O great king! when Krishnù had uttered these words, Sudashivù Jee made an obeisance; and, taking leave, went to the mountain Kuelas, accompanied by his army; and Shree Krishnù remained standing where he was; Banasoor then joining his hands and bowing his head, said, submissively,—“O lord of the poor! as you have compassionately pardoned me, be pleased now to make pure your servant’s house by coming to it, and take away Unroodrù Jee and Ookha with you.” On hearing this, Shree Beharee, the benefactor of his worshippers, taking Purdiyomun Jee with him, went to Banasoor’s abode.
O great king! Banasoor being then highly delighted, conducted Krishnù, with a warm welcome, to his house, spreading silken cloths on the road, afterwards he washed his feet and took the water with which his feet had been washed, and sipping it in his hand put it on his head. He then began to say, “The water in which his feet have been washed, so difficult to be obtained by all, I have this day obtained by the favour of Huri, and obliterated the sins of each birth, he who has drank of the water of the Ganges will, undoubtedly, obtain heaven; he who has seen the Bhageruttee has gained the whole world.”
O great king! having thus spoken and brought Unroodrù Jee and Ookha, he said in the presence of Krishnù, joining his hands, “Be pleased to forgive my fault; what was predestined has happened, I give this Ookha as a servant to you.” When he had thus spoken, Banasoor gave his daughter in marriage, according to the injunctions of the Vedas, and bestowed upon her a boundless dowry.
Having narrated thus much of the history, Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—O great king! on the marriage taking place, Shree Krishnù Chund, having restored Banasoor’s confidence, seated him upon the royal throne; and, accompanied by his grandson and grand-daughter, took leave, and sounding the large kettle-drum, went thence, with all the descendants of Judoo, to the city of Dwarka. On hearing of their arrival all the inhabitants of Dwarka went outside of the city, and escorted Krishnù in musical procession; at that time the inhabitants of the city sang songs of rejoicing, and indulged in festivities in the markets, roads, cross-roads, sheds and houses; and in the royal palace Shree Rookmunee and all the women sang songs of congratulation, and observed all the ceremonies usual on festive occasions; the gods, seated in their chariots, and raining down flowers from the sky, raised cries of victory; and joy was universally diffused throughout the city, both inside each house and outside. Bulram, the abode of happiness, and Shree Krishnù Chund, the root of joy, having then allowed all the descendants of Judoo to take leave, went to live at their ease and happily at the royal palace, taking Unroodrù and Ookha with them; the wives of Krishnù were delighted at beholding Ookha; when she was brought into the palace, her mother-in-law gave her a blessing, and clasped her into her bosom; and being highly pleased at seeing her, adorned her with ornaments.
CHAPTER LXV.
Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—O great king! Raja Nurug, of the family of Ishwak, was very intelligent, liberal, religious and brave; he made innumerable presents of cows; it would be as easy to count the grains of sand of the Ganges, the drops of rain in the month of Bhador, and the stars of the sky, as to reckon the number of cows Raja Nurug gave away; although he was so wise and so very liberal a Raja, he was, for a slight transgression, changed into a lizard, and dwelt in a dry well, and Shree Krishnù Chund Jee released him.
