thighs and feet were motionless, hoops and mouth inert, the hairs stood
erect and their belly and udders grew lean (22). Some died out of
exhaustion, some took to their heels in fear and some with their calves
sank under frost (23). Some cows, of emaciated belly on account of
hunger and wearied thighs, lay to sleep embracing their calves (24). The
cows and calves, thus assailed by rain, fell down trembling and with
poor and distressing countenance looked towards Krishna and cried "Save
us! Save us! (25)"
Beholding this dreadful oppression over the cows on account of that
inclemeny and the impending death of the Gopas the sweet-speeched
Krishna was greatly worked up with anger. And meditating for a while he
began to speak to himself (26–27):—"I knew before that this will come to
pass. However to protect them against this downpour of rain I will
uproot this best of mountains Govardhana containing forests and woods
and convert it into an asylum for the kine (28). There is not a shadow
of doubt that this mountain, a veritable planet on earth, when upheld by
me, will be able to protect the kine and milk-men" (29).
Thus meditating and displaying the strength of his arms Krishna, having
truth for his prowess and resembling the best of mountains, uprooted
that hill with his hands (30). Then that foremost of mountains,
containing clouds, upheld by Krishna with his left hand, shone there
like a house on account of its caves (41). When that mountain was
uprooted the rocks, at its table-land, were shaken and the trees fell
down (32). And although that mountain was immoveable still, on account
of Krishna’s power, with its whirling summits, falling trees and
trembling tops it went up to the sky (33). All the clouds, united, were
pouring down their watery contents in its side. With their
quick-coursing streams the rocks were loosened and the mountain too was
continually agitated (34). The milk-men however could not perceive the
raining clouds, the rock-pouring mountain and the roaring wind (35). The
clouds, attached to the mountain, coming in contact with the springs
that best of mountains shone there as if bedecked with peacock feathers
(36). Vidyadharas, Uragas, Gandharvas and Apsarās began to exclaim from
all sides—"Gifted with wings the mount Govardhana is flying up" (37).
White, crimson and dark mineral substances began to trickle down from
the earthen layer of that uprooted mountain containing a thousand of
layers (38). Some of the summits of that best of mountain were
slackened, some were shattered and the highly elevated ones entered into
clouds (39). With the shaking of the mountains, the trees also shook,
and their flowers fell down on all sides of the ground (40). The
big-hooded serpents, having half of their body adorned, issued out of
their holes and the birds began to fly up in the sky (41). Out of fear
consequent upon the raising up of the mountain and of heavy downpour
these sky rangers began continually to fly up and come down (42). The
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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