the death of Keśin, and glorified the amiable god with the lotus eyes. Nárada the Brahman, invisible, seated in a cloud, beheld the fall of Keśin, and delightedly exclaimed, "Well done, lord of the universe, who in thy sports hast destroyed Keśin, the oppressor of the denizens of heaven! Curious to behold this great combat between a man and a horse--such a one as was never before heard of--I have come from heaven. Wonderful are the works that thou hast done, in thy descent upon the earth! they have excited my astonishment; but this, above all, has given me pleasure. Indra and the gods lived in dread of this horse, who tossed his mane, and neighed, and looked down upon the clouds. For this, that thou hast slain the impious Keśin, thou shalt be known in the world by the name of Keśava 2. Farewell: I will now depart. I shall meet thee again, conqueror of Keśin, in two days more, in conflict with Kansa. When the son of Ugrasena, with his followers, shall have been slain, then, upholder of the earth, will earth's burdens have been lightened by thee. Many are the battles of the kings that I have to see, in which thou shalt be renowned. I will now depart, Govinda. A great deed, and acceptable to the gods, has been done by thee. I have been much delighted with thee, and now take my leave." When Nárada had gone, Krishńa, not in any way surprised, returned with the Gopas to Gokula; the sole object of the eyes of the women of Vraja 3.

Footnotes

539:1 As Vírabhadra did to Púshá or Púshan, a form of Súrya, at the sacrifice of Daksha: see p. 67. n. 6.

540:2 Or Keśi and va, 'who kills,' from vadh or badh, 'to kill:' but this is a Pauráńik etymology, and less satisfactory than the usual grammatical one of Keśa, 'hair,' and 'va' possessive affix: Krishńa corresponding in this respect to the Apollo Crinitus. It is also derived from the legend of his origin from 'a hair' (see p. 497. n. 23): and again, Keśa is said to purport 'radiance' or 'rays,' whether of the sun or moon or fire; all which are the light of Krishńa: whence he is called Keśava, 'the rayed' or 'radiant.' Mahábhárata, Moksha Dharma.

540:3 The legend is told by all the other narrators of Krishńa's juvenile exploits.

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Hinduism

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