Sacred Site of the Mahabharata
Prabhasa
प्रभास
Site of Yadava destruction, Krishna's departure
Prabhasa (Present-day Somnath, Gujarat): Site of Yadava destruction, Krishna's departure, located at coordinates 20.88°N, 70.40°E.
Key Facts
| Type | Sacred Site |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit name | प्रभास |
| Coordinates | 20.88°N, 70.40°E |
| Modern location | Present-day Somnath, Gujarat |
| Significance | Site of Yadava destruction, Krishna's departure |
About Prabhasa
Sacred pilgrimage site on the western coast. Here the Yadava clan destroyed themselves in a drunken brawl, and Krishna left his mortal body.
Why it matters: Site of Yadava destruction, Krishna's departure
Details
- Tragedy
- The Yadavas killed each other with iron clubs
- Departure
- Krishna was shot by a hunter and ascended to heaven
On the Map
Prabhasa sits at 20.88°N, 70.40°E, in Present-day Somnath, Gujarat.
View on the full mapEvents at Prabhasa
- Reunion at PrabhasaYear -22At the shore-tirtha of Prabhasa, Krishna and the Yadava chiefs come to meet the wandering Pandavas. Seeing the exiles gaunt and clad in bark, the Vrishnis burn with grief and talk of war.
- The Boar Who Lifted the EarthYear 32When the demon Hiranyaksha seizes the Earth and drags her down into the cosmic ocean, halting all creation, the Lord takes the form of Varaha, a colossal boar, and plunges into the deep. He finds the drowned Earth, raises her on his tusks, slays the demon in an underwater battle, and sets the world back in its place upon the waters.
- End of the YadavasYear 36The Yadava clan destroys itself in a drunken brawl at Prabhasa, fulfilling a curse. Even Krishna cannot stop the carnage.
- Balarama's Yogic DepartureYear 36After the Yadava destruction at Prabhasa, Balarama sits in meditation and a great white serpent (Shesha) emerges from his mouth, signifying his return to his divine origin.
- The Demons Born of SleepYear 40At the dawn of a creation-cycle, as the Lord sleeps on the cosmic ocean and Brahma is born on the lotus, two primordial demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, steal the Vedas and menace the creator. Wakened by Brahma's prayer, the Lord battles them for ages - and when, drunk on pride, they offer him a boon, he asks to slay them, and ends them on his own thigh, the one dry spot in the endless sea.
Stories Set at Prabhasa
The Great Departure
Krishna's Death, the End of the Yadavas, and the Pandavas' Climb to Heaven
The Iron Maces
Book 16 - The Curse That Destroyed Krishna's People
Arjuna's Wandering Year
Three Wives in Three Kingdoms
The Sage Who Drank the Ocean
Agastya, Lopamudra, and the Demon Vatapi
The Fish and the Flood
Manu and the Great Deluge
The Boar Who Lifted the Earth
Varaha and the Rescue of the Drowned Earth
The Demons Born of Sleep
Madhusudana and the Dawn of Creation
Krishna at Sandipani's Ashram
The Fee Paid to Death
The Teacher of Maces
Balarama between his two pupils
The Four Quarters of the Sacred Land
A priest reciting the map of Bharatavarsha
Why the Moon Wanes
A household injustice repaid in the sky
Prabhasa, Where the Sea Meets the End
The shore tirtha of the Yadavas
The Elephant the Sage Called Son
Gautama argues his way through every heaven for a stolen calf
The Horse Goes South
Ekalavya's son, and the day Dwaraka grabbed the bridle
The Omens of Dwaraka
A City Watches Its Own Death Approach
Balarama Returns to the Sea
The Serpent Leaves by the Mouth It Came From
The Death of Vasudeva
Krishna's Father Outlives Everyone
The Promise Made in the Kamyaka Woods
The allies arrive, and Draupadi asks Krishna what her friendship is worth
The Council at Prabhasa
The Yadavas find the exiles on the shore and argue about ending the exile by force
Arjuna Empties Dwaraka
One bowman escorts a dead city inland, and the sea walks behind him
Uddhava Takes His Leave
The one Yadava who left Prabhasa before the grass turned to iron