The Story of the Jalandharis
In the Garga Samhita, Sri Narada Muni explains to Sri Bahulashva, the story of the births and deeds of the Jalandharis that became gopis, a story that again and again removes the people’s sins.
On the shore of seven rivers there was a great city named Ranga-pattana. Sixteen miles around, it was filled with all opulences. A gopa named Rangoji was the king of that city. He was very powerful and wealthy, and He had many children and grandchildren.
Once, at the year’s end, Rangoji, overcome with pride and foolishness, did not pay his annual tribute to emperor Dhritarashtra. When the gopa-king Rangoji would not even go to meet him, emperor Dhritarashtra sent an army of ten thousand soldiers.
They bound Rangoji with ropes and took him to Hastinapura. How many years was he in prison? Although he was beaten in prison, he was unafraid. He was so greedy he still would not give any money to emperor Dhritarashtra.
One night the gopa-king Rangoji escaped from the prison and returned to his own city.
Then Dhritarashtra sent three Akshauhini divisions to recapture Rangoji.
Although wounded by a flood of arrows, he continued to fight, again and again shooting his bow. Even after his enemies broke his armor and bow and killed his soldiers, for how many days did Rangoji fight?
When all was hopeless, he sent a messenger to Kamsa, the king of the Yadus.
The messenger went to Mathura, entered the royal assembly, with folded hands and bowed head offered obeisances to King Kamsa, and in a voice choked with emotion spoke the following words.
“O king, a righteous gopa named Rangoji is the ruler of the city Ranga-Pattana. His army defeated, he is now distressed and without a shelter. Now he takes shelter of you. You remove the troubles of they who suffer in this world. Your virtues are sung everywhere. Having defeated the demigods and demons, you rule the earth. You are like Indra, the king of the demigods.”
“As a Cakora bird thinks of the moon, as a lotus flower thinks of the sun, as a Cataka bird thinks of the autumn rains, as a hungry man thinks of food, and as a thirsty man thinks of water, so King Rangoji, frightened in battle, thinks of you.”
After hearing these words, Kamsa, the friend of the distressed, decided to go there with ten million demons.
Burning with passion, Kamsa climbed on Kuvalayapida elephant, who was black and enormous like the Vindhya mountains, who gushed with streams of rut, whose face was decorated with designs drawn with gomutra, musk, and red sindura, whose feet were covered with a network of chains, and who trumpeted like thunder.
Accompanied by Canura, Mustika, Keshi, Vyomasura, Aristasura, and a host of other demons, Kamsa quickly traveled to Ranga-pattana.
Armed with arrows, swords, and tridents, the armies of the Yadus and Kurus fought a gory battle. The sky became dark with a great shower of arrows. Then, as a fire enters a forest, so Kamsa, armed with a great club, penetrated the Kuru army.
As King Indra with his thunderbolt knocks down a great mountain, so Kamsa with his thunderbolt club, knocked many armored warriors to the ground. Kicking them with his feet, Kamsa destroyed many chariots. Kicking them with his heel, Kamsa killed many horses. He beat many elephants and many he overturned, their feet kicking in the air. Grabbing them at the root of their forelegs, powerful Kamsa picked up many jewel-saddled elephants, whirled them around, and threw them into the sky.
Vyomasura picked up many bell-decorated elephants and threw them in the faces of the enemy army.
In its horns the powerful demon Aristasura picked up many great chariots and their horses, whirled them around, and threw them in all directions. Kicking them with its hind legs, the great demon Keshi threw many powerful horses to the ground.
When they saw the fearsome nature of this battle, the remaining Kuru soldiers became frightened and fled in the ten directions.
Taking Rangoji and his family with him, the demon-king Kamsa triumphantly entered Mathura as the drums played a slow march.
Hearing of their own defeat, the Kurus were overcome with anger. Seeing that things were now favorable for the demons, everyone became silent.
Then the powerful demon-king Kamsa gave to Rangoji a beautiful city named Barhishat, which stood on the outskirts of Vraja.
The gopa-king Rangoji made his home there. There, by Lord Krishna’s benediction, the Jalandharis were born from his many wives.
Decorated with beauty and youth, they were married to various gopas. They loved Lord Krishna as their paramour.
During the month of Caitra (March-April), and in the beautiful and sacred forest of Vrindavana, Lord Krishna enjoyed a great rasa dance with them.
We can have paramour relationship with Lord Krishna only. The living entity is the fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme Lord – eternally. We must follow in the footsteps of Lord Ramachandra to live an ideal and perfect life. We must follow the instructions given by Lord Krishna to live an ideal and perfect life, we should never try to imitate Lord Krishna.