INDIA.

which would account for his opposition both to the HISTORY OF worship of the Vedic deities, and to that of the Linga which is emblematical of the god Siva.

The principal legends connected with the early life of Krishna appear to be seven in number, viz. 1st, Birth of Krishna.

2nd, Infancy and boyhood of Krishna.

3rd, Krishna's opposition to the worship of

Indra.

4th, Love adventures of Krishna.

5th, Krishna's adventures in Mathurá.

6th, Krishna's contest with Raja Kansa.

7th, Krishna's life at Dwáraká in Guzerat. These legends of Krishna may be related in their order as follows: 3

1. Birth of Krishna.

PART III.

Seven legends

connected with

the early life of

Krishna.

dwelling at Gokula.

In days of old the children of Yadu dwelt on both sides Yadava tribe of the river Jumná, that is, in the village of Vrindavana on Vrindavana and the western bank of the river, and in the country of Gokula on the opposite shore. And the Chiefs of that tribe were Sura and VasuSura and his son Vasudeva.

deva.

of Mathurá,

son Kansa.

In those days Raja Kansa ruled the Bhojas who dwelt in Ugrasena, Raja the city of Mathurá which is nigh unto Vrindavana. And deposed by his Raja Kansa was a wicked Raja. He had deposed his father Persecution of Ugrasena and reigned in his stead; for Kansa worshipped of Vishnu by the

2 The historical and religious aspect of this question will be discussed in a future volume. It will be sufficient to remark in the present place that the religious wars between the Buddhists and the Linga worshippers of the Dekhan is one of the most important events in Hindú history.

The legends in connection with the life of Krishna are to be found in the Khila-Harivansa-Parva, which is comparatively a modern supplement to the Mahá Bharata. They are also to be found in the Bhagavat-purána, and its Hindú paraphrase, the Prem Ságur. The narrative in the text has been drawn up from Mr Eastwick's translation of the Prem Ságur, compared with the abridgment in the fifth book of the Vishnu-purána, p. 491, Wilson's translation.

The Bhojas are said to have been a branch of the Yadavas, but the relationship is very obscure.

the worshippers

worshippers of Siva.

HISTORY OF Siva, and Ugrasena worshipped Vishnu; and Ugrasena INDIA. would not pray to the god Siva when his son Kansa requested him.

PART III.

Marriage of

Devaki to
Vasudeva.

Kansa threatens

Now Devaka, who was the brother of Ugrasena, had a daughter named Devakí. And Devaka said to his nephew Kansa:"O Raja, unto whom shall I give my daughter Devakí in marriage?" And Kansa replied :—“ Give her in marriage to Vasudeva, the son of Sura, Chief of the Yádavas." So the marriage was agreed upon, and when the day had arrived for the nuptial ceremony, Sura, and his son Vasudeva, and all their kinsmen and friends, proceeded from the village of Vrindávana to the city of Mathurá, and the marriage rites of Vasudeva and Devaki were performed according to the ordinance.

When the marriage ceremony was over, the bridegroom on her wedding and the bride ascended a chariot, and Raja Kansa drove the

to slay Devaki

day.

Vasudeva engages to deliver

up his children

by Devaki to Raja Kansa.

Birth of Balaráma, who is

brought up in Gokula as the

Conception of
Krishna.

At

chariot with his own hand in the marriage procession.
that moment there came a voice from heaven, saying :—“ O
Kansa, the son of Devakí will be your destroyer." Then
Kansa was in a great fear, and seized Devakí by her hair
and dragged her from the chariot, and drew his sword to
slay her. And Vasudeva trembled greatly, and besought
Kansa to spare his hand; and he said to Kansa :-" No son
of mine shall ever do you hurt, for I will deliver into your
hands every infant that is born of Devakí." So Kansa
listened to the words of Vasudeva and spared the life of
Devakí.

After many days Devakí conceived and bore a son who was named Balaráma, but the babe was carried away to the son of Rohini. country of Gokula, which is on the other side of the river Jumná, and brought up as the child of Rohiní, who was another wife of Vasudeva. And Devakí conceived again, and Kansa heard of it; and he bound Vasudeva and Devaki with gyves and manacles, and he fastened the doors of their dwelling with locks and bars; and he ordered his mightiest warriors to keep constant guard round about the place, with elephants, lions, and dogs. And on a certain night the child

Kansa's efforts

to secure the infant.

INDIA. PART III.

Birth of Krish

ries the babe

Jumná in a

Miraculous

waters.

Sesha-nága pro

Krishna.

