Krishnavatara II: The Wrath of an Emperor Read online

  BHAVAN’S BOOK UNIVERSITY

  KRISHNAVATARA

  VOLUME II

  THE WRATH OF AN EMPEROR

  By

  K.M.MUNSHI

  2018

  BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVAN

  Kulapati K.M.Munshi Marg

  Mumbai – 400007

  All Rights Reserved

  © Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

  Kulapati K. M. Munshi Marg

  Mumbai - 400007

  First Print Edition: 1963

  Second Print Edition: 1969

  Third Edition: 1973

  Fourth Print Edition: 1978

  Fifth Print Edition: 1983

  Sixth Print Edition: 1988

  Seventh Print Edition: 1990

  Eighth Print Edition: 2006

  Ninth Print Edition: 2009

  Tenth Print Edition: 2014

  Eleventh Print Edition: 2018

  First e-edition: 2020

  KULAPATI'S PREFACE

  The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan - that Institute of Indian Culture in Bombay - needed a Book University, a series of books which, if read, would serve the purpose of providing higher education. Particular emphasis, however, was to be put on such literature as revealed the deeper impulsions of India. As a first step, it was decided to bring out in English 100 books, 50 of which were to be taken in hand, almost at once. Each book was to contain from 200 to 250 pages

  It is our Intention to publish the books we select, not only in English but also in the following Indian languages: Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

  This scheme, involving the publication of 900 volumes, requires ample funds and an all-India organisation. The Bhavan is exerting its utmost to supply them.

  The objectives for which the Bhavan stands are the reintegration of the Indian culture in the light of modern knowledge and to suit our present-day needs and the resuscitation of its fundamental values in their pristine vigour.

  Let me make our goal more explicit:

  We seek the dignity of man, which necessarily implies the creation of social conditions which would allow him freedom to evolve along the lines of his own temperament and capacities; we seek the harmony of individual efforts and social relations, not in any makeshift way, but within the frame-work of the Moral Order; we seek the creative art of life, by the alchemy of which human limitations are progressively transmuted, so that man may become the instrument of God, and Is able to see Him in all and all in Him.

  The world, we feel, is too much with us. Nothing would uplift or inspire us so much as the beauty and aspiration which such books can teach.

  In this series, therefore, the literature of India, ancient and modern, will be published in a form easily accessible to all. Books in other literatures of the world, if they illustrate the principles we stand for, will also be included.

  This common pool of literature, it is hoped, will enable the reader, eastern or western, to understand and appreciate currents of world thought, as also the movements of the mind in India, which, though they flow through different linguistic channels, have a common urge and aspiration.

  Fittingly, the Book University's first venture is the Mahabharata, summarised by one of the greatest living Indians, C. Rajagopalachari; the second work is on a section of it, the Gita by H.V.Divatia, an eminent juristand student of philosophy. Centuries ago, it was proclaimed of the Mahabharata: "What is not in it, is nowhere." After twenty-five centuries, we can use the same words about it. He who knows it not, knows not the heights and depths of the soul; he misses the trials and tragedy and the beauty and grandeur of life.

  The Mahabharata is not a mere epic: it is a romance, telling the tale of heroic men and women and of some who were divine; it is a whole literature in itself, containing a code of life, a philosophy of social and ethical relations, and speculative thought on human problems that is hard to rival: but above all, it has for its core the Gita, which is, as the world is beginning to find out, the noblest of scriptures and the grandest of sagas in which the climax is reached in the wondrous Apocalypse in the Eleventh Canto.

  Through such books alone the harmonies underlying true culture, I am convinced, will one day reconcile the disorders of modern life.

  I thank all those who have helped to make this new branch of the Bhavan's activity successful.

  New Delhi

  l, Queen Victoria Road,

  October 3, 1951

  INTRODUCTION

  Who has not heard of Sri Krishna who delivered the message of the Bhagavad Gita and whom the Bhagavat calls 'God Himself?

  From the earliest days that my memories can go back to, Sri Krishna has been, in a sense, dominating my imagination. In my childhood, I heard his adventures with breathless amazement. Since then I have read of him, sung of him, admired him, worshipped him in a hundred temples and every year on his birthday at home. And day after day, for years and years, his message has been the strength of my life.

