Devalok
Festival story · 2 tellings · Pan-India, West India

The jewel that shamed Krishna (the Syamantaka)

Satrajit wears a jewel given by the Sun. His brother Prasena takes it hunting and is killed by a lion, and Dvaraka blames Krishna. Krishna follows the trail to Jambavan's cave, fights him for twenty-eight days, and returns with the jewel and Jambavati. On Ganesh Chaturthi the story is heard to undo the blame of seeing the forbidden moon.

Who is in it

Places: Dvaraka · Texts: Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana

The story, beat by beat

  1. Surya gives Satrajit the Syamantaka jewel, and he refuses it to Krishna.
  2. Prasena wears it hunting and is killed by a lion, which Jambavan kills.
  3. Dvaraka says Krishna killed Prasena for the jewel.
  4. Krishna fights Jambavan for twenty-eight days; Jambavan knows him as Rama and gives the jewel and his daughter.
  5. Satrajit, ashamed, gives Krishna Satyabhama; on Chaturthi the story is heard as the cure for the moon's curse.

rumour honour jewel festival

How it is told, place by place

Base telling · Primary text (translation)

Bhagavata Purana 10.56 to 57

Pan-India · sa Vaishnava 🪔 Ganesh Chaturthi

Surya gives Satrajit the Syamantaka, which yields eight measures of gold a day. Krishna asks for it for King Ugrasena and is refused. Prasena wears it hunting; a lion kills him and Jambavan kills the lion. Satrajit suspects Krishna, who tracks the trail to Jambavan's cave and fights him for twenty-eight days. Jambavan recognises his lord Rama and gives the jewel and his daughter Jambavati. Krishna returns the jewel before the assembly, and Satrajit gives him Satyabhama.

Bhagavata Purana 10.56 to 57, the Syamantaka jewel (English translation, Vedabase) § 10.56; Bhagavata Purana 10.56 to 57, the Syamantaka jewel (English translation, Vedabase) § 10.57

Popular retelling

As told on Ganesh Chaturthi

West India · mr Ganapatya 🪔 Ganesh Chaturthi

Krishna sees the Chaturthi moon reflected in a milk pail and is soon blamed for Prasena's death. Narada tells him that is why, and he keeps the Ganesha vow; Ganesha promises that anyone who sees the moon that night by mistake will be freed of false blame by hearing or telling the Syamantaka story. Priests recite the verse: the lion killed Prasena, Jambavan killed the lion, do not cry, little one, this Syamantaka is yours.

What is different here:

Framed by the moon's curse and Ganesha's vow.

Syamantaka, Wikipedia; Ganesh Chaturthi, Wikipedia

Sources: Bhagavata Purana 10.56 to 57, the Syamantaka jewel (English translation, Vedabase); Syamantaka, Wikipedia; Ganesh Chaturthi, Wikipedia

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