Thereupon weeping and taking her son with her Shrigāla's beautiful queen Padmāvati approached Vāsudeva and said (48):—"This is the son of the king, whom, O hero, thou hast slain by thy war-like deeds. He seeks thy shelter (49). If his father had bowed unto thee and carried out thy mandate he would not have been thus assailed with one single stroke (50). If this wicked king had contracted friendship with thee, he would not have, with his life gone, taken shelter on the surface of the earth (51). O hero, O sinless Krishna, do thou protect, like thy own son, this son of thy dead friend, the perpetuator of his race (52)."
Hearing the words of Shrigālā's queen Krishna, of the Yadu race, the foremost of speakers, said to her mildly (53):—"O queen, our anger is gone with this vicious-souled one. We have regained our temper and we are his friends (54). With your gracious words, O chaste lady, my anger has been appeased; undoubtedly this son of Shrigāla is just like mine (55). I declare safety unto them and gladly annoint him as the king. Inviting the priest, the ministers and the subjects do thou place him on his ancestral throne."
Thereupon in order to perform the ceremony of installation, all the subjects, priests and ministers appeared before Rāma and Keshava. Placing the prince on the throne the powerful Janārddana sprinkled him with celestial water. Having installed Shrigāla’s son in the city of Karavira Krishana desired to go away on the very day (56-59). Mounting on a car drawn by horses acquired in battle Krishna went away like Vāsava entering into the city of the celestials (60). Placing Shrigala, terrible in battle, on a conveyance, and going to a distance in the western quarters the pious-souled Sakradeva, the repressor of his enemies, along with his mother, and subjects, headed by boys, aged people and youthful damsels, performed the obsequial rites of his father according to the ordinances (61–63). Thereupon reciting the name of the deceased king he offered oblation of water in his favour and thousands of other funeral presents (64). Having his mind thus worked up with sorrow consequent upon the death of his father and performed his watery ceremony the king Sakradeva entered into his own city (65).
CHAPTER CI. KRISHNA'S ARRIVAL AT MATHURA.
Vaishampayana said:—The two heroic sons of Vasudeva, united with Damaghosha, spent five nights with delight like one in the way according to the rules of a traveller. And when they reached the city of Mathurā all the Yadavas, headed by Ugrasena, came out to receive them (1–3). All the traders, subjects, ministers and the boys and old men of Mathurā came out to recieve them (4). All the crossings of four streets were decorated with garlands and flags; trumpets were beaten announcing joy and panegyrists began to sing the glories of those two foremost of men (5). At the return of those two brothers the entire city of Mathura appeared delighted, joyous and beautiful as on the occasion of an Indrayajna (6). The songsters began to sing on highways delightful songs containing a profuse description of the glories of the Yādavas, announcing "O ye Yādavas, the two brothers Rāma and Govinda, celebrated in the world, have arrived at their own city. Do you sport happily (7-8)."
When Rāma and Krishna came there none in the city of Mathurā was poorly, in dirty clothes and unconscious (9). Cows, horses and elephants grew delightful and birds began to emit auspicious notes and men and women attained to mental felicity (10). Auspicious winds, shorn of dust, began to blow in the ten quarters and all the images of deities in temples were delighted (11). All the signs of the Krita age appeared there in Mathurā with their arrival (12).
Thereupon seated on a car drawn by beautiful horses Rāma and Keshava entered the city of Mathurā in an auspicious moment (13). As the gods follow Shakra the Yādavas followed Rāma and Govinda to the charming city (14). As the sun and moon enter into the mountain so those two descendants of Yadu, with delightful faces, entered into the house of their sire Vasudeva (15). Keeping their respective weapons there of their own accord the two sons of Vasudeva attained to consummate delight (16). Thereupon bowing unto the feet of Vasudeva they showed proper honor to king Ugrasena and other leading Yadavas who were assembled there (17). They, too, welcomed by them duly in return, delightedly entered into their mother's appartment (18). In this way following Ugrasena, Rāma and Keshava, of extraordinary deeds and beautiful faces, spent some days happily in Mathurā (19).
CHAPTER CII. BALADEVA VISITS VRAJA.
Vaishampayana said:—After some days had thus elapsed, Rāma, recollecting his friendship with Gopas, alone went to Vraja with Krishna’s consent (1). Clad in a beautifully wild attire and quickly entering into Vraja Krishna’s elder brother, the slayer of his enemies, saw first his charming and extensive forest that had been enjoyed by him before and the well-scented tanks (2-3). Thereupon delighting the Gopas with his sweet behaviour according to age and previous conduct he held various charming conversations with the milk-women (4-5).
Thereupon the elderly milk-men said to Rāma, the foremost of sporters, who had just returned from a foreign land in sweet words (6). "Welcome to thee, O thou of large arms, O descendant of Yadu. We have been pleased with seeing thee to-day (7). O hero, thou art dreadful unto enemies and celebrated in the three worlds. We have been pleased for thy return to Vraja (8). O hero, O descendant of Yadu, we deserve protection from thee or (it may be) that creatures cherish attachment for their native place (9). O thou of a pure countenance, no sooner we desired for thy arrival than thou hadst come and seen us. Forsooth we have been rendered worthy of the honor of gods (10). By thy good luck and by thy own greatness the wrestlers and Kansa were slain and Ugrasena has been installed as a king (11). We have heard of thy encounter, in the ocean, with Timi-like Panchajana, of his destruction and thy battle with Jarāsandha and other Kshatriyas on Gomanta (12). We have also heard of Darada's death, Jarāsandha’s defeat and of the descension of weapons in that great battle (13). O hero, we have also heard, that slaying the king Shrigāla in the charming city of Karavira thou didst place his son on the throne and console the subjects (14). Thy entrance into the city of Mathura is worthy of being narrated even by the gods. By it the earth has been established and all the kings have been brought to subjection (15). With thy arrival here, we have been, along with our friends, pleased, delighted and favoured as before" (16).