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| Image on Left used for representation purpose only, it is not a picture of Dwarka. |
Written & presented by Arth Chakraborty
In today's Sunday Special, we'll be taking you all more than 5000 years back in history to explore and know the facts about the Supreme God - Shri Krishna and his kingdom & city on earth named Dwarka.
Present Day Dwarka:
The present day Dwarka is a city and a municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the state of Gujarat in northwestern India. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti River. Dwarka is one of the Chardhams (four sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites) and is one of the Sapta Puri, the seven most ancient religious cities in the country. Dwarka is believed to have been the first capital of Gujarat (basically within Saurashtra) during the reign of Shri Krishna.
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| The Dwarkadhish Temple |
The Dwarkadhish Temple in the city dedicated to Krishna was originally built around 2,500 years ago, but was destroyed by Mahmud Begada rulers and subsequently rebuilt in the 16th century. The temple is also the location of Dwaraka maţha, also called Sharada Matha/Peeth and "western peeth", one of the four peeths (Sanskrit: "religious center") established by Adi Shankaracharya. As an important pilgrimage centre for Hindus, Dwarka has several notable temples, including Rukmini Devi Temple, Gomti Ghat, and Bet Dwarka. There is also a lighthouse at the land end point of Dwarka.
Ancient History of Dwarka:
The name of the city literally means gateway. Dwarka has also been referred to throughout its history as "Mokshapuri", "Dwarkamati", and "Dwarkavati". It is mentioned in the ancient prehistoric epic period of the Mahabharata.
After defeating his wicked uncle Kansa at Mathura, Shri Krishna settled here in Dwarka. Gujarat's culture is closely associated with Shri Krishna's migration. Shri Krishna is also said to have reclaimed 12 yojanas or 96 square kilometres (37 sq mi) of land from the sea to create Dwarka.
The Yadavas, who had migrated from Mathura, established their kingdom here when the city was known as "Kaushathali". It was during this period that the city underwent rebuilding and was named Dwarka. A friendly population of natives also prompted Krishna to settle at Dwarka when he decided, after fighting Jarasandha, the demon king of Magadh, to retreat from Mathura.
The kingdom of Dwarka, also known as the Yaduvanshi empire, was established by Ugrasena, father of Kansa the then ruler and later Shri Krishna flourished and extended its domain. It is said that Shri Krishna conducted the administration of his kingdom from Dwarka while residing with his family in Bet Dwarka.
Submergence of Dwarka Under the Sea:-
It is believed that due to the evil deeds of Shri Krishna's son - Sāmba (son of Jambavati).
In the Mausal Parva of the Mahabharat, the great archer & pandava Arjuna witnesses the submergence of Dvaraka and describes it as follows:
The sea, which had been beating against the shores, suddenly broke the boundary that was imposed on it by nature. The sea rushed into the city. It coursed through the streets of the beautiful city. The sea covered up everything in the city. I saw the beautiful buildings becoming submerged one by one. In a matter of a few moments it was all over. The sea had now become as placid as a lake. There was no trace of the city. Dvaraka was just a name; just a memory.
Shri Krishna's Beauty & Incident at Dwarka Palace:
Shri Krishna's lustre of sweet youthfulness is so extraordinary beautiful that even he himself was charmed by this unique brilliance and this proves that he is full of all inconceivable potencies. By seeing his own reflection, he gets attracted to it, thus he desires to take the form of Srimati Rādhā, since Rādhā is able to see his form in front of her.
- Shri Krishna's attraction by his own beauty is described in Lalita-mādhava (8.34): Upon seeing his own picture, Shri Krishna lamented, "How glorious this picture is! It is attracting Me just as it attracts Rādhārāṇī."
Always standing in a three-curved way, He attracts all living entities, including the demigods. Indeed, He even attracts the Nārāyaṇa form who presides in every Vaikuṇṭha planet. (Teachings of Lord Caitanya)
āpana-mādhurye hare āpanāra mana
āpanā āpani chāhe karite āliṅgana
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| Lord Chaitanya |
"Upon seeing His own reflection in a bejeweled pillar of His Dvārakā palace, Shri Krishna desired to embrace it, saying, "Alas, I have never seen such a person before. Who is He? Just by seeing Him I have become eager to embrace Him, exactly like Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī."
- Lord Krishna's beauty is unequaled and unsurpassed. (CC Madhya 9.144)
Although Shri Krishna's unparalleled beauty is the topmost sweetness of love of Godhead, his sweetness increases unlimitedly when he is in the company of the gopīs. Consequently Shri Krishna's exchange of love with the gopīs is the topmost perfection of love of Godhead. (CC Madha 8.94)
- The Lord is the transcendental form of eternity, cognition and beauty. (SB 1.5.20 p)
- The bodily beauty of Shri Krishna is like a wave in the ocean of eternal youth. (CC Madhya 21.113)
Archaeological Facts:
Dwarka is mentioned in the copper inscription dated 574 AD of Simhaditya, the Maitraka dynasty minister of Vallabhi. He was the son of Varahdas, the king of Dwarka. The nearby Bet Dwarka island is a religious pilgrimage site and an important archaeological site of the Late Harappan period, with one thermoluminescence date of 1570 BC.
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