The next day was the day of the wrestling match. Worshipping the arena and giving special seats to himself and other provincial rulers, Kamsa took his seat though his weakened heart trembled. Then the lavishly dressed and extremely proud wrestlers entered the arena to the sound of loud horns and drums, announcing their presence. The King’s powerful wrestlers Canura, Mustika, Kuta, Sala and Tosala sat down on the wrestling mats. Kamsa called forward the leaders of the community of Vraja (Vrindavan) to present their offerings before him now. Kamsa then spoke with Nanda Maharaja and pointed out how Kamsa had arranged this whole wrestling match because he had heard that the boys of Nanda Maharaja were supposed to be powerful. But where are they now? Out of disrespect for Kamsa, Krsna and Balarama had decided to neglect Kamsa’s arrangements and go and do something else, elsewhere.
The next morning Krsna killed the elephant demon Kuvalayapida. That elephant, on the orders of the mahoot (keeper), grabbed Krsna in his trunk, but Krsna then disappeared from the demoniac elephant’s sight and stood behind the animal’s back legs. The elephant again tried to capture Krsna in playful torment, but Krsna escaped. Then Krsna seized the elephant, ripped out one of his tusks, and began to beat both the keeper and the elephant until they were dead. Then, sprinkled with the blood of the elephant and holding one tusk in His hand, Krsna appeared decorated in this unique way at the wrestling arena.
In different relationships, the different persons assembled there saw Krsna in different ways. The wrestlers in fury saw Krsna as a lightning bolt. The men of Mathura saw Krsna in wonder as the best of all males, the women folk saw Krsna as Cupid personified, and the cowherd men as their funny friend and relative. The Kings assembled there saw Krsna as the chivalrous chastiser, and His parents as their merciful child. Kamsa, the king of the Bhoja dynasty, saw Krsna as death personified. The unintelligent there saw in ghastliness, the Lord of His universal form, and the ‘yogis’, out of peaceful neutrality saw the Lord as the absolute truth. The Vrsnis, in love and devotion, saw Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, their Supreme worshipful Deity.
Out of envy and fury Canura challenged Krsna to a wrestling match, not being able to bear the praises of the public upon the two transcendental brothers. Canura revealed his envy for Krsna and Balarama when the boys said that they are just young boys and should play with boys of their own age. Many of the public also felt like this, that it was an uneven match, but Canura revealed his hate for Krsna, saying, “You aren’t really a child or even a young man and neither is Balarama, the strongest of the strong. After all, playfully You have killed so many of our men, including the elephant who had the strength of a thousand elephants. Therefore I, Canura, will fight with You and Balaram with Mustika.”
Krsna fought with Canura, seizing each other’s hands, locking legs, Canura struggled for victory. Fist against fist, knee to knee, the fight went on, running, dragging in circles, shoving, throwing this way and that, until finally Krsna had played enough. He then grabbed Canura’s arms and whirled the demon around several times before smashing him to the ground dead. Mustika found himself in a similar situation. After bring stuck repeatedly by the supreme powerful palm of Lord Balarama, Mustika vomited blood, and fell down dead. The remaining wrestlers fled for their lives.
To congratulate the victorious Krsna and Balarama, all their friends came and joined them. Everyone was chanting and dancing, and their ankle bells made a wonderful musical accompaniment. Everyone except Kamsa that is rejoiced at the killing of the wrestlers. Kamsa told his remaining men to, “Drive the two wicked sons of Vasudeva out of Mathura, confiscate the cowherd’s property and arrest Nanda Maharaja. Kill Vasudeva and his father and their followers, our enemies.” Hearing this nonsense, Krsna approached Kamsa as death personified. Kamsa took up a shield and sword but was disarmed by Krsna, Who was unarmed Himself, in seconds. Then, as Garuda might capture an insignificant snake, Krsna grabbed Kamsa by the hair, knocked off his crown, and dragged him by the hair into the arena. Straddling Kamsa’s chest as one straddles a horse. Krsna then repeatedly pounded Kamsa again and again until Kamsa finally gave up his miserable life.
Witnessing Kamsa’s death, his eight younger brothers then attacked Krsna, but Balarama killed them one after another with Kuvalayapida’s broken elephant tusk. Kettle drums resounded and the ‘devas’ rained flower petals upon the Lord.
