in this world, unknown to him who resides in the hearts of all men, who is ever existent, exempt from imperfection, the aggregate of the quality of purity, and identical with true knowledge?* With a heart wholly devoted to him, then, I will approach the lord of all lords, the descended portion of Purushottama, of Vishnu, who is without beginning, middle, or end." Some of my MSS. have, instead of न मौनोपहतं, अवमानोपहतम् । This variant is noted by the commentator Ratnagarbha, and appears in the text of Sridhara. ज्ञानात्मकस्यामलसत्वराशे- CHAPTER XVIII. Grief of the Gopis, on the departure of Krishna and Balaráma with Akrúra: their leaving Gokula. Akrúra bathes in the Yamuna; beholds the divine forms of the two youths, and praises Vishnu. THUS meditating, the Yádava approached Govinda, (and addressed him,) and said "I am Akrúra," and bowed his head down to the feet of Hari.* But Krishna laid upon him his hand, which was marked with the flag, the thunderbolt, and the lotos, and drew him (towards him), and affectionately embraced him. Then Rámat and Kesava entered into conversation with him, and, having heard from him all that had occurred, were much pleased, and led him to their habitation: there they resumed their discourse, and gave him food to eat, and treated him with proper hospitality.: Akrúra told them how (their father) Anakadundubhi, § the princess Devakí, and (even his own father,) Ugrasena had been insulted by the iniquitous demon,|| Kamsa: he also related to them the purpose for which he had been despatched. When he had told them all these things, the destroyer of Kesin said to him: "I * चरणौ नमाम शिरसा हरेः । + The original has Bala. + सह ताभ्यां तदाक्रूरः कृतसंवादनादिकः । § See Vol. IV., p. 101, text and note 1. || Dánava. ¶ Kesi-súdana. Compare the cognate epithet of Krishna, Madhusúdana, "slayer of Madhu." you. was aware of all that you have told me, lord of liberal gifts.* Ráma and I will go, to-morrow, to Mathurá, along with The elders of the cowherds shall accompany us, bearing ample offeriugs. + Rest here tonight, and dismiss all anxiety. Within three nights I will slay Kamsa and his adherents.' Having given orders, accordingly, to the cowherds, Akrúra, with Keśava and Ráma, § retired to rest, and slept soundly in the dwelling of Nanda. The next morning was bright; and the youths prepared to depart for Mathurá, with Akrúra. The Gopís, seeing them about to set forth, were much afflicted; they wept bitterly; their bracelets were loose upon their arms; and they thus communed together: "If Govinda depart for Mathurá, how will he return to Gokula? His ears will there be regaled with the melodious and polished conversation of the women of the city. Accustomed to the language of the graceful females of Mathurá, he will never again endure the rustic expressions of the Gopís. Hari, the pride of the station, is carried off; and a fatal blow is inflicted upon us by inexorable destiny. Expressive smiles, soft language, graceful airs, elegant gait, and significant * Here follows a stanza left untranslated: करिष्ये च महाभाग यदचौपयिकं मतम् । विचिन्त्यं नान्यथैतत्ते विद्धि कंसं हतं मया ॥ These verses are recognized, in their texts and comments, by both the scholiasts. Furthermore, they are found translated at length in Professor Wilson's Hindu-made English version. + Upayana. * निशेयं नीयतां वीर न चिन्तां कर्तुमर्हसि । § Balabhadra, in the Sanskrit. The translation is, hereabouts, free and expanded. ¶ Goshtha. glances belong to the women of the city.* Hari is of + gret gfzze arai fagrafanŝga: 1 the countenance of Krishna!* Alas! The eyes of the Gopís have been deprived of sight by the relentless Brahmá, after he had shown them this great treasure. In proportion as the affection of Hari for us decays, so do our limbs wither, and the bracelets slip from our arms. And now the cruel Akrúra urges on the horses. All conspire to treat unhappy females with unkindness. Alas! alas! We see, now, only the dust of his chariot-wheels. And now he is far away; for even that dust is no longer to be seen." Thus lamented by the women, § Keśava and Ráma quitted the district of Vraja.1 Travelling in a car drawn by fleet horses, they arrived, at noon, at the banks of the Yamuná, when Akrúra requested them to halt a little, whilst he performed the usual daily ceremonial in the 'In the Bhagavata, Hari Vamsa, &c., several adventures of Krishna, during his residence at Vraja, are recorded, of which our text makes no mention. Of these, the two most popular are Krishna's taking away the clothes of the Gopis whilst bathing, and his liberating the Gopas from the mouth of Aghásura, ||—disguised as a vast serpent,-into which they had entered, thinking it a cavern in a mountain. The omission of these two legends, or of any of the rest, is not much to be regretted. The original has Adhokshaja, for the signification of which word see Vol. I., p. 28, note t + Vidhátŕi, in the Sanskrit. Vide infra, p. 15, note ¶. * अनुरागेण शैथिल्यमस्मासु व्रजता हरेः । शैथिल्यमुपयान्त्याशु करेषु वलयान्यपि ॥ ६ इत्येवमतिहार्देन गोपीजननिरीक्षितः । That is to say, Agha the Asura. He was Kamsa's generalissimo; and it seems that little more than this fact is known of him. See the Bhagavata-purána, X., Prior Section, Chapter XII. |