nd fled towards the
south, running on foot, over a pathless ground. Beholding that foremost
of Brahmanas flying along the pathless ground, we followed him, although
we were smeared with frumenty, exclaiming behind him, "Be gratified with
us, O holy one!" Endued with great energy, the Brahmana, seeing me, said,
"O mighty-armed Krishna, thou hast subdued wrath by the strength of thy
nature. O thou of excellent vows, I have not found the slightest fault in
thee! O Govinda, I have been highly gratified with thee. Do thou solicit
the fruition of such wishes as thou pleasest! Behold duly, O son, what
the puissance is of myself when I become gratified with any one. As long
as deities and human beings will continue to entertain a liking for food,
so long will every one among them cherish the same liking for thee that
they cherish for their food! As long, again, as there will be
Righteousness in the several world, so long will the fame of thy
achievements last! Indeed, thy distinction will last so long in the three
worlds! O Janardana, agreeable thou shalt be to all persons! Whatever
articles of thine have been broken or burnt or otherwise destroyed (by
me), thou shalt see restored, O Janardana, to their former state or they
will reappear even in a better form! As long, again, O thou of unfading
glory, as thou wilt wish to live, so long wilt thou have no fear of death
assailing thee through such parts of thy body as have been smeared with
the frumenty I gave thee! O son, why didst thou not smear that frumenty
on the soles of thy feet as well? By not doing it, thou have acted in a
way that is not approved by me!" Even these were the words that he said,
well-pleased with me on that occasion. After he had ceased speaking, I
saw that my body became endued with great beauty and splendour. Unto
Rukmini also, the Rishi, well-pleased with her, said, "O beautiful lady,
thou shalt be the foremost one of thy sex in fame, and great glory and
achievements will be thine. Decrepitude or disease or loss of complexion
will never be thine! Every one will see thee engaged in waiting upon
Krishna, possessed as thou already art with a fragrant odour which is
always present in thee. Thou shalt become the foremost of all spouses,
numbering sixteen thousand, O Kesava. At last, when the time comes for
thy departure from the world, thou shalt attain to the inseparable
companionship of Krishna hereafter!" Having said these words unto thy
mother, the Rishi o