Krishna and Satrajit

In the city of Dwaraka, there lived a man called Satrajit. Satrajit was a great devotee of Surya, the Sun God. He used to worship the Sun God and pray to him daily. Once as Satrajit was offering his prayers to the Sun God, he felt a strange force in the room. Satrajit opened his eyes and was flabbergasted to find the Sun God before him.

Amazed and thrilled, Satrajit fell at the feet of the God. ‘My Lord! You have come…You have blessed me with your presence…’ Satrajit was almost moved to tears. ‘There is absolutely nothing more that I need…’

Surya was touched by Satrajit’s devotion. ‘No Satrajit…You are a great devotee…I was so pleased by your devotion that I felt like…I…was dragged here…And besides you are also a good man. You have done good to your family and to the people around you, with whatever you have.’

Satrajit just bowed his head in pleasure. Surya spoke again. ‘Satrajit! I am moved with your devotion! You deserve to live better than the way you are now…I am going to give you the Syamantaka gem!’

Satrajit’s eyes went round with amazement and surprise…The Syamantaka gem was a precious gem which glowed like the Sun God itself…Gold Coins flowed in the house where the Syamantaka gem was there…Health and prosperity also followed the Syamantaka gem…And Surya was giving him the gem! Satrajit was so dumbstruck that he just fell at Surya’s feet again unable to say anything more….

Surya smiled and pulled out a glowing gem and handed it over to Satrajit. With trembling hands Satrajit held the warm gem in his hands. ‘The gem would give you ten gold coins a day…Protect the gem well. It will keep you happy!’ Saying this Surya vanished from there. Satrajit was gazing at the gem with wonder for a long time, after Surya had vanished. He finally closed his eyes and shook himself up. He muttered a thank you prayer to Surya and took the gem to his prayer room and worshiped the gem.

Soon the city of Dwaraka spoke about the rich, kind and generous Satrajit. Any person who went to him in need was always helped by him…Satrajit always had a kind word with everyone and helped people out with their money problems…

However some people were curious. Satrajit had not been a very wealthy man…He had always been charitable, but now Satrajit seemed to be giving money which was way beyond his earning capacity…Satrajit was now living in a palace and was leading a life of luxury…How could he do that….

Some close friends of Satrajit spoke to him. ‘Satrajit! How…how did you suddenly get so much money?’

Satrajit thought for some time…Do I tell them about the gem? Satrajit nodded to himself.People would come to know about this eventually…If I myself tell people about it, then atleast they would not feel like I have lied to them…

‘I have the Syamantaka gem with me!’ His friends listened with wide eyes amazement as Satrajit told them about how Surya had given him the gem. He showed it all his friends. His friends realizing that Satrajit was indeed blessed as the gem was handed over to him by a Deva, appreciated him and left for their home.

The friends told the story to their friends and their friends told the stories to others…soon all the people in Dwaraka came to know about this…News of the Syamantaka gem reached the royal palace of Krishna.

Krishna was thrilled when he heard about the Syamantaka gem…A man had obtained all this by his devotion…That is something that every person would aspire to do…But…But…Krishna realized with sudden clarity …What if someone gets jealous of Satrajit…Why they may even rob him of it…It could be dangerous for him… Krishna slowly nodded his head. He decided to go and talk to Satrajit.

Krishna called his guard and asked him to ready his horses. Krishna got ready and travelled in his chariot to the house of Satrajit. Satrajit was amazed to see the King of Dwaraka, the Dark Lord himself walk inside his home. He faltered and nervously welcomed Krishna. He hurriedly seated him, eagerly showed off his hospitality.

Krishna firmly shook his head. ‘Satrajit! Thank you for your hospitality. But there is something I need to talk to you…’

Satrajit nodded his head nervously, ‘Pl…lease my Lord…Go ahead…You have taken the trouble to come to my home and talk to me…it has to be something serious…’

Krishna nodded, ‘Satrajit, I know you have the Syamantaka gem with you…’ Satrajit looked amazed and little afraid. Why would Krishna talk to him about the Syamantaka gem? He did not interrupt Krishna and Krishna spoke. ‘Having the Syamantaka gem with you would be dangerous…’ Satrajit looked suspiciously at Krishna as Krishna spoke quietly, ‘What if thieves suddenly decide to steal the gems from you…’ Krishna looked around. ‘You cannot protect the gem well in your house…’ Satrajit by now was thoroughly angry and suspicious with Krishna…Krishna may be king, but he cannot just come here like this and say such things about the gem…Krishna continued. ‘Leave the gem in my palace, Satrajit!’ Satrajit was now fuming. His worst fears had come true…Krishna had come here to take his gem…his precious gem…Satrajit angrily shook his head. He interrupted Krishna angrily. ‘I am not going to give away the gem to you Krishna…The gem was handed over to me by Lord Surya…Why should I give the gem to you for safekeeping…It is mine…’

Krishna was a little exasperated as he tried speaking calmly, ‘Satrajit, the gold coins which come out of it…you can keep them…I do not want it…’ Satrajit was still angry…Krishna wanted to take away his gem….and he wanted to pacify him by giving him petty gold coins…He shook his head angrily again.

