story of the carnal love of Krishna for his various companions is
described at a length in _Brahma Vaivarta Purana_ which is
regarded as a spurious production and is not considered as an
authentic record of his life. The esoteric meaning underlying this
incident is the union between the human soul and the Supreme Soul.
Krishna is the impersonation of the Supreme Soul and _Radha_ or
the worshipper is the emblem of the human soul. The worshipper can
secure unification with the Supreme Soul by love—earnest and
deep-seated devotion. This love, this devotion has been described
by various poets in various forms.
CHAPTER LXXVI. DEATH OF ARISTHA.
Vaishampayana said:—One day in the first part of the night while Krishna
was sporting, the dark-hued Dānava, Aristha by name, assuming the form
of an infuriated bull and resembling Death himself, was seen there
terrifying all the inmates of the cow-sheds (1). His body was like
extinguished ember and cloud, his horns were sharpened, his eyes were
effulgent like the sun, his feet were endued with sharpened hoops and
his hump was extremely hard (2). He was repeatedly licking his lips with
his tongue and moving his tail with pride. And for breaking down many
palaces with his hump it became exceedingly hardened (3). Incapable of
being repulsed on account of his own huge body, with his body covered
with excreta and urine, that Dānava, of huge waist, fleshy mouth, hard
knees and long abdomen, terrified all the cows with his skin hanging
from his neck and horns (4-5). That Daitya Aristha, of huge body, the
slayer of inimical bulls and the injurer of the cows, assuming the form
of a bull, was running about in the cow-sheds and pasture grounds. His
face was marked with strokes against the trees and his horns were
adorned as if for a fight (6-7). He used to approach the kine, when big
with their young ones and cause abortion and used to know them
immediately after their delivery (8). Without fighting with the bulls
and cows that irrepressible, and dreadful Daitya, always intent on
striking them with his horns, could not derive pleasure in pasture
grounds (9).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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