POST MAHABHARATA EVENTS: The Annihilation of Yaduvanshi clan

 

Most of the Hindus are well aware of the events in Mahabharata. The bloodshed that resulted from the clash between the Pandavas and Kauravas had left an indelible mark on Indian history as well as literature

The modern Hindus object to the actuality of the events mentioned in the ancient scriptures. This issue isn’t new for me or any other person who loves to explore the complexities of Sanatan Dharma. But today’s discussion will not be on this argumentative topic. Today we will discuss one of the cataclysmic events that happened after the war of Kurukshetra.

Most of the Hindus never try to explore beyond the information and facts mentioned in the Itihasas (History) or the Puranas (Ancient History).  Due to this flawed nature, the Hindus are not familiar with the events that happened after the completion of the main events mentioned in our ancient texts.

How many of us know about the events that took place after the coronation of Yudhistira as the king of Hastinapur?

How many of us know about the final days of Lord Ram as the king of Ayodhya?

How many of us know about the Annihilation of the Yaduvanshi clan after the devastating war of Kurukshetra?

I am sure most of them will fail to provide an answer to these above-mentioned questions. But today we will discuss one of the disastrous events that happened after the War of Kurukshetra. Today we will talk about the eradication of Yadhuvanshi clan and the death of Shri Krishna.

WHY YADHUVANSHI CLAN PERISHED?

image source: Google |image by: Abhinav Agarwal

After Gandhari (mother of Kauravas) lost her sons in the battle, she was depressed and saddened by the grave loss of the kuru clan. The Kurukshetra battle was a direct cause for dissipating a glorious dynasty that would have strengthened a lot if the war would have been nullified by any means.

Gandhari knew that Shri Krishna would have stopped the battle if he had given his relentless efforts to negotiate between the two parties (Kauravas and Pandavas). Instead, he supported the idea of allowing Pandavas to fight against Kauravas once and for all.

She was fuelled with rage and grief that she cursed Lord Krishna that his clan (Yadhuvanshi) will be eradicated in the same manner as the Kauravas and he will be the witness to that destruction.

HOW THE CURSE CAME INTO EFFECT?

36 years had passed but nothing had happened to Dwarka or its people until one day a group of sages that includes the presence of Vishwamitra and Rishi Gautam had arrived in Dwarka. Their existence in Dwarka was witnessed by a group of brothers (Krishna's sons).

The band of brothers decided to pull out a prank on the sages to test out their spiritual abilities. So they dress up Sambha (Krishna's son) into a pregnant woman and took him to the Rishis (sages). They asked the Rishis to find out whether the woman will give birth to a boy or girl.

But their efforts to make a joke out of Rishis were in vain when the Sages find out the real identity of the pregnant woman. This immature act had enraged the sages and they cursed the pregnant woman that she will give birth to a Mausala (Iron Rod) and that rod will play a crucial role in the annihilation of Yadhuvanshi.

One part of the Iron Rod didn’t pulverize so they threw that part into the ocean and it was swallowed by a fish. That fish was procured by Jara (a hunter). He found out an iron piece from the fish’s stomach and sharpened it for his arrowhead.

THE PERISHMENT OF YADUVANSHI:

On one fine night when the Yaduvanshis were spending their time drinking alcohol in Prabhasa. A conflict erupts between Satyaki and Kritvarma.

Satyaki and Kritvarma were Yaduvanshi warriors who fought for Pandavas and Kauravas respectively in Kurukshetra. A conflict erupts between both of them and Pradyumna (eldest son of Shri Krishna) tried to stop them but failed.

Filled up with rage Satyaki killed Kritvarma and this horrific incident was followed by a division among the Yadavas. A fierce fight happened among the Yadavas with weapons that soon get exhausted. With lacklustre availability of weapons to fight they picked out Reeds that grew nearby shores (mentioned above). The Yadavas started to hit each other with the bamboos which hurt them as if they were been struck by the blows of a mace. This fight resulted in the loss of almost 40 lakh Yaduvanshi. This severe bloodbath was witnessed by Shri Krishna and Balrama which made them feel disconsolate. Soon Shri Krishna decided to transfer his remaining family members to Hastinapur and he decided to leave Dwarka along with Balrama.

This event was followed by submergence of Dwarka in the Arabian sea.

THE DEATH OF SHRI KRISHNA:

Image © Amar Chitra Katha

Balrama sat down in a meditative state and departed from this world. After witnessing the demise of his elder brother, Shri Krishna decided to march to the nearby forest and sat under a tree in a yogic posture.

He started recalling all his feats and leelas on this planet. His leelas includes his days of childhood among the Gopikas of Nand village, slaying his evil uncle (Kansa), playing the role of Sarathi  (Charioteer) for his friend Arjuna. Lord Krishna realized that his duty to inspire mankind for the betterment of the society is over and its time for him to leave Earth.

But the story didn’t end at this point. Jara the hunter mistakenly shot an arrow at the feet of Lord Krishna because he misperceived lord Krishna’s feet as a body part of a deer. Jara repented and apologized for his deed, to which lord Krishna consoled him and expressed his desire to go to Goloka (eternal abode of Shri Krishna and Radha). He even revealed the previous birth of Jara in which he was the kishkindha king Vali who was killed by Ram.

That’s how Shri Krishna left planet earth after finishing his duty as yogeshwar.

Shri Krishna has been playing an essential role in the Vaishnavite culture. There are numerous temples dedicated to him for his charming nature, his philosophies that inspired Arjuna to fight against his brothers, his miraculous deeds when he was a kid. Overall Shri Krishna is an important divine figure among the Hindus for his credos and thesis to encourage mankind to build a better future.

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