देवैर्विज्ञाप्यते देव तथात्रैव रतिस्तव । तत्स्थीयतां यथाकालमास्थेयमनुजीविभिः
The gods request you, O Lord, to remain here as long as you desire; stay as is proper, along with those who live under your protection.
श्रीभगवानुवाच। यत्त्वमात्थाखिलं दूत वेद्म्येतदहमप्युत । प्रारब्ध एव हि मया यादवानां परिक्षयः
The Blessed Lord said: All that you have spoken, O messenger, I too know well; indeed, I have already set in motion the destruction of the Yadavas.
भुवो नाद्यापि भारोऽयं यादवैरनिबर्हितैः । अवतार्य करोम्येतत्सप्तरात्रेण सत्वरः
Even now, the burden of the earth remains, not yet removed by the Yadavas; I will swiftly relieve this burden within seven nights.
यथा गृहीतमंभोधेर्दत्त्वाहं द्वारकाभुवम् । यादवानुपसंहृत्य यास्यामि त्रिदशालयम्
Just as I took the city of Dvaraka from the ocean and established it on land, so too, after withdrawing the Yadavas, I shall depart for the abode of the gods.
मनुष्यदेहमुत्सृज्य संकर्षणसहायवान् । प्राप्त एवास्मि मंतव्यो देवेंद्रे ण तथाऽमरैः
Casting off my human body, accompanied by Sankarshana, I shall be regarded as having arrived, O Indra, not by the other immortals.
जरासंधादयो येऽन्ये निहता भारहेतवः । क्षितेस्तेभ्यःकुमारोऽपि यदूनां नापचीयते
Though Jarasandha and others, who were the cause of the earth's burden, have been slain, yet the race of the Yadus has not diminished even by a single child.
तदेतं सुमहाभारमवतार्य क्षितेरहम् । यास्याम्यमरलोकस्य पालनाय ब्रवीहि तान्
Therefore, after removing this great burden from the earth, I shall go to the realm of the immortals for its protection; inform them of this.
श्रीपराशर उवाच। इत्युक्तो वासुदेवेन देवदूतः प्रणम्य तम् । मैत्रेय दिव्यया गत्या देवराजांतिकं ययौ
Sri Parashara said: Thus addressed by Vasudeva, the divine messenger, having bowed to him, O Maitreya, departed with celestial speed to the king of the gods.
भगवानप्यथोत्पातान्दिव्यभौमांतरिक्षजान् । ददर्श द्वारकापुर्य्यां विनाशाय दिवानिशम्
The Blessed Lord then beheld, day and night, wondrous omens arising on earth, in the sky, and in Dvaraka city, portending destruction.
तान्दृष्ट्वा यादवानाह पश्यध्वमतिदारुणान् । महोत्पाताञ्छमायैषां प्रभासं याम मा चिरम्
Seeing these, he said to the Yadavas: 'Behold these most terrible omens; for your welfare, let us go at once to Prabhasa.'
श्रीपराशर उवाच। एवमुक्ते तु कृष्णेन यादवप्रवरस्ततः । महाभागवतः प्राह प्रणिपत्योद्धवो हरिम्
Sri Parashara said: When Krishna had spoken thus, the foremost of the Yadavas, the great devotee Uddhava, bowed and addressed Hari.
भगवन्यन्मया कार्यं तदाज्ञापय सांप्रतम् । मन्ये कुलमिदं सर्वं भगवान्संहरिष्यति
O Lord, instruct me now as to what I must do; I believe that the Blessed One will soon withdraw this entire lineage.
नाशायास्य निमित्तानि कुलस्याच्युत लक्षये
O Achyuta, I perceive the signs that portend the destruction of this clan.
श्रीभगवानुवाच। गच्छ त्वं दिव्यया गत्या मत्प्रसादसमुत्थया । यद्बदर्याश्रमं पुण्यं गंधमादनपर्वते । नरनारायणस्थाने तत्पवित्रं महीतले
The Blessed Lord said: Go, by the divine path that arises from my grace, to the holy hermitage of Badari on Mount Gandhamadana, the sacred place on earth where Nara and Narayana dwell.
मन्मना मत्प्रसादेन तत्र सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि । अहं स्वर्गं गमिष्यामि ह्युपसंहृत्य वै कुलम्
With your mind fixed on me and by my grace, you will attain perfection there; I shall ascend to heaven after withdrawing the clan.
