The Prophecy of Śambara’s Death
In the divine city of Dvārakā, Queen Rukmiṇī gave birth to a beautiful son, Pradyumna, who was none other than Kāmadeva reborn. The great sages foresaw that a powerful asura named Śambara would meet his death at the hands of this child.
Fearing the prophecy, Śambara disguised himself as a celestial and entered Dvārakā undetected. Seizing the infant from the palace, he flew into the sky, escaping the eyes of even the vigilant guards.
Pradyumna Cast into the Ocean
Śambara flew over the mighty ocean and, desiring to destroy the child forever, cast the infant into the roaring sea. But divine destiny protected the Lord’s son.
A huge fish swallowed the baby, and by the will of the Supreme Lord, the fish was later caught in the nets of local fishermen.
Delivered to Śambara’s Kitchen
That fish, unusually large, was taken as a special gift to Śambara’s own kitchen, where a woman named Māyāvatī worked. She was no ordinary cook—she was Rati, the consort of Kāmadeva, now serving in the demon’s house under curse.
As she cut open the fish, her hands stopped. Inside was a divine child, glowing with celestial light.
Her heart immediately recognized the child: “This is my husband, Kāmadeva, reborn as Pradyumna!”
By the arrangement of providence, she raised him secretly, giving him milk, care, and protection. As he grew, she gradually taught him powerful mantras and secrets of illusion to prepare him for his divine task.
Māyāvatī Reveals the Truth
When Pradyumna reached manhood, Māyāvatī came to him privately and revealed everything:
“You are not an ordinary man. You are the son of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī. You are Kāmadeva reborn. Śambara, fearing your power, cast you into the sea. I am your eternal wife, Rati, reborn to protect you.”
Pradyumna remembered everything—his divine nature, his mission, and his connection to Kṛṣṇa. His eyes sparkled with fierce determination.
“Now the time has come to destroy this demon.”
The Mighty Battle with Śambara
With a roar like a lion, Pradyumna stormed into the court of Śambara. The demon laughed when he saw this youth:
“Who are you, foolish boy, that dares disturb me?”
But Pradyumna, holding a bow of celestial strength, declared:
“I am the death you tried to avoid. I am Pradyumna, son of Kṛṣṇa, come to end your wicked life!”
Śambara, enraged, summoned all his powers of māyā (illusion). He hurled storms, rivers of fire, rains of blood, illusions of monsters and burning suns—but Pradyumna, trained by Māyāvatī and empowered by Lord Viṣṇu, countered them all with his own mantras.
They fought a battle that shook the sky. The asuras and demigods watched with awe.
Finally, Pradyumna summoned his celestial discus and beheaded Śambara with a mighty cry of victory.
The demon’s body fell, and the heavens resounded with the applause of the sages and Devas.
The Flight from the Demon’s Kingdom
With the demon slain, Pradyumna and Māyāvatī left the kingdom, traveling by celestial airship to Dvārakā.
As they entered the palace, Rukmiṇī, seeing the youth who looked just like Kṛṣṇa, fainted in astonishment. The ministers were confused, and murmurs arose: “Has Kṛṣṇa taken a second form?”
But when Nārada Muni arrived and explained the full story, the entire palace was filled with tears of joy, music, and divine celebration.
Lessons to Be Learned:
- No force can destroy one protected by Kṛṣṇa, even if cast into the ocean or swallowed by a fish.
- The plans of the wicked always fail, while divine destiny always prevails.
- Rati’s love and loyalty show the eternal bond between pure souls and their destined partners.
- Spiritual training and divine memory, when awakened, make the devotee fearless even before powerful demons.
- The Lord’s children are never lost, only hidden for a time before returning in glory.
Origin of the Story: Harivaṁśa Purāṇa – Viṣṇu-parva, Chapters 66–72
