| Philosophy and Religion / Harivamsa |
Harivaṃśa
170. Krishna rescues the Brāhmana's sons
ARJUNA said:-Thereupon crossing the mountains, rivers and forests we saw the ocean the abode of Makara. Thereat the ocean, in his true form, with folded hands and carrying Argya, appeared before Janārddana and said “What am I to do” (1–2)?
Having accepted the adoration from the ocean Janārddana said:—“O Lord of rivers, I wish you to afford passage for my car” (3).
Thereupon Samudra, with folded hands, said to Garudadhwaja :—“Be pleased O Lord! do not act thus, or else others will do so (4).
O Janārddana, thou didst formerly place me in this unfathomable expanse. I shall have to follow the way thou wilt institute (5).
If thou dost do so, other kings, elated with the pride of their strength, will cross me by this way. Therefore O Govinda, do whatever thou dost think proper (6).”
Vāsudeva said: “For my sake and for this Brāhmana, follow my words. Save me no one else will be able to assail you” (7).
Thereupon, in fear of a curse the ocean again said to Janārddana :—“Let it be so. O Krishna, O slayer of Keshi, I will dry up the path in which your car, adorned with flags, will proceed with its charioteer” (8–9).
Vāsudeva said:—“O ocean, I had conferred upon you the boon formerly that you would never be dried up, lest the people might form an idea of the collection of your gems.
You are to stop the agitation of your water to that extent only that may admit me with my car. In that case no man will be able to estimate the collection of your jems” (10-11).
Hearing it the ocean said “so be it”; and we proceeded through that lustrous red water as if we were on land (12).
Within a moment we crossed the ocean, Uttarakuru and Gandhamādana. Thereupon Jayanta, Vaijayanta, Neela, Rajata, Mahāmeru, Kailasha and Indrakuta, these seven mountains, assuming various wonderful forms, appeared before Keshava and saluting Govinda said:—“What are we to do?”
Welcoming them all duly Hrishikesha, the slayer of Madhu, said to the mountains who stood before him with bending heads “you are to give me passage.”
Hearing the words of Krishna and accepting them the mountains gave him the passage and disappeared.
O foremost of Bharata's race, beholding this work I was filled with great surprise. However as the sun passes through clouds so our car carreered on unobstructed.
And that best of cars, crossing the seven insular continents, oceans and seven rivers as well as Lokaloka, entered another region (13–20).
While proceeding thus at a certain place I found the horses carrying the car with great difficulty. Touching it with my hands I perceived that the darkness was owing to thick mud.
It gradually assumed the form of a mountain. Seeing it Govinda dispelled that darkness and mud with his discus and the sky and the passage of the car became visible (21–23).
When the sky became visible and we came beyond the pale of darkness my fear was removed and I thought that I was alive. A few moments after I saw in the sky a bundle of effulgence, of the shape of a man, extending over all the worlds (24–25).
Then Rishikesha entered into that bundle of effulgence and that best of Brāhmanas and myself waited on the car.
Within a moment the powerful Krishna returned with the four sons of the Brāhmana and gave those three boys who had been stolen before and the new born baby into the hands of the Brāhmana (26–28).
O emperor, regaining his sons the Brāhmana was highly pleased and I too was filled with great joy aud surprise (29).
O foremost of the Bharatas, afterwards we, with the Brāhmana's sons, came out in the same way as we had gone there.
O foremost of kings, arriving at Dwārakā within a moment we saw that even the first part of the day was not complete. At that I was again filled with surprise.
Thereupon the highly illustrious Krishna fed that Brāhmana with his sons and satisfying him with riches sent him away to his own house (29-32).
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