The Death of Kalayavana

“Rishivar, did the Yadavas of Mathura lose everything in the war with Jarasandha? What will Krishna and Balarama do now, all alone? Is it possible to defeat such a huge army?” the king asked.

“God’s play is not so easy to understand, O King,” the sage said softly. “Krishna had many divine weapons. When he saw Jarasandha’s army showering arrows without end and scattering the Yadava soldiers, he twanged his own Sharanga bow.”

“Sharanga bow? Is it some wondrous weapon?” the king said, leaning forward.

“Yes, O King. Gods and asuras, all honored this bow,” the sage replied. “Sensing danger, Krishna lifted it at once. He set the string and let arrows fly one after another. With this bow alone, Lord Shri Krishna began to crush Jarasandha’s four-fold army.”

“And what did Balarama do, Rishivar?” the king asked.

“Balarama slew many enemies with blows of his mace,” the sage said. “All around lay the bodies of enemy soldiers. Streams of blood flowed like a river. On that battlefield, the bodies of elephants, horses, and men piled up like hills.”

“How long did this fight last?” the king whispered.

“Jarasandha’s army was dreadful and unstoppable. It was very hard to defeat such power, O King. But Krishna and Balarama broke their ranks in a very short time,” the sage answered.

“And King Jarasandha, what happened to him, Rishivar?” the king asked again.

“Jarasandha was then grievously wounded,” the sage said. “Only a little life was left in his body. At that time Balarama bound him with the Varuna noose and the human snare. But then Krishna stopped Balarama.”

“‘Brother, brother, be calm. The time for Jarasandha’s death has not come yet. Let him go. Set him free,’ Krishna said.”

“‘What are you saying, Krishna? Will we free this tyrant even after catching him like this?’ Balarama cried.”

“‘No, never. For what his army has done to Mathura, he must get punishment today, right now,’ Balarama said.”

“‘No, brother. I am telling you, let him go,’ Krishna said again.”

“‘But why, Krishna? Why so much pity for this sinner?’ Balarama asked.”

“‘Not pity, brother. If we let him go, in future he will attack again with an even bigger army. They will all be wicked like him. When we fight them, we can send those sinners on their way and free this earth from sin,’ Krishna replied.”

“‘Very well, I accept your words, Krishna. I am freeing Jarasandha,’ Balarama said at last.”

“Thus freed, Jarasandha felt very ashamed,” the sage continued. “He decided to go for penance. He told the kings who supported him, ‘Listen, all of you. I cannot rest until I take revenge on the Yadavas. But to defeat clever Krishna and mighty Balarama, I need more power. For that reason, I will do penance.’”

“‘O King, the Yadus are in no way your equals. What do they have? Neither manpower nor wealth. They have nothing. That you lost is only due to fate and deeds, nothing else. Next time, attack them again with full force. God will help you,’ the kings said.”

“‘Is that what you say?’ Jarasandha asked.”

“‘Of course, O King. We are all with you. We will make your victory sure. There is no need for penance,’ they replied.”

“Thus Jarasandha did not do penance,” the sage said. “Mathura also became quiet for the time being. But this was not the end. In total, Jarasandha attacked Mathura seventeen times with twenty-three akshauhini armies. But every time he was defeated by Krishna’s strategy.”

“But before speaking more of Jarasandha,” the sage added, “now I will tell you about Kala Yavana, O King.”

“Is Kala Yavana that Yavana king who made friends with Jarasandha?” the king asked.

“Yes, O King,” the sage said. “At that time there was no other hero like him in the world. After losing seventeen times, when Jarasandha was again preparing to attack Mathura, Kala Yavana said to him, ‘Maharaj, if you permit, I will first attack Mathura with my Yavana soldiers. Then, if needed, you may bring your army.’”

“‘This is a very fine proposal, O King,’ Jarasandha replied. ‘But know this: you will be quite wrong if you judge the Yadava army by numbers. They are few in number, but very powerful.’”

“‘O King, by Shiva’s boon I am unbeaten in battle. And my soldiers are not few. However mighty the Yadavas are, before thirty million soldiers they will fly away like bits of straw,’ Kala Yavana said.”

“‘Then so be it, O King. Go first and attack Mathura with your army. I will be behind you,’ Jarasandha agreed.”

