Mahabharata — Mausala Parva, Shloka 9
अध्याय १: उत्पात-दर्शनम् तथा वृष्णि-विनाश-श्रवणम्
Omens Observed and the Hearing of the Vṛṣṇi Destruction
परस्परं समासाद्य ब्रह्मदण्डबलात् कृतान् । वृष्णीन् विनष्टांस्ते श्रुत्वा व्यथिता: पाण्डवाभवन्
parasparaṃ samāsādya brahmadaṇḍabalāt kṛtān | vṛṣṇīn vinaṣṭāṃs te śrutvā vyathitāḥ pāṇḍavābhavan ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Driven by the irresistible force of the Brahmin’s punitive staff—namely, the power of a curse—they confronted one another and fought, and the Vṛṣṇis were destroyed. Hearing that news, the Pāṇḍavas were stricken with anguish, for the fall of Śrī Kṛṣṇa seemed as impossible as drying up the ocean; therefore those heroes could not readily accept the report of his destruction.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the mightiest lineages fall when adharma ripens into inevitable consequence; the verse highlights the moral force attributed to a Brahmin’s curse (brahmadaṇḍa) and the fragility of worldly power, prompting sober reflection on karma and impermanence.
Vaiśampāyana reports that the Vṛṣṇis, compelled by the power of a curse, turned on one another and were annihilated. The Pāṇḍavas, on hearing this, were overwhelmed with sorrow and disbelief—especially regarding any report implying the end of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
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