Myths and Legends

Krishna Rukmini

Lord Krishna frequently appears in mythology of ancient Assam. In the Bhagabata there was a king named Vhismaka who ruled in Vidarbha. According to the popular tradition in Assam the kingdom of Vidarleha was located in Assam around Sadia, where Vhismaka's capital called Kundina was situated. The name Kundina still survives in the Kundil river at Sadia.

There are old ruins of an extensive fort in and around the area. According to the claims outside Assam, Vidarbha corresponds to the modern Bihar. Sankardeva, the great Assamese preacher poet from the 15th century, wrote an Assamese Kavya called Rukmini Harana (Abduction of Rukmini) the theme of which were taken from Bhagavata Harivamsa. Many of the Assamese marriage songs current still in Assam contain allusions of this legend.

According to the legend Vismaka had five sons and a daughter named Rukmini. She shoes Krishna for her husband. Krishna also heard of her beauty and was anxious to marry Rukini. Her parents also agreed to give her in marriage to Krishna but Rukma, her brother, stood in the way and arranged her marriage with Sisupala. Rukmini in despair sent an urgent messages secretly to Krishna through through a Brahmin priest named Vedanidhi to rescue her from Sishupala. Vedanidhi, hastened to Daraka to fetch Krishna. Krishna accompanied by this Brahmana immediately started for Kundina. Krishna's chariot rolled on with the speed of the wind, swift as Naraca arrow with uproarious movements like the thunder of destructions. Feeling like loosing his senses the poor Brahmana in fear covered his eyes with his palms. His head reeled and reeled and Vedanidhi dropped down senseless on the floor of the chariot. Krishna slowed down, attended to Brahmana and restored him to his senses. On the eve of the wedding day Krishna arrived at Kundina and as arranged before eloped with Rukmini while she was on her way to the temple of Bhavani. Rukma and other princes, who assembled at the marriage, pursued them in vain. Krishna carried Rukmini to Daraka and celebrated the marriage with all pomp and merry-making.

The wide theme offers the poet full scope to exercise his powers of realistic descriptions. Domestic discussions about Rukmini's marriage, Krishna's arrival, war with the rival suitors, marriage rites, etc. are elaborately portrayed by the poet.

The Santiparva section of the Mahabharata relates that at one time, while Vishnu was sleeping and Brahma was resting on the lotus, issued out of the navel of Vishnu two demons named Madhu and Kaitabha, who took away the Vedas from Brahma and went to Rastala.

After the great-war of 'Kurukshetra', Pandava had decided to perform the Ashwamedh Yagya in order to wash away their sins, the sin of killing their relatives in the war.

Chitrangada

As a part of the ceremony, along with the horse duly ornamented and labeled, a troop of soldiers headed by Arjuna moved to diferrent kingdoms for allegiance and obedience. Arjuna had to fight against the kings who caught the horse and refused to yield to obedience.

The horse in its due course of long journey arrived at 'Manipur'. The then king of 'Manipur' was young 'Babrubahana' who was not only a noble king but also a brave warrior. Quite interestingly, Babrubahana's father was 'Arjuna', who married his mother 'Chitrangada' secretly on an earlier ocassion during Arjuna's visit in the exile period of the Pandavas. This fact was known to 'Babrubahana', 'Arjuna', however, was ignorant about the fact.

When the messenger told 'Babrubahana' about the arrival of an Ashwamedh horse, he ordered the horse to be constrained and produced at the king's court. 'Babrubahana' at reading the inscription labeled on the horse-back became conscious that it belongs to none other than to his father. Though he felt happy inwardly yet he wanted to receive his father at war which again was the rule if one dare to capture the Ashwamedha horse. 'Babrubahana' proceeded to his mother 'Chitrangada' to tell her about his plane. She was quite amazed by the news of her husband's arrival and warned her son not to indulge in war with him. She told him that he was too lucky that his own father arrived at his kingdom.

Haygreeva form of Vishnu

Brahma being much aggrieved at this awakened Vishnu and prayed for the recovery of the Vedas. Vishnu assumed the Hayagriva form and recovered the Vedas and gave them back to Brahma. He then went to sleep in the northeast corner of the great sea in his Hayagriva form where the demons came and invited him to fight, and eventually were killed by Him in the battle.

According to other accounts, it was the Asura Hayagriva who stole away the Vedas, which were subsequently recovered by Vishnu.

According to Matsya-Purana the Hayagriva avatara of Vishnu preceded Matsya avatara. When the worlds were burnt down, Vishnu in the form of a horse re-compiled the four Vedas, Vedangas and other scriptures etc.

The Devi Bhagavata and the Skanda Purana in its Dharmaranya-Khanda, however, allude to two different accounts on the origin of the Vishnu.

The Kalika Purana records that Vishnu in the form of Hayagriva killed the Fever-Demon (Jvarsura) in the Manikuta hill and lived there for the benefit of men, gods and asuras. Afflicted with fever after killing the Fever-Demon, Vishnu took bath in an Agada (recovery bath). It is called Apunarbhava because whosoever baths here suffers no second birth.