Krishna tried another approach, ‘Satrajit! I know that you have been using the money from the Gem for the good of the people… But think about it I am the king here…I can help people better if I have the gem with me…’

Satrajit angrily got up from his chair and looked at Krishna. ‘Krishna! You may the king here, but please do not ask me to part with the gem…It is mine and I will not give it anybody…The gem stays here…’ Satrajit said angrily and firmly.

Krishna opened his mouth to argue. But looking at Satrajit’s expression, he realized that Satrajit would not listen to him no matter what he said. Krishna sighed and stood up. ‘Ok Satrajit! Have it your way…Take good care of the gem…and yourself…’

Krishna left Satrajit’s palace unhappily worried about Satrajit…

Now the people in Dwaraka had seen Krishna go to Satrajit’s house and spend some time there and come out unhappily…This was very rare…Usually Krishna invited people to his palace to talk to them…Why would Krishna talk to Satrajit…Satrajit’s friends’ thronged in his home to talk to him.

‘Was that Krishna?’ They looked with amazement at Satrajit. ‘What did Krishna want?’

Satrajit was still fuming as he angrily said, ‘He wanted my Syamantaka gem…’ The people looked surprised as Satrajit spoke. Krishna looked after the people of Dwaraka like his own children. Till date he had never taken anything which belonged to anyone else…But then why suddenly….Satrajit spoke, ‘He wanted to keep the jewel safe, in the palace…He said he would look after the gem and let me take all the coins which came from it…He told me that my Gem was not safe in my home…’ Satrajit shook his head. ‘…All this is just pure talk to make me get rid of the gem…’

People went away to their homes. Some felt that Krishna had acted in the best interests of Satrajit, others felt that Krishna was wrong in trying to take the gem from Satrajit…

A doubt had been planted in the minds of the people….

A few days later all the talk was forgotten. People were back to their normal routine.

Prasenan, Satrajit’s brother came to talk to him. ‘Brother! I have come to seek your blessings and…’ He said as he came strapped with his bows and arrows.

Satrajit looked at his brother lovingly. Satrajit loved his brother very much and took very good care of him. ‘Are you going for hunting, Prasenan?’ Prasenan nodded his head. Satrajit patted Prasenan on his shoulder, ‘Have a good hunt, my brother and stay safe…’

Prasenan spoke, ‘Brother, I have a favour to ask of you…’

Satrajit was surprised. His brother never spoke like this. ‘Go ahead Prasenan…You know I will do anything for you…You are after all my own brother..’

Prasenan said shyly, ‘I felt that…I am going hunting…It is just that…if I took the Syamantaka gem with me, I would feel safer…I think it will keep me safe…’

Satrajit looked at his brother not knowing what to say. The Syamantaka gem was so precious to him…He had not handed the gem even to Krishna…Prasenan was now asking for it…But Prasenan was his own brother…What was the use of having something, if it could not be useful for the people he loved…Satrajit shook his head.Prasenan was his brother, he would take good care of the gem….Besides it was just for a few days…

Satrajit slowly nodded his head and smiled at his brother, ‘Of course you can have it…Just take good care of it, Prasenan…’ Satrajit said as he ruffled his brother's hair lovingly. He went to the prayer room and prayed to the Gem and picked it up and handed it over to Prasenan.

Happily Prasenan took the gem and placed it inside his robes and set off for hunting.

The hunt was very exciting. Prasenan and the others were following their hunt. Their prey skillfully ran through the forest. The others in the hunting party could not catch it. But Prasenan did not want to give up…It would be great if he could come back with the kill…He went deeper and deeper inside the forest chasing the animal…He was separated from the others but he did not care. The thrill of the hunt was too much….

But Prasenan had gone too far in his eagerness. He was in middle of a dense forest with no back up and all alone…

Prasenan failed to see what experienced hunters knew…The jungle was the territory of wild animals and had to be treaded carefully…

As he was riding through the forest, Prasenan saw a lion attack him from the side. Unable to meet the ferocious attack of the lion, Prasenan was killed then and there by the lion….

