The Vishnu Purana: Book V: Chapter XXXVII | Internet Sacred Text Archive

CHAP. XXXVII.

Destruction of the Yádavas. Śámba and others deceive and ridicule the Rishis. The former bears an iron pestle: it is broken, and thrown into the sea. The Yádavas go to Prabhása by desire of Krishńa: they quarrel and fight, and all perish. The great serpent Śesha issues from the mouth of Ráma. Krishńa is shot by a hunter, and again becomes one with universal spirit.

IN this manner did Krishńa, assisted by Baladeva, destroy demons and iniquitous monarchs, for the good of the earth; and along with Phálguna 1 also did he relieve earth of her load, by the death of innumerable hosts. Having thus lightened the burdens of the earth, and slain many unrighteous princes, he exterminated 2, by the pretext of an imprecation denounced by Brahmans, his own Yádava race. Then quitting Dwáraká, and relinquishing his mortal being, the self-born reentered, with all his emanations, his own sphere of Vishńu.

MAITREYA.--Tell me how Janárddana effected the destruction of his own race under the plea of Brahmanical imprecation, and in what manner he relinquished his mortal body 3.

PARÁŚARA.--At the holy place Pińd́áraka 4, Viswámitra, Kańwa, and the great sage Nárada, were observed by some boys of the Yadu tribe. Giddy with youth, and influenced by predestined results, they dressed and adorned Sumba, the son of Jámbavatí, as a damsel, and conducting her to the sages, they addressed them with the usual marks of reverence, and said, "What child will this female, the wife of Babhru, who is

anxious to have a son, give birth to?" The sages, who were possessed of divine wisdom, were very angry to find themselves thus tricked by the boys, and said, "She will bring forth a club, that shall crush the whole of the Yádava race." The boys, thus spoken to by the sages, went and related all that had occurred to Ugrasena; and, as foretold, a club was produced from the belly of Śámba. Ugrasena had the club, which was of iron, ground to dust, and thrown into the sea; but the particles of dust there became rushes 5. There was one part of the iron club which was like the blade of a lance, and which the Andhakas could not break: this, when thrown into the sea, was swallowed by a fish; the fish was caught, the iron spike was extracted from its belly, and was taken by a hunter named Jará. The all-wise and glorious Madhusúdana did not think fit to counteract what had been predetermined by fate.