King Vajra (Vajranabh)
Encyclopedia
'Vajra also known as Vajranabh (वज्रनाभ्), was one of the last surviving Yadu
, who succeeded King Aniruddha
to the throne, according to the Mahabharata
and the Puranas
. He was the great grandson of Krishna
, the grandson of Pradyumna
and Son of Aniruddha
.
also means thunderbolt or daimond. As a material device, the vajra is a ritual object, a short metal weapon.The Vajra
is believed to represent firmness of spirit and spiritual power. It is a ritual tool or spiritual implement which is symbolically used by Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, all of which are traditions of Dharma
.
2) Vajra
was the diamond studded on Lord Krishna's crown.
3) It is the weapon of Indra
, the god of heaven.
and his queen Rukmini
was born the great warrior Pradyumna
, one of Krishna's prominent sons, who married the daughter of his maternal uncle, Rukmi
, Rukmavati. They gave birth to mighty Aniruddha
. Aniruddha married Usha
, the daitya princess and from her was born Vajra, who was invinsible in wars and would remain among the few survivors of the Yadus' battle.
left the earth for Vaikunta
, about 36 years after the Kurukshetra War (3138 BC), major Yadu
leaders were killed in disputes among themselves and due to submergence of Dwarka
into the sea.
Arjuna
went to Dwarka to bring the last surviving Yadus i.e. Krishna's great grandson Vajra and the Yadava wives to Hastinapur, to safety. Arjuna then proclaimed the brave Vajra the king of Mathura at Indraprastha.
King Parikshit meets King Vajra : Just Before Pandava
's left for Himalayas
, Arjuna
's grandson Parikshit was crowned the King of Indraprastha by Yudhishtira.Parikshit to generally know the well being of King Vajra went to visit him at Mathura. 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
.
When asked King Vajra whether he needed any help the King replied "Although I am now the King of Mathura, I am unable to enjoy the rule. The happiness of a kingdom is due to the people that live there, and I have no idea where the residents of this place have gone, Mathura is deserted".
On hearing this King Parikshit immediately sent out for Sage Shandilya, a preceptor to King Nanda
in order to clear Vajra's doubts.
Sage Shandilya explains meaning of Brijbhumi or Braja
: Sage Shandilya asked King Vajra that with the help of King Parikshit he needs to rehabilitate the land of Mathura. He told them that "Braj" or Vrindavan
is the childhood place of Lord Krishna, where he grew up and enjoyed his childhood to the fullest with the beautiful forests of Vrindavan, gopis and cows as his playmates. Shandilya told them that Brij means omnipresent or all pervading like a nomad or a wanderer. If Vajra wants the same peace and happiness he needs to revitalize the place with same energy as that of Lord Krishna. He needs to have krishna's presence felt everywhere in the places , like Govardhana
, Nandgaon
, Gokul
and Mathura where Lord spent majority of his childhood and performed his leelas. After telling this Shandilya Rushi left for his hermitage. Vajra and Parikshit were very happy on listening to him and followed his instructions to rehabilitate the kingdom of Mathura.
'Temples and deities of Krishna built by Vajra': King Vajra then 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.
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. 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. 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.
It is said that 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. 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.
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...
, who succeeded King Aniruddha
Aniruddha
Aniruddha , meaning "uncontrolled" or "without obstacles", was the son of Pradyumna and the grandson of Krishna. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he may be a jana avatar. The four important Vishnu extensions are Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and...
to the throne, according to the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The 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....
and 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...
. He was the great grandson of 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...
, the grandson of Pradyumna
Pradyumna
Pradyumna is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is one in 24 Keshava Namas , praised in all pujas. It is also the only name in Sanskrit with all the 3 letters joint...
and Son of Aniruddha
Aniruddha
Aniruddha , meaning "uncontrolled" or "without obstacles", was the son of Pradyumna and the grandson of Krishna. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he may be a jana avatar. The four important Vishnu extensions are Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and...
.
Meanings
1) VajraVajra
Vajra is a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond...
also means thunderbolt or daimond. As a material device, the vajra is a ritual object, a short metal weapon.The Vajra
Vajra
Vajra is a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond...
is believed to represent firmness of spirit and spiritual power. It is a ritual tool or spiritual implement which is symbolically used by Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, all of which are traditions of Dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
.
2) Vajra
Vajra
Vajra is a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond...
was the diamond studded on Lord Krishna's crown.
3) It is the weapon of Indra
Indra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
, the god of heaven.
Etymology
From Shri 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...
and his queen Rukmini
Rukmini
In Hinduism, Rukmini is the principal wife and queen of Krishna at his city of Dwarka. Krishna heroically kidnaps her from an un-wanted marriage at her request . Of Krishna's 16,108 queens, Rukmini is the first and most prominent...
was born the great warrior Pradyumna
Pradyumna
Pradyumna is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is one in 24 Keshava Namas , praised in all pujas. It is also the only name in Sanskrit with all the 3 letters joint...
