The Mahabharata and the Devi Bhagavata Purana narrate the story of the birth of Samba. Jambavati was unhappy when she realized that only she had not born any children to Krishna while all other wives were blessed with many children. She approached Krishna to find a solution and to be blessed with a son like the handsome Pradyumna, Krishna's first-born son. Then Krishna went to the hermitage of the sage Upamanyu in the Himalayas and as advised by the sage, he started to pray to the god Shiva. He did penance for six months in various postures; once holding a skull and a rod, then standing on one leg only in the next month and surviving on water only, during the third month he did penance standing on his toes and living on air only. Pleased with the austerities, Shiva finally appeared before Krishna as Samba, (Ardhanarishvara) the half-female, half-male form of the god, asked him to ask a boon. Krishna then sought a son from Jambavati, which was granted. A son was born soon thereafter who was named as Samba, the form Shiva had appeared before Krishna. Samba looked exactly like Lord Krishna and Lord Krishna taught him all his leelas and became notorious and naughty like Krishna's younger days. Later Samba played an instrumental role in the destruction of Yadu dynasty. The main reason behind Samba that he became responsible for the destruction of Yaduvansh was that when Lord Krishna asked for the boon from Shiva than lord replied that the from Jambavati would be one of eleven rudra of shiva who are meant for destruction and so the Samba, Lord Krishna accepted that.