Lord Krishna was believed to be 125 years and 7 months old at the time of his passing. This age is widely accepted based on various Hindu scriptures and scholarly interpretations of historical and spiritual texts.
The End of an Epoch
The demise of Lord Krishna marks a significant event in Hindu cosmology, often seen as the end of the Dwapara Yuga and the dawn of the Kali Yuga. His passing, which occurred approximately 3102 BCE, is detailed in revered scriptures such as the Mahabharata and several Puranas.
According to ancient texts and extensive research by scholars, Krishna lived a full and extraordinary life spanning over a century. His departure was not an act of conventional death but a culmination of his divine लीला (Leela), or divine play, concluding his earthly incarnation.
Key Details Surrounding Lord Krishna's Demise
The circumstances of Lord Krishna's passing are deeply symbolic and widely narrated in Hindu traditions.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age at Departure | 125 years and 7 months |
| Location | Prabhas Patan (also known as Bhalka Tirth), near Somnath, in the present-day state of Gujarat, India. This site is revered as the spot where he was struck. |
| Circumstance | Krishna was meditating under a tree when he was accidentally shot in the foot by an arrow from a hunter named Jara, who mistook his foot for a deer. The injury was not fatal in itself, but Krishna chose that moment to leave his mortal coil. |
| Spiritual Context | His departure is often linked to the curse from Gandhari (mother of the Kauravas) after the Mahabharata war, which foretold the destruction of the Yadava clan, Krishna's own lineage. Once the clan had destroyed itself, Krishna chose to ascend to his divine abode. |
| Significance | It heralded the official commencement of the Kali Yuga, the current age of strife and spiritual decline, as per Hindu time cycles. It signifies the withdrawal of a direct divine presence on Earth in the same form. |
| Scriptural Basis | Primarily documented in the Mahabharata (Mausala Parva) and various Puranas, including the Bhagavata Purana (Srimad Bhagavatam). |
Understanding the Age and Its Significance
The precise age of 125 years and 7 months is consistently mentioned across different scriptural accounts, reflecting a consensus among traditional scholars who have analyzed astronomical calculations and textual evidence from ancient Indian scriptures. This longevity underscores the extraordinary nature of his divine incarnation, during which he witnessed and orchestrated pivotal events like the Mahabharata war, established the city of Dwarka, and delivered the Bhagavad Gita. His physical departure signified not an end, but a transition, reinforcing the cyclical nature of time and divine intervention in the cosmic order.