changed for the

Krishna was born, and all the marks of Vishnu were seen HISTORY OF upon him; and immediately after his birth the gyves and manacles fell from the hands of Vasudeva and Devakí, and the doors opened of their own accord, and the guards were na. all thrown into a deep slumber. So Vasudeva placed the Vasudeva carbabe in a basket which was used for winnowing corn, and across the set it upon his head, and went to cross the river Jumná to basket. carry the babe to the country of Gokula. Now when Vasu- lowering of the deva entered the river, the waters of the Jumná were very deep, and rose up to his nostrils so that he was sore afraid; and the child Krishna stretched forth his foot and the waters were stayed, and became shallow and fordable. At the same The great snake time the rain began to fall; but the many-headed serpent, tects the infant Sesha-naga, followed Vasudeva, and spread out his hoods so as to cover the divine babe. So Vasudeva crossed the river with the child, and carried it to the house of Nanda, who was a cowherd; and behold on that night Yasoda, who was the wife of Nanda, had given birth to a daughter. And Krishna Vasudeva changed the infants, and Yasoda and Nanda knew infant daughter it not; and Krishna was brought up in the house of Nanda, Yasoda. as his own son; whilst Vasudeva returned across the river, and gave the infant daughter of Yasodá to his wife Devakí At that moment the doors became locked as before, and Vasudeva and Devakí put on the gyves and manacles; and the infant cried aloud and awoke all the guards. And Kansa Kansa seizes the heard that the child was born, and he rushed on the spot daughter of and seized the babe to slay it; but the infant escaped from escapes to his hands, and ascended to heaven, crying:-" O Kansa, thy foe has already been born, and now thou canst not escape alive." Then Kansa was filled with wrath, and ordered that all the worshippers of Vishnu, young and old, should be slaughter of the slain; and he commanded his warriors to make search for Vishnu and the all young children throughout that country, and to slay every male child that possessed strength and vigour. And Nanda Nanda and the and the cowherds at Gokula heard that Kansa was slaying tribute to Raja the infants, and they were in great fear; and they loaded their carts with milk, butter, and curds, and they took with

of Nanda and

supposed

Devaki, who

heaven.

worshippers of

male children.

Cowherd pay

Kansa.

HISTORY OF them silver money, and carried them all to Mathurá as tribute to Raja Kansa.5

INDIA.

PART III.

Demons sent by
Kansa to slay

Krishua.

Infancy of

Krishna and
Balarama.

Childish gam

bols of Krishna

and Balarama.

Yasoda about to whip Krishna, when she sees

the three worlds in his mouth.

Churning day

in the house of Nanda and

Yasoda.

After this Kansa sent many wicked demons in various forms to slay the infant Krishna. The first assumed the shape of a beautiful woman with a poisoned nipple; and when she offered her breast to Krishna he seized it and sucked away her life. Next a demon got into a cart whilst Krishna was sleeping beneath it; but the infant kicked against the cart, and broke it into a thousand pieces, and

thus slew the demon. A third came in the form of a whirlwind, but Krishna dashed him against a stone and he fell down dead.

2. Infancy and boyhood of Krishna.

When Krishna and his elder brother Balaráma began to grow, they rejoiced the hearts of their mothers, Yasodá and Rohiní. And they were dressed in frocks of blue and yellow, and their hair was trimmed like the wings of a crow; and wooden ornaments were hung from their necks, and they had playthings in their hands. After a while they began to crawl about the courtyard upon their knees, and to stumble and fall, and prattle lispingly. And their mothers Yasodá and Rohiní followed close behind them lest they should be frightened and fall down; and sometimes when they fell they took hold of the tails of the calves and heifers and pulled themselves up again.

One day Yasodá was very angry with Krishna, because he would eat dirt, and she took a stick to beat him; but when she came to him he opened his mouth, and she looked in and saw the three worlds; and she marvelled greatly for a while, and then remembered it no more.

One morning after this, Yasodá and all the cowherdesses

5 The account of Raja Kansa is supposed by many to have been borrowed from the Gospel account of King Herod. Whether this be the case or not, it is certain that most of the details are mythical, and inserted for the purpose of ennobling the birth of Krishna.

• This simile implies that the top of the head was shaved, whilst the black hair was left on each side of the head. Many Hindú children are shaved in this manner, though some have the whole head shaved, sides and all.

INDIA. PART III.

Krishna at not

breakfast.

arose very early to churn; and they swept and cleansed the HISTORY OF house, and plastered it with fresh cow-dung, and each took her own churn and sat down to make butter. Meantime the noise awakened Krishna, and he began crying for his food, but no one heeded him. Then the lad was filled with wrath, Petulance of and took the staff out of his mother's churn, and began to getting his kick and cry; and Yasodá took him on her lap, and coaxed him, and gave him some milk and bread and butter. Whilst Krishna was eating, a cowherdess ran in and cried out that the milk was boiling over; and Yasodá set the lad down upon the ground, and ran off to save the milk. Mean- Krishna's pranks with his while Krishna broke the vessels of curds and butter-milk, mother's churn. and began to eat the butter, and give it to the other boys who were there. When Yasodá returned she was very wroth, and tied Krishna to the churn, but he ran away with it until it was caught between two trees; and he tore down the two trees, and when the people came up to see what he had done, they found him laughing between the trees and sitting upon the churn.

Pulls down two

Gokula migrate

butter.

After this the Yádavas moved away from Gokula, and The Yadavas of set off with their waggons and cattle for the village of to Vrindavana. Vrindavana; and here Krishna and Balaráma lived like two cow-boys along with the cows and cowherds. And when Krishna was a lad he began to play his pranks; and he went out and stole the butter and curds which the cowherdesses Krishna steals had made; and when they told his mother, he said that they did not tell the truth; and the women gazed upon his face and smiled, and went their way. And demons came to Kills many slay Krishna, and one came in the shape of a cow, and another in the shape of a crane, and another as a great serpent; but he fought and killed them all."

demons.

the Raja of the

And it came to pass that the Raja of the Rain saw that the War between Hot Season was parching up the country of Vrindávana; Rain and the and he took compassion upon the beasts and birds and living creatures, and assembled all his warlike clouds from

7 Krishna's triumph over the great serpent Kálíya was at one time supposed to be borrowed from the triumph of Christ over Satan. There appears however to be no allusion whatever to the bruising of the Serpent's head in the sense in which it is understood by Christian commentators.