Daredevils of Yamuna

By Hemant

About the Book

DHARMA IS DECLINED.
ONLY A GOD CAN SAVE THEM.
INDIA, 1700 BCE.

Legendary Mathura ––once a prosperous state on the banks of the sacred Yamuna–– was ruled by Kansa, who captured his father King Ugrasen. Ugrasen was one of the greatest kings and was revered by the eighteen Yadava clans across Aryavarta. He had always followed dharma––the right path––in his rule.
The water of Yamuna was mixed with the blood of the energetic and mighty Yadavas who opposed the king for forcefully capturing the throne. Some left Mathura. Some went in exile. Some were killed. Many were miserably disappointed.
The only hope was their faith that the eighth son of imprisoned Prince Vasudev and Princess Devaki would be their saviour. The faith turned some people into daredevils.
Could this fate be fulfilled? Did Krishna, the gopa of Gokul, accept the role?
Will he be able to forget his love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Dec 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781543705867

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 by Hemant Dwivedi.

ISBN:              Hardcover           978-1-5437-0587-4

                        Softcover             978-1-5437-0585-0

                        eBook                  978-1-5437-0586-7

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www.partridgepublishing.com/india

Contents

Acknowledgements

Chapter I             The Reign of Terror

Chapter II            A Foolproof Plan

Chapter III          The Land of Gokul

Chapter IV          The Fort City Mathura

Chapter V            A New Lesson

Chapter VI          Krishna Excels in Chakra

Chapter VII         She Comes to Gokul

Chapter VIII       Mysterious Demon Kaliya

Chapter IX          Search for a God

Chapter X           God Came to Him

Chapter XI          Sensation of a Storm

Chapter XII         Yamuna at Midnight

Chapter XIII        Search for a Land

Chapter XIV        The Formation of Govardhan Hills

Chapter XV         Jarasandh Awards Punishment

Chapter XVI       The Call of Destiny

Chapter XVII      Royal Messenger Came to Gokul

Chapter XVIII     Preparing for Destiny

Chapter XIX       Call of the Motherland

Chapter XX        Entering the Mighty Mathura

Chapter XXI       Kubalayapeeth, the Royal Elephant

Chapter XXII      The Wrestling Bouts

Chapter XXIII    The Secret of the Final Blow

Glossary

About the Author

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To dear Upma

Poorva and Arpit

Mom and Dad

And all the living and nonliving beings

On this beautiful planet

Who love Radha and Krishna

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Acknowledgements

I am indebted to the day of Krishna, Janmashtami (Lord Krishna’s birthday, the eighth day in the sixth month, Bhadrapada) when this journey began nonchalantly. But in a couple of weeks it provided me the pleasure of creation. I am indebted to the great writings of Indian tradition spread in Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Sanskrit and Vedic texts. I owe to great writers C. Rajgopalachari, Shivaji Sawant and KM Munshi and hundreds of other scholars for giving me the insight.

I am also indebted to Partridge and its team for this rigorous work completed well in time. I am indebted to my editor in Partridge who transformed the book into its present shape. The way my designer, Anu Image Makers based in Lucknow, India, designed the cover and back pages and other images is wonderful and it is evidence of their high degree of professionalism.

I owe my daughter, Poorva Priyadarshini, for the idea about the designs used on the cover/back pages and at the beginning of the chapters or sections.

Krishna

He is known by hundreds of names.

He is revered and loved by people.

A passionate lover, a strategist, a visionary,

a warrior of peace and dharma,

and the narrator of the Gita.

I bow to him, as he is my guru.

Krishna—a matchless and legendary character through the millennia. The Mahabharata, Harivansh, and Bhagavat Puranas are the important sources for the basis of this character. Over the course of time, people have developed so many miraculous layers over it. Thus, Krishna became captive of miracles. The word Krishna is indeed a significant proclamation of the Indian way of life—love, equality, justice, tolerance, human rights, and what not. In our solar system, lakhs of years old, the sun looks new. Similarly, this philosopher–warrior and backbone of the great Indian struggle Mahabharata can never be old. If we could really wipe out the miraculous mud over the blue-water pond with the help of our logical conscience, we would be competent enough to get the darshan of the real Krishna.

[Coutesy: ‘Yugandhar’ by Shivaji Sawant]

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CHAPTER I

The Reign of Terror

1 700 BC at the fort prison of Kansa. The king of Mathura near the Yamuna River.

