"Don't be scared or sorry as these are the ways of destiny"..

"Don't be scared or sorry as these are the ways of destiny...", this was the last words of Krishna as told to Jara, a hunter mistook former’s feet to be a deer and accidentally shot him with the arrow. For, Krishna knew the law of Karma is universal. Even gods and avatars are subject to it.

On 18 February 3102 BCE Krishna went to a forest near Prabhasa theertham (the junction point where Gomathi river joins the sea), in Gujarat to meditate, in his chariot driven by Dharuka. Once reached there, he told Dharuka: "Go back. Inform all those left in Dwaraka, that it would be shortly submerged by ocean as Dwapara Yug was ending and that all should move to other places for safety..."

In the forest, Krishna witnessed his brother Balram attain the final liberation or videha mukti (consciously and intentionally leaving one's body). After this he wandered about immersed in deep thought and finally began to accept his destiny. Then Krishna sat down to meditate.

He understood that his karma in this earth is almost over. He knew there is one more Karma left for Jara. It was a consequence of his own act of killing Bali in his previous incarnation as Lord Rama. When the hunter came by, he mistook Krishna for a deer and shot an arrow into his foot.

When Jara came and saw Krishna he was shocked and asked for forgiveness. Krishna smiled at him.

"You need not repent, because you were Bali in your previous birth and I as Rama had killed you in Tretayuga. Now, I have to leave this body and was waiting for an opportunity to end my life. I was waiting for you so that the karmic debt between you and me is finished. Since all acts in this world are done as desired by me, you need not worry for this". Krishna solaced him. (Nobody can, not even gods, escape from the result of their karma.)

Still, on realizing his grave error he was filled with remorse and grief. But Krishna consoled him and asked him not to be scared or sorry as these were the ways of destiny. Those were the great Lord's last words on earth.

The time stood still on February 18, 3102 BC Friday at 02 hours, 27 minutes and 30 seconds in the afternoon. His death marked the end of Dwapar yuga. The period after his disappearance has another significance - it marks first day of Kali Yug.

(Incidentally, Krishna was born the 22nd day of the fourth month of the 863,874th year of Dwapar Yug, which was the eighth day of the second half of the Hindu calendar month of Shravan, the day Janmashtami, or the birth of Krishna - it was 19 July 3228 BCE (When adjusting with current English Calendar, Janmashtami date differs up to September) 

For further reading, please visit: http://udaypai.in/?p=254and http://udaypai.in/?p=188