Naraka

According to Harivamsa and Kalika Purana, Naraka was born to Bhumi (mother earth) by Visnu and the child was deposited on the sacrificial ground of king Janaka placed in a human skull.

Janaka brought up the child in his court along with the royal princes till he was sixteen years old. Mother earth impersonated herself as a nurse named Katyayani and looked to the child's upbringing. Naraka excelled the royal princes in the art of war and peace, this frightened Janaka. He had a misapprehension that this child will one day wrest his kingdom from his sons. One day the nurse Katyayini overheard a certain confidential discussion between Janaka and his queen Sumati relating to the feature of Naraka. Katyayini scented trouble and decided to remove Naraka from the court of Janaka at the earliest. Katyayini presented to go out on a pilgrim to the Ganga and asked Naraka to escort her. Nakara agreed and want to seek his father's permission. Katyayini replied that Janaka was only his foster-father and would not allow him any share in his kingdom, and if Naraka only accompanied her to the river banks, he would meet his real father. Both mother and the child slipped out of Janaka's court and came to the bank of the river Ganga. Naraka learned there the story of his birth and came to recognize his putative father.

They travelled by water to Pragjyotisha accompanied by Visnu. Naraka conquered the country from the Kiratas and was installed as king by the great god Visnu. He was also placed in charge of godess Kamakhya and was advised to rule the country keeping people's welfare at heart. He was further advised not worship any other god or godess other than Kamakhya and everything will be well with if he acted accordingly.

Initially Naraka was pious and ruled his country righteously . He strictly adhered to the injunctions of his father, respected the Brahmans and worshiped the godess Kamakhya. One day when godesess Kamakhya appeared before him he was captivated by the charm of the godesess and made overturns of love to her. The goddess gave her consent to Naraka's offer provided that in course of a single night he would construct a temple, a tank and a missionary road from the foot of the hill to the top. As the lust for the possession of the wily goddess was so great in him, he accepted the proposal and commenced the mighty task straightway. He almost completed the construction, when under the secrete inspiration from the goddess a cock cowed before it was day-break. The goddess claimed this as a proof that the day had come, evaded her promise and refused the marry him. Naraka grew furious and slew the cock. The place where the cock was killed is still known as 'Kukurakata chaki.

According to the above accounts, the temple of Kamakhya seems to have existed from hoary antiquity.

Arimatta

Legend says Ramchandra had a beautiful wife who was impregnated by Brahmaputra and gave birth to a son named Arimatta. This prince founded a kingdom further west and defeated many other chiefs. At last he came into conflict with Ramchandra and killed him, not knowing of his relationship with him untill late.

According to other accounts he accidentally shot his father with an arrow which he had discharged at a deer. In any case, the sin of patricide is generally attributed to him, and many stories are told of his vain efforts to atone for the sin which he had unwittingly committed. It is not certain where Arimatta ruled, but most of the accounts place his kingdom in Lower Assam.

His capital is said have been at the Baidargarh, near Betna in Kamrup, where a high embankment forming a square each side of which is about four miles long, is still in existence. He was attacked by a king named Phengua, and an embarkment is still known as Phenguagarh in the Dhumdhuma Mauza. Phengua was at first defeated, but he then engaged in an intrigue with Arimatta's wife Ratnamala, and with her aid spolit the bow-strings of Arimatta's soldiers, defeated and slew him, and took possession of his capital. He put Ratnamala to death, saying she had been unfaithful to her late husband, she would probably be false also to him if he were to fulfil his promise and marry her.

Arimatta's son Ratna Singh continued the war, and eventually overcame Phengua Raja and killed him. He afterwards lost his kingdom, owing, it is said, to the curse of a Brahman, with whose wife he had carried on an intrigue. In the Sahari Mauza in Nowgong are the remain of an old fort with high embankments know as the Jongalgarh. This is alleged to have been the capital of Jongal Balahu, another son of Arimatta, who was defeated by the Kacharis and drowned himself in the Kallang river.

The history of Arimatta is shrouded in mystery, and many legend cluster round Arimatta. According one account Arimatta was descendant of the famous king Bhagadatta, son of Naraka. Bhagadatta was followed by Dharmapala and Chandrapala. Arimatta was said to be son of Chandrapala(Dr. P.C.Choudhury-'The History of Civilization of the people of Assam to the twelfth century A.D.'). The Rajas of Rani and Dimarua both claim to be descended from him, as well as from Naraka and Bhagadatta. According to K.L. Barua, Arimatta's another name was Gajanka and he usurped the throne of Indranarayan who ruled at Kamatapur, Arimatta defeated Phengua and slew him. He also overthrew Ramachandra, a local chief ruling somewhere in the Darrang District. Arimatta was succeeded by Ratnasinha alias Sutaranka, and Mriganka and their kingdom extended as far as the Karatoya river on the west.

Relying on the account of Kaviratna Saraswati, Barua approximately fixed the dates of the rulers of Arimatta's line in the following orders:

Arimatta, 1365-1385 A.D
Sukaranka, 1385-1400 A.D
Sutaranka 1400-1215 A.D
Mriganka,1415-1440 A.D
[Reference: K.L. Barua, Early History of Kamarupa, Gauhati, 1966]