Krishna Kills the Elephant Kuvalayapeeda

The evil king Kansa, fearing the prophecy that his nephew Krishna would be his downfall, devised several plans to eliminate him. Kansa’s latest scheme involved his fierce, enormous elephant, Kuvalayapeeda, who was known for his strength and brutality. Kansa instructed the elephant’s mahout (keeper) to release Kuvalayapeeda on Krishna and his brother, Balarama, hoping the beast would crush them.

When Krishna and Balarama arrived at the arena, they were met by Kuvalayapeeda, who charged towards them with fury. Undeterred, Krishna approached the elephant with a calm demeanor. The giant beast lifted its trunk, preparing to grab Krishna and trample him. As Kuvalayapeeda attempted to seize him, Krishna nimbly dodged, slipping out of the elephant’s grip with ease.

Frustrated, Kuvalayapeeda lifted one of his massive legs and tried to stomp on Krishna, but Krishna evaded again. Balarama, seeing the danger, joined the fight, prepared to protect his brother. The elephant, enraged and humiliated, turned his attention to both brothers, determined to crush them.

At one point, Kuvalayapeeda charged at the brothers with his tusks aimed at them. Showing remarkable strength and skill, Krishna and Balarama simultaneously seized the elephant’s tusks. With a powerful twist, they broke the tusks off, rendering the elephant defenseless.

As the giant beast fell to the ground, weakened and defeated, Krishna and Balarama used the broken tusks to put an end to Kuvalayapeeda’s threat. The crowd watched in awe, witnessing the brothers’ strength and courage in overcoming such a formidable foe.

With Kuvalayapeeda defeated, Krishna and Balarama continued towards Kansa, determined to end his reign of terror. The defeat of the elephant demonstrated to all that Krishna was no ordinary boy, but a divine force destined to bring justice and righteousness.

—

**Moral:** The tale of Krishna and the elephant Kuvalayapeeda teaches us that courage, skill, and quick thinking can overcome even the greatest of obstacles. It reminds us that true strength lies not only in physical power but in wisdom and the will to stand up against injustice.