JĀMBAVĀN GIVES LORD KṚṢṆA TWO JEWELS The sun-god fel great afiction for his devotee Sarait, and as a token of his satisfācion the demigod gave him the Syamantaka jewel. Each day the gem would produce about 170 pounds of gold, and the place where it was kept and properly worshiped would be free of calamities such as famine or untimely death, and also of evils like snakebites, mental and physical disorders, and the presence of deceitful persons.
On one occasion, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa requested Satrājit to give the gem to the King of the Yadus, Ugrasena. But Satrājit refused, obsessed as he was with greed. Shortly thereafter, Satrājit's brother Prasena left the city on horseback, wearing the Syamantaka jewel on his neck. On the road, a lion killed Prasena and took the jewel away to a mountain cave, where Jāmbavān, King of the bears and a great devotee of Lord Rāmacandra, happened to be living. Jāmbavān killed the lion and gave the jewel to his son as a toy.
When Prasena did not return, Satrājit presumed that Śrī Kṛṣṇa had killed him for the Syamantaka gem. The Lord heard about this rumor circulating among the general populace, and to clear His name He went with some of the citizens to find Prasena.
The Lord stationed His subjects outside Jāmbavān's terrifying, pitch-dark cave and then entered it alone. Within the cave Lord Kṛṣṇa saw Jāmbavān's child playing with the precious Syamantaka jewel. Determined to take it away, He approached the child. The child's nurse cried out in fear upon seeing Kṛṣṇa, and when Jāmbavān heard her cries, he angrily ran toward the Lord.
Unaware of Kṛṣṇa's true position, Jāmbavān angrily began fighting with the Supreme Lord, his master. The two fought furiously in single combat, each determined to win. Contending against each other with various weapons and then with stones, tree trunks, and finally their bare hands, they struggled like two hawks battlingover a piece of flesh. The fight lasted twenty-eight days, the two opponentsstriking each other with their fists, which fell like thunderbolts. His bulging muscles pummeled by the blows of Lord Kṛṣṇa's fists, his strength faltering, and his limbs perspiring, Jāmbavān, greatly astonished, finally spoke to the Lord:
"You are the ultimate creator of all creators of the universe, and of everything created you are the underlyingsubstance. You are the subduer of all subduers, the Supreme Lord and Supreme Soul of all souls."
Lord Kṛṣṇa then blessed Jāmbavān by touching him with His hand, and then He said, "It is for this jewel, O lord of the bears, that we have come to your cave. I intend to use the jewel to disprove the false accusations against Me." Jāmbavān then happily honored Lord Kṛṣṇa by offering Him his maiden daughter, Jāmbavati, together with the jewel.