Chapter Fourteen Jālandhary-upākhyāna The Story of the Jālandharīs

Śrī Nārada said: O king of Mithilā, please hear the story of the births and deeds of the Jālandharīs that became gopīs, a story that again and again removes the people's sins.

O king, on the shore of seven rivers there was a great city named Raṅga-paṭṭana. Sixteen miles around, it was filled with all opulences.

A gopa named Raṅgoji was the king of that city. He was very powerful and wealthy, and He had many children and grandchildren

hastināpura-nāthāya dhṛtarāṣṭrāya bhūbhṛte haimānām arbuda-śataṁ varṣikaṁ sa dadau sadā

O king, once, at the year's end, Raṅgoji, overcome with pride and foolishness, did not pay his annual tribute to emperor Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

When the gopa-king Raṅgoji would not even go to meet him, emperor Dhṛtarāṣṭra sent an army of ten thousand soldiers.

They bound Raṅgoji with ropes and took him to Hastināpura. How many years was he in prison?

Although he was beaten in prison, he was unafraid. He was so greedy he still would not give any money to emperor Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

One night the gopa-king Raṅgoji escaped from the prison and returned to his own city.

Then Dhṛtarāṣṭra sent three akṣuahiṇī divisions to recapture Raṅgoji.

Although wounded by a flood of arrows, he continued to fight, again and again shooting his bow.

Even after his enemies broke his armor and bow and killed his soldiers, for how many days did Raṅgoji fight?

When all was hopeless, he sent a messenger to Kaṁsa, the king of the Yadus.

The messenger went to Mathurā, entered the royal assembly, with folded hands and bowed head offered obeisances to King Kaṁsa, and in a voice choked with emotion spoke the following words.

O king, a righteous gopa named Raṅgoji is the ruler of the city Raṅga-paṭṭana. His army defeated, he is now distressed and without a shelter. Now he takes shelter of you.

You remove the troubles of they whgo suffer in this world. Your virtues are sung everywhere. Having defeated the demigods and demons, you rule the earth. You are like Indra, the king of the demigods.

As a cakora bird thinks of the moon, as a lotus flower thinks of the sun, as a cātaka bird thinks of the autumn rains, as a hungry man thinks of food, and as a thirsty man thinks of water, so King Raṅgoji, frightened in battle, thinks of you.

Śrī Nārada said: After hearing these words, Kaṁsa, the friend of the distressed, decided to go there with ten million demons.

pade ca śṛṅkhalājālaṁ nadantaṁ ghanavad bhṛśām dvīpaṁ kuvalayāpīḍaṁ samāruhya madotkaṭaḥ go-mūtra—cow's urine; caya—abundant; sindūra—sindura; kastūrī—musk; patra-bhṛt—decorated with designs; mukham—face; vindhyādri-sādṛśam—like the Vindhya mountains; śyāmam—black; mada-nirjhara-samyutam—with gushing streams of passionate anger; pade—on its foot; ca—and; śṛṅkhalājālam—chains; nadantam—jingling; ghanavat—like a cloud; bhṛśām—greatly; dvīpam—elephant; kuvalayāpīḍam—Kuvalayapida; samāruhya—mounting; madotkaṭaḥ—burning with passion. Burning with passion, Kaṁsa climbed on Kuvalayāpīḍa elephant, who was black and enormous like the Vindhyā mountains, who gushed with streams of rut, whose face was decorated with designs drawn with gomūtra, musk, and red sindūra, whose feet were covered with a network of chains, and who trumpeted like thunder.

pade ca śṛṅkhalājālaṁ nadantaṁ ghanavad bhṛśām dvīpaṁ kuvalayāpīḍaṁ samāruhya madotkaṭaḥ go-mūtra—cow's urine; caya—abundant; sindūra—sindura; kastūrī—musk; patra-bhṛt—decorated with designs; mukham—face; vindhyādri-sādṛśam—like the Vindhya mountains; śyāmam—black; mada-nirjhara-samyutam—with gushing streams of passionate anger; pade—on its foot; ca—and; śṛṅkhalājālam—chains; nadantam—jingling; ghanavat—like a cloud; bhṛśām—greatly; dvīpam—elephant; kuvalayāpīḍam—Kuvalayapida; samāruhya—mounting; madotkaṭaḥ—burning with passion. Burning with passion, Kaṁsa climbed on Kuvalayāpīḍa elephant, who was black and enormous like the Vindhyā mountains, who gushed with streams of rut, whose face was decorated with designs drawn with gomūtra, musk, and red sindūra, whose feet were covered with a network of chains, and who trumpeted like thunder.

Accompanied by Cāṇūra, Muṣṭika, Keśī, Vyoma, Ariṣṭāsura, and a host of other demons, Kaṁsa quickly traveled to Raṅga-paṭṭana.

Armed with arrows, swords, and tridents, the armies of the Yadus and Kurus fought a gory battle.

The sky became dark with a great shower of arrows. Then, as a fire enters a forest, so Kaṁsa, armed with a great club, penetrated the Kuru army.

As King Indra with his thunderbolt knocks down a great mountain, so Kaṁsa with his thunderbolt club, knocked many armored warriors to the ground.

Kicking them with his feet, Kaṁsa destroyed many chariots. Kicking them with his heel, Kaṁsa killed many horses. He beat many elephants and many he overturned, their feet kicking in the air.

Grabbing them at the root of their forelegs, powerful Kaṁsa picked up many jewel-saddled elephants, whirled them around, and threw them into the sky.

O king, Vyomāsura picked up many bell-decorated elephants and threw them in the faces of the enemy army.

In its horns the powerful demon Ariṣṭāsura picked up many great chariots and their horses, whirled them around, and threw them in all directions.

O king of kings, kicking them with its hind legs, the great demon Keśī threw many powerful horses to the ground.

When they saw the fearsome nature of this battle, the remaining Kuru soldiers became frightened and fled in the ten directions.

Taking Raṅgoji and his family with him, the demon-king Kaṁsa triumphantly entered Mathurā as the drums played a slow march.

Hearing of their own defeat, the Kurus were overcome with anger. Seeing that things were now favorable for the demons, everyone became silent.

Then the powerful demon-king Kaṁsa gave to Raṅgoji a beautiful city named Barhiṣat, which stood on the outskirts of Vraja.

The gopa-king Raṅgoji made his home there. There, by Lord Kṛṣṇa's benediction, the Jālandharīs were born from his many wives.

Decorated with beauty and youth, they were married to various gopas. They loved Lord Kṛṣṇa as their paramour.

During the month of Caitra (March-April), and in the beautiful and sacred forest of Vṛndāvana, Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoyed a great rāsa dance with them. .pa