A story · Mahabharata — Stories

The End of the Yadavas

Mahabharata, Mausala Parva 3

The story · English

Dark omens began to haunt the city of Dwaraka. The Vrishni women dreamed of a dark-skinned woman with white teeth who laughed aloud and stole the auspicious threads from their wrists. The men dreamed of terrible vultures gorging themselves on their bodies, while Rakshasas stole their armor, umbrellas, and standards. Then, in plain sight, Krishna's iron discus ascended into the sky. His magnificent chariot, pulled by the four swift horses Saivya, Sugriva, Meghapushpa, and Valahaka, was dragged away across the ocean. Apsaras appeared, calling upon the Vrishnis and the Andhakas to begin a pilgrimage to a sacred body of water. Driven by these signs, the families prepared vast quantities of food, meat, and wine, and set out from the city on elephants and cars.

The Yadavas arrived at Prabhasa and took up residence in temporary dwellings with an abundance of provisions. Around this time, Uddhava, a man well-versed in Yoga, came to the coast to take his leave. Krishna saluted him with joined hands. Knowing that the destruction of the Vrishnis was imminent, Krishna did not try to prevent Uddhava's departure. As Uddhava left, filling the sky with his splendor, the Vrishnis watched him go. They mixed wine into the food that had been cooked for the Brahmanas and gave it to monkeys and apes instead. They turned their attention to high revels, where the drinking of wine became the chief feature of their gathering, and the air echoed with the sound of hundreds of trumpets.

As the festivities continued, Rama began to drink alongside Kritavarma, Yuyudhana, Gada, and Vabhru. Inebriated and laughing derisively, Yuyudhana, who was also called Satyaki, insulted Kritavarma in front of the assembly. He asked what kind of warrior would slay men who were asleep and therefore already dead, declaring that the Yadavas would never tolerate Kritavarma's past actions. Pradyumna applauded these words, showing his contempt for the son of Hridika. Kritavarma became highly incensed. He pointed his left hand at Satyaki and retorted by asking how Satyaki could call himself a hero after he had cruelly slain the armless Bhurishrava, who had already given up all hostile intentions and sat in praya, the vow of sitting to await death, on the field of battle.

The argument escalated when Krishna cast an angry glance at Kritavarma. Satyaki then informed Krishna of how Kritavarma had behaved toward Satrajit regarding the famous Syamantaka gem. Hearing this, Satyabhama became filled with rage and tears, sitting on Krishna's lap and further fueling his anger. Satyaki stood up and swore by the Truth that he would soon make Kritavarma follow the fate of Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandi, and the five sons of Draupadi, all of whom Kritavarma had slain in their sleep with the help of Drona's son. Satyaki declared that Kritavarma's time and fame had finally come to an end. With a sudden rush, Satyaki attacked and severed Kritavarma's head with a sword right in front of Krishna.

Yuyudhana did not stop there and began striking down others in the crowd. Krishna tried to intervene to prevent more mischief, but the Bhojas and Andhakas, driven by the perverseness of the hour, surrounded the son of Sini. Krishna stood unmoved, knowing the nature of the fate that had arrived. Inebriated and urged by destiny, the attackers began striking Yuyudhana with the pots they had been using for food. Seeing Satyaki assaulted, Krishna's son became enraged and rushed forward to rescue him. The two heroes fought with great courage, but the odds were too overwhelming. In the sight of Krishna, both his son and the son of Sini were slain.

Beholding the death of his son and the son of Sini, Krishna grew wrathful. He reached down and took up a handful of the Eraka grass that grew there. Due to a curse denounced by the Brahmanas, the grass became a terrible iron bolt with the energy of a thunderbolt. Krishna used it to slay everyone who came before him. This phenomenon spread to the others; whoever took up a few blades of Eraka grass found them converted into iron bolts. In a fearful melee, son killed sire and sire killed son. The Kukuras and Andhakas were destroyed like insects rushing into a blazing fire, yet none thought to flee.

Knowing that the hour of destruction had come, Krishna stood watching the slaughter, holding a bolt formed from a blade of grass. As he saw Samva, Charudeshna, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha fall, his rage grew. When he saw Gada lying dead on the ground, his wrath peaked, and Krishna, the wielder of Sarnga, the discus and the mace, exterminated the remaining Vrishnis and Andhakas. Finally, Vabhru and Daruka spoke to Krishna. They told him that he had slain a very large number of men and asked him to turn toward the place where Rama had gone, for they wished to follow him there.

कथा · हिन्दी

In this book

• Before: Dhritarashtra Goes to the Forest · Mahabharata, Asramavasika Parva 3
• Next: The Hunter's Arrow · Mahabharata, Mausala Parva 4
• All of Mahabharata — Stories · Ask Krishna about it

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