BRAHMA AND KRISHNA.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 13-14.*

When the Asura Agha was killed, Krishna went with his companions to the river bank and said: -

"We are hungry, the hour is late. Let us have our meals here. Let the calves drink water and graze on near lands." The Gopa boys spread out their stores and improvised plates for eating. While they were engaged in eating, the calves strayed away. The boys became anxious and were about to get up, when Krishna stopped them, saying he would find the calves. He left his companions and went on the search. Brahma, who had been witnessing from the high heavens all the deeds of Krishna, even the killing of Agha, with wonder, wanted to have still one more manifestation of his divine powers. Finding opportunity, he removed the calves as well as the Gopa boys to some secure place and disappeared.

Krishna could not find the calves and on returning he could not find his companions. He then knew it was all the act of Brahma. To please Brahma, as well as to please the mothers of the Gopa boys, He Himself became so many calves and so many Gopa boys of their very size and form to the minutest detail. The mothers thought they had got their boys and they became even more attached to them. The cows thought they had got their calves and their fondness knew no bounds.

Krishna went on playing his manifold parts for one year. Five or six days remaining till the completion of the year, Balarama saw one day that the cows were grazing on the summits of Govardhana, while the calves were grazing at some distance near Vraja. The cows impelled by a fit of attachment breathlessly ran towards the calves even those that had quite lately brought forth younger calves and caressed them profusely. The elder Gopas who were in charge could not restrain them with all their efforts. They felt shame and vexation. But when they themselves approached the calves and their own sons, their anger melted away in deep affection.

Balarama thought for a moment. "Never was such love witnessed by me before - this attachment for calves that had been weaned long ago. The people of Vraja have even increasing affection for their own sons even as they had of yore for Krishna. These calves no longer appear to be the incarnations of Rishis, their keepers the Gopa boys do not appear any longer to be the incarnations of the Devas. They look all like thee O Krishna! Wherein lies the mystery?" Krishna explained to Rama what had happened. Brahma appeared after a Truti (fraction of a moment) of his own measure. He saw the boys, he saw the calves. He could not make any distinction between those he placed under his own Maya and those brought into existence by the Maya of Krishna. The foggy darkness is overpowered by the darkness of the night. The light of the glowworm vanishes before the light of the day. To delude Krishna, Brahma became deluded himself.

In another moment Brahma saw the calves and the boys each and all bearing four hands, the divine weapons and all the divine powers. They shone in resplendent glory. Brahma became overpowered, stupefied.

Recovering himself, he found once more Sri Krishna alone, searching for the calves and boys in Vrindavana. He fell at the feet of Krishna, again and again, his four heads with their crowns rolling on the ground and with tears in his eyes, he glorified Krishna.

(The glorification is a long one. Only one sloka is given here.)

"It is only he who lives on, anxiously looking out for Thy favor, bearing through the workings of his own Karma as a matter of course and making obeisance to Thee in heart, words and body, that can get the heritage of Mukti (As one must be living, so that a particular heritage may vest in him, so the Bhakta must keep up his individuality to get the heritage of Mukti)."

Pariks.h.i.t asked. "How could the people of Vraja have greater love for Krishna than for their own sons?"

Suka replied: -

"Self, O King, is the most beloved of all things not so beloved are one's sons or wealth. Therefore, O king, people love themselves better than they do their sons, their riches or their homes. Those that deem their body to be their own atma or self, love that body more than anything else.

"But the body only becomes dear as it pertains to self. It can not be as dear as self. For when the body wears away, the desire to live on is still strong.

"Therefore atma or self is most dear to all beings and the whole of this Universe is for that self.

"But know thou this Krishna to be the Self of all selves, the atma of all atmas. For the good of the Universe, he also looks by Maya as one possessed of a body. Those that know Krishna know that all movable and immovable beings are but His forms and that nothing else exists.

"Of all things, the ultimate reality is 'Existence'. Krishna is the reality of Existence itself. So there is nothing besides Krishna."

Here ends the k.u.mara Lila of Krishna. The Pouganda Lila is now to commence. (k.u.mara is a boy below five, Pouganda is boyhood from the 5th to the 16th year).

*END OF k.u.mARA LILa*

DHENUKA.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 15.*

On attaining the Pouganda age, Rama and Krishna were placed in charge of cows. Vrindavana looked gay and Krishna amused himself with his companions in the forests. One day Sridaman, Subala, Stoka and other companions spoke to Rama and Krishna "Not far off is a forest of palm trees (Tala). Tala fruits fall in abundance there, but one Asura Dhenuka, with many of his kin obstruct all access to them. The Asura has the form of an a.s.s. We smell the fragrance of the fruits even from here.

