The One With Krishna as Rapunzel
Long ago, on a rainy night, a demon named Putana slipped into the kingdom of Mathura and found herself in a room with a sleeping baby Krishna. At one point, he turned and yawned in his sleep and she saw the inside of his mouth. In it, was the entire universe, the stars and planets lined up, the past, present, and the future, and the existence of mankind. She knew he had special powers, so she took the baby in her hands and ran off with him unnoticed. Putana quickly learned of Krishna's magical powers to heal anyone when he played the flute. He could heal any wound and any pain someone suffered if he desired. He also unknowingly kept the beauty alive in demons, which is why Putana needed him. She took great care of him, for she needed his powers to keep her alive and well. When Krishna asked to leave his room, she always told him the outside world was dangerous and not for someone like him, who people could take advantage of. One day, as he was playing his flute, a young gopi by the name of Radha heard him. She began singing and dancing to the tune of his music until she reached the source of the tunes. When she looked up and saw Krishna through a little window from his tower, she was saddened. What was such a beautiful, talented musician doing locked up in a room? About the same time Radha looked up, Krishna stopped playing the flute and looked down. He was mesmerized. Down below, staring right at him, was the most beautiful and pure-hearted looking woman. Without even yelling so much of a warning to Putana, Krishna climbed down the side of the tower to greet Radha. The two spent the whole day together, and when Krishna finally went back to the room Putana kept him in, he was able to slide in without her even noticing he was gone. This became a normal thing for Radha and Krishna; they would meet up in the garden below Krishna's room and go to the forest, where Krishna would play the flute and Radha would sing and dance around him. They soon formed a special bond of love that everyone dreamed of having one day.
When Radha mentioned to Krishna that there were other villages and kingdoms nearby, Krishna was awestruck. He didn't know anything about the world that awaited him outside of Putana's home because he was never allowed to go anywhere. He had always dreamt of living in a palace with his real parents, but according to Putana, they had abandoned him as a child. One day, he asked Radha to take him to one of these nearby kingdoms. She told him that she would take him wherever he pleased, but in order to go to the kingdom, they would have to cross a river and the journey there and back would take longer than one afternoon. They wouldn't be able to go without Putana noticing Krishna was gone. So, one evening, Krishna pretended to break his flute. This immediately grabbed Putana's attention and she set out to fetch him another one right away. The nearest place she could go to obtain such a flute was Mathura, which was a three days' journey away. Little did Krishna know, that was his birthplace and that is where Radha was taking him the next day as well. The flute he played and pretended to break was his mother's, who had left it near him when he slept. When Putana took Krishna, she took the flute with him. She knew that her true self would be revealed if Krishna stopped playing the flute, so she set out to Mathura immediately in hopes of finding another one. As soon as she left, Krishna climbed down his window and ran to Radha in the forest. They also set out to Mathura, although neither of them knew the truth behind Krishna's birth and what Putana was up to.
Upon arriving in his hometown, Krishna was filled with a feeling of unrecognizable joy. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had been there before. Radha could sense the excitement in Krishna as they walked around the city and observed the people hustling about. The two quickly found a quiet spot in a garden near the palace, and Krishna began playing his flute. The other women around him swooned as he played, forgetting their work. When the sound of his music reached the ears of Queen Devaki and King Vasudeva, they thought they were in a trance. They had played the flute and danced around to those same exact tunes long ago, but had stopped when Krishna was taken from them. They hadn't heard those notes since. When they heard their son playing, they rushed down and found a handsome, magical-looking boy with a beautiful, radiant girl right beside him. Devaki and Vasudeva felt as if they were staring at themselves from the past. The old couple ran to their son and embraced him immediately. Krishna was surprised, but at the same time he felt at home for the first time ever. Devaki and Vasudeva began telling him the truth about his birth, his kidnapping, and their life ever since he was taken. They told him he was an avatar of Lord Vishnu and his destiny was robbed from him when he was a baby. Krishna was immensely saddened by this, and vowed to make Putana pay.
He returned to the tower that Putana kept him in just before she arrived with a new flute. However, when she gave it to him, Krishna looked at her sternly. He would not play. Putana persisted and kept ordering him to play his music. When he would not, she finally asked why. Krishna revealed that he knew the truth about himself. As he was speaking, Putana began to see the true form of Vishnu thrive inside of Krishna's eyes. She sank back and apologized for what she had done, and her fear of seeing Krishna in his rightful form transformed her into her true form as well. The demon inside of her took over and she attacked. Krishna, with one swift motion, jumped as she lashed out, and was able to separate her head from her body. She fell to the ground, and Krishna was finally free. He picked up his flute, left the tower, and ran to Radha. The two went back to Krishna's home in Mathura and Krishna revealed that he had taken revenge on the demon that deprived him of his childhood with his parents. Devaki and Vasudeva were thrilled to be reunited with their son and agreed to marry Krishna and Radha right away. The family finally lived happily ever after in a kingdom full of peace, love, and happiness.
