People like to watch war; but they talk incessantly about peace. They know that war cannot create peace, but it destroys evils. Human mind hates evils; and that is why humans like wars!  The epic Mahabharata has always fascinated human mind. The whole story is centered on a memorable war that devastated millions of human lives. When the war is finished, they close the chapter; whatever may happen after that. What happened after Mahabharata war? Yudhishtira was coronated as the king of Hastinapura and Krishna returned to Dwaraka. After 36 years, Krishna’s mission in this world was completed and after embracing death by an arrow of a hunter, Krishna’s soul ascended to the divine abode. Subsequently, Yudhistira renounced his throne and left for Himalayas along with his brothers and Draupadi, for salvation. Instead of bestowing with complements, the war had showered so many accusations and curses on God Krishna. Many believe that Krishna was responsible for the whole disaster. The God incarnate became a victim of curses. Let us glance through some major incidents, related to Krishna, after the war………

Gandhari’s Curse

When the war came to an end after 18 days, Kurukshetra became silent.  It was not the silence of peace; it was the silence after a fierce storm. Dead bodies of warriors were scattered everywhere in the pools of human blood. There was dead silence, except the wild screeches of vultures encircling above the sky with thirsty eyes. Laments of the injured warriors waiting for death have almost stopped and hopeless search for the dead bodies of relatives continued.

The blind folded queen Gandhari could not control her grief. She had lost her hundred sons, but just for what? She screamed with broken heart while her husband the blind king Dhritarashtra stood aside without knowing what to do?

Then God Krishna along with Pandavas approached Gandhari. The dejected Gandhari filled with unbearable grief and anger cursed Krishna. “O Krishna, I worshipped you every day as the incarnation of Vishnu and requested you to avert the war. Is this the way you answer to my prayers? You are highly competent, you have the divine power, you are eloquent; still you did not prevent the war, but you remained indifferent while the Kurus and Pandavas fought and killed each other. You alone are responsible for it and hence you should reap the fruit. I curse you. In 36 years from today, after causing the killing of your kinsmen and all Yadavas, you will die a disgusting death in the wild. The ladies of your race, losing their kinsmen, sons and friends, will suffer with grief the way we suffered in the Bharata race.”

With his unconventional smile, Krishna tried to console Gandhari. “O Mother, None in the world, whether humans or Gods, are capable of slaying Yadavas, except myself. Your curse will be effective and all the Yadavas will be perished by fighting one another. It is not only due to your true devotion to God and your Pathi bhakti, but also due to the fate of Yadavas as determined by time.”

Krishna and Sage Uttanka

Days passed and subsequently, Yudhishtira was coronated as the King of Hastinapura, and Krishna returned to Dwaraka.  On his way Krishna met Sage Uttanka in the plains of desert. Uttanka, even though he was an outsider, was deeply concerned about the family issues of Kurus and Pandavas. He was hopeful in Krishna’s powers and enquired Krishna whether he was coming after establishing peace between them.

Krishna told Uttanka that all his attempts to establish peace settlement failed and in a war that continued for eighteen days, all of them were killed except the Pandava brothers.

Uttanka could not believe it and with wild fury he blamed Krishna for everything. He accused Krishna that in spite of being highly capable why did he not prevent the war and avert the great disaster. With uncontrollable anger he began to lay a curse on Krishna.

It was the same question asked by Gandhari. Krishna stopped Uttanka and requested him to listen to his words carefully before laying any curse. Krishna, who remained silent in front of Gandhari, answered clearly to Uttanka’s accusations. Krishna said that he pitifully requested Kauravas for a peaceful settlement but Kauravas never listened to his words. He even terrified them with the terrible consequences of the war but was not successful. Kauravas were possessed with adharma and could not listen to the beneficial words of Krishna. Moreover, Gandhari herself was responsible for everything because she did not stop her son Duryodhana from doing evil. If a mother could not guide her son through righteousness, how can a God-incarnate do?

While answering Uttankas accusations, Krishna revealed the nature and purpose of all incarnations on this world. He explained the limitations of God’s power when he is incarnated as a human being or whatever other forms. Hearing the sweet words from the God’s mouth, Uttanka became fully convinced about Krishna’s real role in the war. Instead of cursing him, he enjoyed divine bliss when Krishna revealed him his cosmic form, the same Vishwarupam that Arjuna had seen in the beginning of war. Krishna blessed the sage with a boon, and proceeded to Dwaraka to rule his kingdom, and to plot and direct the tragic end of Yadavas and that of a great incarnation.

