Vaishampayana said:—Thus ranging and sporting in the forest Krishna and
Baladeva spent the two²²² months of the rainy season (1). Thereupon
returning to Vraja those two heroic brothers heard that arrangements
were being made for performing a _Yajna_ in honor of Indra and that the
milkmen were busily engaged in merriments (2). Seeing this, Krishna,
filled with curiosity, asked "What is that Sakra sacrifice for which you
are all filled with delight?" (3) Amongst them an elderly milk-man
replied:—"Hear, why Indra’s flag is worshipped (4). O subduer of thy
enemies, Indra, the king of the celestials and the lord of the world, is
the master of clouds. For this reason from time immemorial and coming
down from one family to another, this festival is being celebrated (5).
Commanded by him and embellished by his bow the clouds produce corns
with new showers of rain (6). Pleased with witnessing this festival the
Lord Purandara, the giver of clouds and water, and the partaker of many
sacrifices, brings about the gratification of the entire world (7). We
and other men live by the corns produced by him and the celestials are
also gratified thereby (8). Corns grow up when the king of gods sends
down showers. And when the earth is gratified with oblations the whole
universe appears as if full of ambrosia (9). Fed by the grass produced
by him the kine, with the bulls and calves, have attained to nourishment
and easiness (10). Wherever the cloud, pouring down water, is seen,
there is observed neither a piece of ground shorn of grass and corns nor
an hungry animal (11). The nectarine rays, of the sun that are milched
by the Lord Sakra, are discharged by the clouds in the form of
ambrosia-like showers of rain (12). The mighty leonine roar, announced
by the air, which he emits with force from the clouds, is designated by
the people as the muttering of clouds (13). The terrible sound, that he
sends forth when carried by clouds accompanied by the wind, is heard
like the clap of a thunder-bolt that shatters the mountains (14). O my
child, as the great Lord Siva is encircled by the goblins, so Indra,
surrounded by clouds coursing at will, and stationed in the sky, sends
down showers accompanied by the clap of a thunder-bolt (15). Sometimes
resembling an unfair day, sometimes resembling scattered gold, sometimes
resembling collyrium and sometimes pouring water in drops the clouds
paint the sky. Thus extracting water from the earth through the rays of
the sun, Indra, the giver of water, sends it down again on earth for the
behoof of all creatures (16–18).²²³ For these reasons O Krishna, this
rainy season has been fixed upon as the time for worshipping Indra. The
kings and others men with delight worship Indra in the rainy season. We
too do so (19)".
²²² In India the year is divided into six seasons of two months each.
²²³ This shows that the ancient Hindus were not ignorant of the
scientific formation of clouds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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