MUSHTIKA CHANURA VADAM

KUVALAYAPEEDA, MUSHTIKA, CHANOORA,  KAMSA VADAM 

MUSHTIKA CHANURA VADAM

Conspiring to kill KrishNa, King Kamsa sent his chief akroora to invite KrishNa and BalarAma to the ceremony of worshipping bows - 'the dhanur yAga'.  When KrishNa and BalarAma entered the tall gates of MathurA, Kamsa sent the huge trunked elephant, kuvalayApeeDam to attack them. This elephant had the strength of 1000 elephants. Seizing such a powerful elephant by his trunk, krishNa threw him onto the ground with ease and climbed on him. He pulled out one tusk of kulayApeeDam and killed him and the mahout with the broken tusk.

Carrying one tusk each, the two brothers then entered the wrestling arena where a match among wrestlers (mallars) was arranged by Kamsa. In the match, Krishna competed with wrestler ChAnoora and BalarAma competed with wrestler MuShTika. After a tough fight, both the wrestlers fell dead.  Ashamed of this, Kamsa tried to forcibly send them out. But, KrishNa pounced upon his royal throne, held Kamsa by his hair, hurled him into the wrestling arena, jumped on him and killed him. Kamsa was later liberated because of having always thought of krishNa’s face right from his birth to his death. He was also given a rare boon of attaining a form like that of KrishNa’s.

 (Srimad BhAgavatam – Canto 10.43,44)