Story of Prasena

A King of Vṛṣṇivaṃśa.

Genealogy.

Descending in order from Viṣṇu—Brahmā Atri—Candra—Budha—Purūravas—Āyus—Nahuṣa—Yayāti—Yadu—Sahasrajit—Śatajit—Hehaya -Dharma—Kunti—Bhadrasena—Dhanaka—Kṛtavīrya—Kārtavīryārjuna—Madhu—Vṛṣṇi—Yudhājit—Anamitra—Snigdha (Nimna)—Prasena. Snigdha had two sons, Prasena and Satrājit.

Prasena and the Syamantaka.

Satrājit and Sūrya (Sun) were friends. Once Satrājit requested Sūrya to give him some gift as a token of their friendship. Then Sūrya gave him the Syamantaka gem. If that stone was worshipped daily with pūjās by brāhmaṇas it would yield eight loads of gold daily. When once Satrājit travelled by air with that gem round his neck the people of Dvārakā mistook him for Viṣṇu. Śrī Kṛṣṇa was attracted by the beauty and power of that stone and he asked Satrājit that gem for a good price. Śrī Kṛṣṇa offered as much money as he wanted and still Satrājit did not part with it.

Once Prasena went hunting with that gem round his neck and he was attacked and killed by a lion. The lion while carrying the Syamantaka was killed by Jāmbavān and the latter carried the gem to his den and gave it to his children to play with.

When Prasena did not return from his hunting and was found later lying dead without the gem the news spread that the stone might have been stolen by Kṛṣṇa after killing Prasena. The slander reached the ears of Kṛṣṇa also and he went to the forest in search of the Syamantaka. He found the cave of Jāmbavān and on peeping in found the children of Jāmbavān playing with the gem. Jāmbavān attacked Kṛṣṇa and after a grim battle which lasted for several days Jāmbavān was defeated. When he knew that it was Kṛṣṇa who had defeated him he gave him along with the Syamantaka his daughter Jāmbavatī also Kṛṣṇa brought the gem and the girl to Dvārakā and gave back the gem to Satrājit. (Chapter 38, Harivaṃśa; Chapter 13, Part 8, Padma Purāṇa).