poisonous vapour combined with the water; and the whole horizon was in a blaze. Krishńa, having dived into the pool, struck his arms in defiance 3, and the snake-king, hearing the sound, quickly came forth: his eyes were coppery red, and his hoods were flaming with deadly venom: he was attended by many other powerful and poisonous snakes, feeders upon air, and by hundreds of serpent-nymphs, decorated with rich jewels, whose earrings glittered with trembling radiance as the wearers moved along. Coiling themselves around Krishńa, they all bit him with teeth from which fiery poison was emitted. Krishńa's companions, beholding him in the lake, encompassed by the snakes, twining around him, ran off to Vraja, lamenting and bewailing aloud his fate. "Krishńa," they called out, "has foolishly plunged into the serpent's pool, and is there bitten to death by the snake-king! Come and see." The cowherds and their wives and Yaśodá, hearing this news, which was like a thunderbolt, ran immediately to the pool, frightened out of their senses, and crying, "Alas! alas! where is he?" The Gopís were retarded by Yaśodá, who in her agitation stumbled and slipped at every step; but Nanda and the cowherds and the invincible Ráma hastened to the banks of the Yamuná, eager to assist Krishńa. There they beheld him apparently in the power of the serpent-king, encompassed by twining snakes, and making no effort to escape. Nanda, as soon as he set his eyes upon his son, became senseless; and Yaśodá also, when she beheld him, lost all consciousness. The Gopís, overcome with sorrow, wept, and called affectionately, and with convulsive sobs, upon Keśava. "Let us all," said they, "plunge with Yaśodá into the fearful pool of the serpent-king. We cannot return to Vraja; for what is day, without the sun? what night, without the moon? what is a herd of heifers, without its lord? what is Vraja, without Krishńa? Deprived of him, we will go no more to Gokula. The forest will lose its delights; it will be like a lake without water. When this dark lotus leaf complexioned Hari is not present, there is no joy in the maternal dwelling. How strange is this! And as for you, ye cowherds, how, poor beings, will you live amidst the pastures, when you no longer

behold the brilliant lotus eyes of Hari? Our hearts have been wiled away by the music of his voice. We will not go without Puńd́aríkáksha to the folds of Nanda. Even now, though held in the coils of the serpent-king, see, friends, hew his face brightens with smiles as we gaze upon him."