HARIHARESHWARI 16 - विशृंखलित राजवंशाः

CHAPTER 5

The echoing sound of kettledrums pierced the air, signaling the beginning of the grand wrestling match in Mathura. Krishna and Balram, after having executed all necessary purification, approached the bustling arena.

However, their path was obstructed by an imposing elephant-keeper and his massive elephant, Kuvalyapida, standing guard at the entrance. The mighty beast trumpeted loudly, his tusks glistening in the sunlight, his eyes blazed with a fierce intensity, daring anyone to challenge his authority.

"Tum log andar nahi jaa sakte." The Mahout said.

Krishna raised a brow, before binding up his clothes and tying back his curly locks. He warned, "Maarg se hat jaao anyatha aaj hi tumhe aur tumhare haathi, dono ko Yam-dwaar bhej dunga."

Thus threatened, the Mahout became angry. He goaded his furious elephant, "Kuchal do inn dono ko !"

Kuvalyapida charged at Krishna with a deafening trumpet. The ferocious elephant violently seized Krishna with his trunk, tightening its grip in an attempt to harm him. But Krishna, with his agility, slipped away from Kuvalyapida's grip just in time and struck the elephant with a powerful blow, stunning the beast momentarily. Taking advantage of the confusion, Krishna swiftly maneuvered through the elephant's legs, disappearing from its view.

Infuriated at being unable to see Krishna, the elephant sought him out with his sense of smell. Once again Kuvalyapida seized the lord with the end of his trunk, only to have Krishna forcefully free himself once more. Krishna gracefully slipped under the massive beast. With incredible strength, Krishna hoisted the elephant up, spinning him in a powerful whirlwind.

The lord's eyes darted around until his gaze fell upon the imposing statue of the tyrant Kamsa at the city square, at some distance. In a decisive move, Krishna hurled Kuvalyapida towards the statue, the force of impact shattering the stone monument into a cloud of dust.

Balram jumped in delight, "ADBHUT !"

But the resilient elephant quickly regained his footing and charged back towards Krishna. The lord then grabbed Kuvalyapida by the tail and playfully dragged him twenty-five bow-lengths as easily as Garud might drag a snake. As he held on to the elephant's tail, the animal tried to twist away to the left and to the right, making Krishna swerve in the opposite direction, as a young boy would swerve when pulling a calf by the tail.

Krishna then came face to face with the elephant, who fiercely glared at him. But Krishna's face broke into a mischievous grin, as he slapped Kuvalyapida and ran away. The elephant pursued the lord, managing to touch him again and again with each step, but Krishna outmaneuvered Kuvalyapida and made him trip and fall.

As Krishna dodged about, he playfully fell on the ground, the raging elephant, thinking the lord was down, tried to gore him with his tusks but Krishna got up just in time, causing Kuvalyapida to struck the earth instead.

His prowess foiled, the lordly elephant Kuvalyapida went into a frenzied rage out of frustration.

"Udhar hai woh Kuvalyapida ! Maar use !" The Mahout goaded him on, and the elephant furiously charged Krishna once again.

With lightning reflexes, Krishna seized the elephant's trunk with one hand, halting its advance. In a display of unmatched strength, the lord effortlessly lifted the elephant's trunk and with a swift motion, threw Kuvalyapida to the ground.

As the elephant roared in defiance, Krishna ascended onto its back with the grace of a lion. The lord then grabbed a tusk from Kuvalyapida's massive form, the creature's movements growing more desperate by the moment. The evil animal thrashed and writhed in a futile attempt to free itself, but Krishna's resolve remained unshaken. Finally, with a primal roar that echoed around the arena, Krishna ripped the tusk from the elephant's mouth.

With a resounding strike to Kuvalyapida's head, the mighty elephant was swiftly subdued, its ferocity quelled by the divine might of Krishna. The once majestic beast now lay dead, its blood staining Krishna's form.

Enraged, the mahout lunged towards Krishna, fueled by fury and vengeance. But Krishna struck the mahout on his head with the same tusk, his blood splashing over the clothes of the lord, as he crumpled to the ground, meeting the same fate as Kuvalyapida. Krishna then ripped off the other tusk of Kuvalyapida as well, and climbed down, handing it over to Balram.

Leaving the dead elephant aside, Krishna and Balram, held on to the tusks as their chosen weapons and entered the wrestling arena.

Kamsa sat uneasily upon his imperial dais. His eyes darted anxiously around the arena, searching for any sign of Krishna. Fear gripped his heart as he awaited the arrival of the one destined to be kaal. Suddenly, his eyes locked onto the entrance, where the brothers appeared.

"Mere putra.... Arya humare putra !" Devaki exclaimed joyously, tears brimming her eyes.

Vasudev nodded with a chuckle, "Ha Devaki. Humare putra Krishna aur Balram."

The tyrant's breath caught in his throat as he beheld the sight of the lord, his body and clothes stained with blood, his face glistening with perspiration and the massive tusk of Kuvalyapida that rested over his shoulder, a clear indication of the feat performed outside. A shiver ran down Kamsa's spine as he witnessed the aura of power and divinity that surrounded Krishna.

The wrestlers saw him as a lightning bolt, the men of Mathura as the best of males, the women as Kaamdev in person, the cowherd men as their relative, the impious rulers as a chastiser, and Kamsa as his death.

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A/N

Don't you think Krishna as a fighter gives highkey Kali Mata vibes ? 🤣🙏
Like both their fighting styles appear extremely similar !
Maybe because both like to get real messy 🤣