Kalayavana

Kālayavana (Sanskrit: कालयवन, lit. black Greek/Yona) was a king who invaded Mathurā with an army of three million yavanas against Sri Krishna.

Kalayavana
"King Shalya Visits Kālayāvana", Folio from a Harivamsa
In-universe information
DynastyYavana
FatherGargya[1]
MotherRamba

Invasion
Kalayavana Surrounds Mathura Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Series - Brooklyn Museum

According to the Vishnu Purana and Harivamsa, Kālayavana was a Yavana king. This legend appears to indicate a Greek invasion from across the Himalayas.

The legend goes like this: Jarāsandha, Kansa's father-in-law, and the ruler of Magadha attacks Mathurā seventeen times but is beaten by Krishna every time. Jarasandha unable to defeat Krishna on his own made an alliance with Kālayavana. Kālayavana was a powerful Yavana warrior who had got a boon from Lord Shiva that on the battlefield he will be undefeated .[2]

Sri Krishna, thinking that by a struggle with two foes at once the people would be exhausted, built a new strong and glorious city, named 'Dwārkā', to which he conducted the inhabitants of Mathurā.[3] Kālayavana attacked Mathurā with an army of 3 million greeks/yavanas. Kālayavana realizing that the yavanas have greatly outnumbered all the yādavas, decided to challenge Sri Krishna for a duel. Sri Krishna strategically fled the battlefield. Shri Krishna lured Kalayavana into the cave where the great king of Treta yuga, Muchukunda, one of the forefathers of Lord Shri Rāma was in a deep slumber of thousands of years after helping devas in an epic war with asuras.

Contemplating an absolutely undisturbed sleep he was given a boon by Lord Indra that anyone who dared to disturb his sleep would get burnt to ashes immediately.[2] Fast forward to Dwāpara yuga, in the darkness deep inside the cave, Sri Krishna covered Muchukunda with his shawl. Kālayavan assuming him to be Krishna kicked him, thus disturbing his sleep and burning into ashes. And then Muchukunda was delighted to see Lord Shri Krishna there. Sri Krishna advises him to perform Tapasyā to cleanse the accumulated sins to attain Moksha (liberation). After meeting with lord, Muchukunda sets out of the cave. Muchukunda then goes north to Gandamādana Mountain and from there to Badrikāshrama for doing penance and finally achieves liberation, the Moksha.

The hills and the cave where Muchukunda rested is located to Mount Girnar in the state of Gujarat.

After knowing the fate of their king the Yavana armies fled to Yavana kingdom, thus Krishna saved Dwarka from mass-destruction. This leela yielded name of Ranchod to Lord Krishna.

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See also
  • Aesir-Asura correspondence

References
  • Sister Nivedita & Ananda K. Coomaraswamy: Myths and Legends of the Hindus and Bhuddhists, Kolkata, 2001 ISBN 81-7505-197-3
  • Dowson's Classical Dictionary of Hindu mythology
Specific
  1. "Story of Krishna and Kalayavana - Part 1". Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  2. "HARIVAMSHAM (GEETA PRESS)". mahabharata-resources.org.
  3. "THE KRISHNA AVATĀRA". sacred-texts.com.


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