Chapter 14: The Disappearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa

 

1.14.1

sūta uvāca

samprasthite dvārakāyāḿ

jiṣṇau bandhu-didṛkṣayā

jñātuḿ ca puṇya-ślokasya

kṛṣṇasya ca viceṣṭitam

 

sūtaḥ uvāca — Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said; samprasthite — having gone to; dvārakāyām — the city of Dvārakā; jiṣṇau — Arjuna; bandhu — friends and relatives; didṛkṣayā — for meeting them; jñātum — to know; ca — also; puṇya-ślokasya — of one whose glories are sung by Vedic hymns; kṛṣṇasya — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; ca — and; viceṣṭitam — further programs of work.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: Arjuna went to Dvārakā to see Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and other friends and also to learn from the Lord of His next activities.

 

1.14.2

vyatītāḥ katicin māsās

tadā nāyāt tato 'rjunaḥ

dadarśa ghora-rūpāṇi

nimittāni kurūdvahaḥ

 

vyatītāḥ — after passing; katicit — a few; māsāḥ — months; tadā — at that time; na āyāt — did not return; tataḥ — from there; arjunaḥ — Arjuna; dadarśa — observed; ghora — fearful; rūpāṇi — appearances; nimittāni — various causes; kuru-udvahaḥ — Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.

 

TRANSLATION

 

A few months passed, and Arjuna did not return. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira then began to observe some inauspicious omens, which were fearful in themselves.

 

1.14.3

kālasya ca gatiḿ raudrāḿ

viparyastartu-dharmiṇaḥ

pāpīyasīḿ nṛṇāḿ vārtāḿ

krodha-lobhānṛtātmanām

 

kālasya — of eternal time; ca — also; gatim — direction; raudrām — fearful; viparyasta — reversed; ṛtu — seasonal; dharmiṇaḥ — regularities; pāpīyasīm — sinful; nṛṇām — of the human being; vārtām — means of livelihood; krodha — anger; lobha — greed; anṛta — falsehood; ātmanām — of the people.

 

TRANSLATION

 

He saw that the direction of eternal time had changed, and this was very fearful. There were disruptions in the seasonal regularities. The people in general had become very greedy, angry and deceitful. And he saw that they were adopting foul means of livelihood.

 

1.14.4

jihma-prāyaḿ vyavahṛtaḿ

śāṭhya-miśraḿ ca sauhṛdam

pitṛ-mātṛ-suhṛd-bhrātṛ-

dam-patīnāḿ ca kalkanam

 

jihma-prāyam — cheating; vyavahṛtam — in all ordinary transactions; śāṭhya — duplicity; miśram — adulterated in; ca — and; sauhṛdam — regarding friendly well-wishers; pitṛ — father; mātṛ — regarding the mother; suhṛt — well-wishers; bhrātṛ — one's own brother; dam-patīnām — regarding husband and wife; ca — also; kalkanam — mutual quarrel.

 

TRANSLATION

 

All ordinary transactions and dealings became polluted with cheating, even between friends. And in familial affairs, there was always misunderstanding between fathers, mothers and sons, between well-wishers, and between brothers. Even between husband and wife there was always strain and quarrel.

 

1.14.5

nimittāny atyariṣṭāni

kāle tv anugate nṛṇām

lobhādy-adharma-prakṛtiḿ

dṛṣṭvovācānujaḿ nṛpaḥ

 

nimittāni — causes; ati — very serious; ariṣṭāni — bad omens; kāle — in course of time; tu — but; anugate — passing away; nṛṇām — of humanity at large; lobha-ādi — such as greed; adharma — irreligious; prakṛtim — habits; dṛṣṭvā — having observed; uvāca — said; anujam — younger brother; nṛpaḥ — the King.

 

TRANSLATION

 

In course of time it came to pass that people in general became accustomed to greed, anger, pride, etc. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, observing all these omens, spoke to his younger brother.

 

1.14.6

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca

sampreṣito dvārakāyāḿ

jiṣṇur bandhu-didṛkṣayā

jñātuḿ ca puṇya-ślokasya

kṛṣṇasya ca viceṣṭitam

 

yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca — Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira said; sampreṣitaḥ — has gone to; dvārakāyām — Dvārakā; jiṣṇuḥ — Arjuna; bandhu — friends; didṛkṣayā — for the sake of meeting; jñātum — to know; ca — also; puṇya-ślokasya — of the Personality of Godhead; kṛṣṇasya — of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; ca — and; viceṣṭitam — program of work.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira said to his younger brother Bhīmasena, I sent Arjuna to Dvārakā to meet his friends and to learn from the Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa of His program of work.

 

1.14.7

gatāḥ saptādhunā māsā

bhīmasena tavānujaḥ

nāyāti kasya vā hetor

nāhaḿ vededam añjasā

 

gatāḥ — has gone; sapta — seven; adhunā — to date; māsāḥ — months; bhīmasena — O Bhīmasena; tava — your; anujaḥ — younger brother; na — does not; āyāti — come back; kasya — for what; vā — or; hetoḥ — reason; na — not; aham — I; veda — know; idam — this; añjasā — factually.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Since he departed, seven months have passed, yet he has not returned. I do not know factually how things are going there.

