Jarashandha's Attack on Mathura

King Parikshit listened with deep feeling. Then he said, "Well, holy sage, after they were freed from prison, did Devaki and Vasudeva really stand before their own son with folded hands? Did a mother's heart not long to hold her son to her chest? I really want to know this, holy sage."

Shukadeva Goswami replied, "Yes, O King. After Kamsa was killed, when Devaki and Vasudeva came face to face with their son, they were filled with joy and stood there with folded hands, looking at his face. As Krishna came near, they bowed to him again and again. Krishna did not stop them. When Devaki and Vasudeva got Krishna near them for the first time since his birth, they had already become aware of his glory and his divine power. Krishna understood that with this awareness, they would never be able to come near him as parents. So he spread his enchanting maya over them."

Parikshit asked softly, "Now this enchanting maya, what kind of thing is that, revered teacher?"

Shukadeva said, "When this maya is spread, Yogamaya herself makes all his dear ones forget Krishna's true form. As a result, Devaki and Vasudeva completely forgot about Krishna's divine nature."

Then Krishna and Balaram went to them and said, "Mother, Father, we are your sons. We know, we know, you could not keep me and elder brother near you in our childhood, and you could not watch us grow up. But now that we are standing before you, will you not pull us close? Must we be kept away from a father's and mother's love for the rest of our lives?"

At once Devaki cried out, "Krishna, my Krishna, my child, Krishna, my jewel!"

At that time Devaki and Vasudeva were thinking of Krishna and Balaram as ordinary human beings. So, weeping, they held them close to their hearts. After this, Krishna praised them with many sweet words and comforted them.

He said, "Mother, we could not serve you in any way. We could not help you either. Because of us, you and father had to suffer so much. Mother, mother, forgive us. Father, forgive us."

Balaram also said, "Yes, mother. We two are the cause of all your pain. What kind of sons are we, for whom their parents must suffer so much! No, mother, we are guilty before you."

Devaki answered at once, "No, my child, no, never say such words, not even by mistake. To have you near us, we had to bear this little suffering, my son."

Hearing this, King Parikshit could hardly hold back his tears. "Ah, what an unforgettable sight!" he said. "What strange love, what endless peace and calm! I cannot stop my tears, holy sage. At last Vasudeva and Devaki found their long-desired treasure. Ah, blessed Lord. Well, revered teacher, did Krishna then sit on the throne of Mathura?"

Shukadeva said, "No, O King. Although the Yadavas wanted to see Krishna seated on the throne as king, Krishna still did not agree. Again and again they said, 'Krishna, we all accept you as our lord. Please sit on the royal throne of Mathura. This crown suits only your head.'"

But Krishna answered, "That cannot be. I still know nothing about ruling a kingdom. Besides, if I sit on the throne, the Yadava clan will suffer."

Parikshit asked, "Why would the Yadava clan suffer, revered teacher? What loss did Krishna mean here?"

Shukadeva explained, "In truth, O King, the Yadava clan was under the curse of King Yayati. Because of that curse, if any Yadava took the throne by the strength of his own arm, he was forbidden to sit on it, O King."

Parikshit said, "Then who became king? Surely the throne did not remain empty."

Shukadeva continued, "Krishna went and requested the aged King Ugrasena to sit on the throne of Mathura. 'Maharaj, this throne is yours. We are only your subjects. Please take the burden of ruling this kingdom. Command us.'"

Ugrasena replied, "Krishna, first, I am old. And besides, I too am a Yadava. The ban placed on the Yadavas by Yayati's curse applies to me as well."

Krishna said, "No, Maharaj, since you did not seize this throne by yourself, I am establishing you as the king of this throne. So no fault will touch you. I myself will remain as your servant. Even the gods will bow their heads before you in respect."

At last Ugrasena said, "Very well, I accept your proposal."

Krishna then bowed and said, "Then, Maharaj, please command me. Let me arrange for all the righteous people who left their homes and fled the land out of fear of Kamsa to return to their own places."