They are very tempting indeed." Rama boldly entered that forest and gave a shake to the Tala trees, and Talas fell in abundance. Roused by the noise, the a.s.s rushed forth and kicked Rama with its hind feet. The Asura brayed and made a second rush, when Rama held it by the hind feet and whirling it round in the skies threw It dead on the trees. The kith and kin of the Asura then came rushing forth, but they were one and all killed by Rama and Krishna. When they returned to Vrindavana the Gopis who had been feeling the separation went out to receive them and, being pleased to see them, cast bashful glances at them.

THE KaLIYA SERPENT AND THE FIRE.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 16-17.*

The Nagas or serpents made offerings to Garuda on appointed days.

Kaliya, proud of his own valour, did not make any offering himself and s.n.a.t.c.hed away the offerings made by others. Garuda attacked him and, being overpowered in the fight, Kaliya sought shelter in a deep pool of water in the Yamuna.

Of yore, Garuda had caught a fish in that pool of water and was about to eat it, when Rishi Soubhari asked him not to eat, but Garuda heeded not his words. The wailings of the fish moved the tender heart of the Rishi and for their future good he cursed Garuda with death, if he entered the pool any more.

Kaliya knew about this and he therefore sought protection in that pool of water with his family. The water became deadly poison and even the adjoining air breathed poisonous death.

One day Krishna went with all his companions, other than Rama, to the Yamuna side. The Gopa boys and the cows being very thirsty drank the water of that pool and met with instant death. Krishna cast his amrita pouring looks at them and they got up, being restored to life. They looked at each other, very much surprised.

To purge the river, Krishna got upon a Kadamba tree and jumped into the pool of water. Kaliya fiercely attacked him and stung him to the quick.

The serpent then twined round Krishna. The cows wept, the Gopa boys became senseless. There were evil portents in Vrindavana. Nanda and other Gopas came out in search of Krishna. They saw him in the grasp of the powerful serpent and made loud wailings. A moment after, seeing how they all grieved for him, Krishna eluded the grasp of the serpent and moved dancing round him. The serpent, somewhat fatigued, also kept moving with its overspread hoods, fixing its looks on Krishna. Krishna then got upon the hoods one thousand in number, one hundred being the chief, and danced on them putting down the hood that tried to raise itself. It was a lovely sight and the Devas sang in joy and rained flowers. The serpent king was overpowered. He vomited blood. His body was broken. In his heart of hearts, he sought the protection of Narayana. The serpent girls also glorified Krishna and prayed for their husband's life.

Krishna said: - "Go hence O serpent, dwell in the sea. Men and cows shall use the water of the river. You left Ramanaka Dvipa for fear of Garuda. But now as your heads bear the marks of my feet, Garuda shall not touch you." Kaliya left the Yamuna with his wives and the water of that river has been pure ever since.

The people of Vrindavana embraced Krishna and shed tears of joy. They were all so much put out that they stopped that night on the river bank.

At midnight, a fire broke out from a castor plantation and it surrounded the people on all sides. The Gopas and Gopis cried out: "O Krishna, O Rama, we are yours. Krishna! Save us from this fire. We are not afraid of our lives, but it will pain us to part from Thy feet."

Krishna ate up the whole fire.

PRALAMBA.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 18.*

It was summer. But Vrindavana was cool with its shade, its water-spouts and its river.

Rama and Krishna were tending the cattle with their companions. An Asura named Pralamba disguised himself as a Gopa boy and mixed with the other boys. The All-knowing Krishna found him but he feigned friendship, with the object of killing the Asura. Krishna proposed two parties for play.

The defeated party had to carry the members of the victorious party on their backs. Krishna became the leader of one party and Rama that of the other. The party of Krishna were routed near the Bhandiraka forest.

Krishna carried Sridamana on his back, Bhadrasena carried Vrishabha and Pralamba carried Balarama. Pralamba ran with Balarama beyond the mark.

Balarama suspected something evil. Then composing himself, he hit a blow on the head of the Asura and Pralamba lay down dead.

THE FOREST CONFLAGRATION.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 19.*

The cattle strayed away from the Bhandarika forest, when suddenly there was a fire. They ran bellowing into a forest of rushes. The Gopa boys went in search of them and found them from a distance. Krishna called them out and they responded to the call. At the time a general conflagration in the forest overtook the cows and the Gopa boys and they helplessly turned to Krishna. Krishna asked the boys to close their eyes. They did so, but when they looked again they found themselves once more in the Bhandarika forest. Seeing this Yoga power in Sri Krishna, they knew him to be a G.o.d. The older Gopas and Gopis, hearing all the wonderful deeds of Rama and Krishna, knew them to be Devas.

THE RAINY SEASON.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 20.*

The _rainy season_ followed summer. There was joy and plenty. (For a graphic and highly poetical description of the rainy season please refer to the original. The details of the description are somewhat important from the esoteric standpoint and the Season itself is suggestive as to a new era in spiritual development.)