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PART II.

HISTORY OF Balaráma, and the figure of the bird Garura, which was on INDIA. the standard of Krishna, both separated themselves from their respective standards and rose into the air until they Warning of the vanished from the sight. Also Apsaras appeared in the sky, and cried out to the people:-" Arise and be gone!" And this cry was heard in every house throughout the city of Dwáraká.

Apsaras.

The people per

And when the morning arrived, the people obeyed the wine at the fes- proclamation of Krishna, and Krishna gave them permis

mitted to drink

tival at Prab

hása.

Insult offered

to the Bráhmaus.

General conviviality.

drink wine in parties.

sion to drink wine on that day only; and they set out with their wives and families to the place of pilgrimage on the sea-shore, and they carried with them wine and provisions of every description; and some took up their stations in tents, and others beneath trees. And when all the people were settled in their respective places, Krishna commanded that every variety of victuals and drink should be set apart and given to the Bráhmans; and when the Brahmans were about to eat, a certain man of the Yádava tribe came up with a large jar of wine in his hand, from which he had been drinking until he was intoxicated; and he spilt a little of the wine upon the victuals set apart for the Brahmans; so the Brahmans would not eat thereof, and Krishna ordered that the victuals should be given to the monkeys.

Meantime the feast proceeded without interruption. And the jugglers, and the musicians, the dancers, and the players of all kinds exhibited their performances before the people; The Chieftains whilst the people all drank wine very largely. And all the Chieftains of the tribe of Yadu were present at that feast. There were Raja Ugrasena, and Balaráma, and Sátyaki, and Kritarvarman, and the two sons of Krishna, and many others of renown. Now Balaráma, the elder brother of Krishna, was a great drinker of wine, and he ordered vessels of wine to be brought into the assembly and placed before each Chieftain; and the assembly seated themselves in parties, so that those who were most intimate drank wine together. Satyaki insults Thus Balarama and Kritavarman drank by themselves, and for aiding in the the sons of Krishna drank with Sátyaki.

Kritavarman

revenge of As

wattháma.

Now Kritavarman, who drank with Balaráma, was one

INDIA. PART II.

Krishna.

of the three who had slaughtered the sleeping men in the HISTORY OF camp of the Pandavas; and Satyaki, who was sitting near him, having got exceedingly drunk, suddenly cast his eye upon him, and said :—“Behold, my friends, this Kshatriya here, who boasts so much of his prowess! He went one night with Aswattháma, and attacked a number of boys, and killed them in the night time; and these are the men who boast of their bravery." Pradyumna, the son of Krishna, then cried out:-"Well said, Sátyaki!" And Krishna also Encouraged by was no friend to Kritavarman, for in the feud about the jewel, Kritavarman had murdered Satyajit, who was the father of Krishna wife Satyabhama; and Krishna said to Sátyaki :-"Tell the story of how Kritavarman murdered Satyajit, and robbed him of his jewel!" Sátyaki then repeated the story of the jewel, and said:" This Kritavarman is moreover the same man who went out with Aswattháma, and unjustly slew Dhrishta-dyumna, and many thou-sands of innocent people: But his days are numbered." So saying, Sátyaki drew his sword and ran at Kritavarman before all the assembly; and whilst Kritavarman was rising Satyaki slays up to defend himself, Sátyaki struck him on the neck with his sword with all his might, so that his head was severed from his body and fell upon the ground. Then many kinsmen of General tumult. Kritavarman rushed upon Sátyaki, and many of Sátyaki's friends ran up to oppose them, and there was a great uproar and bloodshed. Krishna endeavoured to quell the tumult, Sudden murbut no one heeded him; and the friends of Kritavarman cut down Sátyaki and slew him, and also cut down Pradyumna, the son of Krishna, and slew him before his father's face. Krishna then revenged himself by killing all the murderers Horrible con fuof his son; but the whole assembly was then frantic with shed. blood and wine, and each man fell madly upon his neighbour; for in their bewilderment they knew not what they did, except that they struck each other and died; and fathers slew their sons, and sons their fathers, and brethren and kinsmen murdered each other. In this manner all the Slaughter of all

1 The feud about the jewel will be found related in the legends of Krishna in Part III.

Kritavarman.

ders.

sion and blood

the Yádavas.

HISTORY OF Yádavas were slaughtered by the curse of the three Rishis, and all the sons and grandsons of Krishna were amongst the slain.

INDIA. PART II.

Krishua goes out to Balará

ma.

Sends his charioteer to Hastinapur.

Sends a Chief

tain to Dwá

raka, who is slain

by a fisherman.

Krishna proceeds to Dwáraká.