Ugrasena declared, "I give the order, Krishna. From today, all subjects in my kingdom will live equally and safely."

In this way Krishna brought back to his kingdom almost all the Yadavas who had left their homes because of Kamsa's cruelty.

After some time, King Parikshit asked, "What happened to King Nanda and the cowherds who had come to Mathura, holy sage?"

Shukadeva said, "Krishna and Balaram met King Nanda. Then the two brothers embraced him and said, 'Father, when our own people had cast us away, you and mother raised us little by little with love, care, and affection. Whatever we are today has been possible only because of you two. Those who can risk everything for the good of a child, they alone are the true parents.'"

Balaram said, "Yes, father, wherever we may have been born, in our deeds we know only you as our real father and mother. And this knowledge will stay with us all our lives."

Hearing these words, Nanda's eyes filled with tears. He said, "Krishna, Balaram, today, today is my day of great pride, a day of great joy. It is no small thing that you have won by fighting against injustice, my sons. Now come, let us return home."

But Krishna answered gently, "Father, now you return to Braj with the gopis. I will return, and all of you, among yourselves, are waiting for your road back. I know, father, if you return to Braj without me, everyone there will be very sad. It will be very hard to calm mother. But I have some duties toward the relatives and friends I have here in Mathura. Once I finish those duties, I will return to Braj, to mother. And I will go and meet everyone again."

Nanda cried out, "Krishna, Balaram, how will I return to Braj without you, my sons, how will I return!"

Krishna said, "Do not cry, father. If you explain everything to the people of Braj, no one will misunderstand you."

So, with a very sad heart and many gifts, King Nanda returned to Braj.

After this, Krishna and Balaram received their sacred thread from the great sage Garga, the priest of the Yadu clan. In this way, the Lord himself accepted the vow of brahmacharya.

Shukadeva said, "Yes, O King, this too was a wonderful play of Lord Shri Krishna. Though he was the source of all learning and all knowledge, he hid his divine nature and behaved like an ordinary human being. After this, the two brothers went to the ashram of Sage Sandipani in Avanti to study while living in the gurukul."

Parikshit asked, "How long did it take them to finish their education while staying in the teacher's house, holy sage?"

Shukadeva replied, "Something amazing happened there, O King. In only 64 days and nights, they fully learned the 64 arts from their teacher."

Parikshit was astonished. "How was that possible, revered teacher?"

Shukadeva smiled and said, "Everything is possible, O King. For them, everything is possible. Lord Shri Krishna is all-knowing. And Balaram is the example of the ideal man. So, like ideal students, the moment any knowledge was spoken once from the teacher's mouth, they mastered it at once. In this way their education was completed in a very short time. Then came the time for guru dakshina."

The king asked, "What did the teacher ask for as guru dakshina? Did he understand that Shri Krishna was truly a form of God?"

Shukadeva answered, "Teacher Sandipani Muni had already noticed that Krishna and Balaram had strange and divine powers and intelligence. So when they wished to offer guru dakshina, he spoke with his wife and then said to Krishna and Balaram, 'My sons, you know that my only son went to Prabhas Tirtha and drowned in the great ocean. If you truly wish to give guru dakshina, then bring that son back to us.'"

Krishna and Balaram said, "We will try to bring him back. Please bless us."

The sage raised his hands and said, "I bless you. May your wish be fulfilled."

Then they bowed and said, "Then give us your permission, Gurudev. We will leave at once for Prabhas."

Sandipani Muni said, "All right. Go then, and be victorious."

Leaving the teacher's house, Krishna and Balaram went straight to the region of Prabhas. There they sat by the sea. Seeing Lord Krishna, the ocean himself came before him with offerings of worship.

Then Krishna said, "Ocean, some days ago you swallowed a boy here with your huge waves. He is our teacher's son. Return him at once."

