A king has a prime responsibility of keeping his people happy, safe, prosperous and healthy. When a king gives importance to his subjects rather than himself, it is considered the most beautiful virtue of him. A story of one such king who put all his life in the benefit of his people was King Muchikunda, He was such a divine person, that the Almighty selected him to be beneficial not only to his subjects as a king, but to the devas and later to the entire mankind in restoring Dharma.
Muchikunda was a king of Ayodhya and one of the forefathers of Shri Ram. He was a great warrior well versed with the knowledge of all Astras and Sastras. Once, the Devas approach him to help them fight the demons with his valour. King Muchikunda agrees and supports the Devas. After a victorious battle, Devraj Indr asks him for a boon. As the noble king felt tired after the long battle, Muchikunda asks for an undisturbed sleep till the time he wished for. Indr granted him the same with a boon that anybody who would disturb his sleep forcibly would be reduced to ashes. Muchikunda reaches a cave and starts sleeping in the cave for years together.
Yugas pass, and from the Treta Yug comes the Dwapar Yug. After Shri Krishna killed Kamsa, Jarasandh, who was Kamsa father–in law, attacked Mathura seventeen times to avenge the death of Kamsa. But he never could succeed. Unable to counter Shri Krishna, Jarasandh seeks an alliance with Kalayavan, the demon warrior who was blessed with a boon by Bhagwan Shiv that he could never be defeated in the battlefield by his enemy. Endowed with such a boon and the powerful army of Jarasandh, Kalayavan attacks Mathura.
Shri Krishna who knew that it was impossible to defeat Kalayavan in the battlefield devises a plan. He asks Balaram to defend Jarasandh while he goes and stands in front of Kalayavan directly. When Kalayavan sees him, he challenges Shri Krishna for a fight. But Shri Krishna says nothing and starts running from there. Kalayavan arrogantly thinks that Shri Krishna is afraid of him and stars chasing him. Shri Krishna runs all over mountains, rivers, forests and Kalayavan chases him all through. Finally Shri Krishna reaches the cave in which Muchikund was in his deep slumber. He goes inside the cave and hides behind Muchikunda’s rock bed.
Meanwhile, Kalayavan reaches the cave and believes that Shri Krishna is trapped in the cave and cannot escape him. In his foolishness, he enters the dark cave and sees Muchikund sleeping on the rocks. Assuming him to be Shri Krishna, Kalayavan mocks him to be a coward and hiding in a cave. Out of arrogance of his power, he kicks Muchikunda and disturbs the king’s sleep. Muchikunda is furious as to who was woke him up and opens his eyes and spots Kalayavana. The moment the noble king sees the demon, Kalayavan is burnt into ashes with the power of Indr’s boon.
Shri Krishna then comes in front of Muchikunda and blesses him in the form of Bhagwan Vishnu and explains him the entire incident. Muchikunda is delighted to have the darshan of the Almighty and requests Shri Krishna to grant him liberation which Shri Krishna does so. Thus, is the story of King Muchikunda, who as a king not only favoured and took care of his subjects, but also helped the entire mankind in destroying a ferocious demon like Kalayavan.