Thereupon taking with them their carts and vessels the inhabitants of Vraja, afraid of rain, entered into that rocky house (61). Beholding this superhuman feat of Krishna and finding his words falsified the powerful Satakratu asked the clouds to desist (62). And surrounded by clouds which deprived the earth of all festivities for seven nights he returned again to the celestial region (63). Thus after seven nights when the king of gods desisted and the sky was freed of clouds and become clear the sun rose in its full effulgence (64). The cows and the milk-men returned to their respective quarters by the same road by which they had entered (the cave) (63). For the well-being of all the worlds the Lord Krishna, the giver of boons and identical with all the elements, established, with a delighted heart, that best of mountains²³⁵ (66). ²³² Literally the word means one who protects kine from _go_, kine and the root _pa_, to protect. ²³³ A root of acquatic animal resembling a crocodile. ²³⁴ The Danava chief who was defeated by Rudra or Siva in the war between the gods and demons. ²³⁵ This miracle of Krishna’s holding up of the mountain Govardhana on one of his fingers has been described in almost all the Puranas and even in the Sabha Parva of the Mahabharata. This incident, no doubt, on the face of it, appears highly incredible for, it is not possible for a man, nay for a boy of ten years of age to raise up a huge mountain like Govardhana. It is undoubtedly an allegory signifying the wonderful power of Krishna displayed by him for protecting the Gopas. The following explanation may be safely vouchsafed of the allegory. When he suppressed the worship of Indra and all his followers attacked the Gopas, Krishna placed them all, with their cattle and goods, on that hill and himself fought with the followers of Indra. It is mentioned in the latter portion of this Chapter that the Gopas entered into the hollow of the mountain, their ’hilly house’ and so forth. This probably may suggest an explanation that they took shelter in one of the huge caves of the mountain and Krishna guarded them against the attack of the worshippers of Indra. Whatever may be the explanation it is undoubtedly true that he displayed a superhuman feat on this occasion. CHAPTER LXXIV. INDRA COMES AND EULOGISES KRISHNA.