Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—O great king! Shree Krishnù Jee, acquainted with the secrets of the heart; having heard Soodama’s speech, and understanding what his many wishes were, said laughingly, “Brother! what present has your wife sent for me; why do you not give it to me, but keep it pressed down under your arm?”
Having heard this, O great king! Soodama was abashed, and his spirits began to droop, when Krishnù hastily snatched the bundle of rice from under his arm; having then opened it, and eaten two handfuls of rice with the greatest avidity, when he had taken the third mouthful, Shree Rookmunee Jee laid hold of the hand of Huri and said, “O great king! you have given him two worlds, will you not keep some place for your own habitation; this seems to be a brahmin of excellent disposition and very good family, a great religious ascetic, and one who has abandoned all terrestrial objects, because he has not exulted on obtaining wealth, I know, therefore, that he looks upon gain and loss alike, rejoices not at obtaining nor sorrows at losing.” When Rookmunee Jee had thus spoken, Shree Krishnù Chund Jee said, “Beloved! this is my best friend, how can I enumerate his many excellent qualities? He remains constantly immersed in the love of me; and in comparison with that love looks upon the pleasures of the world as grass.”
Having narrated thus much, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja Pureechit,—O great king! Krishnù, having addressed many speeches and explanations to Rookmunee Jee, brought Soodama into the house; having after this entertained him with delicacies of all kinds, and given him betel, Huri took Soodama and placed him upon a bed like foam; he was fatigued and knocked up by the journey, and enjoyed a pleasant sleep upon the bed; Krishnù having then sent for Bishokurma, said, “Go now and build a very beautiful house for Soodama of gold and jewels, and place in it the eight fruits of ascetic severities, and the treasure of Kouverù, consisting of nine gems, in order that no desire of his may be unsatisfied.”
When Krishnù had thus spoken Bishokurma went and built the house instantly, and returned; having mentioned to Krishnù that he had done so, he went home; early in the morning Soodama rose, and went to take leave of Krishnù, after having bathed, and finished his religious meditations, adoration and worship, Shree Krishnù Chund Jee was at that time quite unable to speak; but remained gazing immersed in affection, with downcast eyes, and stupified, Soodama, having taken leave and made a salutation, went homewards, and on the road began to reflect, “I did well in not asking Krishnù for any thing; had I asked him he would certainly have given it, but he would have thought me greedy and avaricious, no matter, I shall be able to explain all the circumstances to my wife. Shree Krishnù Chund Jee treated me with the greatest respect and honour, and considered me as free from avarice; this is for me equal to a lakh of rupees.”
With these thoughts in his mind Soodama, O great king! came near his village, and was surprised at not perceiving either his former residence, or broken hut, but a populous city like that of Indrù’s. On seeing this, Soodama was very much grieved, and began to say, “Lord! what hast thou done? I had one affliction, and thou has given me another: what has become of my cottage, and where has my wife gone? From whom shall I enquire, and where shall I search for them?” Having thus said Soodama went to the gate, and asked the door-keeper, “Whose is this very beautiful house?” The door-keeper replied, “It belongs to Soodama, the friend of Shree Krishnù Chund.” When upon hearing this Soodama was on the point of speaking, his wife, who had seen him from the inside, came up to her husband, dressed in fine clothes and jewels, adorned from head to foot, having eaten betel, and applied perfumes, and accompanied by her female companions; falling at his feet, she threw down silken cloths for him to walk upon; and, having joined her hands, thus spoke, “Why are you standing there, come into the house, and banish all anxiety from your mind; after you left, Bishokurma came, who built this house in a second.”
