Kalayavan
Encyclopedia
Kalayavan or Kālayāvan (Lit. 'Black Yavana,' Yavana meaning a Greek
.) was an asura
who invaded Mathura with an army of thirty million yavanas against Krishna.
departed to build a city of Dwārkā
amidst sea, transported all his people and left them there.
Krishna lured Kalayavan into the cave of the mighty Muchukunda
, who upon being disturbed from sleep by his kick, cast a fiery glance and reduced him to ashes.
This legend appears to indicate an invasion from the Himalayas
. According to the Vishnu Purana
and Harivamsa
, Kalayavan was the son of a Brahman
named Ganges, and a Yavana princess.
The Mahabharat epic also tells that he incarnates as Abhimanyu
, the son of Arjuna
in his next birth. Thus, Abhimanyu had the ability to kill Krishna
at a later point.
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
.) was an asura
Asura
-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
who invaded Mathura with an army of thirty million yavanas against Krishna.
Invasion
After the invasion, KrishnaKrishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
departed to build a city of Dwārkā
Dwarka
Dwarka also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a municipality of Jamnagar district in the Gujarat state in India. Dwarka , also known as Dwarawati in Sanskrit literature is rated as one of the seven most ancient cities in the country...
amidst sea, transported all his people and left them there.
Krishna lured Kalayavan into the cave of the mighty Muchukunda
Muchukunda
- Lineage :Muchukunda, son of King Mandhata, was born in the Ikshvaku dynasty . Ikshvaku dynasty is also known as Suryavamsha. The important kings of this dynasty are Harishchandra, Dileepa, Raghu and Sri Rama.- Battle with the Asuras :...
, who upon being disturbed from sleep by his kick, cast a fiery glance and reduced him to ashes.
This legend appears to indicate an invasion from the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. According to the Vishnu Purana
Vishnu Purana
The Vishnu Purana is a religious Hindu text and one of the eighteen Mahapuranas. It is considered one of the most important Puranas and has been given the name Puranaratna...
and Harivamsa
Harivamsa
The Harivamsha is an important work of Sanskrit literature, containing 16,374 verses, mostly in metre. The text is also known as . This text is believed as a khila to the Mahabharata and is traditionally ascribed to Krishna Dvaipayana Veda Vyasa...
, Kalayavan was the son of a Brahman
Brahman
In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...
named Ganges, and a Yavana princess.
The Mahabharat epic also tells that he incarnates as Abhimanyu
Abhimanyu
Abhimanyu is a tragic hero in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. He is the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, who is the half-sister of Lord Krishna...
, the son of Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
in his next birth. Thus, Abhimanyu had the ability to kill Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
at a later point.