द्वारकां च मया त्यक्तां समुद्र ः! प्लावयिष्यति । मद्वेश्म चैकं मुक्त्वा तु भयान्मत्तो जलाशये । तत्र सन्निहितश्चाहं भक्तानां हितकाम्यया
When I have abandoned Dvaraka, O Ocean, you will flood it; except for my own house, let all be submerged, for out of fear of me the waters will spare it; there I shall remain, wishing for the welfare of my devotees.
श्रीपराशर उवाच। इत्युक्तः प्रणिपत्यैनं जगामाशु तपोवनम् । नरनारायणस्थानं केशवेनानुमोदितः
Śrī Parāśara said: Thus addressed, he bowed to him and swiftly departed for the forest of austerities, to the abode of Nara and Nārāyaṇa, with Keśava's approval.
ततस्ते यादवास्सर्वे रथानारुह्य शीघ्रगान् । प्रभासं प्रययुस्सार्द्धं कृष्णरामादिभिर्द्विज
Then all the Yādavas mounted their swift chariots and went to Prabhāsa together with Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, and the others, O brāhmaṇa.
प्रभासं समनुप्राप्ताः कुकुरांधकवृष्णयः । चक्रुस्तत्र महापानं वासुदेवेन चोदिताः
Having arrived at Prabhāsa, the Kukuras, Āndhakas, and Vṛṣṇis, urged by Vāsudeva, engaged there in great drinking.
पिबतां तत्र चैतेषां संघर्षेण परस्परम् । अतिवादेंधनो जज्ञे कलहाग्निः क्षयावहः
As they drank there, a quarrel arose among them from mutual contention; from excessive boasting, a fire of conflict was born, bringing destruction.
मैत्रेय उवाच। स्वंस्वं वै भुंजतां तेषां कलहः किंनिमित्तकः । संघर्षो वा द्विजश्रेष्ठ तन्ममाख्यातुमर्हसि
Maitreya said: O best of brāhmaṇas, as each was enjoying his own, what was the cause of their quarrel? And what was the reason for their conflict? Please tell me this.
श्रीपराशर उवाच। मृष्टं मदीयमन्नं ते न मृष्टमिति जल्पताम् । मृष्टामृष्टकथा जज्ञे संघर्षकलहौ ततः
Śrī Parāśara said: As they argued, 'My food is delicious, yours is not,' a dispute arose over what was tasty or not, and from that came conflict and quarrel.
ततश्चान्योन्यमभ्येत्य क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनाः । जघ्नुः परस्परं ते तु शस्त्रैर्दैवबलात्कृताः
Then, with eyes reddened in anger, they approached one another and struck each other with weapons, compelled by the force of fate.
क्षीणशस्त्राश्च जगृहुः प्रत्यासन्नामथैरकाम्
When their weapons were exhausted, those who were close at hand seized stalks of eraka grass.
एरका तु गृहीता वै वज्रभूतेव लक्ष्यते । तया परस्परं जघ्नुस्संप्रहारे सुदारुणे
The eraka grass, when grasped, appeared like thunderbolts; with these, they struck one another in a most dreadful fight.
प्रद्युम्नसांबप्रमुखाः कृतवर्माथ सात्यकिः । अनिरुद्धादयश्चान्ये पृथुर्विपृथुरेव च
Pradyumna, Sāmba, Kṛtavarmā, Sātyaki, Aniruddha and others, as well as Pṛthu and Vipṛthu,
चारुवर्मा चारुकश्च तथाक्रूरादयो द्विज । एरकारूपिभिर्वज्रैस्ते निजघ्नुः परस्परम्
Cāruvarmā, Cāruka, and likewise Akrūra and others, O brāhmaṇa, struck one another with the eraka stalks that had become like thunderbolts.
निवारयामास हरिर्यादवांस्ते च केशवम् । सहायं मेनिरेरीणां प्राप्तं जघ्नुः परस्परम्
Hari tried to restrain the Yādavas, but they regarded Keśava as an ally of the eraka grass and struck one another.
कृष्णोऽपि कुपितस्तेषामेरकामुष्टिमाददे । वधाय सोपि मुसलं मुष्टर्लौहमभूत्तदा
Even Kṛṣṇa, angered at them, took up an eraka stalk in his fist; for the purpose of destruction, that stalk became an iron club.
जघान तेन निश्श्षोआ!न्यादवानाततायिनः । जघ्नुस्ते सहसाभ्येत्य तथाऽन्येपि परस्परम्
With that, he struck down the wicked Yādavas; and as others rushed upon each other, they too slew one another.