Krishna's Son Pradyumna

“Acharyadev, Krishna had already got Rukmini. Then why did he not run away? Why did he turn back to fight the enemies?”

“Krishna was a brave hero, O King,” the sage replied softly. “He felt it was more heroic not to run away from the thousands of soldiers on such a powerful enemy side, but to defeat them and take Rukmini away before their very eyes.”

“I understand, great sage. Then what happened in that battle?”

The army of Jarasandha and the allied kings was extremely skilled in archery. Like heavy rain pouring from broken clouds, arrows fell without pause upon the Yadava soldiers. The whole field seemed covered by that rain of arrows. From Krishna’s chariot, the Yadava army could no longer be seen. Rukmini became afraid and looked at Krishna with anxious eyes.

“A terrible battle, Vasudeva. In this rain of arrows, the Yadava soldiers cannot even be seen.”

“Do not be afraid, dear one,” Krishna said gently. “Very soon the Yadava soldiers on your side will defeat the enemy soldiers. Great heroes like Gada and Sankarshana are with us. We will win. Be calm, my dear. Be calm.”

How great is the Lord! Even with so few soldiers, He kept trying to win the battle. Parikshit, though their numbers were limited, the Yadava heroes were highly skilled in warfare. Brave warriors like Gada and Sankarshana could no longer bear the enemy’s attack. As soon as they received Krishna’s order, they struck back like thunder. Krishna Himself began to shoot arrow after arrow toward the enemy camp. Elephants crashed down, horses stumbled, and chariots splintered. Hundreds of severed heads rolled on the ground. Streams of blood flowed across the battlefield.

“Did the Yadava army also suffer so much loss, great sage?” the King asked, his voice low.

“By the Lord’s blessing, the Yadava soldiers remained unconquered,” the sage answered. “When Krishna was with them, they stayed protected. So it was the enemy side that suffered more loss. Seeing this example of battle, Jarasandha and the allied kings finally had to retreat and flee from the battlefield.”

“And what happened to Shishupala, Acharyadev? The girl he wanted to marry was carried away by his enemy Krishna.”

Seeing this, Shishupala became deeply troubled. On top of that, he had been defeated in battle against the Yadavas. This broke him completely. But Jarasandha and the other kings went to him and said, “Shishupala, it does not suit a powerful warrior like you to break down like this. Remember, everything that happens in life happens by the will of the Supreme Lord.”

“But Maharaj, in this event I have lost my honor, my hope, my wishes, everything. With what face can I now return to my own kingdom?”

“Shishupala, we are all puppets in the hands of the Lord. What has happened and what is happening, all is by His will. I too was defeated by Krishna 17 times, and then I won the 18th time.”

“Maharaj, even though so many great warriors were in our camp, Krishna’s few Yadava soldiers defeated us. This is what I simply cannot accept.”

“Be calm, Shishupala. Know this, today’s time was in their favor. That is why they won like this. But do not worry. A favorable time will come for us too. That day we will also tear these Yadava soldiers apart. We will take proper revenge for this defeat.”

After King Jarasandha comforted Shishupala in this way, he became calm and returned to the capital with his followers. And among the other kings, the few who were still alive also returned to their own kingdoms.

“Acharyadev, when King Bhishan and Rukmi heard this news, what did they do?”

Rukmi did not like Krishna at all. Krishna had carried away his sister and married her by the Rakshasa way. And after that, kings like Jarasandha had returned defeated in battle by His Yadava army. Hearing this news, Rukmi became extremely unhappy and angry. At once he decided to go to battle with Krishna with one Akshini army. Coming before the allied kings, he made a vow, “O kings, I make this vow before all of you. If I cannot kill Krishna and rescue my sister, then I will never again enter the capital Kundinagara.”

“I hope you will surely succeed and return to the capital, friend,” someone said.

“Charioteer, drive the chariot in the direction Krishna has gone. Today I will crush all his pride. How dare he carry away my sister. Go as fast as possible.”

Rukmi had lost his sense. He did not know about Krishna’s strength and glory. When he reached Krishna, he began to speak harshly and challenged Him to battle.

“O wicked man, where are you running? Stop, I say. Just as an offering from a sacrifice is taken away, in the same way you are running away with my sister. You are a stain on the Yadu family. Let me see today by what trick you escape from my hands. Today I will crush all your pride into the dust.”

“You want to fight me face to face? Then come,” Krishna replied. “Let us see today who wins. And today you will learn that I do not win battles by tricks.”

