The Raja Joodisthur, O great king! was alarmed at these words and sent his two younger brothers, Nukool and Suhdeo, to confront Krishnù, having given them this instruction, “See and come and inform me what Raja is coming to attack us.” On receiving the Raja’s order Suhdeo and Nukool went to see who had come, and on their return reported to the Raja, “O lord of our lives! Huri has come.” On hearing this the Raja banished all anxiety. Raja Joodisthur, being greatly delighted, sent afterwards for Bheem and Urjoon and said to his four brothers, “Go all of you in advance to meet Krishnù and bring him here with you.”
Having received, O great king! the Raja’s order, and heard of Krishnù’s arrival, the four brothers were very much pleased and taking with them the necessary presents and materials for offering adoration and accompanied by learned pundits, they went forth with music playing, and singing songs to bring Krishnù in; at length, having met him with great respect and reverence, and offered presents and adoration in the manner prescribed by the Vedas, the four brothers brought Krishnù with them into the city in musical procession, spreading silken cloths on the road for him to walk upon, showering down flowers of silver and gold, sprinkling perfumes, sandal and rose-water, and presenting sweet scents, lamps and consecrated food. The Raja Joodisthur was exceedingly gratified to meet Krishnù, and considered that all his wishes in life had been accomplished. After this all persons outside and inside the city had cordial meetings, observing the usual ceremonies, and mutually interchanged civilities and kindnesses, and were in the highest degree pleased; joy was diffused every where, and Shree Krishnù Chund, by staying there, made them all happy.
CHAPTER LXXIII.
Shree Shookdeo Jee said,—O great king! one day Shree Krishnù Chund, the sea of compassion, the brother of poor and the benefactor of his worshippers, was sitting in an assembly of wise men, sages, brahmins and Chuttrees, when the Raja Joodisthur came; and, beseeching earnestly and bowing his head, said to him, with joined hands, “O lord of Shivù and Bruhmù! gods, sages, holy men and jogees constantly meditate on you; you are the unseen, invisible and impenetrable; no one understands the secrets of your nature; holy men and jogees meditate on you with profound attention; but you do not for a moment enter their minds; you appear to us at our home, and have an affection for your worshippers; the sports you engage in, Mohun, no one can comprehend; the world has been deceived by your delusive power! you behave towards us as a mortal; you look upon those as your superiors, who bear you in remembrance, O lord of the world! you are far from the proud man, and the root of the life of the speaker of truth.”
O great king! having thus spoken, Raja Joodisthur then said, “O merciful to the poor! through your compassion, all that I had in view has been accomplished, but I have still one desire.” Krishnù enquired, “What is it?” The Raja said, “O great king! it is my wish to perform a royal sacrifice, and present it as an offering to you, and thereby cross over the sea of the world.” On hearing these words Shree Krishnù Chund was delighted, and said, “Raja! you have formed a good wish, by this gods, men, saints and sages will all be gratified; this will be agreeable to all, and it is not at all difficult for you to do this; because your four brothers, Urjoon, Bheem, Nukool and Suhdeo are very renowned and powerful; there is not any one in the world now who can oppose them; first send them forth to conquer, and bring under subjection the Rajas of the ten quarters of the world, and after that perform the sacrifice at your ease.”
Raja! when Krishnù had thus spoken, the Raja Joodisthur sent for his four brothers, and giving them armies, sent them in four different directions; Suhdeo Jee went to the South, Nukool to the West, Urjoon to the North, and Bheemsen to the East. Some time after this, O great king! the four brothers, by the glorious favour of Huri, having conquered the seven islands and nine divisions of the earth, and subjugated the Rajas of the ten quarters, brought them back with them, at that time Raja Joodisthur, having joined his hands, said to Shree Krishnù Chund Jee, “O great king! through your aid this business has been accomplished; what are your orders now?” Upon this, Oodho Jee said, “O incarnation of justice! the kings of all countries have come, with exception of the Raja Joorasindhoo, of the Mugudh country, who is not under your authority; and until he shall be made subject to you, it will not be of advantage to perform the sacrifice. The Raja Joorasindhoo, the son of Jydruth, is very mighty and renowned, and liberal and just; not every one has power to oppose him.” When the Raja Joodisthur having heard this was sad; Shree Krishnù Chund said, “O great king! be not at all anxious, but give the order to my brothers, Bheem and Urjoon, and to me, and we will, either by force or stratagem, bring him here bound, or kill him.” On hearing these words, Raja Joodisthur gave the order to the two brothers; and then Huri, accompanied by the two brothers, took the road to the Mugudh country; when they had advanced some distance on their journey, Shree Krishnù Chund Jee said to Urjoon and Bheem, “Travel as brahmins, and let us kill our enemy by stratagem or force.”
O great king! having thus spoken, Shree Krishnù Chund Jee assumed the appearance of a brahmin, and Bheem and Urjoon did the same also. The three having drawn three horizontal lines across their foreheads, and taking each a book under his arm, went along assuming the same bright, handsome, elegant and well-arranged appearance, as the three properties of humanity, truth, passion and ignorance, would assume, if they put on corporeal form, or as the three times, present, past and future, would assume. At length, after some days’ journey, they arrived in the Mugudh country, and at mid-day stood at the gate of the Raja Joorasindhoo. On seeing their appearance, the gate-keepers went, and said to the Raja, “O great king! three brahmin guests (or beggars) of very splendid appearance, great pundits, and very intelligent are standing at the gate, desirous of some thing. What are your orders to us?”