As part of the celebrations Vasudeva arranged for his boys to be given Their sacred threads in the ‘Upanayana’ ceremony which was conducted by the saintly ‘brahmana’ Gargamuni. Soon after this Krsna and Balarama went to Avantipur to the place of Their spiritual master, Sandipani Mani.
Krsna and Balarama themselves are the origins of all branches of knowledge, yet they concealed their perfect knowledge by performing their wonderful pastimes with Their human-like forms and activities. They resided with Sandipani Muni, Their spiritual master, in the ‘Guru-Kula’, and under the care of Their ‘guru’, Krsna and Balarama studied just like ordinary boys the Vedas and Upanishad’s. In fact, sixty four arts in as many days all were perfected and understood by the boys, and after this They gave ‘guru daksina’ to Sandipani Muni.
Traditionally when one’s education is complete, one gives charity in the form of ‘daksina’, remuneration for all that was taught. Sandipani Muni’s son had died earlier, so Sandipani Muni asked as his ‘daksina’ that his son be returned to him. Bringing him from the place of Yamaraja, the ‘gurus’ son was returned by Krsna, fulfilling the ‘guru daksina’ as requested. Thus receiving the permission of Sandipani Muni, the ‘boys’ Krsna and Balarama, graduated and returned to Mathura.
Around this time and after the disappearance of Maharaja Pandu, Dhrtarastra assumed the royal throne. Krsna and Balarama sent messages to Dhrtarastra asking him to remain fair to the sons of Pandu or face hell as the consequences.
Shortly after this Krsna and Balarama went to see Jarasandha and they defeated the demoniac brother-in-law of Kamsa seventeen times. After all, it was not that Krsna and Balarama had done any wrong to this demon, but Jarasandha had attacked Mathura repeatedly with the intent of killing every last man there. One night Lord Sri Krsna suddenly removed, unnoticed, all the citizens of Mathura in their sleep. When they awoke in the morning they were surprised to find that they were sitting with their wives and families in golden palaces in the city of Dwaraka. Krsna then returned to Mathura to find the city under siege by another demon. Krsna killed the army and made off back to Dwaraka with all of the booty the army had collected in the form of gold and jewels. Then Jarasandha arrived. Krsna and Balarama left the booty and acting as if afraid, ran to the big Pravarsana mountain and climbed to the top. Jarasandha, thinking they had hidden in a cave, set fire to the whole mountain, but with ease Krsna and Balarama jumped ninety miles from the top of the mountain to the ground unharmed. Then they returned to Dwaraka, and Jarasandha though he had burned the boys to death. So thinking, he happily returned to his kingdom.
Dwaraka, before the advent of Krsna and Balarama, was known as Kusasthali, and was ruled over by one great king of the name Revata. Maharaja Revata had one hundred sons and a beautiful daughter named Revati. When this beautiful girl came of age, Revata, being anxious to find a good husband for her, approached Lord Brahma, who presides over sacred vivahas (marriage ceremonies), for advice, along with Revati. Lord Brahma told Revata that there was only one person befitting his daughter and that was the son of Vasudeva, the Personality of Godhead, Lord Balarama. The king, on the good advice of Lord Brahma, returned to Dwaraka and married his daughter to Balarama. Also at this time Krsna married Maharaja Bhismaka’s daughter Rukmini. Maharaj Bhismaka had five sons and one daughter of lovely countenance. One of these sons felt envy towards Krsna. This was Rukmi. He was opposed to the marriage of Rukmini and Krsna as he preferred her to marry the envious demon Sisupala.
Rukmini devi also wanted to marry Krsna. Sometimes she would send letters to Krsna saying how he and only He (Krsna) was the one for her. Rukmini planned how she would get her Lord, and in her letters she told Krsna how and when to kidnap her, as was the tradition in many a royal wedding.
All of those kings who envied Krsna were to be there for the wedding of Sisupala and Rukmini, as arranged by Rukmi. Sisupala, Dantavakra, Jarasandha, Salva and other demons were all present. Much politics there ensued. Sisupala wanted Rukmini and so had brought his friends to guarantee getting his bride. Lord Balarama, hearing of this, had his whole army move into position at Kundinapur.
