Mausala Parva — Vasudeva orders the Vrishnis to make a pilgrimage to the seacoast for bathing in the sacred water of the ocean

Vaishampayana said While the Vrishnis and the Andhakas were thus trying (to avoid the impending calamity), the embodied from of time (death) every day wandered about their houses.

He looked like a man of terrible and fierce aspect. Of bald head, he was black and of tawny color. Sometimes he was beheld by the Vrishnis as he peered into their houses.

The powerful bowmen among the Vrishnis shot hundreds and thousands of arrows at him, but none of these succeeded in piercing him, for he was none else than the Destroyer of all creatures.

Day by day strong winds blew, and many were the evil omens which arose, awful and foreboding the destruction of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas.

The streets swarmed with rats and mice. Earthen pots showed cracks or broken from no visible cause. At night, the rats and mice ate away the hair and nails of sleeping men.

Sharikas chirped, sitting within the houses of the Vrishnis. The noise made by those birds ceased not for even a short while by day or by night.

The Sarashas were heard to imitate the hooting of the owl, and goats imitated the cries, O Bharata, of Jackals.

Many birds appeared, moved by Death, which were pale of color, but that had legs red of hue. Pigeons were seen to always disport in the houses of the Vrishni.

Asses were born of kine, and elephants of mules. Cats were born of bitches, and mouse of the mungoose.

The Vrishnis, committing sinful deeds, were not seen to feel any shame. They showed disregard for Brahmanas and the departed manes and the departed manes and the celestials.

They insulted and humiliated their preceptors and elders. Only Rama and Janardana acted differently. Wives deceived their husbands, and husbands deceived wives.

Fires, when ignited cast their flames towards the left. Sometimes they threw out flames whose colour was blue and red.

The Sun, whether when rising or setting over that city, seemed to be surrounded by headless trunks of human beings.

In cook-rooms, upon food that was clean and well-boiled, were soon, when it was served out for eating, innumerable worms of various kinds.

When Brahmanas, receiving gifts, blessed the day or the hour fixed for this or that undertaking or when great men were engaged in silent recitations, the heavy trend was heard of many men running about but no one could be seen to whom the sound of such sound could be ascribed.

The Constellations were repeatedly seen to be struck by the planets. None amongst the Yadavas could, however, see the constellation of his birth.

When the Panchajanya was blown in their houses, asses of dissonant and awful voice brayed aloud from all sides.

Seeing these sings which showed the perverse course of Time, and seeing that the day of the new moon coincided with the thirteenth (and the fourteenth) lunation's, Hrishkesha, summoning the Yadavas, said to them these words:

The fourteenth lunation has been made the fifteenth by Rahu once more. Such a day had appeared at the time of the great battle of the Bharatas. It has once more appeared, it seems, for our destruction.'

The destroyer of Keshi, viz., Janardana, thinking upon the omens that Time showed, understood that the thirty-sixth year had come, and that what Gandhari, burning with grief on account of the death of her sons, and deprived of all her kinsmen, had said was about to take place.

The present is exactly similar to that time which Yudhishthira had marked at sight of those dreadful omens which appeared when the two armies were arranged in battle-order.

Vasudeva, having said so, tried to bring about those occurrences which would make Gandhari's words true. That chastiser of enemies commanded the Vrishnis to make a pilgrimage to some sacred water.

The messengers immediately proclaimed at the command of Keshava that the Vrishnis should make a journey to the sea-coast for bathing in the sacred waters of the ocean.