This incident concludes the Purana’s references to the war.  Nothing is said of Krishna’s sermon—­the Bhagavad Gita.  No mention is made of Krishna’s role as charioteer to Arjuna.  Nothing further is said of its deadly outcome.  Krishna’s career as a warrior, in fact, is ended and with this episode the Purana enters its final phase.

As Krishna lives at Dwarka, surrounded by his wives and huge progeny, he wearies of his earthly career.  By now his mission has been accomplished.  Hordes of demons have been slain, cruel monarchs killed and much of Earth’s burden lifted.  There is no longer any pressing need for him to stay and he decides to quit his body and ’re-enter with all his emanations the sphere of Vishnu.’  To do this, however, the whole of the Yadava race must first be ended.[41] One, day some Yadava boys make fun of certain Brahmans.  They dress up one of their company as a pregnant girl, take him to the Brahmans and innocently inquire what kind of child the woman will bring forth.  The Brahmans immediately penetrate the disguise and angered at the youth’s impertinence, they reply, ’A club that will crush the whole Yadava race.’  The boys run to King Ugrasena, relate what has happened and are even more alarmed when an iron club is brought forth from the boy’s belly.  Ugrasena has the club ground to dust and thrown into the sea, where its particles become rushes.  One part of the club, however, is like a lance and does not break.  When thrown into the sea, it is swallowed by a fish.  A hunter catches it and taking the iron spike from its stomach lays it aside for future use.  It is an arrow made from this particular spike which a little later will bring about Krishna’s death.  Similarly it is the iron rushes which will cause the death of the Yadavas.  Already, therefore, a chain of sinister happenings has been started and from now onwards the action moves relentlessly to its grim and tragic close.

As the final scene unfolds, the gods, headed by Brahma and Siva, approach Krishna begging him to return.  Krishna tells them that everything is now in train and within seven nights he will complete the destruction of the Yadavas and return to his everlasting home.

Signs portending the destruction of Dwarka now appear.  ’A dreadful figure, death personified, haunts every house, coming and going no one knows how and being invulnerable to weapons by which he is assailed.  Strong hurricanes blow; large rats multiply and infest the roads and houses and attack persons in their sleep; starlings scream in their cages, storks imitate the hooting of owls and goats the howling of jackals; cows bring forth foals and camels mules; food in the moment of being eaten is filled with worms; fire burns with discoloured flames and at sunset and sunrise the air is traversed by headless and hideous spirits.’[42] Krishna draws the Yadavas’ attention to these omens and advises them to leave Dwarka and move to Prabhasa, a site farther inland.