Shree Shookdeo Jee said,--O great king! on one occasion all the
sages and saints were sitting on the banks of the Suruswutee engaged
in devout austerities and religious sacrifice, when one of them asked
the others to do him the favour to say, which was greatest of the
three divinities, Bruhmù, Vishnù or Guneshù. Upon this one said
Shivù; another, Vishnù; and a third, Bruhmù; but they did not all
agree in pointing out one of the three as the greatest. Then several
great saints and sages said, “We will not be satisfied with any
opinions thus expressed; but if any one will go and make trial of
these three deities, and pronounce one of them to be virtue, religion
and justice personified, we will believe what he says to be true.”
They all assented to this proposal, and directed Bhrigoo, the son of
Bruhmù, to make trial of the three deities and return. When Bhrigoo,
the sage, had obtained the order, he went first to the world of
Bruhmù, and sat in silence in Bruhmù’s court; he did not make any
salutation, nor did he offer praises, nor go round to the right hand
by way of adoration. When Bruhmù, O Raja! saw the impropriety of his
son’s conduct, he was very angry, and on the point of cursing him; but
abstained through a feeling of natural affection for his son. Then
Bhrigoo, having seen Bruhmù powerless through the property of
passion, rose up thence, and went to Kuelas, and remained standing at
the abode of Shivù and Parbutee. Shivù Jee rose on seeing him, and
when he extended his arms to embrace him, Bhrigoo sat down; at which
Shivù Jee was greatly enraged, and took up his trident to kill him.
Shree Parbutee then interceded very earnestly for him; and having
fallen at the feet of Muhadeo Jee explained to him, and said, “This is
your younger brother, be pleased to forgive his fault. It is said, ‘If
a child commits a fault, a holy man will not think any thing of it.’”
O great king! when Parbutee Jee had cooled the anger of Shivù by her
explanations, Bhrigoo, having seen Muhadeo Jee, absorbed in the
property of darkness, rose up and went away. He then went to Indrù’s
heaven, where Bhugwan was sleeping with Luchmee on a bed of flowers,
spread on a bedstead of gold, with curtains and covered with jewels.
On going there Bhrigoo gave Bhugwan such a kick in the breast that he
started up from sleep, when Huri saw the sage, he left Luchmee, and
came down from his couch; and fixing his eyes upon the head and feet
of Bhrigoo Jee began to rub them, and thus address him, “O chief of
the sages! be pleased to forgive my fault, I have unintentionally hurt
your soft lotus-like feet with my hard breast, be pleased not to think
of this offence of mine.” When Vishnù (the lord) had thus spoken,
Bhrigoo Jee was highly delighted, and having glorified Bhugwan took
leave and came thence to the banks of the Suruswutee, where all the
saints and sages were sitting. On his arrival Bhrigoo Jee related
every circumstance exactly as it had occurred, in his visits to the
three deities:--“Bruhmù clings to the property of passion; Muhadeo is
impregnated with the property of darkness; Vishnù is chief amongst
the virtuous; no other god is greater than he.” The doubts of the
sages disappeared on hearing this; and joy was in the minds of all.
All applauded Vishnù and established in their breasts a faith in him
not to be shaken.
Having proceeded thus far in the narrative, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to
the Raja Pureechit,--O great king! I will relate an intermediate
story, listen with attention: Raja Oogursen ruled justly and
virtuously in the city of Dwarka, and Shree Krishnù Chund and Bulram
were obedient to his orders; under the government of the Raja all were
attentive to their own duty, and carried on business with
intelligence, and lived happily and agreeably; a brahmin dwelt there
also, who was a very well disposed and virtuous man; it so happened
that one of his sons died, and he took his dead son and went to the
gate of Raja Oogursen, and began to say whatever came uppermost: “Your
subjects are oppressed by the acts of your government, and my son has
also died through your sin.”
Having, O great king! made many speeches of this kind, and left the
corpse of his son at the Raja’s gate, the brahmin came home; he
afterwards had eight sons, and in like manner left all the eight at
the Raja’s gate; when the ninth was about to be born, the brahmin went
again to the court of Raja Oogursen, and standing up in the presence
of Shree Krishnù Chund Jee, calling to mind his grief for the death
of his sons, and shedding tears began to say, “There is a curse on the
Raja and on his government, and accursed are they who minister to this
unjust tyrant; and there is a curse upon me for living in this city
had I not dwelt in the country of these sinners my sons would have
escaped, through their want of religion and virtue my sons have died,
and no one has protected them.”
