॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
22 May 2023, Monday - Srimad Bhagavatam X b.51 - The destruction of Kalayavana by "running away" and the salvation of the devotee King Muchukunda.
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Sri Krishna emerged from the main gate of Mathura within the sight of Kalayavana. He appeared as the four-armed magnificent figure of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu.
वासुदेवो ह्ययमिति पुमान् श्रीवत्सलाञ्छनः । चतुर्भुजोऽरविन्दाक्षो वनमाल्यतिसुन्दरः ॥
लक्षणैर्नारदप्रोक्तैर्नान्यो भवितुमर्हति । निरायुधश्चलन् पद्भ्यां योत्स्येऽनेन निरायुधः ॥
इति निश्चित्य यवनःप्राद्रवन्तं पराङ्मुखम् । अन्वधावज्जिघृक्षुस्तं दुरापमपि योगिनाम् ॥
T: Kalayavana thought: "Why, of course, this is the Vasudeva Sri Krishna that Narada told me to go and fight! See his Srivatsa mark on the chest! His divine ornaments, garlands, the golden yellow garment all give him away! How come he is holding no weapons!? Does he already know how foolhardy it is to fight me? And why is he running away!???"
Thus thinking, Kalayavana went in hot pursuit of Sri Krishna. Sage Shuka remarks, "Here was Kalayanava chasing the one whom even the best of Yogis find it impossible to catch up with!"
As Sri Krishna teased him, appearing to be almost within his grasp but getting away, Kalayavana shouted, "Hey, Krishna! It doesn't behove you to run away from the enemy, you belong to the famous Yadu dynasty!"
Sri Krishna continued running.
Now Sri Krishna entered a deep cave. As Kalayavana chased after him, his eyes took some time to adjust to the dark cave. Then, Kalayavana saw a figure sleeping there, covering himself with a cloth. "Bah, what a coward this Krishna is! He thinks he can deceive me by appearing to be asleep!" Kalayavana gave a powerful kick to the recumbent figure.
The man, who seemed to have been long asleep there, woke up startled and looked around. Then his eyes rested on Kalayavana standing right there. The moment he was seen by the sleeper, Kalayavana burst into a flame and died.
***
King Parikshit had a question. "Dear Sage, who was that sleeping man, of whose lineage? How come he had this power to burn down Kalayavana!? Why was he asleep in that cave at all? Please clarify!"
Sage Shuka smiled and continued. "Oh, King, this was the great Ikshwaku lineage king Muchukunda, son of King Mandhata. Both his father and he had helped the gods fight off the Asuras. In fact, Muchukunda once engaged in a very long battle with Asuras whom he finally vanquished. The gods then profusely thanked him. They made him aware that the battle had lasted so long that now, none in his family or circle of acquaintances and ministers and nobles was any more alive. He had done the ultimate sacrifice of giving his lifetime to the gods. "Oh, Muchukunda, right now the world is controlled by one demoniac king called Kalayavana. He has been created as invincible as Vishnu Himself. Anyway, this is of no concern to you perhaps. You can ask us for any boon. However, we cannot grant you liberation - that is the prerogative of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu alone." Muchukunda was already terribly exhausted and badly needed rest from the external world. So he asked for this unusual boon - to have unbroken sleep. The gods granted that and also said that Muchukunda's sleep should not be disturbed by anyone as the first person Muchukunda sets his eyes on when woken up shall be burnt to death.
This was therefore Sri Krishna's ploy, and now by running away he had drawn Kalayavana to the cave, made him wake up Muchukunda, inviting the curse to be reduced to ashes!
Now Muchukunda saw the divine figure of Bhagavan, the complete form of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu, radiant like all the suns, shining like the dark blue cloud against a mountain, and wearing divine ornaments and garlands, sporting the Srivatsa mark on His chest. Muchukunda was bewildered.
