Lord Krishna has earned many names that define His character. Do you know he has also been given the name 'Ranchod'. The word is derived from two different words namely 'Ran' which means ‘war’ and 'chod' which means ‘to leave’. Hence, Ranchod is the one who ran away from the battlefield.
There is an interesting story behind this name:
After Kamsa’ death, his father-in-law Jarasandh, the ruler of Magadha, vowed to avenge against Krishna. Jarasandh attacked Mathura seventeen times, but was beaten by Krishna every time.
So, Jarasandha made an alliance with Yavana king Kalayavana. Kalayavana had received a boon from Lord Shiva that on the battlefield, he would be unbeatable.
Krishna, in order to defend his people, built a formidable city, named Dvaraka, to which he transported the people of Mathura. After moving his people from Mathura to Dwarka, Krishna returned to Mathura.
Kalayavana surrounded Mathura with his huge army of Yavanas. Krishna, realising that the Yavanas had greatly outnumbered them, decided to challenge Kalayavana for a duel.
But, Krishna fled the battlefield and lured Kalayavana into the cave where the great king of Treta Yuga, Muchukunda, who was in a deep slumber of thousands of years after assisting the gods in an epic war with the asuras.
Muchukunda had been given a boon by Lord Indra that anyone who dared to disrupt his sleep would get burnt into ashes.
When Krishna reached the cave, He covered Muchukunda with his yellow scarf. Kalayavana, assuming him to be Krishna, kicked him, thus disturbing Muchukunda’s sleep, and was reduced to ashes.