"Full many a ray of purest ray serene the dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, and waste its sweetness to the desert air."
from "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray

Sunday, February 22, 2015

A morning trip to Dakor

Five thousand years ago, and a fistful of years more, the 10-year old Krishna left Mathura to fulfill his destiny. He killed his maternal uncle, Kamsa, the king of Mathura.  Kamsa's father-in-law was furious that both his daughters Asti and Prapti were widowed at one stroke of the sword. To avenge the death of Kamsa, he attacked Mathura 16 times, and each time the Yadavas fought back and defended their land and property, but it took a toll on their economy.

When Jarasandha was planning to attack the 17th time, Krishna asked the Yadavas to move out of Mathura to the newly built island city of Dwarka before the imminent attack, while he prepared to fight with the combined military alliance of Jarasandha and his allies.

There was a king Mucukunda who had been sleeping in a cave for many years - he had a boon that he could sleep without disturbance, and anyone waking him up would be burned to ashes. In the battle with Kalayavana, Krishna appeared to run away from the battlefield and into the cave, Kalayavana and Jarasandha taunted him as Ranchhod - a person running away from battle. Krishna led Kalayavana to Mucukunda's cave. As Mucukunda woke up, Kalayavana was burnt to ashes on the spot.

The temple of Ranchhodrai in Dakor is a tourist attraction, and draws in Krishna devotees in large numbers, especially on Sharad Pooornima.




 

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