With a glance of life-giving Love cast upon the dead ones, Krishna walked to a tree that was close by, while the boys, alive again, in amazement and wonder gazed at each other, forgetting, in the joy of the Love in the look that Krishna had cast upon them, the moment before.
On reaching the top of the tree, Krishna stood for an instant and gazed at the boys, His world and the serpent, and a light as of molten gold seemed to come from that body, more lovely than the sun to look upon.
Thus it was for a moment, then into the deadly pool he plunged, while the thousand heads of the serpent darted their venomous tongues' and struck the body till the boys fell into unconsciousness and the cows groaned in pain, and the men and women, with eyes bulging with fear and tearing their hair, almost swooned at the sight of the boy, who was God, crushed in the poisonous embrace of the monster; yet, even as stricken with horror, they gazed.
Krishna a glance like light on them cast, and breaking away from the grasp of the monster, He lightly sprang upon its hooded head and danced like the stars upon its hoods, till one by one low they were laid; and vomiting blood that was thick and black, defeated and broken, the monster sank beneath the waves.
And with a bound Krishna stood in the midst of His friends who knelt at, His feet. Then they drew Him within their arms, in the madness of joy at His safety.
CHAPTER XVII.
Oh, grand was the sight of Love, crushing out Hate from the land, and the Gods sang and shouted and crowded together to see Sin conquered and Virtue grow strong!
Yasodā and Nanda, with the Gopas and Gopis maddened with delight, took Krishna home, while the heavens opened and scattered flowers to carpet His path.
And forever the lake was free from the venom the serpent had cast, and the near-by atmosphere purified was from the pestilent influence that hovered about there. For the monster at Krishna's command had departed and sought no more to injure the land.
But so great was the happiness that overflowed the heart of all, in leading the boy triumphant through the forest, that they tarried awhile in the glow of the moon, in their joy to behold the beauty that filled the night.