Hridika’s son Shatadhanwa, a Yadava king of the Bhoja dynasty from the original Shursena kingdom had come to Dwaraka and requested for Satyabhama’s hand in marriage. He was also the brother of Kritavarma who was a member of the royal ministry of Dwaraka. Satrajita had denied his request vaguely saying ‘our daughter is not of marriageable age yet; we will see about it after she is ready’. Shatadhanwa took it as a probable affirmation and returned to his kingdom.
Sri did not know a single thing about all this. There was no reason for him to know it. He always thought about the Shursena kingdom and Mathura. Dwaraka was flourishing due to Sri and dada’s mettle. Its opulence kept growing day by day like the moon waxing from new moon to full moon. In Mathura, Maharaja Ugrasena was managing the kingdom with the remaining Yadavas. Due to frequent battles the condition of their treasury was not as strong as it should have been. It essentially needed a boost.
One day Sri decided something resolutely, and went to visit Satrajita at his palace along with Uddhavabhauji and minister Vipruthu. After the welcoming rituals and having some fruits and milk Sri put forth a proposal to Satrajita, “ Satrajitakaka, could you do me a favour as my elder? All Yadavas basically belong to Mathura. Old Maharaja Ugrasena is desperately trying to preserve the city. We have received news that their treasury is in bad shape. All of us should assist them to recover from these conditions. Therefore, I have come up with a proposition for you.”
“Tell me, oh Lord of Dwaraka! What kind of proposition?” Satrajita vaguely suspected a probable proposal of another marriage alliance for his favourite daughter Satyabhama.
“Could you please hand me over the invaluable Syamantaka jewel in your possession in front of the Sudharma royal assembly? I will dispatch it with Uddhava and Gargamuni to Maharaja Ugrasena in Mathura.” As usual with a smile Sri discreetly presented his proposal.
Satrajita was taken aback by the proposal. He was completely perplexed. He looked at his administrator and said, “What kind of request is this? Even you wouldn’t have agreed to such a demand, Lord of Dwaraka, if you were in my place. Forgive me, but this is not possible!”
Sri heard that clearly humiliating reply, and yet responded with an aloof smile, “All right. As you wish!” But Uddhava bhauji was hurt deep down by the humiliating treatment given to his brother by his own elderly relative. Everyone fell silent. They were all ready to leave the chamber. Nobody was saying anything. Just then a royal lady entered the hall hastily, arguing with the groom of her horse. She had just returned after a lesson in horse riding. She was startled to see Sri present in person at her residence along with minister Vipruthu, Uddhava and a few other Yadavas. With ladylike modesty, she composed herself and silently left the scene. The sensational drama of the Syamantaka jewel had begun!
A few days passed by. The royal city of Dwaraka was occupied in the daily routine. Meanwhile, one day Satrajita’s brother Prasena began preparations for a hunting expedition with a troop of chariots and horse riders. As per the Yadava tradition he began his expedition with pomp and vigour. His hunting troops left from the Shuddhaksha gate and descended in Aanarta, sailing in small boats. Of all the days, today Prasena had the urge to wear the Syamantaka jewel resembling the stunning Kaustubh diamond. He wore it around his neck, strung in fancy gold chains. His hunting troops entered the thick, dense forests of Mount Hrikshawana. This mountain also had a large colony of lions just like the one on Mount Raivataka. Brandishing his spear, riding on his horse, Prasena started chasing an excited wild boar with huge tusks. He was so engrossed in hunting that he lost track of time.
Suddenly a huge roaring lion pounced on him from among the dense trees. A breathtaking tussle took place between both of them, in the solitude of the dense forest. How long could a mere human, albeit brave and muscular, stand against a wild beast like a lion? The lion growled at first and then roaring thunderously he severed the body of Prasena within half an hour. The Syamantaka jewel that Satrajita loved as his own life, lay in the pool of blood in the dense forest of Mount Hrikshawana. Evening was approaching. A Nishadha king called Jambavan was returning to his cave in the forest along with his Bhilla friends. On his way back, he came across the lifeless, mutilated body of Prasena, but none of them could recognize him as the ‘Yadava warrior of Dwaraka’. One of them washed the Syamantaka jewel in the nearby spring water and handed it over to his leader Jambavan. They prepared a funeral pyre in the forest and cremated Prasena’s remains.
