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{{short description|Hindu mythological antagonist}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
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{{short description|A king in Hindu scriptures}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox character
{{Infobox character
| image =Kalayavam and Srikrishna.jpg|thumb|Kalayavam and Srikrishna
| image = Kalayavam and Srikrishna.jpg
| alt = Kalayavana and Srikrishna
| caption = Kalayavana and Srikrishna
| caption = Kalayavana and Krishna
| info-hdr = Information
| lbl21 = Dynasty
| lbl21 = Dynasty
| data21 = [[Yavana]]
| data21 = [[Yavana]]
| lbl22 = Father
| lbl22 = Father
| data22 = Gargya
| data22 = Gargya<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hindumythologyforgennext.blogspot.com/2012/11/krishna-and-kalayavana-part-1-of-2.html?m=1|title=Story of Krishna and Kalayavana - Part 1|accessdate=11 November 2012}}</ref>
| lbl23 = Mother
| lbl23 = Mother
| data23 = Ramba
| data23 = Ramba
}}
}}
'''Kalayavana''' ({{lang-sa|कालयवन|lit=dark Greek|translit=Kālayavana}})<ref>{{Cite book |last=Walker |first=Benjamin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6zj3DwAAQBAJ&dq=kalayavana+black+Greek&pg=PA380 |title=Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume I A-L |date=2019-04-09 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-62465-0 |pages=380 |language=en}}</ref> is a king in [[Hinduism]]. He is stated to have invaded [[Mathura]] with an army of 30 million ''yavanas'' against [[Krishna]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Nivedita|first=Sister|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/53466600|title=Myths and legends of the Hindus and Buddhists|date=2001|publisher=Advaita Ashrama, Publication Dept|others=Ananda K. Coomaraswamy|isbn=81-7505-197-3|edition=1st Indian|location=Kolkata [India]|oclc=53466600}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Dowson|first=John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UHOPiD5LcfwC&q=Dowson's+Classical+Dictionary+of+Hindu+mythology|title=A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History and Literature|date=2000|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-415-24521-0|language=en}}</ref>


==Legend==
'''Kālayavana''' ([[Sanskrit]]: कालयवन, lit. ''black [[ancient Greek|Greek]]/[[Yona]]'') was a king who invaded [[Mathura|Mathurā]] with an army of three million yavanas against [[Krishna|Sri Krishna]].
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[[File: Brooklyn Museum - Kalayavana Surrounds Mathura Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Series.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Kalayavana Surrounds Mathura Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Series – [[Brooklyn Museum]]]]


The ''[[Brahmanda Purana]]'' 14.46ff narrates the following story of Kalayavana's birth: a woman named Vrka-devi decided to test the virility of Gargya ([[IAST]]: Gārgya, "descendent of [[Garga (sage)|Garga]]"). Gargya was unable to ejaculate, for which the Yadavas insulted him. After a 12-year [[tapasya|penance]], Gargya got a boon from [[Shiva|Mahadeva]] that he would get a son who would destroy the Yadavas. During his penance, he ate iron fillings that made his complexion iron-black (''kāla''). Subsequently, Gargya came to Mathura, and had sex with a cowherd's daughter (''[[gopi]]''), who was actually an [[apsara]] in disguise. Kalayavana was the result of this union: Garga crowned him as the new king, and [[vānaprastha|left for the forest]].<ref name="TS_1991">{{cite book |author=Thaneswar Sarmah |title=The Bharadvājas in Ancient India |year=1991 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=9788120806399 |pages=128–129 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xFyu7MANWPAC }}</ref>
==Invasion==
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[[File: Brooklyn Museum - Kalayavana Surrounds Mathura Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Series.jpg|thumb|300px|left|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]]. {{cn|date=June 2018}}


According to the [[Vishnu Purana]] and [[Harivamsa]], Kalayavana was a [[Yavana]] king. He was the partial incarnation of Krodha.<ref>{{Cite book|editor-last=Dutt|editor-first=Manmatha Nath |url=http://archive.org/details/AProseEnglishTranslationOfHarivamsh|title=A Prose English Translation Of Harivamsha|date=1897}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=www.wisdomlib.org|date=2014-08-30|title=Burning of Yavana king, Kalayavana and praise of Mucukunda to Kansa [Chapter XXIII]|url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/vishnu-purana-wilson/d/doc116045.html|access-date=2021-12-10|website=www.wisdomlib.org|language=en}}</ref>
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The legend goes like this: [[Jarasandha|Jarāsandha]], Kansa's father-in-law, and the ruler of [[Magadha]] attacks [[Mathura|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 .<ref name="HARIVAMSHAM">{{cite web|url=http://mahabharata-resources.org/ola/ky_GP.html |title=HARIVAMSHAM (GEETA PRESS) |website=mahabharata-resources.org}}</ref>