O great king! when Soodama had heard his wife speak thus, he went into the house; and on seeing the great profusion of wealth, was very much dejected. The brahminee said, “Husband! people are rejoiced at obtaining riches, but you are sad, what is the reason of this? Please kindly tell me, that the perplexities of my mind may be removed?” Soodama replied, “Beloved! this wealth is very deceptive, it has deceived, is still deceiving and will continue to deceive the whole world. Krishnù has bestowed it upon me, not having confidence in my affection; when have I asked it from him, that he has given it to me? This is why my mind is sad.” The brahminee said, “Husband! you did not ask any thing from Shree Krishnù Chund Jee; but, being acquainted with the secrets of the heart, he knows the thoughts of each individual; in my mind there was a desire for wealth, which Krishnù has satisfied; do not form any other opinion in your mind upon this subject.”
Having recited thus much, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja Pureechit,—O great king! whoever shall hear and repeat this story, shall never, having come into the world, suffer any affliction; and in the end shall go to the celestial paradise.
CHAPTER LXXXII.
Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—Raja! I will now relate the story of Krishnù’s journey to the country about Delhi; listen with attention, how Shree Krishnù Chund and Bulram went to Koorchetrù to bathe on the occasion of an eclipse of the sun, accompanied by all the descendants of Judoo. The Raja said, “O great king! be pleased to recite the story; I will listen with attention.” Then Shree Shookdeo Jee said, O great king! on one occasion, having obtained intelligence of an eclipse of the sun, Shree Krishnù Chund and Buldeo Jee having gone to Raja Oogursen said, “O great king! an eclipse of the sun has, after a long interval, occurred, it will be a very virtuous act, if you go to Koorchetrù, and hold this festival there; because it is written in the Shastrùs, ‘That whoever shall offer gifts or do acts of moral or religious merit at Koorchetrù, shall be deemed a thousand fold excellent.’ ” On hearing these words, the descendants of Judoo enquired from Shree Krishnù Chund Jee, “O great king! how did Koorchetrù become so eminent a place of pilgrimage, be pleased to do us the favour to explain?” Shree Krishnù Jee replied, “Listen, Jumdugun, the sage, was very wise, given to religious meditation, a strict performer of penance and of a glorious reputation. He had three sons, the eldest of whom was Purshooram, who having abandoned the pleasures of the world, went and dwelt in Chitrùkoot, and began to perform penance in honor of Sudashivù. On the birth of his children, Jumdugun, the sage, having given up house keeping and forsaken the world, went into the forest with his wife, and began to practise devout austerity; his wife’s name was Renooka, who went one day to invite her sister, who was the wife of the Raja Suhusrajoorun; when she had given the invitation, Raja Suhusrajoorun’s wife, the sister of Renooka, indulging in pride, said laughing, ‘If sister, you can feed me and my army, give the invitation, otherwise do not give it.’ O great king! having heard this, Renooka was annoyed and rising up thence without speaking a word came home. Perceiving that she was in low spirits, Jumdugun, the sage, enquired, ‘What has happened to-day, that you are out of humour.’ Upon his making the enquiry, Renooka shedding tears, mentioned all the circumstances, as they had occurred. On hearing them, Jumdugun, the sage, said to his wife, ‘Well! go now and invite your sister with her army.’ When Renooka received her husband’s order, she went to her sister’s house and invited her. The sister said to her husband, ‘You and I, together with our army, must go to-morrow to eat our food at the house of Jumdugun, the sage.’ Having heard and assented to what his wife said he laughed and was silent. Jumdugun rose very early next morning and went to Raja Indrù, and asked for the cow Kamdhenoo, and afterwards went and invited, and brought back with him the Raja Suhusrajoorun; he came with his army, and Jumdugun Jee entertained them all with every kind of food they desired. When he and his army had eaten their food, Raja Suhusrajoorun was very much ashamed and began to say to himself, ‘Whence has he obtained the means of feeding so many people during the night, and how he has prepared the food, I cannot understand the secret of all this.’ Having thus spoken, and taken leave he went home, and despatched a brahmin, saying to him, ‘O divinity! go to the house of Jumdugun, and bring me information, by whose power he has, in one day, invited and entertained me and my army.’ On hearing these words, the brahmin went off quickly, and having made his observations came back, and said to Suhusrajoorun, ‘O great king! the cow Kamdhenoo is in his house, through whose power he has been able to invite, and entertain you in the course of a day.’ Suhusrajoorun said to the brahmin, in reply to this intelligence, ‘O divinity! go from me, and say to Jumdugun the sage, that I beg the cow Kamdhenoo from him.’ The brahmin on hearing these words, went with the message to the sage, and mentioned what Suhusrajoorun had said. The sage replied, ‘The cow does not belong to me, that I can give it, it belongs to Raja Indrù, and I cannot give it; go and tell your Raja so.’ Upon his saying this, the brahmin came, and said to Raja Suhusrajoorun, ‘O great king! the sage says that the cow Kamdhenoo is not his, but belongs to Raja Indrù; and he cannot give it to you.’ When the brahmin had thus spoken, Suhusrajoorun sent for several of his warriors, and said to them, ‘Go now, and loosen and bring here from the house of Jumdugun the cow Kamdhenoo.’ The warriors, on receiving their master’s order, went to the sage’s house; and when, after having loosened the cow, they carried it off in presence of Jumdugun, the sage ran and stopped Kamdhenoo on the road. Having received intelligence of this, Suhusrajoorun was enraged, and came and cut off the sage’s head, Kamdhenoo ran off to Indrù, and Renooka came and stood near her husband’s body, she rolled upon the ground, tearing her hair, and sat down, laying hold of his feet; she struck her breast, shedding tears; and calling tenderly upon her husband, poured forth lamentations. At that time, the guardian deities of the ten quarters trembled, when they heard the cries and weeping of Renooka; and the seat of Purshooram, shook, as he was engaged in penance, and his meditations were interrupted. On his meditations being disturbed, Purshooram, having reflected, took his axe, and came to the spot, where his father’s corpse had fallen, and where his mother was standing, striking her breast. On seeing this, Purshooram Jee became very wroth; and at the same time, Renooka explained with tears to her son all the circumstances of her husband’s slaughter. When he had heard the account, Purshooram went to where Suhusrajoorun was seated in the midst of his court, having first said to his mother, ‘Mother! I will first slay my father’s enemy, and afterwards come and take up my father’s body.’ On seeing the Raja, Purshooram Jee said angrily, ‘O pitiless, cowardly, malicious enemy of your family! you have killed my father, and brought great grief upon me.’ When having thus spoken, Purshooram seized his axe, and advanced in great wrath, the Raja confronted him with a bow and arrows. The two strong men began a mighty contest. At length, after they had fought about four hours, Purshooram Jee killed and overthrew Suhusrajoorun, whose army then attacked him, and which he also destroyed near the Raja’s body; he afterwards came thence, and performed his father’s funeral obsequies; and having comforted his mother, Purshooram Jee then offered sacrifice to Roodrù at that place; and from that time, the place has been called, and become famous as a place of holy pilgrimage, whoever goes there during an eclipse of the sun, and offers gifts, or bathes or performs penance or sacrifice, will receive a reward of a thousand fold excellence.”
Having proceeded thus far in the narrative, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja Pureechit,—O great king! on hearing this story, all the descendants of Judoo were delighted, and said to Shree Krishnù Chund Jee, “O great king! be pleased to go quickly to Koorchetrù, and do not now delay, because it is necessary to arrive there in time for the festival.” On hearing this, Shree Krishnù Chund and Bulram Jee enquired from the Raja Oogursen, “Who, O great king! will remain here to guard the city if all go to Koorchetrù?” Raja Oogursen said, “Leave Unroodrù Jee and go.” Having received the Raja’s order, and having sent for and explained to Unroodrù, Krishnù said, “Son! remain here, defend the cow and the brahmin and protect the subject, I and the Raja Jee, and all the descendants of Judoo will return, after having bathed at Koorchetrù.” Unroodrù Jee replied, “I will act according to your order.”