What happened after the Mahabharat War?

Mahabharata is arguably one of the greatest epics ever written. The epic primarily relates to two cousin families the Pandavs and Kauravs. However, through its story and narrative, it touches on several aspects of human lives. In fact, it is said that there is nothing in Bharata that is not in Mahabharat. Almost all Indians know the story of Mahabharata. However, for most of us, knowledge is limited to the war between Kauravs and Pandav (Kurukshetra). There are very few amongst us who know what happened after the war.

In this blog, I will try to tell you the story of what happened after the Mahabharat war. Most of us know that the Mahabharata war ended with the victory of Pandavas over Kauravas.

After the Mahabharata war, the victorious Pandavas went to Kuru elders Dhritarashtra, Gandhi, Kunti, and Vidura to seek their blessings. Gandhari is filled with rage with the thought that Krishna could have easily averted the war with his power and her sons would have been alive by now. Thinking this, filled with rage Gandhari curses Krishna. In her curse, Gandhari tells "You and your Yadav clan will suffer the same fate as Kuru clan. Yadavs will kill each other and you will be compelled to watch helplessly. Later you will be hunted down like an animal by a hunter."

Hearing Gandhari utter this curse, the Pandavas are shocked and everyone urges Gandhari to pull back her curse. But word once was spoken can't be taken back. Realizing what she has done in a fit of rage Gandhari sobs uncontrollably and begs for forgiveness from Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna with a tranquil smile on his face assures Gandhari by saying "you have done nothing wrong. You have only predicted something that was destined to happen."

After this incident, Yuddhisthira is crowned the king and the Pandavas rule Hastinapur for 36 long years. On the 36th year of Pandavas rule, the unthinkable happens at Dwarka. To mourn the death of the slain warriors at Kurukshetra the Yadav decide to assemble at Prabhas.

At prabhas the yadavs start discussing the incidents of Kurukshetra war. Not long after a dispute erupts as to whether it was the Pandavas or the Kauravas who fought the war while upholding the rules. Soon, the dispute turns violent and the Yadavas start attacking each other with reeds of grass that had grown on the sea shore.

Krishna and Balaram watch helplessly as all the Yadavas kill each other. Seeing the Yadavas slain Balaram withdraws into meditation and while in medidate trance leaves his mortal body and takes the form of anant nag. With Balaram too gone; Krishna sits under a Banyan tree and ruminates over all the events that happened since his birth.

A hunter mistakes the feet of lord krishna as the ears of a deer and shoots an arrow. The arrow pierces the heel of lord krishna and he dies with the same smile on his face.

Krishna's death marks the end of Dwapara yuga and the beginning of Kali yuga. Hearing the devastation at Prabhas, Arjuna rushes to save the remaining Yadavas. While he is returning back some barbarians attack them. Arjuna, who was so skilled at archery is not able to defend the Yadavas. This signals that the main power of Arjuna's arrows was lord Krishna.

After the events at Dwarka, Yuddhisthira decides that it is time for them to retire. So he hands over the reign to Parikshit by crowning him the king and along with his brothers and wife, Draupadi decide to climb mount Mandara to reach heaven. On the way to heaven Draupadi and all the other Pandavas fall off. Only Yuddhisthira is able to reach the gates of heaven.

What happens after Yuddhisthira reaches heaven and why did other Pandavas fall while going to heaven is stuff for another blog.

Till them om tat sat!...