Introduction

1. Vajra also known as Vajranabh (वज्रनाभ्), was the king of Indraprastha(delhi).

2. He was the great grandson of Krishna, the grandson of Pradyumna and Son of Aniruddha.

Arjuna attends Lord Krishna's last rites at Dwarka


1. After Lord Krishna & Lord Balrama left the Earth, Arjuna arrived in Dwarka and addressed Daruka, saying, ‘I wish to see without any delay the chief officers of the Vrishni heroes'.

2. Having uttered these words, the heroic Arjuna, grieving for those great car-warriors (who had been slain), entered the great hall of the Yadavas (where they used to hold their court), called Sudharma.

3. Then Arjuna, addressed those grieving and cheerless citizens and officers, and said : "I shall take away with me the remnants of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas. The sea will soon engulf this city. Equip all your cars and place on them all your wealth. Vajranabh (the grandson of Krishna) will be your king at Shakraprastha. On the seventh day from this, at sunrise, we shall set out. Make your preparations without delay."

4. Thus all the Yadavas, hastened their preparations with eagerness for achieving their safety.

5. Arjuna passed that night in the mansion of Lord Krishna. He was suddenly overwhelmed with great grief and stupefaction.

6. When morning dawned, a loud and heart-rending sound of wailing was heard in Vasudeva’s mansion, uttered by the weeping ladies. They were seen with dishevelled hair and divested of ornaments and floral wreaths. Beating their breasts with their hands, they indulged in heart-rending lamentations.

7. Those foremost of women, Devaki and Bhadra and Rohini and Madira threw themselves on the bodies of their lord.

8. Then Arjuna caused the body of his uncle to be carried out on a costly vehicle borne on the shoulders of men. It was followed by all the citizens of Dwaraka and the people of the provinces, all of whom, deeply afflicted by grief, had been well-affected towards the deceased hero.

9. Before that vehicle were borne the umbrella which had been held over his head at the conclusion of the horse-sacrifice he had achieved while living, and also the blazing fires he had daily worshipped, with the priests that had used to attend to them.

10. The body of the hero was followed by his wives decked in ornaments and surrounded by thousands of women and thousands of their daughters-in-law.

11. The last rites were then performed at that spot which had been agreeable to him while he was alive.

12. The four wives of that heroic son of Sura ascended the funeral pyre and were consumed with the body of their lord.

13. All of them attained to those regions of felicity which were his.

14. Arjuna burnt the body of his uncle together with those four wives of his, using diverse kinds of scents and perfumed wood.

15. As the funeral pyre blazed up, a loud sound was heard of the burning wood and other combustible materials, along with the clear chant of Samans and the wailing of the citizens and others who witnessed the rite.

16. After it was all over, the boys of the Vrishni and Andhaka races, headed by Vajra, as also the ladies, offered oblations of water to the high-souled hero.

17. The Kuru prince, beholding them lying slaughtered all around, became exceedingly cheerless. He, however, did what was required to be done in view of that which had happened.

18. The last rites were performed. Searching out the bodies then of Rama and Vasudeva, Arjuna caused them to be burnt by persons skilled in that act.

Exodus of Yadavs from the Drowning Dwarka

1. Arjuna, having performed duly those sraddha rites that are done to the dead, quickly set out on the seventh day, mounting on his car.

2. The widows of the Vrishni heroes, wailing aloud, followed Arjuna, on cars drawn by bullocks and mules and camels. All were in deep affliction.

3. The servants of the Vrishnis, their horsemen, and their car-warriors too, followed the procession.

4. The citizens and the inhabitants of the country, at the command of Arjuna, set out at the same time and proceeded, surrounding that cavalcade destitute of heroes and numbering only women and the aged and the children.

5. The warriors who fought from the backs of elephants proceeded on elephants.

6. The foot-soldiers also set out, together with the reserves.

7. The children of the Andhaka and the Vrishni races, all followed Arjuna.

8. The widows of the other heroes of the Bhoja, the Vrishni, and the Andhaka races, that set out with Arjuna, numbered many millions.

