~ Ramayana & Mahabharata ~

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The Search for Sita

Far away, Ram and Laxman had come upon each other in the forest. They gazed at each other in dismay as they realized that they had been the victims of a terrible deception. They hurried back to the mud hut only to find their worst fears confirmed. Sita had disappeared. Laxman was overcome with remorse and reproached himself for leaving Sita alone. They hunted high and low for Sita, calling out her name till their voices were hoarse. But silence shrouded the forest. Not a leaf moved and the birds and animals were silent. Just when they were about to give up hope, they stumbled upon the dying vulture. With the little breath that was left in his body, Jatayu told them that Ravan was the villain they sought, but he did not know where the demon had taken Sita. These were his last words before his death. The princes were deeply saddened by Jatayu's death. He had laid down his life while attempting to rescue Sita.

The disconsolate princes had no clue as to which way to turn. But help was on hand in the form of the 'monkey people' led by their king Sugreeva. Ram and Laxman unburdened their hearts to Sugreeva. The monkey king offered to help them. The monkeys had a wonderful ability to climb to great heights and to travel long distances jumping from branch to branch. This would be a tremendous asset in the search for Sita. Sugreeva promised a reward to the first monkey that discovered Sita's whereabouts. So hundreds of these nimble little creatures scattered in different directions to look for the hapless Sita. 

Now Ram had taken a liking to the monkey, Hanuman. He had a feeling that it would be this monkey that would discover where Sita had been kept captive. Ram took the signet ring that he wore off his finger and gave it to Hanuman. He explained that Sita would trust the bearer of this ring as a true messenger from Ram.

As it turned out, Hanuman was the first monkey to discover that Ravan had taken Sita to Lanka. But help came from an unexpected source. A bird with amazing eyesight that enabled it to see over high mountains, dense forests and wide oceans. This bird had spotted Sita, captive in the Ashoka grove in Lanka and he whispered this information into Hanuman's ear.

The mystery had been solved. But now a new obstacle presented itself. An immense expanse of water separated Lanka from the land where Ram and Laxman resided. The question was how to get across the water? Hanuman volunteered to attempt the leap across the ocean. After praying to the gods, Hanuman planted his feet firmly on the ground. He then girded his loins, took a deep breath and launched himself into the air with a mighty roar. He flew high up into the air, across the ocean, till he landed lightly on the sandy beach of Lanka's shore. 

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Hanuman in Lanka

The city of Lanka was perched upon a triple-peaked mountain, fortified by high walls and surrounded by a deep moat. Armed guards patrolled the city night and day and stopped any strangers that happened by. Hanuman, being a monkey, could enter the city unchallenged.

Hanuman found Lanka to be an astonishingly beautiful city. There were lush gardens, tinkling fountains, impressive monuments with towers that reached towards the sky, crystal palaces with gem-encrusted doorways. Everywhere there was wealth and prosperity.

Finally, Hanuman happened upon Sita in the Ashoka grove. There she sat, a forlorn figure, surrounded by demonesses. Hanuman managed to creep up to her unnoticed. He told Sita that he was a messenger from Ram and gave her the signet ring that Ram had entrusted to him. He told her how her husband pined for her and reassured her that Ram would bring reinforcements and rescue her from captivity. Sita was overjoyed to see a friendly face after such a long time. She pulled a jewelled ornament from her hair and told Hanuman to give it to Ram so that he would know that she was alive and well.

Hanuman realized that he must return to Ram in haste so they could make preparations to rescue Sita and vanquish Ravan without delay. But being a monkey, Hanuman had mischief in his blood. He could not leave Lanka without first creating some kind of a disturbance. He took a deep breath and as the air entered his body, he grew to an enormous size. He then set about wreaking havoc in the city of Lanka. He uprooted trees and shook the grand mansions to their foundations. He left a trail of destruction in his wake. The news soon reached Ravan that a monkey was causing chaos in the city. Ravan ordered that the monkey be captured and brought to him. Scores of soldiers rushed to do their king's bidding. Hanuman put up a spirited fight, but ultimately he was subdued and brought before Ravan.

