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In the kingdom of Pundra, King Paundraka Vasudeva deluded himself into believing he was the true incarnation of Lord Vishnu, challenging Lord Krishna and meeting a tragic fate.
Characters in the story:
Paundraka Vasudeva: Paundraka Vasudeva, a king of the Pundra Kingdom, falsely believed himself to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu and challenged Lord Krishna, leading to his ultimate defeat and demise.
Lord Krishna: Lord Krishna is one of the most popular and revered deities in Hinduism. He is worshiped as the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu and is known for his divine teachings in the Bhagavad Gita and for his role in the epic Mahabharata.
Lord Shiva: Lord Shiva holds significant prominence in Hinduism as a prominent deity, revered for his role as the vanquisher of malevolence and the catalyst of universal change. Depicted in various forms, he is often portrayed as a tranquil ascetic engaged in deep meditation or as the divine dancer, adorned with a third eye, an entwined serpent around his neck, and a trident grasped firmly in his hand.
In the realm of the Pundra Kingdom, there ruled a king named Paundraka Vasudeva. Filled with delusions of grandeur, he believed himself to be the true incarnation of Lord Vishnu, known as Vasudeva. Paundraka was the son of King Vriddhasharma and Queen Shrutadeva, who happened to be the sister of Vasudeva, the father of Lord Krishna.
Deeply devoted to Lord Shiva, Paundraka embarked on an arduous twelve-year penance to seek his favor. During his rigorous prayers, he offered his own eye as a sacred offering to Lord Shiva. Pleased with his devotion, Lord Shiva appeared before Paundraka and granted him a boon.
Paundraka requested to be bestowed with a form resembling that of Lord Krishna, with four arms bearing a disc, a conch, a mace, and a lotus. His eyes mirrored the beauty of lotus petals, and his hair adorned a crown similar to Vasudeva’s. He also desired to possess the yellow garments and ornaments worn by Lord Krishna.
Lord Shiva granted him his desired form, fulfilling all his requests. Filled with newfound confidence, Paundraka proclaimed himself to be Vasudeva and deceived the people, declaring, “I am the true Vasudeva!”
Encouraged by his ministers and friends, who treated him as a divine being, Paundraka grew bolder in his claims. However, his illusions were shattered when Sage Narada arrived in his kingdom from the celestial realms. Narada advised Paundraka that he could only attain the status of Vasudeva by defeating Lord Krishna.
Taking Narada’s words to heart, King Paundraka sent a messenger to Lord Krishna in Dwaraka, challenging him to a battle. The messenger conveyed Paundraka’s audacious message, claiming to be the one and only Lord Vasudeva, who had descended to show mercy upon all living beings. He demanded that Krishna relinquish his false identity and symbols, which he foolishly bore, and submit to Paundraka’s authority. Failing that, he warned Krishna to prepare for battle.
King Ugrasena and the assembly burst into laughter upon hearing Paundraka’s baseless and arrogant boasts. Nonetheless, Lord Krishna accepted the challenge and mounted his chariot, setting off towards the vicinity of Kashi, where Paundraka awaited.
Although Paundraka was pompous, he was not lacking in courage. He swiftly marched out of the city, accompanied by two full military divisions, ready to face his adversary. The King of Kashi, a friend of Paundraka, followed closely with three divisions of soldiers forming the rear guard.
As Lord Krishna encountered Paundraka and his army, the battle commenced. Krishna retaliated fiercely, striking down many soldiers, obliterating Paundraka’s chariot with his arrows, and eventually severing Paundraka’s head with his divine Sudarshana Chakra. Kashiraj, the King of Kashi, met a similar fate as his head was also severed and sent flying into the city like a lotus flower carried by the wind.
Witnessing his father’s severed head at the royal gate, Sudakshina, Kashiraj’s son, vowed to avenge his death. He sought solace and guidance from Lord Shiva, fervently praying and appeasing him. Sudakshina implored Lord Shiva to grant him the means to avenge his father’s demise.
Lord Shiva instructed Sudakshina to perform the abhichara ritual, an ancient form of Tantric magic, accompanied by Brahmanas and dedicated service to the sacred Dakshinagni fire. Shiva revealed that by directing the ritual’s power against someone hostile to the Brahmanas, Sudakshina’s desire for vengeance would be fulfilled. Following Shiva’s guidance, Sudakshina meticulously observed the ritualistic vows and invoked the power of abhichara against Lord Krishna.
Upon the ritual’s completion, a fierce demon emerged from the sacrificial fire, accompanied by ghostly spirits, and sped towards Dvaraka. The sight of the demon struck fear into the hearts of Dwaraka’s citizens, prompting them to seek refuge in the royal court and implore Lord Krishna for salvation.
In response, Krishna deployed his mighty Sudarshana Chakra to vanquish the demon. The divine disc radiated with the brilliance of a million suns, scorching the sky, the four directions, and even the heavens and earth. The demon, unable to withstand the force of the Sudarshana Chakra, retreated back to Varanasi.
According to some accounts, Paundraka Vasudeva proved to be a formidable foe, allying himself with Jarasandha and Shakuni, and emerging as a prominent adversary of Lord Krishna. Yet, his fatal mistake lay in underestimating the true power and might of Lord Krishna, ultimately leading to his own demise.
Paundraka’s arrogance and delusions led to his downfall, as Lord Krishna effortlessly defeated him in battle and exposed his false claims. The tale serves as a reminder of the consequences of hubris and underestimating the true power of divinity.
