CHAPTER LXXV. RASA DANCE.

Vaishampayana said:—Thereupon after the departure of Sakra, the beautiful Krishna the holder of Gavardhana, entered Vraja honored by the inhabitants, thereof (1). The elderly Gopas and his kinsmen and comrades, assembled together, welcomed him and said.

"O Govinda, we have been honored and favoured by thy conduct and as well as that of the best of mountains (2). Indeed thy prowess is like that of the celestials. By thy favour the kine have tided over the fear of excessive rain and we too have been relieved of the great fear (3). O Krishna, O lord of kine, beholding thy superhuman feat of raising up the mountain we consider thee as a divinity (4). O thou of great strength, art thou Rudra, Marut, or one of the Vasus? Why hast thou taken thy birth as the son of Vasudeva (5)? Beholding this thy low birth amongst us, this thy prowess, sport and feat in thy boyhood our minds are filled with fear (6). We see, thou art like one of the Lokapālas. But why art thou, in thy wretched guise of a milk-man, engaged in sport with us and in protecting kine (7)? Art thou a Deva, a Dānava or a Gandharva now born as our friend? Whatever thou mayst be we bow unto thee (8). If thou art present here, of thy own accord, for any work of thine, do thou consider us as thy dependants and votaries (9)."

Vaishampāyana said:—Hearing the words of Gopas, the lotus-eyed Krishna, smiling a little, said to his assembled kinsmen:—(10)

"Ye of dreadful prowess, let not the conviction, that you have all formed about me, take root in your hearts. I am one of your clan and a friend (11). If however you are all bent upon hearing then wait you will soon listen to an account of (my origin) and see my true form (12). I am one of your respected friends like unto a god. If you have any affection for me, do not wish to learn any thing more about me (13)."

Thus accosted by Vasudeva's son and covering their own faces and resorting to silence the milk-men went away in in various directions (14).

Thereupon beholding the charming autumnal night and the beautiful moon the powerful Krishna felt a desire of sporting (15). Sometimes he made the haughty bulls fight with one another in the roads of Vraja adorned with cow-dung pastes. He again set the powerful cow-herds against one another. He sometimes got hold of the kine in the forest like a crocodile. (16–17). Sometimes thinking of his boyhood and bringing the youthful women of Gopas under his control at night he used to enjoy there (18). With their glances those Gopa women used to drink as if the ambrosia of his beautiful face who was like the moon come down on earth (19). Krishna was by nature beautiful but clad in a silken raiment of shining yellow colour he appeared more beautiful (20). Having his arms adorned with Angadas and bedecked with garlands of wild flowers Govinda beautified the entire Vraja (21). Filled with surprise at witnessing the wonderful conduct of that powerful (being) the beautiful Gopa women used to call him by the name of Dāmodara (22). And casting again and again their glances accompanied by various gestures they began to assail him with their rising breasts (23). After a few days had passed away in this way the parents of those milk-women prevented them (from doing so). Those damsels however, fond of amusements, used to hunt Krishna at night (24). Sometimes arranging themselves in rows and sometimes in circles they, singing hymns relating to Krishna's glories, used to satisfy him. And all of them appeared in pairs with Krishna (25). Casting loving glances at Krishna and following his course those youthful damsels of Vraja imitated all his sports (26). Sometimes striking their palms in the forest they used to imitate him and sometimes they used to take delight in imitating his songs and dances accompanied by lovely smiles and looks (27-28). Singing sweet songs describing the profuse love for Krishna these beautiful women, devoted to Dāmodara, used to range at Pleasure in Vraja (29). As she-elephants, covered with dust, enjoy with an infuriated elephant so those milk-women, their limbs covered all over with dust and cow-dung, used to sport with Krishna encircling him on all sides (30). Drinking repeatedly his ambrosia-like beauty with their eyes accompanied by side-long and smiling looks the Gopa-women, having antelope eyes, could not attain to the consummation of delight (31). When Damodara used to exclaim "O! Alas!" the damsels anxiously and delightedly used to listen to the words given vent to by him (33). Thus encircled by the milk-women Krishna used to sport, of his own accord, in the autumnal night adorned by the moon244 (35).