Shloka 12
यादवक्षयः, बलराम-निर्याणम्, कृष्णस्य उपसंहारः (प्रभासे विनाशः)
मुसलस्याथ लोहस्य चूर्णितस्यान्धकैर् द्विज खण्डं चूर्णयितुं शेकुर् नैकं ते तोमराकृति
musalasyātha lohasya cūrṇitasyāndhakair dvija khaṇḍaṃ cūrṇayituṃ śekur naikaṃ te tomarākṛti
O Brahmin, though the iron of the pestle had been ground down, the Andhakas could still, again and again, crush the remaining spear‑shaped fragments into pieces.
Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Mechanism by which the musala becomes weapon-fragments among the Yādavas
Teaching: Historical
Quality: authoritative
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Krishna allows the Yādavas’ internal violence to become the means of their own dissolution, ending the avatāra’s earthly chapter.
Leela: Yuddha
Dharma Restored: Removal of destructive kṣatriya excess and re-centering of dharma through the Lord’s withdrawal
Concept: When collective anger takes hold, even efforts to neutralize danger become fuel for further destruction.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Interrupt cycles of rage early—through restraint, counsel, and reconciliation—before tools and words become weapons.
Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s permissive will (anumati) allows karmic tendencies to externalize through material means, without compromising His sovereignty.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
FAQs
It emphasizes the extremity of the conflict—violence persists even after weapons are shattered—highlighting how time and fate drive events toward an inevitable end.
By depicting repeated crushing even of already-pulverized iron, he frames the battle as propelled by an overpowering force—kāla (time) and consequence—within Vishnu’s cosmic governance.
Even when Vishnu’s avatāra story includes harsh conflict, the Purana implies a larger order: events unfold under the Supreme’s sovereignty, where karma and time execute the world’s necessary transitions.