, one of Krishna's prominent sons, who married the daughter of his maternal uncle, Rukmi
Rukmi
Rukmi was the ruler of Vidarbha according to the epic Mahābhārata. He was the son of king Bhishmaka and elder brother of Rukmini. Krishna married Rukmini by abducting her from the Vidarbha kingdom, though Rukmi wanted to give her as bride to Chedi king Shishupala. He fought with Krishna, but was...
, Rukmavati. They gave birth to mighty Aniruddha
Aniruddha
Aniruddha , meaning "uncontrolled" or "without obstacles", was the son of Pradyumna and the grandson of Krishna. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he may be a jana avatar. The four important Vishnu extensions are Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and...
. Aniruddha married Usha
Usha
Usha was a city in the Western part of Galilee. It is noteworthy because in the 2nd century , the Sanhedrin, or rabbinic court, was moved from Yavne in Judea to Usha, and then from Usha back to Yavne, and a second time from Yavne to Usha....
, the daitya princess and from her was born Vajra, who was invinsible in wars and would remain among the few survivors of the Yadus' battle.
History
Crowning of Vajra : After 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...
left the earth for Vaikunta
Vaikunta
Vaikuntha , Param Padam , or Paramapadam is the abode of Lord Vishnu. It is believed, in the tradition of Vaishnavites, to be the place of eternal bliss, exclusive to the Lord, His eternal consort, the Goddess Lakshmi, and the three-folded Serpent Sesha Naga, upon whom the Lord, and His Shakti ,...
, about 36 years after the Kurukshetra War (3138 BC), major 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...
leaders were killed in disputes among themselves and due to submergence of Dwarka
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...
into the sea.
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,...
went to Dwarka to bring the last surviving Yadus i.e. Krishna's great grandson Vajra and the Yadava wives to Hastinapur, to safety. Arjuna then proclaimed the brave Vajra the king of Mathura at Indraprastha.
King Parikshit meets King Vajra : Just Before Pandava
Pandava
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
's left for 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...
, 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,...
's grandson Parikshit was crowned the King of Indraprastha by Yudhishtira.Parikshit to generally know the well being of King Vajra went to visit him at Mathura. Parikshit was welcomed with great respect by Vajra and in return Parikshit expressed his obligation towards Vajra, for his great grandfather 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...
had saved his entire dynasty in war with Kaurava
Kaurava
The term Kaurava is a Sanskrit term, that means the descendants of Kuru, a legendary king who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the Mahābhārata.The term is used in the Mahābhārata with two meanings:...
.
When asked King Vajra whether he needed any help the King replied "Although I am now the King of Mathura, I am unable to enjoy the rule. The happiness of a kingdom is due to the people that live there, and I have no idea where the residents of this place have gone, Mathura is deserted".
On hearing this King Parikshit immediately sent out for Sage Shandilya, a preceptor to King Nanda
Nanda (mythology)
Nanda or Nandagopa, according to the Harivamsha and the Puranas, was the head of the gopas .It is said that Nand Baba owned 9 lakhs of cows . Nandvanshis or Ahirs are descendants of Nand. The night of Krishna's appearance or birth, Vasudeva brought Krishna to Nanda for Krishna's childhood years...
in order to clear Vajra's doubts.
Sage Shandilya explains meaning of Brijbhumi or Braja
Braj
Braj is a region mainly in Uttar Pradesh of India, around Mathura-Vrindavan. Braj, though never a clearly defined political region in India but is very well demarcated culturally, is considered to be the land of Krishna and is derived from the Sanskrit word vraja...
: Sage Shandilya asked King Vajra that with the help of King Parikshit he needs to rehabilitate the land of Mathura. He told them that "Braj" or Vrindavan
Vrindavan
Vrindavan also known as Vraj is a town in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India...
is the childhood place of Lord Krishna, where he grew up and enjoyed his childhood to the fullest with the beautiful forests of Vrindavan, gopis and cows as his playmates. Shandilya told them that Brij means omnipresent or all pervading like a nomad or a wanderer. If Vajra wants the same peace and happiness he needs to revitalize the place with same energy as that of Lord Krishna. He needs to have krishna's presence felt everywhere in the places , like Govardhana
Govardhan hill
Govardhan is a hill located near the town of Vrindavan, in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It considered as sacred by a number of traditions within Hinduism....
, Nandgaon
Nandgaon, Uttar Pradesh
Nandgaon is a town and a nagar panchayat in Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Geography:Nandgaon is located at . It has an average elevation of 184 metres .-Demographics:...
, Gokul
Gokul
-In Vedic Scripture:-Geography:Gokul is located at . It has an average elevation of 163 metres .-Demographics: India census, Gokul had a population of 4041. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Gokul has an average literacy rate of 60%, higher than the national average of...
and Mathura where Lord spent majority of his childhood and performed his leelas. After telling this Shandilya Rushi left for his hermitage. Vajra and Parikshit were very happy on listening to him and followed his instructions to rehabilitate the kingdom of Mathura.
'Temples and deities of Krishna built by Vajra': King Vajra then 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.
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. 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. 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.
It is said that 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. 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.