“With thirty million soldiers, Kala Yavana now made a sudden attack on Mathura,” the sage said. “Krishna and Balarama began to think deeply. There was Jarasandha’s huge army, and now a hero like Kala Yavana too. The Yadavas would be safe in the city of Dvaraka, but what about Mathura? It would turn into a heap of ruins. Those still in Mathura would not survive.”

“So Balarama, who knew that in strategy no one was equal to Krishna, turned to him,” the sage went on.

“‘What will my role be in this war, Krishna? Shall I destroy Jarasandha’s soldiers? And Kala Yavana? What will happen to Kala Yavana then?’ Balarama asked.”

“‘Brother, you will not go to fight Kala Yavana. I will go alone,’ Krishna said.”

“‘What are you saying, Krishna? Will I sit silent and watch you go into such danger before my eyes? No, no, I cannot accept that. Tell me some other plan,’ Balarama cried.”

“‘No, no, brother, do not misunderstand me,’ Krishna said gently. ‘There is a reason I want to leave you inside the city of Mathura. You protect the people of Mathura. They have no other guardian. If I leave Mathura in your hands, I can go to the battlefield without worry.’”

“‘All right, then so be it. But Krishna, I have heard that Kala Yavana is unbeaten in war. Then will you not be in danger?’ Balarama asked.”

“‘Weapons will not work against him, brother,’ Krishna said. ‘I am thinking of another plan. I will tell you everything later. Now let me go. My respects, brother.’”

“‘Be victorious, Krishna,’ Balarama blessed him.”

“Leaving Balarama in Mathura, Krishna went out through the lion gate of his city without any weapon,” the sage said. “A garland of lotus flowers shone on his neck. Sage Narada had told Kala Yavana what Krishna looked like. As Krishna walked on foot toward the battlefield, Kala Yavana saw that his look matched Narada’s description exactly. He understood that this was Krishna.”

“But seeing unarmed Krishna coming on foot, Kala Yavana decided that he too would fight Krishna without any weapon,” the sage added.

“Did Krishna then wrestle bare-handed with Kala Yavana?” the king asked.

“No, Parikshit,” the sage replied. “He did not fight at all. Rather, seeing Kala Yavana rushing at him, he turned away and moved far from the battlefield. In fact, he wanted to lead Kala Yavana outside Mathura. Krishna knew that Kala Yavana would surely follow him. The farther he went, the more the other would chase. So Krishna kept moving away.”

“And that is exactly what happened,” the sage said. “Kala Yavana ran after him and shouted.”

“‘Krishna, Krishna, why are you fleeing the battlefield? Come back here. I say, come back. What a coward you are! You leave your soldiers before the enemy and abandon the field. I never heard of such valor of yours. They say you killed asuras, you killed rakshasas, you even killed King Kamsa.’”

“‘Fie! This is your heroism. I scorn you. I scorn you, Krishna,’ he mocked.”

“‘You do not know many things about me, Kala Yavana. You will learn it all now. Wait a little,’ Krishna said, still walking.”

“‘Such a coward! Are you the pride of the Yadu line? Come back. I say, come back,’ Kala Yavana shouted.”

“‘Say what you like, I will not come back. If you need me, follow me. Come, catch me,’ Krishna replied.”

“‘So be it. Today you will die by my hand,’ Kala Yavana roared.”

“Where was Krishna running to, Rishivar?” the king asked.

“No, O King,” the sage said with a smile. “The Lord wanted to lead Kala Yavana far from the field to a cave in a mountain. So, ignoring his insults, he walked toward that cave.”

“Why, Acharyadeva? Who was in that cave?” the king asked softly.

“O King, in that cave slept Muchukunda, a great king of the Treta Yuga,” the sage said.

“Who is King Muchukunda? And how did a king of the Treta age come to be in that cave after so long? I understand nothing. Please tell me everything, Lord,” the king begged.

“King Muchukunda was the son of King Mandhata of the Ikshvaku line,” the sage explained. “He was very devoted to the Brahmanas and truthful. He was a fiery man skilled in war. Because of his valor, the gods were able many times to slay many asuras. Muchukunda helped them.”

“Was this king stronger than the gods?” the king asked.

“Yes, Parikshit,” the sage replied. “Once, when asuras attacked the court of Lord Indra, Indra left his throne and fled. Then the asuras seized that throne. After that, to get his throne back, Indra sought the help of Muchukunda. Muchukunda drove away those asuras and gave Indra his throne back. But in that war, Muchukunda became very tired.”

