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SHREE SHOOKDEO, the sage, said,--O lord of the earth! having made various speeches of this kind, and striking his arms in preparation for the contest, Chanoor opposed himself to Krishnù, and Moostuk encountered Bulram Jee, and both parties began to wrestle. They joined head to head, arm to arm, eye to eye, and leapt about laying hold of each other's feet, and entwining themselves round each other's bodies, hugged and shook each other.
The spectators said to each other, "Brothers! great cruelty is being perpetrated at this meeting; what comparison is there between these beautiful children, and those strong wrestlers, (or what chance have these beautiful children with those strong wrestlers?) If we prohibit the wrestling, Kuns will be angry; and if we do not, our character for justice will be forfeited. It is not proper for us to stay here as spectators, since we have no power to act."
O great king! whilst the spectators were carrying on this conversation, Krishnù and Bulram were contending with the wrestlers. At length the two brothers threw their adversaries and killed them. On their death all the other wrestlers rushed upon them; but Krishnù destroyed them also in a second. At this time the worshippers of Huri were rejoiced,
and playing upon musical instruments, raised shouts of victory; and the gods, seated in their chariots in the firmament, celebrated the praises of Krishnù, and rained flowers. Kuns being greatly afflicted, restless and enraged, said to his attendants, "Why are you playing on musical instruments? What! is the victory of Krishnù agreeable to you?"
He afterwards added "These two children are very wanton, seize and remove them from this assembly, and also lay hold of Dewukee and Oogursen, and the treacherous Basoodeo, and bring them here. I will first destroy them, and afterwards these two children?" When Kuns had thus spoken, Krishnù, the friend of his worshippers, in an instant put all the evil spirits to death, and leapt upon a lofty platform, on which Kuns was sitting in great pride and pomp, wearing a coat of mail, and with a helmet, shield and sword. On seeing Krishnù approach, Kuns regarding him as death, stood erect, and was greatly terrified, and began to tremble violently. His secret wish was to fly, but through shame he could not; seizing his sword and shield, he commenced an attack upon Krishnù, who contrived to escape from all his attempts to wound him. And the gods, men, sages and celestial musicians, who beheld this great encounter, were alarmed, and exclaimed, "O lord! O lord! destroy this wicked sinner quickly." The fighting continued for some time on the platform. At length, Krishnù, perceiving that all the spectators were afflicted, seized Kuns by the hair, and dashed him down from the platform, and leapt down himself.
Life departed from the body of Kuns, when all the assembled people. exclaimed, "Shree Krishnù Chund has destroyed Kuns." All the gods, men and sages were delighted at hearing this exclamation.
The gods being overjoyed then began to glorify Krishnù, and to shower upon the earth heaps of flowers. In their delight they played upon the large kettle-drum, raising shouts of victory, and eulogizing Nund. The men and women of the
city of Muttra were in the highest degree pleased. And as the beautiful lotus of the forest expands into full bloom on beholding the light of the moon, in like manner the inhabitants of Muttra experienced the greatest joy on again beholding Huri.
Having narrated thus much of the history, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja Pureechit,--O incarnation of justice! on the death of Kuns, his eight brothers, who were possessed of great strength, came to fight with Krishnù, who destroyed them all. When Huri saw that not a single evil spirit was left, he dragged away the body of Kuns, and brought it to the banks of the Jumna, where the two brothers sat down and rested; and from that day, the name of that place was "The ghaut of rest."
On hearing of Kuns' death, his wives and brothers' wives came in a state of great agitation, and with lamentation and tears, to the banks of the Jumna, where the brothers were sitting and had brought the corpse. They began to look upon the face of their lord, and to call to mind the happiness he had conferred upon them, and to celebrate his many good qualities; and through excessive grief and affliction they reeled about, and suffered all the agonies of death. In the mean while Krishnù, the receptacle of compassion, taking pity on them, approached and said, "Be not grieved, mothers! but perform the last funeral offices of my uncle, Kuns. No one lives for ever; he speaks falsely, who calls any relation his own. Mothers, fathers, sons, brothers and other relations belong exclusively to none: the revolutions of birth and death constantly succeed each other. So long as a relation remains with us, we should derive pleasure from associating with him."
O great king! when Shree Krishnù Chund had given this explanation to the wives of Kuns, they rose up; and being restored to tranquillity of mind, came to the banks of the Jumna, and performed the last obsequies to the corpse of their husband, and Krishnù himself assisted in the funeral rites by lighting the pile.