॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
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The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty
King Parikshit understood that in this narrative, Bhagavan's departure from the Avatara of Sri Krishna in this world was imminent. But Sri Krishna's was a Poorna Avatara and it was inconceivable that Sri Krishna would indeed depart from this world. Here is a shloka which describes his effect in human form.
प्रत्याक्रष्टुं नयनमबला यत्र लग्नं न शेकु: कर्णाविष्टं न सरति ततो यत् सतामात्मलग्नम् ।
यच्छ्रीर्वाचां जनयति रतिं किं नु मानं कवीनां दृष्ट्वा जिष्णोर्युधि रथगतं यच्च तत्साम्यमीयु: ॥
T: Parikshit said: "Dear Sage Shuka, once their eyes were fixed upon Bhagavan Sri Krishna's divine form, women were unable to withdraw their eyes, and once that form had through holy descriptions entered the ears of the Sages and become fixed in their hearts, it would never go from their hearts. What to speak of acquiring fame, the great poets who described the beauty of the Lord’s form would have their words invested with transcendentally pleasing allurement. And by seeing that form on Arjuna’s chariot, all the warriors on the battlefield of Kurukshetra attained the liberation of Sarupyam - their material bodies were replaced by astral copies of the Lord's form! So how did Bhagavan manage to cast aside that form, most beloved by all, indeed!?"
Sage Shuka narrated stoically the developments.
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Bhagavan Sri Krishna addressed all the Yadavas in the rroyal court and drew their attention to the bad omens all around portending their annihilation.
महोत्पातान् द्वार्वत्यां यमकेतव:
T: The terrible omens sent from Yama himself to everyone in Dwaraka.
So Sri Krishna urged all the men to proceed at once to Prabhasa, where the holy Saraswati joined the ocean. That was the place, and the time was now, to ward off the evil through holy acts. In turn, Sri Krishna said that the old men, all the women and children should proceed separately to safety elsewhere in a place called Shankoddhara.
The men complied and proceeded en masse accompanied by Brahmin priests, with their armies and weapons, cattle and articles, for elaborate Yajnas.
At Prabhasa, after bathing and ablutions, the Yadavas performed Poojas and Yajnas ardently.
चक्रु: परमया भक्त्या सर्वश्रेयोपबृंहितम्
T: They performed all the rituals with great Bhakti for the welfare of all.
And then? Kaala or Time was lurking, biding his chance.
ततस्तस्मिन् महापानं पपुर्मैरेयकं मधु । दिष्टविभ्रंशितधियो यद्द्रवैर्भ्रश्यते मति: ॥
महापानाभिमत्तानां वीराणां दृप्तचेतसाम् । कृष्णमायाविमूढानां सङ्घर्ष: सुमहानभूत् ॥
युयुधु: क्रोधसंरब्धा वेलायामाततायिन: । धनुर्भिरसिभिर्भल्लैर्गदाभिस्तोमरर्ष्टिभि: ॥
T: Then, their intelligence blinded by Fate, they liberally indulged in drinking the sweet Maireya liquor , which can completely intoxicate the mind. Their drinking was excessive, and they all became violent. By Bhagavan's Maha Maya, there then arose an ugly brawl among all these Yadava heroes!
Infuriated, they seized their weapons ready at hand -bows and arrows, swords, spears, clubs, lances and swordsticks and attacked one another on the shore of the ocean.
Soon it was a full-fledged fight to death! It was like wild elephants fighting each other in the jungle. The place was soon filled with corpses and debri like a forest devastated by an uncontrollable inferno.
Shuka mentioned each hero by name and how he killed and was killed in turn. When the men lost their weapons, they plucked the sharp and strong bamboo shoots on the seashore that had been produced by the sand filled with the powder of the evil iron pestle by the Rishis' curse! Those shoots were weaponised very effectively and killed everyone. Balarama and Sri Krishna shouted to all to come to their senses. But they were in turn attacked too by their own sons, brothers, and famous Yadu warriors. Eventually, except Balarama and Sri Krishna, everyone lay dead.
Silence.
Sri Krishna let out a huge sigh. He knew, by his own Maya, the end of the Yadus had come about and the earth had been relieved of her last burden.
राम: समुद्रवेलायां योगमास्थाय पौरुषम् । तत्याज लोकं मानुष्यं संयोज्यात्मानमात्मनि ॥
T: Balarama then sat down on the shore of the ocean and fixed himself in meditation upon the Paramatma. Merging himself within Paramatma, Balarama gave up his body and departed from this mortal world.
Bhagavan now went and sat down under tree. The end was very near.
Sage Shuka describes for one last time the divine form of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, who was none other than Maha Vishnu himself come down in human form.
