Sri Akrurji
Encyclopedia
Akrura was a chief of the Yadava
s, an ancient people of India
, and a descendant of the Vrishni
kula (clan). He is worshipped as Shri Akrurji Maharaj by the present-day Varshney
community and is also known as Babrhu.
The life of Akrura is depicted in the ancient Indian texts known as the Puranas
. These works are often confusing, contradictory, or both.
. Though sections of the relevant Puranas are missing, and remaining ones are unclear, there is a general recognition that a direct line of descent exists from Yadu
through Krostu, Satvata, Vrishni, Yudhājit and then to Prsni, Śvaphalka and Akrura. In Vrishni, Akrura shared the same great-great-grandfather as Krishna
.
Akrura married Sutanu, who was the daughter of Ahuka, and with her had two sons, Devaka and Updevaka. He reigned at Dvārakā and Pargiter believes that this was the family's chiefdom as far back as Vrishni.
Kamsa
ruled over the area as king, being based in the capital at Mathura. He had a desire to see Krishna and Baladeva, his brother, killed. To achieve this end he ordered Akrura to bring them from Ambadi, where they were staying, on the pretext of an invitation to view a ceremony known as "worshipping the bow".
Akrura was given Syamantaka
, a significant jewel in Hindu mythology, for safekeeping.
but is respected more as a worshipper of Krishna. He is mentioned in Hindu scriptures in the following ways.
at Vrindavan
, Mathura district
. This is the place where Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama are believed to have revealed their forms of Lord Vishnu and Sesha Naga to Akrura. The text Adi Varaha Purana
illustrates Akrura Ghat as the king of all holy places.
One of the major attractions is an ancient Gopi Nath temple dedicated to Krishna and Balarama. Akrura is depicted standing in between the two. It is believed that one can eradicate all his sins by bathing here during a full moon.
Yadava
The Yadavas were an ancient Indian people who believed themselves to be descended from Yadu, a mythical king. The community was probably formed of four clans, being the Abhira, Andhaka, Vrishni, and Satvatas, who all worshipped Lord Krishna. They are listed in ancient Indian literature as the...
s, an ancient people of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and a descendant of the Vrishni
Vrishni
The Vrishnis were an ancient Indian clan who were believed as the descendants of Vrishni, a descendent of Yadu. It is believed that Vrishni was son of Satvata, a descendant of Yadu, the son of Yayati. He had two wives, Gandhari and Madri. He has a son named Devamidhusha by his wife Madri....
kula (clan). He is worshipped as Shri Akrurji Maharaj by the present-day Varshney
Varshney
Varshney, Varshnei, Varshnai, Varshnaya, Varshni, Vrishni or Vrushni are family names from India. They are variant spellings of the name Varshneya, first recorded in the Mahābhārata as used by Arjuna to address Vasudeva Krishna...
community and is also known as Babrhu.
The life of Akrura is depicted in the ancient Indian texts known as the Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
. These works are often confusing, contradictory, or both.
Life
Akrura (whose name derives from the Sanskrit akrur, meaning "who is not cruel") was one of twelve sons born to Śvaphalka and Gāndinī. Śvaphalka was a son of Prsni and Gāndinīa was a daughter of the king of KashiKingdom of Kashi
The Kingdom of Kashi was an independent Bhumihar Brahmin state until 1194, became a British territory in 1775, and became a state in 1911. It is the site of Ramnagar Fort and its museum, which are the repository of the history of the kings of Benares and since the 18th century has been the home of...
. Though sections of the relevant Puranas are missing, and remaining ones are unclear, there is a general recognition that a direct line of descent exists from Yadu
Yadu
Yadu is one of the five Indo-Aryan tribes mentioned in the Rig Veda . The Mahabharata, the Harivamsha and the Puranas mention Yadu as the eldest son of king Yayati and his queen Devayani. The prince of King Yayati, Yadu was a self-respecting and a very established ruler...
through Krostu, Satvata, Vrishni, Yudhājit and then to Prsni, Śvaphalka and Akrura. In Vrishni, Akrura shared the same great-great-grandfather as 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...