  Unfortunately, his fascinating personality, which could be glimpsed in what may be called the original Mahabharata, has been overlaid with legends, myths, miracles and adorations for about three thousand years.

  Wise and valorous, he was, loving and loved, farseeing and yet living for the moment, gifted with sage like detachment and yet intensely human; the diplomat, the sage and the man of action with a personality as luminous as that of a divinity.

  The urge, therefore, came upon me, time and again, to embark upon a reconstruction of his life and adventures by weaving a romance around him.

  It was an impossible venture, but like hundreds of authors in all parts of India for centuries, I could not help offering him whatever little of imagination and creative power I possessed, feeble though they were.

  I have called the whole work Krishnavatara, The Descent of the Lord. The First Part, which ends with the death of Kamsa, has been named "The Magic Flute", for it deals with his boyhood associated with the flute, which hypnotized men, animals and birds alike, sung with such loving tenderness by innumerable poets.

  I have named this, the Second Part, which ends with Rukmini Haran, as “The Wrath of an Emperor,” as the central theme is the successful defiance by Sri Krishna of Jarasandha, the Emperor of Magadha.

  The Third Part is entitled The Five Brothers and end with Draupadi’s Swayamvara. The Fourth Part is entitled The Book of Bhima. Fifth Part The Book of Satyabhama and the Sixth Part The Book of Vyaasa, the Master. The Seventh Part, which is now being serially published in the Bhavan's Journal, is entitled The Book of Yudhishthira.

  In portraying Sri Krishna's life and adventures, I had, like many of my predecessors, to create episodes in order to bring out his character, attitudes and outlook in the perspective which has appeared natural to me. I have also had to give flesh and blood to various obscure characters referred to in the Mahabharata.

  I have, therefore, had to take unforgivable liberties with the accepted images which, I trust, the devout would forgive.

  Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,

  Chowpatty Road, Bombay-7

  November 15, 1963.

  CONTENTS

  KULAPATI'S PREFACE

  INTRODUCTION

  CONTENTS

  INVOCATION

  PROLOGUE

  CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY

  1. A CROWN REJECTED

  2. GURU SANDIPANI

  3. IN THE VORTEX

  4. THE FIVE BROTHERS

  5. AS A BRAHMACHARI

  6. THE WANDERING SCHOOL OF SANDIPANI

  7. THE PUNYAJANA SHIP

  8. SECURING THE PANCHAJANYA CONCH

  9. THE CITY OF LIGHT

  10. A NAGAKANYA BELONGS TO HER
MOTI-IER

  11. 'ASIKA, COME BACK'

  12. THE FLIGHT

  13. ON THE WAY

  14. BHARGAVA RAMA OF THE BATTLE AXE

  15. BRIHADBALA PLAYS THE DIPLOMAT

  16. 'STAND UP, GARUDA'

  17. GOMANTAKA HILL

  18. BALARAMA'S PLOUGH

  19. UDDHAVA IN 'HELL'

  20. SHVETAKETU'S FALL

  21. KRISHNA AT THE GATE

  22. SHAIBYA'S WRATH

  23. JARASANDHA'S NEW STRATEGY

  24. RUKMINI ON THE WAR-PATH

  25. A WARRIOR PRINCESS

  26. BALARAMA EMBARKS ON AN ADVENTURE

  27. UDDHAVA'S TRIALS

  28. BALARAMA ON THE HIGH SEAS

  29. BALARAMA WINS A BRIDE

  30. "HE IS COMING"

  31. THE TRIUMPHANT MARCH

  32. THE HONOUR OF THE YADAVAS

  33. BRIHADBALA'S DIFFICULTIES

  34. SHAIBYA SPURNS SHVETAKETU

  35. SHAIBYA'S REVENGE

  36. CONQUEST OF HATE

  37. WOMEN CONSPIRE

  38. RUKMINI ON 'THE BARTER OF COWS'

  39. SHVETAKETU'S PLEDGE

  40. ARRIVAL IN KUNDINAPURA

  41. HOW RUKMINI WOOED KRISHNA

  42. NOW WHAT?

  43. THE YADAVAS LOSE FAITH

  44. THE FATEFUL DECISION

  45. THE EXODUS

  46. THE CAVES OF MUCHUKUNDA

  47. RUKMINI'S GRIM RESOLVE

  48. HE CAME AND GAVE HER LIFE

  EPILOGUE

  I

  II

  III

  NOTES

  APPENDICES

  GLOSSARY

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  INVOCATION

  I salute Thee, O Vyasa,

  With Thy all-embracing intellect and wide-eyed vision,

  lighted the torch of knowledge,

  Fed by Thy immortal epic, the Mahabharata.