“The grateful Lord of the gods called Muchukunda to his court and said, ‘King Muchukunda, all we gods are very pleased with your service. Ask a boon from me.’”

“‘O Lord of the gods, after many wars with the asuras for many days, I am very tired. I only wish, to remove this tiredness, that I may sleep as long as I want. And no one should wake me from that sleep,’ Muchukunda said.”

“‘So be it, O King. I grant the boon. You may sleep as long as you wish. And if anyone wakes you, by your gaze he will be reduced to ashes,’ Indra declared.”

“Then was King Muchukunda sleeping there from that Treta age?” the king asked, amazed.

“Yes, O King,” the sage said. “No one had reached that difficult cave till then to wake him. Only the all-knowing Lord Krishna knew of it.”

“Then why did Krishna go to that cave?” the king asked.

“That I will now tell you, O King,” the sage replied. “Krishna went into the cave and very carefully wrapped his own upper cloth around the sleeping Muchukunda. Then he hid himself nearby. Following Krishna, Kala Yavana came there and, seeing the sleeping Muchukunda, mistook him for Krishna. In the dark cave he could only see the body covered by the cloth. He could not see any face. Kala Yavana then kicked the sleeping man hard. As his sleep broke, Muchukunda opened angry eyes and looked at Kala Yavana. At once, as per Indra’s boon, Kala Yavana’s body burned to ashes under his gaze.”

“Ah, what a play of the Lord!” the sage breathed. “Behind every act he links a reason beforehand. To understand cause and effect is only a matter of time.”

“What happened after that, Acharyadeva?” the king asked.

“Then Shri Krishna revealed his identity to King Muchukunda,” the sage said. “The king remembered that Sage Garga had told him that the Lord would appear in the Yadu line. Realizing that that very Lord stood before him, the king was overwhelmed.”

“‘Ah, what fortune is mine! What supreme good luck for me! Shri Hari himself stands before me. This is beyond imagination. I offer you full prostration, O Narayana. Show me your grace, Lord,’ Muchukunda said, bowing.”

“‘Rise, Muchukunda. I am pleased by your devotion. Ask a boon from me. Tell me what you desire, O King,’ Krishna said.”

“‘Lord, you are the indweller. You know that I have given up all desires tied to sattva, rajas, and tamas. Now I am beyond all qualities. Supreme Person, I seek only your refuge. Please give me this shelter,’ the king prayed.”

“‘Maharaj Muchukunda, your mind and aim are very pure,’ Krishna said with kindness. ‘I offered the lure of boons only to test your true intent. When you were a king, you killed many animals. So first you must wash off that sin.’”

“‘Please tell me the way for that, Lord,’ Muchukunda asked.”

“‘Now worship me with one-pointed mind. By penance your sins will be washed away. Maharaj, I bless you. In your next birth you will be the true well-wisher and real friend of all living beings,’ the Lord said.”

“Muchukunda bowed to Lord Shri Krishna and came out of the cave,” the sage continued. “He saw that all people, animals, birds, creepers, and even trees were much smaller than before. He understood that Kali Yuga was arriving on earth. So he now set out to the north.”

“After going north, where did he reach, Acharyadeva?” the king asked.

“King Muchukunda, offering his mind at Krishna’s feet, first went to Mount Gandhamadana,” the sage said. “Then he went from there to Badrikashrama and stayed. There he worshiped the Lord by hard penance, ignoring winter and summer.”

“What did Krishna do after Muchukunda left?” the king asked. “On that side the war still remained, Acharyadeva.”

“Krishna then returned from there to the city of Mathura,” the sage said. “Kala Yavana’s troops were still surrounding Mathura. He returned there and, with Balarama, destroyed those Yavanas and took all their wealth.”

“And Jarasandha’s army? Had they not reached there yet?” the king asked.

“No, Parikshit,” the sage answered. “Jarasandha’s army had not reached there yet. After Krishna and Balarama destroyed the Yavanas, they put Mathura’s soldiers and the captured wealth on chariots and set out for Dvaraka.”

“Meanwhile, on the road to Dvaraka, Krishna and Balarama came face to face with Jarasandha’s army,” the sage continued. “On Jarasandha’s order, the soldiers at once launched a fierce attack on Krishna and Balarama.”

“What then? How did they escape from there?” the king asked anxiously.