While Krishna was horror-stricken at this sudden calamity, his charioteer came to him, and said that Balarama had gone out of the assembly just after the beginning of the tumult. So Krishna mounted his chariot, accompanied by another Chieftain, and set forward in search of his elder brother; and when they had gone a little distance, they beheld Balarúma seated under the shade of a banyan tree, and his eyes were closed, and he was absorbed in a deep meditation. Krishna then said to his charioteer:-" You have seen what has befallen this people: Go now with all speed to the city of Hastinápur, and inform Raja Yudhishthira of all that has occurred, and desire him to send Arjuna to Dwaraka with all speed." And the charioteer mounted the chariot by himself, and drove off in hot haste to the city of Hastinápur. Krishna then said to the Chieftain who was with him :-"You also have seen what calamity has befallen us: So go you back to the city of Dwáraká, and look to the safety of the women and houses, lest thieves and Daityas should plunder the city and outrage the women: Have a care also for my father Vasudeva, who has been left behind in the city; and tell him that in the seventh day from this, which will be the full moon of the month Kartika, the sea will arise and swallow up Dwáraká." And the Chieftain returned in all haste towards Dwáraká, but on his way a drunken fisherman fell upon him and slew him; and some one who was looking on carried the news to Krishna. Then Krishna said to his brother Balaráma :-" I am afraid lest mischief be committed in the city: Stay you here whilst I haste thither, and return again." So Krishna went to Dwáraká, and told his father Vasudeva of the slaughter of all their kinsmen and friends; and Vasudeva was exceedingly moved and began to weep very bitterly. And Krishna said to his father:-"This is no time for grief; I have despatched my charioteer to bring Arjuna hither; so do you bestir yourself that no evil may befall the women before he

INDIA. PART II.

arrives: And now we must take leave of each other, as I HISTORY OF must return to Balarama, who is waiting for me: Heretofore I saw all the Kauravas perish, and now I have seen all the Yádavas perish also; and I will return no more to this city, but I and Balarama will retire into the jungle, and pass the remainder of our lives in devotion." With these words Krishna embraced his father's feet, and all the women and slave girls set up a terrible cry of lamentation. Krishna Returns to then returned to his brother Balarama, but found that he finds him dead. had given up the ghost whilst seated against the tree; and Krishna was exceedingly troubled, and went into a thicket Krishna slain which was hard by, and rested his head upon his knees in deep contemplation, when a hunter, who was passing by, saw him, and thought he was a wild animal, and discharged his arrow and slew him upon the spot. Thus died the mighty Krishna.

Balarama and

by a hunter.

charioteer car

to the Panda

to Dwaraká.

ations of the

Meantime, the charioteer proceeded to Hastinapur, and Krishna's told to Raja Yudhishthira and his brethren how the Yáda- ries the tidings vas had all slaughtered each other. The Raja swooned away vas. at the news, and when he had recovered, Arjuna obtained his permission to depart that moment for the city of Dwáraká. So Arjuna set off with all haste, and found the city like a Arjuna proceeds widow mourning for her husband; and when the wives of Krishna set their eyes upon him they filled the air with their Terrible lamentcries; and the whole city echoed back their lamentations, widows. for all the women there had lost husbands or sons, fathers or brothers, in the great quarrel. At this sight Arjuna was so distracted that for a long time all his strength seemed to have forsaken him, but after a while he asked for Vasudeva, and then went to see him. And Vasudeva wept very much, and Arjuna out of sympathy wept with him; and all the women of the city came thither, with their hair dishevelled and their eyes filled with tears; and when they saw Arjuna they made altogether such a melancholy noise as was never heard before. And after much weeping, Vasudeva told to Arjuna the cause of all the dreadful slaughter which had taken place, and prayed him to do what seemed to him best with the women and treasures.

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HISTORY OF

INDIA. PART II.

Arjuna directs

all the residue of the people to leave the city.

Death of Vasudeva.

Burning of Vasudeva with four of his widows.

Funeral ceremonies of the slain at Prabhása.

Arjuna then proceeded with the charioteer of Krishna to the Council hall, and summoned all the Bráhmans who had survived the great disaster; and when they beheld him they all burst into a fit of weeping; but Arjuna bade them not to waste the time in useless sorrow, but to prepare for departing from the doomed city, for that after seven days Dwáraká would be overwhelmed by the sea.

And Arjuna passed that night in the palace of Krishna, and when it was morning he bathed himself, and prepared to pay a visit to Vasudeva; when at that moment he heard a cry of lamentation, more terrible than ever, issue from the house of Vasudeva; and thousands of women ran about with their hair dishevelled, and their bosoms bare, and their garments rent; and they were beating their breasts and filling the air with their screams; and it was told to Arjuna that Vasudeva had given up the ghost. So Arjuna arose up in deep sorrow, and ordered the dead body to be carried to the spot where Krishna had performed an Aswamedha Yaga; for Vasudeva during his life-time had given orders that his dead body should be burned there. And the same Bráhmans who had performed the Yaga now collected wood and perfumes; and Arjuna himself cast the body upon the pile, and the Brahmans lighted the pile: and four of Vasudeva's widows burned themselves upon the pile along with the body of their dead husband.

When Arjuna had thus performed the funeral ceremonies for Vasudeva, he went to the spot where all the Yádavas had slain each other; and when he saw the dead men lying about the field he was horror-stricken beyond description. And he commanded a very great quantity of fuel and inflammable materials to be brought and kindled; and he ordered that all the bodies of such as could be recognized should be thrown thereon and burnt; and he sent all the people to make strict search for the bodies of Krishna and Balarama, and having found them, he caused them to be burned with much precious odours. Arjuna then performed the funeral rites for all those who were dead, and sprinkled water for their souls.

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