Krishna’s life in the village of cowherds is described in the Harivamsa, the appendix to the Mahabharata and later elaborated in the Bhagavata Purana and the later Brahmavaivarta Purana, written in the 5th, 10th and 15th centuries respectively.
The cow is the most sacred symbol in Hinduism. This may be taken literally as a legacy of the Vedic past when cows were the only means of livelihood. Or it may be taken symbolically to mean the earth. In Vishnu Purana, which narrates tales of Vishnu, the earth comes before God in the form of a cow, Go-mata, and seeks protection. He promises to be the cowherd of the earth, Go-pal. To ensure harmony between earth and human culture, Vishnu establishes the code of civilization known as dharma. Each time this code is broken, Vishnu descends on the earth as an avatar. The scriptures say that the greatest of these descents is that of Krishna. Krishna loves the cowherds and milkmaids and protects them from all calamities. The world he creates is how the world should be, full of affection, love and security.
That the plough-yielding Balarama is also said to be an incarnation of Adi-Sesha, the serpent of Time, on which Vishnu reclines, further reiterates the close association between serpent-worshipping tribes and agriculture.
Krishna’s entry clearly marks a shift in the Vedic mindset from the yagna-rituals aimed at pleasing distant sky-gods to puja-rituals aimed at pleasing earth-bound deities.
Krishna is a cowherd-god while Balarama is a farmer-god. Krishna holds a cartwheel that is pulled by oxen and horses. Balarama holds a plough. In time, the cartwheel becomes the famous Sudarshan Chakra or discus of Vishnu and the plough becomes Vishnu’s club or gada known as Kaumodaki.
34
Return to Mathura
Every night, outside the village, in the forest, on the banks of the Yamuna, in a meadow known as Madhuvan that was full of fragrant flowers, Krishna would stand and play the flute. All the milkmaids would leave their homes while the rest of the family slept, and come to this meadow to dance around Krishna. This was their secret pleasure. Neither the darkness of the night nor the creatures of the forest frightened them. They felt secure and loved in the company of Krishna.
Krishna had once stolen their clothes when they were bathing and had forced them to come out of the water naked. They had done so with great embarrassment but then, in his eyes, they saw no lust, only affection, a complete appreciation of who they were, not their external forms, not their flesh or their ornaments or their looks or their clothes, but their hearts. He loved them with all their imperfections. It was a feeling the gopis had never experienced before.
In Madhuvan, Krishna danced with all of them. If they became possessive and demanded exclusive attention, he disappeared completely, filling them with great misery and longing. They realized that bliss comes when love is shared with all.
This wonderful relationship of Krishna with the milkmaids came to an end when Kansa sent a chariot to Vrindavan ordering Krishna to come to Mathura and participate in a wrestling competition. Nanda had no choice but to let Krishna go. But he insisted Balarama accompany him.
The gopis and gopas of Vrindavan beat their chests in grief. They wept and threw themselves on the path of the chariot, trying to stop the boys from leaving, for they knew that life in the village without their beloved Krishna would never be the same again.
No sooner did Krishna enter the city of Mathura than he won the hearts of the Yadavas with his strength and beauty. Fearlessly, Krishna killed Kansa’s washerman who had showered abuse on him. He then broke the royal bow on display and subdued the royal elephant who tried to block his path to the arena. Krishna and Balarama then defeated all the wrestlers of Mathura, including the champions. The audience cheered the two cowherds making Kansa angrier than ever. Kansa ordered that Krishna and all those who had cheered him be killed. In response, Krishna pounced on Kansa and smote him to death.
That Krishna had a dark complexion and an opposition to Vedic yagnas has led to speculation that he was perhaps a deity of non-Vedic animal-herding communities.
Metaphysically, Krishna’s dark complexion aligns with his world-affirming nature (he absorbs all colours) while Balarama’s fair complexion aligns with his world-renouncing nature (reflects all colours back). Between them is their little sister, Subhadra, born to Devaki after Krishna, who like Draupadi, is considered a form of the earth-goddess.
The story of Krishna stealing clothes of women needs to be compared and contrasted with the disrobing of Draupadi which occurs later in the epic. In both, women are deprived of clothes but while there is romance and joyousness in Krishna’s teasing of the gopis, there is humiliation and horror in Draupadi’s tale. Ultimately, it is not about behaviour alone; it is about intent.
