Having recited thus much, Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—When she was returning, after having worshipped Dewee one of her companions said, in a state of agitation, “O beautiful Rookmunee! Huri has arrived: behold his waving banner.” Having heard this speech of her companions, and beholding the flag attached to Krishnù’s ruth, the Raja’s daughter was so overjoyed, that her body could not contain her. Placing her hand in that of her companion, she advanced amongst them all in the hope of meeting Huri, with such a fascinating look, smiling, and at such an easy, composed pace, that all description is impossible of the beauty of her appearance. The guards on seeing Shree Krishnù Chund all seemed to be deprived of sense, and stood still; and the screen of cloth, behind which Rookmunee was concealed, dropped from their hands. And on beholding the beautiful and fascinating face of Rookmunee, they were more distracted, and were so upset, that they lost all thought and recollection. She raised her eye-brow, in the form of a bow, and having shot forth the arrows of her eyes from the bowstring of her darkened eye-lashes, in the act of killing them, restored them to life.
O great king! at that time all the demons stood gazing like painted pictures; and Shree Krishnù Chund, having advanced his chariot amongst them, stopped near Rookmunee, who, on beholding her soul’s lord, was suffused with blushes; and, as she stretched out her hand to meet Krishnù, he raised her up with his left hand, and seated her on his ruth; she trembled and was greatly abashed; and, having abandoned all others, went off with Huri. Like a religious ascetic who abandons his home, and fixes his affections on the feet of Krishnù.
O great king! Rookmunee Jee obtained the fruit of all the prayers, penance, fasts and acts of charity she had performed, and forgot all her former sorrows. Her enemies seized their arms, and stood gazing at her. Krishnù carried off Rookmunee from the midst of them, just as a lion would spring amongst large troops of jackals, and seizing its prey, go off fearless and roaring. After Shree Krishnù Chund’s departure, Bulram Jee, sounding the kettle-drum, joined him with all his army.
CHAPTER LV.
Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—O great king! having gone some distance, and looking on the thoughtful and blushing Rookmunee Jee, Shree Krishnù Chund said, “O lovely creature! banish all anxiety, I will sound my shell, and dissipate your fears; and, on arrival at Dwarka, marry you according to the prescribed rites and ceremonies of the Vedas.” With these words Krishnù put his own necklace on her neck; and, seating her on his left, sounded his shell, when the attendants of Sissoopal and Joorasindhoo all started from their sleep; and it was spread abroad, throughout the whole city, that Huri had carried off Rookmunee. Rajas Sissoopal and Joorasindhoo, having heard of Rookmunee’s abduction from the guards they sent with her, were exceedingly enraged; and putting on their coats of mail and helmets, and fastening their waist-bands, and arming themselves completely, followed in quick pursuit of Krishnù with all their forces, with a view of engaging him. When they came near, poising their weapons, they exclaimed, “Why are you running away, stand and take your arms and fight? Chutrees and heroical brave men do not show their backs in the field.”
On hearing these words, O great king! the descendants of Judoo faced about, and the engagement began on both sides. The youthful Rookmunee was at that time greatly alarmed; and, covering herself with a veil, shed tears, and heaved deep sighs, looking intently on the face of her beloved, she thought to herself, “That he endured all these troubles for her sake.” Krishnù, who is acquainted with the secrets of the heart, knowing the thoughts of her mind, said, “O lovely Rookmunee! why art thou afraid? In thy very sight I will slay the army of demons, and remove the burthens of the earth, do not be at all anxious.”
