How did Krishna die? The Life and Death of Lord Krishna is a drama of many secrets that is not known to everyone.
Ever wonder how Lord Krishna, the guide of Arjuna in Mahabharata, who protected His devotees throughout his life, finally left the earth? One of the most interesting tales in the Hindu scriptures is of a hunter named Jara who mistakenly fired an arrow at Krishna’s foot of the lotus.
But was Krishna killed by a regular hunter? What caused this to happen and what did He do after? There’s a much deeper answer to this than the popular narrative at present. So let’s know about the death of Krishna in Vedic scriptures in particular the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
According to Hindu Scriptures, how did Krishna die?
The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam states that Lord Krishna did not die like a normal human being. He was an angel who played an integral part in the plans of God.
Krishna is said to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His body being completely spiritual and eternal. He is not like other creatures who are born, grow old and die.
Śukadeva Goswami details the events that lead to Krishna’s leaving the earth in the Eleventh canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in chapters 30 and 31.
The narration starts with the fall of the Yadu dynasty, whose members included Krishna.
What happened before Lord Krishna died?
So there was an amazing thing that happened before Krishna left Prabhasa Kshetra.
These strong and powerful members of the Yadu dynasty got embroiled in a terrible conflict. They became drunk and were quarreling and ended up fighting against each other.
It grew so bad that the Yadavas started killing each other with iron-like reeds that were growing from an iron club.
In time, the whole Yadu clan was wiped out.
Lord Balarama also ended His worldly activities. When Lord Krishna saw His departure, he went to a nearby Pippala (Peepal) tree, and sat under it.
It is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavam 11.30.26 – 27.
Who was Jara, the Hunter Who Shooted Lord Krishna?
That’s where the story goes off course.
A man who was hunting, Jara, was roaming around nearby. He had an arrow fashioned from the iron remains of Samba’s iron club.
While sitting under a Peepal tree, the lotus foot of Krishna was placed on His leg. The reddish color of the foot of Krishna, from afar, looked like the face of a deer.
Jara was prowling for his prey, mistaking Krishna’s foot for the deer’s and thus letting out an arrow.
The arrow got to Krishna’s lotus foot.
This incident is directly described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.30.33.
Interestingly, according to purport the arrow just brushed upon Krishna’s lotus foot, that’s all!According to Śrīla Viśvanatha Chakravarti Thakura, the arrow had only touched Krishna’s lotus foot! It did not actually pierce His transcendental body, which is composed of eternity, knowledge and bliss.
What happened to Jara when he realised his mistake?
As Jara got to the spot he saw that he had not hit a deer. Rather, he had unconsciously fired an arrow towards Lord Krishna who was seated there in His beautiful four-armed posture.
The hunter immediately became frightened.
He bowed down at Krishna’s feet and asked for pardon, saying that he was sorry for his error.
Imagine his situation. Now a hunter who had unwittingly done this stands before the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
But Krishna was not just like a person who was injured. He consoled the hunter and told him to go away.
Then Jara was able to reach the spiritual abode of the Lord, Vaikuntha.
This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.31.12.
Was Lord Krishna an ordinary human being who died?
This may be the most pivotal question in the whole story.
When they shoot someone with a common bullet, they can hurt themselves, and then they’ll die. However, is this the same for Lord Krishna?
According to Vedic philosophy, the answer is no.
Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita 2.20, that the soul is no born, no dying. It’s unending and incurable.
But it is not an ordinary conditioned soul of Krishna. The Supreme Lord Himself, eternally spiritual is His transcendental body.
According to the purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.30.33, Krishna’s lotus foot was not hit by Jara’s arrow.
So we can’t see this as just another hunter slaying God. This was an integral part of Krishna’s divine pastime of bringing His manifest activities to a close on earth.
What was the way that Lord Krishna departed from Earth and went back to His Divine abode?
Lord Krishna came to an end of His earthly activities and went to His own spiritual abode after the incident with Jara.
This incredible event is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.31.6.
It gives a description of how Krishna’s transcendental body was not burned in a normal fire. Instead, He went to His own house in His spiritual state that He will always have.
A significant difference is this one.
Krishna did not leave behind an ordinary material body such as a human being. His shape is never changing, knowing and blissful.
When he left, it was not a death but His disappearance.
How does Krishna’s departure offer a spiritual lesson?
The story of Krishna’s departure teaches us an important spiritual lesson: The Supreme Lord never operates under material laws that the ordinary people do.
Both his coming and his going are divine pastimes.
For us this story is also a chance to learn about the distinction between the temporal material body and the spiritual life of the living being.
The Bhagavad Gita says that the eternal soul is our true identity – we are not this temporary body.
An understanding of Krishna’s transcendental nature assists us to build up a true devotion, instead of viewing Krishna merely as another historical figure.
This is the true account of the death of Krishna.This is the real story behind the death of Krishna.
Conclusion: The Real Story Behind the Death of Krishna
But how did Krishna die? The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam tells that once a hunter named Jara took aim at the Lord and accidentally shot an arrow that hit Krishna’s lotus foot. But Krishna didn’t die like a mere man. He finished His earthly play and went back to His eternal spiritual place.
The deeper lesson is that Krishna is beyond birth and death. His transcendental form is eternal, and His appearance and disappearance are divine.
Rather than viewing this story simply as the death of Lord Krishna, we should understand it as the conclusion of His wonderful pastimes on Earth.