He, O great king! uttered many expressions of this kind, standing up
in the court and weeping; but no one made any reply; at length Urjoon,
sitting near Shree Krishnù Chund, and hearing what was said was
perplexed in his mind, and said, “O deity! in whose presence have you
thus spoken, and why are you thus afflicted? There is no archer in
this court, who can drive away your grief; modern Rajas are selfish,
and not men, who prevent the afflictions of others, and confer
happiness on their subjects, and protect the cow and brahmin.” Urjoon
proceeded to say to the brahmin, “O divinity! go now, and remain in
your house, free from all care; when your child shall be about to be
born come to me, and I will go with you, and will not allow the child
to die.” On hearing these words, the brahmin was angry and said, “I do
not see any powerful man in this court, with exception of Shree
Krishnù, Bulram, Purdiyomun and Unroodrù, who could rescue my son
from the hand of death.” Urjoon replied, “Brahmin! thou dost not know
me, that my name is Dhununjye, I make a compact with thee, that if I
do not rescue thy son from the hand of death, I will bring from
whatever quarter I may find them thy deceased sons, and show them to
thee; and if I do not obtain them, I will burn myself in fire together
with the cow Gandeeb.”
When, O great king! Urjoon having made this compact, had thus spoken,
the brahmin was satisfied, and went to his home; afterwards when the
child was about to be born, the brahmin came to Urjoon, who rose up
and went with him, taking his bow and arrows and having gone to the
brahmin’s house, so thatched it with arrows, that even air could not
have access between the arrows, and he began to walk round the house
himself in every direction, with his bow and arrows in his hand.
Having proceeded thus far in the narrative, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to
the Raja Pureechit,--O great king! Urjoon formed many plans for saving
the child, but it was not saved. On another day he was weeping at the
time of the child’s expected birth; on that day the child did not even
breathe, but came forth dead from the womb. Urjoon having heard of the
child having come forth dead was ashamed, and went to Shree Krishnù
Chund, and the brahmin went after him; the brahmin came crying, and
began to say, “Urjoon! a curse is upon thee, and thy life for showing
thy face in the world, after having spoken falsely; O eunuch! if you
could not save my child from death, why did you make an agreement to
do so, and to bring and show me my other deceased sons, if you could
not save this one?”
On hearing these words, O great king! Urjoon rose up, and taking his
bow and arrows, went thence, to the capital of Jum to Dhurumraj, who
stood up on seeing him, and joining his hands, and eulogizing Urjoon,
said,--“O great king! for what reason have you come here?” Urjoon
replied, “I have come to take away with me the sons of a certain
brahmin.” Dhurumraj said “Those children are not here.” When Dhurumraj
had thus spoken, Urjoon departed thence, and wandered over all places,
but did not find the brahmin’s children. At length, he came to the
city of Dwarka in a state of grief and regret; and, having erected a
funeral pile, prepared to be burnt upon it with his bow and arrows
having then lighted the pile, when Urjoon was about to sit down upon
it, Shree Moorari, the destroyer of pride, came, and laid hold of his
hand, and said laughing, “Urjoon! do not burn thyself, I will fulfil
thy compact, and will bring that brahmin’s sons from whatever place
they may be in.” The lord of the three worlds having thus spoken and
ascended his chariot, went to the eastward, taking Urjoon with him;
and, having crossed the seven seas, arrived at the mountainous belt,
bounding the world. Having on arrival there descended from the
chariot, they entered a very dark cave. Then Shree Krishnù Chund Jee
gave an order to the quoit Soodursun, who, having created a light,
equal to the splendour of hundred million of suns, went in advance of
Krishnù and dispelled the great darkness from before him. Having left
the darkness they proceeded a short distance, and then they went into
water; there were great waves into which they entered, shutting their
eyes, Krishnù and Urjoon swam to the abode of the king of the serpent
race, who upholds the world.
Having opened their eyes on going there, they beheld a large, long,
broad, lofty, very elegant golden house, covered with jewels; and
there, upon the head of the king of the serpent race was an ornamented
throne, upon which, in the form of a black cloud, of an elegant shape,
with a moon-like body, eyes like the lotus, wearing a diadem and
ear-rings, dressed in yellow, with a yellow silken cloth bound on him,
having on a garland of flowers reaching to his feet, and a necklace of
pearls, the lord himself of a fascinating appearance dwelt; and
Bruhmù, Roodrù, Indrù and all the gods standing up in his presence,
were glorifying him.
O great king! having beheld this handsome figure, Urjoon and Shree
Krishnù Chund Jee went into the presence of the lord; and, having
performed obeisance, and joined their hands, mentioned all the reasons
of their journey. On hearing their speech the lord had all the
brahmin’s children brought there, and given to them; and Urjoon was
delighted at seeing and receiving them. Then the lord said, “You are
both portions of my body, behold Huri and Urjoon to whom my heart
desires; you went upon the earth to remove its burthens, and have
conferred great happiness on holy and virtuous men; you have destroyed
all the demons and evil spirits, and adjusted the affairs of gods, men
and sages; you both are parts of me; your business has been
accomplished.” Having thus spoken, Bhugwan allowed Urjoon and Shree
Krishnù Jee to take leave, who came to the city, bringing the
children with them; and the brahmin received his children; there were
rejoicings and festivities in every house.
Having recited thus much, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to Raja
Pureechit,--O great king! whoever shall hear this story, and reflect
upon it, his sons shall be prosperous.