DURVASAS (DURBASA)

DURVASAS (DURBASA) The Yadavas deceived Durbasas and reaped the fruit. (Dhanasari Namdev, p. 693) Sri Krishna was the most important member of the Yadava clan. Once the sages Durvasas, Vishwamitra, Kanva and Narada came to Dwarka. Some Yadavas in a playful mood broughi Samba, dressed as a pregnant woman before the sages and asked them derisively, what child, whether male or female would be born to Samba. The sages guessed the ruse played upon them and got very angry at the insult.

They (the name of Durvasas is prominently referred to in this connection) prophesied that whosoever would be born, would be the cause of the destruction of the whole of the Yadava elan. It is said that Samba gave birth to an iron rod as predicted. The Yadavas knew that the curse of the sages could\’never be untrue, therefore, they filed the rod into powder and threw it into the sea along with the remaining small piece of iron. When Sri Krishna was told about the incident, he said that all that was destined to happen. The powder of the iron rod thrown into the sea was washed ashore and it grew up like arrow-like grass.

When the period of destruction approached near, the Yadavas, under the influence of liquor fought with each other. They plucked the arrow-like grass, which turned into iron rods. These rods were freely used, which brought the destruction of the elan. The piece of iron thrown into the sea was swallowed by a fish. The same fish was purchased by a hunter, who utilised the iron piece found in the belly of the fish, as the tip of the arrow.

When the hunter went for a prey in the forest, Sri Krishna was reclining under a tree. He lay down on the ground immersed in Yoga, with his feet raised up. The hunter called Jara, saw Krishna\’s raised feet from a distance and mistook the same for a deer and shot it with his arrow. Sri Krishna expired at once. In this way the curse of the sages was fulfilled. There was an all-round destruction, because of i the curse of a sage. There was also a curse of Gandhari that the Yadava dynasty would be annihilated after thirty-six years and the same was fulfilled with the curse, of the sages.

References :

1. Kohli, Surindar Singh (ed), Dictionary of Mythological References in Guru Granth Sahib, 1993