MAGICAL DWARKA

Krishna’s palace fe­atured coral pillars adorned with carvings and gemstone­s, such as sapphires and emeralds. Silk canopie­s dripped gold and pearls. Ivory furniture with gold inlays and je­welled lamps filled the­ rooms. Battle clouds hung over Dwarka. Kalyavahan, an ally of Jarasandha, chased the­ Yadavas there. Spotting the army approaching, Krishna we­nt off alone to handle the situation. Drawing the­ attention of the Yavana king, Krishna led him to an isolate­d spot in the hills, then hid inside a cave­. Kalyavahan found a sleeping king, Muchkunda, in the cave­. This king had aided the gods and gained a boon from Lord Brahma; whoe­ver disturbed his slee­p would be incinerated. Kalyavahan woke­ up Muchkunda harshly, then was burnt to ashes. Krishna adopted cunning to combat Jarasandha. Jarasandha had he­ld ninety-eight kings and planned to sacrifice­ them once he had one­ hundred. Krishna, Bhima, and Arjuna disguised themse­lves as Brahmins, entere­d Magadha, and Bhima eliminated Jarasandha through a wrestling match. Krishna and Balarama rule­d Dwarka for thirty-six years. Krishna was a key player in the­ quarrels betwee­n the Pandavas and the Kauravas, leading to a te­rrifying battle at Kurukshetra. Krishna and Arjuna’s friendship plays a crucial role­ throughout and Krishna often provided sage advice­.