Syamantaka Maṇi (Brahma Purāṇa)
Syamantaka Maṇi, “the Syamantaka gem”
This is the Brahma Purāṇa’s account of the Syamantaka, the divine gem, told in its line of the Vṛshṇis. Sūrya gave the gem to his dear friend Satrājit, who gave it to his brother Prasena, and in Dvāravatī it rained gold and kept away drought and disease. When a lion killed Prasena and Jāmbavant, king of the bears, killed the lion and carried off the gem, the Vṛshṇi-Andhakas suspected Śrī Kṛshṇa. To clear himself he tracked the gem to Jāmbavant’s cave, fought him for twenty-one days, and came out with the gem and with Jāmbavatī, and gave the gem back to Satrājit before all the Sātvatas. Later Akrūra had Śatadhanvā kill Satrājit and keep the gem for him. Śrī Kṛshṇa pursued Śatadhanvā and slew him near Mithilā, but the gem was not on him, and Balarāma, told that there was none, went away to Mithilā. With the gem’s wealth Akrūra performed yajñas for sixty years. At last Śrī Kṛshṇa perceived the gem with Akrūra, asked for it before the assembly of the Yādavas, received it, and gave it back to him. One who hears this account of the false charge against Śrī Kṛshṇa is never touched by calamity.
Sūrya gives the gem to Satrājit
Satrājit and Prasena lived in Dvāravatī. Satrājit won the divine gem Syamantaka by his pūjā of Sūrya, who was his friend, dear as life. One day at dawn he drove to a lake, bathed, and stood in sūryopasthāna (worship of the sun), and Bhagavān Sūrya appeared before him in a clear form, as an orb of light. “As I see you every day in the sky,” Satrājit said, “so I see you now before me as an orb of light. You are the ruler of all lights. With such friendship between us, what special thing do I gain from you?”
Then Sūrya took the Syamantaka from his neck and set it apart, and Satrājit saw Bhānu in his embodied form and spoke with him for a muhūrta with great delight. As Bhāskara was about to depart, Satrājit asked: “Prabhu Sūrya, the jewel wearing which you light up all the worlds: grant it to me in your kindness.” And Sūrya gave him the gem. When Satrājit entered his city wearing it, the citizens ran to him crying, “Here is Sūrya come down to earth!” He went into his inner palace and lovingly gave the gem to his younger brother Prasena.
The gem rained gold in the house of the Vṛshṇi-Andhakas; after it came, the clouds rained in season and there was no fear of disease anywhere. Govinda wished to take the gem from Prasena, but though he was able, he did not take it.
Prasena’s death and the false charge
Once Prasena went hunting wearing the gem. A lion saw it, sprang on him, and Prasena died in its mouth. As the lion fled, the king of the bears killed it, took the jewel and entered his cave. The Vṛshṇi-Andhakas heard that Prasena had been killed, and because Śrī Kṛshṇa had once asked for the gem, they suspected him. Knowing they suspected him of what he had not done, Hari resolved to remove the false charge, vowed, “I shall bring back the gem,” and went into the forest.
The cave of Jāmbavant
He learned from trusted people where Prasena had hunted, found his footprints and followed them. He searched the mountain Ṛkshavanta and the Vindhya again and again, and at last found Prasena fallen with his horse, but not the gem. Near the body lay the lion, killed by a bear, as the footprints showed. A little further on he saw a cave, and from that bear’s den came the voice of a woman. Inside, a nurse was holding Jāmbavant’s son, showing him the Syamantaka and playing with him: “The lion felled Prasena, and Jāmbavant felled the lion. Do not cry, tender one. This Syamantaka is yours!”
Placing the Yadus with Balarāma at the mouth of the den and telling them to stay, Bhagavān Kṛshṇa took up his divine bow Śārṅga, went in and saw Jāmbavant, and in that cave Vāsudeva fought him hand to hand for twenty-one days. Meanwhile Balarāma and the others went back to Dvāravatī and reported that Śrī Kṛshṇa had been killed.
The gem returned
Vāsudeva overcame Jāmbavant, received Jāmbavatī, the daughter of the king of the bears, won the bear-king over, took the Syamantaka and came out of the cave, followed by an obedient retinue. So he brought back the gem and cleared his name, and in the assembly of all the Sātvatas he gave it to Satrājit. “Hari, the slayer of foes, made the object of a baseless charge, thus removed it.”
