Adhyaya 246

Within the Umā–Maheśvara frame, the chapter turns from the Yādavas’ formative rites—upanayana and study under Sāṃdīpani—to the political and military turmoil after Kaṃsa’s fall. Jarāsandha besieges Mathurā; Śrī Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa reveals divine martial splendor—chariot, weapons, and a four-armed form—and destroys vast armies. Baladeva subdues Jarāsandha, yet releases him at Kṛṣṇa’s command, establishing strategic restraint. Kālayavana then allies with Jarāsandha and again surrounds Mathurā. To protect the people, Kṛṣṇa founds Dvāravatī by gaining land from the ocean and relocating the citizens in a single night. In the pursuit, Kṛṣṇa leads Kālayavana into a cave where the sage-king Mucukunda lies asleep; upon waking, Mucukunda burns the aggressor to ashes by the power of his awakened wrath. Offering stuti, Mucukunda receives from Kṛṣṇa the boon of liberation, attaining an eternal divine realm and a form akin to the Lord’s.