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SHREE SHOOKDEO JEE said,--O great king! having thus preserved them all, Shree Krishnù Chund began to play at ball with the cowherds' children; and where Kalee was, the water of the Jumna for the distance of four koss boiled in consequence of poison; no beast or bird could approach it: If any went by mistake, they were scorched by the heat, and fell into the whirlpool; and no tree was produced on its banks. There was a solitary, everlasting kudum tree on one shore. The Raja enquired,--"O great king! how did that kudum tree escape?" The sage said, On one occasion the bird of Vishnù having ambrosia in its beak, alighted on that tree; a drop fell from its bill, and for this reason, that tree escaped. Having proceeded thus far in the narration, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja,--O great king! Shree Krishnù Chund Jee having determined upon the destruction of Kalee, whilst engaged in playing at ball, climbed up the kudum. tree; and as one of his companions threw the ball from below, it fell into the Jumna, and Shree Krishnù jumped in at the same time. Having heard the sound of his jumping in, Kalee began to vomit forth poison, and hissing flames to say, "Who is this that can live so long in the whirlpool? Perhaps the undecayable tree, not able to bear my heat, has fallen into
the water, broken in pieces; or some great beast or bird has come, the noise of which is still heard." Having thus said the serpent vomited forth poison from a hundred and ten hoods, while Shree Krishnù continued swimming. At this time, his companions, weeping and stretching out their hands, called out; the cows with their mouths open ran about on all sides, lowing and panting; the cowherds apart were saying, "Krishnù come out quickly; otherwise, what answer shall we give, if we go home without you?" They were grieved, and continued speaking thus, when one of them went to Brindabun, and mentioned, that Shree Krishnù had jumped into the whirlpool of Kalee. On hearing this, Rohnee, Jusodha and Nund, with the cowherdesses and cowherds, came running out weeping, and tumbling over each other on the way, reached the whirlpool all together. Not seeing Shree Krishnù there, Nund's wife being agitated, rushed straight forward to throw herself into the waters. The cowherdesses, interposing, laid hold of her; and the cowherds' children having seized Nund Jee, thus addressed him--"Having left the great forest, we have come into this one; nevertheless devils have vexed us exceedingly. Great good fortune has befallen from evil spirits, (that is, Krishnù has obtained many successes over them) now how will Huri come forth from the whirlpool?" In the meantime, Buldeo Jee arrived there also after them, and explained to all the inhabitants of Bruj--"The immortal Krishnù will come forth immediately; why are you sad? I did not come with him to-day; Huri has gone into the whirlpool without me." Having told so much of the story, Shree Shookdeo Jee said to the Raja Pureechit,--O great king! whilst Bulram Jee was thus instilling confidence into all the inhabitants of Bruj, Shree Krishnù went swimming close to Kalee, who came, and wound himself round his whole body. Upon this Shree Krishnù became so large, that having quitted him, Kalee came into the jungle. When hissing, he attacked Krishnù with his hoods, he guarded himself. Seeing that the inhabitants
of Bruj were very much grieved, Shree Krishnù, having jumped up suddenly, sat all at once on Kalee's head. Having the weight of three worlds, Krishnù was very heavy: he continued dancing on the different hoods, and beat time with his foot. Upon this, Kalee began to die from the weight, and having dashed his hoods against the ground, put out his tongues, from which streams of blood flowed. When all pride of his poison and strength had departed, he thought "That the first man had descended upon the earth; otherwise, who has such power that he could escape from my poison?" Thinking thus, and having abandoned all hope of life, he remained stupified with fear. The serpent's wife then came and joining her hands, and bowing her head, said to Shree Krishnù Chund in a supplicating tone, "O great king! you have done well in having destroyed the pride of this tyrannous and presumptuous creature; he has been fortunate in having now seen you--the feet, which Bruhmù and all the other gods contemplate, offering up prayers with devout austerity, shine conspicuously on the head of Kalee." Having spoken thus, she said again, "O great king! have compassion on me, and release Kalee; if not, destroy me also with him; because it is proper for a wife without her husband, (that is, deprived of her husband,) to die: and if you consider, he is not all in fault, this is the custom of our kind, that by having milk given us to drink, our poison increases." Having heard this speech of the serpent's wife, Shree Krishnù Chund jumped down from Kalee's head. Then Kalee, making an obeisance and joining his hands, said, "Lord! be pleased to forgive my offence: I, through ignorance, attacked you with my hoods; I am a serpent of an inferior caste, whence could I have the intelligence to recognize you?" Shree Krishnù said, "What has happened, has happened; but do not live here any longer, go and dwell with your family in the island of Kounuck." On hearing this, Kalee said with fear and trembling, "O lord of liberality! if I go there, the bird, upon which Vishnù rides,
will eat me up; from dread of which I ran off, and have come here."
Shree Krishnù said, "Go there now without fear; no one will say any thing to you, after having seen the marks of my feet on your head." Having thus spoken, and sent for the bird of Vishnù, Shree Krishnù Chund dissipated the fears of Kalee's mind. Then Kalee having offered up devotion in the manner prescribed, with perfumes, lamps and consecrated food, and having placed many gifts before Krishnù, joining his hands, said in a supplicatory tone, after he had obtained permission to depart--"You have danced for four ghurees on my forehead: Lord! remember this act of friendship." Thus having spoken, and made an obeisance, Kalee went with his family to the island of Kounuck, and Shree Krishnù Chund came out of the water.