Radha Krishna - Chapter 30: The Disappearance of the Yadu-dynasty

(1) The honorable king [Parîkchit] said: 'What did the Supreme Lord and Protector of All Living Beings do in Dvârakâ after Uddhava, the great devotee, had left? (2) Please tell how He, the Chief of the Yadus Dearest to the Eyes of All, gave up His body when His family found destruction after being cursed by the brahmins [see 11.1]? (3) Attached to His form the women couldn't turn their eyes away from it, and having entered the ears of the sages the form, occupying their minds, wouldn't leave them. How attractive weren't the words that by the ambitious poets were used to express its beauty? And what to say of those who, seeing it on the battlefield on Arjuna's chariot, acquired a similar status?'

(4) The powerful rishi [S'uka] said: 'Seeing the number of great disturbances which had appeared in the sky, the earth and in outer space, Krishna addressed the Yadus seated in the Sudharmâ hall [see 10.50: 54] as follows [see also 1.14]. (5) The Supreme Lord said: 'O best of the Yadus, with these fearful, great and inauspicious omens, that are like the flags of the king of death, we shouldn't stay a moment longer here in Dvârakâ. (6) The women, the children and the old-aged should go to S'ankhoddhâra [halfway Dvârakâ and Prabhâsa] and we will leave for Prabhâsa where the Sarasvatî flows westward. (7) There we should purify by bathing, fasting and fixing our minds, and then worship the gods [the idols] with various offerings, ablutions and âlepa [smearing with sandalwood]. (8) When the brahmins full of grace have performed the ceremonies for our good fortune, we'll give them cows, land, gold, clothing, elephants, horses, chariots and houses [see also 3.3: 26-28]. (9) This is the course we have to follow in order to avert misfortune and bring about good fortune, for to worship the best among the living beings - the gods, the brahmins and the cows - brings about the supreme [compare to 10.24: 25].' (10) After they all thus had listened to the Enemy of Madhu, said the elderly Yadus 'So be it!', and crossed over by boat [to mainland] to head for Prabhâsa in chariots. (11) There, in accordance with the instructions of the Lord of the Yadus, the Supreme Personality, the Yadus performed all auspicious rituals with transcendental devotion and everything else that would strengthen them. (12) Then as destined [see 11.1: 4] they lost their intelligence drinking from a large supply of sweet tasting maireya [honey-liquor] the ingredients of which overpowered their minds [see also 6.1: 58-60]. (13) Among the heroes bewildered by Krishna's illusory potency arose a terrible quarrel because they intoxicated of the excessive drinking became arrogant. (14) Infuriated they took up their weapons - their bows, swords, bhalla-arrows [arrows with a particular arrowhead] clubs, lances and spears - and fought against each other on the shore. (15) With flying flags riding chariots, elephants and other carriers - asses, camels, bulls, buffalos, mules and even humans - they most enraged facing one another attacked with arrows, just like elephants who in the forest attack each other with their tusks. (16) With their enmity aroused in the battle fought Pradyumna ferociously against Sâmba, Akrûra against Bhoja, Aniruddha against Sâtyaki, Subhadra against Sangrâmajit, Sumitra against Suratha and the two Gadas [the brother and a son of Krishna] against each other. (17) Others as well, like Nis'athha, Ulmuka and more lead by Sahasrajit, S'atajit and Bhânu, confronted and killed each other, totally being bewildered by Mukunda and blinded by their intoxication. (18) Completely letting go of their friendship the Kuntis, the Kukuras, the Visarjanas, the Madhus and Arbudas, Vrishnis and Andhakas, the Bhojas, the Sâtvatas, the Dâs'ârhas and the inhabitants of Mâthura and S'ûrasena slaughtered each other. (19) Relatives bewildered killed relatives and friends friends; sons fought with their fathers and their brothers, nephews with uncles, paternal uncles with maternal uncles and well-wishers with well-wishers. (20) Running out of arrows and with their bows broken and missiles used, they took cane stalks [eraka, see 11.1: 22] in their fists. (21) Those stalks held in their fists turned into iron rods as strong as thunder bolts as they attacked their enemies with them, and even though Krishna tried to stop them, they attacked Him as well. (22) Confounded with their minds turned to killing, they mistook Balarâma for an enemy o King and also raised their weapons against Him. (23) The Two [of Balarâma and Krishna] then also most furiously joined the fight o son of the Kurus, and began to kill, using the stalks in Their fists as clubs as They moved about in the fight. (24) In the grip of the curse of the brahmins and with their minds clouded by Krishna's mâyâ, the anger of their rivalry now led to their destruction, just like a fire of bamboos does with a forest.