In the temple folklore of Puri, Orissa, it is said that the daughter of Yashoda who had been sacrificed to save Krishna was reborn through the pit of fire in Drupada’s palace. This made Draupadi Krishna’s sister. Krishna left his village to rescue her. He had promised to return after destroying Kansa but then he had to destroy the Kauravas. He is still destroying the unrighteous rulers of the earth, unable to keep Friendship his promise to the gopis. Each year, at the height of summer, devotees celebrate the chariot-festival in Puri where images of Krishna, his brother Balarama and his sister Subhadra are taken out in a grand procession to remind God to return to his beloved Radha who waits for him in Madhuvan.
Of all the milkmaids who were dear to Krishna, there was one Radha who was dearer to him than most. Her name is not found in the early Puranas such as the Bhagavata, but is found in later Puranas like the Brahmavaivarta. In Jayadeva’s Sanskrit ballad, written in the 12th century CE, Gita Govinda, the relationship of Radha and Krishna that takes place in secret, at night, outside the village, is at once clandestine, erotic and spiritually sublime. In time, Radha became a goddess in her own right, the symbol of sacrifice, surrender and unconditional love.
35
Migration to Dwaraka
Having killed Kansa, Krishna was hailed as the liberator of the Yadavas. His true identity as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki was revealed. This marked the end of Krishna’s days as a cowherd. He was recognized as a Kshatriya, a descendant of Yadu.
After being educated in the ways of warriors by Sandipani, Krishna was accepted as a member of the ruling Yadava council which had been restored soon after Kansa’s death.
Not every one accepted Krishna as a true Yadava though. When a Yadava called Prasenajit got killed while hunting and the jewel called Syamantaka that he wore round his neck went missing, many accused Krishna of stealing it. For was he not known as the thief of butter and the thief of hearts by the gopas and gopis of Vrindavan?
Krishna managed to prove that Prasenajit had been killed by a lion and that the jewel had been stolen by a bear. To make amends, Prasenajit’s brother, Surajit, gave his daughter, Satyabhama, in marriage to Krishna, a marriage that consolidated Krishna’s position in the Yadava council.
But all was not well.
Jarasandha, king of Magadha, was incensed that rather than punishing the cowherd who had murdered his son-in-law, the Yadavas had accepted him into their fold by giving him one of their daughters. He ordered his army to launch an attack on Mathura and raze it to the ground. Jarasandha’s army attacked Mathura seventeen times. Each time, Krishna and Balarama defended the city valiantly and led the Yadavas to victory.
But the eighteenth time, Jarasandha’s army was led by one Kalayavan who was destined to destroy the city of Mathura.
Realizing that discretion is the better part of valour, Krishna organized for all the Yadavas, including himself, to slip out of Mathura while the city was set ablaze by Jarasandha’s soldiers. This act of withdrawal earned Krishna the title of Ranchor-rai, the deserter.
Krishna and the Yadavas moved west, away from the river-fed plains, across the desert and mountains, towards the sea. They finally reached the island of Dwaraka.
Dwaraka was ruled by one Revata. Long ago, he had gone to the abode of Brahma, father of all living creat
ures, to find out who would be a suitable groom for his daughter, Revati. Unfortunately, he had not realized that a day with Brahma is equal to a thousand years on earth. When he returned with his daughter, all human beings had shrunk in size and no man was ready to marry his giant of a daughter.
Krishna’s brother, Balarama, hooked his plough to Revati’s shoulder and forced her to bend so that he could have a better look at her face. No sooner did he do that than she reduced in size. A much pleased Revata requested Balarama to marry his daughter. Balarama agreed and in gratitude, Revata allowed the Yadavas to settle on his island.
To secure this new island-home of the Yadavas, Krishna married many women from surrounding kingdoms. One of them was Rukmini, princess of Vidarbha, who had appealed to Krishna to save her from the loveless marriage that her brother was forcing her into. Rukmini’s brother, Rukmi, had arranged for her to wed Shishupala, king of Chedi. Krishna abducted her right from under Shishupala’s nose.
