Curiosities of Superstition, and Sketches of Some Unrevealed ReligionsAdams, W. H. Davenport (William Henry Davenport)
Religion
Curiosities of Superstition, and Sketches of Some Unrevealed Religions
Adams, W. H. Davenport (William Henry Davenport)
Folklore; Religions; Superstition
As Krishna and Rama proceeded along the high road, they saw coming towards
them a young girl, who was crooked, carrying a pot of unguent. Addressing
her sportively, Krishna said, “For whom are you carrying that unguent?
Tell me, lovely maiden, tell me truly.” Spoken to as it were through
affection, Kubja[27], well disposed towards Hari, replied to him also
mirthfully, being smitten by his appearance, “Know you not, beloved, that
I am the servant of Kamsa, and appointed, crooked as I am, to prepare his
perfumes? Of unguent ground by any other he does not approve, and hence I
am enriched through his liberal rewards.” Then said Krishna, “Fair-faced
damsel, give us of this unguent,--fragrant and fit for kings,--as much as
we may rub upon our bodies.” “Take it,” answered Kubja. And she gave them
as much of the unguent as was sufficient for their persons. And they
rubbed it on various parts of their faces and bodies, till they looked
like two clouds, one white and one black, decorated by the many-tinted bow
of Indra.
And Krishna, skilled in the curative art, took hold of her under the chin
with the thumb and two fingers, and lifted up her head, whilst with his
feet he pressed down her feet, and in this way he made her straight.
When she was thus relieved from her deformity, she was a most beautiful
woman; and filled with gratitude and affection, she took Govinda by the
garment, and invited him to her house. Promising to come at some other
time, Krishna smilingly dismissed her, and then laughed aloud on beholding
the countenance of Baladeva.
Dressed in blue and yellow garments, and anointed with fragrant unguents,
Krishna and Rama proceeded to the hall of arms, which was hung round with
garlands. Inquiring of the warders which bow he was to try, and being
directed to it, Krishna took it, and bent it. But drawing it with
violence, he snapped it in two, and all Mathura resounded with the noise
which its fracture occasioned. Abused by the warders for breaking the bow,
Krishna and Rama retorted, and defied them, and left the hall.
When Kamsa knew that Akrura had returned, and heard that the bow had been
broken, he then said to Chanura and Mushtika, his boxers, “Two youths,
cowherd boys, have arrived. You must kill them both, in a trial of
strength, in my presence; for they practise against my life. I shall be
well pleased if you kill them in the match, and will give you whatever you
wish, but not otherwise. These two foes of mine must be killed by you,
fairly or unfairly. The kingdom shall be ours in common when they have
perished.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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