The ocean replied, "O Supreme Lord, I did not swallow any such boy. But in my waters lives a demon named Panchajana, who stays here in the form of a conch. Surely he must have carried away that brahmin boy."

Hearing this, Krishna at once went into the ocean and killed that demon. But he did not find the teacher's son inside its belly. Then he took the conch that came from the dead demon's body and returned on his chariot. That conch became known as Panchajanya, O King.

Parikshit asked quickly, "Then did he not find the teacher's son? Was their guru dakshina left unpaid?"

Shukadeva said, "No, no, why should it be? After that Krishna and Balaram went to the city of Yama to search for the teacher's son. When he sounded that conch there, Yamaraj himself came and worshipped them with great honor and devotion. Then he said, 'O Lord Vishnu, command me. In what work of yours may I help you?'"

Krishna said, "Maharaj, by the result of his own actions, my teacher's son has come to this city of yours. I command you, without judging his deeds, bring him to me. I will return him to his parents as my guru dakshina. No fault will fall on you for this."

Yamaraj bowed and said, "As you command, Lord."

After this, Krishna and Balaram took the teacher's son with them and went to Sandipani Muni. The sage blessed them greatly and gave them permission to return to Mathura.

Parikshit said, "And there in Mathura, after many days, the people rejoiced to have Krishna and Balaram back among them. But what about the people of Braj? Did Krishna completely forget them? Many days have passed. The people there have not seen Krishna at all."

Shukadeva said, "All is the Lord's play, O King. All is the Lord's play. He never forgets anyone. Krishna had not forgotten anyone. To ask about the people of Braj, he sent Uddhava."

Parikshit asked, "Who was Uddhava, revered teacher? Why did Krishna send him to Braj instead of going himself? I am very eager to know about this, Lord."

Shukadeva replied, "Uddhava was Shri Krishna's minister and also his dear friend. He was a direct disciple of Brihaspati. He was also a very wise man. One day Krishna was sitting in the court and said to Uddhava, 'Friend Uddhava, go once to Braj. My parents, King Nanda and Queen Yashoda, are there. Go to them and give them news of my well-being. They are greatly sad because they have not seen me for many days. And the gopis of Vrindavan too are passing their days in deep sorrow. Take my message there.'"

Uddhava bowed and said, "Do not be troubled, friend. I will go to Braj as soon as possible. But tell me what message I should take to them."

Krishna said, "You will tell them that I have not forgotten any of them. Nor have I truly left them. During the rasa dance, those dear ones who could not leave their homes and come to the grove to join me, they remembered me with one-pointed hearts while sitting at home. On that day, they too received me near them."

Parikshit said with wonder, "So the Lord meant that if someone calls him with a full heart, then place and time cannot stop that person from reaching him. Is that not so, Gurudev?"

Shukadeva said, "You are exactly right, O King. The Lord answers the call of a devotee in every condition, and if one can call him in that way, the Lord also gives his darshan."

Then Parikshit asked, "What happened after that, Gurudev? Uddhava went to Braj with that message. Did he tell it to King Nanda and Mother Yashoda?"

Shukadeva continued, "When Uddhava reached Braj, evening had fallen. King Nanda was then at home. Hearing that a message had come from Krishna, King Nanda embraced him in such a way, as if it were not Uddhava but his own son Kanai."

With a trembling voice Nanda said, "Here, here, Uddhava, tell me, how are my Kanai and Balai? Tell me about them. This house, the roads of distant Braj, these pots of butter, all these remind me of them again and again. Emptying this chest, leaving all of Braj almost dead, he went away. He promised he would return, but he did not come, he did not come."

Uddhava said gently, "Mother, calm yourself. He sent me for this very reason. He has not forgotten you, mother. After killing Kamsa, he has only become busy in many works in Mathura. But he has said that very soon you will have him near you."

In this way Uddhava comforted King Nanda and Queen Yashoda. King Nanda spent the whole night talking with Uddhava.

