Mercy

This is part of my ongoing series on the Mahabharat, an epic poem of ancient India. For links to all previous Mahabharat posts go here. Or you can simply click on the Mahabharat page link above.


Shishupal is a character in the Mahabharat who is mysterious for many reasons. He had a very particular relationship with Krishna, different from anyone else in the Mahabharat. This is his story:


Krishna had an aunt, Srutadeva, who was the Queen of Chedi. She was Vasudev's sister and rejoiced when the news came to Chedi that Krishna had killed the tyrant Kansa and freed Vasudev and Devki from jail.

However, Srutadeva was with child and thus could not travel to Mathura to join in the celebrations. Her pregnancy had been hard but she was excited to have her first child, hopefully a son who would be heir to her husband's throne.

Nine months came to an end and sure enough her pains started. She struggled through those longs hours of the night, surrounded by her maids. Then when she finally pushed the baby from her body, there was silence in the chamber.

Exhausted, Srutadeva tried to lean over to see but realised that her maids had shrunk back. "What?" Srutadeva said. "What is it?"

"Dear Lord," the midwife said, "it's a son. But..." The queen pushed upwards, ignoring the protests of her maids, and ordered her son to be given to her. Trembling, the midwife placed the baby in the Srutadeva's arms and the queen then saw what had made her servants so afraid.

The child just born of her body had not two arms but four, complete with hands and fingers and thumbs. And they were not his only deformity. Her son had an extra eye in the center of his forehead. It was black and beady, rolling in its socket.

"Throw it away, Your Majesty," her maids urged. "It's a monster."

The queen's eyes filled with tears. How could her son be a monster? Her brother's son was Krishna, the saviour of mankind. How could her son be like this?

"Throw it away, Your Majesty!"

She looked upwards. "Lord," she cried, "why do you test me like this?"

Out of a clear night there was a crack of thunder. A voice spoke from the sky. "Do not throw this child away."

The maids jumped.

"Do not throw this child away," the voice repeated. "He will be a great warrior."

The queen shook her head at the sky. "But if his beginning is this, what will be his end?"

"The one who is holding him when his deformities disappear," the oracle said, "that warrior shall be the one to kill him."

Gasping, she hugged her monstrous baby to her breast. "My son," she wept. "My poor son."

Vasudev and Devki heard the news that Srutadeva's first born, Shishupal, was horribly deformed. Taking their sons, Krishna and Balaram, they went to see her.

Vasudev greeted his sister at the palace in Chedi and she fell into his arms. "It'll be alright," he told her, stroking her hair. "Trust in the Lord, sister."

She made an effort to pull herself together and they went into her chambers.

"Where is my nephew?" Vasudev said. "I long to see him."

The queen picked him up from his satin lined crib and presented him to Vasudev and Devki. They ohhhed and ahhhed over his button nose and fat cheeks, blithely ignoring his beady third eye and extra arms. Devki took Shishupal into her lap and kissed him with affection.

Balaram and Krishna crowded around to see their cousin. "He's so cute!" Krishna said. Balaram pushed Krishna out of the way. "Just look at his tiny feet!" he said, grinning.

Shishupal gurgled and kicked, making his elders laugh in delight.

"I want to hold him," Balaram said and Vasudev transferred the baby to Balaram's lap.

"Careful," Devki said. "Hold his head up." Balaram gently cupped Shishupal's head and neck and googooed over the baby, who batted at his face with four hands. Balaram laughed and buzzed the baby's tummy.

"My turn to hold him," Krishna said.

"I'm still playing!" Balaram protested.

"Son, we have to share," Vasudev said and moved Shishupal to Krishna's lap, making Krishna grin in triumph.

The third eye in Shishupal's forehead disappeared. It simply faded away as if it had never been, leaving the skin of his brow clear. The extra arms also vanished, leaving the flesh of the baby's torso chubby and unmarred.

Srutadeva gasped.

Vasudev and Devki gasped too. "What miracle can you not do!" Devki cried, hugging her son. "Krishna," Vasudev said, shaking his head. "You're a constant amazement."

They did not see that Srutadeva was pale, her skin clammy, her breathing harsh.

Late that night Srutadeva couldn't sleep. She went to Krishna's room and stood at the foot of his bed. His sweet beauty was mesmerising and she stood there staring at her slumbering nephew.

He was still only a child yet he'd accomplished so much. He'd freed Mathura of a tyrant. He'd brought freedom to his parents. He'd saved millions of oppressed people. She wondered how her family could be blessed with a son like Krishna yet condemned with a son like Shishupal. Why was she chosen for this trial? What had she done to deserve it?

Krishna was so kind and compassionate. He'd played with his cousin for hours, stopping only when the baby grew sleepy. What terrible deed would Shishupal commit that it would cause Krishna to kill him?

Standing there alone with her thoughts, her silent tears fell onto Krishna's feet.

He sat up in bed, locking his lotus eyes on her face. "Aunt?"

She couldn't bear it. She put her head in her hands and sobbed.

"Aunt!" Krishna leaped out of bed and put his arms around her shoulders. "What's the matter?" She clung to him and he held her, asking over and over what was wrong.

She shuddered. "Will you kill my son, Krishna?"

He pulled away to look at her. "What are you talking about?"

"When Shishupal was in your lap, his deformities vanished. And the oracle said-"

"Oracle?"

"Yes. When he was born I asked the Lord how he would die. An oracle from the sky told me that whoever was holding him when his eye and arms disappeared would be the one to kill him."

Krishna was silent for a moment. Then he whispered: "But why did you ask such a question?"

"I just did. Now I'm so afraid. He's your cousin, Krishna. Your brother. Please spare him."

Krishna shook his head. "If he does nothing wrong then there will be no reason for me to have to spare him. But if he commits unlawful deeds that bring pain to others, I will have to stop him just as I will have to stop others. It is my duty, Aunt."

Srutadeva stepped closer. "Do you know Shishupal's fate?"

"The Almighty knows the fate of all. It is best that such knowledge remain there."

"Krishna, you're my nephew, like my own son. I want you to promise me that no matter what Shishupal does, you'll forgive him."

Krishna cast his gaze at the marble floor. "Only the Divine Mother Durga can give such an infinite boon. But I'll promise you this, beloved Aunt," he said, looking back at her. "I promise you that I will forgive him one hundred times. Whenever he commits a deed punishable by death, I will forgive him up to one hundred times."

She sagged in relief. The release of tension within her was so extreme that Krishna grabbed her shoulders to stop her falling. She suddenly laughed. "I've been so afraid but I should never have doubted you, my sweet boy. No one could commit death worthy deeds more than a hundred times. My Shishupal is safe." She embraced Krishna, still laughing with joy. She did not see the look on his face.

He pressed his lips together and squeezed his eyes shut, as if seeing what he did not want to see.


To be continued...

Go here for the second part of Mercy.

Go here for last week's Mahabharat post entitled The Stranger - Unknown Disciple.