The Mahabharta: Sixteenth Parva: Mausala Parva
The Fall of the Yadavas and the Exit of the Divine.
When Krishna Leaves the World, and the Gods Close the Curtain of Dvapara Yuga.
The Mausala Parva, or The Book of the Clubs, is the sixteenth book of the Mahabharata, and one of its most symbolic and mystical chapters. It recounts the destruction of the Yadava dynasty, the death of Krishna and Balarama, and the gradual descent of the age of dharma into the chaos of Kali Yuga.
This Parva marks the divine withdrawal from the mortal realm.
The curtain falls not with a roar, but with sorrow, wine, and silence.
The Curse of the Sages: The Seeds of Destruction
Years after the Kurukshetra war, Krishna’s kingdom at Dwaraka is flourishing. But karma never forgets, and even divine lineages must face the fruits of collective action.
A group of rishis visits Dwaraka, and the Yadava youths, in arrogance, mock them by dressing Samba (Krishna’s son) as a pregnant woman and asking, “What will she give birth to?”
The sages, insulted, curse them:
“That false womb will bear a club of iron, which shall destroy your race.”
The Iron Bolt and Krishna’s Decision
As the curse takes effect, Samba gives birth to an iron bolt. Horrified, the Yadavas try to destroy it—grinding it to powder and throwing it into the sea. But the sea eventually throws back reeds, and a single piece of the iron survives.
Krishna realizes: the time has come. He knows Dvapara Yuga is ending, and his own exit must now unfold.
He withholds his power. The divine no longer protects the race it was born into.
The Yadavas Destroy Themselves
Krishna takes the Yadavas to Prabhasa Kshetra under the guise of a pilgrimage. There, they drink excessively. Old rivalries resurface. Insults are exchanged. Fists turn to weapons.
And then it happens:
- They begin to slaughter each other using the iron reeds, which turn into clubs (musala)
- Pradyumna, Samba, and many others fall
- Balarama, disgusted, leaves for the forest and merges with Ananta Shesha, his original form
The divine clan ends not in war, but in intoxicated madness, symbolic of the decline of dharma.
Shloka (Mausala Parva):
“कालः सर्वं भक्षयति।”
Translation:
“Time devours all things.”
The Departure of Krishna
After the fall of the Yadavas, Krishna sits alone under a tree, deep in meditation. At that moment, a hunter named Jara mistakes Krishna’s foot for a deer and shoots an arrow.
The arrow pierces Krishna’s foot—his only vulnerable spot, echoing Gandhari’s earlier curse.
Jara rushes in horror, but Krishna forgives him. With calm and grace, the Supreme Being leaves the earth, returning to Vaikuntha, his divine abode.
Shloka:
“यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत।”
“तदा आत्मानं सृजाम्यहम्।”
Translation (from Gita):
“Whenever dharma declines, I incarnate myself.”
Now, with his purpose fulfilled, he returns to the eternal.
The Sinking of Dwaraka
As Krishna departs, the city of Dwaraka begins to tremble. The seas rise. The palaces collapse. The oceans swallow the golden city.
Only Vajra, Krishna’s great-grandson, is saved and sent to Indraprastha by Arjuna.
The message is clear:
No kingdom, no lineage, no even godly empire survives time. Only dharma and consciousness endure.
Arjuna’s Helplessness – The Power Is Gone
Arjuna arrives too late. On the journey back with the Yadava women and children, he is attacked by bandits. He tries to invoke his weapons—but they do not respond.
The divine energy has left him. His Gandiva bow feels heavy. His glory is fading.
“What am I without Krishna?” he wonders.
This is not the fall of a warrior—it is the humbling of ego and the beginning of letting go.
Themes and Spiritual Essence of Mausala Parva
- Even divinity must depart when its work is done
- Time is the ultimate dissolver of all things—cities, dynasties, empires, even avatars
- Pride and intoxication lead to downfall, no matter how powerful
- True greatness lies in graceful exit, not just heroic entry
- Spiritual reliance is greater than martial power
Shloka:
“नरः क्षणभंगुरं पश्य, जीवितं जलबुद्बुदम्।”
Translation:
“Behold man—his life fleeting like a bubble in water.”
Modern Reflections
Mausala Parva is more relevant today than ever:
- It reminds leaders: power is a loan, not a legacy
- It reminds devotees: seek Krishna’s consciousness, not just his miracles
- It warns society: decay comes from within when arrogance replaces gratitude
- And it teaches us: all great stories must bow before the silence of time
Conclusion: The Divine Walks Off the Stage
Mausala Parva is not the tragedy of Krishna—it is the graceful closure of a cosmic mission.
He came, taught, loved, led, and left—with no attachment, no pride, no resistance. His final smile still echoes in eternity, reminding us:
When dharma declines again, I shall return.
Next on Sanatana Decode:
We now move to the Mahaprasthanika Parva, where the Pandavas, having completed their duties, begin their final journey north, toward the Himalayas—and beyond.