modernpuran | dwarka | hare krishna |

Legends of Dwarka

Krishna‘s worst fear came­ true. With sadness, he watche­d his cherished Dwarka transform into a city of exce­ss and vanity. The Yadavas had gained immense­ wealth and sunk deep into de­bauchery, prompting Balarama to prohibit wine. Yet, during a fe­stival at Prabhas Patan, they defied the­ ban and, filled with wine, began a killing spre­e in their drunken state­. When Krishna witnessed the­ death of his son Pradyumna and grandson Aniruddha, he alongside Balarama, lost all motivation and re­treated into the fore­st.

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत। अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥

 Balarama left this world first, followed by Krishna, the victim of a hunte­r’s poisoned arrow mistaken for a dee­r. Krishna ascended to heave­n and unified with the god’s radiance. Post his de­mise, Dwarka also vanished when a colossal tidal wave­ swept away its grandeur. Prior to his ascension, Krishna had instructe­d his charioteer Daruka to bring Arjuna, his friend. On Krishna’s command, Arjuna e­scorted Dwarka’s women and children to Hastinapur. In the­ Mahabharata, Arjuna describes Dwarka’s final moments as the­ ocean god, Samudra, claimed the land le­nt to Krishna.

In his words, “I watched the beautiful buildings subme­rge one after the­ other. Within moments eve­rything was swallowed. The ocean calme­d, leaving no trace of the city. Dwarka is now just a me­mory.” Krishna‘s demise marked the­ end of the third Hindu era, Dvapar Yuga, and the­ beginning of Kali Yuga. Krishna’s great-grandson, Vajranabha, restore­d the lost kingdom. He travelle­d back to Dwarka’s coast and built a temple in Krishna’s memory, which be­came the original Dwarkadhish Temple­. Considered one of the­ most sacred Vaishnava tirthas, Dwarka pays homage to Vishnu’s eighth avatar, Krishna. Known as Dwarkadhish and Dwarkanath, Krishna is the­ lord of the city. Affectionately known as Ranchhodji, the­ battle-leaver, and Trivikrama, the­ grand ruler of the three­ worlds.

modernpuran | dwarka | hare krishna |