‘Kanha … ho Kanha, come to me.’ A seer with a white beard was calling a boy pointing his first finger towards him. The boy was swimming in the waves of Yamuna. It was very difficult to recognise the boy.

Who is the sage calling so loudly? I have not seen him before, Devaki thought in her dream. I don’t know both the boy and the sage. But the boy is so young and is trying hard to cross the horrible stream of the Yamuna. The sage is indicating to him the right direction.

Will the mighty Yamuna waves swallow the kid? Oh no. Her heart was beating like a drum. She was perspiring heavily. She screamed for help. Her throat was choked up, and she was awakened suddenly. Vasudev patted her to comfort her.

The night was about to meet the dawn. The Yamuna’s waves were roaring. Fresh winds were making the corridor vibrant. Vasudev saw that the wall lamps had been put off and that the sentry had become alert on hearing the cry of Devaki.

‘The same dream?’ Vasudev asked.

‘Yeah. Nobody came to help him again. He is alone, struggling with the waves.’ She was sobbing now.

Vasudev consoled her. ‘The boy is swimming, you know. Nobody can lay down a person who is trying hard to reach his goal.’

‘You don’t understand yet. He could be drowned, as he is a kid fighting against the Yamuna waves. Remember your experience. Many years back, when you crossed the Yamuna in the rain, you described the force of the waves,’ she insisted.

Vasudev surrendered and said, ‘Okay, my dear, I will ask the king this time for a golden statue of that boy so that the boy will be with us forever.’ He submitted a simple argument.

Unexpectedly, Devaki accepted this proposal, but she was a bit suspicious. ‘Do you think the king would give us the statue?’ she asked hesitatingly.

‘Of course. I was his guru once. The king will provide you that,’ Vasudev said with confidence.

‘Okay then.’ She clutched the arm of Vasudev.

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Princess Devaki was unconsciously stroking her torso and gazing at the sole window of her prison compartment. A stream of tears was flowing from her eyes. The window was set by concrete with heavy iron rods in between. It opened towards the mighty river Yamuna which carried fresh winds inside sometimes.

She was sitting on a cemented platform with her husband, Prince Vasudev. Vasudev was not looking at his wife; he was staring at the upper right corner of the ceiling of the barracks, where a spider was busy weaving its net. Both were heavily chained by shackles. No handcuffs. They couldn’t go outside without the personal knowledge of King Kansa of the small kingdom of Mathura. The big princely prison compartment was part of the king’s palace fort. There was an anteroom behind this cell, which was attached to a washroom.

The lone human connectivity of the prison to the palace was a heavy door with a wooden frame and iron rods and a window. The double lock of the barrack’s door was opened only when it was demanded by the king or when there was some emergency there.

Its neighbouring window was commonly used for providing meals to the royal couple. Both the door and the window opened to a wider gallery. It was guarded by two armed personnel from the army round the clock. The gallery to the eastern end opened towards the Yamuna for the fresh air with a huge iron gate and a window at the upper part of the gate, and its western end opened to a large corridor where a few similar prison compartments, parallel to Devaki’s, had been made. The corridor’s north part came to a dead end, and the southern end again had a broad gallery which went to the banks of the Yamuna, with two grand windows. The palace access from this gallery was through a royal gate. The great prison corridor was also connected to its western wall with an iron gate for the armed staff.

The royal door of the fort prison led to the palatial residence of the king’s family and his kin. The other door of the fort prison led to the checkpoint at the entrance of the king’s palace. The arrangement was made for the king’s entry into the prison without any interruption from outside and without the knowledge of the checkpoint commander present on duty.

Earlier, the fort prison was part of the royal palace. Later it was converted into a prison for the members of royal families, whom the king could watch personally. This also allowed him to answer to the citizens about his careful attitudes to the royal prisoners as well.

Ten years had passed since both Princess Devaki and Prince Vasudev had been imprisoned here. They could now recognise every armed guard of their barrack even. The strong iron gate of their cell had been opened several times since their arrival at the cell. Seven times, a newborn child of Devaki had been taken away by King Kansa himself. The heavy southern iron gate had been opened, and the king himself had thrown the babies down from his head’s height to the hard rock or into the Yamuna—it was his wish. This action was done willingly by the king himself to ensure the baby was lifeless. A little cry from a baby would result in a long cry from Devaki, and a continuous sobbing over the last ten years deepened the grief of the prison walls.

What would be the change in the fate of Devaki? The child’s fate would remain the same. The wounds of the soul of Devaki and the helplessness of mine are the only truth that couldn’t be changed. Prince Vasudev was unable to think.

