Monday 4 July 2011

Death of Lord Krishna, Indian Classical Tale, Mahabharata

The death of Lord Krishna was destined to be in a desolate situation, by an ordinary man and through his feet. Lord Krishna was deeply involved with the Pandavas during the War of Kurukshetra. He also joined them and aided them in every possible way during the Great War.

Lord Krishna was the charioteer or `sarathi` of Arjuna during this war. While the war was on swing, Lord Krishna narrated Bhagavad Gita and was also a witness of Bhisma`s and Duryodhana`s death. Immediately after, Lord Krishna received the curse of Duryodhana`s mother, Gandhari for not rescuing his son. She was an ardent worshipper of Lord Vishnu and recognised Krishna as his incarnation. She equally believed and revered Lord Krishna, but on seeing his son die in front of the Primal Male, he could not find any justification as to why Lord Krishna allowed such things to befall.


Duryadhona`s mother, Gandhari cursed Lord Krishna that he would perish after thirty-six years, all alone and in a miserable state. All his followers, devotees, relatives and loved ones will also die simultaneously. When this time arrived in Lord Krishna`s life; a madness seized the inhabitants of Dwaraka in such an extent that the people started to kill one another. All sons and grandsons of Krishna were also dead in the massacre. Only the women, Krishna and Balaram were alive in Dwaraka.

After a while Balaram desolated himself in a dense forest. Lord Krishna sent the women and children along with a messenger to the Kuru city and they were left with the Pandavas. Lord Krishna then went to his father, took blessings and left for the forest, where Balaram awaited him. He saw that his elder brother was sitting under a mighty tree on the fringes of the forest. Balaram was sitting in a posture of a Yogi, eventually a thousand headed snake, `Ananta naga` came out from his mouth and glided its way to the ocean. Soon, the ocean and other holy rivers came together to welcome Anant Naga into their realm.

Lord Krishna saw his brother depart from the real world and he started to wander in the forest. Finally he sat on the ground, started to think of Gandhari`s curse, and realised that the time for his departure has already arrived. He self-possessed his senses and concentrated on his Yoga. A hunter approached that spot of the forest and from a distant saw him and thought to be a deer. He loosed his shaft, took out the arrow, and mistakenly pierced Lord Krishna`s foot. He came hurried near to the Lord and saw him to be a man wrapped in yellow robes practicing yoga. The hunter immediately touched the feet of Lord Krishna and asked for apology.

Lord Krishna opened his eyes and comforted the hunter, then ascended towards the heaven, thus filling the whole sky with glory. After passing through Indra`s paradise, he reached his place at even higher strata. Krishna wives; including Rukmini became Sati and burned themselves on pyre. The rest of the women of Dwaraka became ascetics and nuns. After each and every living being of Dwaraka moved away to other places, the ocean came about and engulfed the city, thus leaving no trace of the land of Lord Krishna.

The end of Lord Krishna was destined and yet considered to be another `leela` of the Almighty. The deeds of Lord Krishna are the most spoken events as compared to any other incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Besides being worshipped as the Lord, Krishna was also loved as a child God, as `mitra` or friend, as the divine guide and also as the beloved.

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