t 12 ] 



Varaha, Nara-Sing, and others, which are all emanations of that 

 tremendous power who is at once the Creator, Preserver, and De- 

 stroyer, of all things. " We short-sighted men," exclaims Oodhoo, 

 " resemble a child, who, having turned round till he is giddy, thinks 

 the heavens and earth also turn round with him, and does not con- 

 sider that the rotatory motion is all in his own brain. Thus, 

 O Nanda! are we bewildered in prejudices, thus are we groAvn 

 giddy with pride, and know not the Creator. Now, therefore, 

 O Yasodha ! think no more of Creeshna as your son, but as a being 

 who is father, child, husband, wife, brother, and whatever you can 

 think of that is dear among human beings, all centring in one ob- 

 ject, and without that object there is nothing!" Thus did Oodhoo 

 pass the whole night in discourse with Nanda and Yasodha; and, 

 at sun-rise, next morning went to bathe in the Jumna, dressed in a 

 shining robe set with lovely jewels. As he drove along in his 

 splendid carriage, in all houses which he passed, he heard the inha- 

 bitants at their different employments singing the miracles of Creesh- 

 na. He beheld all the Gopias in profound affliction for his ab- 

 sence; and, as most of them were ignorant of Oodhoo's arrival, 

 they said to each other, "Ah! there is Akroor's carriage! he is re- 

 turned ; but, if Cansa had lived, he would have been devoted to 

 instant destruction." Another supposed Creeshna had sent some 

 other herald to inquire after them. A third observed that Creeshna 

 had now other affairs to mind than to send after them; while a fourth 

 insisted that Creeshna did most certainly recollect them. Innu- 

 merable discourses of this kind met the ears of Oodhoo, all the 

 result of affection and grief; and he was astonished at the uni- 

 versality of the theme. 



By the time Oodhoo returned from the water, the Gopias had 

 learned that some one on the part of the Yadavas was arrived, but 

 it was not Creeshna, and they all hurried to Nanda's house to learn 



