The Curse of the Iron Club and the End of the Yadavas

In Dwarka the Yadavas had grown proud with wealth and power. One day sages like Vishvamitra, Kanva and Narada came to Dwarka. As a prank, some Yadava youths dressed Krishna's son Samba as a pregnant woman, stood him before the sages and asked, 'Tell us, what will she give birth to?'

Insulted, the sages said in anger, 'From his belly will come an iron club that will destroy the whole Yadava clan, except Balarama and Krishna.' The very next day an iron club really came out of Samba. King Ugrasena had it ground to powder and thrown into the sea, and banned liquor in the city.

But who can stop what must happen? Bad omens appeared in Dwarka. Krishna told the Yadavas to go on pilgrimage to Prabhasa. There, at a festival, they drank heavily. Drunk, Satyaki mocked Kritavarma: 'You killed warriors in their sleep!' Words grew hot, and in moments they were all attacking one another.

When weapons ran short, they pulled up the eraka reeds growing on the shore, the same reeds that had sprung from the powdered club. In their hands the reeds turned into iron clubs. Father struck son, brother struck brother. Satyaki, Pradyumna and countless Yadavas died there.

Krishna sent his charioteer Daruka to Hastinapur to call Arjuna. Then he went to look for Balarama. Balarama was sitting in meditation under a tree. As Krishna watched, a huge white serpent came out of Balarama's mouth and went into the sea: Shesha was returning to his own abode.