56-Story of Syaamantak Mani, Marriage to Jaambvatee and Satyabhaamaa

Shuk Dev Jee said - "Because Satraajit blamed Shree Krishn for stealing Syaamantak Mani that is why as Praayashchit he offered his daughter Satyabhaamaa to Krishn along with Syaamantak Mani." Pareekshit asked - "Bhagavan, What crime Satraajit committed towards Krishn? How he got Syaamantak Mani and why did he give his daughter to Him." Shuk Dev Jee said - "Satraajit was a great devotee of Bhagavaan Soorya. So Soorya got very pleased with him and gave him Syaamantak Mani. He wore that Mani in his neck and he looked like Soorya. So at one time when he went to Dwaarakaa, people there didn't recognize him. They thought that Soorya himself was coming to Dwaarakaa, so they informed Bhagavaan. At that time Krishn was playing Chausar (a kind of dice game). They said - "Naaraayan, Daamodar, Govind, Look Bhagavaan Soorya himself is coming to your Darshan." Shree Krishn smiled and said - "He is not Soorya Dev, he is Satraajit who is shining like Soorya because of Mani." After that Satraajit put that Mani in a temple through Braahman. That Mani used to give eight Bhaar gold every day and wherever it used to stay, there would not be any plague, famine, bad planets effects, fear from snakes or mental worry, any sorrow or pain etc.

Once Shree Krishn told Satraajit to give that Mani to Raajaa Ugrasen, but he did not do so. One day Satraajit's brother Prasenjit wore that Mani and went to forest for hunting. A lion killed him and his horse in the forest and took that Mani from him. The lion was about to enter his cave that Riksh Raaj Jaambvaan saw him and killed him. He took that Mani from the lion and gave it to his children to play with. Satraajit got very sad when his brother didn't come for long time. He thought, "maybe Shree Krishn has killed him because of Mani". Hearing this, people talked about this among themselves also. When Bhagavaan heard this, He went to the forest with some people to look for Prasenjit. People found that a lion had killed Prasenjit with his horse and a Riksh (bear) had killed the lion too.

Krishn asked His people to wait for Him outside the cave and He alone went inside the dark cave. He saw that Mani was the toy of children. He went forward with the intention to take that Mani but seeing a stranger, the caretaker of those children cried in fear. Hearing her cry, Jaambvaan came there in anger. He did not recognize Bhagavaan and considered Him as an ordinary man and started fighting with Him. Both were fighting for Mani. First they used weapon, then used stones, trees and in the end, they started a dual fight. This fight continued for 28 days continuously. Finally Jaambvaan got weaker, then he said surprisingly - "Now I knew, you are the Puraan Purush Vishnu. I remember, when you saw sea with a slanting eyes and sea gave way to you. You then built a bridge and destroyed Lankaa. Certainly you are the same one." When Bhagavaan knew that Jaambvaan has recognized Him, He also caressed him and said lovingly - "Riksh Raaj, We have come to this cave to take this Mani because I want to clear the blame of its theft put on me." So Jaambvaan gave that Mani to Krishn and married his daughter Jaambvatee to Him as well.

The people outside the cave, waited for 12 days, then came back to Dwaarakaa. Vasudev, Devakee, Rukminee and other relations got very sad that Shree Krishn didn't come out of the cave for 12 days. Then they went to Durgaa temple and prayed. Durgaa got pleased and Krishn appeared with Mani amidst them. Then He called Satraajit in the court of Ugrasen, described the whole incident and gave that Mani back to Satraajit. Satraajit got very ashamed of his guilt. He did go back to his capital but could not forget his guilt. He thought and thought, then married his daughter Satyabhaamaa to Shree Krishn along with the Mani. Shree Krishn said - "I will not take the Mani. You are the devotee of Soorya Bhagavaan, therefore you keep it. We are the right people to get its gold, so give that gold to us."

57-Stealing of Syaamantak Mani, Killing Shatadhanvaa, and Calling Akroor Jee to Dwaarakaa

Shuk Dev Jee said - "Hey Pareekshit, Although Bhagavaan Krishn knew that Paandav were safe in the fire of Laakshaa Grih, still when He heard that Kuntee and Paandav were burnt in that fire, He Himself went to Hastinaapur with Balaraam Jee to comfort and console the Kaurav family. There He showed His concern with Bheeshm, Dronaachaarya, Kripaachaarya, Vidur, Gaandhaaree etc. When Krishn went to Hastinaapur, Akroor Jee and Kritvarmaa got the opportunity. They said to Shatadhanvaa - "Why don't you take the Mani from Satraajit? Satraajit promised to marry his daughter Satyabhaamaa with us now he has married her to Shree Krishn. Now Satraajit should also go to Yam Puree like his brother Prasenjit." Shatadhanvaa was a sinner. He also thought it right and killed Satraajit in sleep and brought the Mani. Satraajit women wept a lot but Shatadhanvaa didn't pay any attention to them.