Ravan was enraged by the temerity of the monkey that dared to disturb the peace of Lanka. Knowing that his tail is a monkey's pride, he ordered that Hanuman's tail be dipped in oil and set on fire. Hanuman allowed the guards to have their fun for some time. He then took a deep breath, breaking out of his bonds as if they were toothpicks. Seeing another opportunity to wreak havoc, Hanuman darted about the city setting fire to everything that cane across his path. Satisfied that he had caused enough of a commotion, Hanuman took a deep breath and disappeared into the sky with a thunderous roar.

[MysteRy]

Ram Wages War on Lanka

When Hanuman returned home he was given a hero's welcome. Ram embraced him like a brother for he had breached the formidable walls of Lanka and found Sita. But Ram was dejected because he was at a loss for a plan to attack Lanka. How would they cross the sea? Sugreeva reassured him saying that he and all the monkey folk were at Ram's disposal. Together they would find a solution to the problem and rescue Sita from the clutches of Ravan. They pumped Hanuman for information about the size of Ravan's army, the strength and structure of the fortress, the arrangements for defence, and the positioning of the sentries. The one thing they all agreed on was the fact that time was of the essence.

Finally, they devised a plan. They would build a bridge that would extend to the shores of Lanka. Monkeys of all sizes, shapes and hues scrambled to collect branches, stones and even large boulders and dragged them to the shore and piled them one on top of the other in the sea. For once, these mischievous creatures forgot their pranks and concentrated on the task in hand. The work was back-breaking, but in five days the task was complete. Ram, Laxman, and Sugreeva proceeded at the head of the monkey army, across the bridge to Lanka.

Lanka's alert sentries soon spotted the invaders. When the news reached Ravan's court, the assembled courtiers gave out a bloodthirsty roar exhorting Ravan to attack Ram and his followers and crush them. The only voice of dissent was that of Vibhishan, Ravan's brother. He tried to explain to Ravan that he had committed a sin by abducting another man's wife. Vibhishan told Ravan that he could still avert a disaster by returning Sita to her rightful husband. He begged Ravan not to put the whole of Lanka in danger merely to satisfy his lust for Sita.

But Ravan would not listen to reason. Blinded by lust, he was convinced that Ram was the only obstacle that prevented Sita from accepting him as her husband. He was certain that once Ram was out of the way, Sita would fall into his arms. He was infuriated at what he thought was his brother's betrayal. He told Vibhishan that if he was so concerned about the enemy, it would be better if he joined Ram's army. Knowing that he was on the side of the right, Vibhishan did join Ram's army.

Now, the demons that made up Ravan's army were great, fearless warriors. They were confident of winning this battle because after all they were fighting mere monkeys. Drumbeats and the blowing if conches and trumpets signalled the beginning of the battle. The two armies charged at each other. The monkeys hurled trees and stones at then enemy and fought with their teeth and claws. The battlefield was a blood bath, but still the monkey folk kept on despite the loss of many lives. Ravan's army was shocked at their inability to fight off this puny army. Ravan could not believe his eyes as he watched his soldiers fall one by one on the battlefront. He realized that he would have to summon reinforcements.

[MysteRy]

Kumbhakarna and Indrajit Enter the Fray

Kumbhakarna was Ravan's brother and had a truly formidable reputation as a warrior. The gods had cursed him so that he slept for a stretch of six months at a time. It was nearly impossible to wake him from his deep slumber. But Ravan realized that he needed to introduce Kumbhakarna onto the battleground to boost the morale of the demon army. Ravan had great faith in his brother's prowess as a warrior and was convinced that he would be able to slay Ram and rout the enemy. He ordered all his officers and servants to work on the difficult task of waking Kumbhakarna. They made an enormous din, blowing trumpets and conch shells, beating drums and shaking Kumbhakarna's body vigorously. But still the giant slept on undisturbed. Finally, when the servants had almost exhausted their efforts, Kumbhakarna woke, yawning hugely, and shaking off the servants like so many flies. He first sat down to eat the mountains of food that were prepared for him for it was common knowledge that when Kumbhakarna awoke from a deep slumber, he would be ravenously hungry. His hunger satisfied, Kumbhakarna prepared to go into battle.