  I salute Thee, O Krishna, Thou that blessest all,

  Thou that givest to those that come to Thee

  All that they want.

  Thou art the giver of all gifts.

  Thou art the chastiser of the wicked.

  Thou art the source of all knowledge.

  Thou art the One who gave us the life-giving Gita.

  I salute Thee, Thou God among gods,

  Thou, the son of Vasudeva,

  The destroyer of Kamsa and Chanur-

  Thou, the eternal joy of Devaki,

  Thou, O Krishna, art the world’s supreme Teacher.

  I salute Thee, Madhava,

  Thou alone makest the mute eloquent and the cripple Scale Mountains.

  I seek Thy Grace Lord,

  From Thee alone floweth the stream of Bliss.

  PROLOGUE

  In the days of the ancient fathers of our race, the Aryas, a vigorous people, had spread over India, inter-marrying with the Nagas, fighting with them or among themselves, and founding or destroying kingdoms.

  The Arya rishis, dedicated to learning and self-discipline, lived in their hermitages, communing with gods and spreading the Arya way of life based on Satya, Yajna and Tapas - Truth, Sacrifice and Purity, which they called Dharma.

  Long before kingdoms were established in the fertile plains of North India by adventurous Arya kings, the Yadavas had pushed their way across the river Ganga. Of them, the confederated tribes of the Shooras, the Andhakas and the Vrishnis were the most powerful.

  These confederated tribes cleared the forests in the valley of the Yamuna and established settlements which collectively came to be called Shoorasena after the name of Shoora, the most powerful of their chiefs. Later they conquered Mathura, which in their hands grew in power, prosperity and influence.

  The irrepressible Yadavas of Mathura had an inveterate horror of restraint. They would not have a king. Their affairs were carried on by a council of chiefs. However, Ugrasena, the chief of the Andhaka clan, came to be called 'king' by courtesy.

  Andhaka Ugrasena's son, Kamsa, grew up, reckless, wild and ambitious. He distinguished himself by his valour and married Asti and Praapti, the daughters of Emperor Jarasandha of Magadha, who cherished the mighty ambition of subduing all the kings of the earth by guile and force. Kamsa became a trusted lieutenant of his father-in-law, captured power in Mathura and used it tyrannically.

  Shoora, the powerful chief of the Shoora tribe, married Marishaa, the daughter of the Naga chief, Aryaka, and begot sons, among whom were Vasudeva and Devabhaga and daughters, among whom were Prithaa and Shrutashravaa.

  Prithaa, the eldest, was given in adoption to King Kuntibhoja and came to be known as Kunti. Married to King Pandu of the Kurus of Hastinapura, she became the mother of the Five Brothers known as Pandavas, three of them, Yudhishthira, Bhima and Arjuna, being born to her, and the other two, Nakula and Sahadeva, the sons of her co-wife, Madri, being adopted.

  Shrutashravaa, the other daughter of Shoora, was married to King Damaghosha of Chedi and begot a son by name Shishupala, who, headstrong and ambitious, also wanted to win the favour of Jarasandha, the Emperor of Magadha.

  Vasudeva, Shoora's eldest son, married Devaki, the daughter of Devaka, the brother of King Ugrasena.

  To falsify the prophecy that the eighth son of his cousin Devaki would kill him, Kamsa put Vasudeva and Devaki in prison and killed their first six sons as they were born.

  The seventh child, extracted from the womb long before his time, was secreted away and grew up as Samkarshana Balarama.

  The eighth son, Krishna, who according to the prophecy, was going to be the redeemer of the Yadavas, was taken away to Gokul at midnight no sooner he was born, and was brought up by Nanda, the chief, among the cowherds of Gokul.

  Devabhaga, the younger brother of Vasudeva, begot Uddhava, who, when an infant, was sent to Gokul to be brought up as Krishna's companion.

  Balarama, Krishna and Uddhava grew up, strong, handsome and venturesome. Krishna, the most loving and lovable of them, became the favourite of the cowherd community and the darling of the milkmaids of Vrindavan, where Nanda had migrated.

