॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
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श्रीशुक उवाच
कृत्वा दैत्यवधं कृष्ण: सरामो यदुभिर्वृत: । भुवोऽवतारयद् भारं जविष्ठं जनयन् कलिम् ॥
र्दुर्द्यूतहेलनकचग्रहणादिभिस्तान् हत्वा नृपान् निरहरत् क्षितिभारमीश: ॥
मन्येऽवनेर्ननु गतोऽप्यगतं हि भारं यद् यादवं कुलमहो अविषह्यमास्ते ॥
अन्त:कलिं यदुकुलस्य विधाय वेणु- स्तम्बस्य वह्निमिव शान्तिमुपैमि धाम ॥
कृत्वा दैत्यवधं कृष्ण: सरामो यदुभिर्वृत: । भुवोऽवतारयद् भारं जविष्ठं जनयन् कलिम् ॥
र्दुर्द्यूतहेलनकचग्रहणादिभिस्तान् हत्वा नृपान् निरहरत् क्षितिभारमीश: ॥
मन्येऽवनेर्ननु गतोऽप्यगतं हि भारं यद् यादवं कुलमहो अविषह्यमास्ते ॥
अन्त:कलिं यदुकुलस्य विधाय वेणु- स्तम्बस्य वह्निमिव शान्तिमुपैमि धाम ॥
T: Sage Shuka narrated:
Bhagavan Sri Krishna accomplished the destruction of evil Asuras by himself as well as through Balarama and the Yadus. His very Avatara was for the cleansing of the earth from these evil rulers. He also instigated the big war between cousins, Pandavas and Kauravas. The evil Kauravas cheated the Pandavas in the game of dice, insulted them, dragged Queen Draupadi by her hair, and so on, making that destructive war inevitable. This reduced the burden of evil Kshatriyas significantly, but the Yadavas now became the scourge, by their unchallenged power and arrogance. Bhagavan, therefore, hatched a plot for their own self-destruction through the infallible curse of great sages. This would also pave the way for him to end his own Avatara as Sri Krishna.
आच्छिद्य कीर्तिं सुश्लोकां वितत्य ह्यञ्जसा नु कौ । तमोऽनया तरिष्यन्तीत्यगात् स्वं पदमीश्वर: ॥
T: At the same time, Bhagavan enacted so many Leelas that they became the subject of constant recounting and discussion among his true devotees. This intensified their Bhakti and enabled them to cross the ocean of Samsara and reach their final destination, Bhagavan's abode.
विप्रशाप: कथमभूद् वृष्णीनां कृष्णचेतसाम् | कथमेकात्मनां भेद एतत् सर्वं वदस्व मे ॥
विप्रशाप: कथमभूद् वृष्णीनां कृष्णचेतसाम् | कथमेकात्मनां भेद एतत् सर्वं वदस्व मे ॥
T: As Sage Shuka narrated that the Yadavas incurred the curse of Rishis, Parikshit was bewildered. Weren't the Yadus devoted to Brahmins and sages? Then what did they do to incur such a curse? He wanted to hear the story.
Sage Shuka narrated: Once, the Yadus performed a series of great Yajnas. The greatest of Rishis came to officiate at the Yajnas, including Vishwamitra, Asita, Kanva, Durvasa, Bhrigu, Angiras, Kashyapa, Vamadeva, Atri and Vasishtha, as well as Sage Narada himself and others. After the successful ceremonies, the Rishis were requested by Sri Krishna to encamp at a sacred spot called Pindaraka.
पप्रच्छुरविनीता विनीतवत् ॥ ते वेषयित्वा स्त्रीवेषै: साम्बं जाम्बवतीसुतम् ।
एषा पृच्छति वो विप्रा अन्तर्वत्न्यसितेक्षणा ॥ प्रष्टुं विलज्जती साक्षात् प्रब्रूतामोघदर्शना: ।
प्रसोष्यन्ती पुत्रकामा किंस्वित् सञ्जनयिष्यति ॥ एवं प्रलब्धा मुनयस्तानूचु: कुपिता नृप ।
जनयिष्यति वो मन्दा मुषलं कुलनाशनम् ॥
प्रसोष्यन्ती पुत्रकामा किंस्वित् सञ्जनयिष्यति ॥ एवं प्रलब्धा मुनयस्तानूचु: कुपिता नृप ।
जनयिष्यति वो मन्दा मुषलं कुलनाशनम् ॥
T: At the same time, all the mighty Yadu leaders decided to have a boisterous outing and chose the same location - Pindaraka. They went there and saw all these sages. In a moment of self-destructive irreverence to these Rishis, they decided to play a prank. They dressed up Prince Samba as a pregnant woman with a full-term belly. They approached the sages with feigned respect. "Dear Sages, here is this bashful lady, expecting her baby. She wants to know from you what kind of a baby she will beget!?" The sages were outraged by this audacity and insulting behaviour of the Yadus. They pronounced thus:
"Why, she will deliver an iron pestle rod! And that rod will spell the end of your dynasty!"
At once, from Samba's belly tumbled out a sinister-looking iron pestle rod. The Yadavas were brought down to earth with a big thud. In extreme anxiety, they rushed to King Ugrasena's court and showed the rod and blurted out the Rishis' curse. Ugrasena was most terrified. He had the rod ground into a fine powder. The blacksmiths took the powder and the final small sharp remnant of iron and threw them into the sea.
Fate willed that the iron powder was deposited on the shore, and there grew a big clump of bamboo shoots, all sharp and strong. The remaining small iron piece was swallowed by a fish, which was in turn swallowed by a bigger fish. Jara, the agent of destruction we have read of long ago, caught that fish, and sold it to a hunter. The hunter found the iron piece inside the belly of that fish. He was happy to fix that sharp piece as the tip of his favourite arrow.
भगवाञ्ज्ञातसर्वार्थ ईश्वरोऽपि तदन्यथा । कर्तुं नैच्छद् विप्रशापं कालरूप्यन्वमोदत ॥
T: Bhagavan Sri Krishna was fully privy to this course of events, but did not intervene after the Rishis' curse. The Lord gave a free hand to Kaala or Time to enact his macabre drama.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
