Jarasandh defeated Shrikrishna ! – false history by UP school textbook

Historians object !

Administration should act against those who teach wrong history !

Gorakhpur (UP) – ‘Bal Mahabharata Katha’, a 7th standard book in the central school here claims that Lord Shri Krishna left Mathura for Dwaraka since Jarasandh defeated Him. Geeta Press and Professors of Gorakhpur University have lodged their objection saying, this is patently false.

(Image courtesy: Navbharat Times)

1. The book ‘Bal Mahabharata Katha’ is an abridged version of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari’s Mahabharata Katha. This contains the discussion between Yudhishthir and Lord Shri Krishna at the time of Rajasuya Yagya. In chapter 14, on the page 33 of this book Lord Shri Krishna says that Magadh King Jarasandh is the biggest obstacle in this Yagya. It is not possible to perform this Yagya without defeating Jarasandha. We fought his forces for 3 years but lost. We had to leave Mathura and go far west to Dwaraka and live there by building a city and fort.
2. Deendayal Upadhyay, Gorakhpur University Professor of Ancient History said that, quoting such wrong information in NCERT or for that matter in any other book is inappropriate. No where it is mentioned in the original Mahabharata that Jarasandha defeated Lord Shri Krishna. There is no such mention in Harivansh Purana or anywhere else. Everywhere it is mentioned that Lord Krishna kept trying for peace till the last moment.
3. Shri Krishna was well aware of the boon received by Jarasandha that he could be killed by a weapon. Hence Shri Krishna built Dwaraka. As a result of which people from Mathura could live in peace. Afterwards Lord Shri Krishna instructed Bhima on how to kill Jarasandha.
4. Lalmani Tiwari, manager of Geeta Press said that after Shri Krishna killed Kansa, Kansa’s relative Jarasandh attacked Mathura 16 times one after the other. Lord Shri Krishna defeated him every time. Shri Krishna was aware that Jarasandha’s death is not written in his hands. Since repeated attack of Jarasandha led to loss of life in Mathura he decided to move to Dwaraka.