When Krishnù had thus explained to Nund, his confidence was restored, and joining his hands, he said, “Krishnù! if these are your sentiments, I have no power to gainsay them. I will depart, as I cannot refuse compliance with your expressed wishes.” When Nund Jee had thus spoken, Huri permitted him and the cowherds and their children to depart to Brindabun; and the two brothers remained at Muttra with some of their companions. The cowherds, who accompanied Nund were all during the whole journey, perplexed with heavy thoughts, like gamblers, who have lost every thing. Some retained their senses, but others had lost them entirely; they fell down on the road, tripping over each other. Although going to Brindabun they continued looking towards Muttra; and were greatly distressed by the pain of separation. In this state, they managed, by some means or other, to arrive at Brindabun. Hearing of their arrival, the Ranee Jusodha came running forth in a state of great perturbation; and being greatly disquieted in mind, at not seeing Bulram and Krishnù, she said to Nund Jee, “Husband! where have you lost our sons, that you have only brought back dresses and jewels? You have thrown away the gold, and kept the glass. You have foolishly rejected nectar, and taken poison. Like a blind man, obtaining possession of the philosopher’s stone, who throws it away, and afterwards strikes his forehead on hearing of its valuable qualities. You have thrown away gems of high value, (meaning Krishnù and Bulram.) You have thus lost our sons, and brought dresses and jewels instead of them. What will you do with wealth without them? O foolish husband! how can we pass life without them, whose separation from us even for a moment caused us the deepest grief? What was the state of your feelings, when they suggested separation?”
Nund Jee was much grieved at these words, and replied, with downcast looks, “It is true Krishnù gave me these dresses and jewels; but I know not who brought them here. How shall I mention what Krishnù said to me? You will also be grieved, when you hear his words. He returned to me after having killed Kuns, and made use of most unkind expressions. They have become the sons of Basoodeo; and have gone away from us, after having completely gained our affections. When I was astonished at what they said, they talked of remuneration to us for bringing them up. Do not call Huri, Nund’s son; look upon and worship him as a deity. I thought, that he was Narayun from the very first; but being under the power of delusion, regarded him as a son.”
O great king! when Nund Rae Jee had repeated truly all Shree Krishnù had said to him, Jusodha, being under the influence of delusion, at one time looked upon Krishnù as her son, and was sorrowful and disturbed in mind, and shed tears. At another time, recovering her reason, she regarded him as a deity; and meditating upon him, and celebrating with songs his excellent attributes, she dissipated the grief of her mind. And in this manner all the inhabitants of Bruj, both men and women, being deeply imbued with love for Huri, held various discourses regarding him, which I have not power to describe.
For which reason, I will mention the sports of Muttra; listen attentively. When Huldhur and Gobind came to Basoodeo and Dewukee, after having permitted Nund Rae to depart, they were delighted at seeing them, and forgot all their former griefs, as a devotee is delighted on obtaining the fruit of the penance which he has performed. Basoodeo Jee first addressed Dewukee, saying, “Krishnù and Buldeo have dwelt amongst strangers, and have ate and drank with them; and are not acquainted with the customs of their own caste. It is right, therefore, that we should send for, and consult the family priest, and act by his advice.” Dewukee assented. Basoodeo Jee then sent for Gurg, the sage, who was the family priest; and on his arrival, after having explained all the perplexities of his mind, enquired, “O great king! kindly inform us, what we ought to do.” Gurg, the sage, replied, “First of all send an invitation to all their brethren of the same caste; and afterwards admit Bulram and Krishnù to the caste, and present them with Brahminical threads.”
