Lord Shri Krishna hailed from YADAVA family. Hence, all of them were called Yadavas. Yadavas had a name and fame all over India because of Lord Krishna. He amassed such a huge of riches that the city of Dwarika was called the city of gold. But the yadavas had become haughty due to wealth and pomp. They had totally forgotten that all their wealth and pomp were because of Krishna. They started to believe that it was because of their own power. Thus the yadavas were puffed up with pride of their prowess. One more intoxicant was added to this, and that was from liquor. They were great drunkards moving unruly. They had now lost the balance of their minds, of manners and etiquette.

Krishna tried his best to persuade them to honour the honourable, to honour the elders, to desist from wine, to avoid arrogance and to never to be proud of wealth and pomp. But they laughed at Krishna's advice. They said, “Krishna has now become old and as such, he advises others. But we will live as we please”. The yadavas' haughtiness was increasing day by day. Now they started to mock , at the saints. Once, these drunken yadavas mocked at the Rishis. All of a sudden they uttered unknowingly, “ you are all going to die as drunkards”. Still the yadavas did not come round. Tremors of earthquake were often experienced in Dwarika in those days. There were terrible storms in the sea it appeared that all of a sudden there might be waters all over where once stood cities and places so old men, women and children were sent away from Dwarika to some safer place. Krishna undertook a pilgrimage to Prabhas Patan along the remaining males.

Thousands of yadavas went on rampaging the whole Prabhas Patan. They danced, sang, drank, made clowning and started abusing one another. They insulted and mocked at the Brahmins and elders. They fabricated the stores of their valour in wass. They rode on the backs of donkeys, elephants and camels. They started the race on the sea-shore. They dramatised a scene of wass. Thus they were really wounded. They boasted: “I am great, I am wiser, I am brave”. Within minutes, their rampage went on unchecked. Krishna advised them to be humble and not to take too much wine. Whereas, these boastful yadavas advised Krishna on his face to take wine.

Once these Yadavas were over-drunk. They lost their balance of mind. Each one began to speak non-sense. They insulted one another. A quarrel erupted from this. Abuses were replaced by fighting. Bowstrings were strung, maces were raised, swords were drawn and spears were brandished. A terrible battle begun. Elephant's riders came with their elephants. There were charioteers, horses, camels, oxen and asses also seen on the battlefield family relationship was totally forgotten. What to talk about one's dear and near? Son was against his father, brother against brother, nephews against their uncles, friends against their friends - Thus they fought and killed one another.

Bows and arrows went short. Maces were not in stock so they began to fight with whatever came in their hands. Nobody thought: “Why this? for whom?” Krishna jumped into the fray to stop it. The drunken yadavas went after Krishna to kill him. Krishna pulled himself aside. It was just like fire-in-bamboo, a wild fire. Fire is created in jungles because of friction among bamboo. Once fire starts it devours whole forest. Everything is turned to ashes, similarly, ego erupted in the yadavas and it destroyed the whole family line of yadavas. Not a single yadava was saved.

The commandments of the SHIKSHAPATRI - 15 - 31

Liquor or alcohol shall not be taken, though it is offered to deity.

None shall ever take medicine, which contains fat or alcohol, and which is prescribed by a physician whose conduct and character is unknown.

Shriji Maharaj has spoken much on giving up the habit of drinking-wine and meat-eating, in the Shikshapatri and Vachanamrit. He has commanded all his devotees never to form the habit of intoxicants, neither `bidi'-tobacco, nor pan-chewing.

This lesson very aptly illustrates the ruin wrought by liquor. Even the yadavas, rolling in riches and splendour, residing in Golden Dwarika, getting name and fame all over India for their valour, members and relatives in the family-line of Lord Krishna, were ruined because of addicts of liquor.