I haven’t ever seen a person like King Kansa, who has imprisoned his loving cousin and a brother-in-law whom he had himself proclaimed his guru, a teacher, publicly.

Prince Vasudev turned his eyes with great difficulty from the spider’s net and fixed his gaze on the body of Devaki. She was pregnant again, to weep at the baby’s final journey. This would be the eighth time their child would be brutally killed by his or her mama, the maternal uncle. A mama has always been considered the chief protector of the kids of his cousin.

But it meant nothing to do with the king of Mathura. He had not ordered the brutes but had himself killed the babies of his cousin, throwing them down into the Yamuna or from a height above his head. It is unbelievable to think that a baby might kill him, even in future. He is a mighty ruler and the son-in-law of the great king of Magadha, Jarasandh. How could he be so afraid from our kids?

I know nothing about my first consort. It looks as if all the dark of the earth came into our fate, and it can never change.

A fresh blow of riverine wind touched the face of Devaki and Vasudev. It looked as if King Ugrasen and the queen, the father and mother of Kansa, had sent a message to their daughter and son-in-law.

Vasudev’s train of thought went to the deposed King Ugrasen and the queen, who were imprisoned by their son, Kansa, for no fault of theirs. Both were chained in the next barrack. The king was old and in no position to harm his eldest son, Kansa.

In Aryavarta, the eldest son is the crown prince, as a rule. It was quite useless politically to imprison his parents. He was the crown prince and was virtually using the powers of the king. What was the need to take such a drastic step?

He captured his parents, whom we Indians worship. And Devaki is the niece of King Ugrasen. Had she been Kansa’s real sister, she would be in prison with me though I am an outsider

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‘For the last three days, Padmawati has been sick. How is she now, Doctor?’ Ugrasen asked anxiously.

‘Her Majesty is recovering from the fever and fatigue. She will be fine in a few days.’ the royal vaidya said to his former king hesitantly.

‘What is the case? Come on, Doctor,’ the former king Ugrasen urged, noting his doctor’s demeanour.

‘I have advised Her Majesty not to observe the fast any more. It will create trouble someday. She is becoming anaemic.’ The royal vaidya gazed into the eyes of the former king.

‘No, it is not the case.’ The former king of Mathura waved his hand in denial. ‘She is not holding the fasts. It is something internal in her. Her appetite has gone low. I walk with her myself in the barrack to its extent so that she can recoup her internal strength,’ the king told the vaidya in a firm voice.

The clouds of suspicion on the face of the royal vaidya faded now. He prepared a paste in a cup and mixed water in it. He then asked Queen Padmawati to drink it slowly. She raised her body from the bed with the help of her husband and took the drink offered by the royal vaidya.

‘I think the king of Mathura and his brothers must be running the kingdom smoothly now. Is it so, Hiranyak?’

‘Yes, Your Majesty. All the state affairs are running smoothly. You got three grandchildren last year, congratulations.’

‘Oh, thank you very much. God bless them. The new generation replaces the old. It is tradition. We must also make our way upwards now.’

The vaidya covered both his ears to save himself from the curse of hearing the departing tone in her voice. ‘Let all the noble gods of this great soil be the saviour to the both of you forever.’ He blessed his former king and queen.

King Ugrasen laughed at the futility of Hiranyak’s blessings.

‘May I take your leave, Your Majesty? I will come in the evening with some herbs.’

Ugrasen nodded, and Hiranyak went away. Watching armed guards, who were busy noting the conversation between the doctor and the royal couple, had become alert now to get their reaction.

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Ugrasen was the brave ruler of Mathura. He always acted according to dharma and the best traditions of Aryavarta. In those golden days, Mathura was at its zenith. It was the central place and the inspiration for millions of Yaduvanshi Kshatriya, usually called Yadavas. Eighteen big clans of Yadavas, some who were relatives to the king himself, lived in Mathura.

The kingdom of Mathura was named the Shurasen Empire, maybe after the name of its first ruler. Earlier it was a big empire, but for several reasons, it shrinked. Ugrasen ruled it with vigour, peace, and dharma, and succeeded in widening its boundaries, which he got from his father.

Ugrasen ruled over the Yadavas and other ethnic races as well. In fact, the Yadavas are, by nature, ready to get angry and raise the sword to an opponent, whether the opponent is another Yadava or an army commander or anyone else. They are very affectionate with familial ties. At the same time, they are so autonomous in their own affairs and social activities that it is impossible for them to welcome any uninvited interruption. It is of utmost difficulty to get them united too. Yadavas are always against the unjust and undignified activity from any corner of the society.

