While proceeding thus at a certain place I found the horses carrying the car with great difficulty. Touching it with my hands I perceived that the darkness was owing to thick mud. It gradually assumed the form of a mountain. Seeing it, Govinda dispelled that darkness and mud with his discus and the sky and the passage of the car became visible (21–23). When the sky became visible and we came beyond the pale of darkness my fear was removed and I thought that I was alive. A few moments after I saw in the sky a bundle of effulgence, of the shape of a man, extending over all the worlds (24–25). Then Rishikesha entered into that bundle of effulgence and that best of Brāhmanas and myself waited on the car. Within a moment the powerful Krishna returned with the four sons of the Brāhmana and gave those three boys who had been stolen before and the new born baby into the hands of the Brāhmana (26–28). O emperor, regaining his sons the Brāhmana was highly pleased and I too was filled with great joy and surprise (29). O foremost of the Bharatas, afterwards we, with the Brāhmana's sons, came out in the same way as we had gone there. O foremost of kings, arriving at Dwārakā within a moment we saw that even the first part of the day was not complete. At that I was again filled with surprise. There upon the highly illustrious Krishna fed that Brāhmana with his sons and satisfying him with riches sent him away to his own house (29-32).
CHAPTER CCLXI. KRISHNA EXPLAINS THE MYSTERY.
Arjuna said:—O Bharata, afterwards, having fed many hundreds of Rishi-like Brāhmanas and taken his meals along with myself and other members of the Vrishni and Bhoja races, Krishna discoursed on various wonderful and divine topics (1–2). After the termination of Janārddana's discourse, I, filled with curiosity about what I had seen, approached him and said:—"O lotus-eyed Krishna, how the water of the ocean came to a stand-still? How was that dreadfully dense darkness dispelled with thy discus? How didst thou enter into that bundle of effulgence? O lord, why where the Brāhmana boys stolen by that effulgence. How was such a long distance shortened? How could we go and come back within such a short time O Keshava, do thou describe all these things duly to me (3–7)."
Vasudeva said:—In order to see me that great Purusha stole away the sons of the Brāhmana thinking that for him I would go there and not otherwise (8). O foremost of Bharatas, the great divine effulgence which you saw there is nothing but me full of Brahma effulgence. That is my eternal effulgent energy. That is my eternal great Prakriti, manifest and unmanifest. Entering into her (understanding her nature) the great Yogins attain to final liberation (9-10). Prakriti is the refuge of the Sankhya Yogins and the ascetics. And she is the great Brāhmana. She makes divisions in the universe (11). O Bhārata, know her as my creative energy. I am that ocean of stilled water. I stilled her water (12). I am those seven mountains and the pitch darkness begotten by mud which you saw. I am the cloud-like darkness and its dispeller. I am the author of elements and eternal religion. The moon, the sun, the huge mountains, the rivers, the lakes, the four quarters are my four-fold souls. From me have emanated the four Varnas and four Asramas. Know me as the author of four-fold learning (13-16).
Arjuna said:—O lord, O divine master of all creatures, O Purusottama, salutation unto thee. I wish to know thy true self and therefore have I sought thy protection and put this question (17).
Vasudeva said:—O descendant of Bharata, O son of Pandu, from me have emanated Brahman, Brāhmana, Tapas, truth and every other thing small or great. O large-armed Dhananjaya, I am your favourite and you are my favourite. And for this I tell you this or else I would not have done so. O foremost of Bharatas, O son of Prithā, I am Rik, Yayush, Sāman and Atharvan (18–19). The Rishis, the gods and the Yajnas are my energies. From me have emanated earth, air, ether, water, the five luminous bodies, the moon, the sun, day, night, fortnight, months, seasons, muhurttas, Kalā Khana, year, various mantras, the various Shāstras, learnings and every other thing. O son of Kunti, creation and destruction also proceed from me. My soul is real and unreal and I am the pure Brahman (20-23).
Arjuna said:—At that time Hrishikesh, out of his love for me, said this to me and since then my mind is ever attached to Janārddana. I had heard of Keshava's power and saw this myself. There are more powerful deeds of Janārddana than what I have just described at your request (24-25).
Vaishampāyana said:—Hearing those words the virtuous king Yudhisthira, the foremost of Kurus, worshipped Purusottama Govinda, in his mind. At that time Yudhisthira, all his brothers and the courtier kings were filled with surprise (26-27).
CHAPTER CCLXII. KRISHNA'S FEATS DESCRIBED.
Janamejaya said:—O foremost of the twice-born I wish to hear again truly the incomparable deeds of the intelligent Vāsudeva the foremost of the Yadus, O you of great effulgence, I have attained to great delight by hearing of the numberless, wonderful, heavenly and ordinary deeds of Krishna. O sinless Muni, describe them all to me. (1–3).