Fratricidal War of the Yadavas

The Fratricidal War of the Yadavas refers to the destruction of the Yadava clan of Dvaraka, as portrayed in the Mausala Parva (Book of the Club) of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. According to the text, the event occurred thirty-six years after the Kurukshetra War, when internal conflict led to the clan’s self-annihilation. The episode marks the closing phase of Krishna’s life and the eventual abandonment of Dvaraka.

Although the episode serves as a dramatic conclusion to the epic, its historical validity has long been questioned. Many historians view it not as a literal extinction of a people but as an allegorical reflection on moral decay, destiny, and the impermanence of dynasties.

Background

According to the Mausala Parva, the downfall of the Yadavas was triggered by a curse placed upon them by the sages Vishvamitra, Durvasa Kanva and Narada, after Yadava youths disguised Samba as a pregnant woman to mock the sages. The curse foretold that the Yadavas would perish by each other's hands.

Historical Perspective and Survival

Critical studies of the Mahabharata and related sources indicate that the annihilation was not absolute. The text itself records that Arjuna later travelled to Dvaraka, rescuing the surviving women, children, and elders. The Yadava lineage continued through Krishna’s great-grandson Vajra, who was installed as king at Indraprastha. These details suggest continuity rather than extinction.

Historians also emphasize that the Yadavas were never a single, compact group centered only in Dvaraka. Even during Krishna’s lifetime, Yadava communities were dispersed across regions such as Mathura, Gujarat, and Western India. Their enduring presence in later centuries undermines the idea of a total collapse and instead points to a transformation of identity and settlement.