Shishupala happened to be an ally of Jarasandha, just like Kansa. He immediately informed the king of Magadha that while Mathura had been razed to the ground, Krishna was very much alive and safely ensconced with the Yadavas on the island of Dwaraka. Jarasandha could do nothing but fume in frustration.
Krishna then went on to marry many more princesses including the princesses of Avanti, Kosala, Madra and Kekaya. It was this desire to forge political alliances through marriage that brought Krishna to the court of Drupada where he met for the first time the Pandavas, sons of his father’s sister, given up for dead after the fire at Varanavata.
The name Kalayavan means ‘the black Greek’ suggesting Indo-Greek roots. Following the invasion of Alexander of Macedonia, the Indo-Greeks played an important role in the history of North India, from 300 BCE to 300 CE, about the same time that the Mahabharata was reaching its final form. Krishna lore is closely associated with many things Greek. Like a Greek hero, Krishna escapes death as a child and comes back as a youth to avenge the wrong done to his family. Mathura, with its ruling council, and aversion for monarchy, was clearly influenced by the Greek political system. Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador in the court of Chandragupta Maurya, identified Krishna with the Greek hero Heracles.
The migration of the Yadavas from Mathura in the Gangetic plains to the island in the Arabian Sea following the destruction of their city, suggests a period of great turmoil. Through marriages, both Krishna and Balarama strengthen the political position of their tribe and restore their glory.
The city of Dwaraka was also known as Dwaravati. The Yadavas gain rights over the island by getting Balarama to marry the local princess, Revati.
Krishna’s family line
Book Eight
Division
‘Janamejaya, your family destroyed a forest, killing countless birds and beasts, to establish their city.’
36
The division of Kuru lands
The Pandavas, who had seen Krishna at the swayamvara of Drupada’s daughter, were a little wary. ‘Why did you not participate in the tournament?’ they asked. Krishna did not reply. He just smiled.
Kunti hugged Krishna and wept, enveloped by waves of memories: her childhood with the Yadavas, her adoption by Kuntibhoja, her tryst with Durvasa and Surya, her marriage to Pandu, the birth of her children through the intervention of the gods, her widowhood, her return to Hastina-puri with her children and finally, the attempt on her life and that of her sons. Krishna comforted his aunt, ‘You have faced your destiny fearlessly and triumphed over it with your decisions.’
‘Yes, I did,’ said Kunti, her smile restored once again by the soft, comforting voice of Krishna. This was the life she was supposed to live. And it was the very same life that had brought her strange, delightful nephew to her. But why?
As if reading her mind, he said, ‘Now you can return to Hastina-puri and tell them that you are alive. They will dare not harm you again for now your sons are married to the daughter of the mighty Drupada. They will go out of their way to make peace with you.’
‘Will they give my sons the throne of Hastina-puri?’ asked Kunti.
‘I don’t think so,’ replied Krishna, ‘But there is another way.’
The whole city rejoiced when they learnt that the Pandavas had survived the terrible fire and that they had returned more powerful than ever before as the sons-in-law of Drupada.
Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, Bhishma, Drona, Vidura and the Kauravas received them with great love and affection.
The Pandavas kept wondering who among them had hatched the plot to kill them. Duryodhana? Dusshasana? Or could it be Bhishma, ever willing to make a great sacrifice to end the family feud? Or Drona or his son, Ashwatthama, ever eager to please Duryodhana? Or was it Karna, who never forgave the Pandavas for humiliating him? Or was it Dhritarashtra, blind to the misdeeds of his sons?
Vidura advised Dhritarashtra that to crush all gossip and to show the world that he loved his brother’s sons, he should renounce the throne and pass it on to Yudhishtira. Dhritarashtra, however, was unwilling. ‘What will happen to my sons then? They will never serve the Pandavas. Maybe we should ask the Pandavas to let Duryodhana be king, for the sake of peace.’
Knowing that the Pandavas would never agree, Krishna suggested to Vidura that the only way to keep peace was to divide the kingdom. Bhishma protested at first but relented later realizing that there was no other way out.
In a public ceremony, Dhritarashtra gave the Pandavas the forest of Khandava-prastha. ‘Make your home there. Go in peace,’ said the elders of the Kuru clan blessing the Pandavas.
