CHAPTER XIX. Akrúra conveys Krishna and Ráma near to Mathurá, and leaves them: they enter the town. Insolence of Kamsa's washerman: Krishna kills him. Civility of a flower-seller: Krishna gives him his benediction. THUS, the Yádava (Akrúra), standing in the river, praised Krishna, and worshipped him with imaginary* incense and flowers. Disregarding (all) other objects, he fixed his (whole) mind upon the deity; and, having continued, for a long time, in spiritual contemplation, † he (at last,) desisted from his abstraction, conceiving he had effected the purposes of soul. Coming up from the water of the Yamuná, he went to the car; and there he beheld Ráma and Krishna, seated as before. As his looks denoted surprise, Krishna said to him: "Surely, Akrúra, you have seen some marvel in the stream of the Yamuná; for your eyes are staring, as if with astonishment." Akrúra replied: "The marvel that I have seen in the stream of the Yamuna I behold before me, even here, in a bodily shape; for he whom I have encountered in the water, Krishna, is, also, your wondrous self, of whose illustrious person the whole world is the miraculous development. § But * Mano-maya. + Brahma-bhúta. + कृतकृत्यमिवात्मानं मन्यमानो महामतिः । This is in the same stanza with what immediately follows, and should have been connected with it, in the translation. · जगदेतन्महाश्चर्यं रूपं यस्य महात्मनः । तेनाश्चर्यवरेणाहं भवता कृष्ण संगतः ॥ enough of this. Let us proceed to Mathurá. I am afraid Kamsa will be angry at our delay: such is the wretched consequence of eating the bread of another."* Thus speaking, he urged on the quick† horses; and they arrived, after sunset, at Mathurá. When they came in sight of the city, Akrúra said to Krishna and Ráma: "You must now journey on foot, whilst I proceed alone in the car. And you must not go to the house of Vasudeva; for the elder has been banished, by Kamsa, on your account." Akrúra, having thus spoken, left them, and entered the city; whilst Ráma and Krishna continued to walk along the royal road. Regarded, with pleasure, by men and women, they went along sportively, looking like two young elephants. As they roamed about, they saw a washerman § colouring clothes; and, with smiling countenances, they went and threw down some of his fine linen. The washerman was the servant of Kamsa, made insolent by his master's favour;¶ and he provoked the two lads with loud and * तत्किमेतेन मथुरां व्रजामो मधुसूदन । faùfa darfgıza qefqustusitfagna || † Váta-ramhas. + पद्मां यातं महावीर्यौ रथेनैको विशाम्यहम् | § Rajaka. From the context the word seems to denote a dyer. || venâai younfu ataifa afaradt i The lads did not "throw down some of his fine linen", but asked him for it. रुचिराणि तौ is the reading preferred by the commentator Ratnagarbha; fata, that accepted by Śridhara: and neither of them mentions that of the other. कंसस्य रजकः सोऽथ प्रसादारूढविस्मयः । Instead of प्रसादा°, some MSS. have प्रमादा.. scurrilous abuse, until Krishna struck him down, with his head to the ground, and killed him. Then, taking the clothes, they went their way, clad in yellow and blue raiment, until they came to a flower-seller's shop. The flower-seller looked at them with astonishment, and wondered who they could be, or whence they could have come. Seeing two youths so lovely, dressed in yellow and blue garments, he imagined them to be divinities descended upon earth. Being addressed by them with mouths budding like lotoses, and asked for some flowers, he placed his hands upon the ground, and touched it with his head, saying: "My lords have shown me great kindness, in coming to my house, fortunate that I am. I will pay them homage." Having thus spoken, the flower-seller, with a smiling aspect, gave them whatever choice flowers they selected, to conciliate their favour. Repeatedly prostrating himself before them, he presented them with flowers, beautiful, fragrant, and fresh. Krishna, then, being much pleased with him, gave him this blessing: "Fortune, good friend, who depends upon me, shall never forsake you. Never shall you suffer loss of vigour or loss of wealth. As long as time shall last, your descendants shall not fail. § Having long tasted various de * + प्रणम्य, which implies nothing more than a respectful inclination of the head and uplifting of the hands. + Amala. § arafganfa aq¤ a afgefa xafa: 1 This lection, Ratnagarbha's, is the one followed by the Translator. Śridhara's and that of nearly all my best MSS. begins the verse with the words यावत्त्वन्नाम । lights (on earth), you shall, finally, obtain, by calling me to recollection, a heavenly region, the consequence of my favour. Your heart shall ever be intent on righteousness; and fulness of days shall be the portion of your posterity. Your descendants shall not be subject to natural infirmities, as long as the sun shall endure."* Having thus spoken, Krishna and Ráma,† worshipped by the flower-seller, went forth from his dwelling.1 These incidents are told, with some unimportant differences, in the other accounts of Krishna's youth. * नोपसर्गादिकं दोषं युष्मत्संततिसंभवः । † Baladeva, in the original. CHAPTER XX. Krishna and Balarama meet Kubjá; she is made straight by the former: they proceed to the palace. Krishna breaks a bow intended for a trial of arms. Kamsa's orders to his servants. Public games. Krishna and his brother enter the arena: the former wrestles with Cháńúra, the latter, with Mushtika, the king's wrestlers, who are, both, killed. Krishna attacks and slays Kamsa: he and Balaráma do homage to Vasudeva and Devaki: the former praises Krishna. AS they proceeded along the high road, they saw coming (towards them) a young girl, who was crooked, carrying a pot of unguent. Krishna addressed her sportively, and said: "For whom are you carrying that unguent? Tell me, lovely maiden;* tell me truly." Spoken to as it were through affection, Kubjá, † well disposed towards Hari, replied to him also mirthfully, being smitten by his appearance: "Know you not, beloved, that I am the servant of Kamsa, and appointed, crooked as I am, to prepare his perfumes? Unguent ground by any other he does not approve of: hence I am enriched through his liberal rewards." Then said Krishna: "Fair-faced damsel, give us of this unguent, * Indivara-lochaná. No proper name, here and near the top of the next page, but "the deformed girl". The word kubjá is rendered "crooked", above. * कान्त कस्मान्न जानासि कंसेनाभिनियोजिताम् । In the The name of the damsel, we are thus told, was Naikavakrá. Bhagavata-purána, X., Prior Section, XLII., 3, her name appears as Trivakrá. She was so called, the commentator Sridhara remarks, because triply deformed,-namely, in the neck, in the chest, and in the waist. |