It was a great challenge to every king of Mathura to get them united and to make the society live in peace. Also, it was equally significant to maintain their rebellious character, so much so that any aggression over Mathura would be ruthlessly countermanded. Ugrasen was successful in doing so. He launched several army expeditions beyond the boundaries of the empire and increased the area of his kingdom.

In the last one-third of the period of his reign, his eldest son, Kansa, showed great respect and statesmanship to appease the king. Ugrasen married Kansa to the daughter of Jarasandh, the king of the central Aryavarta state Magadha. The marriage had proved to be a pillar of the strength of the Mathura kingdom.

His eight other sons were very capable warriors. They were married to princesses of different states. Kansa was the crown prince, in charge of the internal affairs and army affairs of the states. Except for fiscal and diplomatic affairs, Kansa was the de facto king of Mathura. All the family and state affairs were determined to the utmost satisfaction of the king of Mathura. There was peace and harmony everywhere.

But absolute peace is not a rule of nature; stormy winds are always waiting to create havoc. King Ugrasen was an alert ruler. He was looking at every smaller incidents developing in and around his state. Kansa was observing his watchful and naturally alert father. Being in charge of the army, he was a little bit nonchalant.

The tactical mistake of the great king Ugrasen was his belief in his blood. Of course, he was a real Yaduvanshi. This was a fatal error in his judgement. He made the mistake of thinking that no Yadava successor would claim the throne forcefully, since it belonged to Kansa. His miseries came from an unseen corner, though he was correct in his way of thinking.

He could not see the growing influence of Magadha’s way of living in Mathura. He couldn’t assess even the highly ambitious Magadha emperor, Jarasandh, the father-in-law of his son, who guessed with precision that Mathura’s king was redundant in his future plans for a greater Aryavarta.

Jarasandh was no more willing to take the burden of guilt of imprisoning or killing Mathura’s king. It was not necessary for him even. Kansa would have been instrumental enough to get rid of the old guard.

Misfortune came with sidling feet. The plan was perfect. The king was placed under house arrest in the palace at dawn. The crown prince asked the king to agree to his coronation next week. The king protested, but everything was out of his control. Finally, he agreed to declare himself sick and agreed to the coronation next week. The queen didn’t react to the strange incidents in the Shurasen palace that day.

In a fraction of a second, she understood the background of the incidents. She had already warned the king about the happenings in Mathura, which were hitherto unknown to the traditions of the kingdom. She had performed her royal duties wholly as a queen. However, the king could not foresee the significance of those minor happenings that were performed with his approval, and he eventually failed in his royal duties.

Both the former king and queen had no regrets about the misfortune of the past. In the last ten years, nothing significant had happened. They had both been shifted to the north section of the Mathura fort, which had been converted into a royal prison. But they had pity because of the happenings on that day for Devaki and her husband, Vasudev.

Devaki was the very caring niece of the king and the most lovable cousin of Kansa. The ties of their affection were so deep that Kansa declared openly that after her marriage, Devaki and her would-be husband would settle in Mathura at the expense of the state. This arrangement was done with the due consideration of Prince Kansa so that after her marriage, Devaki would not move out of his sight.

Finally, on an auspicious occasion, Princess Devaki was married to Prince Vasudev of Suryapur. Vasudev was a tall man, well built, with a heavy cupid’s face. He was a warrior, a champion of different war skills, such as wrestling and archery. He was excellent with the mace and sword, and above all, he had the spirit of courage, inherited from his clan.

Kansa himself requested Vasudev to stay at Mathura so that he could be trained to be perfect in weaponry and the art of battle. Vasudev could not refuse the proposal, and the training in warfare started.

Kansa was a great disciple, and soon he became a master in the art of warfare. He became an expert in man-to-man combat and in pitched battle conditions as well. The movement of an army in different climatic conditions was amazing for him.

Kansa completed his training with perfection, and now it was the turn of Vasudev to ask Kansa if he could take his leave. Kansa organised a great public show and declared Vasudev his guru (teacher) and mentor forever. Vasudev was also declared the Mandaleshwar (chief ruler) of Gokul for his services rendered to the crown prince. Previously the mandaleshwar of Gokul had been Kansa, as was tradition.

