Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva

Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva was the king of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī). He wished to equal or surpass Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa. After twelve years of tapas (austerity) to Bhagavān Śiva, he received a form that looked exactly like Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa’s. He went about saying that he was the true Vāsudeva. Nārada urged him to face Kṛṣṇa. He marched on Dvāravatī and was killed.

His ambition

Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva ruled Kāśī, also called Vārāṇasī. He was a powerful and proud king. He wanted to be the equal of Kṛṣṇa, the divine avatāra (descent of Bhagavān Viṣṇu). To gain this, he went into a lonely retreat and did severe tapas for twelve years. He fasted and repeated the Pañcākṣarī, the five-syllable mantra of Bhagavān Śiva. At the height of this worship, he offered one of his own eyes to Śiva. (Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 251)

Śiva’s vara and the false form

Śiva was pleased with this great offering. He appeared and offered a vara (a boon). Pauṇḍraka asked for a body that looked exactly like Kṛṣṇa’s. Śiva gave him a form with four arms. The arms held a disc, a conch, a mace and a lotus. He had lotus-petal eyes, a crown of fine hair, yellow garments, the Kaustubha gem and other ornaments.

In this form Pauṇḍraka went about telling people: “I am Vāsudeva.” He deceived many. (Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 251)

The challenge to Kṛṣṇa

Nārada visited Pauṇḍraka. He told him that he could prove himself the true Vāsudeva only by defeating the real Kṛṣṇa in battle. Pride drove Pauṇḍraka at once to act. He set out for Dvāravatī in a chariot with a Garuḍa banner, with an army of one akṣauhiṇī (a full division of four kinds of troops). He sent a messenger to Kṛṣṇa with this word: “I, Vāsudeva, stand at your gate with my army. Come out and fight me, so that it is settled which of us is the true Vāsudeva.” (Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 251)

His death at Kṛṣṇa’s hands

Kṛṣṇa mounted Garuḍa and came out. He saw Pauṇḍraka standing with his false weapons and his borrowed look. Kṛṣṇa smiled at the pretender. He took his Śārṅga bow and destroyed the whole akṣauhiṇī with his blazing arrows, one after another. Then, with one arrow for each, he cut the false conch, disc, mace and lotus out of Pauṇḍraka’s hands. At last he took the Sudarśana disc and cut off Pauṇḍraka’s crowned head.

The head fell into Pauṇḍraka’s own harem at Vārāṇasī. The people of the palace were shocked and grieved. (Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 251)

His son Daṇḍapāṇi

Pauṇḍraka’s son Daṇḍapāṇi tried to take revenge. By Śiva’s grace he obtained a Kṛtyā, a destructive female power. Kṛṣṇa’s Sudarśana disc turned the Kṛtyā back. The disc then burned Daṇḍapāṇi and the whole city of Vārāṇasī. (Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 251)

Sources

• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 251