Due to the popularity of the Bhagavatham and especially the widely organized Saptahams, many stories connected with the childhood exploits of Bhagavan Krishna are well known to people in every nook and corner of the country. But there are many other stories relating to Bhagavan Krishna, often told in his own words, which give us tremendous new insights into his personality. I give below in very brief words, some of these ..... in hopes that it will give rise to further interest amongst us in reading the Mahabharatam original & unabridged and thereby understand more about this many-sided wonderful personality.
1) That he spent 12 years in deep Tapas in the Himalayas, seeking to propitiate Lord Siva, in order to get a son by his wife Rukmini.
2) That, after the birth of a son named Pradyumna, who was as beautiful as Kamadeva, by Rukmini, but who unfortunately was carried away by asuras even as a baby, one of his other wives Jambavati also requested him for a son of great exploits, and complying with her request, he again went to Kailasa and did another 12 years deep Tapas, and with the blessings of Mahadeva, got another supremely handsome son named Samba.
3) It is ironic that these two sons of Krishna became the direct cause of the destruction of Vrishni Race, assisted by Sathyaki and Kritavarma.
4) That, despite his divine nature, Krishna in his human birth was unable to prevent the depredations caused by Jarasandha and his army on the Vrishni race then living in Mathura, and to prevent further harm, they had to escape to the seashore where they built Dwaraka. Krishna mentions this in detail to Yudhishtira when the latter expresses his desire to conduct the Rajasooya yajna.
5) The penance and respect for Rishis that Krishna and Rukmini had was so great, that once when Durvasa himself tested both of them severely including yoking Rukmini to a chariot with himself in it and making her draw it like a horse, and lashing her repeatedly, despite all the pain and humiliation, they successfully overcame all tests posed by the irate Rishi.
5) That Krishna, despite his great strategic acumen, was once so depressed and helplessly led by the manipulations going on between the Vrishnis and Bhojas and Andhaka princes, as to seek advice from Narada, who in turn politely blames Krishna himself for ceding the royal power to Ugrasena, instead of taking it himself, which was the root cause of the machinations.
1) That he spent 12 years in deep Tapas in the Himalayas, seeking to propitiate Lord Siva, in order to get a son by his wife Rukmini.
2) That, after the birth of a son named Pradyumna, who was as beautiful as Kamadeva, by Rukmini, but who unfortunately was carried away by asuras even as a baby, one of his other wives Jambavati also requested him for a son of great exploits, and complying with her request, he again went to Kailasa and did another 12 years deep Tapas, and with the blessings of Mahadeva, got another supremely handsome son named Samba.
3) It is ironic that these two sons of Krishna became the direct cause of the destruction of Vrishni Race, assisted by Sathyaki and Kritavarma.
4) That, despite his divine nature, Krishna in his human birth was unable to prevent the depredations caused by Jarasandha and his army on the Vrishni race then living in Mathura, and to prevent further harm, they had to escape to the seashore where they built Dwaraka. Krishna mentions this in detail to Yudhishtira when the latter expresses his desire to conduct the Rajasooya yajna.
5) The penance and respect for Rishis that Krishna and Rukmini had was so great, that once when Durvasa himself tested both of them severely including yoking Rukmini to a chariot with himself in it and making her draw it like a horse, and lashing her repeatedly, despite all the pain and humiliation, they successfully overcame all tests posed by the irate Rishi.
5) That Krishna, despite his great strategic acumen, was once so depressed and helplessly led by the manipulations going on between the Vrishnis and Bhojas and Andhaka princes, as to seek advice from Narada, who in turn politely blames Krishna himself for ceding the royal power to Ugrasena, instead of taking it himself, which was the root cause of the machinations.
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