Anupama Nair
Later, Krishna and his brother Balarama returned to Mathura to slay the wicked Kamsa when Krishna was only eleven years old. He never returned to Vrindavan to see Yashoda or Radha. His grandfather Ugrasen was made the King. After living in Mathura for many years, he realized Mathura was not safe. Sri Krishna moving to Dwarka (Gujarat ) is misjudged by some people, who think Sri Krishna ran away from Mathura afraid of Jarasandha and Kalyavan (both had boons which prevented Krishna from killing them). That is why he got the name Ranchod. It is not true as Krishna moved only to save the Yadavas.
It was Bhima, the second Pandava (son of Kunti, sister of Vasudev), his cousin who killed Jarasandha but Kalyavan followed the Lord to Dwarka to kill him. Krishna now acted like running away from him and ran into a cave in which King Muchukunda was sleeping. The King had got a boon from the Devas that whoever woke him up would be burned into ashes. Kalyavan mistook the sleeping King for Krishna and woke him up. He met his end when he was turned into ashes.
The Kingdom of Dwaraka came to an end due to the curse of Gandhari, the mother of Duryodhana after the Kurukshetra War. She shouted at Krishna as to why, in spite of her being his staunch devotee, and Pandavas and Kauravas, being created and sustained by Lord Krishna himself, he lets the debacle happen. Why couldn't he have averted the war itself? On seeing, his all-knowing smile even at such a time, she cursed the entire Yadava family to be killed in the next 36 years and Krishna himself to be killed. Sri Krishna granted her curse to come true. Krishna returned to Dwaraka and took good care of his subjects. During this time, the Yadavas attained wealth and prosperity. The Yadavas were considered to be quarrelsome people and in the lap of luxury, they lost their morals and humility. Soon after a fight took place between Yadavas and all were killed except Daruka, Balarama and Krishna. The city created by the Lord is now under the sea.
Krishna started thinking about the ways and means to attain samadhi and for Gandhari’s curse to be true . He remembered the words of Rishi Durvasa. Long time ago as per the wish of saint Durvasa, he applied Payasam (liquid food prepared with milk, sugar and rice) throughout the Rishi’s body. As his legs were resting on ground, he could not apply it to his feet. Durvasa observed it and said: “Krishna! You have not applied Payasam to my foot. Your death is in your foot.” Many years later, Krishna was lying down under a tree and went into Yoga Samadhi. At that time a hunter Jara entered that forest. He thought, the moving foot of Krishna as a deer and shot a lethal arrow that pierced into Krishna’s feet. As soon as the hunter reached Krishna, he realized his mistake and pleaded the Lord for forgiveness. Lord Krishna consoled him and told him how his death was inevitable. Some believe that Jara was the Vanara King of Kishkinda, Bali in his previous birth. The previous incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Sri Ram killed Bali hiding behind a tree. Bali cursed him and said “in your next birth, I will kill you similarly”. So, the two curses came true. The lesson we learn is be it god or human, curses might come true.
(To be continued)
Good one.