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SHREE SHOOKDEO, the sage, said,--O great king! Shree Krishnù Chund came to Brujmundul alone, having left Bulram Jee at Muttra: and went forth and stood in front of the army of Kaljumun, a sea of beauty, the light of the world, dressed in yellow silk, wearing a scarf of the same colour, and ornamented from head to foot. On seeing him, Kaljumun began to say, "This must be Krishnù, he has all the marks mentioned by Narud, the sage, it is he who has destroyed Kuns and all evil spirits, and slaughtered the armies of Joorasindhoo." With these thoughts in his mind, Kaljumun called out, and said, "Why are you running away, Krishnù? Come here, you have now to deal with me, stand and fight. I am not Joorasindhoo nor Kuns. I will extirpate the whole race of Judoo."
Raja! having thus spoken, Kaljumun advanced alone in pursuit of Shree Krishnù Chund, leaving his whole army behind him: but that fool did not understand Krishnù's nature. Krishnù ran on, and Kaljumun followed him at a hand's distance, when he had advanced some distance, Krishnù entered a cave in a hill, where he saw a man lying asleep; having quickly put his yellow silk scarf upon him, he concealed himself apart on one side. Afterwards, Kaljumun came running
and panting to the same very dark cave; and seeing a man asleep with a yellow scarf thrown over him, thought to himself, that it was Krishnù, pretending to be asleep. O great king! thinking thus, and being angry, Kaljumun gave the sleeper a kick, and said, "O trickster! what deceit are you practising, in pretending to be sleeping at your ease like an honest man? Rise, as I intend to kill you immediately." With these words he snatched away the yellow cloth from over him. He started up; and when he cast an angry look at Kaljumun, he was burnt to ashes. At this part of the history, the Raja Pureechit said, "Explain to me, Basoodeo, who the man was, that had gone into the cave, by whose look Kaljumun was reduced to ashes, who conferred a great boon on him?" Shree Shookdeo, the sage, said,--O lord of the earth! it was Moochkoond, Manghata's son, a Chutree of the family of Ichwak, very powerful and renowned; whose fame, for destroying enemies and armies was spread over nine divisions of the earth. On one occasion, the gods, having been harassed by evil spirits, came in great alarm to Moochkoond, and said in a tone of great supplication, "O great king! evil spirits have increased greatly; we cannot escape from them, come quickly, and protect us." It has been an immemorial custom for Chutrees to assist gods, sages and saints, when their own power fails them.
On hearing these words, Moochkoond accompanied them, and began to fight with the evil spirits. The battle lasted for many ages, when the gods said to Moochkoond, "O great king! you have undergone great labour on our account; rest somewhere now, and give ease to your body. You have fought for many days; your wealth, dwelling and family are all gone, not one of your relations is left; do not therefore set foot in your own house. Go any where else you please." Moochkoond said in reply to the gods, "O lords of the earth! kindly point out to me some retired spot, where I may sleep, free from all care and anxiety, and no one awake me." The
gods were delighted at this speech, and said to Moochkoond, "O great king! go and sleep in the cave of the great white mountain. No one will awake you there: and if any one should go there by accident, and do so, he will be burnt to ashes by a single glance of your eye."
Having proceeded thus fir in the narrative, Shree Shookdeo Jee, said to the Raja,--O great king! having obtained this boon from the gods, Moochkoond went and dwelt in that cave; and therefore, Kaljumun was burnt to ashes by a glance from his eye. Shortly afterwards Krishnù, the abode of compassion, the benefactor of his worshippers, of the colour of the clouds, with a face like the moon, lotus eyes, four arms, and holding in his hand a shell, quoit, club and lotus, wearing a crown in the shape of a peacock, and ear-rings formed like the sign Capricorn, having a garland reaching to his feet, and dressed in yellow silk, appeared to Moochkoond; who, on beholding him, prostrated himself, so as to touch the ground with the eight principal parts of his body, and rising up, said with joined hands, "O lord of mercy! as you have come into this great dark cave, and by your light have dispersed the darkness, please take compassion on me; and explaining your name and nature, remove all the doubts of my mind." Shree Krishnù Chund replied, "My births, destinies and attributes are manifold, and cannot be counted by any one, whatever computations he may make. But I will explain to you the secrets of my present birth, to which listen. I have been born in the house of Basoodeo, and been named Basoodeo in consequence. And in the city of Muttra, I have destroyed Kuns and all evil spirits, and removed -the burthens of the earth. And Joorasindhoo has been defeated by me, who attacked me seventeen times with twenty-three armies. And this Kaljumun, who has been reduced to ashes by your glance had brought a mob of three crores of unclean persons to fight with me." When Krishnù had thus spoken, Moochkoond became possessed of knowledge, and said, "O great
king! your delusive power is exceedingly great; it has enchanted the whole world; and under its influence no one's understanding and senses retain their balance. All engage in schemes for the sake of happiness, and suffer calamity; as a dog, who, in gnawing a bone, sucks in his own blood, he thinks he sucks it from the bone, and looks upon calamity as a pleasure; and, O great king! whoever comes into the world, cannot, without your favour, escape from this dark well, in the form of a dwelling; I am, therefore, anxious to know how I shall be released from it." Shree Krishnù Jee; said, "Listen, Moochkoond! the case is as you have stated it: but I will explain to you a plan, by adopting which, you will obtain release. Having obtained royal authority, you have, for the sake of land, wealth and women, committed many acts of injustice, which cannot be obliterated without the performance of penance. Wherefore, go to the Northern quarter, and there practise religious austerity. On quitting your present body, you shall be born again in the house of a holy man; and afterwards obtain salvation."