Kansa had lain down on the earth before Vasudev and put his forehead on the feet of Vasudev to show his reverence for his guru, his teacher. Vasudev raised him by his shoulders and embraced him. Then Kansa, with folded hands, requested Vasudev not to leave his disciple and to stay at Mathura as a prince and as a protector of the kingdom.

For a few seconds, Vasudev was upset. Then he was overcome with passion and accepted the offer provided by the crown prince of Mathura. It was against the self-respect of any prince to live in his wife’s place, but he couldn’t reject the honour extended to him.

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CHAPTER II

A Foolproof Plan

K ansa was a great believer of astrology. Once he was sitting in the anteroom of his office with a royal astrologer. He put forward a horoscope without giving any clue to the astrologer as to whom it belonged to. The royal astrologer was immersed in the horoscope for a long time.

Eventually, he forecasted that the horoscope was not favourable to Kansa; it would not harm him today or in future personally, but the eighth son of that person might hurt the crown prince substantially. If the person of this horoscope was young, it was advised to get rid of that at once. If he or she was old enough, the eighth son must be eliminated to keep Kansa safe.

Kansa was stunned for a while. He ordered the astrologer to leave him alone. How much time would it take for the eighth son of his loving and newly wedded cousin, Devaki, to be born? Why eighth? Why not third, fourth, or fifth?

What game is destiny playing with me? Was it a mistake or a better option not sending Devaki to her husband’s kingdom? Why is she so beloved to me? Does she know the witchcraft that mesmerises me? Vasudev is my guru. I can’t betray my word. But he is young and an excellent warrior. He may live longer than me. In the name of the river Yamuna, why is all this happening to me? Why did I show Devaki’s horoscope to the astrologer?

Kansa was upset by the turn of events. He clapped. An attendant appeared. ‘Send my brother Sunama to this place right now,’ he ordered in a harsh low-pitched voice. The attendant bowed his head and moved away.

Kansa was again immersed in his thoughts. What the hell is happening here? Everything is going wrong. How can I solve this problem? Can I harm Devaki? Only another astrologer can clear the picture.

He was interrupted by voices emerging from the corridor. One of the two persons coming this way was Prince Sunama. Sunama came in and bowed before the crown prince. Both brothers discussed the issue at length. Finally, Sunama left the room with the horoscope. He came back at midnight, and it was decided that they had to seal the fate of the newly wedded couple. Now it was time to wait and see the outcome.

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Prince Kansa was worried about the turn of events in his life. He discussed with his core committee how to get rid of this problem with Devaki. Now he was no longer interested in the ever-loving behavior of his cousin. It looks as if somebody has put a living serpent around my neck.

Devaki felt the changing behavior of her brother. She consoled her brother and told him that he must not be so consumed by the state affairs and that he must save his energies for the future expansion of Mathura.

Kansa knew that Devaki was not aware about his miseries, as they had to do with Devaki herself and her husband, Vasudev. He assured her that she shouldn’t bother. He would be all right soon.

Months later, an emissary of Magadha visited the royal court and offered the respects of his emperor and empress to King Ugrasen. He was warmly received by the king. In the evening, he met with Prince Kansa and made the future plan of Magadha and Mathura clear, in which King Ugrasen and Prince Vasudev had no role.

‘The plan was well contemplated and is foolproof,’ the emissary of Magadha explained in a clear tone. ‘There is no bloodshed or brutish action. The house arrest of the king and queen, with Vasudev and Devaki, will suffice.

‘These people will be imprisoned in the palace and not in the royal prison. The citizens will not make an outcry or outburst. Different Yadava chiefs in the citizenry must be gradually thrown out of Mathura. In a span of two years, they will forget their king and princess.’ He paused awhile, with hesitation.

‘Meanwhile, if an untoward incident happens, a contingent of the Magadha army will be deputed to the bordering area of Magadha to settle it down. Giribraj will always be at the back of Mathura,’ he concluded.

In less than a fortnight after the emissary departed from Magadha, destiny fixed the fate of Mathura’s king and Devaki. Both couples were imprisoned in the fort prison, where the warmer winds flowed to realise the prisoners that the bars deprive the power to think. Ten years had passed since then. Nothing had changed except the number of killed babies of Devaki.

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Crossing the Yamuna, to the north was the Gokul settlement. After the name of its chief, Nanda, Gokul was sometimes called Nandagram. It was surrounded by the river Yamuna. Gokul houses were made in a circular shape, with four grand doors. People and livestock were settled inside.

In the daytime, Gopas, the cowboys, untied the cattle and took the livestock out of the settlement to graze