SHREE SHOOKDEO JEE said,—O great king! when Nund, Oopnund and all the older cowherds had joined the assembly at the place of amusement, Shree Krishnù Chund said to Buldeo, "Brother! all the cowherds have already gone, do not delay now, but let us take our companions, the cowherds' children, with us, and go quickly to visit the place of amusement." On hearing these words, Bulram Jee arose, and said to the cowherds' children, his friends, "Brothers! let us go and see the preparations at the place of amusement." At these words they all accompanied him. Shree Krishnù and Bulram afterwards assumed the appearance of jugglers, and proceeding with their companions, the cowherds' children, came to the gate of the place of amusement, and stood near where the "must" elephant Koobliya, possessing the strength of ten thousand elephants, was moving to and fro. Beholding the elephant in a state of the greatest excitement at the gate, Bulram called out to the keeper, "Mahout! listen to what I say, and drive away the elephant from the gate. Let us have access to the Raja; lest the elephant should be destroyed. I tell you beforehand it will not be our fault, do not consider Huri a child. He is lord of the three worlds, and has descended upon the earth to destroy the wicked and
remove the burdens of the world." To this speech, the driver replied angrily, "I am aware that while tending herds, he has become lord of the three worlds, and for this reason has made his appearance here as a very great hero. Do not look upon his breaking the bow as any thing: my elephant possesses the strength of ten thousand. You shall not obtain entrance, until you fight with it. You have destroyed many powerful creatures; but if you escape to-day from this elephant, I will acknowledge that you are very strong." Huldhur was enraged, and said, "Hear me! you foolish, low creature, be cautious what you say, or I will presently dash you in pieces, and the elephant also; to hesitate is not advisable, as the elephant will be put to death immediately. Believe what I am saying, and calling out to you." At these words the driver was in a great passion, and drove the elephant towards them. As the elephant charged Buldeo Jee, he struck it such a blow with his hand, that it folded up its trunk, and reeled back, screaming. When the strong men of Kuns, who were standing near, beheld this wonderful act, they began to despair, and say to themselves, "Who can possibly win against two such powerful antagonists?" And the elephant driver, perceiving that the elephant had been forced back, was very much alarmed, and began to reflect, "That unless these two children were killed, Kuns would not allow him to escape with life." With these thoughts in his mind, he goaded on the elephant again, with his iron goad, and made it enraged, and impelled it against the two brothers. When he laid hold of Huri with his trunk, and, in his rage, endeavoured to crush him between his teeth, Krishnù assumed a very subtile body, and escaped between his teeth.
At this time all rose up through fear, gods, sages, men and women. Krishnù escaped between the elephant's two tusks, and the treasury of strength clapped his hands. He rose up with the elephant, and then in sport drove him forward. All became conscious of being restored to their lord, on beholding
the exploits of Krishnù. On hearing the sound of Krishnù impelling Koobliya, many more elephants rushed to the spot, enraged, and with trunks uplifted. Moorari remained crouched under Koobliya's belly, who thinking he had gone, continued looking after him. Huri then appearing behind the animal called out, and Buldeo circumvented it in front. They both began to make the elephant sport and gambol; and all were frightened at seeing this. O great king! sometimes Bulram laid hold of its trunk, and Krishnù of its tail; and when the elephant ran to lay hold of them, they slipped away.
They remained sporting with it for some time in the same way that they used to play with calves in their infancy. At length Huri seizing it by the tail, and whirling it round, dashed it on the ground, and killed it with blows. He pulled out the elephant's tusks, and blood streamed like a river from its mouth.
On the death of the elephant, the driver came bawling out to Krishnù, who instantly destroyed him, and threw him under the feet of the elephant. And the two brothers laughing and disguised as jugglers, each with an elephant's tusk in his hand, went and stood in the centre of the place, which had been prepared for amusement (the theatre.) Whoever beheld Nund Lal at this time, he appeared to him in the same form as the beholder; wrestlers thought him a wrestler; Rajas a Raja; the gods as their lord; the cowherds' children, as a companion; Nund and Oopnund as their child; the women of the city regarded him as the abode of beauty; Kuns and all evil spirits looked upon him in the light of death.
O great king! whilst looking at Krishnù and Buldeo, Kuns being very much afraid called out to the wrestlers, "To knock them down and destroy them; or drive them away from his presence." When Kuns had thus spoken, the wrestlers, accompanied by their instructors, their sons and pupils, and adopting various different appearances, striking their arms in preparation for battle, collected together on all sides to attack Krishnù
and Bulram, who remained firm, as they advanced. Chanoor, one of the wrestlers, looking towards them, said with sly impertinence of manner, "Our Raja is a little out of spirits to-day, and wishes to see you fight by way of amusing his mind; because during your abode in the jungle, you have learnt all the science of fighting. Be not at all anxious in your minds, but come and wrestle with us, and give pleasure to our Raja." Shree Krishnù replied, "The Raja Jee has acted with great kindness in having invited us to-day; what shall we be able to do for him? You are very powerful, and possessed of skill; and we are ignorant children; how shall we be able to encounter you? It is said, that we ought to marry, and have friendship and enmity with equals; but we have no power over the Raja Jee; and therefore consent to what you propose; save us and do not exert your strength to dash us to pieces. It is proper that both parties should act with due regard to justice, and unite in endeavouring to please the Raja"
On hearing these words, Chanoor was alarmed and said, "It is impossible to understand your nature and condition. You are not two children, but powerful men in disguise. Whilst playing with the bow you broke it into two pieces; the elephant Koobliya was immediately killed and obtained deliverance. You never sustain defeat in fighting, every one knows these circumstances."