Having proceeded thus far in the narration, Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—O great king! Shree Krishnù Chund Jee, having heard this suggestion, went to Koorchetrù, the country about Delhi, where the Kouruvùs and Panduvùs were carrying on a great war; and Bulram Jee went forth on pilgrimage; whilst engaged in visiting the places of pilgrimage Buldeo arrived at Neemkhar; he there beheld that on one side holy men and sages were engaged in sacrifices; and on another side in an assembly of sages and holy Soot Jee, seated on a throne, was reading histories. On beholding Bulram, Sounuk and all the sages, and saints rose up and made obeisance, and Soot Jee remained looking at him, seated on a cushion on the throne.
O great king! on Soot Jee’s not rising, Bulram Jee said to Sounuk and all the sages, and saints, “Who has made this fool a speaker, and given him the seat of Byas? A speaker should be religious, a man of discrimination and of wisdom; this man is without good qualities, avaricious and proud; again, it is necessary, that he should be free from covetousness, and be virtuous; this man is very greedy and selfish. The seat of Byas does not become one, who is devoid of intellect, and judgment. It would not much matter, if we were to kill him; but we must have him removed hence.” On hearing this Sounuk and all the great sages and saints, said most submissively, “O great king! you are brave, resolute, acquainted with all observances and usages; whilst this man is a coward, irresolute, without discretion, proud and without intelligence, be pleased to forgive his fault, that he is sitting upon the cushion of Byas, and because Bruhmù has placed him here for the business of the sacrifice; the fool was puffed up with pride, because he was seated, and did not rise to make a salutation to you. This, O lord! is his fault, he has committed an error, but is a good man; it would be a sin to kill Soot Jee, no one in the world would call it a good act; what you have said to him will not be without advantage. Think of this in your mind.”
O great king! when Bulram Jee heard these words, he took up a blade of grass, and struck Soot Jee lightly, who died from the touch of it. On beholding this act, Sounuk and all the sages, uttering expressions of grief, and being very sad, said, “O great king! what was to be, has come to pass, but be pleased now to favor us by removing our anxiety.” Bulram replied, “Tell me what your desire is, and I will satisfy it.” The sages said, “O great king! let there be no interruption in the performance of our sacrifice, this is our desire, be pleased to fulfil it, and gain celebrity in the world.” When the sages had thus spoken, Bulram Jee, acquainted with the secrets of the heart, caused Soot Jee’s son to be sent for; and having seated him on the cushion of Byas, said, “He will be more eloquent than his father, and I have conferred undying dignity upon him, and made him long lived, perform your sacrifice now, free from all anxiety.”
CHAPTER LXXIX.
Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—O great king! when Sounuk and all the saints and sages having received Bulram Jee’s order; and, being highly delighted, began to perform sacrifice, a demon, named Jalub, the son of Lub, came; and, having collected masses of clouds, thundering and sending forth a very terrible and black storm, began to rain down from the sky blood and excrement, and urine and commit many acts of violence.
O great king! when Buldeo Jee beheld this tyranny on the part of the demon, he summoned his plough and wooden pestle; they came, and were ready; then Buldeo in great wrath, having laid hold of Jalub with his plough, struck him a blow on the head with his wooden pestle with such force that his head was split, and his soul escaped; there was a stream of blood on the spot; his eyes came out of their sockets, and his hair was dyed with blood. The sages, being very much pleased at the death of Jalub, performed adoration to Buldeo Jee, and glorifying him greatly, offered presents. Bulram, the abode of happiness, after this departed thence, and proceeded on his pilgrimage.
O great king! having visited all holy places of pilgrimage, and made a circuit of the earth, he arrived at the country about Delhi, where Doorjodhun and Bheemsen were carrying on a great war; and Shree Krishnù Chund and great Rajas, together with the descendants of Pandoo, were standing looking on. On Bulram Jee’s arrival, the two heroes, Doorjodhun and Bheemsen, made him a salutation; the one regarding him as his spiritual preceptor, the other as his brother. When, O great king! Buldeo Jee saw them fighting, he said, “Both of you are powerful, brave warriors; O resolute heroes! refrain now from war, preserve the progeny of Kooroo and Pandoo; brothers, friends, have all been exterminated.” Both said, when they heard this, bowing their heads, “We cannot now give up fighting.” Then Doorjodhun said, “O divine preceptor! I will not speak falsely in your presence; be pleased to listen with careful attention to what I am about to say. This great war, which is now being carried on, in which people have been killed, and will be killed, is carried on by the advice of your brother, Shree Krishnù Chund Jee. These poor helpless creatures, who are now fighting, are as much under the power of Huri, as a wooden puppet is in the power of a juggler, who can make it move in any direction he pleases. It was not right in him to assist the Panduvùs, and act with such enmity towards us; he has caused the shoulder of Doosasun to be torn from its socket by Bheem, and has caused me to be wounded in the thigh by a club. What more need I now say to you? Whatever Huri may wish will now be done, this every one knows.” When Doorjodhun had thus spoken, Bulram Jee approached Shree Krishnù Chund, having first said to Doorjodhun, “You, of course, have not practised any stratagem or treachery to cause violence?” And he said to his brother, “What have you done in causing this war to be waged, and Doosasun’s shoulder to be torn from its socket, and Doorjodhun’s thigh to be wounded? This is not a custom of fair fighting, that a powerful man should pluck out another’s shoulder from the socket, or direct weapons, and aim below the loins. It is a fair fight when one challenges the other, and fights opposite him.” Shree Krishnù Chund replied, “O brother! you do not know the circumstances; these Kouruvùs are very unjust and tyrannical, their tyranny is beyond description, they first, at the suggestion of Doosasun, Shugoon and Bhugdunt, cheated at play, and won every thing belonging to Raja Joodisthur. Doosasun laid hold of Dropudee by the hand, and for that reason Bheemsen pulled his arm out of the socket. Dhoorjodhun, in the midst of the court, told Dropudee to sit upon his thigh; and for this reason his thigh was wounded.” Shree Krishnù Chund proceeded to say, “Brother! you do not know what injustice the Kouruvùs have shown towards the Panduvùs, and I cannot describe it; the fire of this war will not, therefore, be now extinguished, do not attempt any remedy.”
When Krishnù, O great king! had thus spoken, Bulram Jee came from the country in the neighbourhood of Delhi to the city of Dwarka; and, having an interview with Rajas Oogursen and Soorsen, began to say to them with joined hands, “O great kings! through your excellence and glory I have made a pilgrimage to all holy places; but I have been guilty of a fault.” Raja Oogursen said, “What fault?” Bulram Jee replied, “O great king! having gone to Neemkhar, I killed Soot Jee, the sin of whose murder attaches to me, with your permission I will now go again to Neemkhar; and, having seen the sacrifice, and bathed at the holy place, will obliterate the sin of the murder; after that I will give food to brahmins and give an entertainment to all persons of my own caste, in order that I may obtain renown in the world.” Raja Oogursen consented, and told him to proceed on his journey, and return to him.
O great king! having obtained the Raja’s leave, Bulram Jee, accompanied by several of the descendants of Judoo, went to Neemkhar; and having bathed and offered gifts, was purified, and returned. Afterwards, having sent for his family priest, and caused burnt offerings to be offered up to the gods, he fed and entertained brahmins, and his own caste; and, having observed all the customs usual in the world, was made clean.
Having recited thus much of the history, Shree Shookdeo Jee said, O great king! whoever shall hear this history with attention; all his sins shall be annihilated.