The next morning, when Uddhava was getting ready to return, a group of gopis came and stopped him.

They said, "You have brought a message from Madhav. Will he not come himself? He promised us that he would leave his work in Mathura and return to Braj. Without him, the roads of Vrindavan, the riverbank, the land around Govardhan hill, everything has become lifeless. Only our bodies remain here. Our souls left Vrindavan with him and went away somewhere."

Uddhava replied, "O gopis, Vasudeva has sent me to you with this message: he has not forgotten you. He has not left any of you and gone elsewhere. He lives within your hearts. If you think of him with one mind, he will appear before you."

The gopis said sadly, "But we will never have him near us again."

Uddhava answered, "Who has said that? On the night of the full moon rasa, those among you who could not leave home and go to the grove to dance with him also received Krishna near them while sitting at home. Call him in that same way. Think of him. You will see that he is present in everything around you. In these roads, in the river, in the hill, even, even in your daily lives, he comes and goes always."

The gopis looked at one another and said, "So that means he will not come here in bodily form anymore. In this way he will keep away from us."

Uddhava said, "No, dear friend, when his work in Mathura is finished, he will return to Braj again."

In this way, through Uddhava, Vasudeva sent comfort to the people of Braj. He tried to calm their hearts.

After hearing all this, Parikshit asked another question. "Well, Gurudev, when Krishna came to Mathura and saved Kubja, he had promised her that after finishing his work he would go to her house. Did Krishna really ever go there?"

Shukadeva answered, "Yes, O King, he did. One day Lord Krishna truly went to Kubja's house with Uddhava. He saw that her palace was beautifully decorated with many objects and pictures meant for pleasure. Seeing them, Kubja quickly rose from her seat and welcomed them."

She said, "Vasudeva, at last you remembered me? Come, please sit on these seats."

Kubja gave seats to both Krishna and Uddhava. But Uddhava would not agree to sit on a seat before his Lord. So he touched the seat and sat on the ground instead. And Krishna, there Krishna sat on Kubja's beautifully decorated bed just like an ordinary man. Kubja dressed herself with great care, came before Krishna, and began to serve his feet.

Parikshit then said, "Well then, Krishna had also said he would go to Akrura's house. Did he not go there?"

Shukadeva said, "Yes, O King, he went there too. One day Krishna went with Uddhava and Balaram to visit Akrura. He needed Akrura's help for a special task. Seeing them coming from afar, Akrura was overjoyed and came forward to receive them with great honor."

Akrura said, "What great fortune is mine that the dust of Vasudeva Krishna's feet has fallen on this cottage. Here, here, please take a seat, Lord. Balaram, Uddhava, you also please be seated."

Then he asked, "Is all well?"

Krishna said, "All is well with us. But I have special need of you. You are like a teacher to us, our greatest well-wisher. So today I have come to your door to give you the duty of a special task."

Akrura asked, "What task, Vasudeva?"

Krishna said, "Please, among our relatives and friends, you are the most trustworthy and wise. So you must go once to Hastinapur and learn the condition of the Pandavas."

Akrura at once asked, "Has some danger come upon them, Murari?"

Krishna replied, "No danger has yet fallen on the Pandavas. But I cannot say that they are fully safe either. Their guardian, Maharaj Dhritarashtra, and his eldest son Duryodhana, neither of them likes the Pandavas. So I request you, please go there once."

Akrura bowed and said, "As you wish, Vasudeva. I will go to Hastinapur, see their condition with my own eyes, and return to give you all the news."

Krishna said, "Now I am relieved. I greatly need news of the Pandavas."

After that, Akrura went to Hastinapur and accepted the hospitality of Dhritarashtra's palace. The trouble there was becoming even worse than Vasudeva had feared. Akrura came back and told Vasudeva everything in detail.

He said, "The condition of Hastinapur is not very good, Vasudeva. According to the rule of the Kuru line, after Dhritarashtra, Yudhishthira should become the heir to the throne of Hastinapur. But the blind king Dhritarashtra is weak from love for his son. So he has arranged things so that evil-minded Duryodhana may get the throne instead of Yudhishthira."

