Mausala: Krishna's Departure

The Lord withdraws His pastimes

The curse takes effect. At Prabhasa, the Yadavas become intoxicated and fight among themselves with iron clubs made from the cursed mace. Krishna sits under a peepal tree where a hunter's arrow pierces His foot. The Lord departs for His eternal abode, ending His earthly pastimes.

The Lord Withdraws His Pastimes

We have come to the most solemn chapter in the Bhagavatam, the end of Krishna's earthly lila. The curse spoken by the sages has germinated through the years, and now its fruit ripens. What unfolds is not tragedy but transcendence, not the death of God but the withdrawal of His visible form. Understanding this distinction is essential to understanding everything that follows.

The Signs Multiply

As Kali Yuga approached, ominous signs appeared throughout Dvaraka. The sun and moon were eclipsed at unusual times. Jackals howled at sunset. Women dreamed of dark figures carrying away their husbands. The sea, normally so generous to the coastal city, turned restless and threatening.

Krishna observed all this with perfect equanimity. He knew what was coming, He had known from the beginning. His earthly pastimes had served their purpose: dharma had been re-established, the Bhagavad Gita and now the Uddhava Gita had been spoken, countless souls had been liberated through contact with Him.

Now it was time to orchestrate His own departure.

The Yadavas at Prabhasa

Krishna gathered the Yadava clan for a pilgrimage to Prabhasa, the sacred tirtha on the western coast. Ostensibly, this was for purification through holy bathing. In truth, it was the stage for the curse's fulfillment.

At Prabhasa, the Yadavas began to drink, heavily, excessively. The wine loosened their tongues and inflamed their tempers. Old rivalries surfaced. Petty insults escalated into rage.

"You sided with the Pandavas against your own people!" one shouted. "Your arrogance has always been insufferable!" another responded.

The argument spiraled out of control. And then someone remembered the eraka grass growing along the shore, the same grass that had grown from the iron powder of the cursed mace.

The Mausala Parva

They tore up the grass and discovered it had become hard as iron. Each blade transformed into a lethal club (mausala) in their hands. The wine-maddened Yadavas fell upon one another.