With Draupadi by their side, the Pandavas are able to reclaim their destiny. Draupadi’s entry also marks the division of the Kuru lands. Her footfall thus brings fortune but also breaks a household.
The practice of using marriage to forge political alliances was common in Vedic times. The Pandavas had no power until Draupadi came into their lives. With the powerful Drupada as their father-in-law, they were in a position to negotiate. Krishna makes them aware of this.
Since the Mahabharata talks about cousins who divide the family property between themselves, it is never read inside a traditional Hindu household. In fact, it is considered inauspicious. People prefer the Ramayana where brothers selflessly surrender their inheritance to each other.
Vyasa never explains why Krishna chose not to participate in Draupadi’s swayamvara. Draupadi is undoubtedly the embodiment of the world that God has descended to save, just as Sita was the embodiment of the world when God took the form of Ram. Krishna’s decision not to be her husband must therefore have a reason. Draupadi had forbidden the very capable Karna from participating in her swayamvara on grounds that he was raised by charioteers. Through this display of caste prejudice, she inadvertently rejected Krishna who was raised by lowly cowherds. Draupadi embodies a world full of prejudice. This world may turn away from God and therefore suffer, as Draupadi inadvertently does, but God will never turn away from the world.
A folktale from Gujarat says that Bhishma found the idea of the division of Kuru lands unbearable. He went around talking to the people of Hastina-puri, asking them if they were for or against it. The elders of the city told him, ‘You never consulted us when you took the vow of celibacy for your father. Why do you consult us now when the consequences of that stupid vow are finally taking shape? Take responsibility for the mess you yourself created.’
37
Burning of Khandava-prastha
Khandava-prastha was a great forest full of birds and beasts. It was home of the Nagas as well as the Rakshasas. ‘Burn it to the ground,’ advised Krishna.
‘Is there no other way?’ wondered Yudhishtira.
‘Can anyone establish a field or an orchard or a garden or a city without destroying a forest?’ asked Krishna.
Agni, the fire-god, came to the Pandavas in the form of a fat priest and said, ‘All the ghee that has been poured in me has made me ill. Burning something raw will restore my lustre, of that I am sure.’ br />
Agni’s timely arrival gave the Pandavas an excuse to set Khandava-prastha aflame. All things started to burn. The trees, the herbs, the shrubs, every tiny blade of grass. The birds and beasts cried out and tried to escape the flames. ‘Kill them all,’ said Krishna.
‘Why?’ asked Arjuna.
‘So that no one returns to claim the land you claim to be yours. Know the price of ownership. Bear the burden of civilization.’
‘When should we stop?’
‘When your needs are met and before you fall prey to greed. Knowing when to stop is the hallmark of a good king,’ said Krishna.
A great slaughter followed. Arjuna and Krishna and all the Pandavas went around the burning forest on their chariots shooting down everything that tried to escape: deer, lion, monkeys, serpents, turtles, pigeons, parrots, even a swarm of bees and a line of ants, and all the resident Nagas and Rakshasas. Everything.
The Nagas cried out to their friend, Indra, who hurled his thunder and made the clouds shed rain. Krishna saw the rain fall and instructed Arjuna to create a great parasol of arrows so that not a drop touched the ground. Thus, under the parasol of arrows, the forest continued to burn.
After days of burning, Agni had his fill of the forest and regained his lost lustre. In gratitude, he gave Arjuna a mighty bow called Gandiva and Krishna a discus called Sudarshan. ‘With these weapons, institute and maintain dharma on earth,’ said Agni before returning to his celestial abode.
Nothing had survived the great conflagration expect one demon. His name was Maya. He had slipped between the walls of fire and begged the Pandavas to show him mercy. ‘Spare my life and I will build you a great city, for I am the architect of the demons,’ he said. The Pandavas looked at Krishna, who nodded his assent. And so, on the land cleared by burning the forest, Maya proceeded to build a great city for the Pandavas. The Pandavas named it Indra-prastha, the city of Indra, determined to make it a paradise on earth. For sparing his life, Maya gave Arjuna a personal gift: the conch-shell trumpet called Devdutt.