Parikshit cried out, "What terrible injustice, Krishna!"

But Krishna remained calm. He said, "Be calm. The time has not yet come to interfere in the affairs of Hastinapur. A greater problem stands before us now."

Balaram asked, "What problem are you speaking of, brother?"

Krishna answered, "After the death of King Kamsa, Mathura is now without protection. If kings attack from all ten directions, then real danger will arise. And the king of Magadha, Jarasandha, may attack Mathura at any moment to avenge Kamsa's death, Krishna. First protect Mathura. Then you may think of Hastinapur."

Krishna said, "I place your command on my head, brother."

Parikshit asked, "Then after this, will there be a war between Krishna and Jarasandha?"

Shukadeva said, "Yes, O King. Jarasandha understood that he alone could not defeat the Yadavas. So before attacking Mathura, he made an alliance with Kalayavana."

Parikshit asked, "Who was Kalayavana, Gurudev?"

Shukadeva answered, "Kalayavana was a very mighty Yavana warrior and king. By worshipping Shiva, he had received a boon from him that he would always remain unconquered in battle. After making peace with Jarasandha, this Kalayavana attacked Mathura with a huge army."

Parikshit leaned forward and said, "Well then, was Krishna able to defeat the Yavanas and Jarasandha? Tell me that story in detail."

Shukadeva said, "Listen, Parikshit. Krishna had already understood that this small Yadava army could not fight the Yavanas. Especially because Kalayavana could not be defeated in battle, Krishna secretly built a city named Daruka. It was surrounded on all sides by water."

Parikshit asked, "Why was there a need for a new city, revered teacher?"

Shukadeva said, "Like Balaram, Krishna understood that very soon the armies of the Yavanas and Jarasandha would attack Mathura. So his aim was to arrange a safe shelter where the Yadavas could be sent from Mathura when needed. But Krishna's decision alone was not final in this matter. He had to tell everything to King Ugrasena and take his permission."

Krishna went before the king and said, "Maharaj Ugrasena, please accept the greetings of Vasudeva Krishna."

Ugrasena said, "Come, Vasudeva, come. Sit, son. Do you wish to say something, Vasudeva?"

Krishna bowed and said, "Yes, O King, I want to ask your permission in a special matter."

"Speak, Vasudeva," said Ugrasena. "What do you want?"

Krishna answered, "Mathura is no longer safe for us, Maharaj. Mathura is very small before the number of enemy soldiers and hostile kings. Especially if the king of Magadha, Jarasandha, comes to avenge Kamsa's death, then other kings too will join him. Then Mathura will become unsafe from every side. O King, besides, they know Mathura's strength and weakness. Nothing about us will remain hidden from the enemy."

Ugrasena said gravely, "What you say is true. This really is a great danger. Have you thought of any way to escape from it, Krishna?"

Krishna replied, "Yes, Maharaj. If we leave Mathura and go to Dwaraka, then we can be much safer. Dwaraka is in the middle of the sea. There not only Jarasandha, but no king at all will be able to attack us. What if we move our whole kingdom and settlement to Dwaraka, O King?"

Ugrasena said, "This is a most excellent proposal. But how will you build a city in the middle of the sea?"

Krishna answered, "Vishwakarma will do that work. He knows that skill. A large piece of land has been received from the sea. On that land Vishwakarma will quickly build the city and palaces. That city will be very secure. If I now receive your permission, Maharaj, I can begin the work."

Ugrasena said with joy, "I gladly give my consent, Krishna. Begin the arrangements for the journey to Dwaraka."

Krishna bowed. "As you command, O King."

Parikshit asked, "What happened then, holy sage? Did Krishna leave Mathura with everyone?"