The hunting party which went with Prasenan was back, but much to Satrajit’s anxiety, there was no sign of Prasenan…What could happen to his brother…Satrajit waited for some more days, but no Prasenan…

Broken-hearted Satrajit was sitting in his home, waiting for any news from his brother…My brother was such a good hunter…how could anything happen to him during the hunt…It almost looks…as if some mischief was afloat…Satrajit blinked. Oh my God…I had refused to give Krishna the Syamantaka gem…That wicked man waited for time and killed my brother in the forest and took the gem from him…Satrajit was suddenly convinced that this was exactly what had happened…He had been so unhappy when he left my house…He thought I would just hand it over…and when I did not….

What had Krishna told him Take good care of the gem…and yourself…Krishna had actually threatened him and he had been a fool not to recognize the threat early enough…Satrajit was filled with anger… If I had known that wicked Krishna would have stooped to kill my brother, I would have handed over the Gem to him…Wretched man…Satrajit angrily paced his house. He felt that his head would explode if he did not tell this to everyone…

A few days later Krishna was happily walking towards the garden. He loved meeting the children there and talking to them…The children also loved him and told him everything that happened in their houses. They were so innocent and pure that it felt like he was back in his own childhood. Krishna smiled to himself as he went to the garden.

Krishna reached the garden and blinked looking around…The normally full and fun filled garden was now almost empty… very few children were there…the few children who were there were looking at him nervously…

When Krishna appeared before them, the children ran away crying and yelling, ‘Thief! Thief! He may kill you too! Stay away from him…’

Krishna blinked again looking back, wondering if the kids were talking about somebody else. There was nobody behind him. Krishna then turned and looked at the children. The children were talking about him! Suddenly afraid, Krishna went forward and stopped a child, who was slow in running away.

The child broke into tears on seeing Krishna so close to him, ‘Please…please...d…d…don’t do anything to me…I do not have anything precious with me…’

Krishna took to deep breath and tried to speak calmly, ‘Wh…Why would I hurt you?’

The child burst out crying, ‘Satrajit told everybody how wicked you are…You hurt people, you are bad person….You killed Prasenan when he was alone in the forest and took the Syamantaka gem from him… You are a thief and you do not hesitate to kill people...you may kill me too…’

Krishna was feeling numb when he heard the young child's accusations. He did not even notice the child run away. He walked back to his palace slowly...People were thinking he was thief and a murderer....his own people...He loved these people and they were doubting him...Krishna clutched his head and sat down unhappily.

How could this happen...Krishna realized that all this was started by Satrajit...Krishna surmised the facts from what the child has said...Satrajit's brother had been killed in the forest presumably when he had gone hunting...Satrajit suspecting foul play had told everyone that he thought Krishna had killed Prasenan.

Krishna took a deep breath and realized what had to be done. He had to go and make people understand that he had nothing to do with the death of Prasenan. The only way he could do that was to bring back the Syamantaka gem and hand it over to Satrajit.

That very day, very morosely Krishna picked out a few of his trusted guards and without telling anybody he left straight for the forests. His guards asked around and found out where Prasenan usually went hunting. Krishna followed the guards to the place where the hunting party and Prasenan separated. Following the tracks of Prasenan's horses, he followed it deeper and deeper inside the forest.

There he found the remains of a body, the body had been attacked and killed by a lion...Krishna shook his head sadly. His guards had found out what clothes Prasenan wore on the day of the hunt...The body was wearing the same dress...So this was how Prasenan was killed...

Krishna saw the tracks of the lion which attacked Prasenan. The tracks led on and on to another side of the forest. Krishna followed the tracks with single minded devotion. His guards were tired...but Krishna would not give up...It was becoming dark, but he still did not give up...The accusations of the young child rang in his ears....

Krishna shook himself up and focused on the job at hand. As Krishna moved with a fire torch in his hand, he saw the tracks of the lion abruptly end....Krishna was surprised. He checked again and saw before him the dead body of the lion...

Krishna took a deep breath and saw the remains of the lion...The marks on the lion were deep...What sort of animal would make marks like this... He wondered...Krishna found some bear hair on the ground...The lion was attacked and killed by a bear?....Which bear would be so powerful?... Krishna picked out his weapon and kept it in readiness. Any animal which could kill a lion was no ordinary animal...Krishna followed the tracks of the huge bear....

He walked on and on and until he came to a cave. The tracks of the bear led him inside the cave...Krishna walked inside the dark cave...When Krishna studied the walls of the caves, he had the surprise of his life...Painted on the wall of the cave were scenes from the Ramayana!

Krishna suddenly realized which bear would be so powerful enough to defeat the lion. He smiled and boldly walked up inside the cave.

On reaching the inside of the cave, the first thing that Krishna saw was the bright Syamanntaka gem which was shining through the dark cave. Infact the gem was so bright that it actually paled the light coming from his own fire torch. Krishna was about to look around, when he heard a wail...a loud wail...Judging from the wail, it looked like from a young bear...But Krishna was not able to make out much in the cave.

