Makaranda Madhukar Anand Mahendale Festshrift

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 61

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S. J. Noel Sheth
Makaranda
imprecation (11.6.35), his inner intention is not to counteract the curse (VC, VD on 11.6.42). Indeed the real cause of their destruction is Krsna's wish."? Krsna himself sets the stage for the Brahmins' imprecation (VC on 11.1.11). The various events in this whole episode take place through Krsna's will. E.g., it is he who internally urges the brahmins to proceed to Pindāraka (BP. GS. GD. VB. VJ. VR. Sudarśanasūrin on 11.1.11); the Yādava youths, too, go there (GD on 11.1.13); they insult the brahmins (VB on 11.1.13); the brahmins get angry (JG(Ks), RR, VD on 11.1.16) and imprecate upon them (VB on 11.1.16); the juvenile Yādavas are afflicted by the curse (VD on 11.1.14); the punishment appears to be disproportionate to their fault (VB on 11.1.16), nor do the Brahmins regret this (Purusottama on 11.1.18); the frightened Yadava boys report the whole matter to the king, but not to Krsna, who could have counteracted the curse (RR, VD on 11.1.19); and the king himself had the pestle powdered, etc., but did not ask Krsna's advice (GD on 11.1.21)—all this takes place because of Krsna's will. Moreover, when Krsna suggests that they leave Dvārakā and go to the sacred place Prabhāsa in order to neutralize the curse (11.6.35-38; see GS on 11.6.37, VR on 11.1.1), it is actually a trick (vyāja) (JG (Ks), RR, VD on 11.6.35-36), for it is not proper that even the semblance of inauspiciousness befalls the auspicious city of Dvārakā (JG (Ks), RR, VD on 11.6.35; RR, VD, on 11.30.6), since death is something inauspicious. So, while it is maintained that Krsna is the master of the situation and can, if he so wishes, counteract the curse, he is shown to be hardhearted, lacking in compassion towards his own relatives, nay, even taking an active part in their extirpation (11.30.23). Many commentators concede that it would not be proper for Krsna to destroy his own clan. Hence, they explain that, instead of killing the Yādavas himself, 18 he induces an internal feud among them (11.1.4), (so that they would kill one another) (BP, GD, GS, SS on 11.1.3; SD, VC on 11.1.4).
In fact, the Yādavas are behaving thus precisely because they are deluded by Krsna's māyā (11.30.13, 17, 24; the text may also be suggesting this in 11.30.19, 22, 49). Some of the commentators add that this is the main cause (GS, JG (Ks), SS on 11.30.13). Indeed the club episode and other such incidents are even created through Krsna's māyā (JG (Ks), VD on 11.30.49). Even when the text says that the Yādavas lose their sense of