मुचुकुन्दौवाच
को भवानिह सम्प्राप्तो विपिने गिरिगह्वरे । पद्भ्यां पद्मपलाशाभ्यां विचरस्युरुकण्टके ॥
T: Muchukunda spoke: " Dear Lord, who are you? Why have you come here? For what reason are Your tender lotus feet taking you to these rough places? Perhaps you are Bhagavan Narayana Himself as I surmise. Kindly introduce yourself. I am, by the way, Muchukunda of the Ikshwakus. I have been here long asleep to recover from a very extended period of physical and mental exertion in war. This man who came and woke me up suffered the consequence of his violating my sleep. Then I saw you. Sir, you are so brilliant that no one can set eyes on you. I feel lustreless in your presence." To this, Bhagavan Sri Krishna began to answer, smilingly.
श्रीभगवानुवाच
जन्मकर्माभिधानानि सन्ति मेऽङ्ग सहस्रशः । न शक्यन्तेऽनुसङ्ख्यातुमनन्तत्वान्मयापि हि ॥
क्वचिद्रजांसि विममे पार्थिवान्युरुजन्मभिः । गुणकर्माभिधानानि न मे जन्मानि कर्हिचित् ॥
कालत्रयोपपन्नानि जन्मकर्माणि मे नृप । अनुक्रमन्तो नैवान्तं गच्छन्ति परमर्षयः ॥
T: Bhagavan answered: "Dear Muchukunda, no one can unravel my birth, deeds or lineage. I have thousands of names, so I cannot list them now. amy names and forms exceed the number of grains of sand on the shore! The great sages like Sanaka Sanandana constantly sing my praises. Even they cannot exhaust my descriptions! In any case, I shall tell you of my present birth and antecedents."
तथाप्यद्यतनान्यङ्ग शृणुष्व गदतो मम ।
विज्ञापितो विरिञ्चेन पुराहं धर्मगुप्तये ।
भूमेर्भारायमाणानामसुराणां क्षयायच ॥
अवतीर्णो यदुकुले गृह आनकदुन्दुभेः ।
वदन्ति वासुदेवेति वसुदेवसुतं हि माम् ॥
कालनेमिर्हतः कंसः प्रलम्बाद्याश्च सद्द्विषः ।अयं च यवनो दग्धो राजंस्ते तिग्मचक्षुषा ॥
सोऽहं तवानुग्रहार्थं गुहामेतामुपागतः ।
प्रार्थितः प्रचुरं पूर्वं त्वयाहं भक्तवत्सलः ॥
वरान् वृणीष्व राजर्षे सर्वान् कामान् ददामि ते ।
मां प्रसन्नो जनः कश्चिन्न भूयोऽर्हति शोचितुम् ॥
T: "In this time, acceding to Brahma's request, to protect Dharma, to cleanse the earth of evil, I have taken birth as the son of the Yadu chief Vasudeva. First Kamsa, an incarnation of the Asura Kalanemi, then Pralamba and now Kalayavana who was reduced to ashes within your sight, have been destroyed by me. I came here expressly to bless you. Long ago, you had asked for my grace and here I am. You can ask for any boon you desire. Those under my care never come to grief."
Now Muchukunda connected this to what Sage Garga had once told him and realised this was Bhagavan Narayana Himself.
He prayed:" Oh, Lord, by Your Yogamaya, engrossed in this world of attachments to family and fortune, I have never prayed to You before. My entire life has been spent as a King engaged in worldly affairs and attachments. By Your grace, now, in one stroke all is erased. I am able to see how a king is engrossed in a life of pomp, power and pleasure, not realising that Time ensures all this will end in the body becoming food for earthworms or being burnt to ashes. The birth and death cycle all go on like this until Karmas are exhausted when the company of the holy instils the urge to see the Eternal Truth and develop devotion. You have asked me to ask for boons. I shall not fall for this trap again. Please give me devotion and liberation."
Bhagavan replied, most gratified with Muchukunda's free choice to ask for freedom. He said, "Muchukunda, by your devotion now, you shall be able to go about this world without attachment and harbouring my thoughts always. Your past Karmas as a king including killing innocent animals in the forest while hunting will need to play out till they are exhausted. Then you shall be born again as a devout Brahmin and attain to Me, the embodiment of Eternal Truth and Pure consciousness."