Rukmi shot arrows from his chariot. Krishna’s arrows flew faster, breaking Rukmi’s bows one after another. The enchanted weapons hurled by Rukmi were all destroyed by Krishna.

“So no weapon could strike the Lord’s body, great sage? Rukmini must have become even more frightened,” the King whispered.

“Yes, O King,” the sage said. “After failing again and again to strike Krishna, Rukmi at last became mad with anger. He jumped down from his chariot with his sword in hand. Seeing that, Krishna shot an arrow and broke his shield and sword into pieces. Then, taking a very sharp sword in His hand, He moved to kill Rukmi.”

“Tell me, great sage,” the King asked, “what was Goddess Rukmini doing when she saw her own elder brother and her husband fighting in such a terrible way? I am eager to know what she felt.”

Until then Rukmini had remained silent in fear. But when she saw Krishna ready to kill her brother, she fell weeping at her husband’s feet. Her whole body trembled. Her face had dried up with sorrow and grief. Her dress and ornaments were in disorder. In this way she held Krishna’s feet tightly.

“O Lord, it would not be right for you to kill my elder brother. Please spare his life.”

“Rise, my dear. Be calm,” Krishna said. “I promise you, I will not take your brother’s life. I will only give him a small punishment for his offense.”

Krishna tied Rukmi with a piece of cloth. Then He cut his hair and beard in an ugly way and made his appearance ridiculous before everyone.

“Acharyadev, Rukmi was left in such a condition. And what happened to his one Akshini army? Did they fight with the Yadavas?”

Rukmi’s soldiers fought a fierce battle with the army of the Yadu clan. Under Balarama’s leadership, the Yadu heroes attacked that army and crushed it. Then when they returned after destroying the enemy, Balarama saw that Rukmi was lying there, tied with cloth and half dead. He at once untied him and set him free.

“Why did he free his own enemy like that, Acharyadev? Was there any special reason behind it?”

“O King, do not forget. Rukmi was then a relative of the Yadu family. Balarama could not accept such insult to a relative. So he freed him. After this, he even rebuked Krishna for doing this. And he also asked Rukmini for forgiveness.”

“Shame, Krishna,” Balarama said firmly. “Such behavior toward close relatives is very improper. Remember, even if a close relative commits a crime worthy of death, it is better to release him than to kill him.”

“I ask forgiveness, elder brother,” Krishna said. “But was it right for me to free Rukmi?”

“Rukmi is already dead in his mind, Krishna. Can the dead be killed again? And do not be angry with us, Rukmini, because your brother has been insulted in this way. He is suffering the result of his own actions.”

Hearing Balarama’s words, the bitterness in Rukmini’s heart faded away. Understanding her brother’s fault, she then asked Krishna and Balarama to forgive him.

“After being freed, what did Rukmi do then, Lord? By that time none of his soldiers were left alive,” the King asked.

“I already told you, O King,” the sage replied. “Before coming to kill Krishna, Rukmi had vowed before everyone that if he could not kill Krishna and rescue his sister, then he would never return to the capital Kundina. So he founded a great city called Bhojakata and began to live there.”

“Then after Rukmi left, did Krishna and Balarama take Goddess Rukmini straight back to Dwaraka?”

“Yes, O King. After this, Krishna, Balarama, Rukmini, and the Yadava soldiers returned to Dwaraka. There Shri Krishna married Princess Rukmini of Vidarbha according to the scriptures. The whole city of Dwaraka burst into celebration. The story of Krishna carrying away Rukmini spread from mouth to mouth. The common people of Dwaraka joyfully welcomed this divine couple. In time, a son was born to them. His name was Pradyumna. But the child’s fate took a terrible turn.”

“What is this, Lord? A terrible fate for Krishna’s son?”

“O King, to know this story we must begin a little earlier. When Kamadeva, the god of love, was burned by Shiva’s anger, his wife Rati fell crying at the Lord’s feet. Her sorrow softened the Lord’s heart, and He gave her a boon that Kamadeva would again take a new body and be born on earth. There they would meet again. This Kamadeva was born in the Yadu family as the son of Krishna and Rukmini.”

“Acharyadev, was his wife Rati also born on earth then?”

“Yes, O King. She too was born on earth with the name Mayavati, and she lived as a servant in the palace of Shambarasura.”

“Then how did the two of them meet?”