⚫
[[Jarasandha]], Kamsa's father-in-law, and the ruler of [[Magadha]] attacked [[Mathura]] seventeen times, but is beaten by Krishna every time. Jarasandha, unable to defeat Krishna on his own, made an alliance with Kalayavana. Kalayavana had become a powerful Yavana warrior, who had gotten a boon from Shiva that on the battlefield, he would be undefeatable.<ref name="HARIVAMSHAM">{{cite web|url=http://mahabharata-resources.org/ola/ky_GP.html |title=HARIVAMSHAM (GEETA PRESS) |website=mahabharata-resources.org}}</ref>
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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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/hmvp/hmvp26.htm |title=THE KRISHNA AVATĀRA |website=sacred-texts.com}}</ref> Kālayavana attacked Mathurā with an army of 3 million greeks/yavanas. Sri Krishna realizing that the yavanas have greatly outnumbered all the yādavas decided to challenge Kālayavana 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 [[Rama|Rāma]] was in a deep slumber of thousands of years after helping [[Deva_(Hinduism)|devas]] in an epic war with [[asura]]s. {{cn|date=June 2018}}


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Krishna, in order to defend his people, built a formidable city, named [[Dvārakā|Dvaraka]], to which he transported the inhabitants of Mathura.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/hmvp/hmvp26.htm |title=THE KRISHNA AVATĀRA |website=sacred-texts.com}}</ref> Kalayavana attacked Mathura with an army of 30 million Yavanas. Krishna, realising that the Yavanas had greatly outnumbered all the Yadavas, decided to challenge Kalayavana for a duel. Krishna strategically fled the battlefield. Krishna lured Kalayavana into the cave where the great king of ''[[Treta Yuga]]'', [[Muchukunda]], one of the forefathers of [[Rama]], was in a deep slumber of thousands of years after helping the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] in an epic war with the [[asura]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-08-24|title=A Hindu King who Slept for Almost 4 Million Years!|url=https://haribhakt.com/a-hindu-king-who-slept-for-almost-4-million-years/|access-date=2021-12-10|website=HariBhakt {{!}} History, Facts, Awareness of Hinduism|language=en-US}}</ref>
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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.<ref name=" HARIVAMSHAM"/> Fast forward to ''[[Dvapara 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 him 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 the lord, Muchukunda sets out of the cave. Muchukunda then goes north to [[Mount_Gandhamadana|Gandamādana Mountain]] and from there to [[Badrinath|Badrikāshrama]] for doing penance and finally achieves liberation, the [[Moksha]].{{cn|date=June 2018}}


⚫
Desiring an absolutely undisturbed sleep, he had been given a boon by [[Indra]] that anyone who dared to disturb his sleep would get burnt to ashes immediately.<ref name="HARIVAMSHAM" /> In the ''[[Dvapara Yuga]]'', in the darkness deep inside the cave, Krishna covered Muchukunda with his scarf. Kalayavana, assuming him to be Krishna, kicked him, thus disturbing the king's sleep, and being reduced to ash. Muchukunda was delighted to see Krishna there. Krishna advised him to perform tapasya to cleanse his accumulated sins to attain moksha. After meeting the deity, Muchukunda set out of the cave. Muchukunda then travelled north to [[Mount Gandhamadana|Gandamadana Mountain]], and from there, to [[Badrinath|Badrikashrama]], for doing penance and finally achieved liberation in the form of [[moksha]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Muchukunda|url=http://www.mythfolklore.net/india/encyclopedia/muchukunda.htm|access-date=2021-12-10|website=www.mythfolklore.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Mytholgical Story : Krishna and Muchkunda|url=https://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fairytales/indian_mythology_stories/krishna_and_muchkunda.htm|access-date=2021-12-10|website=www.kidsgen.com}}</ref>
The hills and the cave where Muchukunda rested is located to Mount [[Girnar]] in the state of [[Gujarat]].{{cn|date=June 2018}}


== In popular culture ==
After knowing the fate of their king the Yavana armies fled to the Yavana kingdom, thus Krishna saved Dwarka from mass-destruction. This Leela yielded the name of Ranchod to Lord Krishna.
The hills and the cave where Muchukunda rested is held by locals to be located at Ranchodji teerth, district Lalitpur, in the state of [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Muchkund Cave {{!}} District Lalitpur, Government of Uttar Pradesh {{!}} India|url=https://lalitpur.nic.in/en/tourist-place/muchkund-cave/|access-date=2021-12-10|language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Aesir-Asura correspondence]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
*[[Sister Nivedita]] & [[Ananda K. Coomaraswamy]]: Myths and Legends of the Hindus and Buddhists, Kolkata, 2001 {{ISBN|81-7505-197-3}}
*Dowson's Classical Dictionary of [[Hindu mythology]]

