Narayani Sena

2022-01-16T17:21:55Z

2409:4043:211:4998:0:0:F19:E0B1:

{{Short description|Army of God Krishna in the epic Mahabharata}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = Narayani Sena<br/>नारायणी सेना
| type = [[Army]]
| role = Shock troops
| size = 10 millions
| nickname = Yadav Sena, Gopayan
| equipment = Swords, Bow & Arrow, Spear, Mace etc.
| equipment_label = Weapons
| battles = Kurukshetra war
| garrison = [[Dvārakā|Dwaraka]]
| garrison_label = Kingdom
| colors = Yellow {{color box|#FFFA41}}
| colors_label = Colours

| commander1 = [[Krishna]]
| commander1_label = Commander-in-Chief
| commander2 = {{*}}[[Balaram]]<br/>{{*}} [[Pradyumna]](br/){{*}}[[Samba (Krishna's son)|Samba]]<br/>{{*}}[[Kritavarma]]<br/>{{*}}[[Satyaki]] and others.
| commander2_label = Other Commanders
}}
[[File:Army of Pandavas.jpg|thumb|Army during the Mahabharata's war]]
'''Narayani Sena''', '''Gopayan'''<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wT-BAAAAMAAJ |title=The Cattle and the Stick: An Ethnographic Profile of the Raut of Chhattisgarh|last=Soni|first=Lok Nath|date=2000|publisher=Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Department of Culture|isbn=978-81-85579-57-3|language=en|pages=16}}</ref><ref name="Kumar1979">{{cite book|author=Nava Kumar|title=The Mahabharata: A Spiritual Interpretation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XHUpAAAAYAAJ&q=narayani+gop+sena|year=1979|publisher=Sura Sadan Pub.}}</ref> or '''Yadav(Ahir) Sena''', the army of [[Lord Krishna]] of [[Dvārakā|Dwarka Kingdom]] is called as the supreme Sena of all time. It is described in the [[Mahabharata|Mahabharat]] as being all of the [[Abhira tribe|Abhira caste]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Braj Kumar |last=Pandey |title=Sociology and Economics of Casteism in India: A Study of Bihar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e41uAAAAMAAJ |year=1996 |publisher=Pragati Publications, 1996 |isbn=9788173070365 |page=78 |quote=The Narayani Army which he organized, and which made him so powerful that his friendship was eagerly sought by the greatest kings of his time, is described in the Mahabharat as being all of the Abhira caste.}}</ref> They were the basic threat to the rival kingdoms. Fearing Narayani Sena, many Kings didn’t try fighting against Dwaraka. Because Dwaraka sorted most of the threats through Krishna’s politics and talent of Yadavas. Using Narayani Sena, the [[Yadavas]] extended their empire to most of India.<ref>{{cite book|first=Amir |last=Hasan |title=People of India: Uttar Pradesh, Volume 42, Part 1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LxdWAAAAYAAJ |year=2005 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India, 2005 |isbn=9788173041143 |page=17}}</ref><ref name="Chowdhary2014">{{cite book|author=Gopal Chowdhary|title=The Greatest Farce of History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9bOEAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA129|date=4 March 2014|publisher=Partridge Publishing India|isbn=978-1-4828-1925-0|pages=129–}}</ref><ref name="Krishna2020">{{cite book|author=Subhash Krishna|title=Salvation by Lord Shri Krishna|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4ubxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT431|date=19 July 2020|publisher=Notion Press|isbn=978-1-64587-108-8|pages=431–}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://indus-meetindus.blogspot.com/2016/02/forces-in-war.html?m=1 |title=Forces in war! - Indus.heartstrings |format= |accessdate=}}</ref>

==Composition of Narayani Sena==
Krishna had offered Arjuna, the choice of selection between him or his whole army of Narayani Sena against Duryodhana. He possessed 10 million fighting Gopes who were brave fighters and were famous by the name of Narayan. In [[Harivamsa|Harivansa]] [[Purana]], it has been said that Gope or Yadav are generic of the same lineage.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wT-BAAAAMAAJ |title=The Cattle and the Stick: An Ethnographic Profile of the Raut of Chhattisgarh|last=Soni|first=Lok Nath|date=2000|publisher=Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Department of Culture|isbn=978-81-85579-57-3|language=en|page=16}}</ref> The Sena includes Krishna’s 18,000 brothers and cousins. The Sena had 7 Maharathis
(Krishna, [[Balaram]], [[Samba (Krishna's son)|Samba]], Ahuka, Charudeshna, Chakradeva and [[Satyaki]]) and 7 Athirathis
([[Kritavarma]], Anadhrishti, Samika, Samitinjaya, Kanka, Sanku, Kunti).<ref name="DigitalCavalry 2012">{{cite web | author=DigitalCavalry | title=Narayani Sena & Lord Krishna's Politics | website=I Yadav | date=2012-10-03 | url=http://iyadav.com/narayani-sena/ | access-date=2020-08-09}}</ref>