Shambarasura had been cursed that he would die at the hands of the son of Krishna and Rukmini. So only a few days after Pradyumna was born, one day Shambarasura kidnapped him and threw him into the sea to kill him. At that very moment, a huge fish came and swallowed the baby Pradyumna.

“What disaster! Pradyumna went into the belly of a fish? Then what happened? How was he saved from there, Acharyadev?”

“That too is a wonderful event, O King. A few days after the fish swallowed Pradyumna, fishermen of that kingdom cast their nets into the sea, and that fish was caught.”

“Brother, brother, look, look at this huge fish. This is the biggest fish ever caught in our net.”

“What shall we do with this fish?”

“Friend, let us give it to the king as a gift. The king will be pleased with us, and the fish too will meet a good end.”

“Yes, that is a very good idea. Come, come, let us go.”

“Maharaj, two fishermen have come. They wish to meet you. They have some important business.”

“Very well, send them in.”

“Please accept our greetings.”

“What is the matter? What do you want?”

“Maharaj, a huge fish has been caught in our net. We wish to offer that fish to you as a gift.”

“That is good. Well then, let me see the fish.”

“Here, here it is, Maharaj. Father, here is the huge fish.”

“I am very pleased. Guard, arrange to take this fish to the royal kitchen. And minister, give these two fishermen a suitable amount of money for this fish and send them away.”

That fish was sent to the kitchen. As soon as the cooks cut it open, baby Pradyumna came out from its belly. Everyone there was astonished. What would they do with this child? Then one person gave an idea. The baby should be given to the kitchen maid Mayavati. Let her raise him.

Hearing this, Mayavati trembled with fear and doubt. At that moment the divine sage Narada appeared there.

“Please accept my greetings, revered one. May I know why you have come here at this time?” she asked.

“I have come to give you courage, Mayavati,” Narada said kindly. “You have no reason to be afraid. This child is not an ordinary child. He is your own husband Kamadeva. He has received a new life on earth as the son of Shri Krishna and Goddess Rukmini. Shambarasura threw him into the sea to kill him. And then this child went into the belly of a fish.”

Hearing this, Mayavati’s face shone with joy. At once she lifted the child into her lap, looked at him carefully, and covered him with affection.

“Great sage,” the King asked softly, “then Rati in the form of Mayavati was raising Pradyumna with a mother’s love. But after knowing that she was his wife, could she still do that?”

Though Mayavati raised Pradyumna, Pradyumna felt no attraction toward her. But Mayavati was deeply attached to him. Pradyumna understood this.

When he entered youth, one day Pradyumna asked her, “You are like a mother to me. Then how is it that you have given up a mother’s feeling toward me and taken the feeling of a lover?”

“Lord, I will tell you everything in detail,” Mayavati replied. “You are the son of Lord Narayana himself. When you were 10 days old, Shambarasura stole you from the birth room and threw you into the sea. There a huge fish swallowed you. By chance, you came to me from the belly of that fish. You are actually my husband Kamadeva, and I am your lawful wife Rati.”

“You are my wife Rati? I am Kamadeva? Who said this?”

“Yes, Lord. The divine sage Narada came and told me everything. By the anger of Lord Shiva, your body had been reduced to ashes. Now by the grace of Lord Narayana himself, you have received a new life.”

“The words of the divine sage cannot be false,” Pradyumna said. “I am grateful to the Lord for this new life. But Rati, why would Shambarasura want to kill me?”

“Because he has a curse upon him that he will die at the hands of the son born from Lord Shri Krishna and Goddess Rukmini. That is why he wanted to kill you.”

“Then I will go at once and kill Shambarasura.”

“Be calm, Lord. It is extremely difficult to defeat or kill Shambarasura. He knows many kinds of magic. You will not be able to harm him.”

“Then how will I kill him?”

“I will help you in this. I will teach you a knowledge called Mahamaya. If you use this knowledge, all of Shambarasura’s magic will become powerless. Then you will be able to kill him easily.”

After this, Rati taught Pradyumna the magic science. Then Pradyumna went to Shambarasura and tried to provoke him by speaking many harsh words, so that Shambarasura would become angry and enter battle. At those words, Shambarasura hissed like a poisonous snake. Then a fierce battle began.

“Did Pradyumna have so much strength?” the King asked.

“Yes, O King,” the sage said with a smile. “There were very few warriors like Pradyumna.”

Their mace battle began. When Shambarasura tried to strike with his mace, Pradyumna blocked the blow and broke his mace. Then he struck him hard with his own mace. At that point Shambarasura took shelter in the demonic magic he had received from the demon Mayasura. By the power of that magic, he hid himself in the sky. And from that hidden place he began raining many weapons upon Pradyumna.

