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Narakasura Killed By Satyabhama : Episode 109


Draupadi confers secretly with her husbands

Draupadi escapes from keechaka's clutches and rushes into Virata king's durbar and seeks his protection. Virata Raja offers her asylum, but withdraws it immediately when he comes to know that it was Keechaka who has chased her. He admits that he is a mere puppet and the real physical might and power rested only with his brother-in-law. Draupadi resists Keechaka's advances and is kicked by him in the presence of Yudhishtra and Bhima, who has come to the durbar to serve drinks to the courtiers. Draupadi turns to Kanaka for support but he merely tells her to be patient. He assures her that her Gandharva husbands know about what is going on, but have still chosen to keep quiet for a reason. Draupadi says she is aware that there are warriors stronger than Keechaka and wants to what is holding them back. Bhima can't take all this, but Yudhishtra (Kanaka) secretly signals restraint. Keechaka tells Draupadi that he wants her to come to him voluntarily and without force and offers her one day to agree to his proposal.

Narakasura taunts Krishna that he always ran away from Jarasandha and now he has come to fight with him keeping a woman in the front. The two fight in the air. Jarasandha aims an arrow at Krishna and He pretends to swoon. Finding her husband fallen, Bhama gets furious and she picks up the bow and shoots out an arrow at Narakasura. This hurts him mortally and he falls to the ground, calling 'amma'.

Suddenly Bhama feels very sad at hurting Narakasura, but can't understand why this is so. Krishna explains that she was Bhooma devi or Goddess Earth in her previous birth and had been taken captive by the demon king Hiranyaksha who hides her under the ocean in the Netherworld and Lord Vishnu, in the form of Varaha Avatar or wild boar incarnation, had rescued her. Narakasura had been born to Bhooma devi and Lord Vishnu, but because she had seen Hiranyaksha at the time of giving birth to her son, the son had become demoniacal. (Certain legends/books refer to Narakasura as Bhooma Devi and Hiranyaksha's son.) Narakasura had gained a boon from Brahma that he would die only in the hands of his mother. That is why Krishna has taken Satyabhama along so that she could kill him herself.

Krishna and Bhama descend down the aerial chariot and go to Narakasura. Narakasura requests Krishna that his death should be celebrated with light and happiness. That is how Narakasura's death has come to be celebrated as Deepavali. Just as Narakasura breathes his last, a group of celestial women who have been held captive by Narakasura, beseech Krishna for protection. Bhama assures that the 16,100 women who have been prisoners of Narakasura would be redeemed by Krishna who would marry all of them. Krishna too nods his approval.

Dushasana comes to Virata's court and is received warmly by the king and queen and Keechaka. Dushasana requests the king's help in tracing the Pandavas who, as his spies have found out, have come to his kingdom. Keechaka assures Dushasana that he would definitely help him. He then calls an attendant and commands him to present a list of people who have come to their country in the past year. The attendant then confers with other men and finally presents his finding to Keechaka. Keechaka's attention is drawn to the Pandavas and Draupadi who have come to Virata's palace under various guises. Pandavas too get to know that probably their guises have come under scanner and they decide to be careful.

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