9. Arjuna, escorted this vast procession of Vrishnis, which still abounded with wealth, and which looked like a veritable ocean.

10. After all the people had set out, the ocean, flooded Dvaraka, which still teemed with wealth of every kind, with its waters. Whatever portion of the ground was passed over, ocean immediately flooded over with his waters.

11. Beholding this wonderful sight, the inhabitants of Dvaraka walked faster and faster, saying, ‘Wonderful is the course of fate!’

12. Arjuna, after abandoning Dvaraka, proceeded by slow marches, causing the Vrishni women to rest in pleasant forests and mountains and by the sides of delightful streams.

13. Arrived at the country of the five waters, Arjuna planted a rich encampment in the midst of a land that abounded with corn and kine and other animals.

14. Arjuna, taking with him the remnant of the Vrishni women and children, and the wealth that was still with them, soon reached Kurukshetra.

Arjuna Established Vajra as King of Indraprastha and Mathura

1. Arjuna established them at different places.

2. He established the son of Kritavarma at the city called Marttikavat, with the remnant of the women of the Bhoja king.

3. Escorting the remainder, with children and old men and women, Arjuna, who were reft of heroes, in the city of Indraprastha.

4. The dear son of Yuyudhana, with a company of old men and children and women, Arjuna established on the banks of the Sarasvati.

5. The rule of Indraprastha was given to Vajra.

6. The widows of Akrura then desired to retire into the woods. Vajra asked them repeatedly to desist, but they did not listen to him.

7. Rukmini, the princess of Gandhara, Saivya, Haimavati, and queen Jamvabati ascended the funeral pyre.

8. Satyabhama and other dear wives of Krishna entered the woods, resolved to set themselves to the practice of penances. They began to live on fruits and roots and pass their time in the contemplation of Hari.

9. Going beyond the Himavat, they took up their abode in a place called Kalpa.

10. Those men who had followed Arjuna from Dwaravati, were distributed into groups, and bestowed upon Vajra.

11. Having done all these acts suited to the occasion, Arjuna, with eyes bathed in tears, then entered the retreat of Vyasa. There he beheld the Island-born Rishi seated at his ease."

King Parikshit meets King Vajra

1. Just Before Pandava's left for Himalayas, Parikshit to generally know the well being of King Vajra went to visit him at Mathura.

2. Parikshit was welcomed with great respect by Vajra and in return Parikshit expressed his obligation towards Vajra, for his great grandfather Krishna had saved his entire dynasty in war with Kaurava.

3. When the Pandavas began the Mahaprasthana (the great departure), Yudhisthira called Subhadra and instructed her to look after Vajra with particular care.

Temples and deities of Krishna built by Vajra


1. King Vajra had 16 deities of Krishna and other gods carved from a rare, imperishable stone called Braja and built temples to house these deities in and around Mathura so as to feel the presence of Lord Krishna.

2. The four presiding deities of Braja Mandala are Sri Harideva of Govardhan, Sri Keshava Deva of Mathura, Sri Baladeva of Baladeo, and Govindaji of Vrindavan.

3. There are two Naths—Sri Nathji, who was originally at Govardhan and is now in Nathdwar, Rajasthan and Sri Gopinath, who is now in Jaipur.

4. The two Gopals are Sri Madana Mohan, who is now housed at Karoli Rajasthan, and Sakshi Gopal, who is now moved to town of Sakshi Gopal, Orissa, near Puri.

5. King Vajra first had three Deities of Krishna carved but he had never seen Krishna, so then they were carved from the description of Uttara, the mother of Maharaja Pariksit.

6. He had three different images carved, but none of them were perfect. Govindaji resembled the face, Madana Mohan resembled the navel down to the lotus feet, and Gopinath resembled the trunk of the body, from the navel to the neck.

Source that Links Lord Krishna to Modern Day Yadav Ahirs

1. Link

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