SHREE SHOOKDEO JEE said,--O great king! Raja Nurug, of the family of Ishwak, was very intelligent, liberal, religious and brave; he made innumerable presents of cows; it would be as easy to count the grains of sand of the Ganges, the drops of rain in the month of Bhador, and the stars of the sky, as to reckon the number of cows Raja Narug gave away; although he was so wise and so very liberal a Raja, he was, for a slight transgression, changed into a lizard, and dwelt in a dry well, and Shree Krishnù Chund Jee released him. In this part of the history, the Raja Pureechit interrupted Spree Shookdeo Jee, and enquired,--"O great king! for what sin was so pious and liberal a Raja turned into a lizard, and why did he remain in a dry well, and how did Shree Krishnù Chund Jee release him? Explain these circumstances to me, that the perplexities of my mind may be removed?" Shree Shookdeo replied,--O great king! be pleased to listen with attention, and I will explain all the circumstances as they occurred. The Raja Nurug was in the constant habit of presenting gifts of cows; one day, having bathed early in the morning, and finished his religious meditations and prayers, he gave in alms a thousand cows; white, purple, black, yellow, brown and grey, with hoofs of silver, horns of gold, backs of O great king! on the departure of the brahmins, the Raja Nurug was at first very sad, and began to say to himself, "I
O great king! having thus spoken, Dhurumraj remained silent, and the Raja Nurug, being then transformed into a lizard, went and fell into a dry well; and feeding on animals, began to abide there; after the lapse of some ages, Shree Krishnù Chund Jee descended upon the earth at the end of the Dwarpur age; when, having enjoyed sports and diversions at Bruj, he went to Dwarka, and had sons and grandsons. A number of his sons and grandsons went together one day to the forest to hunt; and, whilst engaged in hunting, became thirsty; by chance, as they were searching for water in the forest, they came to the brink of the blind well, in which Raja Nurug, having been born as a lizard, dwelt. As one of them leaned over the well to look into it, he called out to the rest, "Brothers! come and see what a large lizard there is in this well!" they all ran to the spot on hearing this, and standing on the raised stone masonry round the mouth of the well, began to O great king! when all their efforts with their turbands and waistbands did not succeed, they procured from the village flax, thread and grass, with which ropes are made, and thick, large thongs of leather; and letting them down the well, and fastening the lizard with them, began to pull forcibly, but the lizard was not even moved thence; then some one went to Dwarka, and said to Shree Krishnù Jee, "O great king! there is an enormous lizard inside a dry well in the forest, which all the children have fatigued themselves in trying to pull out, but it will not come forth." On hearing these words, Huri rose and started off; and going along came to the place were all the children were trying to pull the lizard out. On seeing Krishnù the children said, "Father! see what a large lizard this is; we have for a long time been trying to pull it out, but it will not come." O great king! having heard this speech, when Shree Krishnù Chund Jee descended into the well, and placed his foot on the lizard's body, he relinquished his form, and became a very handsome man. In the form of a Raja, he continued to lay hold of Krishnù's feet, joining his hands, and bowing his head, he solicited him, "O sea of compassion! you have shown me great favour in having taken thought of me in the midst of this great calamity." Shookdeo Jee said,--Raja! when in the form of a man, he began to address Huri thus, the Judoos' children, and the sons and grandsons of Huri being astonished, enquired from Shree Krishnù Chund, "O great king! who is this, and for what crime, being transformed into a lizard, has he remained here, kindly tell us, in order that the perplexities of our minds may be removed." Then Krishnù, without making any reply himself, said to the Raja, "Explain your history, so that all may