Weeks passed by, yet Prasena did not return. Satrajita got concerned first and finally got suspicious. Rumours started spreading around his palace, among the attendants and the overseers that Prasena has been treacherously killed by Srikrishna, the Lord of Dwaraka! He has also secretly appropriated the Syamantaka jewel that he wanted!
Satrajita put forth a demand to Maharaja Vasudeva to summon a special session of the Sudharma royal assembly. On a certain day, at a given time the royal council assembled. In front of Maharaja Vasudeva, infuriated Satrajita directly accused Sri in sharp, offensive words. He burst out, “Maharaja, are you going to exempt this crime only because the criminal happens to be your own son and the Lord of Dwaraka? My dear brother Prasena was captured alone in the forest and gruesomely assassinated. The auspicious, divine Syamantaka jewel in his possession has been cunningly snatched away. Your younger son Srikrishna, who puts on airs of being the only one shouldering the responsibility of Yadavas’ welfare has committed the heinous act of robbery. He has also murdered a Yadava! He is the assassin of my brother! This royal assembly should prosecute him in a just and impartial manner. He should better return my Syamantaka jewel to me. The criminal should be punished severely!”
The entire royal assembly trembled at that vehement verbal assault. Only because Satrajita was a senior royal minister and extremely opulent could he dare to accuse Sri of such a heinous crime. The Yadava assembly was abuzz with whispers. The whispering kept escalating moment by moment. Commander Satyaki arose first, holding the hilt of his sword, looking contemptuously at Satrajita with his fire-breathing eyes. Balaramadada tightened the grip on the handle of his mace.
“This is a lie. Srikrishna himself is the jewel of the Yadava clan. How dare a mere possessor of a single jewel accuse him of such an atrocious crime? He should take the accusation back with an apology, or else get ready to face the consequences. Down with him!” Angry remarks were hurled from all sides. It was hard to figure out exactly who said what and from where.
The eyes of the entire assembly were fixed on our seats now. I was totally rattled to witness this unforeseen spectacle in the royal assembly. A storm of doubts and questions arose in my mind. Knowing well that I was shaken, Sri looked at me with his usual cheerful glance and rose quietly with a smile. His efficacious, ambrosial speech began flowing melodiously.
“Oh, Yadava warriors, calm down and keep quiet! First of all, let me congratulate respectable Satrajitakaka, a senior minister of the Sudharma royal assembly!” This totally unexpected and strange beginning of his speech instantly silenced the assembly. Everybody listened attentively to the exceptional words of Sri. Sri’s mesmerizing speech left the Sudharma assembly stunned and amazed one more time.
“I congratulate Satrajitakaka for he has laid the foundation of a fearless, new tradition in the matters of the state today, that of speaking out against injustice clearly and without any fear, in a fully occupied assembly, even against a person of high ranking. My guru Aacharya Sandipani has essentially taught me the same. It is my privilege that he is present in this assembly today.
“In the presence of Aacharya Sandipani I pledge in the name of Maharaja and Rajmata that I have not committed the atrocious crime that I am being accused of. Never will I commit any such crime in my life ever. I do not wish to possess any precious, divine jewel at all. I have no reason to harbour such temptation!” Sri purposefully stroked the Kaustubh diamond on his chest.
“True....Right....” many exclaimed in response. As Sri raised his hand the assembly fell silent. Sri
’s ambrosial words began to flow again.
“Warriors of Yadavas! In memory of Maharaja Yadu and Kroshtu and with the promise in the name of family deity Ida I announce that I will search and obtain the Syamantaka jewel of Satrajitakaka that is as dear to him as his own life, from wherever it is even if it has reached the netherworld. I will present it to him in the same assembly hall.
“I would like to take this opportunity to explicitly tell all Yadavas that jewels, gold or wealth are only means. They can never be the ultimate goal of life. That ultimate goal is only Love! Love, Premayoga, is greater than any kind of Dhanayoga, that is wealth.
“I didn’t wish to do this, but since I have been accused in front of the entire royal assembly, I must disclose one truth that was unknown to the assembly before.
“I had requested Satrajitakaka to present the Syamantaka jewel to me. It was not for my sake at all, but to improve the dire economic conditions of the people of Mathura. It is due to the misconception of my actions that he is accusing me of this crime. At this time, I want to make it explicitly clear that there have been many misconceptions about me before, there will be many in the future too. What am I going to gain by stealing the Syamantaka jewel anyway?”