Source: Krishna and Radha in the forest, as Krishna plays the flute.
When Radha mentioned to Krishna that there were other villages and kingdoms nearby, Krishna was awestruck. He didn't know anything about the world that awaited him outside of Putana's home because he was never allowed to go anywhere. He had always dreamt of living in a palace with his real parents, but according to Putana, they had abandoned him as a child. One day, he asked Radha to take him to one of these nearby kingdoms. She told him that she would take him wherever he pleased, but in order to go to the kingdom, they would have to cross a river and the journey there and back would take longer than one afternoon. They wouldn't be able to go without Putana noticing Krishna was gone. So, one evening, Krishna pretended to break his flute. This immediately grabbed Putana's attention and she set out to fetch him another one right away. The nearest place she could go to obtain such a flute was Mathura, which was a three days' journey away. Little did Krishna know, that was his birthplace and that is where Radha was taking him the next day as well. The flute he played and pretended to break was his mother's, who had left it near him when he slept. When Putana took Krishna, she took the flute with him. She knew that her true self would be revealed if Krishna stopped playing the flute, so she set out to Mathura immediately in hopes of finding another one. As soon as she left, Krishna climbed down his window and ran to Radha in the forest. They also set out to Mathura, although neither of them knew the truth behind Krishna's birth and what Putana was up to.
Upon arriving in his hometown, Krishna was filled with a feeling of unrecognizable joy. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had been there before. Radha could sense the excitement in Krishna as they walked around the city and observed the people hustling about. The two quickly found a quiet spot in a garden near the palace, and Krishna began playing his flute. The other women around him swooned as he played, forgetting their work. When the sound of his music reached the ears of Queen Devaki and King Vasudeva, they thought they were in a trance. They had played the flute and danced around to those same exact tunes long ago, but had stopped when Krishna was taken from them. They hadn't heard those notes since. When they heard their son playing, they rushed down and found a handsome, magical-looking boy with a beautiful, radiant girl right beside him. Devaki and Vasudeva felt as if they were staring at themselves from the past. The old couple ran to their son and embraced him immediately. Krishna was surprised, but at the same time he felt at home for the first time ever. Devaki and Vasudeva began telling him the truth about his birth, his kidnapping, and their life ever since he was taken. They told him he was an avatar of Lord Vishnu and his destiny was robbed from him when he was a baby. Krishna was immensely saddened by this, and vowed to make Putana pay.
He returned to the tower that Putana kept him in just before she arrived with a new flute. However, when she gave it to him, Krishna looked at her sternly. He would not play. Putana persisted and kept ordering him to play his music. When he would not, she finally asked why. Krishna revealed that he knew the truth about himself. As he was speaking, Putana began to see the true form of Vishnu thrive inside of Krishna's eyes. She sank back and apologized for what she had done, and her fear of seeing Krishna in his rightful form transformed her into her true form as well. The demon inside of her took over and she attacked. Krishna, with one swift motion, jumped as she lashed out, and was able to separate her head from her body. She fell to the ground, and Krishna was finally free. He picked up his flute, left the tower, and ran to Radha. The two went back to Krishna's home in Mathura and Krishna revealed that he had taken revenge on the demon that deprived him of his childhood with his parents. Devaki and Vasudeva were thrilled to be reunited with their son and agreed to marry Krishna and Radha right away. The family finally lived happily ever after in a kingdom full of peace, love, and happiness.
Source: Radha and Krishna's marriage upon his arrival in Mathura.
Bibliography: Epified Krishna videos.
Author's Note: I based this story off of Disney's Tangled; you can read the whole plot summary here. When I was watching the Epified videos about Krishna, I realized a lot of details about his birth and growing up with another set of parents were similar to other stories I have read/watched. I thought of Tangled and decided to make it a story in which Krishna is forcibly taken at birth, but he still finds his way to Radha and his actual parents. In Tangled, Gothel takes Rapunzel due to the magical powers in her hair. I made Krishna the person being held captive in a tower by a demon Putana who needed his flute-playing powers to keep her alive and healthy. In the original Krishna stories, Putana takes baby Krishna in hopes of destroying him for King Kansa, but Krishna kills her without even meaning to. Everyone slowly realizes that Krishna is something special, as he is stronger and mightier than everyone around him. In the actual story, Krishna's father Vasudeva gives baby Krishna to Yashoda and Nandu in Gokul because he knows Krishna is in danger if he stays in Mathura (which is under Kansa's rule). Krishna grows up different from the other kids, and Yashoda realizes that he is a divine being when she looks into his mouth and sees the universe. Him and Radha fall in love and eventually, he is told his true destiny to destroy King Kansa, who is keeping his parents in jail and sets out to Mathura to do just that. In the original stories, Krishna and Radha are never married because it is not in their destiny, but I wanted to get them married in my story because their love is one of the most epic bonds in the Hindu culture. There are a lot of little plot stories combined into one thing, so let me know if I need to clarify this author's note some more! Hope you all enjoyed :)