Janmasthami Special: How Did Lord Krishna Die?

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There are many intriguing stories in Hindu mythology which only a few of us know about. One such story happens to be of Lord Krishna's death. We all know how Krishna was born. But do you know how Lord Krishna died? Read on to find out.

After the war of Mahabharata, when Duryodhana was finally killed, his mother Gandhari was devastated. She went to the battlefield to mourn over the remains of her son. She was joined by Lord Krishna and the Pandavas. Gandhari was so overcome with grief for her sons that she cursed Lord Krishna to die after 36 years. Lord Krishna smiled and took the curse of Himself. Then it was exactly after 36 years did He meet His end on the hands of a hunter.

The whole Yadava clan of Lord Krishna was slowly wiped off and Dwaraka was submerged in the sea where it still remains buried. Take a look at the tragic story of Lord Krishna's death.

STORY BEHIND LORD KRISHNA'S BIRTH

Gandhari's Curse
Overcome by grief at the death of her 100 sons, Gandhari blamed Krishna for all the bloodshed. She said that Krishna could have easily prevented the Kurukshetra war being God Himself. But He let brothers kill each other. Thus, Gandhari cursed the Lord that the Yadava clan will also perish in the same way as the Kurus. Brothers will kill each other which will put an end to Krishna's kingdom. She also cursed that Lord Krishna would die a lonely death and that Dwaraka would be gulped down by the sea. Lord Krishna smiled and took the curse upon Him since Gandhari was His ardent devotee.

The End Of The Yadavas
The Yadavas were a prospering clan under the rule of Lord Krishna. However after a time they became intoxicated with the power and riches. The Yadavas indulged in all kinds of debauchery and fights among the brothers ensued. This resulted in large scale wars and eventually the Yadavas killed each other in the battlefield. In these wars even Pradyumna, the son of Lord Krishna was also killed. Seeing the destruction, the Lord decided to leave Dwaraka and go into the forests.

Dwaraka Submerged
After Lord Krishna left Dwaraka, it is said the sea washed down the city and it was eventually submerged in the water. The real city of Dwaraka is still under the Arabian sea.

Krishna's Death
Krishna went to the forest with His elder brother Balarama who also died in some time. Overcome with grief, one day Lord Krishna was resting under a tree. A hunter saw the feet of the Lord with the lotus sign below and mistook it to be an animal. The hunter shot an arrow which hit the Lord in the feet. Realising his mistake, the hunter came to Lord Krishna and asked for forgiveness. The Lord said, that it was all destined to be this way. Thus, Lord Krishna left the earthly abode marking an end to the Dwapara yuga.

The Real Identity Of The Hunter
Scriptures say that the hunter who killed Lord Krishna was none other than the monkey king Baali reborn as the hunter. Since Lord Krishna in His previous birth as Lord Ram killed Baali without a proper reason and from behind the bushes, He was destined to die at the hands of the hunter.

Thus, it is quite evident that even the Lord Himself cannot be spared from the clutches of Karma.