A demon king, Kalyavana, wanted to avenge his father, Garga muni’s insult and destroy the Yadava clan. So, he joined hands with Jarasandha to destroy Mathura. They planned to attack from the east and the west, simultaneously. However, when they reached Mathura, an empty city awaited them. An enraged Jarasandha destroyed Mathura and called Krishna a Ranchod; Ran meaning war and chod meaning run away. Just then, Lord Krishna came to meet Kalyavana, in his Vishnu form. When Kalyavana saw Lord Krishna, he remembered the description narrated by Narada. He had said, “Lord Krishna is like the rising moon and very beautiful to look at. He is dark in complexion, clad in yellow silk garments with the Srivatsa mark on his bosom and Kaustubha Mani sparkling in the neck. He has four arms, lotus-like eyes, dazzling alligator-shaped ear-rings and a charming smile on his face.” Immediately, Kalyavana started chasing Lord Krishna, who quickly ran away towards a distant mountain cave.
Ranchod
