Ramanisblog

Tag: Lord Krishna’s Death

  • Who Performed The Final Rites Of Lord Krishna

    After the Mahabharata War was over,only Ten remained alive, Three from the Kaurava Side and Seven from the Pandavas

    Lord Krishna
    Lord Krishna. Image source.http://www.stephen-knapp.com/gods_and_goddesses_of_vedic_culture.htm

    They are,

    Pandavas 5

    Lord Krishna,

    Sathyaki.

    From the Kaurava Side Aswathama, Kruthavarma and Krupa.(Mahabharata ,Adi Parva)

    At Dwaraka, the Yadava Clan was in tact, save those killed in the Mahabharata War( Krishna’ Army fought on the side of the Kauravas)

    The Yadav Clan were playing around and one of the Yadavas dressed up Krishna’s son Sambhava(born of Jambavathi), as a pregnant woman and asked the Rishis who were passing by, what child the lady would beget(Sambhava)

    The Rishi replied that knew that it is Krishna’s son Sambhava and he would beget a  Pounder (used to break Grains- Ulakkai) and it it would destroy the Yadava vamsa.

    On being informed of this Lord Krishna smiled and said that no body can change the Curse of a Brahmin.

    After ten months a Pounder was born of Sambhava.

    Thinking that they were clever, the Yadavas, broke the wooden pestle(Ulakkai) into small pieces an threw them into the sea in Dwaraka.

    The tip of the pestle,made of iron was swallowed by a Fish, and it was caught by a Fisherman.

    He found the piece and fixed it to the tip of his arrow.

    The wooden pieces  reached ashore and grew into a bush of Long Grass.

    While this is so, one day the Yadavas were drinking and an altercation ensued as who betrayed the Kauravas the most.

    A riot ensued and even Krishna was attacked by his Clan.

    His Chariot was dragged into the sea, so were His Panchyutas, which went perambulated Lord Krishna clock-wise and disappeared.

    From the Balaram’s face a Serpent came out and entered Heavens and Balram was no more

    Lord Krishna lay under a tree and was taking rest.

    The hunter who had the iron tip in his arrow , from a distance saw, thought he saw a Deer and sent in his arrow.

    It struck Krishna and he left His Mortal Coil.

    The Hunter prayed for forgiveness.

    Krishna informed him that it was because of the Curse, he had nothing to do with His Death and granted him Vaikunta.

    As there were none to perform the last Rites,Arjuna performed the last Rites of Krishna.

    Krishna’s Father , Vasudeva was the brother of Kunti (Mother of the Pandavas)
    Krishna and Arjuna were First Cousins.
    Arjun married Subhadra (Krishna’s Half-Sister)

    The nearest surviving relation on the mother’s side were the Pandavas.

    Technically Yudhistra should have performed, being the eldest off the Pandavas.

    *Arjuna could have performed the last Rites because, in addition to being Krishna’s cousin, he was also marrired Krishna’s half sister (  smriti grants this Right if no others are available) and As Krishna put it in Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna was His dearest Friend and as Arjuna put it Arjuna was Krishna’ most deovted  Disciple.)

    *Purana merely states Arjuna performed Krishna’s last Rites. The interpretation is mine, based on Smriti.

    Deavaki ,Vasudeva and Rukmini left their bodies by entering Fire.

    (Bhagavatha Purana)

    Related Articles

  • God Is Not Above The Cosmic Law Krishna’s Death

    After I finished posting the blog ‘ When Rama Realized he Was Brahman’. I recalled another one from the Puranas.

    This incident explains the law of Karma(Please read my posts on this under Hinduism)

    Lord Krishna spent a long time  on the Earth during the Dwapara Yuga and the Devas were concerned about his absence from the Vaikunta, the Abode of Lord Vishnu.

    They consulted the Great  Dhurvasa Rishi and he consoled them saying the time for Krishna was fast approaching.

    The Devas asked him,

    ‘No body can kill Krishna and we dare not ask him for Dehavyhoam (leaving the Body)

    Dhurvasa smiled and told them to watch.

    After the Mahabharata War was over, the Pandavas and what remained of the Kauravas , along with the Yadavas (Krishna’s Clan) , were sitting together and fooling around the banks of the River Yamuna.

    All of them were drunk.

    Lord Krishna’s son, Sambhavan, playful by nature, dressed himself as a pregnant woman and with his cronies approached a group of Seers(Rishis) and prostrated before them and requested,

    ‘Please Bless Me for Safe delivery’

    The Rishis said,

    ‘We know, you are the son of Lord Krishna, yet, we Bless you with Safe Delivery of a Wooden ladle(உலக்கை ) and your Clan will be destroyed by it’

    உலக்கை,Ulakkai
    உலக்கை,Ulakkai

    When Lord Krishna was told of it, he shrugged and said he could do nothing about it!

    They had a  Wooden ladle delivered after nine months, and to ensure that it was destroyed, they broke it into pieces and immersed it in the river.

    The bottom portion ,made of iron was swallowed by a Shark and it was caught by a Fisherman.

    While seasoning the Fish, the fisherman found the iron piece and sold it to a Hunter.

    The Hunter , his fixed it to the tip of his Arrow.

    After some time, the same group was engaged in a drinking bout at the same place.

    Salliya, the Man who drove and deserted Karna in the Battle field at a crucial juncture was there.

    Salliya was the Father in Law of Karna.

    Lord Krishna.
    Lord Krishna.

    One among the gathering remarked,

    ‘Look,here is a fellow who deserted his king and relative at a critical time, who was on the losing side ,eating and drinking with us, the Victors’

    Salliya retorted saying , ‘A bunch of Herdsman need not talk about a Kshatriya’

    And a Battle of words soon became a full-fledged fight among all.

    They went on attacking each other.

    As they had no Arms,they plucked the ‘கோரைப்புல்’-Nut Grass  around them and attacked each other with the Nut Grass,

    As soon as they plucked them they became the Wooden Ladles and killed those attacked with them.

    Barring Krishna, the Yadava Clan was wiped out.

    (The Immersed wooden pieces , on reaching the shores , grew into Nut Grass and became weapons; that is the reason why Nut Grass is not used in Religious Ceremonies but Kusa Grass is used).

    Some time later when Lord Krishna was roaming the Forests , he became tired and rested under a Tree, lying in a Fetal Position.

    The Hunter saw, what looked like a Deer from a distance’ sent an Arrow.

    It struck Krishna at the Center of His Foot and He lay dying.

    The Hunter , on reaching Krishna begged for Mercy and felt remorse.

    Krishna said to him,

    ” Don’t worry, it is not your fault.

    During Ramavataras Rama,, I killed Vaali, hiding behind a Tree.

    Now I am repaying it.

    I fulfilled my duty of serving Lakshmana who served me as a younger brother during Ramavatar, as Bala rama as my elder brother in this Avatar as Krishna and breathed his last.

    Even God can not escape the Law of Karma, once born!

    Related articles