In this part of the history, the Raja Pureechit interrupted Shree Shookdeo Jee, and enquired,—“O great king! for what sin was so pious and liberal a Raja turned into a lizard, and why did he remain in a dry well, and how did Shree Krishnù Chund Jee release him? Explain these circumstances to me, that the perplexities of my mind may be removed?” Shree Shookdeo replied,—O great king! be pleased to listen with attention, and I will explain all the circumstances as they occurred. The Raja Nurug was in the constant habit of presenting gifts of cows; one day, having bathed early in the morning, and finished his religious meditations and prayers, he gave in alms a thousand cows; white, purple, black, yellow, brown and grey, with hoofs of silver, horns of gold, backs of copper, and dressed out in cloths of silk; and in addition to the cows, he gave as a present to brahmins large quantities of grain, and a great deal of money, all of which they took to their homes; on another day the Raja, in like manner, began to make a present of cows; when, unknown to the Raja, a cow that had been given away on the first day, was mixed up with the cows of the second day, which the Raja gave away with that day’s cows; a brahmin, who received it, was taking it to his house, when another brahmin, recognizing the cow as his, stopped it on the road and said, “This is my cow, I received it yesterday at the Raja’s, brother! why are you taking it away?” The brahmin replied, “I have just received this cow from the Raja, and am bringing it thence, how is it yours?” O great king! the two brahmins began thus to dispute, each claiming the cow; after disputing some time they both went to the Raja, who, having heard the statements of both, joining his hands, said, in a very submissive manner, “Let one receive from me a lakh of rupees, and let the other take the cow, or let me give the cow to the other.” Both the quarrelsome brahmins were very angry at this proposal, and said, “The cow, for which, on receiving, we pronounced a benediction, we will not give up for a crore of rupees, this is a part of our souls.” O great king! the Raja then falling at the feet of those brahmins, tried every means of coaxing and explanation, but those vindictive brahmins would not listen to what the Raja said; at length, both the brahmins went away very angry to their homes, leaving the cow, and saying to the Raja, “O great king! the cow, which you gave in alms to us, and which we received, after having extended our hands to pronounce a benediction, is not to be given up for money, if it still remain with you, without our receiving any thing, it does not signify, (or, we have no objection.)”
O great king! on the departure of the brahmins, the Raja Nurug was at first very sad, and began to say to himself, “I have unintentionally committed this act of injustice, and how will it be wiped away;” and after this he continued to perform many acts of charity, and gave many gifts. After the lapse of many days, the Raja Nurug died, the attendants of Jum took him to Dhurumraj, who, on seeing him, rising from his throne, stood up; having afterwards welcomed him, and offered him a seat, he said in the kindest manner, “O great king! your virtues are many, and sins few; what will you first receive, the reward of virtue, or the punishment of crime?” On hearing this Nurug said, joining his hands, “Do not, O lord! let my good acts pass away from your mind, I will first suffer for my sins, and endure affliction in mortal shape.” On hearing these words, Dhurumraj said to the Raja Nurug, “O great king! for the sin of having unknowingly given away a cow a second time, which you had already once given, you must become a lizard in a forest on the banks of the Goomtee, and remain in a dry well; when Shree Krishnù Chund shall descend upon the earth at the end of the Dwarpur age, he will grant you release.”
O great king! having thus spoken, Dhurumraj remained silent, and the Raja Nurug, being then transformed into a lizard, went and fell into a dry well; and feeding on animals, began to abide there; after the lapse of some ages, Shree Krishnù Chund Jee descended upon the earth at the end of the Dwarpur age; when, having enjoyed sports and diversions at Bruj, he went to Dwarka, and had sons and grandsons. A number of his sons and grandsons went together one day to the forest to hunt; and, whilst engaged in hunting, became thirsty; by chance, as they were searching for water in the forest, they came to the brink of the blind well, in which Raja Nurug, having been born as a lizard, dwelt. As one of them leaned over the well to look into it, he called out to the rest, “Brothers! come and see what a large lizard there is in this well!” they all ran to the spot on hearing this, and standing on the raised stone masonry round the mouth of the well, began to fasten their turbands and waistbands together, and suspending them in the air, tried to draw him forth, and to say to each other, “Brother! we will not go away from this place until we have drawn the lizard out of the well.”
O great king! when all their efforts with their turbands and waistbands did not succeed, they procured from the village flax, thread and grass, with which ropes are made, and thick, large thongs of leather; and letting them down the well, and fastening the lizard with them, began to pull forcibly, but the lizard was not even moved thence; then some one went to Dwarka, and said to Shree Krishnù Jee, “O great king! there is an enormous lizard inside a dry well in the forest, which all the children have fatigued themselves in trying to pull out, but it will not come forth.”