The Killing of the Serpent Aghasura
The present name of this village is Pasauli which is derived from the ancient name of Sapauli, sometimes called Sarpa-sthali.
The word ‘sarp’ means a ‘snake’ and because the giant snake Aghasura was killed here, the village achieved its name.
This place is also known as Aghavana, because the great enemy of the demigods was killed here by Krishna.
The word ‘sarp’ can also mean ‘curse’ and this village is also known as the place of the curse, or Sarpa-sthali.
In the Mahabharata it says that the two sons of Shantanu Maharaja by his second wife Satyavati, whose names were Chitravirya and Vichitravirya, both died of a curse that is believed to have been placed upon them at this place, hence the name Sarpa-sthali.
Although they both ascended the throne of Hastinapura, due to the curse, both brothers died while still very young and without leaving heirs.
Chitravirya also known as Chitragada, was killed by a Gandharva of the same name, and Vichitravirya died of consumption.
Just before entering the village from Parkham, one can see Manasa-kunda, where it is said Satyavati and her two sons once stayed.
Locals say this kunda was created from Krishna’s mind (manasa) in order to provide drinking water for the cows.
This kunda is surrounded by a thick pilu forest.
One day the demon Aghasura, the son of Sankhasura, was enjoying the company of many young girls in the vicinity of the Malaya Hills in Southern India.
While there he noticed the great sage Ashtravakra Muni, who unfortunately possessed a deformed body that due to being crippled from birth, his body was bent in eight different places.
Being proud of his own beauty, Agha foolishly derided the sage by calling him both crooked and ugly.
Ashtravakra became angry due to the impudence of the demon and cursed him by saying.
“Oh fool! On this earth the snake species are also very crooked and ugly; therefore you will now become a snake.”
After hearing the curse pronounced by the sage, Agha became repentant and begged the sage to forgive him.
Astavakra then informed Agha that when the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna descends to earth in the Dvarapa-yuga, at that time he would be redeemed.
The demon Aghasura eventually took birth in Vrindavana amongst the species of snakes known as pythons and became an associate of King Kamsa.
He was the brother of Vatsasura and Putana, who were both killed by Krishna.
Due to mystic power, demons like Aghasura, Putana and Vatsasura, could also create various forms including human-like forms by which they could move about in human society.
Having been ordered by Kamsa to kill Krishna, the demon waited in the forest for Krishna and His friends to arrive there.
It is the nature of a python to simply lie on the ground and wait for its prey to arrive.
In the same way, Aghasura lay in wait on the pathway through the forest for Krishna and the cowherd boys to arrive there for grazing their calves.
After some time the cowherd boys arrived along the path with Krishna following close behind them.
Upon seeing the great serpent lying on the forest path, the cowherd boys stopped and began discussing amongst themselves about the unusual object and what might it be.
At first they concluded that it was the statue of a great serpent, but then decided it must actually be a real serpent that seemed to be waiting there simply to devour them.
It seemed that the serpent was at least eight miles long.
Its mouth was open wide and its upper lip appeared to touch the sky.
Its tongue looked like a highway and its breathing caused hot winds to blow which sounded like a hurricane, while at the same time a strong fishy smell emanated from its intestines.
Nevertheless, with a sense of great bravado and invincibility, the cowherd boys decided they would enter the serpent’s mouth all together and because there were so many of them, it would be impossible for the serpent to devour them.
They also reasoned that if there was any danger, their dear friend Krishna would undoubtedly save them and slay the serpent.
Following some distance behind, Krishna saw all His cowherd boyfriends joyfully enter into the giant serpent’s mouth and He could also understand that this statuesque figure was actually a demon.
As Krishna thought what action He should take, the last of the cowherd boys entered the mouth of the great serpent.
Aghasura’s mouth remained open as he waited for Krishna to also enter, thinking that he would now avenge the death of his elder brother Bakasura and sister Putana.
Meanwhile Krishna concluded that the only way to save his friends was to also enter the gaping mouth of the giant serpent.
As Krishna entered Aghasura’s mouth, the demigods who had assembled in the sky to witness the event, suddenly became perplexed, thinking that now Krishna would certainly be finished.
When the demigods saw Aghasura’s mouth close, Krishna was able to hear their anguished cries as they exclaimed.
“Alas! Alas!”
After entered the serpent’s mouth, Krishna began to expand His body while standing in the demons throat, all of a sudden the demon could no longer breathe properly and slowly started to suffocate.
Aghasura was immediately forced to open his mouth and desperately tried to gulp for air while his eyes moved violently and began to bulge from their sockets.
As the serpent could no longer breathe he started to suffocate and his life air, which had nowhere to go, suddenly burst through the top of his skull.
When the demon was dead, Krishna began searching for His friends and found them lying dead in the demon’s belly.
Krishna then cast His merciful gaze over the cowherd boys and brought them all back to life.
Seeing Krishna emerge triumphantly from the mouth of the serpent, the demigods heaved a great sigh of relief and began a tumultuous kirtan with drums, cymbals and other musical instruments amid the chanting of, “Jaya! Jaya! Jaya!”, or in other words, Victory! Victory! Victory to Krishna!
Hearing the great tumult, Lord Brahma descended from Satyaloka to see what all the commotion was about.
Lord Brahma listened as the demigods praised Krishna as ‘Maryard Purushottama’, or the Primeval Lord incarnate on earth.
Even though he had witnessed Aghasura’s life air enter Krishna’s lotus feet, Lord Brahma had some doubt about whether this talkative cowherd boy could actualy be the same Lord Narayana, he decided to closely observe this unusual cowherd boy for some time before reaching any conclusion.
As the cowherd boys slowly made there way along with the cows towards the bank of the Yamuna, Lord Brahma began to follow them unseen from within the clouds.
Where is it
South east of Semri (Narisemari)
North east of Chaumuhan
Vraja map n.8
It’s not present in the big map
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