Shloka 21
यादवक्षयः, बलराम-निर्याणम्, कृष्णस्य उपसंहारः (प्रभासे विनाशः)
यत् त्वम् आत्थाखिलं दूत वेद्म्य् एतद् अहम् अप्य् उत प्रारब्ध एव हि मया यादवानाम् अपि क्षयः
yat tvam ātthākhilaṃ dūta vedmy etad aham apy uta prārabdha eva hi mayā yādavānām api kṣayaḥ
O messenger, all that you have spoken I already know; by Me indeed this destined destruction of the Yādavas, too, has already been set in motion.
Sri Krishna (Vishnu in human form), addressing a messenger (dūta) within the Yadava narrative
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Kṛṣṇa affirms that the destruction of the Yādavas is divinely ordained and already initiated by his will to conclude the avatāra and restore balance.
Leela: Dharma-upadesa
Dharma Restored: Rebalancing of Earth’s burden and closure of extraordinary divine presence in human polity
Concept: The Lord, as inner ruler and supreme cause, knows and initiates the destined course of events, including the rise and fall of dynasties.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Accept change without despair, discerning a larger order while acting responsibly within one’s role.
Vishishtadvaita: Īśvara’s sovereignty over karma and history is affirmed without denying the reality of persons and events within his body (śarīra) as the universe.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Shanta
Antaryamin: Yes
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
This verse frames the Yadavas’ end as a divinely initiated, destiny-aligned event that clears the cosmic stage for the next age and restores balance to dharma’s unfolding cycle.
Krishna states the outcome is already “begun” and “by me,” combining the inevitability of prārabdha with divine agency—events ripen according to cosmic law, yet remain under the Lord’s governance.
Krishna is depicted as the Supreme Reality who knows all outcomes and initiates world-ordering transitions, showing Vishnu’s sovereignty over history, dynasties, and the moral rhythm of the yugas.