Satrājit had ten wives and a hundred sons, of whom Bhaṅgakāra, Vātapati and Vasumedha were famous, and three daughters: Satyabhāmā the eldest, Vratinī, devoted to excellent vratas, and Prasvāpinī. Satrājit gave all three to Śrī Kṛshṇa.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 16
Satrājit killed
After Śrī Kṛshṇa had given the jewel to Satrājit, Babhru, that is Akrūra, had it stolen by Śatadhanvā of the Bhoja line. Śatadhanvā killed Satrājit, took the gem by night, and gave it to Akrūra, who made him swear never to tell anyone. Grieving for her father, Satyabhāmā mounted a chariot and went to Vāraṇāvata, where Śrī Kṛshṇa was, told her husband what Śatadhanvā had done, and swallowed her tears. Śrī Kṛshṇa had performed the water rites for the Pāṇḍavas, who were thought burned in the house of lac; he appointed Sātyaki for the rites that follow and came at once to Dvārakā. He said to Balarāma: “The lion killed Prasena; Śatadhanvā has killed Satrājit. The Syamantaka must come to me. Mount the chariot quickly; let us fell that Bhoja and bring back the gem.”
The pursuit of Śatadhanvā
Śatadhanvā, fighting Śrī Kṛshṇa, kept looking for Akrūra, but Akrūra, though able, would not help him, from fear of a śāpa. Stricken with fear, the Bhoja turned to flee on his mare Hṛdaya, who could leap more than a hundred yojanas. After a hundred yojanas her speed slackened, and Śrī Kṛshṇa, his chariot gaining, pressed Śatadhanvā hard. When the horse fell exhausted and died, Śrī Kṛshṇa said to Balarāma: “Foremost of heroes, stay here. The horse is lost. I will go on foot and take the Syamantaka.” Hari went on foot after Śatadhanvā and slew him near Mithilā, but the Syamantaka was not found on him.
Balarāma at Mithilā
When Śrī Kṛshṇa returned, Balarāma, the bearer of the plough, asked for the gem, and Śrī Kṛshṇa said there was none. Then Balarāma cried, “Chī! Chī!” and said: “I bore with it because you are my younger brother. Svasti to you. I have no business with Dvārakā, nor with you, nor with the Vṛshṇis. I am going.” He went to Mithilā, where the king honoured him, and he stayed there as he wished. In that time Duryodhana came to Mithilā and learned fighting with the gadā from Balarāma.
The Akrūra-yajñas
Meanwhile the wise Akrūra, son of Gāndinī, put on the protective armour of dīkshā and performed many yajñas for the sake of the Syamantaka. For sixty years he spent heaps of gems and wealth on them, and they became famous as the Akrūra-yajñas, shining with abundant gifts of food and dakshiṇā and granting every desire.
The drought and the rain
Śrī Kṛshṇa went with the mahārathas of the Vṛshṇi-Andhakas and brought Balarāma back to Dvārakā. Akrūra, who had had Satrājit killed in his sleep, came back to Dvārakā with the Andhakas, and Śrī Kṛshṇa, not wishing a split among the kinsmen, let it pass. Then, when Akrūra went away to Mithilā, Indra sent no rain, and the kingdom declined through drought. So the Kukura-Andhakas won Akrūra’s favour and brought him back, and as soon as the generous giver came to Dvārakā, Indra rained well along the shore of the ocean. Akrūra lovingly gave his virtuous sister to Vāsudeva.
The gem given back to Akrūra
Then Śrī Kṛshṇa, by his yoga-śakti, perceived that the Syamantaka was with Akrūra, and in the midst of the assembly said to him: “Give me the gem that has come into your hands. Guard my honour. Sixty years have passed over this gem.” Akrūra brought the gem before the whole assembly of the Yādavas and, wise, gave it to Hari without ill feeling. Śrī Kṛshṇa, the terror of foes, took the gem from Akrūra’s hand, rejoiced, and gave it back to him again. And Akrūra, wearing the Syamantaka received from Śrī Kṛshṇa’s hand, shone like the sun.
The phala
One who hears this account of the false charge against Śrī Kṛshṇa is never touched by calamity.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapters 16–17
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Chapters 16–17