In the mean while, or after this, all the female attendants came up, and on seeing the Ranee’s ornaments in disorder, one attendant said, “Where have you been delayed so long, and what has happened to you?”
Paourekha replied, “You left me, O attendants! alone in the forest—a monkey came and gave me great annoyance, from fear of which I am even now trembling.”—On hearing this, all the attendants were alarmed and seating the Ranee immediately on her ruth, brought her home.
When ten months were completed, a son was born, at which time a violent tempest occurred, the earth began to quake, it became so dark, that day was turned into night, stars began to fall broken in fragments, the clouds to thunder, and the lightning to crack.
In this manner, on the thirteenth of the light part of the month Magh, on a Thursday, Kuns was born, on which occasion the Raja Oogursen being delighted and having sent for all the musicians of the city, caused musical entertainments to be given,—and he also sent for all the Brahmins, pundits and astrologers, and treated them with very great respect, and dignity. On their arrival, the Raja offered them seats, after receiving them with great civility. After this, the astrologers having fixed upon the lucky moment, and division of time, said to the Raja, “O lord of the earth! this child, named Kuns, who has been born in your family, shall be very powerful, and shall reign, associating devils with him, and having caused affliction to the gods, and the worshippers of Vishnù, after having obtained your kingdom, he shall die suddenly by the hand of Huri.”
Having told so much of the history, Shookdeo, the Sage, said to the Raja Pureechit,—Raja! I will now tell you the history of Dewuk, the brother of Oogursen, who had four sons, and six daughters, which six he gave in marriage to Basoodeo; the seventh was Dewukee, in consequence of whose birth, the gods were delighted; and Oogursen also had ten sons, the eldest of whom was Kuns.
From the time of his birth he was in the habit of going into the city, and violently seizing little children, and putting them to death after having shut them up in caves in the hills—Those who were grown up, he got upon their chests, and strangled them—No one could escape from this calamity—every one concealed his children—the subjects said, this Kuns is a devil, he does not belong to the family of Oogursen—Some great sinner has been born, who has brought affliction on the whole city.
On hearing this, Oogursen sent for him, and entered into many explanations with him regarding his conduct, but Kuns paid no attention to what he said—Upon this, being grieved and distressed, Oogursen said, “Why was I not without sons rather than have such a son as this?”
It is said, that when a degenerate son is born in a family, good name and character depart. When Kuns was eight years old, he made an attack upon the Mugudh country:—the Raja of that country, Jurasindhoo, was very powerful, with whom Kuns contended; and Jurasindhoo acknowledged the power of Kuns, and, treating him with great deference as his superior, gave him two daughters in marriage, whom Kuns brought with him to Muttra, and began to increase his enmity against Oogursen. One day he said in a fit of rage to his father, “Give up calling on the name of Ram, and offer up your secret prayers to Muhadeo”—the father replied, “Ram is my lord and the dispeller of my griefs; if I do not worship him, how shall I as a sinful man cross over the sea of the world”—Hearing this, Kuns was enraged, and having seized his father took possession of the whole government, and issued a proclamation in the city, that no one should be allowed to offer up sacrifices or gifts, or say prayers, or call upon the name of Ram—Such great tyranny prevailed, that the Cow and Brahmin, and the worshipper of Vishnù began to suffer affliction, and the earth to perish from excessive burdens. When Kuns had taken possession of the government of all the Rajas, he went one day with his army to attack the Raja Indrù—Upon this occasion, a minister said to him, “O great king! the country of Indrù cannot be obtained without prayer and devotion: do not be proud on account of your strength—consider, how their pride brought Rawun and Koombhkurun to such destruction, that not one of their family has been left.”
Having narrated so much of the history, Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja Pureechit,—O Raja! when this excessive tyranny was exercised upon the earth, she (the earth) assumed the form of a cow, and went lowing into the country of the gods—and having gone to Indrù’s court, bowing her head, she told all her troubles—“O great king! evil spirits have begun to commit great crimes in the world, from dread of whom Religion and Justice have departed—and if I receive your orders, I will abandon the world, and descend to the regions below.”—On hearing this, Indrù, accompanied by all the gods, went to Bruhmù—Bruhmù having heard what they said took them all to Muhadeo, who, having heard the circumstances, went accompanied by all the gods to the place, where Narayun was sleeping in a sea of milk. Knowing him to be asleep, Bruhmù, Roodrù, Indrù and all the gods stood up with their hands in a supplicating posture, and making obeisances began to sing the praises of the Vedas—“O great and powerful king! who can describe thy greatness? In the form of a fish you rescued the drowning Vedas—in the shape of a tortoise you supported a hill on your back:—being transformed into a boar, you placed the earth upon one of your tusks; in the form of a dwarf, you circumvented the Raja Bul; descending on the earth as Purusram, and having destroyed the Chutrees, you gave the earth to Kusyp, the sage; descending on the earth as Ram, you destroyed the great demon, Rawun: and whenever devils afflict your worshippers, you come to their assistance.—O lord! the earth, much distressed by the tyranny of Kunsù, is calling out to thee—be pleased to take her case quickly into consideration, and having destroyed all demons, give pleasure to the good.”
The gods continued thus singing the excellencies of Narayun, when there was a voice from Heaven—Bruhmù explained to all the gods, that the voice they had just heard instructed them all, both gods and goddesses to go to Brujmundul, and to be born in the city of Muttra: hereafter Vishnù, assuming four shapes, will descend upon the earth in the house of Basoodeo, and the womb of Dewukee, and by his childish sports will give pleasure to Nund and Jusodha—When Bruhmù had given this explanation, the gods, sages, heavenly musicians and singers were all, together with their wives, born upon the earth, and came to Brujmundul; they called themselves of the family of Yudoo, and cowherds, and the female guardians of the four Vedas went to Bruhmù, and said, “We too will descend upon the earth as cowherdesses, and attend upon Basoodeo”—Saying this, they also came to Bruj, and called themselves cowherdesses. When all the gods had arrived at Muttra, Vishnù began to meditate in the sea of milk, that Luchmun should first be Bulram, afterwards he (Vishnù) should be named Basoodeo; Bhurut should be Purdomun; Suttroogun should be Anooroodrù, and Seeta should descend on the earth as Rookmunee.