CHAPTER LXXI.²²⁴ KRISHNA PROTESTS AGAINST INDRA-YAJNA: AN ACCOUNT OF AUTUMN. Vaishampayana said:—Hearing the words of the aged milk-men regarding the festivity of Indra, Dāmodara well-informed of Sakra’s might, said to him (1). "We are all milk-men who range in the forest. The precious kine constitute our subsistence. We should therefore worship the kine, the mountains and the forests (2). Cultivation is the means of subsistence to the cultivators, merchandise is to the merchants and the cow is the best means of livelihood to us. This has been laid down by the scholars well-read in the three Vedas (3). The respective profession of each caste is their great God, is worshipful, adorable and beneficial unto them. He, who, benefitted by one, worships another, is visited by two fold calamities in this world, and in the next after death. The fields are protected by cultivation, the forests are preserved by fields and the mountains are supported by forests and these mountains are our only refuge. I have heard that the mountains, which exist in this forest, assume forms at their will. And adopting various shapes they sport in their table-lands (4–6). Sometimes assuming the forms of tigers, the foremost of those having claws or those of lions adorned with manes, they frighten those who devastate the forest and thus protect their respective woods (7). When tribes living in the forest²²⁵ or those obtaining their livelihood through it²²⁶ disfigure a wood, they, with their work of eating up manliness, destroy them in no time (8). The Brāhmanas perform _Yajnas_ wherein the _Mantras_ play an important part, the cultivators should perform a sacrifice in honor of a furrow and we milk-men should celebrate one in honor of the mountains. Therefore we should worship the mountains in the forest (9). Methinks, therefore, O milk-men, that engaged in celebrating a Yajna in honor of the mountains do ye engage in actions after your own hearts either at the foot of a tree or of a mountain (10). Digging wells and setting up sheds in that auspicious place and slaying beasts of sacrifice let the milk-men carry on their festivity. There is no need of holding a discussion over it (11). Circumambulating that best of mountains embellished with autumnal flowers the kine will again return to Vraja (12). Every one is filled with delight in this charming autumn shorn of clouds, endued with many virtues and abounding in delicious water affording satisfaction to the kine and in grass (13). Somewhere rendered white by blossoming Pryaka flowers and somewhere made dark blue by Bānasanas the forest, abounding in full-grown grass and shorn of peacocks, is appearing greatly beautiful (14). Clear clouds, shorn of water and lightnings, are moving in the sky like a herd of elephants (15). The trees, enveloped with new grown foliage, are as if being pleased by the continual muttering of clouds drawing in new water (16). Having the white cloud for its