HISTORY OF them silver money, and carried them all to Mathurá as tri INDIA. PART III. Demons sent by Krishua, Infancy of Childish gam of Krishna and Balarama. Yasoda about to whip Krishna, when she sees the three worlds in his mouth. Churning day bute to Raja Kansa.5 After this Kansa sent many wicked demons in various forms to slay the infant Krishna. The first assumed the shape of a beautiful woman with a poisoned nipple; and when she offered her breast to Krishna he seized it and sucked away her life. Next a demon got into a cart whilst Krishna was sleeping beneath it; but the infant kicked against the cart, and broke it into a thousand pieces, and thus slew the demon. A third came in the form of a whirlwind, but Krishna dashed him against a stone and he fell down dead. 2. Infancy and boyhood of Krishna. When Krishna and his elder brother Balaráma began to grow, they rejoiced the hearts of their mothers, Yasoda and Rohiní. And they were dressed in frocks of blue and yellow, and their hair was trimmed like the wings of a crow; and wooden ornaments were hung from their necks, and they had playthings in their hands. After a while they began to crawl about the courtyard upon their knees, and to stumble and fall, and prattle lispingly. And their mothers Yasodá and Rohiní followed close behind them lest they should be frightened and fall down; and sometimes when they fell they took hold of the tails of the calves and heifers and pulled themselves up again. One day Yasodá was very angry with Krishna, because he would eat dirt, and she took a stick to beat him; but when she came to him he opened his mouth, and she looked in and saw the three worlds; and she marvelled greatly for a while, and then remembered it no more. One morning after this, Yasodá and all the cowherdesses 5 The account of Raja Kansa is supposed by many to have been borrowed from the Gospel account of King Herod. Whether this be the case or not, it is certain that most of the details are mythical, and inserted for the purpose of ennobling the birth of Krishna. • This simile implies that the top of the head was shaved, whilst the black hair was left on each side of the head. Many Hindú children are shaved in this manner, though some have the whole head shaved, sides and all. INDIA. PART III. breakfast. of arose very early to churn; and they swept and cleansed the HISTORY OF house, and plastered it with fresh cow-dung, and each took her own churn and sat down to make butter. Meantime the noise awakened Krishna, and he began crying for his food, but no one heeded him. Then the lad was filled with wrath, Petancat not and took the staff out of his mother's churn, and began to getting his kick and cry; and Yasodá took him on her lap, and coaxed him, and gave him some milk and bread and butter. Whilst Krishna was eating, a cowherdess ran in and cried out that the milk was boiling over; and Yasodá set the lad down upon the ground, and ran off to save the milk. Mean- Krishna's pranks with his while Krishna broke the vessels of curds and butter-milk, mother's churn. and began to eat the butter, and give it to the other boys who were there. When Yasodá returned she was wroth, and tied Krishna to the churn, but he ran away with it until it was caught between two trees; and he tore down the two trees, and when the people came up to see what he had done, they found him laughing between the trees and sitting upon the churn. Pulls down two very trees. Gokula migrate butter. After this the Yádavas moved away from Gokula, and The Yadavas of set off with their waggons and cattle for the village of to Vrindavana. Vrindavana; and here Krishna and Balaráma lived like two cow-boys along with the cows and cowherds. And when Krishna was a lad he began to play his pranks; and he went out and stole the butter and curds which the cowherdesses Krishna steals had made; and when they told his mother, he said that they did not tell the truth; and the women gazed upon his face and smiled, and went their way. And demons came to Kills many slay Krishna, and one came in the shape of a cow, and another in the shape of a crane, and another as a great serpent; but he fought and killed them all." And it came to pass that the Raja of the Rain saw that the Hot Season was parching up the country of Vrindavana; and he took compassion upon the beasts and birds and living creatures, and assembled all his warlike clouds from 7 Krishna's triumph over the great serpent Kálíya was at one time supposed to be borrowed from the triumph of Christ over Satan. There appears however to be no allusion whatever to the bruising of the Serpent's head in the sense in which it is understood by Christian commentators. demons. War between the Raja of the Rain and the Hot Season. HISTORY OF every quarter, and went forth to battle against the Hot INDIA. PART III. Assembling of the clouds in battle array. Flight of the Joy of the Festivities of the cowherds and cowherd esses. Krishna plays the flute in the pastures. damsels of Vrindavana. Season. Then the clouds thundered like kettledrums, and flew through the air like mighty heroes; whilst the lightning flashed like the glittering of swords and spears; and the long rows of cranes fluttered their white wings like the waving of many banners, and the frogs and peacocks raised their voices like bards chaunting the praises of great Rajas; and the heavy drops of rain fell like a shower of arrows. Now when the Hot Season saw his enemy advancing in such gallant array, he fled with all haste from the thirsty plains. And the Rain refreshed the Earth, as a husband refreshes his spouse after a separation of many days; and the Earth opened her bosom to her lord, and brought forth fruits and flowers to pay obeisance to their father. And the country of Vrindavana appeared like a beautiful woman adorned with all her jewels; and the lakes and rivers were filled with water; and the trees waved their branches to and fro, whilst the cuckoos, and the pigeons, and the parrots poured forth their joyous strains. And