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yadunandana KRISHNA Pastimes of Krishna in Dwaraka Based on KRISHNA - The Supreme Personality of Godhead by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder-Acharya of ISKCON Adapted for children by Yaduraja Dasa Sankirtana Seva Trust Hare Krishna Hill, Chord Road, Bangalore-10. A book in English Yadunandana Krishna - Pastimes of Krishna in Dwaraka Based on: KRISHNA - The Supreme Personality of Godhead by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder-Acharya of ISKCON Adapted for children by Sri Yaduraja Dasa Published by Sankirtana Seva Trust, Hare Krishna Hill, Chord Road, Bangalore-10 Printed at Brilliant Printers Pvt. Ltd. Lottegollahalli, Bangalore [Total no. of Pages : 204, Size : 1/8 Crown] © 2014, Sankirtan Seva Trust All Rights Reserved ISBN : 81-8239-022-2 First Printing 2007 : 5000 Copies Second Printing 2011 : 3000 Copies Third Printing 2013 : 1000 Copies Fourth Printing 2014 : 1000 Copies Fifth Printing 2015 : 1000 Copies Readers interested in the subject matter of this book are invited by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to correspond with its Secretary at the following address: International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Hare Krishna Hill, Chord Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore - 560 010. Tel: 080-23471956 Mobile: 9341211119 Email: [email protected] Website: www.iskconbangalore.org Contents Introduction .................................................................... 5 01. The Story of the Syamantaka Jewel ......................... 6 02. The Killing of Satrajit and Shatadhanva................. 14 03. Five Queens Married by Krishna ............................ 19 04. The Demon Bhaumasura ....................................... 28 05. Talks Between Krishna and Rukmini ...................... 36 06. The Game of Chess ............................................... 42 07. The Meeting of Usha and Aniruddha...................... 45 08. Lord Krishna Fights with Banasura ........................ 50 09. The Story of King Nriga ......................................... 56 10. Lord Balarama Visits Vrindavana........................... 62 11. The Deliverance of Paundraka and the King of Kashi ......................................................... 67 12. Dvivida Gorilla ....................................................... 73 13. The Marriage of Samba ......................................... 76 14. Narada Muni Visits Krishna’s Homes ..................... 83 15. Lord Krishna’s Daily Activities ................................ 88 16. Lord Krishna goes to Hastinapura.......................... 94 17. The Liberation of King Jarasandha ........................ 97 18. Lord Krishna Returns to Hastinapura ................... 104 19. The Deliverance of Shishupala............................. 107 20. Duryodhana’s Envy .............................................. 113 21. Shalva Attacks Dwaraka ..................................... 115 22. The Deliverance of Shalva ................................... 120 23. The Killing of Dantavakra and Viduratha ............. 125 24. Romaharshana Suta............................................ 127 25. The Liberation of Balvala ..................................... 131 26. Lord Balarama Tours the Sacred Places .............. 133 27. Sudama Brahmana.............................................. 138 28. Sudama is Blessed .............................................. 144 29. The Solar Eclipse................................................. 150 30. Sacrificial Ceremonies Performed by Vasudeva .... 157 31. The Murdered Sons of Devaki .............................. 160 32. The Kidnapping of Subhadra ............................... 164 33. Lord Krishna Visits Shrutadeva and Bahulasva ... 167 34. Bhrigu’s Test........................................................ 172 35. The Super-Excellent Power of Krishna ................. 176 Our Founder & Acharya Srila Prabhupada A Brief Life Sketch ........................................................................ 186 Model Questions ......................................................... 192 Model Answer Sheet ................................................... 197 Answers for the Model Questions ................................ 198 Glossary ..................................................................... 