Having recited thus much of the history, Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—Raja! the gods, seated at that time in their chariots in the sky, beheld the descendants of Judoo fighting with the demons, and a mighty battle raging, Krishnù stood looking on, whilst Bulram fought. Kettle-drums sounded, bards sang war-songs, panegyrists celebrated the praises of the combatants, horsemen encountered horsemen, elephant riders elephant riders, charioteers charioteers, and foot soldiers foot soldiers. In every direction heroes and brave men attacked and engaged each other; and cowards, leaving the field, ran off with their lives. The wounded stood writhing with pain, headless trunks, with swords in their hands, wandered about in every direction, and bodies were heaped upon bodies, from which a river of blood flowed; the elephants, which were lying dead here and there, appeared like islands, and their trunks like alligators. Muhadeo, accompanied by ghosts, goblins and spirits, wore a garland of heads, which he had selected; and vultures, jackals and dogs tore and fought with each other for the corpses of the slain, and, rending them in pieces, devoured them. Crows plucked out eyes from their sockets, and carried them off. At length, in sight of the gods, Bulram destroyed the army of demons, in the manner that a husbandman would reap a field. Joorasindhoo and Sissoopal, when their whole army was destroyed, took a few wounded men with them, and flying arrived and made a stand at the same place. Sissoopal, expressing great regret and shaking his head, said to Joorasindhoo, “It is not right I should live, having lost my honour, and brought disgrace on my family; with your permission, therefore, I will return to the battle, and die fighting; if not, I will take up my abode in the forest; I will become a devotee, and abandon all worldly hopes; my good name and character are lost, why should I live, and preserve life by submitting to disgrace?” Joorasindhoo replied, “O great king! you are a man of understanding and great experience; how shall I advise you? The wise do not allow themselves to be troubled by the events that occur, because another being is the disposer of good and evil; man has no power, but is under the authority of, and subservient to, another; as the juggler makes the wooden puppet dance as he pleases, so is man in the power of his Maker, who acts according to his own will, for which reason you should not be elated in prosperity, nor depressed in adversity; but look upon every thing as a dream. I advanced seventeen times to attack the city of Muttra with twenty-three complete armies, and my whole army was seventeen times slain by this Krishnù; I did not give myself any uneasiness, nor was I at all elated when on the eighteenth occasion I destroyed his forces, he ran away and climbed up a hill, which I set on fire; it is impossible to know how he escaped with life, his nature is not to be understood.” Joorasindhoo after this again said, “O great king! it is advisable for you to submit to this present crisis of your affairs. There is a saying, that if life is spared, all will go well: as it happened to me to be defeated seventeen times, and again a victory on the eighteenth occasion. Consult, therefore, your own welfare and interest, and act accordingly, and abandon obstinacy.”
When Joorasindhoo, O great king! had given this advice, Sissoopal recovered confidence, and, taking with him all his armed followers, who had escaped wounded, he accompanied Joorasindhoo in a state of great sorrow and regret, and they went thence after their defeat. And now listen to the account of what happened in the family of Sissoopal. As his mother began to prepare festive entertainments in expectation of the arrival of her son, some one sneezed in front of her, and her right eye began to palpitate; when she beheld this unfavourable omen, her forehead throbbed; and in the mean while, some one came and said to her, “Your son’s army has all been destroyed, and he has not obtained the bride, and he is running away thence to save his life.” On hearing these words, Sissoopal’s mother was greatly troubled, and became speechless.
Rookum having heard of the flight of Sissoopal and Joorasindhoo, came and sat in his court in a state of great rage and excitement; and began to say in the presence of all, “How can Krishnù escape from me? I will now go and slay him, as sure as my name is Rookum: otherwise, I will not return to Koondulpore.” O great king! having made this vow, Rookum took with him a complete army, consisting of 109,350 foot, 65,610 horse, 21,870 chariots and 21,870 elephants; and advanced to fight with Shree Krishnù Chund, and surrounded the army of the descendants of Judoo. He then said to his followers, “Do you destroy all the descendants of Judoo, and I will go on in advance, and bring Krishnù here alive and bound.”
On hearing these words, his followers began to fight with the descendants of Judoo; and he went forward in his chariot, and, on approaching Shree Krishnù Chund, called out, “O deceitful villager! what do you know of the nature and duties of government? In the same way, that in your childhood you stole milk and curds, you have come and carried off a beautiful woman; I am not a herdsman, inhabitant of Bruj.” With these words, he seized some arrows, and discharged three poisoned ones from his bow at Krishnù. Perceiving the arrows coming towards him, Shree Krishnù Chund warded them off, (or stopped them midway). Rookum discharged more arrows, with the same result on the part of Krishnù; who, having prepared and arranged his bow, let fly several arrows with such force, that the charioteers and all the horses of the chariot were destroyed; and Rookum’s bow was pierced, and fell from his hand. Huri after this cut in pieces and cast on the ground all the weapons Rookum used against him. He was exceedingly enraged, and seizing a shield and sword, leaped from his chariot, and rushed towards Shree Krishnù Chund, as a mad jackal would rush upon an elephant, or as a moth would fly into a lamp. On coming up, he attacked the chariot of Huri with a club, who immediately laid hold of and bound him, and was on the point of killing him, when Rookmunee Jee interposed, and said, “Do not kill him, he is my brother, release, lord, your servant; what can such a blind fool know, who looks upon the husband of Luchmee as a mortal. You are the first and eternal god of devotion; and have became manifest, O divine being! for the sake of your worshippers. How could this silly creature recognize you, who are celebrated as the compassionate benefactor of the poor?” Having thus spoken she added, “Good men take no thought of the faults of fools and children, as the lion pays no regard to the barking of a dog. If you kill him, my father will be afflicted; you ought not, therefore, to put him to death. Wherever your feet fall, all men live happily; it would be strange indeed, if having such a relation as you, Raja Bheekmuk should suffer grief on account of his son.”