“Facing the enemy’s fierce attack, Krishna and Balarama decided that they would act like ordinary men,” the sage explained. “In a direct fight, they could not defeat this huge army. So they must use strategy. After agreeing between themselves, they called a trusted messenger.”

“‘Listen, Balarama and I will keep Jarasandha and his army busy. In the meantime, you leave these chariots and wealth here and flee to Dvaraka,’ Krishna ordered.”

“‘How can that be, Lord? Shall we leave you in the hands of such an enemy and flee like cowards? No, no, we cannot do that,’ the messenger said.”

“‘Do not be foolish. The two of us will surely find some way and return alive from Jarasandha’s hands. But if you stay, all of us will die together before this vast army. There is no more time. Make ready to flee at once,’ Krishna said firmly.”

“‘As you command, Lord,’ the messenger bowed.”

“Sending the others to Dvaraka, Krishna and Balarama now began their plan,” the sage said. “They acted as if they were very afraid of Jarasandha. The two started to run away before him.”

“Seeing them flee, Jarasandha laughed loudly and said, ‘Ah, I did not know that Krishna is so timid. And what happened to that mighty Balarama? They had to run without fighting. Come, hurry after them. This looks like great fun.’”

“‘As you command, Maharaj,’ his men replied.”

“Jarasandha, with his soldiers and nobles, chased Krishna and Balarama,” the sage went on. “When at one time they came very close, Krishna and Balarama, in their feigned fear, left all the wealth and chariots there and ran away on foot.”

“Did Jarasandha still not give up the chase?” the king asked.

“No, O King,” the sage said. “Jarasandha kept running after them. After running very hard, at one point they grew tired. In front of them stood the high Pravarshana Mountain. They climbed up and hid there. The mountain had that name because it had terrible rain all year.”

“I understand, Acharyadeva. What happened then? Did Jarasandha’s soldiers find Krishna and Balarama there, Lord?” the king asked.

“No,” the sage replied. “Jarasandha searched there a lot, but did not find them. Then he did a strange thing.”

“What thing?” the king asked.

“He ordered his general to set fire all around the base of that mountain,” the sage said. “So that Krishna and Balarama could not come down in any way and would burn to death.”

“What! Then how did Krishna and Balarama save themselves?” the king cried.

“Can a little fire stop the Lord, O King?” the sage smiled. “Krishna and Balarama then did something beyond human imagination again.”

“What did they do, Rishivar?” the king whispered.

“They jumped in a single leap from the forty-four krosh high Pravarshana Mountain down to the plain,” the sage said.

“What! And did Jarasandha’s soldiers not see them?” the king asked.

“O King, where they came down there were no men of Jarasandha,” the sage answered. “So no one saw them. Then they went safely from there and reached Dvaraka. And Jarasandha, in his mind, felt sure that from that fire Krishna and Balarama could not escape. So they had surely died. Thinking this, he took his huge army and returned to Magadha.”

“After reaching Dvaraka, what did Krishna do, Acharyadeva?” the king asked.

“I told you before, Parikshit, that Balarama married Revati, daughter of King Raivata,” the sage said. “Now I will tell the story of the marriage of Krishna and Devi Rukmini.”

“Well, how did the marriage of Krishna with Devi Rukmini happen, Acharyadeva?” the king asked eagerly.

“Does anything of the Lord happen by common rules?” the sage smiled. “O King, the marriage of Krishna and Rukmini also did not happen in the usual way. Krishna carried her away from her swayamvara assembly.”

“I am very eager to know of this divine play, Acharyadeva,” the king said. “Tell me everything in detail. Who was Devi Rukmini in truth?”

“Narayana came to earth in the form of Krishna,” the sage replied. “Could his consort Shri Lakshmi stay in Goloka? No. So she took birth as the daughter in the house of King Bhishmaka and spent her days waiting for Krishna. When the time came for that Rukmini’s marriage, Shri Krishna himself went to her swayamvara, defeated kings like Shishupala and Jarasandha, and carried her away.”

“But why did Krishna suddenly go to carry away Rukmini?” the king asked.

“Listen, Parikshit,” the sage said. “Maharaja Bhishmaka was the ruler of Vidarbha. He had five sons and one beautiful daughter. His eldest son was Rukmi, and the youngest daughter was named Rukmini. Hearing from the courtiers about Krishna’s form, virtues, valor, and wealth, Rukmini in her heart chose him as her husband. Her relatives also wanted her to marry Krishna.”