“Nothing at all. You better apologize, Satrajita, apologize!” impatient Yadavas roared uncontrollably. Sri raised his hand to calm them down and putting all in a quandary he bore the same pleasant smile on his face. He said, “That is not necessarily the entire truth, my friends! Actually, I am going to be hugely benefited due to the Syamantaka jewel! Even Satrajitakaka himself doesn’t know it yet. But eventually all will come to know about it.”
As the minister raised the royal sceptre to indicate the dismissal of the royal assembly the assembly dispersed.
It was crucial that the promise given to Satrajitakaka in the assembly, was fulfilled. Sri immediately gave necessary instructions. The next day itself he landed in the forests of Mount Hrikshawana along with both commanders, maharathi Satyaki and Anadhrishti. A unit of hunting and combat expert Yadavas joined them along with forest-dwelling informers who were thoroughly familiar with the region. I was confident that now Sri wouldn’t return to Dwaraka without the Syamantaka jewel.
A week passed since the day Sri left for Mount Hrikshawana. News like ‘He has reached Mount Hrikshawana, the informers are spreading throughout the forest, a thorough search for Prasena is underway’, began to reach Dwaraka one after the other. Around the end of the second week, finally the rapturous news arrived in Dwaraka. Sri who never settles for anything less than success, is returning after the fruitful expedition, along with the precious, auspicious Syamantaka jewel.
Maharajababa, Thorali and Dhakali mata, dada, tai, the royal ministry and the entire city of Dwaraka assembled at the Shuddhaksha gate to welcome Sri. Even Satrajita was among them. I arrived in original Dwaraka from the island of Queens’ mansions with my attendants.
First, the leading troops of guards reached Dwaraka announcing the arrival of the Lord of Dwaraka along with the Syamantaka jewel. Ecstatic slogans of victory erupted from millions of Yadavas gathered at the gate, ‘Victory to triumphant leader of the Yadavas Maharaja Srikrishna’. Following that, select members sitting under the golden canopy on an elephant in a huge ship, descended at the Shuddhaksha gate.
Accompanied with seven ‘Suvasinis’ I came forward and first performed a ritual to cast away any evil. Oh, how radiant and triumphant his face looked! I wet my fingers with the water in a golden vessel, and touched his closed eyes with it. A hero, my husband had undauntedly cleared himself of the charges of appropriating the Syamantaka jewel. Oh, how proud I felt of Sri!
A mischievous smile with a dimple, which I was so familiar with by now, momentarily flashed on his face. Definitely there must be some catch behind his smile. Unwittingly I became alert.
Holding the arm of a dark complexioned, healthy woman standing behind him he pulled her forward and casually said, “One more jewel of a lady has come along with the Syamantaka, from Mount Hrikshawana. Not I, but the Syamantaka has brought her with itself. Syamantaka could not have reached here, if she would not have come with it!” As usual Sri threw a web of a riddle on me.
I looked at the shy, bewildered, youthful lady standing in front of me. She was a beautiful, curvaceous lady with dark complexion and thick, long hair. Looking at her dress I immediately assumed that she was a woman of the forest; a young native woman. She was bewildered by the opulent riches of Dwaraka. Fluttering her thick eyelashes, she kept staring at me like a scared bird.
“Rukmini, I have brought her as your companion and my wife in a Gandharva wedding, only because I had full confidence in you. Her name is ‘Jambavati’. She is the daughter of the Nishadha king Jambavan from Mount Hrikshawana.”
Sri said...casually... as usual, but for me it was another moment like that of my firstborn son’s abduction. For a moment, the Shuddhaksha gate spun around me rapidly. But only for a moment. The next moment I composed myself. “Come, Jambavati, my dear sister, give me a hug.” I spread my arms open to make the wild beauty comfortable. She immediately clung to me as if she was eagerly waiting for that moment only and whispered, “I don’t understand anything here. Please take me under your wings, tai.” Patting on her back I calmed her down.
Sri introduced everybody to her father Jambavan who had come along. When I held Jambavati in my embrace the people of Dwaraka accepted her as the second queen of Sri. That very moment I noticed Sri letting out a sigh of relief.
