51 / Krsna, the Ranchor

When Mucukunda, the celebrated descendant of the Iksvaku dynasty,
was favored by Lord Krsna, he circumambulated the Lord within the cave
and then came out. On coming out of the cave, Mucukunda saw that the
stature of the human species had surprisingly been reduced to pigmy size.
Similarly, the trees had also far reduced in size, and Mucukunda could
immediately understand that the current age was Kali-yuga. Therefore,
without diverting his attention, he began to travel north. Eventually he
reached the mountain known as Gandhamadana. It appeared there were
many trees on this mountain, such as sandalwood and other flower trees,
the flavor of which made anyone joyful who reached them. He decided to
remain in that Gandhamadana Mountain region in order to execute auster-
ities and penances for the rest of his life. It appears that this place is
situated in the northernmost part of the Himalayan Mountains, where the
abode of Nara-Narayana is situated. This place is still existing and is called
Badarikasrama. In Badarikasrama he engaged himself in the worship of
Lord Krsna, forgetting all pain and pleasure and the other dualities of this
material world. Lord Krsna also returned to the vicinity of the city of
Mathura and began to fight with the soldiers of Kalayavana and kill them
one after another. After this, He collected all the booty from the dead
bodies, and under His direction, it was loaded on bullock carts by big men
and brought back to Dvaraka.

Meanwhile, Jarasandha again attacked Mathura, this time with bigger
divisions of soldiers, numbering twenty-three aksauhinis.

Lord Sri Krsna wanted to save Mathura from the eighteenth attack of
the great military divisions of King Jarasandha. In order to prevent further
killing of soldiers and to attend to other important business, Lord Krsna
left the battlefield without fighting. Actually He was not at all afraid, but
He pretended to be an ordinary human being frightened by the immense

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