When Kamsa’s capital Mathura and Kaurava’s capital Hastinapura were so close to each other why is there no record of any conflict between them?

Transcript

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Thank you. The question is that we say that the rulers of Mahabharata, Bhishma or whoever were there, they were in Mathura. And then Kamsa was ruling in Mathura.
So if Kamsa had conquered everyone, Kamsa was the ruling emperor, then was he ruling over Bhishma also? Or was he ruling over the Yadu dynasty also? Or why did the Yadu dynasty not intervene to stop Kamsa? So actually there are two different points to understand. First is that the Kshatriyas, they acted according to time-place circumstances. So the first reference in the Mahabharata, the entry of Krishna in the Mahabharata happens in Draupadi’s family.
That is the first time. Before that there is no direct description of Krishna’s pastimes. And the first meeting of the Pandavas and Krishna also happens after Draupadi’s family.
Before that they don’t have the meeting. Now there is a description of Krishna in detail in the Harivamsa, which is the appendix to the Mahabharata where Krishna’s pastimes are described. So in every particular book, there is a particular focus that is there.
So when that focus is there, all the stories are told from that focus. So now the Mahabharata’s focus is on the Kuru dynasty and on the Pandavas. The Bhagavatam’s focus is on Krishna.
So the stories are told from the point of view of a particular focus. That is the first point to understand. Now if we look at the historical intersections between the two, if you look at the Bhagavatam, it is primarily chapters 70 to 75.
In the Bhagavatam, roughly 70 to 75, where there is an intersection between the Mahabharata and the Bhagavatam. Where the Pandavas, the Rajsu Yajna and others are described. Few other chapters also it is there, but not much.
So what happens is, in the Bhagavatam when the glory of Krishna has to be described, so at that time the demons whom Krishna kills, they are talked about most. And in the Mahabharata, when the glory of the Pandavas has to be described, and that particular dynasty is described, then the glory of those demons whom they are encountering is described. So Kamsa, when he asserted the rule, before that there was before that there was Maharaja Ugrasen and they were righteous rulers.
That’s why they were righteous and then the Kuru dynasty was living accordingly. Now, after that Bhishma was the ruler. Actually, Bhishma never became the ruler.
Bhishma was like the caretaker. So, there was Vichitravirya. When Maharaja Shantanu was there, Bhishma, he was a very powerful ruler at that time.
But the Pandavas never actually Vichitravirya was also a very powerful ruler, but he did not rule for very long. Shantanu was a powerful ruler, but there is no description of him performing any Ashwamedha Yajna or anything like that. And after that, when Vichitravirya was there, after Pandu, Vichitravirya was there, after Vichitravirya, Pandu was supposed to become the king, but then Pandu left for some time, then he went to the forest and that’s when Ashwamedha came.
So, there was actually no very strong king. So, that’s why, when Pandu was there, Pandu, first he said that I will go around and conquer and I will bring things under control. So, Pandu did that.
But then after that, Pandu’s mind went more towards living in the forest and then he was cursed and then he left to the forest. So, during this time, when this was happening, when Pandu went to the forest, at that time, neither the Pandavas nor the Kauravas had been born. And when Pandu was in the forest, at that time, the rule was in Dhritarashtra’s hands.
And without Dhritarashtra taking initiative, Bhishma, he had basically acted as a protector. But Bhishma did not himself do anything to expand. That is the initiative of the king.
So, Kamsa, he went around consolidating everywhere else, but there is no description of Kamsa performing a Rajasuri Yajna or anything like that, where the Kuru dynasty will have to specifically give tributes to him. So, generally, if the king at a particular place is not very strong, then that king will not attack other kingdoms unless there is a direct threat to that kingdom. So, Kamsa, he subordinated everyone else, but he left the Kuru dynasty as it is, because he did not want to provoke Bhishma.
On the other hand, because Bhishma was not a direct ruler, and Dhritarashtra never took much initiative in ruling, so, they did not intervene in Kamsa’s affairs. Now, from the geographical point of view, we say that Mathura and Hastinapur may be very close, but there are several other factors. At that time, the prosperity was enormous.
And that’s why, although geographically the things may be close, but they were independent kingdoms. And they did not overlap much in terms of administration. So, the Pandavas had their kingdom and Kamsa had his kingdom.
Now, if you see, Kamsa’s reign of terror was not for very long. Kamsa was certainly a powerful ruler and he was going to create disruptions. But basically, it was the begetting of the eight children.
And then after that, Krishna came, basically he lived in Vrindavan only for about five to seven years. So, during that time, because Kamsa did not provoke the Pandava, the Kuru dynasty, and the Kuru dynasty did not have an aggressive ruler, or an assertive ruler at that time. So, that’s why, from neither party, there was intervention.