king! will remain here
to guard the city if all go to Koorchetrù?” Raja Oogursen said,
“Leave Unroodrù Jee and go.” Having received the Raja’s order, and
having sent for and explained to Unroodrù, Krishnù said, “Son!
remain here, defend the cow and the brahmin and protect the subject, I
and the Raja Jee, and all the descendants of Judoo will return, after
having bathed at Koorchetrù.” Unroodrù Jee replied, “I will act
according to your order.”
Having, O great king! left Unroodrù Jee only to guard the city,
Soorsen, Basoodeo, Oodho, Akroor, Kritbruma, and all the high and low
descendants of Judoo with their wives prepared to set out for
Koorchetrù. When the Raja Oogursen encamped outside the city with his
army, the whole party assembled together; and afterwards Shree
Krishnù Chund Jee joined them, accompanied by his brother’s wife,
eight queens, sixteen thousand eight hundred wives, and their sons and
grandsons, Raja Oogursen decamped thence on Krishnù’s arrival; and
advanced with great pomp and bustle, like Raja Indrù.
Having narrated thus much, Shree Shookdeo Jee said,--O great king!
after a pleasant and safe journey of some days, Shree Krishnù Chund
and all the descendants of Judoo arrived at Koorchetrù; and having
gone there, they all bathed during the festival; and, each, to the
utmost of his means, offered elephants, horses, ruths, palkees,
dresses, jewels, ornaments, grain or money, and afterwards they all
encamped there.
O great king! having heard of the journey of Shree Krishnù Chund and
Bulram Jee to Koorchetrù, Rajas from the four quarters came with
their families and armies, and met them. Then all the Kouruvùs and
Panduvùs came there with their relatives and their troops; at that
time Koontee and Dropudee went into the female apartments of the
descendants of Judoo, and had interviews with their wives; after this
Koontee having gone into her brother’s presence, said, “Brother! I am
very unfortunate, from the very day I was betrothed I have been
suffering affliction, you have not thought of me from the time you
gave me in marriage; and Ram Krishnù, who is the bestower of
happiness upon all, has not shown any kindness towards me.”
On hearing these words, O great king! Basoodeo Jee taking compassion
on her, said, his eyes being filled with tears, “Sister! what dost
thou say to me? I have had no control in these matters, the condition
or circumstances of fate are not known. The will of Huri is very
powerful, behold! what griefs I endured at the hands of Kuns; the
whole world has become subservient to Krishnù; behold! whatever
griefs one may suffer, the universe is put into circular motion.”
O great king! having thus spoken, and having entered into explanations
with his sister, Basoodeo Jee went to the place, where all the Rajas
were seated in the court of Raja Oogursen and Raja Doorjodhun and
other great Rajas, and the Panduvùs were doing honour to Oogursen:
“Raja! you are very fortunate in constantly beholding Shree Krishnù
Chund, and obliterating the sins of each birth; the lord, whom Shivù,
Bruhmù and all the other gods wander about seeking, continually
protects you; the Huri, whose mysteries jogees and sages, or whose
passions are under complete subjection, and saints and wise men cannot
discover, comes to receive your orders; and he, who is god of the
whole world, bows his head to you.”
Having related thus much of the history, Shree Shookdeo Jee said,--O
great king! all the Rajas having come were thus applauding Raja
Oogursen, and he, with great propriety, pleased and satisfied them
all. In the mean while, having heard of the arrival of Shree Krishnù
and Bulram Jee, Nund and Oopnund came, accompanied by their relations
and all the cowherdesses and cowherds, and their children. When they
were at leisure after bathing and offering gifts, Nund Jee went to the
place, where Basoodeo and Dewukee were living with their son, in a
state of ease and enjoyment. On seeing them, Basoodeo Jee rose and met
them; and mutually expressing and feeling affection they were as happy
as a man would be, who had found a lost thing. Basoodeo Jee then
mentioned to Nund Rae all that had transpired at Bruj formerly, how
Nund Rae Jee had brought up Shree Krishnù and Bulram.
On hearing this account, O great king! Nund Rae Jee’s eyes filled with
tears, and he remained gazing on the face of Basoodeo. At that time,
Shree Krishnù and Buldeo, having, with all becoming propriety,
performed obeisance and salutation, first to Nund and Jusodha Jee,
went afterwards and had a meeting with the cowherds’ children. The
cowherdesses came there, and gazed upon the moon-like countenance of
Huri, and delighted their partridge-like eyes (that is, their eyes,
which gazed at Krishnù, in the same manner as the eyes of the
Chukoor, or Greek partridge, gazes at the moon, of which the bird is
said to be enamoured) and received the fruit, or the greatest
enjoyment of their lives.
Having narrated thus much, Shree Shookdeo Jee said,--O great king! I
cannot describe the love displayed by Nund, Oopnund, Jusodha, the
cowherdesses, the cowherds and their children on meeting with
Basoodeo, Dewukee, Rohnee, Shree Krishnù and Bulram; it must have
been witnessed to be understood. At length, seeing that they were all
greatly agitated by their affection, Shree Krishnù Chund Jee said,
“Listen! whatever mortal shall have faith in me, shall be fearlessly
carried across the sea of existence; you have made an offering of your
bodies, minds and wealth, and have looked upon me with a never ending
affection; no one is equal to you in good fortune; not Bruhmù,
Roodrù, Indrù or any one else, whoever he be, I have not come into
the meditations of Shivù, but have dwelt with you, and constantly
increased my affection. I dwell in the body of each individual: what I
now say is incomprehensible and unfathomable, as light, water, fire,
earth and air abide in the body, so also my splendour dwells in the
human form.”
Shree Shookdeo Jee said,--O great king! when Shree Krishnù Chund had
mentioned all these mysteries, all the inhabitants of Bruj recovered
their confidence.