Jambavati entered Dwaraka with her auspicious feet amidst the welcoming slogans of millions of ecstatic Yadavas, ‘Hail Yadava Queen Jambavatidevi!’
So, how did this improbable came to be after all? It so happened that on Mount Hrikshawana Sri had discovered that the Syamantaka jewel was in the possession of the Nishadha king Jambavan. He had hidden it securely in his cave in the forest. The Yadava army surrounded that cave. Commander Satyaki and Anadhrishti presented Nishadha king Jambavan in front of Sri, as a criminal, tied up with wild creepers. When Sri demanded the Syamantaka jewel from him, he got perturbed and said, “I do have that jewel, but I would not hand it over to you just like that even at the cost of my life. I want an assurance from you.”
“What kind of assurance?” Sri was pleased with the fearless reply of the Nishadha king. Jambavan caught him in the trap of a Nishadha tradition and said, “I have a gem of a daughter – Jambavati. She is my only daughter. If this Yadava leader of yours accepts her hand in marriage, only then will I bring out the hidden Syamantaka jewel. Otherwise I’d rather die than give it to you!”
Who knows what Sri thought, but he accepted the bizarre condition. A Kshatriya from the Chandravansha accepted a tribal woman’s hand in marriage with due respect. Such a thing had never happened in Aaryavarta before. And no one could tell if it would happen again in the future. Only ‘Sri’ had dared to do something like this.
I was surprised at myself while embracing Jambavati. A strange thought flashed in my mind while I was in her embrace. Would any of the kings gathered for my ‘Swayamwar’ in Kundinpura, including the self-proclaimed Emperor Jarasandha who humiliated Sri as a mere cowherd have had the courage to act so? Would at least one of them have accepted a tribal lady as his wife?
Jambavati’s blessed sylvan feet brought such things in my life which I would have never imagined. She had a clean, innocent mind like a wild stream. She did not have a clue whatsoever about the Yadava royal assembly, their Rasa dance, hunting, royal games, festivals, weddings, their traditions, costumes, jewellery, social etiquettes and so on. Yet she instantaneously picked up whatever I told her about the royal life with her innate sagacity, like a female starling swiftly pecking millet. Now I began enjoying the hours I spent to teach her the niceties of royal life. I was enjoying because while chatting with me she also unknowingly shared the rare subtleties of the forest with me. While sharing memories of the forest she would honourably mention her mother, Hriksharadni Vyaghri. It would arouse my curiosity and I
would end up asking her various questions. She would share plentiful details of the flora and fauna of the forest with me. Listening to her I would keep laughing to myself, thinking, what am I going to teach her? She herself has become my Guru, teaching me about the forest.
Looking at my smile she would cut short her talk and say to me, “Tai, I like your smile very much!” Her words would always instantly arouse Sri’s memory in my mind and I would say to her, “Jambe, my smile is nothing. You should closely observe your husband’s smile. You will see many shades of that captivating smile, which induces the Smile itself to smile.” Both of us would then keep giggling for a while like silly young girls, just by uttering Sri’s name.
Now that Sri had obtained the Syamantaka jewel, he instructed minister Vipruthu to summon a special session of the Sudharma royal assembly. Addressing the special council, the royal minister said, “Valiant citizens of Dwaraka, Srikrishna, the Lord of Dwaraka has made each one of us feel proud today. Senior Yadava Satrajita had wrongfully accused him of abducting the auspicious, divine Syamantaka jewel, in the same assembly hall.
“After many unexpected twists and turns, and a battle with the Nishadha king Jambavan, Srikrishna has safely and securely brought the jewel back to Dwaraka. Pleased by his valour, Jambavan offered him his daughter Jambavatidevi’s hand in marriage. First of all, we all should honourably recognize her status as the second wife of Srikrishna after Rukminidevi.” The royal minister raised the jewel-studded royal sceptre to alert the assembly. The assembly erupted with slogans of acclaim – Hail Queen Jambavatidevi! Hail Nishadha king, Maharaja Jambavan! Hail Maharaja Srikrishna! Hail Maharani Rukminidevi!
The minister continued, “The Lord of Dwaraka is going to present the Syamantaka jewel to the senior Yadava Satrajita, in the presence of this royal assembly.
Srikrishna- the Lord of the Universe Page 26
