Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 16
The Curse on the Yadus Begins: Kṛṣṇa’s Plan to Withdraw His Dynasty
एवं प्रलब्धा मुनयस्तानूचु: कुपिता नृप । जनयिष्यति वो मन्दा मुषलं कुलनाशनम् ॥ १६ ॥
evaṁ pralabdhā munayas tān ūcuḥ kupitā nṛpa janayiṣyati vo mandā muṣalaṁ kula-nāśanam
大王啊，诸圣者被这般欺诳戏弄，便勃然大怒，对那些少年说道：“愚昧之徒！她将为你们生出一根‘穆沙拉’——铁杵之棒，它将毁灭你们整个宗族。”
The four defects of the conditioned soul, namely the tendency to commit mistakes ( bhrama ), illusion ( pramāda ), imperfect senses ( karaṇāpāṭava ) and the tendency to cheat ( vipralipsā ), are not found in pure devotees of the Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa, however, arranged for the young members of His own family, the Yadu dynasty, to exhibit the dangerous lower propensities of mankind. Thus the Yādava boys imitated the activities of the followers of a pseudodevotional cult.
FAQs
This verse shows that mocking saintly persons provokes grave karmic consequences—here, the sages’ curse manifests as a muṣala (pestle) that becomes the instrument for the Yadu dynasty’s destruction.
Because the Yadus (through prank and ridicule) insulted the visiting sages; angered by this disrespect, the sages pronounced a curse that their folly would produce a pestle causing their family’s ruin.
Avoid ridiculing sincere spiritual people and sacred matters; cultivate humility and respectful speech, since careless mockery can trigger lasting harm to one’s community, reputation, and inner spiritual progress.