Ranchor — The Leela of Krishna

Whenever God takes birth and walks on this planet, almost everyone is oblivious of their existence. Most people ignore them. A few lucky ones are aware of the lord’s presence and assist them in their mission. A select few also abuse the lord, call them all kinds of names, and make it their personal mission to create roadblocks for them.

Lord Krishna had taken birth and, as a teenager, ended the tyranny of his uncle Kamsa, who ruled the city of Mathura. Kamsa was married to the daughter of the emperor Jarasandha who then proceeded to attack Mathura seventeen times over multiple years. During the last attack, he teamed up with Kal Yavana, who got three million Yavanas to attack and raze Mathura to the ground.

Jarasandha sent a message to the Yadavas asking them to offer the heads of Krishna and Balarama to him if they wished to be spared. Krishna clearly saw that they would not be able to win this war because Mathura was a land-locked city and was vulnerable to attack from all corners. He secretly asked the Vishwakarma — the architect of the gods — to create an island city for the Yadavas. Once it was ready, he asked the Yadavas to migrate from Mathura to Dwaraka.

Urgasena, the king of Yadavas, pointed out to Krishna that they belonged to the warrior clan. If they ran away, people would call Krishana, Ranchor — the one who has run away from a battlefield.

Krishna laughed and said he already was the proud recipient of many such names, and one more would make no difference. He said he would rather live with this name than sacrifice the lives of his countrymen for a needless war. The Yadavas successfully migrated to Dwaraka under Krishan’s guidance and led prosperous lives.

Swati Gunwant takes the name Ranchor, which was meant to insult the lord, and uses it to summon him with such pain and devotion that it will melt your heart when you hear it.