The night before the wedding, Rukmini felt auspicious twitching in her left side, giving her solace not to be in anxiety. The next day, as she approached the Durga temple surrounded by guards and her suitors, Rukmini paid respects to Durga devi, turned, and there she noticed Krsna. Krsna then took her away from that place as a lion takes his rightful share from a pack of jackals. All the low class demoniac kings had no chance of coming within so much as a hope of stopping Krsna. Thus physically and morally defeated, they all condemned themselves. Rukmi alone attacked Krsna, but was defeated. Instead of killing Rukmi, Krsna cut off half of Rukmi’s moustache and a bit here and there from his hair. He looked a sight. This was worse than death. Lord Balarama then allowed Rukmi to be set free. Krsna and Rukmini returned to his capital of Dwaraka, and married with great pomp. Everyone is Dwaraka was very happy to see Krsna with his new Queen, Rukmini.
There too, was a king of the name Satrajit, who had received the ‘Syamantaka’ gem from the sun god. He used to wear that gem in a locket around his neck. By the worship of that gem daily, the ‘Syamantaka’ gem produced one hundred and seventy pounds of gold every day. being so opulent with gold, and engulfed with the shining effulgence from the gem, the local inhabitants of Dwaraka mistook Satrajit for the sun god himself.
On one occasion Krsna requested Satrajit to give the gem to King Ugrasena, but Satrajit refused, obsessed with greed. Not long after, Prasena, Satrajit’s brother, went out hunting on horse back wearing the jewel around his neck. Unfortunately for him he was killed by a lion who took the effulgent jewel up into a mountain cave where Jambavan, the devotee of Lord Rama, was living with his family. Jambavan killed the lion and gave the precious gem to his son to play with.
When Satrajit’s brother didn’t come back from the hunt, Satrajit presumed that Krsna had killed him for the jewel. Krsna heard this rumour that was going around and decided to clear it up. Going with some of the citizens of Dwaraka, they went in search of Prasena in the forest. After a short time they found his half eaten body and his dead horse lying nearby. It was obvious he was killed by a lion. Next they found the body of the lion killed by Jambavan. Krsna decided to go into the cave while all the others waited outside. He very soon saw the ‘Syamantaka’ jewel in the hands of Jambavan’s son, but when He tried to take the jewel, the child’s nurse gave out a scream that brought Jambavan running. Jambavan and Krsna fought for twenty eight days continuously until Jambavan, knowing that no ordinary man could fight with him like that, realised that this must be the same Lord Rama who is his worshipful Lord.
With intense devotion Jambavan gave Lord Krsna not only the ‘Syamantaka’ jewel but also his beautiful unmarried daughter Jambavati. Along with his new bride, Krsna returned to Dwaraka. Rumours had gone around due to the townsfolk leaving that cave entrance after twelve days, and returning to Dwaraka despondent, they were thinking Krsna too had been killed. But now, Krsna entered the city of Dwaraka with Jambavati and the ‘Symantaka’ jewel. Calling for Satrajit, Krsna told the whole story and gave the jewel to him, who accepted it back with great shame.
Later Satrajit on reflection, came back to Krsna and not only presented the ‘Syamantaka’ jewel, but also his daughter Satyabhama, who was endowed with all wonderfully divine qualities.
Acarya Madhwa remembered that it was around this time also, in Hastinpura, the Kauravas were harassing the Pandavas and tried to burn them all to death in the house of lac, and he in the form of Bhimasena carried them to a safe place.
Meanwhile, back in Dwaraka, Satyabhama’s father, Satrajit, was killed and she felt her very life taken. Putting her departed father’s body in a vat of oil, Satyabhama went to Hastinapura to meet with her husband, Krsna, Who had just gone there to be with the Pandavas. Krsna then returned to Dwaraka and killed the killer of his father-in-law (Satadhanva) and take back the ‘syamantaka’ jewel. When the greedy rascal Satadhanva’s horse collapsed, terrified by the speed at which Krsna and Balarama approached him, Krsna took off Satadhanva’s head with His Sudarshana disc.