;Specific
<references />


{{HinduMythology}}
{{HinduMythology}}


[[Category: Asura]]
[[Category:Asura]]
[[Category:Characters in the Mahabharata]]

[[Category:Characters in the Bhagavata Purana]]

{{Hindu-myth-stub}}
[[Category: Characters_in_the_Bhagavata_Purana]]

Revision as of 18:40, 24 February 2024

Kalayavana
Kalayavana and Srikrishna
Kalayavana and Krishna
Information
DynastyYavana
FatherGargya
MotherRamba

Kalayavana (Sanskrit: कालयवन, romanized: Kālayavana, lit. 'dark Greek')[1] is a king in Hinduism. He is stated to have invaded Mathura with an army of 30 million yavanas against Krishna.[2][3]

Legend

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

The Brahmanda Purana 14.46ff narrates the following story of Kalayavana's birth: a woman named Vrka-devi decided to test the virility of Gargya (IAST: Gārgya, "descendent of Garga"). Gargya was unable to ejaculate, for which the Yadavas insulted him. After a 12-year penance, Gargya got a boon from Mahadeva that he would get a son who would destroy the Yadavas. During his penance, he ate iron fillings that made his complexion iron-black (kāla). Subsequently, Gargya came to Mathura, and had sex with a cowherd's daughter (gopi), who was actually an apsara in disguise. Kalayavana was the result of this union: Garga crowned him as the new king, and left for the forest.[4]

According to the Vishnu Purana and Harivamsa, Kalayavana was a Yavana king. He was the partial incarnation of Krodha.[5][6]

Jarasandha, Kamsa's father-in-law, and the ruler of Magadha attacked Mathura seventeen times, but is beaten by Krishna every time. Jarasandha, unable to defeat Krishna on his own, made an alliance with Kalayavana. Kalayavana had become a powerful Yavana warrior, who had gotten a boon from Shiva that on the battlefield, he would be undefeatable.[7]

Krishna, in order to defend his people, built a formidable city, named Dvaraka, to which he transported the inhabitants of Mathura.[8] Kalayavana attacked Mathura with an army of 30 million Yavanas. Krishna, realising that the Yavanas had greatly outnumbered all the Yadavas, decided to challenge Kalayavana for a duel. Krishna strategically fled the battlefield. Krishna lured Kalayavana into the cave where the great king of Treta Yuga, Muchukunda, one of the forefathers of Rama, was in a deep slumber of thousands of years after helping the devas in an epic war with the asuras.[9]

Desiring an absolutely undisturbed sleep, he had been given a boon by Indra that anyone who dared to disturb his sleep would get burnt to ashes immediately.[7] In the Dvapara Yuga, in the darkness deep inside the cave, Krishna covered Muchukunda with his scarf. Kalayavana, assuming him to be Krishna, kicked him, thus disturbing the king's sleep, and being reduced to ash. Muchukunda was delighted to see Krishna there. Krishna advised him to perform tapasya to cleanse his accumulated sins to attain moksha. After meeting the deity, Muchukunda set out of the cave. Muchukunda then travelled north to Gandamadana Mountain, and from there, to Badrikashrama, for doing penance and finally achieved liberation in the form of moksha.[10][11]

In popular culture

The hills and the cave where Muchukunda rested is held by locals to be located at Ranchodji teerth, district Lalitpur, in the state of Uttar Pradesh.[12]

References

  1. ^ Walker, Benjamin (9 April 2019). Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume I A-L. Routledge. p. 380. ISBN 978-0-429-62465-0.
  2. ^ Nivedita, Sister (2001). Myths and legends of the Hindus and Buddhists. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (1st Indian ed.). Kolkata [India]: Advaita Ashrama, Publication Dept. ISBN 81-7505-197-3. OCLC 53466600.
  3. ^ Dowson, John (2000). A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History and Literature. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-24521-0.
  4. ^ Thaneswar Sarmah (1991). The Bharadvājas in Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 128–129. ISBN 9788120806399.
  5. ^ Dutt, Manmatha Nath, ed. (1897). A Prose English Translation Of Harivamsha.
  6. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (30 August 2014). "Burning of Yavana king, Kalayavana and praise of Mucukunda to Kansa [Chapter XXIII]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b "HARIVAMSHAM (GEETA PRESS)". mahabharata-resources.org.
  8. ^ "THE KRISHNA AVATĀRA". sacred-texts.com.
  9. ^ "A Hindu King who Slept for Almost 4 Million Years!". HariBhakt | History, Facts, Awareness of Hinduism. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Muchukunda". www.mythfolklore.net. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Mytholgical Story : Krishna and Muchkunda". www.kidsgen.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Muchkund Cave | District Lalitpur, Government of Uttar Pradesh | India". Retrieved 10 December 2021.
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