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Why Sri Krishna Built Dwarka And Shifted From Mathura To Dwarka?

Sri Krishna decided to build the city of Dwarka and shift from Mathura in the north to the western coast of India to respect the boon given by Lord Shiva to Kalyavan, son of Garga Rishi. The story of Sri Krishna moving to Dwarka is misinterpreted by some people. They think Sri Krishna ran away from Mathura. That is incorrect. Krishna moved to save Yadavas.


Why was Krishna forced to build the city of Dwarka?

Garga Rishi, an important Sage and head priest of the Yadava dynasty, was once ridiculed by the Yadavas as belonging to the third sex. Garga Rishi did not take the slight lightly and was infuriated by the laughter of the Yadavas. The angry sage took a vow to beget a son who would terrorize the Yadavas.

The Rishi then married a Yavana (Greek), princess. The sage then propitiated Lord Shiva and got a son who was named Kalyavan.

After his birth, Kalyavan propitiated Shiva through intense penance and gained the boon that he will not be killed by a person born in the Yadava clan.

Yadavas now had an enemy whom they could not defeat. Sri Krishna then started building a city on the western coast of India.

Why Krishna Shifted from Mathura To Dwarka?

Jarasandha, the king of Magadha, was waiting for an opportunity to avenge the death of his friend and son-in-law Kamsa. Asti and Prapti daughters of Jarasandha were married to Kamsa. Sri Krishna had killed Kamsa and taken control of Mathura.

Jarasandha attacked Mathura 17 times but Sri Krishna thwarted each of his attempts. Jarasandha had the boon that he will only be killed when his body is torn vertically into two parts and thrown in the opposite directions. Therefore, Sri Krishna could not kill him.

Jarasandha then heard about Kalyavan. King Salva was the friend of Kalyavan. With the help of Shishupala, Jarasandha befriended king Salva. He then made an alliance with Kalyavan.

When Kalyavan attacked Mathura, Sri Krishna shifted to Dwarka as he could not kill Kalyavan who was armed with the boon from Lord Shiva.

This is the reason why Sri Krishna shifted from Mathura to Dwarka, the newly built city on the western coast of India.

Kalyavan did not retrieve. He arrived at Dwarka. Sri Krishna now acted like running away from him and ran into a cave in which King Muchukunda was sleeping. The king had got from Devas that anyone who wakes him up would be burned into ashes. Kalyavan mistook the sleeping King for Sri Krishna and woke him up. He met his end when he was turned into ashes.

Jarasandha was killed by Bhima, the second of Pandava brothers in a wrestling match with the help of Sri Krishna.