And thus she exclaimed, “O lord! best of lovers, where have you gone, O self-willed Beharee! I am the slave of the asylum of thy feet. O sea of beneficence! have compassion on me.”
In the mean while the cowherdesses, continuing their search, came up to where she was; and throwing themselves on her neck, embraced her with the same degree of pleasure, as a man, who had lost great wealth, would experience in the midst of his losses, in recovering half of it. At length, observing that she was very much distressed, the cowherdesses, taking her with them, went in the great forest, and searched for Shree Krishnù Chund as long as the moonlight lasted. When they could not find their road in the jungle on account of the darkness, they all returned thence with a confident hope of meeting Krishnù, and came and sat down on that bank of the Jumna on which Shree Krishnù Chund had afforded them very great pleasure.
CHAPTER XXXII.
Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—O great king! all the cowherdesses, sitting on the bank of the Jumna, and intoxicated with love, began to sing the exploits and virtues of Huri: “O most beloved! since you came to Bruj, you have diffused new pleasures there. Luchmee in the hope of your protection, has come and taken up her fixed abode. We, cowherdesses, are your slaves; show compassion, and quickly take thought of us; since we have seen your elegant, dark-coloured, beautiful form, we have become your slaves without purchase. The arrows of your eyes have pierced our breasts. Beloved! in what way and manner are we not yours? Have mercy on us, as our lives are ebbing out. Lay aside relentlessness, and be pleased to present yourself soon to our sight. If your wish was to destroy us, why did you save us from the poisonous serpent, from fire and from inundation; why not have allowed us then to die? You are not merely Jusodha’s son. Bruhmù, Roodrù, Indrù and all the gods, humbling themselves before you, have brought you on the earth for the protection of the world.
“O lord of life! it is a subject of great wonder to us, whom you will preserve, if you destroy your own! Beloved! your are acquainted with the secrets of the heart; why do you not put an end to our affliction, and grant the accomplishment of our hopes! What, beloved! do you wish to display your heroism towards us weak women? What pain do we not suffer, when we behold your gentle smile, your affectionate glance, the bend of your eye-brows, the coquetry of your eyes, the undulating motion of your neck, and the splendour of your discourse? And when you used to go to the jungle to give pasture to the cows, the stones and thorns of the forest gave pain to our minds when we thought of your soft feet. You went early in the morning, and returned in the evening: but still these four puhurs appeared to us like four ages. When sitting in your presence, we gazed on your elegant form, we thought in our minds, that Bruhmù was very foolish in having formed the eye-lid, to prevent our fixed and uninterrupted gaze.”
Having told so much of the story, Shree Shookdeo Jee said, O great king! the cowherdesses, distressed at their separation from Krishnù, continued in this disconsolate manner to sing his exploits, and were worn out by their exertions in doing so; but still Beharee did not come.
At length, being utterly without hope, and giving up all expectation of living, they became quite senseless from total want of resolution; and falling down, wept so violently and with such lamentations, that all things, animate and inanimate, on hearing them, were very much afflicted.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—O great king! when Shree Krishnù Chund, who is acquainted with the secrets of the heart, knew that the cowherdesses would not survive without him, then appeared amongst them the son of Nund, just as a juggler would appear again, after having been concealed, whilst a person shut his eyes. When they saw that Huri had come, the senses of all of them were revived, just as the organs of perception are restored to animation, when life is revived in a dead man. Whilst they did not see him, their minds were in a state of agitation, as though they had all been bitten by the mind-agitating snake. Their troubles were ended on the arrival of him they loved, as creepers are revived by being sprinkled with the water of life. In the same way that the lotus appears withered at night, but revives on beholding the splendour of the sun, the large eyes of the women of Bruj were restored to animation on beholding Krishnù.
Having recited thus much, Shree Shookdeo Jee said, O great king! the cowherdesses, on seeing Shree Krishnù Chund, the root of joy, being all at once released from the sea of despondency, approached him, and were as much rejoiced, as a man, drowning in the unfathomable ocean, would be to find a shallow place. And they collected round him on all sides. Then Shree Krishnù took them with him to the place where they had first engaged in festive songs and dances. On their arrival, one of the cowherdesses took off her scarf, and spread it for Krishnù to sit down upon. As he sat down upon it, many of the cowherdesses were angry, and said, “O great king! you are very deceitful, and steal away the minds and wealth of others, but do not respect the good qualities of any one.”