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Both Kritavarmaa and Saatyaki were the cousins of Krishn. But Kritavarmaa fought from Duryodhan's side while Saatyaki fought from Paandav's side in Kurukshetra war. Kritavarmaa was from Yaadav Vansh. His name is mentioned in several Sanskrit texts including Mahaabhaarat, Vishnu Puraan, Bhaagvat Puraan and Hari Vansh. According to Bhaagvat Puraan he was born in Andhak clan of Yaadav Vansh. He was the son of Hridikaa. They had a son named Balee who was married to Krishn and Rukminee's daughter Chaarumatee.

--He was the partial incarnation of Marut Devtaa (MBH 1.67).
--He went to attend Draupadee's Swayamvar also (MBH, 1.187)
--He went to Indraprasth taking gifts on the occasion of the marriage of Arjun and Subhadraa (MBH, 1.222)
--He was a member of the court of Yudhishthir in Indraprasth. (MBH, 2.4)
--He was a Mahaarathee, and has been identified as a Atirathee in MBH war. (MBH, 2.4)
--He defended Dwaarakaa when Shaalv came to attack it. (MBH, 3.18. 3-20)
--He went to Upaplavya Nagar also to witness Abhimanyu and Uttaraa marriage. (MBH, 4.72)
--He went to Hastinaapur with Krishn when He went there for the Peace talk. (MBH, 5.94)
--He had to fight from Kaurav's side as Duryodhan had asked Krishn's 1 Akshauhinee Naaraayanee army and he was the Commander-in Chief of that army.
--He attended Yudhishthir's Ashwamedh Yagya. (MBH, 15.66)
--He was slain by Saatyaki in the battle of Prabhaas Kshetra. (MBH, 16.3)
--he joined the Maruts after his death. (MBH, 18.5)

Vishnu Puraan says that he was a great devotee of Krishn, but he was not in good terms with Krishn. He actually conspired to kill Satraajit, Krishn's father-in-law (Satyabhaamaa's father) because of Syaamantak Mani.

Kritavarmaa fought with Kaurav in MBH war. Why? Because Duryodhan had asked Krishn's Naaraayanee army before the war took place, and he was the Commander of Chief of that army. At one occasion he defeated Bheem, Shikhandee and Yudhishthir in war. He was one of the three survivors of the MBH war from Kaurav's side, the other two were Kripaachaarya and Ashwatthaamaa. They both helped Ashwathaamaa to kill Paanchaal and Paandav's five sons etc in their camp in the night of the 18th day of the MBH war.

After the war he returned to his kingdom and was later killed by Saatyaki during the final destruction of the Yaadav. Its description is found in Mausal Parv of the MBH.

Kritavarmaa and Syaamantak Mani
Kritavarmaa's name is linked with the story of Syaamantak Mani. After Krishn and Balaraam returned from Guru's Aashram, Krishn sent Akroor Jee to know about Paandav. He reported back that Paandav's condition was not good. In the meantime, Dhritraashtra sent Paandav to Baaranaavat and tried to burn them. but they escaped by Vidur's help. Everybody, including Kaurav, knew that Paandav were burnt in that fire. Krishn and Balaraam went to Hastinaapur to meet Kaurav.

Behind them, in Dwaarakaa, a conspiracy created to take Syaamantak Mani from Satraajit. The chief conspirator was Shatadhanvaa. In fact Shatadhanvaa wanted to marry Satyabhaamaa, the daughter of Satraajit, but Satraajit married Satyabhaamaa to Krishn along with Syaamantak Mani, but Krishn returned his Mani back. Shatadhanvaa then conspired with Akroor and Kritavarmaa to take that Mani from Satraajit. They planned to kill Satraajit and take away the Mani from him, so Shatadhanvaa killed Satraajit one night in sleep and brought the Mani from him. Since Krishn was not at home Satyabhaamaa was also present at home. She immediately sent the message to Krishn and Krishn came back to Dwaarakaa and started planning to kill Shatadhanvaa.

Hearing this Shatadhanvaa went to Kritavarmaa for his help to save his life, but Kritavarmaa refused to help him. Even Akroor also refused to help him. Shatadhanvaa got frightened and ran away riding on a fast horse. Krishn and Balaraam followed him. Running, Shatadhanvaa's horse got tired, fell down and died in a garden house of Mithilaa. Shatadhanvaa started running on foot, and so Krishn and Balaraam too. Once Krishn took out his Chakra and killed Shatadhanvaa. He then searched Shatadhanvaa but did not find Mani on him. Balaraam Jee suggested that maybe he had kept Mani with somebody else. So Krishn came back to Dwaarakaa, performed all due ceremonies of His father-in-law.

Akroor and Kritavarmaa had incited Shatadhanvaa to kill Satraajit, but when they heard that Krishn had kill Shatadhanvaa, they both got afraid and left the city. As Akroor Jee left the city, Dwaarakaa people felt unsecured and started facing difficulties because of Akroor's absence. Once drought and famine were experienced in Kaashee, so the Kaashee King married his daughter Gandinee to Shwaphalk (Akroor's father) and there was rain. They believed that Akroor also had such powers, so as he left Dwaarakaa they started feeling difficulties in Dwaarakaa. When Krishn heard this, He called Akroor to Dwaarakaa. Akroor came there.

Krishn said to Akroor - "I know that you Shatadhanvaa has left the Mani with you. This Mani belongs to Satraajit, and now there is no appropriate claimant of this Mani - Satraajit has no male issue, Satyabhaamaa is not very interested in it, maybe Satybhaamaa's expectant son might claim it. For your information, this jewel is very powerful and any ordinary man cannot keep it. You are very pious so you can keep it, but the problem is that my elder brother Balaramm does not agree that the jewel is with you, so I request you to show that jewel to him and my other relations so that they can believe me that I have not taken that jewel. You cannot deny that you don't have that jewel as you have been doing many kinds of religious activities with its gold. Akroor understood that now there was nothing he could do, so he showed the jewel to all, krishn showed that jewel to all and gave it back to Akroor.

Kritavarmaa Helps Ashwatthaamaa
On 18th day, when Bheem had broken Duryodhan's thigh with his mace, he left him lying on the banks pf the lake. Later Kripaachaarya, Ashwatthaamaa and Kritavarmaa came there. Ashwatthaamaa got very sad seeing Duryodhan's condition and asked him what he could do for him. Duryodhan appointed him the next Commander-in-Chief and told him his last wish that he wanted the heads of all the Paandav. Ashwatthaamaa set off to Paandav's camp. There he asked Kripaa and Kritavarmaa to guard the gate of the camp and kill anyone who wants to escape and he himself entered the camp. He kills Draupadee's five sons, Paanchaal, Chekitaan, king of Chedi Desh, Karoosh and Kaashee etc. He sets fire in the camp. When people run away from the camp because of fire, Kripaa and Kritavarmaa kill all of them. Only the charioteer of Dhrishtdyumn survives. He falls down amongst the dead and acts as the dead. Later he reports all about this to Draupadee. Meanwhile Ashwatthaamaa takes the heads of Draupadee's sons to Duryodhan. He sees them and dies. With the fear of Paandav, all three run away in different directions.

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