Although technically Satyabhama’s son to be was the heir to the jewel, Lord Krsna gave it to Akrura, who was performing religious sacrifices with the jewel. Krsna then went to stay for some time with the Pandavas, during which time he married five more princesses who were Kalindi, the daughter of the sun-god who lived in the Yamuna River, the king of Avanti’s sister Mitravinda, and from the kingdom of Ayodhya from King Nagnajit, Krsna accepted his extraordinarily beautiful daughter Satya (Nagnajiti). Subsequently Krsna married Bhadra, kidnapping her from her own ‘swayamvara’ ceremony, and also the royal daughter of the King of Madra known as Laksmana, again it was from her ‘syawamvara’ just as Garuda once stole the nectar of the demigods.
Bhumi, the goddess of the earth, had a son of the name Narak. He was born from the contact of Hiranyaksa (the demon killed by Lord Varaha), and Bhumidevi, who had to bear this son. After Narakasura stole Lord Varaha’s umbrella, Mother Aditi’s earrings, and the playground of the demigods called Mani-Parvata, Lord Indra went to Dwaraka and described the demon’s activities to Lord Krsna. Together with His queen, Satyabhama, Krsna mounted Garuda His carrier and went to Narakasura’s capital, Pragjyotisa. At that place Lord Sri Krsna killed the Mura demon and Mura’s seven sons. Then the audacious demon Narakasura challenged Krsna and threw his lance at Him. The ‘shakti’ weapon (lance) of Naraksura proved totally ineffective on Krsna, who destroyed it and then went on to kill all of Narakasura’s armies, finally killing Narakasura with that best of weapons, the Sudarsana disc weapon.
Then mother Earth, Bhumi devi, returned all the items that her son Narakasura had stolen. Bhumi also presented Narakasura’s son to the Lord, and the Lord pacified him for he was so frightened.
On entering the demon’s palace Krsna found in the maiden’s quarters 16,100 princesses which were the unmarried daughters of the demigods, kings and demons. As soon as they saw Lord Krsna they all without hesitation accepted the Lord as their husband. Narakasura had imprisoned them in his palace after kidnapping them. Krsna had all the princesses dressed nicely and sent on palanquins to Dwaraka along with all kinds of wealth.
Krsna and Satyabhama then went to Indra’s palace and returned Aditi’s earrings, and Indra and his wife worshipped nicely Krsna and Satyabhama. On Satyabhama’s request Krsna uprooted the beautifully fragrant Parijata tree and brought it to Dwaraka after a bit of a tussle with Indra and the ‘devas’. Once planted in the grounds of Queen Satyabhama’s palace, intoxicated bumble bees followed the fragrance of the Parijata from the heavenly planets, hungry and greedy for the taste of Parijata’s sweet fragrance and sap.
Now in Dwaraka, the Lord lived happily with all of his 16,100 wives in as many palaces, simultaneously at once, and yet receiving service from them all individually in each of the 16,100 palaces, where he manifested Himself in full to each wife. After some time, each of Krsna’s wives had ten sons who in turn had many sons, so including Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Nagnajit, Kalindi, Laxmana, Mitravinda and Bhadra, who are Krsna’s principle queens in Dwaraka, He had a total of 16,108 queens with as many palaces.
Around this time Lord Balarama took permission to go back to Vraja (Vrindavana). Remembering the deep friendship he once enjoyed with the cowherd folk of Vrindavan, Lord Balarama went alone to Vraja. In Vrindavan the ‘gopis’ quizzed Balarama to see if Krsna still remembered them. Lord Balarama stayed for two months in Vrindavan during which he enjoyed his own pastimes with his own ‘gopis’ on the banks of the Yamuna known as Sri Rama Ghat. Intoxicated with joy, Balarama wore beautiful flower garlands and a single earring. Beads of perspiration decorated his pure white smiling face, which was gentle like snow flakes. Wanting to play in the waters of the Yamuna River, He summoned Yamuna near, but she disregarded His command, thinking He was drunk from drinking honey. So angered, Lord Balarama began to drag the river to him with the tip of His plough. Threatening to split the river into one hundred rivulets and in that way bring her close, Lord Balarama chastised Yamuna for not coming when He had told her to. Trembling in fear, the river Goddess approached Lord Balarama. With her hair loose and forward in a seductive way, covering her breasts, she tried to pacify the Lord, though her thoughts were conjugally based.
After releasing Yamuna Mayi from His plough, Lord Balarama along with His ‘gopis’ entered the Yamuna River to play in those waters. Coming out, the goddess Kani (Laxmidevi) presented Him with blue garments, ornaments and a brilliant necklace.
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