“Did Krishna know this?” the king asked.

“Even if he did not know Rukmini’s heart, Krishna had also heard of this noble, beautiful, wise, and virtuous girl,” the sage said. “He too had decided in his mind to marry that maiden.”

“Then where was the obstacle?” the king asked.

“The wish of Rukmini to marry Krishna faced one main obstacle: her elder brother Rukmi,” the sage replied. “He did not like Krishna at all. He thought Shishupala was more fit to be his sister’s husband. So he fixed his sister’s marriage with Shishupala.”

“This brought great trouble into their lives,” the sage continued. “Well then, how did they escape this trouble? When this reached the ears of Devi Rukmini, she became very sad. But to stop the marriage with Shishupala, something had to be done. After much thought, she made a plan in her mind. She at once sent a very trusted Brahmana to Krishna in Dvaraka.”

“What did the Brahmana do after reaching there?” the king asked.

“The Brahmana reached Dvaraka and, giving his identity, was taken by the gatekeeper into the royal palace,” the sage said. “Krishna was sitting there on a golden throne. Seeing the Brahmana, he at once came down from the throne, bowed with devotion, and said, ‘O revered Brahmana, please accept my hospitality and rest for a while. After you have eaten and rested, I will hear all that you have to say.’”

“‘As you command, Vasudeva,’ the Brahmana said.”

“Krishna himself took the duty of serving the Brahmana,” the sage went on. “He saw that the Brahmana lacked nothing. When food and rest were over, Krishna asked him, ‘O Brahmana, from where and for what reason have you crossed this difficult path? If it is not too secret, then tell me openly. Also tell me without fear if I can serve you in any way.’”

“‘I have come from Vidarbha with a special message from Princess Rukmini, Vasudeva,’ the Brahmana said. ‘She told me to give this message only to you, in secret. Here, all is written in this letter.’”

“The Brahmana handed Krishna the letter with Rukmini’s message,” the sage said. “Krishna then opened it and read. Rukmini had written,

‘O Lord, from all I have heard of your beauty, your valor, and your noble heart, my shy heart has given itself at your feet. O Shyamasundara, in lineage, character, nature, beauty, learning, status, and wealth, you are supreme and unequaled. At the sight of you all beings find peace. At your words the burn of a hundred births is soothed. Tell me, is there any noble, highly virtuous, and patient maiden who would not wish to accept you as her husband? O beloved, I surrender myself fully to you. Please come here and accept me as your wife. My elder brother thinks Shishupala is a suitable groom for me. But the jackal must not take the lion’s prey. I will not marry Shishupala in any way. He must not even touch me. I wait for you. If in a past birth I have done any worthy act, and if God is pleased with me, then let Shri Krishna himself come and take my hand. O Lord, the day of my wedding has been fixed. Please come the day before, defeat heroes like Shishupala and Jarasandha, and, by the Rakshasa rite, carry me away and marry me.’”

“After reading up to this, Krishna said to the Brahmana, ‘O Brahmana, your princess will stay in the inner chambers, surrounded by women. How can I carry her away without first defeating her kinsmen?’”

“‘Maharaj, the princess has also written the way in the letter. Please read it all,’ the Brahmana said.”

“At this, Krishna began to read again,” the sage continued.

“‘If you feel doubt about how you will rescue me from there, I will tell you one way to remove that doubt. On the day before the wedding, by our family custom, a great ceremony is held. To bow to the family goddess, the bride must go to the Girija temple outside the city. O soft-eyed one, I hope I need say no more. I wait to take shelter at your lotus feet.’”

“After reading the whole letter, Krishna became a little thoughtful,” the sage said. “Then the Brahmana said to him, ‘O crown of the Yadus, I came to Dvaraka only to bring you this secret message of Princess Rukmini. Time is very short. Decide what you will do, and do it as fast as possible, Maharaj.’”

“‘O Brahmana, as much as the maiden of Vidarbha longs to have me, I long as much to have her as my wife,’ Krishna said. ‘Thoughts of her disturb even my sleep at night. I know, I know, Rukmi is stopping Rukmini’s marriage with me. But now I will go there, fight, rescue Princess Rukmini, and bring her to me.’”

“‘Maharaj, the wedding time of the Vidarbha princess is fixed for the night after tomorrow,’ the Brahmana told him.”

“‘I will set out for Vidarbha today itself,’ Krishna declared.”