In the previous episode, we had witnessed Sage Vishwamitra cursing the entire Yaadava community for the atrocity that they performed towards him. The Yaadavas wanted to insult Sage Vishwamitra and the power of his penance. For that, they brought a man in front of him who was dressed as a woman, with a wooden plank tied around his stomach and waist, thus pretending to be a pregnant woman. They wanted Sage Vishwamitra to predict whether this person would deliver a male or a female child. Irked heavily by this, Sage Vishwamitra cursed that this person would really deliver a wooden plank, which would be the source of destruction of the entire Yadava community altogether. Frightened by this, the Yaadavas realize their folly, but it is too late now! Sage Vishwamitra’s curse is so powerful that it is bound to come true in some way or the other. However, the Yaadavas try their best to come out of that curse. They immediately run back to their place, remove that wooden plank from that man’s waist, powder it into fine pieces and throw it into the ocean waters. They are now under the impression that this wooden plank is completely destroyed and is never going to come back to haunt them.
Meanwhile, it should also be remembered that Bhagawan Krishna Himself had a curse from Gaandhaari, who was the wife of King Dhirdiraashtra. At the end of the Kurukshetra war (The great Mahabharata War) once the entire Kaurava clan was destroyed by the Paandava camp, King Dhirdiraashtra and Gaandhaari were extremely unhappy with the way things went. They clearly had the notion that it was Bhagawan Krishna who was solely responsible for this “massacre” of all their hundred sons, including Duryodhana. Little did they think about the atrocities that Duryodhana and Duchasana meted out to the Paandavas. This is where the “parental attachment” towards children comes in the middle of “Dharma”. This is what Bhagawan Krishna refers to in His Bhagawad Gita as “Maya ” or “illusion”. This excessive attachment towards Duryodhana and Co. is what led to King Dhirdiraashtra turn completely blinded towards whatever “Adharma” the Kauravas did.
However, at the end of the war, Gaandhaari who was deeply pained by her sons’ mass killing, cursed Bhagawan Krishna from the bottom of her heart. She said thus, “Oh Krishna! I know that you are the sole person who is responsible for all my sons’ massacre. Let me tell you one thing – You would also meet a similar end to your life after a few years. Your entire Yaadava community would be destroyed and massacred in front of your own two eyes, just like how myself and my husband are seeing our sons getting massacred!” Bhagawan Krishna too accepted the curse, as it is coming from a deeply pained mother who has lost all her sons for no fault of her’s. He never spoke a word against Mother Gaandhaari and He too knew that it was about time that such a thing came through.
Thus, taking all these into account, the Yaadava clan was now staring at a mass destruction owing to various curses from various corners. Bhagawan Krishna too decides that the time has come for Him to depart back to Vaikunta, and the advent of Kali Yuga is very close by. He too knows that He shouldn’t be present in this world when the Kali Yuga begins. There is a separate incarnation that is going to come from Him for this Kali Yuga and hence, Bhagawan Krishna has no role to play in this.
Meanwhile, the Yaadavas started celebrating their “victory” over Sage Vishwamitra’s curse! So let us wait till the next episode to check out whether their celebration is going to be long-standing or short-lived! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 