When the family priest had thus spoken, Basoodeo sent an invitation into the city, and invited all Brahmins, and all descendants of Judoo. They came, and were received with the greatest respect, and offered seats. Basoodeo, first of all, having gone through all the ceremonies of initiation into caste, and caused their nativities to be written, presented to the Brahmins ten thousand cows with horns of gold, backs of copper, and feet of silver, dressed out in silken cloths, which cows he had made a vow to give at the birth of Krishnù. He afterwards caused festive rejoicings to be made, and having observed all the customs and ordinances of the Vedas, bestowed Brahminical threads on Bulram and Krishnù; and, having made presents to the two brothers, sent them forth to acquire knowledge. They departed and came to the house of a learned sage and great pundit, named Sandeepun, of the city of Awuntika, who was then residing at Benares, and possessed of great knowledge; and approaching him with an obeisance, and joined hands, they said to him with great humility of manner, “O king of sages! take compassion on us, and with sincerity of mind bestow upon us the gift of knowledge.” O great king! when Shree Krishnù and Bulram Jee had made this humble address to Sandeepun, the sage, he brought them to his house in the most affectionate manner, and began to instruct them with great kindness. In a short time, having read the four Vedas, and Oopvedas, six Shastrùs, nine treatises upon Grammar, eighteen Pooranùs, and discourses upon charms, amulets, enchantments, futurity, astrology, physic, copulation, music and prosody, they became the receptacles of the fourteen sciences. After this, the two brothers said one day to their spiritual preceptor, with joined hands and great humility, “O great king! it is said, that however much a man may give in different births, and various descents upon the earth, he cannot give a sufficient recompense to those who have imparted knowledge to him: but please to direct that we should make you a present according to our power; and we will bestow it to the utmost limit of our means; and receiving your blessing return home.”
When Shree Krishnù and Bulram had thus spoken, Sandeepun, the sage, rose up, and engaged in thought and reflection returned home. He explained to his wife, “That the two children, Bulram and Krishnù, are immortal deities, and have descended upon the earth for the sake of their worshippers, and to remove the burthens of the world. I have discovered this secret by witnessing their sports; because they, who read continually in several successive births, cannot fathom the depths of sea-like knowledge, and behold they have, in this state of infancy, passed over this limitless and unfordable sea in a few days: they can accomplish whatever they wish in a single second.” The sage added, “What boon shall we ask of them, wife?”
On hearing these words, she thought for a short time and said “Go and ask them for our deceased son’s corpse; they will bring it to us, if they possess the powers of Huri.”
Having thus reflected, Sandeepun, the sage, came out of his house with his wife, into the presence of Shree Krishnù and Buldeo, and joining his hands said, in a supplicating manner, “O great king! I had a son, with whom, on a certain festival, I went, accompanied by my relations, to bathe in the sea, when we arrived there, and all having undressed began to bathe, a great wave of the sea came, in which my son was drowned, and did not come forth again. Some shark must have swallowed him, I am greatly grieved for his loss, if you desire to make me a present, as your spiritual preceptor, restore that son, and remove the affliction of my mind.”
On hearing these words, Shree Krishnù and Bulram, having made obeisance to their spiritual preceptor and his wife, and having ascended their ruth, went towards the sea for the purpose of bringing their son; and, having proceeded on their journey for some time, arrived on the shore. Seeing them approach in angry mood, the sea was alarmed, and assuming mortal shape came forth with many presents from her own element, and stood on the shore before them trembling, and greatly agitated with fear; placing her presents before them, and bowing her head, and making submissive salutations, she said with joined hands, and in a tone of supplication, “Great is my good fortune, that Krishnù has appeared to me, for what purpose have you come here?” Shree Krishnù Chund said, “My spiritual preceptor came here with his relatives to bathe, whose son you swept away with a wave; bring him here, and give him up to us. This is the purpose for which we have come.”
The sea replied, bowing her head, “I have not overwhelmed him with a wave. You are the spiritual guide of all, and lord of the universe, and are the deity under the form of Ramù. I have been very much afraid since this circumstance occurred, and have continued to live with a regard to the dignity of my character and my limits.” Huri replied, “If you did not take him off, who else did so?” The sea said, “O lord of compassion! I will explain the mystery: there is a demon, named Sunkhasoor, in the form of a shell, who dwells in me, and who exercises tyranny over all animals, moving in the water, and carries off all who come to the shore to bathe; perhaps he may have taken away your preceptor’s son. I do not know certainly that he has done so; but be pleased to come into the sea yourself and ascertain.”