all the cowherds and cowherdesses of Vrindavana gave themselves up to mirth and play; and they put on red and yellow garments, and began to swing in swings, and to sing with loud voices their hymns of welcome to the Rains. At this time Krishna and his companions went out to the pastures with the cows, and sported about in the jungle. Confusion of the And Krishna played upon his flute, and all the young damsels of Vrindavana heard him, and said one to the other :"Krishna is now playing and dancing amongst the cows, but at evening time he will return hither and we shall beKrishna hides hold him." And one day the damsels went down to the river Jumná to bathe; and Krishna saw them, and carried away their clothes, and climbed up a tree; and he made each damsel come out of the water and receive her clothes at his hands. And Krishna said:-"Take not amiss the lesson I have given you; for the god Varuna dwells in the water, and no one should bathe in it without clothes." the clothes of 998 This implied lesson seems to be an after-thought of the author, to impart a religious significance to the dubious prank played by the incarnation of Vishnu. 3. Krishna's opposition to the worship of Indra. HISTORY OF Great feast at honour of In-, sels the Yada-vas to transfer their worship the Govard tain. worship the Now the custom was for the people of Vrindavana to hold a great feast on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the Vrindavana in month Kártika; and on that day they bathed, and washed dra. their clothes, and filled a square place with saffron and sandal wood, and offered sweetmeats to Indra, together with cakes, fried in butter and oil, and incense and lamps. When Krishna counKrishna saw what was going on, he said to his father:"Why worship Indra as the Supreme God? He cannot from Indra to grant prosperity, for that is acquired by our religious merits, dhana mounand when he is defeated by the Asuras, he flies away and hides himself: O father, we are Vaisyas, and our cattle live upon the pastures: Let us, therefore, cease to worship Indra, and pay our devotions to the mountain Govarddhana." So Nanda and the cowherds obeyed the words of Krishna, The Yadavas and they placed the sweetmeats, and the fried cakes, and mountain. other things they had prepared, in large baskets, and brazen dishes and pots, and carried them in carts to the mountain Govarddhana, whilst a band of musicians accompanied them and played all the way. When they reached the place, they swept and cleaned the ground all round the mountain, and sprinkled water, and arranged the cakes and sweetmeats in order, and spread garlands upon the mountain. Then Nanda and all the cowherds summoned the family priest and prayed to the mountain. Then Krishna assumed a second form as Krishna appears the genius of the mountain, and manifested himself to all the as the genius of people; and Krishna in his first form as a cowherd bowed reverentially to the mountain, and all the cowherds and cowherdesses did the same, saying ::- "When did Indra ever manifest himself as Govarddhana has done?" And the cow- Offering of cakes herds and cowherdesses presented the cakes and sweetmeats to the mounto the mountain; and Krishna in the form of the genius of the mountain stretched forth his arms and began to eat the food. Then Krishna in his own form, and all the people who were there, walked in adoration round the mountain, and returned merrily to Vrindávana. And all the cowherds Sports of the and cowherdesses rejoiced greatly, and they painted marks on in a second form the mountain. and sweetmeats tain. cowherds. INDIA. HISTORY OF all the cows and calves, and fastened small bells and tinkling ornaments round their necks, and engaged in every kind of sport and pastime. PART III. Wrath of down rain to wash away the country of Vrindavana. the mountain fiery hot, and raises it over When, however, Indra saw that the Yádavas had forsaken Indra. He sends his worship and made their offerings to the mountain, he was very wroth, and commanded the Raja of the clouds to go with all his host, and pour down such a deluge as should wash away the mountain and all the country of Vrindavana. So the Raja of the clouds obeyed the commands of Indra, and all the people of Vrindavana came to Krishna trembling with fear; but Krishna cried out :-" Fear not! The mounKrishna renders tain himself shall protect you." Then Krishna by his divine power made the mountain fiery hot; and he raised it up with the people like the little finger of his left hand, so that it covered all the people like an umbrella. And it was told to Indra that all the rains poured down by the Raja of the clouds fell upon the mountain with a hiss; and he went himself and rained without ceasing for seven days and nights, but not a drop fell upon the people of Vrindávana. So Indra returned to his abode in Swarga, and Krishna set down the mountain in its proper place as it had been before; after which Indra and Indra worships all the gods came to Krishna and did homage before him as Supreme Lord. the God of gods and Lord of all. an umbrella. Krishna as the Krishna dances with all the women of Vrindavana on full moon. 4. Love Adventures of Krishna. After this, on the night of the full moon in the month Kártika, Krishna went out into the jungle and played upon the night of the the flute; and all the women of Vrindávana heard the sweet notes of the flute, and were filled with love for Krishna, and followed him into the jungle. And Krishna led the women to the bank of the Jumná, and they all danced and sang round him in a ring, until he appeared like the moon surDisappears with rounded by a circle of stars. Presently Krishna disappeared his favourite Rhadhika. Sorrow of the women. from amongst them, for he had a beautiful mistress named Radhika; and he went away to wander with his favourite damsel beneath the light of the full moon. And all the other women sorrowed greatly, and sought for Krishna in all directions, but they found him not. And presently they |