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REALISTIC PERSONALITY VEILED IN EXAGGERATIONS
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mountain ranges upto two dozen miles while Meru upto two lac dozen miles Krishna levered up the Gowardhan with his hand while Mahavira shook it with the thumb of his toe The fancy of 'Paumcharu' is in no way inferior to that of 'Bhagwat' In stamina Krishna could not excel over Mahavira
(2) Kumar Vardhaman was eight Once he was playing the game called 'Tindusak' with other princes Indra commended his valour A god descended on the earth to test his mettle He personated as a child and joined him in the sport The two ran to reach a particular tree Vardhman outdıd him in reaching and touching the tree and thus won The god was defeated. According to the rules of the game the successful child rode the shoulders of the defeated one (who assumed an equine role in his frolics) Vardhman rode the defeated god in disguise of a child to reach the arena The disguised child rose to touch the zenith Vardhman could understand the divine disguise and hit him with his fist The fist blow shortened the godly frame, who hung his head in shame before the human supremacy?
Indra watched the whole occurrence from his empyrean heights Since his predictions materialised he descended to where Vardhman was He greeted him with hymns and renamed him as Mahavira or 'the truly brave'
Compare this myth with its parallel from 'Bhagwat'
Krishna and Balbhadra were engaged in child like frolics with other juvenile cowherds They rode one another as one does a horse A demon Pralamba, sent by king Kansa, mixed with them in the guise of a boy He wanted to abduct Krishna and Balbhadra He carried Balbhadra away over his shoulders, playing his equine role He then appeared in his fearsome, diabolical aspect However, Balbhadra was not to be scared He hit the demon with his fist so that he vomitted out blood He was then committed to death
- 1 'Awashyakchurni I pt pp 246-248
2 Bhagwat', 10/20/18-30