Kumbhakarna arrived on the scene like a whirlwind. He made short shrift of the monkeys, cutting through their defence like a knife cuts through butter. Mnagled bodies of monkeys lay strewn all over the battlefield. But Kumbhakarna's aim was to slay Ram. He charged at Ram brandishing an iron club in one hand and an uprooted tree in the other. Ram flung a wind missile at the demon that took off both his arms. But the demon did not seem to notice and charged on. Next Ram amputated the demon's legs, but Kumbhakarna hurtled on undeterred. Finally, Ram managed to decapitate the demon. A shocked silence hung over the battlefield as Kumbhakarna's severed head fell to the ground.

Indrajit, Ravan's son, decided that he would take up the challenge of defeating Ram's army. Since Ram and Laxman could not seem to be vanquished by ordinary means, Indrajit decided to use his magic powers to make himself invisible. He hovered over the battlefield in his chariot and rained down poisoned arrows on Ram and Laxman. The two princes were bewildered. How could they fight an enemy they could not see? Finally, Laxman and Hanuman managed to entice Indrajit onto the battlefield where Laxman challenged him to single combat. Indrajit was confident that Laxman would be no match for him. As it turned out, he was wrong and his overconfidence cost him his life. The battle between Laxman and Indrajit raged for a long time for they were both well matched. But as Laxman felt his strength flagging, he prayed to the gods to give him a last surge of energy to finish off his foe. The gods answered his prayers and he cut off Indrajit's head. Without a leader, the demon army fell into disarray and they retreated helter skelter. Ravan was stricken by the news of the death of his son, but he did not have the luxury of time to mourn.

[MysteRy]

The Famous Battle between Ram and Ravan

Ravan decided that it was time that he took matters into his own hands. All his brave generals and warriors had been defeated and he had lost both his brother and his son. Ravan donned his armour and prepared to go into battle. Ravan's entrance on the battleground was a truly awe-inspiring sight. Clad in dazzling armour made of solid gold and encrusted with precious jewels, Ravan mounted his chariot drawn by four magnificent black horses. With his ten heads and countless arms, Ravan's appearance was fearsome enough to strike terror in the hearts of the bravest soldiers.

The monkey folk made a valiant attempt to attack the terrible demon, but their stones and boulders rolled off his body like water off a duck's back. Ravan's flaming arrows depleted the monkey ranks and unleashed terror in their hearts. Laxman rushed forward to help his monkey friends, but Ravan struck him down with a powerful thunderbolt. Ram feared for his brother's life when he saw him lying senseless in a pool of blood.

Again the monkeys proved themselves resourceful in a crisis. They told Ram that they knew of some medicinal herbs that could save Laxman's life. The only stumbling block was that these herbs were only available far away in the Himalayas. Ram's heart sank. This was as good as having no cure at all. How would they able to collect the herbs from such a distant place and return before Laxman breathed his last? 

Hanuman saved the situation one again. He was swift as the wind and immensely strong. He flew up into the air and disappeared in the direction of the Himalayas. When Hanuman landed on the mountain, he found a million different varieties of herbs. He had no idea which were the right ones that would save Laxman's life. Hanuman felt that the only solution to this quandary was to pick up the whole mountain and take it to the plain where Laxman lay. That is exactly what he did! Once Hanuman returned to Lanka with the mountain in the palm of his hand, the monkey folk quickly went to work to revive Laxman. They made a potion out of the herbs and made Laxman inhale the vapours. The potion worked like magic and the strength quickly began seeping back into Laxman's body.

Ram decided that it was time that he took on the terrible Ravan in battle. Both the warriors were evenly matched and both had access to secret powerful weapons. Neither Ram nor Ravan had ever tasted the bitter fruit of defeat. They were both masters in the use of the bow and arrow. Even the gods gathered to watch this magnificent battle. The air was thick with arrows flying in both directions. Ravan's twenty arms bristled with weapons that he wielded all at the same time! Every time Ram managed to cut off one of Ravan's heads, another one would grow in its place. The monster seemed indestructible. Finally, Ram remembered the brahma-astra, a missile gifted to him by the Lord Brahma himself. Ram uttered the spell that would summon the mighty weapon. Then invoking the gods, he hurled the weapon with all his might at Ravan. A deafening roar was heard as the brahma-astra exploded and the mighty Ravan was destroyed.

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Sita's Trial by Fire

Sita had been confined to the Ashoka grove for the entire time that the battle had been raging. She had lived through those days with her heart in her mouth, worrying about Ram and Laxman. After Ravan had been vanquished, Ram sent Hanuman to Sita to convey the good news.

Sita's reunion with Ram was not at all as she expected. His demeanour was cold as he greeted her from a distance. Ram then told Sita that now that Ravan had been salin, she was free to choose her path in life. He told her that she could stay in Lanka with Vibhishan, or accompany Laxman or may be Sugriva. She could also go to Bharat if she so desired. Sita was bewildered by Ram's behaviour. She soon understood when Ram explained that he doubted Sita's fidelity after she had lived with Ravan for a year.

Sita was deeply hurt that Ram should question her loyalty in front of a gathering of people. Insulted, she turned to Laxman and bade him to build a fire. She reminded Ram that Ravan had kept her captive in Lanka for a year against her will. He had tried to woo her in that time, but she had been steadfastly loyal to Ram. She told Ram that she would prove her fidelity by a trial of fire. She would walk through the fire that Laxman built, and if she had been unfaithful to her husband in thought or in deed, the flames would consume her. On the other hand, if her mind and heart had never wavered from her husband, she would emerge from the fire unscathed. After saying this, Sita calmly walked into the flames. The assembled crowd gasped with horror as the flames enveloped Sita. But a few moments later the people heaved a collective sigh of relief as Sita emerged from the roaring fire unscathed. Not a hair on her head was singed.

There could be no greater proof of Sita's fidelity. Ram embraced Sita and said that he had never for a moment doubted her purity. But being a monarch, he had a duty to satisfy the minds of his subjects on this issue. Else, they would have no respect for him as a king. He praised Sita saying that her trial by the fire had put to rest any doubts that might have been raised in the future.

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The Homecoming of Ram

Finally the fourteen long years of exile were up and Ram, Sita and Laxman were ready to return to Ayodhya. Vibhishan, who had been crowned king of Lanka after Ravan's death, offered the wonderful chariot Pushpak to Ram so that they could fly home to Ayodhya. Ram gladly accepted his offer and climbed aboard along with Sita, Laxman and their monkey friends. They soon reached the outskirts of Ayodhya.

As he had done so many times in the past, Hanuman was the messenger that bore the glad tidings of Ram's return to Bharat. Bharat was ecstatic when he heard the news. He decided that the people of Ayodhya would give Ram and his friends a reception the likes of which the kingdom had never seen before. Once again the people of Ayodhya prepared for the coronation of Ram. The streets were gaily festooned with flags and washed with scented water. Colourful garlands hung over every doorway. Musicians, dancers and acrobats performed in the streets. The people paraded the streets dressed in their best finery. Everywhere there was happiness and laughter as Ayodhya anticipated the homecoming of Ram. When the weary threesome entered the gates of Ayodhya, a resounding cheer went up from the gathered crowds. The three queens embraced Ram, Sita and Laxman with tears of joy pouring down their faces. The brothers were overjoyed to be reunited after such a long time.

Ram presented Sita with a beautiful pearl necklace before the commencement of the coronation. She sought out Hanuman and begged him to accept the necklace as a token of her undying gratitude. Hanuman was thrilled to have such an honour conferred on him.

At last Ram's coronation was complete. The gods smiled down on the new king of Ayodhya. From then on prosperity and happiness reigned in the land.

[MysteRy]

The Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is the great battle of Kurukshetra. It took place between two families - the Pandavas and the Kauravas for the sovereignty of Northern India and the throne of Hastinapur. The Pandavas were the 5 sons of Pandu and the Kauravas were their cousins, the 100 sons of King Dhritashtra, Pandu's blind younger brother who was now king as Pandu was no more. After Dhritashtra, the throne rightly belonged to Yudhisthir, the oldest son of Pandu. But of course, the Kauravas would have none of that.

Duryodhan, the oldest of the Kauravas, was an extremely wicked man and had cheated the Pandavas out of their kingdom in a game of dice. He had also tried to strip Draupadi, who was the common wife of the Pandavas, in front of all at the palace after the Pandavas had lost the game. And were it not for the timely intervention of Lord Krishna, he would have succeeded in this dastardly deed. Therefore it was on the advice of the Lord that the Pandavas were ready to battle for their rights.

The Pandavas were also first cousins of Lord Krishna as their mother was the sister of his father. But as Lord Krishna did not wish to be impartial, he offered himself to one party and his entire army, of a hundred million soldiers, to the other. Arjuna of the Pandavas, chose the Lord himself and the Kauravas were only too pleased to have his whole army, little realising that the blessings of God would definitely be stronger than an entire army.

 Lord Krishna participated as a friend and advisor and rode Arjuna's chariot into battle. He had pledged that he would not take part in the actual combat. A pledge that he found almost difficult to keep when he found his cousins losing.

His main role in the battle as Arjuna's charioteer was to inspire and encourage Arjuna when the latter wanted to give it all up. He did not want to fight his kinsmen and revered teachers who had taught him all he knew, just for the sake of a kingdom. And this is the moment when Lord Krishna recited the Bhagvad Gita, the epic poem that forms the basis of Hinduism. Through this poem he encouraged Arjuna to pick up his weapon and fight for justice as that is his 'dharma' or sacred duty.

Arjuna said that he did not want to be responsible for killing so many people. And Lord Krishna replied that the soul is immortal and cannot be destroyed so it is not really possible to kill anyone. He then revealed his 'viraat roop' or real divine form to Arjuna. When Arjuna realised that he had the lord himself (the incarnation of Lord Vishnu) on his side he was filled with a deep sense of awe and was greatly encouraged to carry on.

The battle proved long and hard and carried on for 18 days. The Pandavas knew that it was impossible to win as long as their great 'guru' or teacher Dronacharya continued to battle. This great 'brahmin' was highly skilled in the art of warfare and could not be defeated. The Pandavas would have to come up with a plan.

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The Slaying Of Dronacharya

The great guru had just one weakness and that was his son Ashwatthama, whom he loved dearly. So Lord Krishna suggested that they somehow manage to convince him that his son was dead. Once he was unnerved it would only be a matter of time before he was out of the running. Neither Arjuna nor Yudhisthir were happy about this and only agreed to go through with this after realising that the battle would otherwise be a lost cause. They then decided to kill an elephant by the same name and then go to Dronacharya with the news so they would not be lying.

Bhima, the second and strongest of the brothers went ahead and killed an elephant by the name of Ashwatthama and then went up to Dronacharya and said, "Ashwatthama is dead." Dronacharya was shaken to the core of his being and was absolutely heartbroken at first. And then on second thought he realised that his son was almost as strong, skilled and powerful as he was and could not easily be defeated. He also knew that Yudhisthir was an extremely truthful man and so he decided to ask him if Ashwatthama was really dead.

Yudhisthir, knowing that everything depended on his word, truthfully said that Ashwatthama was dead, as the elephant really was dead. Dronacharya fainted. He recovered enough to fight once again but his spirit was broken and he was slain in battle that day.

Legend has it that as Yudhisthir was so morally upright, his chariot always travelled two inches above the earth, but after that day his wheels touched the ground. He might not have said an outright lie but it was a white lie nevertheless, even though it was for the greater good. So according to the laws of the universe he had to pay for it.

[MysteRy]

Bishmapitamah's Last Days

Bhishma, was the grand old man of both the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He was the oldest member of the house as he had been granted the boon of dying at will and therefore could have been hundreds of years old.

In his younger days he had promised his prospective step-mother that he would never marry and bear children and it would be her sons who would rule after his father. He promised to lay no claim to the throne as she was refusing to marry his father, the king of Hastinapur, as her sons might not have much of a position in the royal family. She was the beautiful and ambitious daughter of a lowly fisherman and the king was madly in love with her. So Bhishma made this supreme sacrifice for the sake of his father and so earned the respect of the three worlds.

He had promised to look after the descendants of his father and to protect the throne of Hastinapur. And so he had to take an active part in the battle of Kurukshetra and fight on the side of the Kauravas even though his heart belonged to the Pandavas. He had always been morally upright and was forced to live up to his word.

During the great battle he had been badly wounded by hundreds of arrows that had pierced his back. When he fell to the ground, these arrows formed a bed for him to lie on. But he did not die because of the boon. He lay on this painful bed of arrows for fifty-six days as many rishis and gods surrounded him offering their love and moral support. And he finally left his body only after he knew he could protect the throne no longer.

Lord Krishna was worried that the entire race would lose out on all the wisdom that this great man had collected down the ages. And so Yudhisthir and a few others surrounded him trying to absorb as much knowledge as they could.

[MysteRy]

Battle With Duryodhan

After a couple of days of fighting, most of the Kauravas had been destroyed with the exception of Duryodhan and a few others. The Pandavas set out in search of Duryodhan but could not locate him as he was hiding in the waters of a lake.

On finding him, the brothers stood at the banks, taunting him and challenging him to come out and fight like a man. Duryodhan said that it was wrong for them to challenge him all together as he had no weapon and was all alone. He said that he would be willing to fight as long as they provided him with a weapon and fought him one by one.

Upright, kind-hearted and generous Yudhisthir agreed to give him the weapon of his choice as well as the combatant of his choice and the entire kingdom back were he to win. Lord Krishna was furious at this foolish offer and another game of chance. He also knew that Duryodhan was the first among equals in the use of the mace and Bhima might not have much of a chance. So he advised him to strike Duryodhan below the navel. Even though this was against the rules, lord Krishna explained that even the gods had to resort to trickery when they fought the demons to ensure that good won over evil. In this way Bhima was able to secure a resounding victory over Duryodhan.

[MysteRy]

Ashwatthama's Revenge

There were now just three Kauravas left and foremost amongst them was Ashwatthama, the son that Guru Dronacharya thought he had lost to the enemy. As was expected he was thirsting for revenge.

So one night when he knew that everyone in the enemy camp must be asleep, he took hold of his weapons and approached the entrance. Here he was met by a great being who was spitting fire. He tried to destroy this being but just couldn't succeed as this creature swallowed whatever was being thrown at him. He then remembered everything he had been taught and the folly of his ways and retreated.

He sat down to pray to Lord Shiva for help. He sang his praises and prayed with all his heart until a golden altar appeared in the sky. This was accompanied by a host of fearful creatures that normally accompanied Lord Shiva, the god of destruction. They knew that kind-hearted Shiva was going to respond to his prayers. And that they would have a feast after the forthcoming slaughter.

But in truth Shiva had not yet responded to Ashwatthama's prayers and the sacrificial altar was still awaiting a live sacrifice. Now there was just one thing to do and so he decided to sacrifice himself. He prayed to Shiva saying that as he could not defeat his enemies alone he was coming to the lord.

He then began his ascent towards the altar and took a step towards the fire. And suddenly Lord Shiva appeared before him saying that he dearly loved Lord Krishna and had therefore cast his protective hand over the Pandavan army and ensured their victory. But now he would protect them no more and their time on earth was over. Saying this the Lord entered Ashwatthama's body and handed him a shining silver sword.

Fortunately the five Pandavas, Lord Krishna and another man were missing from the camp that fateful night and were saved from the ensuing slaughter.

Ashwatthama marched in followed by Shiva's faithful followers and wreaked havoc in the camp. Not a soul was allowed to escape and not a person was left alive.

The next morning the Pandavas were shocked to hear the news and asked Krishna how it was possible for Ashwatthama and his two companions to destroy a whole army. Lord Krishna explained that the great Lord Shiva himself, who was not only easily offended but easily pleased as well, had aided him. Which is what the smart Ashwatthama had done through his prayers to secure the great god's favour.

In this way Ashwatthama was able to avenge his esteemed father, Dronacharya's death.

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The Passing on of Lord Krishna

Dwarka was the hometown of Lord Krishna and his brother Balram as well as the entire Yadu race. One day, three great sages paid a visit to this city as Krishna's guests. And one day, during their stay, the youngsters of the Royal family got into a state of intoxication and dressed up Krishna's son Shamva as a woman who needed to be blessed with a son.

They took him to the three sages and asked them to predict the birth and future of the son of the disguised Shamva. But truly holy men are seldom deceived. And these wise men at once realised the joke that was being played on them. Needless to say they were furious and angrily predicted that within twenty - four hours this man would go into labour and deliver, not a son but an iron thunder bolt which would be the cause of destruction of the entire Yadu race.

They then went to the palace to inform Krishna of their curse. Now Krishna being the Lord of the universe could easily have nullified or withdrawn their curse but he had too much respect for the words of holy men.  So he quietly accepted the news.

The following day as was predicted, Shamva gave birth to an iron thunder bolt which was promptly ground to a powder and thrown into the sea in an attempt to avert the tragedy. Thereafter intoxicating substances and drinks were completely banned from this territory, as everyone knew that this was the real cause of such unruly, irresponsible behaviour and their oncoming fate.

 But still the curse of the holy men hung over the heads of the Yadavas as a dark cloud and ominous signs were noticed everywhere. The whole city was infested by a troublesome group of rats and mice and the sun would set in the middle of the day. The freshest of food would spoil easily and cows gave birth to asses and asses to elephants.

 A blanket of frustration and despair spread over the Yadavas as they indulged themselves in unruly behaviour. Brahmins and elders were being treated with utmost disrespect and couples started indulging in adulterous behaviour.

 Krishna realised that complete destruction was inevitable and so decided to hasten the process. He advised the men to take their entire families to the seashore to bathe in the sea. As they headed out they were witness to a few more ominous signs. First Lord Krishna's discus was swallowed by the sky and then his chariot and horses sped away over the ocean.

On reaching the seashore, the families were all provided with food and drink and once again indulged themselves to the point of destruction. A fight ensued in which Krishna's son was killed. At this point, the Lord picked out a few blades of grass and turned them into weapons that destroyed quite a number of the tribe. Seeing him do this many others also picked out the grass that turned into weapons made out of iron and began killing each other in their fit of intoxication. All in all, five- hundred thousand people were killed and only four survived. One was the Lord himself and the other was his brother Balram.

After this Balram retired to the forest to practice meditation and yoga and Krishna returned to Dwarka to say good-bye to his father as he knew that he was not going to survive much longer. He also sent one of the survivors to the Pandavas to come and take charge of the widows and children of those who had been killed. He then went on to join Balram in the forest.

On reaching the forest, he witnessed Balram's ascension into the higher realms of heaven where he was being received by the gods. After this he wandered about immersed in deep thought while he finally began to accept his destiny. In his younger days, Sage Durvasa had cursed him saying that would die of a wound in his left foot. The sage had been offended for some reason and had cursed young Krishna in a fit of anger.

Lord Krishna now decided that it was time for the curse to take effect and so sat down to meditate while exposing his left foot.

A hunter soon approached and mistook the Lord for a deer. And as was predicted he shot him in his left foot. On realising his grave error he was filled with remorse and grief. But Lord Krishna consoled him and asked him not to be scared or sorry as these were the ways of destiny.  These were the great Lord's last words on earth.