During Jarasandha's eighteenth attack, Krishna and Balarama discussed what had to be done .

Balarama spoke, "Krishna, this is very bad  Both the armies have surrounded our kingdom. We cannot fight both the armies at the same time." Besides most of the people were sent to Dwaravathi. There were very few soldiers left over in the city of Mathura.

"What should we do now?" Balarama asked Krishna. "We just cannot attack Kalayavana. He cannot be defeated by us. Can we call the help of our own friends?"

Krishna smiled, shaking his head, "No brother, we do not need to run to our friends. I think this problem we can take care ourselves."

Balarama looked enquiringly at Krishna. Krishna smiled and was about to explain, when their own army man came forward, "Why can we not destroy Kalayavana? He is also a normal man. We have defeated Jarasandha seventeen times  Do you think we cannot do it the eighteenth time?"

Krishna smiled, "You speak like this, because you don't know Kalayavana's story."

The army man looked curiously at Krishna. The thought of defeat had not really occurred to him. With the Dark Lord, that was really not an option. "What is Kalyavana's story?" He asked.

Krishna smiled.

"There were two great rishis Shyala, who was our family priest - the family priest of the Yadavas and Sage Ganga. When they were debating about a point, there broke out a quarrel between them. Ganga was so angry with Shyala, that he walked away with anger from the debate."

The army man nodded wondering what the fight between two rishis would have to do with them. But he listened to the story attentively.

"Ganga walked away from the place and prayed to Lord Shiva. He prayed for twelve years and then Lord Shiva appeared before him.

Though 12 years had passed, Ganga's anger with the Yadavas had not reduced. In fact he was more angry than ever. Ganga with angry eyes looked at Lord Shiva, "The Yadavas! I want to destroy them."

Lord Shiva looked at Gargya with sad eyes. Such a good man had performed such a powerful penance and all he asked for was destruction.

Lord Shiva took a deep breath and looked at Gargya and said, 'What boon do you seek, great rishi?'

Gargya did not understand the sadness within Lord Shiva because he was angry. He said angrily, "I wish for a son - a son whom all the Yadavas would be afraid of!"

Krishna's army man slowly nodded his head. But then he did not understand, how the son of this rishi came into their problem

He listened as the Dark Lord spoke.

"The son of that great rishi was black in complexion, black as a beetle. Because of this he was named Kalayavana."

The army man looked surprised as Krishna continued, 'Yes my man! The great rishi gave his son in adoption to King Yavasena, who did not have any children of his own!'

The army man nodded his head unhappily. Yavasena was the previous king of his kingdom. Now Kalayavana was the king and he had a boon that could not be defeated by any Yadava. That meant even the Dark Lord could not defeat him.

The army man looked at Krishna wondering what the Dark Lord was going to do about this.

Krishna smiled, 'As I was telling my elder brother Don't worry, I have a plan."

Krishna looked at his army man and nearly laughed to himself. "We run!"

*********

The next morning, Kalayavana's armies surrounded the city of Mathura. They saw the gates of the city and were in for a surprise.

They rushed to their King with the news.

"My Lord,there is a man at the gates of the city. He..." The soldiers wondered how to describe the man, "He is one of the most handsome men I have ever seen ever. He is dark. But...." The soldier shook himself almost getting lost in the description of the man, "But he looks like he is going to escape from the city. I think you should see this for yourself."

Kalyavana rushed to the spot. He had already suspected whom the man could be.

Once he saw the dark man, Kalayavana knew that this was indeed the Dark One. For a second Kalayavana was mesmerized by Krishna. Then he shook himself. I am going to kidnap this man and bring him to Jarasandha.

Kalayavana did not stop to think about why Krishna was trying to escape from Mathura. He told his men, "This could be a trick I want you to stay here and observe the city. I am going to go after that Krishna."

So without any weapons, Kalayavana ran after Krishna. As Kalayavana almost caught up with Krishna, he was surprised.

Krishna ran faster almost as if he was terrified for his life.

For the first time Kalayavana was surprised. I have heard how you killed Kamsa with your own hands You have defeated Jarasandha seventeen times. And yet you are running away from me.

Kalayavana was suddenly filled with pride.  "Come back you coward. Turn back and fight."

The chase continued. As Kalayavana felt that he could reach Krishna and held out his hands and Krishna would suddenly run further away.

Kalayavana thought Krishna looked terrified as he ran. Arrogantly Kalayavana ran behind him.

Running, they came before a huge mountain.

Kalayavana looked gleefully as Krishna seemed to look around desperately. Kalayavana's sharp eyes saw a cave at the base of the mountain.

"You think you are going to escape from me, by hiding in a cave I will show you!"  Kalayavana shouted as he angrily ran faster trying to reach Krishna.

But before Kalayavana reached Krishna, Krishna disappeared inside the cave.

The cave was dark and because of the sudden change in light, Kalayavana could not see anything. He blinked and waited for his eyes to get adjusted to the darkness.

After Kalayavana could see inside the cave, he was in for a bigger shock. There was a sleeping form lying in the cave!

Kalayavana was finally fed up. This man was a fool and a coward. He thinks just because he pretends to be asleep, I would not kill him.

Wondering why people talked so highly of Krishna, Kalyavanaha yelled at the sleeping form, "Get up and fight."

The sleeping form would not get up. Angrily Kalayavana kicked the sleeping form.

Kalayavana was in for a bigger shock, when the sleeping figure opened his eyes. It was a stranger's face.

But before Kalayavana could even explain himself to the man, he was burnt to ashes!

************

The sleeping man still looked angry wondering who had the audacity to disturb his sleep, when he saw beside him another man.

Looking at the dark man, made the sleeping man feel blissful as if he had reached the end of the road one that marked the beginning of something more....more beautiful that he had ever imagined....A dark man, who looked handsome beyond imagination and who looked infinitely more intelligent and powerful.

"Who are you?"The sleeping form asked the dark man with wonder in his eyes.

Krishna spoke to Muchukunda, the sleeping king, with love in his eyes, "The names I have used and the actions I have done cannot be recounted in one breath, my friend. Ask anything from me and I will grant it to you."

Muchukunda said wonderingly, "I do not want anything. I just want to be with you, always."

Krishna shook his head smilingly, "I can make you the king of the world. I can do anything you want. You can ask me and I will give you."

Muchukunda looked at Krishna with tears in his eyes, "You are making fun for me. You are giving me all these things which would go away at the blink of an eye. I have been a great king, my Lord. I have fought great wars and won all of them. But none of them, not one thing, brings me the peace that I feel right now. I just want to be with you all the time. Please."

Krishna smiled, "Forgive me, my king. I was testing you. I now know that you are firm at what you want. You definitely deserve salvation. However you need to spend some more time on earth. You have been a warrior and you have killed animals for a sport. For that you need to spend some more time on earth and after that you will come and stay with me for all eternity."

Muchukunda was happy. He and the Dark Lord parted at the mouth of the cave.

Krishna went back to Mathura, his work here done and Muchukunda went to the ashrama of Nara and Narayana and performed penance there, to spend his time of earth.

Meanwhile without an army to lead them, Kalyavana's army could not meet the challenge when Balarama attacked them. Krishna joined them and together the two brothers destroyed the army.