Paundraka Vasudeva

Paundraka Vasudeva is a king appearing in Bhagavata Purana. According to it, he was the king of Pundra Kingdom. Some sources state he was an ally of Jarasandha, the king of Magadha. He had enmity with Lord Krishna. He imitated Krishna, believing himself to be Vasudeva, or God. Later he was killed by Krishna in battle. He is also considered to be an incarnation of the demoniac King Vena.

Declaration to be God

In the Srimad Bhagavatam, it is stated that Paundraka collected taxes from several kings [1] He foolishly believed the words of his friends, who said Paundraka was God. In the absence of Lord Balarama at Dvaraka (see Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 65), Paundraka sent a message to Krishna, stating that the symbols used by the latter belonged to him, such as the flag of Garuda. He strongly declared he was the "real" Vasudeva, and not Krishna, who is considered the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He ordered Krishna to stop using them. Krishna waged war against Paundraka and killed him.

Death

According to the 66th chapter of Canto 10 of Srimad Bhagavatam, when Paundraka sent a message to Dvaraka stating that he was God, Krishna declared war against him. Paundraka's chariot was made similar to Krishna's, even with a flag of Garuda. Krishna killed Paundraka by severing Paundraka's head with the Sudarshana Chakra. Paundraka's son, Sudakshina, created a demon using black magic to destroy Dvaraka, with the help of some corrupt priests. However, Krishna's Sudarshana Chakra set fire around Kashi. The whole kingdom was burnt and Sudakshina and all his priests were killed.

See also

References
  1. "Srimad Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 66". bhagavata.org. Retrieved 5 August 2020.

Further reading
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