After having related this story, the sage said to Raja Pureechit,—O great king! on one occasion as Bikasoor, the son of Kusyp, came out of his house, desiring to perform penance, he met Narud, the sage, on the road. On seeing Narud Jee he made a salutation; and, standing before him with joined hands, enquired, with the utmost humility, “O great king! which of the three deities Bruhmù, Vishnù or Muhadeo grants boons most quickly, do me the kindness to say, in order that I may practice devout austerities in his honour?” Narud Jee replied,—“Listen Bikasoor! amongst these three deities, Muhadeo is the greatest granter of boons, he neither loves delay, nor is he easily angry. Behold! Shivù Jee, being delighted at the performance on his part of a slight penance, gave a thousand arms to Suhusrajooraun, and destroyed him, being enraged at a slight fault he had committed.”
Narud, the sage, having thus spoken went away; and Bikasoor began, when he came home, to perform severe penance and offer up sacrifice in honour of Muhadeo. In the course of seven days, he cut off with a knife, and offered as a burnt offering all the flesh of his body; on the eighth day, when he resolved to cut off his head, Bholanath came, and having laid hold of his hand said,—“I have been highly pleased with thee, ask from me whatever boon thou desirest, and I will now grant it to thee.” When Shivù Jee had thus spoken, Bikasoor, with joined hands, replied,—“Be pleased, O lord! to take compassion upon me, and now grant me this boon, that on whose head soever I may place my hand, he may be reduced to ashes instantaneously.” On his uttering these words, Muhadeo Jee granted him the boon he had asked; which when he had obtained, he went to put his hand upon Shivù’s head; Muhadeo was alarmed, and quitted his seat and fled, and the demon also ran after him, and carried on a close pursuit of Sudashivù. At length Muhadeo went in a state of very great agitation to Vishnù’s heaven; seeing, that he was greatly afflicted, Shree Moorari, the friend of his worshippers, the lord of paradise, the abode of mercy, took compassion upon him, and assuming the appearance of a brahmin went before Bikasoor and said, “O prince of demons! explain to me why you toil in pursuit of Shivù?” On hearing this question, Bikasoor explained all that had occurred, then Bhugwan said, “O chief of demons! it is very strange that an intelligent person like you should commit error, who believes any thing to be true, which this naked, mad jogee says, who eats bhang and thornapple; he constantly dwells in cemeteries, rubbing his body with ashes, and having snakes twisted round him; assuming a terrifying appearance, and accompanied by ghosts and goblins, who will believe what he says?” Shree Narayun proceeded to say, “O chief of demons! if you think that what I have said is untrue, place your hand on your own head and see.”
O great king! on hearing the lord speak thus, when Bikasoor, who was deprived of sense through the influence of the delusive power, placed his hand upon his own head, he was burnt up, and became a heap of ashes; there were musical rejoicings in the capital of Indrù on the death of the demon; and the gods, raising shouts of victory and exultation, began to rain down flowers; the celestial dancers, musicians and choristers celebrated in songs the excellent attributes of Huri, who, having at that time, greatly glorified Muhadeo, allowed him to take leave, and granted Bikasoor salvation.
Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—O great king! whosoever shall hear or recite this story, shall doubtlessly obtain beatitude by the favour of Huri and Muhadeo.
CHAPTER LXXXIX.
Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—O great king! on one occasion all the sages and saints were sitting on the banks of the Suruswutee engaged in devout austerities and religious sacrifice, when one of them asked the others to do him the favour to say, which was greatest of the three divinities, Bruhmù, Vishnù or Guneshù. Upon this one said Shivù; another, Vishnù; and a third, Bruhmù; but they did not all agree in pointing out one of the three as the greatest. Then several great saints and sages said, “We will not be satisfied with any opinions thus expressed; but if any one will go and make trial of these three deities, and pronounce one of them to be virtue, religion and justice personified, we will believe what he says to be true.” They all assented to this proposal, and directed Bhrigoo, the son of Bruhmù, to make trial of the three deities and return. When Bhrigoo, the sage, had obtained the order, he went first to the world of Bruhmù, and sat in silence in Bruhmù’s court; he did not make any salutation, nor did he offer praises, nor go round to the right hand by way of adoration. When Bruhmù, O Raja! saw the impropriety of his son’s conduct, he was very angry, and on the point of cursing him; but abstained through a feeling of natural affection for his son. Then Bhrigoo, having seen Bruhmù powerless through the property of passion, rose up thence, and went to Kuelas, and remained standing at the abode of Shivù and Parbutee. Shivù Jee rose on seeing him, and when he extended his arms to embrace him, Bhrigoo sat down; at which Shivù Jee was greatly enraged, and took up his trident to kill him. Shree Parbutee then interceded very earnestly for him; and having fallen at the feet of Muhadeo Jee explained to him, and said, “This is your younger brother, be pleased to forgive his fault. It is said, ‘If a child commits a fault, a holy man will not think any thing of it.’ ”
O great king! when Parbutee Jee had cooled the anger of Shivù by her explanations, Bhrigoo, having seen Muhadeo Jee, absorbed in the property of darkness, rose up and went away. He then went to Indrù’s heaven, where Bhugwan was sleeping with Luchmee on a bed of flowers, spread on a bedstead of gold, with curtains and covered with jewels. On going there Bhrigoo gave Bhugwan such a kick in the breast that he started up from sleep, when Huri saw the sage, he left Luchmee, and came down from his couch; and fixing his eyes upon the head and feet of Bhrigoo Jee began to rub them, and thus address him, “O chief of the sages! be pleased to forgive my fault, I have unintentionally hurt your soft lotus-like feet with my hard breast, be pleased not to think of this offence of mine.” When Vishnù (the lord) had thus spoken, Bhrigoo Jee was highly delighted, and having glorified Bhugwan took leave and came thence to the banks of the Suruswutee, where all the saints and sages were sitting. On his arrival Bhrigoo Jee related every circumstance exactly as it had occurred, in his visits to the three deities:—“Bruhmù clings to the property of passion; Muhadeo is impregnated with the property of darkness; Vishnù is chief amongst the virtuous; no other god is greater than he.” The doubts of the sages disappeared on hearing this; and joy was in the minds of all. All applauded Vishnù and established in their breasts a faith in him not to be shaken.
Having proceeded thus far in the narrative, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja Pureechit,—O great king! I will relate an intermediate story, listen with attention: Raja Oogursen ruled justly and virtuously in the city of Dwarka, and Shree Krishnù Chund and Bulram were obedient to his orders; under the government of the Raja all were attentive to their own duty, and carried on business with intelligence, and lived happily and agreeably; a brahmin dwelt there also, who was a very well disposed and virtuous man; it so happened that one of his sons died, and he took his dead son and went to the gate of Raja Oogursen, and began to say whatever came uppermost: “Your subjects are oppressed by the acts of your government, and my son has also died through your sin.”
Having, O great king! made many speeches of this kind, and left the corpse of his son at the Raja’s gate, the brahmin came home; he afterwards had eight sons, and in like manner left all the eight at the Raja’s gate; when the ninth was about to be born, the brahmin went again to the court of Raja Oogursen, and standing up in the presence of Shree Krishnù Chund Jee, calling to mind his grief for the death of his sons, and shedding tears began to say, “There is a curse on the Raja and on his government, and accursed are they who minister to this unjust tyrant; and there is a curse upon me for living in this city had I not dwelt in the country of these sinners my sons would have escaped, through their want of religion and virtue my sons have died, and no one has protected them.”
He, O great king! uttered many expressions of this kind, standing up in the court and weeping; but no one made any reply; at length Urjoon, sitting near Shree Krishnù Chund, and hearing what was said was perplexed in his mind, and said, “O deity! in whose presence have you thus spoken, and why are you thus afflicted? There is no archer in this court, who can drive away your grief; modern Rajas are selfish, and not men, who prevent the afflictions of others, and confer happiness on their subjects, and protect the cow and brahmin.” Urjoon proceeded to say to the brahmin, “O divinity! go now, and remain in your house, free from all care; when your child shall be about to be born come to me, and I will go with you, and will not allow the child to die.” On hearing these words, the brahmin was angry and said, “I do not see any powerful man in this court, with exception of Shree Krishnù, Bulram, Purdiyomun and Unroodrù, who could rescue my son from the hand of death.” Urjoon replied, “Brahmin! thou dost not know me, that my name is Dhununjye, I make a compact with thee, that if I do not rescue thy son from the hand of death, I will bring from whatever quarter I may find them thy deceased sons, and show them to thee; and if I do not obtain them, I will burn myself in fire together with the cow Gandeeb.”