When Satyabhaamaa heard that her father had been killed, she started crying. She kept her father's body in a pool of oil and went herself to Hastinaapur. She told everything to Krishn. Although Shree Krishn knew all this before, still He acted as He was very sorry and came back to Dwaarakaa with Satyabhaamaa and started planning to kill Shatadhanvaa and to take Mani from him.

When Shatadhanvaa came to know that Krishn had come back to Dwaarakaa, he got very frightened. He asked help from Kritavarmaa. Kritavarmaa said - "Krishn and Balaraam are Eeshwar. I cannot face them. Who can live happily in this Lok as well as in Par-Lok being their enemy? You know that Kans lost everything and got killed because of this enmity. Even brave Jaraasandh also had to return to his capital without his chariot 17 times." Then Shatadhanvaa went to Akroor Jee and requested for his help. Akroor Jee said - "Who creates and destroys this Universe only in playful mood and what He wants to do next when even Brahmaa etc cannot know it, who lifted Govardhan Parvat at the age of seven years only and kept it on His left small finger for seven days and seven nights continuously, I just bow to Him." 

Then Shatadhanvaa left the Mani with Akroor Jee and ran away immediately from there on his chariot which was drawn by very fast running horses. Krishn and Balaraam also rode on their chariot with the flag marked with Garud Jee and yoked with very fast running horses and followed Shatadhanvaa. Close to Mithilaa Puree, Shatdhanvaa's horse fell down so he ran on foot, therefore Bhagavaan also ran on foot and cut his head from his body by His Chakra. He searched him for the Mani but He didn't find it on him. Then Krishn said - "He does not have the Mani, we have killed him in vain." Balaraam Jee said - "He must have kept the Mani with somebody, you go now and find out that man who has that Mani. I want to see Videh Raaj because he is my good friend." So Balaraam Jee went to Mithilaa Nagaree. When the king of Mithilaa saw Balaraam Jee, he became very happy, he welcomed him and worshipped him. Balaraam Jee stayed there for several years. Janak Jee made his stay very comfortable. After this Dhritraashtra's son Duryodhan took the training of Gadaa from him.

Krishn came back after doing Satyabhaamaa's work and told her that He had killed Shatadhanvaa but He couldn't find the Mani with him. Then He helped doing the last rites of His father-in-law Satraajit.

Since Akroor and Kritavarmaa instigated Shatadhanvaa to kill Satraajit, therefore when they heard that Krishn had killed Shatadhanvaa, they got frightened and ran away from Dwaarakaa. Some people say that after Akroor left Dwaarakaa, people there had to face lots of troubles, but it is not so, because as long as Shree Krishn was there, there couldn't be any trouble there. At that time, the elderly people said - "Once there was no rain in Kaashee Kingdom, then Kaashee Naresh married his daughter Gaandinee to Akroor Jee's father Shwaphalk, then it rained there. Akroor Jee is his son so he should also carry his father's effect that is why wherever he lives, it rains a lot there."

Hearing thus Bhagavaan thought, "This is not the only reason of this trouble", so He called Akroor Jee and talked to him in a very sweet tone. He said - "Chaachaa Jee, You know everything, Daan, Dharm etc. We know this already that Shatadhanvaa has kept that Mani with you. That Mani is very shiny and gives wealth. You know that Satraajit does not have a son, therefore his daughter's sons will do the Pind Daan, This Mani will be able to clear his debt and the sons will be heirs of the rest of the money. Thus, according to Shaastra we should get this Mani. Although you may keep the Mani, because you are very pious and other people cannot keep that Mani, but the difficulty is that my elder brother Balaraam Jee does not trust me about this Mani. Therefore, please clear all doubts just by showing that Mani to him. We know that because of that Mani only you have been doing so many Yagya in which Havan Kund are made of gold."

[Akroor Jee understood that now he cannot hide that Mani for long, so] Then Akroor Jee took out that Mani and gave it to Shree Krishn. Shree Krishn cleared His black spot by showing that Mani to His people, and in spite of being capable to keep it, He returned it to Akroor Jee. Whosoever reads, hears and remembers this story, he feels peace in his heart and his all Paap are destroyed."

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