Sri Krishna, Arjuna, and Bhima meet Jarasandha

We will continue from the last article where Sri Krishna was talking to Yudhisthira about Jarasandha. Sri Krishna further said “All the Devas and demons together cannot kill Jarasandha in a pitched battle. The only way to defeat him is through physical strength – in a hand-to-hand combat. Arjuna, with his arrows, can protect Bhima and me. Bhima has body strength and will, while I have the strategy to kill him. The three of us will go to Magadha and challenge him to a duel. I am sure he will accept this challenge and choose one of us to fight with. We will meet him alone, and because he will be afraid of losing respect, I am sure he will choose Bhima to fight with. Like Yama, the death-god, destroys even the most powerful of egos, so will Bhimasen overpower Jarasandha. If you have faith in me, then do send Bhimasen and Arjuna with me.”

Yudhisthira was very happy with Sri Krishna’s plan. He asked Arjuna to follow Sri Krishna, and asked Bhima to follow Arjuna. He reminded them that they, the Pandavas, had taken refuge in Sri Krishna and that he would deftly lead them to victory.

The three of them, disguised as Brahmins, left for Magadha. Leaving Indraprastha, they passed through many jungles, crossed rivers and lakes, and climbed many mountains to reach the outskirts of Magadha. Here, Sri Krishna addressed Arjuna with these words, “O Pritha, behold the wealthy land of Magadha. It has unlimited supply of water and innumerable cattle, beautiful spots with huge trees, and lovely guesthouses. It is surrounded by an impregnable fort which in turn is protected by five hills, and all of these surround the capital and the tower. Many years ago the great rishi Gautama lived here and it is his aura that protects the country.”

The three of them went to the door of the fort and entered the city. Near the entrance was a big tower which was worshipped by the king and the people of Magadha. Here Jarasandha’s father had killed a mad bull with his bare hands. He had used the skin of the bull to make three kettle-drums. Once stroked, the drums resonated for months. The people of Magadha felt that as long the sound of the drums continued, no outsider could attack their country.

Arjuna, Bhima, and Sri Krishna first broke the drums and destroyed the tower completely. The sound of the drums being broken and the falling of the tower filled people’s hearts with fear. The learned Brahmins interpreted this as an evil omen and predicted that something dreadful was bound to happen. On the other hand, Sri Krishna, Bhima, and Arjuna were elated with the happenings and decided to enter the city. The Brahmins, fearing for the life of the king, asked him to sit on a holy elephant and pray to Agni, the god of fire, for protection. To ward of the effects of the evil omens, he fasted for the day.

The three warriors then went into the palace and presented themselves before the king. Seeing Brahmins from another country, the king got up from his throne and paid his respects to them. Bhima and Arjuna remained silent but Sri Krishna said, “These two have a vow of silence and will not speak till midnight.” So the king made them comfortable in his guest house and came to visit them at midnight. He sat down and said, “Your hands bear the scars of shooting arrows in many battles, your shoulders reveal the strength of warriors, and your bearing has the pride of the Kshatriya clan, still you come dressed as Brahmins, tell me who you are and what brings you to my kingdom.”

Sri Krishna replies “Intelligent people enter their enemy’s house from a side door and their friends’ from the main gate. We have entered your palace unannounced so know us as your enemies.” To this Jarasandha replied, “In all the three worlds the way of the warrior is the highest. I cannot remember that I have harmed you in any way, so why do you say you are my enemies? And what is the cause of your enmity.” To this, Sri Krishna replied, “A great king wants to do good for all the Kshatriyas and we have come here at his behest. You have tortured and troubled many kings, and hold many of them captive and still you say you have not harmed anyone. This sin of yours blots all warriors and also us, as we have an oath to defend the warrior code. So, we have come here to kill that person who does not respect other Kshatriyas. You are right – we are not Brahmins, and it is also true that we have come to fight you. These two are the Pandavas, Bhima and Arjuna, and I am your old enemy Krishna. We are inviting you to a hand-to-hand combat with any one of us. So either you fight us, or as per the Kshatriya code, release all the kings you have captured.”

In our last episode we saws that Jarasandha was born in two parts, which were then joined by the demon Jara. We also saw that in our psychic nature everything is dual. We have to work hard to develop a vision which is beyond duality. Only then are we able to get a glimpse of truth, which is whole. We are slaves of a very ordinary way of thinking, devoid of consciousness; one that divides everything between right and wrong, or good and bad. This low consciousness is symbolized by the demon Jara joining the parts, our conditioned mind of customs and habits. That is, we can either adjust to our dual nature by joining the parts or rise above it by increasing our level of consciousness. This is the killing of Jarasandha.

The three drums represent expansion, centring and fulfilment while the tower is for protection. It shows how our ancient culture knew a very powerful intuitive science of the vibration of structures – how building a tower at a certain point, together with resonating sound, creates a vibration that protects the whole country.

If we can find that spot in our homes and build a small tower, fortified with magnets, it could provide a different protection and prosperity to our homes and family.