page_title: Mausala Parva
section_title: Plot summary
hierarchical_section_title: Mausala Parva / Structure and chapters / Plot summary
caption_attribution_description: English: MV Dhurandhar, oil on canvas pasted on cardboard, 1922, 37×25 inches, on display at NGMA, Mumbai as part of the retrospective titled, ‘The Romantic Realist’
context_page_description: Mausala Parva, or the "Book of Clubs", is the sixteenth of eighteen books of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It traditionally has nine chapters. The critical edition has eight chapters. It is one of three shortest books in the Mahabharata.
  Mausala Parva describes the demise of Krishna in the 36th year after the Kurukshetra war had ended, the submersion of Dwaraka under sea, death of Balarama by drowning in the sea, Vasudeva's death, and a civil war fought among the Yadava clan that killed many of them. The story of infighting of the Yadavas becomes the reason why Yudhishthira and all the Pandava brothers renounce their kingdom and begin their walk towards heaven, events recited in the last two books of the Mahabharata.
  Mausala Parva is significant for serving as a basis of archaeological studies for the Mahabharata, as well as being one of the eight Parvas found in Hindu culture of Java and Bali, Indonesia.
context_section_description: The chapter begins with the announcement at the court of Pandavas that many Yadavas men were killed in an internecine war fought with clubs made of eraká grass. Yudhishthira asks for details. Mausala parva then recites the details.
  The events start near the city of Dvārakā 36 years after the end of Kurukshetra war. The empire is peaceful and prosperous, the youth of Yadavas have become frivolous and hedonistic. Krishna's son Samba dresses up as a woman and his friends meet Rishi Vishwamitra, Durvasa, Vashista, Narada and other rishis, who were visiting Dwaraka for an audience with Krishna. The young man playfully pretending to be a woman claims he is pregnant, and asks the rishis to predict the gender of the baby.
  One Rishi sees through the prank. In a fit of rage, he curses Samba will give birth to an iron bolt that will destroy his entire race. The youth inform King Ugrasena what has happened, who asks Samba to powder the iron bolt and cast it into the Prabhas sea. The king also issues an order that no intoxicating spirits shall be produced or distributed in the Yadavas kingdom.
  The town then witnesses several dark omens, including the disappearance of the Sudarshana Chakra, the Panchajanya (Krishna's conch), Krishna's chariot and the plough weapon of Balarama. Pests multiply. Sinful acts multiply, yet no one feels any shame. Wives deceive their husbands, and husbands deceive their wives. Everyone has the same terrifying dreams. People insult and humiliate their seniors and teachers. Krishna gets concerned, asks everyone to go on a pilgrimage to the sacred waters of the Prabhas sea. They do. When they arrive, the Yadavas revel in merry making, dance and drink much alcohol.
  Satyaki, inebriated with wine, goes over to Kritavarma, criticizes him for scheming with Ashwatthama and killing the remaining Pandavas army while they were sleeping (see Sauptika Parva). Pradyumna applauds Yuyudhana words, while disregards Kritavarman. Kritavarman in return reminds him how he cruelly slayed the armless Bhurisravas who, on the field of battle, sat in praya. Krishna shows his angry glance to Kritavarman. They begin to argue who did more wrong during the war. In the ensuing fracas, Satyaki severed Kritavarman head with his sword, then began to strike down others there present. Hrishikesa ran to prevent him from doing further mischief, at that time however, others impelled by fate in the face of Krishna slew Satyaki and Pradyumna, who tried to save Satyaki. Krishna beholding his own son slain and the son of Sini too, took up, in wrath, eraká grass in his hand, which miraculously becomes a bolt of iron - it is with this iron rod he begins to slay the violent. Others tries to imitate him taking the grass too, which from curse too transforms into an iron bolt in their hands. Everyone, inebriated with alcohol, attacks everyone else. Soon everyone who is battling is dead, except Vabhru, Daruka and Krishna. Balarama survives because he withdrew from that spot before fight. Krishna asks Daruka to go to Pandavas, tell what had happened and ask Arjuna to come with help. While Daruka was gone, Krishna sends Vabhru for protecting ladies of his kingdom from robbers, tempted by wealth. As soon however he proceeded to a distance, an iron bolt comes and penetrates Vabhru killing him. Kesava goes himself to Dwaravati and consoles his father Vasudeva, before returning to his brother Balarama in forest. He sees him departing from this world, giving up his life through yoga. Krishna who knew everything that gonna happen, concluded that the hour of his departure from this world had come. Restraining his senses, he sat in high yoga, for dispelling his doubts of being a supreme deity. Some of the powder cast in the Prabhas sea had been swallowed by a fish. Inside the fish, the powder has become a metal piece. Jara, a hunter, catches that fish and finds the metal. Jara sharpens it to make an arrow and goes for hunting. That fierce hunter comes and seeing red marks on Krishna foot, thinking it as a deer eye, aimed at it. On coming near for capturing its prey, 
caption: Yadavas killing themselves
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