199 Yadunandana Krishna 5 Introduction In the ancient Vedic literatures it is said that the cause and origin of everything is Lord Sri Krishna. The name Krishna means ‘all-attractive’. If someone is exceptionally rich, famous, renounced, clever, strong, or beautiful, then we find such a person to some extent attractive. Just imagine someone who is the wealthiest, the most beautiful, famous, renounced, intelligent person in the whole universe. That person, who has all those attractive qualities to an unlimited degree, is called Krishna. He is so attractive that anyone who sincerely tries to know Him will immediately become attracted. Krishna is God and is referred to by many names, according to different languages and cultures, such as Allah, Jehovah, Christos and Govinda. In the Bhagavad-gita it is stated that anyone who hears and properly understands the pastimes of Lord Krishna will be able to leave this material world, which is full of suffering, and return to His eternal abode. This book gives an account of Krishna’s wonderful activities when He last appeared on Earth, in His original form, five thousand years ago. It has been adapted for children from the book — ‘KRISHNA-The Supreme Personality of Godhead’ authored by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. * * * 6 Yadunandana Krishna 1 01. The Story of the Syamantaka Jewel King Satrajit was a great devotee of the sun-god, and gradually he developed a very friendly relationship with him. The sun-god was pleased with Satrajit and gave him an exceptional jewel known as Syamantaka. When Satrajit wore this jewel in a locket around his neck, he appeared exactly like an imitation sun-god. Putting on this jewel, he pompously entered the city of Dwaraka, and people thought that the sun-god himself had come to see Krishna. Krishna, of course, knew exactly who he was and how proud he had become. One day a prominent resident of Dwaraka came to inform Krishna of an important visitor to the city. “My dear Lord Krishna,” he said with great excitement, “Oh Supreme Personality of Godhead; I have come to inform you that the sun-god has personally entered Dwaraka to see you.” Krishna was playing chess at the time and casually looked up from the board. “Dear friend,” Krishna replied, “the person you describe as the sun-god is actually King Satrajit, who has come to our city just to show off his opulence in the form of the valuable jewel which he obtained from the sun-god.” Sadly, Satrajit had not come to see Krishna since he was completely overwhelmed by the glory of the Syamantaka jewel. He even had it installed in a temple where brahmanas were engaged full time in its worship. This is an example of Yadunandana Krishna 7 a less intelligent person worshiping a material thing. The Syamantaka jewel was so powerful that it produced about 170 pounds of gold every day and wherever it was worshiped there was no possibility of famine, suffering or disease. King Ugrasena was the overlord of many dynasties and as we know also happened to be Krishna’s grandfather. Krishna asked Satrajit to present the Syamantaka jewel to King Ugrasena as a gift, pleading that the best of everything should be offered to the ruling monarch. But Satrajit, being a worshiper of the devatas, had become too materialistic to heed good advice. “I think it would be much better to keep the jewel here where we can worship it properly,” Satrajit said in response to Krishna’s suggestion. He was much too attached to collecting the 170 pounds of gold every day to part with the jewel. It is often difficult for people with large amounts of gold to surrender to Krishna, so sometimes He shows special mercy by taking away their wealth so they can become devotees. But Satrajit refused to abide by the order of Krishna and did not deliver the jewel. After this, Satrajit’s younger brother, called Prasena, took the jewel from the temple, hung it from his neck and rode on horseback out of the city and into the forest. He wanted to show off his family’s great wealth but he had not gone far when a huge lion attacked and killed both him and his horse; taking the jewel back to his cave. When the bear king, Jambavan, heard about this he personally went and killed the lion and took away the jewel. Having been a great devotee of the Lord since the time of Lord Ramachandra, Jambavan was not interested in the jewel for himself, but gave it to his 8 Yadunandana Krishna young son to play with as a toy. Meanwhile, back in the city, when Prasena did not return from the forest, Satrajit became very upset. He did not know that his brother had been killed by a lion and that the lion had then been killed by Jambavan. He thought, instead, that since he had not agreed to give Krishna the jewel, Krishna may have forcibly taken it from Prasena and then killed him. This idea grew into a rumour which Satrajit deliberately spread in every part of Dwaraka. Krishna did not like to be defamed in that way, so He decided to go to the forest and find the Syamantaka jewel. Taking with Him some of the important inhabitants of Dwaraka, Krishna went to search out Prasena, soon finding he had been killed by a lion. Then Krishna found out that the lion had been killed in turn by Jambavan, and what’s more without