बिभ्रच्चतुर्भुजं रूपं भ्राजिष्णु प्रभया स्वया । दिशो वितिमिरा: कुर्वन् विधूम इव पावक: ॥
श्रीवत्साङ्कं घनश्यामं तप्तहाटकवर्चसम् । कौशेयाम्बरयुग्मेन परिवीतं सुमङ्गलम् ॥
सुन्दरस्मितवक्त्राब्जं नीलकुन्तलमण्डितम् । पुण्डरीकाभिरामाक्षं स्फुरन्मकरकुण्डलम् ॥
कटिसूत्रब्रह्मसूत्रकिरीटकटकाङ्गदै: । हारनूपुरमुद्राभि: कौस्तुभेन विराजितम् ॥
वनमालापरीताङ्गं मूर्तिमद्भिर्निजायुधै: । कृत्वोरौ दक्षिणे पादमासीनं पङ्कजारुणम् ॥
T: Sporting his form with four arms,
Self-luminous,
Dispelling darkness like a smokeless blaze.
The golden streak Srivatsa on his chest,
Dark like the rain cloud was the Lord
And yet shone he like a form of burnished gold!
Sacred golden raiment draped him,
His face shone with beauty like a lotus,
His locks looked like a string of dark lotuses!
Eyes lovingly shone like full-blown lotuses,
His ear-ornaments dazzled like gold fish.
Noticed his lustrous golden crown?
His golden waistband and sacred thread across his chest?
His bracelets and armlets?
His Tulasi garland, his Kaustubha pendant,
Adorned his broad chest,
As were his ankles with tinkling golden bells.
Decorated with wildflowers,
The Lord lay resting, surrounded by his divine weapons.
His lotus left foot lay atop the right thigh, appearing like a pink lotus divine.
मुषलावशेषाय:खण्डकृतेषुर्लुब्धको जरा । मृगास्याकारं तच्चरणं विव्याध मृगशङ्कया ॥
T: Just then a hunter named Jara, who had approached the place, mistook the Lord’s foot for a deer’s face. Thinking he had found his prey, Jara pierced the foot with his arrow, which he had fashioned from the remaining iron fragment of Samba’s iron club that had been cursed by the Rishis, later ground down and cast into the sea with this last bit! Fate! Fate! Fate!
Jara came and saw Bhagavan. He fell flat, damning himself for this heedless act of hurting the Lord grievously. How greedy! How sinful was I, the hunter, he thought to himself. He spoke in a burst of contrite words. He was ready for the worst punishment.
Jara now said: "On Lord, I know your being and power is beyond the understanding of even Brahma and Rudra. I now know it was your Maya that made me commit this heinous act. What more can a low-born like me say?"
श्रीभगवानुवाच
मा भैर्जरे त्वमुत्तिष्ठ काम एष कृतो हि मे । याहि त्वं मदनुज्ञात: स्वर्गं सुकृतिनां पदम् ॥
T: Bhagavan spoke in a calm voice:" My dear Jara, do not fear. Please get up. What has been done is actually by my own will. You shall now proceed as per my wish to heaven."
Jara circumambulated Bhagavan. A divine aerial vehicle appeared, and Jara went away to heaven.
Daruka, Sri Krishna's charioteer, meanwhile was most distraught, looking for Bhagavan everywhere. He, at last, came to the spot and saw Bhagavan resting under the Ashwattha tree, the four-armed Maha Vishnu himself, but bleeding heavily from his foot. Daruka had been guided to the spot by the scent of Bhagavan's Tulasi garland!
Daruka cried piteously and fell at the Lord's feet. "Lord, I am lost! I cannot see what's around!"
Just then Daruka saw that the divine chariot, Bhagavan's very own, drawn by divine horses we have mentioned before, sporting Garuda on its flag, shone brightly as it quietly rose into the sky and disappeared. Bhagavan's divine weapons also lifted off and accompanied it.
Bhagavan now spoke kindly to Daruka.
"Daruka, proceed at once to Dwaraka and narrate to those still there how all the Yadavas have killed one another off. Tell them Balarama is gone, and mention my present condition. Warn them sternly to abandon Dwaraka at once and go away. On my departure, Dwaraka will sink without a trace into the sea."
"Tell them that they should all proceed, with my own parents, and travel to Indraprastha under Prince Arjuna's escort."
त्वं तु मद्धर्ममास्थाय ज्ञाननिष्ठ उपेक्षक: । मन्मायारचितामेतां विज्ञायोपशमं व्रज ॥
T: "You, Daruka, should be firmly situated in devotion to me, remaining fixed in spiritual knowledge and unattached to material considerations. Understanding these pastimes to be merely a display of my Maya, you should remain peaceful."
इत्युक्तस्तं परिक्रम्य नमस्कृत्य पुन: पुन: । तत्पादौ शीर्ष्ण्युपाधाय दुर्मना: प्रययौ पुरीम् ॥
T: Thus ordered, Daruka circumambulated the Lord and offered obeisances to him again and again. He placed Bhagavan Sri Krishna’s lotus feet upon his head and then, with a sad heart, went back to the city.
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