“Acharyadev, did Pradyumna not use the Mahamaya knowledge that he had learned from Rati?”

“Yes, O King, he did. When Shambarasura kept raining powerful weapons from hiding and made Pradyumna suffer greatly, then Pradyumna used that Mahamaya knowledge to make all magic powerless. Then Shambarasura tried to use all the magic he had learned from Yakshas, Nagas, Pishachas, Gandharvas, and others. But before Pradyumna’s Mahamaya knowledge, all the other powers became useless. Then with one stroke of his sword, Pradyumna cut off Shambarasura’s head. The gods began to shower flowers upon Pradyumna from the sky.”

Pradyumna then mounted his chariot and returned to Rati.

“Did Pradyumna come to know about his father and mother, great sage? Did he return to them?”

“Yes, O King. Rati told him that he was the son of Krishna and Rukmini. She also told him that after losing him, Rukmini had spent all these years in deep sorrow. After killing Shambarasura, Mayavati Rati took her husband and traveled through the sky to Dwaraka.”

“Great sage, if Pradyumna was Kamadeva himself, then his beauty must have been beyond compare. Please describe his appearance a little.”

Pradyumna’s appearance and face were very much like Lord Shri Krishna’s. So many people mistook him for Krishna. His skin was dark in color. His arms were long down to his knees. His two eyes looked coppery. A beautiful, charming smile always stayed on his lips. His bluish curly hair fell upon his face in such a way that it made his beauty many times greater.

“Acharyadev, when Rati and Pradyumna came to Dwaraka, no one could recognize them. So what did they do then?”

“Yes, O King. A strange thing happened here. Pradyumna looked so much like Krishna that when he entered Dwaraka, the women of the palace thought he was Shri Krishna himself and quickly went into the inner chambers. After some time they understood that this was not Krishna. Then everyone came out in wonder to see Pradyumna and Rati.”

“And Goddess Rukmini? Had she not heard the news?”

O King, Rukmini knew nothing yet. Hearing from others that they had arrived, she came to see them. The moment Rukmini saw Pradyumna, she remembered her own lost son. Who is this young man? His face, his features, his walk, his smile, even his two eyes are just like Shyamasundara. What fortunate woman had carried such a son in her womb? Could this young man be that son of mine who was lost from the birth chamber? Otherwise why is such motherly love rising in me for him?

While the goddess was thinking this, Krishna entered there with mother Devaki and father Vasudeva.

“Lord Shri Krishna knows everything, great sage. Was it he who then told everyone who Pradyumna was?”

“No, O King. Though the Lord knows everything, He remained silent then. He said nothing. At that very time the sage Narada arrived there. He then told in detail the whole story, beginning from Pradyumna’s kidnapping by Shambarasura.”

“Then after hearing all this, how did everyone react, Acharyadev? And what did Goddess Rukmini do?”

All those present blessed the newly united couple and accepted them warmly in their embrace. The women of the inner palace were filled with endless joy on getting back the lost Pradyumna in this way. Then the people of Dwaraka also came to know everything, and they too joined in this happiness. And as for Goddess Rukmini, O King, there is hardly anything to say. Getting back her lost jewel, she became overwhelmed with joy and kept shedding tears of happiness there.

“Acharyadev, Lord Shri Krishna had many other wives too. Please tell me something about them. I am very eager to hear of them.”

“Listen, Parikshit. Satrajit was a very great devotee of the sun god. Pleased by his devotion, Surya gave him the Syamantaka jewel. That same Satrajit placed a false blame upon Shri Krishna. Later, to remove that offense, he gave his daughter Satyabhama in marriage to Krishna and also offered that Syamantaka jewel to Him as a gift.”

“Satrajit? Syamantaka jewel? Please tell me these events in more detail, Acharyadev. I am hearing these names for the first time, Lord.”

“O King, pleased with Satrajit’s devotion, the sun god lovingly gave him the Syamantaka jewel as a gift. Wearing that jewel around his neck, he entered Dwaraka. The brightness and splendor of that jewel dazzled the eyes of the ordinary people of Dwaraka.”

“Look, look, someone is coming this way from the main road of the city. What splendor, what blazing light!”

“Yes, look! Has Surya himself come down to Dwaraka? Who else could have such brightness and shining light?”

“Quickly, let us first go and tell Lord Shri Krishna.”

