Beholding that five-hooded serpent-king and hearing his distressful words, the Lord Krishna, having the enemy of serpents²¹³ as his carrier, replied like one having no anger (38):—"O serpent, I do not wish to allow you to live in this water of Yamunā. Therefore repair to the ocean with your wife and kinsmen (39). After this whoever amongst your sons and servants shall be seen either in the water or on the land of this province he will be killed by me (40). O king of serpents, let this water prove wholesome unto all and yourself proceed to the mighty deep. If you remain here after this you will be visited by a great calamity that will bring about the termination of your life (41). If Garuda, the enemy of serpents, behold in the ocean, my foot-marks on your head he will not kill you" (42). (Thus accosted by the Lord) that foremost of serpents Kalya, carrying on his head Krishna’s foot-marks, fled away stealthily from the lake in the very presence of the milk-men (43). After the king of serpents had thus fled away vanquished the Lord came out from the water and stood on the bank. Filled with surprise the milk-men chanted his glories and circumambulated him (44). Thereupon those milk-men, living in the forest, delightedly said to Nanda: "Indeed thou art fortunate and a favourite of the gods since your son is (so very powerful) (45). From to-day, O sinless one, the powerful Krishna, having large eyes, will be a refuge of the milk-men in their perils and a protector of the kine in the cow-shed (46). The water of the Yamunā has become everywhere delightful and wholesome. From now all our kine will happily range in every landing stair (47). Really we are milk-men for we have not been able to know Krishna truly in Vraja like fire covered with ashes" (48). Thereupon eulogising the immortal Krishna the milk-men, filled with surprise, entered their hamlet like unto the celestials entering the Chitraratha garden (49). ²¹² When a cycle terminates every thing in the world is destroyed. The serpent is compared to this termination for every thing there was destroyed by his dreadful venom. ²¹³ This refers to Garuda whom Vishnu used to ride. Garuda used to devour serpents and was thus their enemy. CHAPTER LXIII. THE DESTRUCTION OF KHARA AND DHENUKA.