Krishna & Arjuna’s war

STORY 1 SUBHADRA, THE CHASTE

Once the hermit Kalava, uttering the Mantras was just about to offer to the Sun God the water held in his palms.

 At that moment, a Gandharva by name Chitrasena, passing through the sky spat out the betel he was chewing not noticing the hermit worshipping below. It exactly fell into the water in the palms of the hermit. 

Kalava looked up and saw the Gandharva. He got terribly angry. Kalava, refrained from cursing the Gandharva since he would lose spiritual power thereby and decided to go to Sri Krishna and inform Him of the misdeed so that He may punish him. Then he went to Dwaraka and complained to Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna immediately gave word to the hermit Kalava that he would kill the Gandharva before sunset next day.

Meanwhile Narada went to Chitrasena and informed him of Sri Krishna's resolve to kill him before sunset next day. Narada advised him to approach and plead with Yama, Indra, Brahma and Shiva to save him.All of them decline to help. Narada again came to him.

 Narada told Chitrasena," Don't fear. I shall show you a better way to save yourself. 

Go tonight to the banks of Yamuna and weep loudly. A woman coming there will enquire the cause of your wailing. Don't let out the reason for your grief till she promises to protect you".

He agreed. Meanwhile Narada approached Subhadra, the sister of Sri Krishna and the wife of Arjuna and told her," Oh Subhadra! If you want all your desires to be fulfilled and acquire great merit, bathe tonight in the Yamuna River and go to the rescue of anyone found on the river bank in distress". She agreed.

Subhadra went to river Yamuna that night along with her friends and took her bath. When she was about to return, she heard someone wailing. Subhadra went near the person who was weeping and enquired him of the cause of his distress. The person who was no other than Chitrasena, after extracting a promise from her that she would protect him, narrated to her all that happened.

Subhadra told him, "Don't worry. My husband Arjuna will surely protect you".

Subhadra informed Arjuna regarding her promise to Chitrasena who agrees to fight even his dear friend Sri Krishna in order to save the life of Chitrasena. 

The next day a terrific battle took place between Sri Krishna and Arjuna. Both fought untiringly. Finally Sri Krishna took up his invincible discus and Arjuna his mighty Pasupata Astra for the final showdown. 

At that moment, Lord Shiva appeared before them and said," O Sri Krishna, Arjuna is your devotee. So would it be fair for you create a situation in which you devotee is not able to keep up the word?".

Sri Krishna accepted of Lord Shiva and stopped fighting. 

On hearing the hermit Kalava became very angry and exclaimed," both of you has sided with that Gandharva who insulted me. Now I will curse him to ashes. But when the hermit took water in his hands to sprinkle on the ground to pronounce the curse, Subhadra intervenes and utters," if it be true that I have never touched even with my mind any man, other than my husband, let this water not fall on the earth."

 The water did not fall from the hermit's hands. How his curse bear fruit? The hermit went away dispirited. What can anyone do before the power of a chaste woman?