॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
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Recently a girl replicated the identity of a UPSC rank winner and tried to grab employment. She was exposed. Just today, I read that some imposter woman tried to claim the compensation as the widow of a Odisha rail tragedy victim. She was caught. Such stories are not new.
There was King Paundraka of Karusha. The King of Kashi was his sidekick. Paundraka dressed up as Vasudeva Krishna. He proclaimed that the chappie in Dwaraka claiming to be Krishna was an imposter. The people of Karusha even supported Paundraka's claim! The King of Kashi towed his line too.
Paundraka sent an emissary to Dwaraka, accusing Sri Krishna of being an imposter, and ordering that he should come and face the real Vasudeva Krishna of Karusha in battle. When the messenger blurted out Paudraka's claim in the Dwaraka court, from King Ugrasena downward, everyone laughed at the preposterous joke. It was similar to children playacting the roles of kings and gods! Sri Krishna said, "OK, Mr. Messenger! Your King claims to be the real Vasudeva and that I should deliver all my weapons to him. He claims be the real incarnation. Well, I shall come at once and send him to his death!"
When Sri Krishna arrived in full battlegear with his weapons in his chariot, Paundraka came with his army. King of Kashi also joined in the fray with his army.
तस्य काशीपतिर्मित्रं पार्ष्णिग्राहोऽन्वयान्नृप । अक्षौहिणीभिस्तिसृभिरपश्यत् पौण्ड्रकं हरि: ॥
शङ्खार्यसिगदाशार्ङ्गश्रीवत्साद्युपलक्षितम् । बिभ्राणं कौस्तुभमणिं वनमालाविभूषितम् ॥
कौशेयवाससी पीते वसानं गरुडध्वजम् । अमूल्यमौल्याभरणं स्फुरन्मकरकुण्डलम् ॥
T: Seeing Paundraka surrounded by his army as well as the King of Kashi with his army, Sri Krishna was most amused to find that Paundraka had dressed himself up exactly as Sri Krishna! He carried Shankha, Chakra, wore a Srivatsa mark drawn on his chest, sported even a vanamala and a Me-Too Kaustubha gem! Paundraka wore Sri Krishna's yellow garment, had a Garuda dhwaja, wore precious pearl necklaces and crocodile ear-ornaments. Indeed!
Making short work of the Paundraka army's attacks on him, Sri Krishna said: "Oh, Paundraka! Your messenger referred to Sudarshana Chakra and so on as truly in your possession, and that only fake ones were in my hands. Let me give you a taste of what I hold. "
Very quickly, Sri Krishna destroyed Paundraka's chariot, and his weapons, and immediately decapitated Paundraka with his Sudarshana. Paundraka fell like a mountain struck by Indra. The King of Kashi was meted out a similar fate, except that his head was shot off to go and fall at the gateway of Kashi.
Sage Shuka says that Paundraka's strange obsession with being the real Krishna had triggered his intense meditation on the Lord and thus, the Lord actually liberated Paundraka by slaying him in battle.
Kashi's citizens and queens were most distressed to find their king's head at their door. His son was Sudakshina. He went and did a great penance to propitiate Lord Shiva, asking for powers to kill Sri Krishna. Shiva responded to the penance and said to Sudakshina: "Accompanied by Brahmins, propitiate the Dashagni sacred fire. The fire will give you the power you seek, and will kill anyone who is inimical to Brahmins." Not knowing the real loophole in this boon, Sudakshina went ahead to acquire that strange firepower, thinking it will slay Sri Krishna.
This power was called Abhichara. Abhichara gave rise to a huge dark naked being with a coppery beard and a coppery moustache. His eyes blazed like burning coal. he had terrible fangs and deadly- looking furrowed brows. He held a flaming trident. On his legs which were as tall as palm trees, this being rushed to Dwaraka. His arrival frightened all its citizens like a forest fire terrifies wild animals. They cried aloud to Sri Krishna for saving them!
Sri Krishna solemnly assured all that they would be safe. He directed his Sudarshana Chakra to take care of this being. Blazing like a thousand suns, most terrifying in its impact, Sudarshana drove away the being who rushed back to Kashi/Varanasi. Unfortunately for Prince Sudakshina, this dark being of his creation was like a nuclear ICBM which once launched had to destroy something. Not only Sudakshina but all his priests were destroyed by this being.
But Sudarshana Chakra was also in hot pursuit. The Chakra now entered Varanasi and burnt the whole city down in an inferno including all the celebrated mansions and markets as well as the war animal quarters. Sudarshana Chakra finished his mission and returned to Bhagavan.
This story, according to Sage Shuka, when heard properly ( to understand the fate of imposters and their chamchas) removes sins of the listener.
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