Shukadeva said, "Yes, O King. Krishna moved the whole of Mathura to Dwaraka. Seeing the beautifully decorated city, the well-built palaces, and the lovely houses, the people of Mathura were filled with joy. This city was made even more beautiful than Mathura. And why should it not be so? It was built by the divine craftsman Vishwakarma himself. So the Yadavas lived here in great happiness. But by then Krishna's fear came true."

Parikshit asked, "What happened, Lord?"

Shukadeva said, "Jarasandha attacked Mathura. He was the father of Asti and Prapti, the two wives of Kamsa. Hearing of the early widowhood of his daughters, his anger toward Krishna knew no limit. In those days very few kings were as mighty as Jarasandha, Parikshit. He was a worshipper of Shiva. As great was his glory, so great was his strength. He had 23 akshauhinis of soldiers."

Parikshit was stunned. "What are you saying, holy sage? Does any king have so many soldiers?"

Shukadeva replied, "No, O King, usually not. But Jarasandha did. He had defeated many kings of the world in battle, Parikshit. He had taken those kings prisoner. And he had seized their armies too. In this way this Jarasandha built up a huge army. The size of his army was vast like the sea. Its beginning and end could not be seen. That sea-like army surrounded Mathura from all sides."

From the roof of the palace, Krishna and Balaram looked at that endless array of soldiers.

Balaram said, "Can you see, Keshava? It is as if the earth has been filled with the army of Magadha. Do you see this sight?"

Krishna replied, "I see it, brother. I see everything."

Balaram looked at him and said, "You are smiling, Krishna. Does the sight of Jarasandha make you laugh?"

Krishna answered, "Why should it not? Jarasandha has brought together all the wicked, the cowardly, the demons, and the sinners in one place. Think, brother, how easy our work of destroying evil has become. This time we will destroy so many evil ones together. Think how much sin will disappear from the earth, brother."

Balaram nodded. "Yes, Krishna, what you say is true."

Then Krishna said, "Look, brother, from heaven two divine chariots and divine weapons have arrived. Now climb this chariot and begin to destroy Jarasandha's army, brother. The time for their destruction has come."

Balaram said, "First I will kill that greatest sinner, Jarasandha. These are only his followers."

But Krishna replied, "No, brother, the time for Jarasandha's death has not yet come. Jarasandha will gather many more demons of the world together. Then we will kill them too. It will not do to kill him now. You kill only his soldiers."

Balaram said, "May your wish be fulfilled, Krishna. Come, brother, putting on our armor and helmets, let us both climb these divine chariots and go toward the gateway of the city of Mathura."

Then Krishna blew the Panchajanya conch.

Hearing its deep sound, Jarasandha came forward toward Krishna and Balaram. Hatred and mockery were on his face. Looking at Krishna with scorn, Jarasandha said, "So you are Krishna? You have come to fight me? You are not short of cleverness. With this cleverness you kill enemies! You killed your own uncle, and now you think I will fight you! Listen, Krishna, I will not even touch you. Your body still smells of milk and butter. Run away, go, go, run away."

Krishna answered firmly, "Stop, Jarasandha. A brave warrior does not speak with his mouth. He shows his strength on the battlefield. Do you have no strength even with so many soldiers? Why do you talk so much? I will destroy your soldiers, Jarasandha. If you have strength, then stop me."

Jarasandha turned to Balaram and said, "Balaram, come, I will send you to heaven. You will die like a hero. Then you will have endless life in heaven."

Balaram thundered back, "With your torn and broken body you will go to heaven? After that I will crush your brother to death."

Then that huge army, like the sea, surrounded Krishna and Balaram. The banner with Garuda on Krishna's chariot and the palm-tree banner on Balaram's chariot disappeared from sight. On every side there were only rows upon rows of Magadha's soldiers.

The soldiers of Mathura turned to stone in fear and grief. What had happened to Krishna and Balaram? Thinking of this, the commander of Mathura's army became restless. Yet he had no power to move through that sea of men.

And all through Mathura there now rose cries of terror.