O great king! at these words, Raja Joorasindhoo rose up, and came to where the brahmins were standing; and having made an obeisance to the three, conducted them with the greatest respect and deference to his house; afterwards, having seated them on a throne, he stood in their presence with joined hands, and looking at them, and reflecting said, “The beggar, who being a great Raja, comes to another man’s gate, is called a guest, you are not brahmins, but strong, powerful men of war, deceit of any kind is wrong; if a thug (or impostor) come as such, he is regarded in his proper character, and not as an honest man; the lustre of your Chutree appearance cannot be concealed: you seem to be resolute, bold, strong men. You three brothers are splendid to behold, bestowers of boons like Shivù, Bruhmù and Vishnù. This is what appears probable to me; but do you, O deities! give an explanation yourselves; whatever you may desire I will do for you, and will not swerve from my agreement. A liberal man never speaks falsely, and will not keep back his wealth, body or any thing else; I will make you any present you ask for, my children, wives, any thing I may have, and my life.”
On hearing these words, Shree Krishnù Chund Jee said, “O great king! once on a time, there was a very liberal Raja, named Hurchund, whose fame is still spread abroad in the world; on one occasion there was a famine in Raja Hurchund’s country; and in consequence of the dearth of grain vast numbers of people began to die; upon this, the Raja sold all his property, and gave food to his people; when all his country, towns and wealth were gone; and the Raja was left without any money, one evening he was sitting hungry with his family, when Biswamittrù came, and, in order to test his truth and sincerity, said, ‘O great king! give me wealth, and derive the same advantage from doing so, as you would derive from giving a daughter in marriage.’ On hearing this speech, the Raja brought out all that was in his house, and gave it him, then the holy man said, ‘O great king! my business will not be completed with this much money.’ After this the Raja sold his male and female servants, and brought the proceeds, and gave them to the sage; and having expended all his wealth, and sold all his servants, he was left without money and without servants, and only with his wives and children. The sage again said, ‘O form of justice! my business has not been accomplished by the money you have given me, to whom shall I go now, and ask for more? I do not know of any one in the world, who is wealthier, more virtuous and liberal than you are. Yes, there is a Chundal, named Soopuch, who is a vessel of wealth; if you tell me to do so, I will go and ask him for money, but I am ashamed to do so for one reason, that having begged from so liberal a Raja, what should I beg from him?’ O great king! on hearing these words, Raja Hurchund took Biswamittrù with him, and went to the house of that Chundal, and said to him, ‘Brother! keep me in pledge for a year, and fulfil his wishes for him.’ Soopuch said, ‘How will you be able to do my work and banish all pride and passion from your mind? You are a very illustrious and mighty Raja; and the service you will have to perform for me is of a low, menial kind and severe. O great king! my business is to keep watch in a cemetery, and to receive a tax on every corpse that comes there, and afterwards to watch and guard my own house; if you can do this, I will give the rupees required, and keep you in pledge.’ The Raja said, ‘Well I will serve you for a year; give him the money.’ When the Raja had thus spoken, Soopuch counted out the money to Biswamittrù, which he took away to his home; and the Raja remaining at the Chundal’s house, began to wait upon him. After some days, Raja Hurchund’s son, Roohitas, died; and his mother went with her son’s corpse into the burying place; and as she was on the point of lighting the funeral pile she had erected, the Raja came, and asked for the tax; the Ranee being displeased and grieved said, ‘Consider and reflect, O Raja! this is your son, Roohitas, and I have nothing wherewith to pay the tax, except this cloth, which I am now wearing.’ The Raja replied, ‘I have no option in the matter; I am employed on my master’s business, and if I do not do his work, my character for truth will be lost.’ O great king! when the Ranee, on hearing this, put her hand on the border of the cloth to take it off, the three worlds trembled. Upon this Bhugwan, who had observed the sincerity of the Raja and Ranee, first sent a chariot, and afterwards having appeared himself, liberated all three. O great king! when Bruhmù, having restored Roohitas to life, and seated the Raja and Ranee, together with their son, on a chariot, gave the order to proceed to the celestial paradise, Raja Hurchund joining his hands, said to Bhugwan, ‘O brother of the poor, purifying the guilty and kind to the wretched! how can I go and dwell in paradise without Soopuch?’ Having heard this speech, and knowing the Raja’s secret wishes, Huri, the benefactor of his worshippers, the sea of compassion, granted deliverance to Soopuch, together with the city in which he abode, and to the Raja, Ranee and their son. There Hurchund obtained immortality; and here for ages, his fame has been handed down.”
Having mentioned this account of Hurchund to Joorasindhoo Shree Krishnù Chund Jee said, “O great king! and besides the above instance, Ratdeo performed a penance, during which he remained forty-eight days without water; and when he sat down to drink, some one, who was thirsty, came to him. He did not drink any water himself, but gave it to the thirsty man; and by the gift of that water, obtained salvation. Again the Raja Buli was very munificent in his gifts, and obtained the government of the infernal regions, and even yet, his great renown is being handed down. Again the sage Oodwal ate after six months’ fasting. On one occasion a beggar came to him, when it was his eating time; he did not himself eat any food, but gave it to the beggar, and died from excess of the hunger he then endured, and afterwards in consequence of having given away his food, he went to Vishnù’s celestial paradise, mounted on a chariot. Again, on one occasion, Raja Indrù went with all the gods, and said to Dudheech, ‘O great king! we cannot escape now from the hands of Brittasoor, unless you give us one of your bones, and then we shall escape, otherwise escape will be difficult, because he can only be destroyed by a weapon, formed of one of your bones.’ On hearing this, O great king! Dudheech having had his body licked by a cow extracted his thigh bone and gave it to the gods, who made it into a thunderbolt, and Dudheech having sacrificed his life, obtained paradise. Such are instances of men of boundless liberality, whose fame the world celebrates.”