Kalayavan

Kalayavan or Kālayāvan (Sanskrit: कालयावन) (Lit. 'Black Yavana,' Yavana meaning a Greek.) was an asura who invaded Mathura with an army of thirty million yavanas against Krishna.

Invasion

After the invasion, Krishna departed to built a city of Dwārkā amidst sea, transported all his people to this city and left them in Dwārkā.

Krishna lured him into the cave of the mighty Muchukunda, who being disturbed from sleep by a kick from Kalayavana, cast a fiery glance upon him and reduced him to ashes.

This legend appears to indicate an invasion from the Himalayas. According to the Vishnu Purana and Harivansa, Kalayavana was the son of a Brahman named Ganga, and a Yavana princess.

ee also

*Aesir-Asura correspondence

References

*Sister Nivedita & Ananda K.Coomaraswamy: Myths and Legends of the Hindus and Bhuddhists, Kolkata, 2001 ISBN 81-7505-197-3
*Dowson's Classical Dictionary of Hindu mythology