The Events Of Prabhasa
Many years had passed, thirty-six to be exact, since the day Yudhisthira ascended the throne.
One morning the son of Dharma had just finished doing his meditations when he saw around him the same bad omens that had appeared just before the Kurukshetra war, and he sensed that something very serious was about to happen.
At the same time in Dvaraka, Krishna also saw those same signs and studying them deeply He deduced that the time had come for His house to withdraw from this world. He had not forgotten Gandhari’s curse, who had practiced strong austerities and whose wishes had therefore to be respected. But there was also something else in the past of the Vrishni, a momentous event that happened even before the Kurukshetra War.
One day the sages Vishvamitra, Kanva and Narada had arrived in Dvaraka and were heading towards the palace to meet Ugrasena when some Vrishni boys, seeing those serious and solemn-looking characters pass by, wanted to make fun of them in their youthful innocence. So, laughing and amused at the idea of the face that the sages would have made, they disguised Samba as a woman and inflated his belly with a large iron club; then they brought him before them.
“O great sages,” they said jokingly, “You who have the gift of foresight, tell us whether this beautiful girl will give birth to a boy or a girl.”
The Rishis didn’t take the joke well.
“Since he has an iron club in his belly,” they replied, “He will give birth to a stick of the same material and with that you will destroy yourselves.”
At those words the boys, who did not expect such a reaction, ran away frightened and went to tell the king everything. Over time Samba actually gave birth to a large iron bar, which was reduced to dust and scattered in the sea.
Many years had passed since that day, and everyone except Krishna had forgotten the incident.
So the day Krishna noticed those terrible omens announcing the approach of the era of Kali, mindful of that event, He decided that the time had come for them to retire from the stage of the world. Among other things, intoxicated and overwhelmed by their own power, the Vrishni had lost their sense of righteousness and were causing the people much inconvenience. Aware of the fact that with the arrival of Kali and the influence he exerted in the world, his lineage would undoubtedly accentuate their wickedness. So, wanting to protect the peace of the righteous people, He decided to destroy them.
For the anniversary of Shiva-ratri, the Vrishni went to Prabhasa, which was then the most suitable place to perform the ceremonies in honor of Shiva. The first days were spent in full carefree and cheerful spirits: no one could foresee the disaster that would happen shortly thereafter.
One day, after having eaten a lot and drinking a liqueur made of rice just as abundantly, some of them began to dig up old grudges. Satyaki and Kritavarma, who had fought in Kurukshetra as enemies, began to blame each other for their respective misdeeds.
“I have not yet forgotten that you and your worthy cronies have vilely slaughtered warriors in their sleep,” exclaimed Satyaki who was already beginning to get upset.
“It is you who speak of righteousness,” the fiery Kritavarma retorted, “You who have slaughtered the righteous Bhurisrava so cowardly as to arouse in the soul of every virtuous person desires for justice. In reality you have no courage, otherwise you could not have struck a defenseless enemy.”
The discussion escalated.
Out of himself in anger, with a lightning-fast movement, Satyaki struck Kritavarma with his sword and killed him.
Seeing him dead, his friends threw themselves against Satyaki, sparking a battle in which everyone forgot their emotional ties and family ties. The Vrishni massacred themselves without restraint. Those who were unarmed took the roots of some plants that grew near the beach and loaded them with the most powerful mantras. They then used them to fight and kill each other, just as the Kauravas did in Kurukshetra. Those roots had grown from the dust of the club which had been scattered in the sea but which the waves had brought back to shore.
Krishna watched and did not intervene; Balarama left without participating in the battle. In a few minutes the beach was covered with corpses; among others were those of Satyaki and Pradyumna.
When the noise subsided, Krishna saw that some had survived. Then He armed Himself with those same roots and threw them at them. The effect was tremendous: everyone fell dead.
After that tragic event, only Krishna, Balarama and Daruka remained alive.
“Daruka, my friend,” said Krishna, “Run to Hastinapura and tell Arjuna all that has happened. Tell him we need him, let him come immediately.”
Having said this, Krishna, the incarnate Supreme Lord, went into a dense forest.
On the same day His brother Balarama, who was incarnate Shesha Naga, in meditation, abandoned His earthly manifestation.
This is a section of the book “Maha-bharata, Vol. 2”.
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