==Involvement in Kurukshetra war==
Before the war started in the Kurukshetra battlefield in [[Mahabharat]] (one of the two major epics of ancient India), both sides – the [[Kaurava]]s and the [[Pandava]]s started out in all directions to meet various kings to solicit support. Incidentally, both [[Duryodhana]] (from Kauravas side) and [[Arjuna]] (from Pandavas side) reached Dwarika, the kingdom of Shree Krishna together.
Lord Krishna put forward a condition in front of both – you can have either me on your side or my entire army, the Yadav army – known as the Narayani Sena. He also told both that he wouldn't take to any arms or weapon during the entire war. So when Krishna first asked Arjun what he wanted, much to Duryodhana's delight, he opted for the Lord- 'Narayan' and Duryodhana got these great warriors of the strong army-'the Narayani Sena. When Narayani Sena was fighting for Kauravas, only Kritavarma and his army unit fought for the Kauravas. Satyaki fought for the Pandavas. The rest of the Atirathas and Maharathas were withheld from the Kurukshetra war on the advice of Balram and Krishna.<ref name="media.radiosai.org">{{cite web | title=The Narayani Sena Dilemma - Follow Krishna or follow Conscience | website=media.radiosai.org | url=https://media.radiosai.org/journals/vol_14/01SEP16/The-Narayani-Sena-Dilemma-Follow-Krishna-or-follow-Conscience.htm | access-date=2020-08-09}}</ref><ref name="StoryMirror 2020">{{cite web | title=Narayan or the narayani sena? | website=StoryMirror | date=2020-01-03 | url=https://storymirror.com/read/story/english/neumo18k/narayan-or-the-narayani-sena/detail | access-date=2020-08-09}}</ref><ref name="Gupta2007">{{cite book|author=Jyoti Bhusan Das Gupta|title=Science, Technology, Imperialism, and War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EJuM4FylchwC&pg=PA291|year=2007|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-0851-4|pages=291–}}</ref><ref name="Palkar2019">{{cite book|author=Amit Palkar|title=Moral Stories for All|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RQKGDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA46|date=1 February 2019|publisher=Evincepub Publishing|isbn=978-93-88277-92-1|pages=46–}}</ref>

==Post-war attack on Arjuna==
These [[Gopas]], whom [[Krishna]] had offered to Duryodhana to fight in his support when he himself joined Arjuna's side, were no other than the [[Yadavas]] themselves, who were also the [[Abhiras]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CGMqAQAAIAAJ&q=Gopas%2C+whom+Krishna |title=Man in India – Google Books |year=1974 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oFHRAAAAMAAJ&q=abhiras |title=Ethnic history of Gujarat – Popatlal Govindlal Shah – Google Books |date=13 February 2009 |last1=Shah |first1=Popatlal Govindlal }}</ref><ref>Ethnic history of Gujarat</ref> They were the supporters of the [[Duryodhana]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Aqo4AAAAIAAJ&q=Abhira+warriors |title=Man in India – Google Books |date=17 July 2007}}</ref><ref>Man in India, Volume 54-page-39</ref> and [[Kaurava]]s, and in the Mahabharata,<ref>Ancient Nepal</ref> [[Abhira|Abhir]], [[Gopa (caste)|Gopa]], [[Gopal (caste)|Gopal]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WrAwAAAAMAAJ&q=The+Abhiras+and+Gopalas+are+synonymous |title=Ancient Nepal – D. R. Regmi, Nepal Institute of Asian Studies – Google Books |date=1 December 1973 |last1=Regmi |first1=D. R. }}</ref> and Yadavas are all synonyms.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=43Fzt-G_-XYC&q=great+abhiras&pg=PA3 |title=Encyclopaedia of ancient Indian ... – Subodh Kapoor – Google Books |isbn=9788177552980 |last1=Kapoor |first1=Subodh |year=2002 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tZAiAAAAMAAJ&q=abhiras+looted+arjuna |title=Social movements and social ... – M. S. A. Rao – Google Books |date=14 December 2006 |last1=Rao |first1=M. S. A. |isbn=9780333902554 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tZAiAAAAMAAJ&q=Kauravas |title=Social movements and social ... – M. S. A. Rao – Google Books |date=14 December 2006 |last1=Rao |first1=M. S. A. |isbn=9780333902554 }}</ref> They defeated the hero of Mahabharatha war (Arjuna), and spared him when he disclosed the identity of the members of the family of Sri Krishna.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QJNHAAAAMAAJ&q=looted+the+train+of+Arjuna%2C |title=Yadavas through the ages, from ... – J. N. Singh Yadav – Google Books |date=28 August 2007 |isbn=9788185616032 |last1=Singh Yadav |first1=J. N. }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Yadava]]
*[[Abhira tribe|Abhira]]
*

==Reference==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Kurukshetra]]
[[Category:Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Kurukshetra War]]
[[Category:War in mythology]]
[[Category:Puranic chronology]]

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Narayani Sena