.
Akrura married Sutanu, who was the daughter of Ahuka, and with her had two sons, Devaka and Updevaka. He reigned at Dvārakā and Pargiter believes that this was the family's chiefdom as far back as Vrishni.
Kamsa
Kamsa
In Hinduism, Kamsa or Kansa , often known as Kans in Hindi, is the brother of Devaki, and ruler of the Vrishni kingdom with its capital at Mathura. His father was King Ugrasena and mother was Queen Padmavati...
ruled over the area as king, being based in the capital at Mathura. He had a desire to see Krishna and Baladeva, his brother, killed. To achieve this end he ordered Akrura to bring them from Ambadi, where they were staying, on the pretext of an invitation to view a ceremony known as "worshipping the bow".
Akrura was given Syamantaka
Syamantaka
Syamantaka mani, or the Syamantaka Jewel, is perhaps the most famous jewel in Indian Mythology, supposed to be blessed with magical powers.- Origin :...
, a significant jewel in Hindu mythology, for safekeeping.
Akrura in Hindu scriptures
Śvaphalka, of the Vrsni dynasty, married Nandini, daughter of the king of Kasi, and Akrura was born to them. Akrura was an uncle of 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...
but is respected more as a worshipper of Krishna. He is mentioned in Hindu scriptures in the following ways.
- He rose to fame as a commander of the Yadava army. (Chapter 220 of Adi Parva, Mahabharat).
- Akrura was also present for the SwayamvaraSwayamvaraSwayamvara , in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a husband, from among a list of suitors, by a girl of marriageable age. Swayam in Sanskrit means self and vara means choice or desire ....
(wedding) of DraupadiDraupadiIn the epic Mahābhārata, Draupadi, also known as ' is the "emerged" daughter of King Drupada of Panchāla and the wife of the five Pandavas. When Yudhisthira becomes the king of Hastinapura at the end of the war, Draupadi becomes the queen of Indraprastha...
. (Sloka 18, Chapter 185 of Adi Parva, Mahabharat). - At the time that ArjunaArjunaArjuna 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,...
eloped with SubhadraSubhadraImage:Jagannath, Baladev and Subadra in Radhadesh.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=|Subhadra, flanked by her brothers Balarama and Jagannatha . Deities of the Radhadesh temple in Belgium...
, a grand festival was being held in the RaivatakaRaivatakaRaivataka mountain was a mountain mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It was mentioned as situated in the Anarta Kingdom. People from Dwaraka visited this mountain and worshipped it. They celebrated it as a grand festival. This mountain is identified to be the Girnar mountains in Gujarat....
mountain, which Akrura partook in (Sloka 10, Chapter 218, Adi Parva, Mahabharat). - Akrura accompanied Krishna to the marriage of SubhadraSubhadraImage:Jagannath, Baladev and Subadra in Radhadesh.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=|Subhadra, flanked by her brothers Balarama and Jagannatha . Deities of the Radhadesh temple in Belgium...
(Sloka 29, Chapter 220, Adi Parva, Mahabharat). - Akrura came to UpaplavyaUpaplavyaUpaplavya was a city in the Matsya Kingdom ruled by king Virata as per the epic Mahabharata. It was the city where the Pandavas camped and planned their strategy for the Kurukshetra War. The allies of the Pandavas held extensive meetings in the tents constructed at Upaplavya, and stayed there as...
to attend the marriage of AbhimanyuAbhimanyuAbhimanyu 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...
. (Sloka 22, chapter 72, Virata Parva, Mahabharat). - Akrura and Ahuka always quarrelled with each other. Both accused the other of siding with the camp of Krishna (Sloka 9 to 11, Chapter 81, Santi Parva, Mahabharat).
- KamsaKamsaIn Hinduism, Kamsa or Kansa , often known as Kans in Hindi, is the brother of Devaki, and ruler of the Vrishni kingdom with its capital at Mathura. His father was King Ugrasena and mother was Queen Padmavati...