  When Krishna was sixteen, he was brought to Mathura, where he killed his maternal uncle, the wicked Kamsa.

  CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY

  SRI KRISHNA.

  BALARAMA - his elder brother.

  VASUDEVA- his father, Chief of the Shoora tribe of Yadavas.

  DEVAKI- his mother.

  KAMSA - his maternal uncle and Ugrasena's son, whom he killed.

  GARGACHARYA- his family preceptor and High Priest of the Yadavas.

  GURU SANDIPANI - his teacher, with his ashram at Ujjayini.

  SHVETAKETU - his tutor, Sandipani's principal disciple.

  TRIVAKRA - his devoted maid-servant.

  • • •

  UGRASENA - Head of the Andhaka clan and King of the Yadavas.

  DEVABHAGA- Vasudeva's younger brother.

  KAMSAA - his wife and the King's daughter.

  CHITRAKETU - his elder son.

  BRIHADBALA - his second son.

  UDDHAVA - his third son and Krishna's intimate friend.

  AKRURA - the saintly chief of the Vrishni clan of Yadavas.

  SHANKU, GADA- old Andhaka chiefs.

  SATRAJIT - an elderly Yadava chief.

  YUYUDHANA SA1YAKI - a young Yadava chief.

  JARASANDHA- Emperor of Magadha, Kamsa's Father-in-law.

  HIS ALLIES: SHALVA, King of Saubha: VINDA and ANUVINDA, twin princes of Avanti.

  • • •

  DAMAGHOSHA - King of Chedi.

  SHRUTASHRAVA- his queen and sister of Vasudeva.

  SHISHUPAIA - their son.

  • • •

  BHISHMAKA - Bhoja king of Vidarbha.

  KAISHIKA - his father.

  RUKMI - his son.

  RUKMINI - his daughter.

  • • •

  SHRIGALAVA VAASUDEVA - King of Karavirapura, who was killed by Sri Krishna in a fight.

  PADMAVATI - his queen.

  SHAKRADEVA - his
minor son, and later king.

  SHAIBYA - his niece.

  KRISHNAVATARA

  VOLUME II

  THE WRATH OF AN EMPEROR

  1. A CROWN REJECTED

  Krishna had perceived rightly. His swift action in killing Kamsa had a stunning effect. It halted both the confusion and the carnage.

  The people were dazed for a moment; then, realizing what had happened, their relief burst out spontaneously and they shouted for joy. The saviour had come; the tyrant was dead; the prophecy was fulfilled.

  The Magadhans were equally stunned. The mighty Kamsa, whose orders they had been carrying out, was dead. The Yadavas outnumbered them. Pradyota, whom they had thought to be loyal to Kamsa, had killed their chief Vritrighna. The populace was exultant. Confounded and leaderless, they desisted from attack.

  The young giant, who had killed Musthika and who was now leading the Yadavas, had ordered the Yadava chiefs to halt the attack. He was standing between the two fighting groups, mace in hand, His eyes, inflamed with anger, were eyeing everyone menacingly. 'If anyone uses his weapon, I shall break his head,' he said in his trumpet -like voice.

  Everyone obeyed. Every weapon was lowered.

  In the meantime, Vasudeva had taken counsel with Akrura and Pradyota. Then he went up to the royal guests. With their arms ready to their hands and their retainers surrounding them, they were watching the situation.

  'Best among Kings, you need not be troubled. You are the honoured guests of the Yadavas. Please come with me to your quarters in the Palace. I shall be at your service.'

  Akrura gave the necessary orders to the royal chamberlain to bring the dead body of Kamsa into the palace, and left for the Princesses' quarters to meet his bereaved spouses. Pradyota, who till lately was in charge of the palace and the city, summoned his lieutenants and ordered them to maintain peace in the city.

  Crowds had broken the enclosures and rushed to surround Krishna, with exultant cries of 'Jaya Krishna Vaasudeva'.1 Some prostrated themselves before him. Some touched his feet. He was their saviour.

  Krishna looked at them sorrowfully and raised his hand covered by Kamsa's blood. The crowd became silent. 'This is not the time for jubilation. Go home quietly. We are in mourning. Our prince is dead,' he said.