Then suddenly from deeper inside the cave, Krishna heard a ferocious roar...Any other person who heard the roar would have been scared out of his wits..But Krishna smiled..He recognized the roar and his suspicions had been confirmed. He smiled and was about to come forward, when there was a loud 'THUMP!'

Krishna barely had time to react as he felt immense pain where a huge hairy hand had hit him on the chest...Krishna tried opening his mouth and telling the bear that he was a friend...But the bear did not relent...It kept attacking Krishna...

Krishna realizing that the bear would not listen to him, knew that he had to fight back...He and the bear fought...they fought for a long time...Both of them were tiring and Krishna knew it...Krishna knew that he had to stop the fight before it went out of hand.

Finally when the bear attacked him, Krishna focused his energy and plucked the bear with both his hands and threw the bear across the cave...

There was a very long silence as Krishna heard some loud and angry panting...Slowly the breathing relaxed...Krishna tensed for any further attacks, when an old voice came, 'Who are you?' The voice was gruff and filled with wonder.

Krishna smiled and looked at the bear, 'I am known by many names, Bear King Jambavan! I am also known as Rama...'

There was a gasp from the other side as the bear hurriedly came over to Krishna's side and looked him over.

Looking at the painting of the Ramayana, Krishna had realized that the bear had to be Jambavan, the great Bear King who had been one of the friends of Rama, when he had invaded Lanka...

Krishna and Rama were both avatars of Lord Vishnu. Krishna being an incarnation of the Lord Vishnu knew about his previous births.

Jambavan came forward and fell at the feet of Krishna, 'Rama! You are my Rama...I am so sorry...' The old voice was filled with remorse, 'I fought you...I did not know who you were...I am so sorry...'

Krishna held Jamabvan by the shoulders and hugged him, 'You have done nothing wrong..You only protected your family from invaders....'

Jambavan soon was talking to Krishna animatedly. He introduced Krishna to all his family members...It was Jambavan's son, whom Krishna had first seen playing with the Syamantaka gem....

Krishna told Jambavan, 'I am Rama...But now I have come here for a different reason...I am Krishna now!'

Jambavan accepted the statement with the smile, 'But my Lord! What brings your here..You have not told me that...'

Krishna sighed and told him, 'I have come here for the Syamantaka Gem...The Gem was stolen from one of my subjects...He thinks I have killed his brother to take the gem...'

Jambavan was stunned when he heard this, 'How could anyone even think that? He is a fool to think like that...'

Krishna shook his head, 'Don't be too harsh on him my friend...He was just blinded by circumstances....But that is not important...What is important is that I have to make him understand that I have not done anything wrong and the only way I can do that...' Krishna stopped as Jambavan continued.

'..is by handing him the Syamantaka gem...' Jambavan completed the sentence as he smiled at Krishna. Krishna nodded as Jambavan called his son. He took the Syamantaka gem from him and gave it to Krishna, 'Krishna, I saw a lion having this sparkling thing in its paw...The lion attacked me...I defeated the lion and took it and gave it to my son to play..I had not realized that...' Jambavan said sadly

Krishna shook his head, 'Please my friend...do not blame yourself...If you had not taken the gem, I would never have met you...This was all meant to happen...'

Krishna left for his kingdom with the Gem in his hand. There before the entire kingdom, Krishna handed over the Syamantaka Gem to Satrajit and told him the story of how the gem had been lost. Slowly the people realized what fools they had been to listen to Satrajit. All the people now looked at Satrajit contemptuously as they went back to their homes...

However Satrajit was now at home and he was tormented..He had blamed Krishna for no reason...His guilt was eating him...

His daughter Satyabama came and talked to him. 'Father! I know you have a made a mistake by insulting the Dark Lord...But I have a plan...' Satrajit listened desperately as Satyabama continued. 'Krishna refused to accept the Syamantaka Gem...But you can offer something to Krishna which is more precious...' Satrajit looked puzzled as Satyabama looked shyly.

Satrajit blinked. Satyabama was now a grown up girl and was extremely intelligent and beautiful...She had a feisty temper to match...She was skilled in warfare too...There were so many marriage proposals for her...Satyabama had refused all of them...But now...Satrajit happily nodded his head. The very next day he went to Krishna in the open court and told him.

'Krishna! I am sorry for what I have done...Nothing I can do can make up for it...But I offer something which is more precious to me than the Syamantaka Gem...I offer my daughter's hand in marriage to you...'

Krishna looked surprised and slowly nodded his head and agreed to marry her...Krishna knew who Satyabama actually was and knew her purpose...However that is another story!