When Moochkoond, O great king! heard these words, he thought the black age had come; with these thoughts in his mind, he took leave of Krishnù, having made a salutation, and circled to the right by way of adoration, and went to Budreenath. Shree Krishnù Chund having returned to Muttra, said to Bulram Jee, "I have extirpated Kaljumun, and sent Moochkoond towards Budreenath. The army, with which Kaljumun has surrounded Muttra, is immense. Come, and let us kill those impure wretches, and remove all the burthens of the earth."
Having thus spoken, Shree Krishnù Chund, accompanied by Bulram, went forth front the city of Muttra, and came to the place where the army of Kaljumun was standing in battle array; and on their arrival, they both began to fight with it. At length when, in the course of the battle, Krishnù had slaughtered all the army of the barbarians, he said to Buldeo
[paragraph continues] Jee, "Brother! let us now take all the wealth of Muttra and send it to Dwarka." Bulram Jee assented; then Shree Krishnù Chund had all the riches of Muttra brought out and laden on buffaloes, carts, camels and elephants, and sent to Dwarka.
In the mean while, Joorasindhoo made another attack upon Muttra, with twenty-three complete armies. Shree Krishnù and Bulram came out in great alarm, and showing themselves before Joorasindhoo ran off with a view of quieting the troubles of his mind. A counsellor then said to Joorasindhoo, "O great king! who is so powerful as to make a stand before your majesty? Behold the two brothers, Krishnù and Bulram, running away from dread of you, leaving their wealth and home, and escaping with uncovered feet, with their lives alone."
On hearing these words from the minister, Joorasindhoo followed them with his army, and called out, "Why are you flying from fear, stand, and do something? Why do you tremble violently, whether lying down or sitting up? Your death is at hand."
Having narrated thus much, Shree Shookdeo, the sage, said, O lord of the earth! when Shree Krishnù and Buldeo Jee fled after the manner of mortals, all Joorasindhoo's former disasters were banished from his mind; and he was rejoiced beyond description. Shree Krishnù and Bulram ran on, and ascended a hill, named Guotum, which was forty-four coss high, and stood upon the summit of it. Joorasindhoo on perceiving this, exclaimed, "Bulbhuddrù and Moorari have ascended the peak of the hill. How can they escape me now? set fire to the hill."
When Joorasindhoo had thus spoken, all the evil spirits surrounded the hill; and bringing wood and doors from the towns and villages spread them on all sides of it: and throwing old clothes upon them, saturated with ghee and oil, set fire to the whole.
When the fire rose up in a flame to the top of the hill, the two brothers contrived to take the road to Muttra, so as that no one saw them going; and the hill was burnt to ashes. Joorasindhoo then supposing that Krishnù and Bulram had been consumed by fire, together with the hill, was greatly rejoiced, and taking his whole army with him came to Muttra; and seizing the government, issued a proclamation, establishing his own authority. He pulled down all the old houses belonging to Oogursen and Basoodeo, and built new ones of his own.
Having recited thus much of the history, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja,--O great king! having thus deceived Joorasindhoo, Shree Krishnù and Bulram Jee, went and abode at Dwarka; and Joorasindhoo also departed from Muttra with all his army; and returned home rejoicing, and without fear.