, who was planning to kill BalaramaBalaramaBalarama , also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an Avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
and Krishna, conducted a festival called Capapuja (worship of the bow). Akura was sent by Kamsa to bring Balarama and Krishna to the festival. Akrura saw through the plot, informed Krishna about it and advised him to kill Kamsa (Dasama Skandha, Bhagvata). - Akura fought against JarasandhaJarasandhaJarasandha was a great and legendary king of Magadha. He was the son of a vedic king named Brihadratha. He was also a great devotee of Lord Shiva. But he is generally held in negative light owing to his enmity with the Yadav clan in the Mahābhārata....
, alongside Krishna (Dashama Skandha, Bhagvata). - On another occasion Krishna, Balarama and UddhavaUddhavaUddhava is a character from the Puranic texts of Hinduism, who is the friend and counsellor of Krishna the Avatar. He plays a significant role in the Bhagavata Purana, being taught the processes of yoga and bhakti directly by Krishna...
sent Akura to HastinapuraHastinapuraHastinapur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-History:Hastinapur was the capital of the kingdom of the Kauravas, belonging to the Kuru dynasty of kings. The throne of this city was the prize over which the Kurukshetra War of the epic...
to gather news about Kunti and the Pandavas. Akura met Vasudev's sister Kunti and the king of Hastinapura, DhritarashtraDhritarashtraIn the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
, and talked to them, after which he returned to Dvaraka (Dashama Skandha, Bhagvata). - Akura married Sutanu, daughter of Ahuka, and had two sons named Devaka and Upadevaka (Navama Skandha, Bhagvata).
Shri Akrura Maharaj Temples
Akrur Ghat
Akrura Ghat is one of the bathing ghatsGhats
As used in many parts of South Asia, the term ghat refers to a series of steps leading down to a water body, usually a holy river. In Bengali-speaking regions, this set of stairs can lead down to something as small as a pond or as large as a major river....
at Vrindavan
Vrindavan
Vrindavan also known as Vraj is a town in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India...
, Mathura district
Mathura District
Mathura District is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of northern India. The historic town of Mathura is the district headquarters.The district is bounded on the northeast by Aligarh District, on the southeast by Hathras District, on the south by Agra District, and on the west by Rajasthan and...
. This is the place where Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama are believed to have revealed their forms of Lord Vishnu and Sesha Naga to Akrura. The text Adi Varaha Purana
Varaha Purana
The Varaha Purana is one of the major eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of Hindu religious texts. It describes in detail about the Varaha incarnation of Vishnu, and narrates about the rescue of the Prithvi.-Contents:...
illustrates Akrura Ghat as the king of all holy places.
One of the major attractions is an ancient Gopi Nath temple dedicated to Krishna and Balarama. Akrura is depicted standing in between the two. It is believed that one can eradicate all his sins by bathing here during a full moon.
See also
- VaishnavismVaishnavismVaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
- Maharaja Shurasena
- Krishnology
- VrindavanVrindavanVrindavan also known as Vraj is a town in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India...
- Svayam BhagavanSvayam BhagavanSvayam Bhagavan , "The Lord" or Lord Himself, is a Sanskrit theological term. The term refers to the concept of absolute representation of the monotheistic God as Bhagavan within Hinduism....
- Haridasa ThakurHaridasa ThakurHaridasa Thakur was a prominent Muslim-Vaishnava saint, instrumental in the early appearance and spread of Hare Krishna movement. He is considered to be the most famous convert of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, apart from Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami themselves, and the story of his heroism in the...
- MahābhārataMahabharataThe Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
- Bhagavata PuranaBhagavata puranaThe Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
- Hare KrishnaInternational Society for Krishna ConsciousnessThe International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
- Bhagwad Gita
- HarivamsaHarivamsaThe 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...
- KrishnavataraKrishnavataraKrishnavatara is a series of seven novels written by Dr. K.M. Munshi. The eighth was not completed. The novel is based on life of Lord Krishna and the epic Mahabharata.- About Krishnavatara : reads the preface to the series.It goes on to say:...