Vishnu Appears to King Muchukunda in a Cave in the Himalayas

Muchukunda is a king of the Suryavamsha (Solar dynasty) in Hindu mythology. He is the son of King Mandhata, and the brother of Ambarisha.

According to the Mahabharata, Kalayavana, a great yavana warrior king, was undefeated and unmatched in battle due to a boon. Allied with Jarasandha, he set out to invade Krishna’s kingdom, Mathura. When the two armies faced each other in battle, Krishna dismounted from his chariot and retreated, followed by Kalayavana. After a long pursuit, Krishna, followed by Kalayavana, entered a dark cave. This was the same cave that Muchukunda was present within, still engaged in his slumber. Kalayavana, in a fit of anger and unable to see in the dark, attacked Muchukunda, mistaking him to be Krishna. When Muchukunda opened his eyes, his gaze fell upon Kalayavana, who was immediately burnt to ashes.

After gaining his bearings, the king was delighted to see Krishna. Krishna advised him to perform tapas to cleanse his accumulated sins, to attain moksha (liberation). After meeting with the deity, Muchukunda set out of the cave. The story narrates that he was astonished to see all creatures had shrunken in size over time while he rested in the cave, indicating long ages gone by. Muchukunda then went to Gandamadana Mountain and from there to Badrika Ashrama for performing a penance.

Opaque watercolor and gold on paper H: 27.0 W: 37.4 cm Punjab Hills, India