Yadavas and the Curse of Rishis

At Dwaraka, under the rule of Krishna, Yadavas enjoyed luxury and bliss, and they gradually forgot the moral values and discipline of life.  Once it happened that the Sapta Rishis along with Narada and other Rishis came down to Dwaraka to meet Krishna at his palace. After visiting Krishna, they were proceeding to another place, when a strange thing happened. Sambha, the son of Krishna, dressed himself like a pregnant woman, hiding a mice under his dress, approached the rishis, guided by other two young men. One of the Yadavas asked the rishis: “Oh learned sages, my wife is pregnant. With your divine powers, can you please predict the gender of the child to be born?”

The rishis with their power understood the whole drama and became furious. Burned with anger, Kanva Rishi cursed the young men that Sambha will give birth to an iron mace that will destroy the entire race of Yadavas. Due to the lack of ethics and humility, the Yadavas laughed it off and left the scene.

But everyone became shocked in the next day, when Sambha developed labour pain and delivered an iron mace from within. With fear they narrated the whole story to Krishna, Akoora and Ugrasena. Akoora then ordered to grind the mace to fine powder and throw it in sea. Krishna, with his unconventional smile, told himself that the time has come for Gandhari’s curse to act.

Yadavas ground the mace into fine powder and a small triangular piece was left which was very hard. They threw the powder and the small piece into the sea. Believing that all problems are resolved, they continued their luxurious life, fully involved in intoxication and immoral activities.

The Beginning of the End

Then all types of bad omens began to appear. Rats and mice increased.  Pigeons were always seen in the houses. Unrighteous activities multiplied. People insulted elders and teachers and involved in sinful acts without any shame. They disregarded Brahmins, ancestors and deities. Wives and husbands deceived each other. Krishna’s Sudharshana wheel, Panchajanya and chariot disappeared. Balaram lost his plough weapon. Everywhere there was unrest, dancing, drinking and merry making; with darkness ruling darkness.  

Since the life became unbearable, Krishna advised the women, children and old men to leave the place and go to Shankoddhaara, and the men to leave for Prabhaasa to perform divine and charitable activities.

At Prabhaasa the Yadavas went on a picnic to the beach and enjoyed drinking liquor and full time merry making. In a state of intoxication they started teasing each other telling about the mistakes they had committed during war. It started between Satyaki, who was on Pandava’s side and Kritavarma, who was on Kaurava’s side. At the end of their taunting, Satyaki drew his sword and killed Kritavarma. Thus began a great fight between the two groups and in between Krishna’s son Pradyumna was killed.

Krishna appeared on the scene and plucked the eraka grass grown abundantly by the sea and placed them near the fighting Yadavas. They picked the grass and threw each other, and by the curse of Kanva rishi, each grass became a mace, thus killing everyone instantly. In front of their beloved king, the whole Yadavas perished, fighting each other.

Krishna’s Death

Having witnessed the destruction of entire Yadavas, Krishna decided that the time has come for him to return back to Vaikunta, to his eternal abode. Krishna then asked all women of Dwaraka to proceed to Shankosshaara immediately, where Arjuna would protect them. After evacuating Dwaraka, Krishna and Balarama left the city and proceeded to forest. The next moment huge waves of the ocean swallowed the city into its depths.

At the shore side forests of Prabhaasa, Balarama sat down in meditation and left his mortal body. With grief, Krishna sat down by some bushes under a banyan tree. At that time a hunter named Jara saw the foot of Krishna and mistaking it to be a deer, shot an arrow, the same arrow he had made from the triangular piece of mace that was thrown into sea by Sambha. Krishna consoled Jara that it was not his mistake, but everything happened as per the law of karma. Then, sitting in meditation, Krishna’s soul left the mortal world, after accomplishing his mission on earth.

Thus happened the death of God Krishna, the great incarnation of Maha Vishnu, surrendering to the arrow of an ordinary hunter, after 36 years of Mahabharata War, respecting the curse of a dejected mother and a dedicated devotee, and obeying the law of Karma. It is believed that that Krishna’s departure from this earth marked the end of Dwapara Yuga and the beginning of Kali Yuga, which happened in 3102 BCE.

Conclusion

No doubt Krishna was capable to prevent the Mahabharata war as well as the self-destruction of Yadavas, but he could not use his divine powers to stop them, because he was no more a God, but a God incarnated as a human being with all limitations of a human being. He had the passions and traits of humans, and tried to avert war with sincere efforts, within the limitations of his human aspect, but of no avail. Whatever incarnations did God take, he should follow the limitations and laws of the form in which he was incarnated. The destiny of fate or the law of karma cannot be altered by anybody, whether he is human or God! 

Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna