The End of the Yadavas

There was a place of Pilgrimage known as Pindaraka. Some Yadava youths once met the sages Kanva, Vishvamitra and Narada there. The Yadava youths dressed Shamba up as a woman and brought him to the sages. “Sages,” they asked, “tell us whether this woman will have a son or a daughter.”

The sages saw through the game and were angered at the insult. “This person will give birth to a club.” they said, “And that club with destroy your clan.”

In due course a club came out a Shamba’s body. But learning of the curse, King Ugrasena pulverised the club and had the dust scattered in the ocean. But the dust got changed into sharp reeds that grew on the shores of the ocean.

A small part of the club could not be crushed. This was thrown into the ocean as it was, and a fish swallowed this piece. When the fish was caught, this piece of the club came out of the fish’s stomach and a hunter named Jara acquired the piece.

There was a place of pilgrimage known as Prabhasa and eventually the Yadavas went there. Only one Yadava named Uddhava went off to do tapasya and Mount Gandhamadana. In Prabhasa, the Yadavas began to drink and soon lost all control of their senses. They started to fights and picked up the reeds that were growing on the shores as weapons. Krishna did try to restrain them, but the Yadavas were in no mood to listen. Soon, Krishnna and Daruka were the only Yadavas who were left alive.