Chapter 67

SHREE SHOOKDEO JEE said, --O great king! there was a Raja, named Pounrik, in the city of Kasee, a very powerful and glorious monarch, who assumed the appearance of Vishnù and imposed upon all people by deceit and force; he constantly wore a yellow dress, a necklace composed of five jewels, produced from the elements of nature, a garland of pearls, and a garland, composed of various jewels; and carrying about with him a shell, quoit, club and lotus, he made two wooden hands for himself; and having placed upon a horse a wooden sovereign of the feathered race, he went about, mounted upon it. He called himself Basoodeo Pounrik, and caused himself to be worshipped by all men; whatsoever Raja did not obey his order, he attacked him; and, having fought, reduced him to subjection.

Having narrated thus much of the history, Shree Shookdeo Jee said, --Raja! seeing and hearing of his practices, people began to say in every country, city, village and house, " One Basoodeo has appeared in the country of Bruj, in the family of Judoo, and he dwells in the city of Dwarka, another has now come to Kasee, which of the two shall we look upon and respect as the true one? " Such was the talk in every country; when, having made some discovery, Basoodeo Pounrik came one day into his own court, and said, " Who is Krishnù that lives at Dwarka, whom the world calls Basoodeo? He has come upon the earth for the sake of his worshippers, and has there assumed an appearance like mine. " Having thus spoken, he sent for a messenger; and, entering into very minute explanations with him, despatched him to Dwarka to Shree Krishnù Chund Jee, saying, " Tell all persons, who are wandering about in an appearance like mine, to relinquish that appearance and if they do not relinquish it, prepare to fight with them. " On receiving the order the messenger, taking leave, started from Kasee, and arrived at the city of Dwarka; and appeared in the court of Shree Krishnù Chund Jee. Krishnù asked him, " Who he was, and whence he had come? " He replied, " I am a messenger of Raja Pounrik, of the city of Kasee, I am come to deliver a message to you from my master, which, with your permission, I will mention. " Shree Krishnù Chund granted permission. When he had done so, the messenger standing up with joined hands, began to say, " O great king! Basoodeo Pounrik says, 'That he is lord of the three worlds and creator of the universe, and asks who you are, who having assumed his appearance, and fled from fear of Joorasindhoo, have come to live at Dwarka; you must either immediately give over imitating him in outward appearance and seek his protection; or he will come and destroy you, together with all the descendants of Judoo; and, having removed the burthens of the earth, will cherish his own worshippers, I am Pounrik, the unseen, the invisible, the without form; gods, sages, saints and men offer prayers, penance, sacrifice and gifts continually to me. I, as Bruhmù, am the creator, as Vishnù, the preserver, and as Shivù, the destroyer. In the form of a fish I rescued the sinking Vedas, in the form of a tortoise I supported a hill, as a boar I upheld the earth, descending upon the earth as half man and half lion, I destroyed the demon Hirunkusyp, in the incarnation of a dwarf, I deceived Bull, when I descended as Ram, I destroyed the great devil, Rawun. This is my occupation, that, whenever demons vex my worshippers, I descend upon the earth, and remove its burthens. '"

Having narrated thus much of the history, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja Pureechit, --O great king! the messenger of Basoodeo Pounrik was thus speaking, and Shree Krishnù Chund, the root of joy, seated on a jewelled throne amidst an assemblage of Judoos was listening and laughing, when one of the descendants of Judoo exclaimed, " Has the regent of the dead come to take thee away, that thou speakest thus; we will kill thee, thou low wretch! Thou hast come as the go-between of a deceitful man; if you were not an ambassador, we would certainly put you to death, it is not right to kill a messenger. "

O great king! when the descendants of Judoo had thus spoken, Shree Krishnù Jee, having called that messenger, explained to him and said, " Go and tell thy Basoodeo, that Krishnù says, that he is about to give up imitating thy appearance, and to seek an asylum with thee, be prepared. "