(25) When all of His own clans had been destroyed this way, concluded Krishna that as planned [11.1: 1-4] what had remained of the burden of the earth was removed. (26) Balarâma at the shore of the ocean resorted to meditation on the Original Person and, merging Himself within Himself, gave up the human world. (27) Seeing that Râma had left, the Supreme Lord, the son of Devakî, finding a pippala tree, silently sat down on the lap of the earth [see also 3.4]. (28-32) Exhibiting His four-armed form He, like a fire without smoke, with His brilliant effulgence dissipated the darkness in all directions. With the S'rîvatsa mark and gray-blue color like the clouds, He wore an all-auspicious pair of silken garments and radiated like molten gold. His face like a blue lotus smiling beautifully with His charming lotus eyes, was adorned with His locks of hair and gleaming shark-shaped earrings. Splendid with a belt, a sacred thread, a helmet and bracelets; arm-ornaments, necklaces, ankle bells and royal symbols, there was the Kaustubha gem. And so He sat there with His right foot reddish like a lotus placed on His thigh, with the forms of His personal weapons in His hands and with a garland of forest flowers around His neck. (33) His foot having the form of a deer's face was [then] pierced by an arrow of a hunter named Jarâ who thought he saw a deer. The arrow was fashioned from a fragment of the iron that had remained [from the by the brahmins cursed and destroyed club, see 11.1: 23]. (34) When he saw the four-armed personality he fell, afraid of having committed an offense, with his head down at the feet of the Enemy of the Asuras: (35) 'This was done by a sinful person acting in ignorance; o Madhusûdana, please forgive this sinner his deed, o Uttamas'loka, o Sinless One. (36) O Master, what I did against Him, Vishnu, to You, was wrong; o You, of whom the constant remembrance destroys the darkness of ignorance of all men, so they say. (37) Therefore, please kill me right now o Lord of Vaikunthha, so that I, nothing but a sinful deer hunter, may not again commit such an offense against the True One [*]. (38) What could we, impure of birth, say about Him, about You [and the destruction of the Yadus]? For Your mystic power is not even understood by Viriñca, Rudra and his other masters and sons of the vedic word, because their vision of Your being is clouded by Your bewildering potency!'

(39) S'rî Bhagavân said: 'Fear not o Jarâ, please get up, for what you did was My desire; you've My permission to leave for the spiritual realm, the abode for the ones who are of good deeds.'

(40) After thus having been instructed by Krishna, the Fortunate One who generated His own form, circumambulated he Him three times. Then bowing down to Him he departed in a higher spirit [a 'vimâna', also: a heavenly vehicle] to heaven. (41) Dâruka seeking out where Krishna had gone to, coming near Him scented the air fragrant of tulasî and approached Him. (42) He found Him there brilliant and effulgent, surrounded by His weapons and resting at the base of the As'vathha. With his heart overwhelmed by emotions he rushed down from the chariot and fell with his eyes full of tears at His feet. (43) 'O Master, not seeing Your lotus feet my power of vision is lost and I fail to know the directions, nor can I find peace; just the way one in the night of a new moon lands in darkness.'

(44) As he was speaking thus rose right before the eyes of the chariot driver the chariot, along with the horses and the flag of Garuda marking it, up into the sky, o King of kings. (45) And while Vishnu's divine weapons were following, spoke Janârdana to the driver who stood perplexed about what was happening: (46) 'O driver, head for Dvârakâ and inform Our family members about the mutual destruction of their close relatives, about My condition and about the passing away of Sankarshana. (47) You and your relatives should not remain in Dvârakâ; now the Yadu capital is abandoned by Me it will sink into the ocean. (48) Each of you taking your own family as well as Our parents with you, should together, protected by Arjuna, head for Indraprastha. (49) You however, fixed in knowledge and indifferent about My mâyâ will, remaining firm in My devotional service, understand what I arranged and make your peace with it.'

(50) Thus being addressed by Him he circumambulated Him offering his obeisances again and again, and went, after placing His lotus feet on his head, with a heavy heart to the city.'