At that time Lord Shri Krishna was playing dice. The people of the city went and said to Him, “Lord, please accept our greetings. A very bright and shining man is coming toward this royal palace. We think he must be the sun god. Otherwise it is not possible for an ordinary man to have such radiance. He must have learned that you are living secretly in the Yadu family. So he is surely coming to see you.”

“Oh, look carefully. That is not the sun god. That is Satrajit. He is wearing a jewel around his neck, and it is that jewel’s brightness which is shining so much.”

After this, Satrajit returned home and with the help of Brahmins placed the Syamantaka jewel in a temple.

“Great sage, what was special about this Syamantaka jewel? Please explain a little more.”

“Understand, O King, every day this Syamantaka jewel produced eight measures of gold. Besides that, wherever the Syamantaka jewel was worshiped, no evil event such as famine, plague, fear of snakes, bodily or mental suffering, or trouble from magicians could happen there.”

One day in this connection Lord Krishna said to Satrajit, “Satrajit, King Ugrasena is the head of our Yadu line. Give this Syamantaka jewel to him.”

“Please forgive me, Lord,” Satrajit answered. “But this jewel is the fruit of my worship. The sun god was pleased with my devotion and gave this jewel to me with his own hands. I cannot give it to anyone else. Not even to Maharaj Ugrasena.”

In truth, Satrajit was very greedy and too attached to wealth. So without thinking properly, he rejected Krishna’s proposal. Then one day Satrajit’s brother Prasena hung the Syamantaka jewel around his neck and went hunting on horseback. There a lion killed Prasena along with his horse and took the jewel.

“What was that, Acharyadev? Such a valuable jewel went into the hands of a lion?” the King cried.

“Yes, O King. But when the lion was about to enter its cave with the jewel, King of the bears Jambavan saw it. To get that jewel, he immediately killed the lion and gave the jewel to his children as a toy.”

Meanwhile, when Prasena did not return, Satrajit became very restless. He went about saying to everyone, “Krishna had asked me for the Syamantaka jewel. I had refused to give it. My brother Prasena had gone hunting wearing that jewel around his neck. That means, that means surely Krishna killed my brother out of greed for the jewel and took it away.”

“Great sage, when Satrajit was saying such things about Lord Shri Krishna, did the news not reach Krishna’s ears?”

“Yes, O King, Krishna also heard it. When He learned this, He went to the forest to look for Prasena and clear this stain from His name. He took a few brave men with Him. After searching here and there, they saw in a deep forest the marks of a lion’s paws, and there lay the dead body of Prasena and his horse. They understood that Prasena had been killed by a lion.”

“Then did they go into the forest to look for that lion?”

“Yes, Parikshit. Following the lion’s footprints, they reached the front of Jambavan’s cave. Krishna told the others to wait outside the cave and entered it Himself. There He saw King Jambavan’s children playing with the Syamantaka jewel. Krishna went and stood near them to take the jewel. Seeing an unknown person enter the cave, the children screamed in fear.”

“Was King Jambavan still there then? What did he do when he saw Krishna, Lord?”

“Yes, O King, he was there. Hearing the children’s cries, Jambavan came out at once. Seeing Krishna, he thought Him an ordinary man and became very angry. With weapons in hand he rushed toward Him.”

“So that means the battle began.”

“It surely did. It was a very terrible battle, O King. First many kinds of weapons. Then huge stones. After that they pulled up large trees from the forest and fought with them. At last a dreadful hand-to-hand battle began between the two.”

“Such a great and terrible battle, great sage. How long did it continue? Who won, Lord?”

“This battle went on day and night for 28 days without stopping, O King. At last, under the blows of Krishna’s fists, Jambavan’s body grew weak. All his strength left him. Then Jambavan said to Krishna, ‘O Lord, now I understand that You are the protector of all life, Lord Shri Vishnu. Without knowing You, I fought against You. Please forgive this boldness of mine. Why have You come here, Lord? Can I help You in any way and make my life blessed?’”

“Maharaj Jambavan, I have come to your cave for that Syamantaka jewel,” Krishna said. “I will leave from here with that jewel. Only that jewel alone can clear the stain that has fallen upon me.”

“O Lord, You are the protector of this world. You are the keeper of all living beings. Not only this Syamantaka jewel, but I also offer at Your feet my only daughter Jambavati.”

Lord Shri Krishna was married to Jambavati, the daughter of Maharaja Jambavan. And in Dwaraka celebration began once again.