On hearing these words the messenger made a salutation, and took leave; and Shree Krishnù Chund Jee also set out with his army for the city of Kasee. The messenger went and said to Basoodeo Pounrik, " O great king! I have been to Dwarka, and delivered the whole of the message you charged me with to Shree Krishnù; and on hearing it he said, 'Go and tell thy master to be prepared, as I am about to give up imitating his appearance, and to seek an asylum with him. '"

O great king! whilst the ambassador was still speaking, some one came and said, " O great king! why are you sitting thus unconcerned? Shree Krishnù has advanced with his army. " In hearing this, Basoodeo Pounrik came forth with his whole army in his assumed appearance; and, proceeding onwards, came in front of Shree Krishnù Chund Jee. Another Raja of Kasee came also with him; on both sides the armies were arranged in battle order: the warlike instruments began to sound, the brave, the resolute and the heroical began to fight; and cowards, leaving the field, to run for their lives; at that time Basoodeo Pounrik continuing to fight and being in the hands of death, went in his assumed form in front of Shree Krishnù Chund Jee, and challenged him. On seeing him in that counterfeit dress, the descendants of Judoo said to Shree Krishnù Chund, " O great king! how shall we kill him in this likeness? " Krishnù said, " It is no crime to kill a deceitful man in that likeness. "

Having thus spoken, Huri gave the order to the quoit, Soodursun, who went and plucked out his two wooden arms; the wooden sovereign of the feathered race was broken at the same time, and the horse ran away; when Basoodeo Pounrik fell Soodursun cut off his head, and threw it away. On his head being cut off the Raja Pounrik was released from existence; his head fell in the city of Kasee, where his seraglio was, and his wives saw it; they wept and tore their hair, saying, " Who was the author of this deed? You were not subject to decrepitude and were immortal. How has your soul departed in a second? "

O great king! on hearing the lamentations of the Raja's wives, a son of his, named Soodukoch, came there, and seeing his father's head, which had been cut off, was greatly enraged and began to say, " I will not rest without revenging myself on him who has slain my father. "

Having proceeded thus far in the narrative, Shree Shookdeo Jee, said, --O great king! having destroyed Basoodeo Pounrik, Shree Krishnù Chund Jee returned with all his army to Dwarka, and the Raja's son, with a view of revenging his father's death, began to perform a very difficult penance to Muhadeo Jee. When he had been engaged some days in this penance, Muhadeo Bholanath came one day highly delighted, and said, " Ask a boon from me. " The Raja's son said, " O great king! grant me this boon, that I may be revenged on Shree Krishnù for my father's death. " Shivù Jee replied, " Very good, if you desire revenge, adopt this plan. " He said, " What plan? " Shivù replied, " Offer a sacrifice, repeating the incantations of the Vedas backwards, a female devil will come forth from the fire, who will do whatever you tell her. " When Shivù Jee had thus spoken, the Raja's son, O great king! sent for brahmins, and having built an altar, and taking sesamum, ghee, barley, sugar and other requisites for the sacrifice and mixing them up together, began to offer sacrifice, repeating the incantations of the Vedas backwards. At length, whilst he was engaged in the sacrifice, a female devil, named Kritya, came forth from the hole, in which the consecrated fire was received, who, burning all the cities and villages, and the whole country in rear of Shree Krishnù Jee, arrived at the city of Dwarka, and began to set the city on fire. Seeing the city in flames, all the descendants of Judoo went in consternation to Shree Krishnù. Chund Jee, and called out, " O great king! how shall we escape from this fire, it is burning down the whole city? " Krishnù. replied, " Be not at all alarmed, this is a female devil, named Kritya, who has come from Kasee, I will immediately make arrangements with regard to her. "

O great king! having thus spoken, Shree Krishnù. Jee gave the order to the quoit, Soodursun, to attack and put her to flight, and to go at once, and set fire to the city of Kasee. On receiving Huri's order, the quoit, Soodursun, put to flight and destroyed Kritya, and went forthwith, and set Kasee on fire, The inhabitants fled from place to place in great distress; and bitterly abused Soodukoch. The quoit returned, after having fired the city, and came, and told Krishnù.

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