Chapter LXXI

p. 393

CHAPTER LXXIX.

SHREE SHOOKDEO JEE said,--O great king! when Sounuk and all the saints, and sages having received Bulram Jee's order; and, being highly delighted, began to perform sacrifice, a demon, named Jalub, the son of Lub, came; and, having collected masses of clouds, thundering and sending forth a very terrible and black storm, began to rain down from the sky blood and excrement, and urine and commit many acts of violence.

O great king! when Buldeo Jee beheld this tyranny on the part of the demon, he summoned his plough and wooden pestle; they came, and were ready; then Buldeo in great wrath, having laid hold of Jalub with his plough, struck him a blow on the head with his wooden pestle with such force that his head was split, and his soul escaped; there was a stream of blood on the spot; his eyes came out of their sockets, and his hair was dyed with blood. The sages, being very much pleased at the death of Jalub, performed adoration to Buldeo Jee, and glorifying him greatly, offered presents. Bulram, the abode of happiness, after this departed thence, and proceeded on his pilgrimage.

O great king! having visited all holy places of pilgrimage, and made a circuit of the earth, he arrived at the country

p. 394

about Delhi, where Doorjodhun and Bheemsen were carrying on a great war; and Shree Krishnù Chund and great Rajas, together with the descendants of Pandoo, were standing looking on. On Bulram Jee's arrival, the two heroes, Doorjodhun and Bheemsen, made him a salutation; the one regarding him as his spiritual preceptor, the other as his brother. When, O great king! Buldeo Jee saw them fighting, he said, "Both of you are powerful, brave warriors; O resolute heroes! refrain now from war, preserve the progeny of Kooroo and Pandoo; brothers, friends, have all been exterminated." Both said, when they heard this, bowing their heads, "We cannot now give up fighting." Then Doorjodhun said, "O divine preceptor! I will not speak falsely in your presence; be pleased to listen with careful attention to what I am about to say. This great war, which is now being carried on, in which people have been killed, and will be killed, is carried on by the advice of your brother, Shree Krishnù Chund Jee. These poor helpless creatures, who are now fighting, are as much under the power of Huri, as a wooden puppet is in the power of a juggler, who can make it move in any direction he pleases. It was not right in him to assist the Panduvùs, and act with such enmity towards us; he has caused the shoulder of Doosasun to be torn from its socket by Bheem, and has caused me to be wounded in the thigh by a club. What more need I now say to you? Whatever Huri may wish will now be done, this every one knows." When Doorjodhun had thus spoken, Bulram Jee approached Shree Krishnù Chund, having first said to Doorjodhun, "You, of course, have not practised any stratagem or treachery to cause violence?" And he said to his brother, "What have you done in causing this war to be waged, and Doosasun's shoulder to be torn from its socket, and Doorjodhun's thigh to be wounded? This is not a custom of fair fighting, that a powerful man should pluck out another's shoulder from the socket, or direct weapons, and aim below the loins. It is

p. 395

a fair fight when one challenges the other, and fights opposite him." Shree Krishnù Chund replied, "O brother! you do not know the circumstances; these Kouruvùs are very unjust and tyrannical, their tyranny is beyond description, they first, at the suggestion of Doosasun, Shugoon and Bhugdunt, cheated at play, and won every thing belonging to Raja Joodisthur. Doosasun laid hold of Dropudee by the hand, and for that reason Bheemsen pulled his arm out of the socket. Dhoorjodhun, in the midst of the court, told Dropudee to sit upon his thigh; and for this reason his thigh was wounded." Shree Krishnù Chund proceeded to say, "Brother! you do not know what injustice the Kouruvùs have shown towards the Panduvùs, and I cannot describe it; the fire of this war will not, therefore, be now extinguished, do not attempt any remedy."

When Krishnù, O great king! had thus spoken, Bulram Jee came from the country in the neighbourhood of Delhi to the city of Dwarka; and, having an interview with Rajas Oogursen and Soorsen, began to say to them with joined hands, "O great kings! through your excellence and glory I have made a pilgrimage to all holy places; but I have been guilty of a fault." Raja Oogursen said, "What fault?" Bulram Jee replied, "O great king! having gone to Neemkhar, I killed Soot Jee, the sin of whose murder attaches to me, with your permission I will now go again to Neemkhar; and, having seen the sacrifice, and bathed at the holy place, will obliterate the sin of the murder; after that I will give food to brahmins and give an entertainment to all persons of my own caste, in order that I may obtain renown in the world." Raja Oogursen consented, and told him to proceed on his journey, and return to him.

O great king! having obtained the Raja's leave, Bulram Jee, accompanied by several of the descendants of Judoo, went to Neemkhar; and having bathed and offered gifts, was purified, and returned. Afterwards, having sent for his family priest,

p. 396

and caused burnt offerings to be offered up to the gods, he fed and entertained brahmins, and his own caste; and, having observed all the customs usual in the world, was made clean.

Having recited thus much of the history, Shree Shookdeo Jee said, O great king! whoever shall hear this history with attention; all his sins shall be annihilated.