 

1.14.8

api devarṣiṇādiṣṭaḥ

sa kālo 'yam upasthitaḥ

yadātmano 'ńgam ākrīḍaḿ

bhagavān utsisṛkṣati

 

api — whether; deva-ṛṣiṇā — by the demigod-saint (Nārada); ādiṣṭaḥ — instructed; saḥ — that; kālaḥ — eternal time; ayam — this; upasthitaḥ — arrived; yadā — when; ātmanaḥ — of His own self; ańgam — plenary portion; ākrīḍam — manifestation; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; utsisṛkṣati — is going to quit.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Is He going to quit His earthly pastimes, as Devarṣi Nārada indicated? Has that time already arrived?

 

1.14.9

yasmān naḥ sampado rājyaḿ

dārāḥ prāṇāḥ kulaḿ prajāḥ

āsan sapatna-vijayo

lokāś ca yad-anugrahāt

 

yasmāt — from whom; naḥ — our; sampadaḥ — opulence; rājyam — kingdom; dārāḥ — good wives; prāṇāḥ — existence of life; kulam — dynasty; prajāḥ — subjects; āsan — have become possible; sapatna — competitors; vijayaḥ — conquering; lokāḥ — future accommodation in higher planets; ca — and; yat — by whose; anugrahāt — by the mercy of.

 

TRANSLATION

 

From Him only, all our kingly opulence, good wives, lives, progeny, control over our subjects, victory over our enemies, and future accommodations in higher planets have become possible. All this is due to His causeless mercy upon us.

 

1.14.10

paśyotpātān nara-vyāghra

divyān bhaumān sadaihikān

dāruṇān śaḿsato 'dūrād

bhayaḿ no buddhi-mohanam

 

paśya — just see; utpātān — disturbances; nara-vyāghra — O man of tigerlike strength; divyān — happenings in the sky or by planetary influence; bhaumān — happenings on the earth; sa-daihikān — happenings of the body and the mind; dāruṇān — awfully dangerous; śaḿsataḥ — indicating; adūrāt — in the near future; bhayam — danger; naḥ — our; buddhi — intelligence; mohanam — deluding.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Just see, O man with a tiger's strength, how many miseries due to celestial influences, earthly reactions and bodily pains — all very dangerous in themselves — are foreboding danger in the near future by deluding our intelligence.

 

1.14.11

ūrv-akṣi-bāhavo mahyaḿ

sphuranty ańga punaḥ punaḥ

vepathuś cāpi hṛdaye

ārād dāsyanti vipriyam

 

ūru — thighs; akṣi — eyes; bāhavaḥ — the arms; mahyam — in my; sphuranti — quivering; ańga — left side of the body; punaḥ punaḥ — again and again; vepathuḥ — palpitations; ca — also; api — certainly; hṛdaye — in the heart; ārāt — due to fear; dāsyanti — indicating; vipriyam — undesirables.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The left side of my body, my thighs, arms and eyes are all quivering again and again. I am having heart palpitations due to fear. All this indicates undesirable happenings.

 

1.14.12

śivaiṣodyantam ādityam

abhirauty analānanā

mām ańga sārameyo 'yam

abhirebhaty abhīruvat

 

śivā — jackal; eṣā — this; udyantam — rising; ādityam — unto the sun; abhi — towards; rauti — crying; anala — fire; ānanā — face; mām — unto me; ańga — O Bhīma; sārameyaḥ — dog; ayam — this; abhirebhati — barks towards; abhīru-vat — without fear.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Just see, O Bhīma, how the she jackal cries at the rising sun and vomits fire, and how the dog barks at me fearlessly.

 

1.14.13

śastāḥ kurvanti māḿ savyaḿ

dakṣiṇaḿ paśavo 'pare

vāhāḿś ca puruṣa-vyāghra

lakṣaye rudato mama

 

śastāḥ — useful animals like the cow; kurvanti — are keeping; mām — me; savyam — on the left; dakṣiṇam — circumambulating; paśavaḥ apare — other lower animals like asses; vāhān — the horses (carriers); ca — also; puruṣa-vyāghra — O tiger among men; lakṣaye — I see; rudataḥ — weeping; mama — of mine.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O Bhīmasena, tiger amongst men, now useful animals like cows are passing me on my left side, and lower animals like the asses are circumambulating me. My horses appear to weep upon seeing me.

 

1.14.14

mṛtyu-dūtaḥ kapoto 'yam

ulūkaḥ kampayan manaḥ

pratyulūkaś ca kuhvānair

viśvaḿ vai śūnyam icchataḥ

 

mṛtyu — death; dūtaḥ — messenger of; kapotaḥ — pigeon; ayam — this; ulūkaḥ — owl; kampayan — trembling; manaḥ — mind; pratyulūkaḥ — the rivals of owls (crows); ca — and; kuhvānaiḥ — shrieking scream; viśvam — the cosmos; vai — either; śūnyam — void; icchataḥ — wishing.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Just see! This pigeon is like a messenger of death. The shrieks of the owls and their rival crows make my heart tremble. It appears that they want to make a void of the whole universe.

 

1.14.15

dhūmrā diśaḥ paridhayaḥ

kampate bhūḥ sahādribhiḥ

nirghātaś ca mahāḿs tāta

sākaḿ ca stanayitnubhiḥ

 

dhūmrāḥ — smoky; diśaḥ — all directions; paridhayaḥ — encirclement; kampate — throbbing; bhūḥ — the earth; saha adribhiḥ — along with the hills and mountains; nirghātaḥ — bolt from the blue; ca — also; mahān — very great; tāta — O Bhīma; sākam — with; ca — also; stanayitnubhiḥ — thundering sound without any cloud.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Just see how the smoke encircles the sky. It appears that the earth and mountains are throbbing. Just hear the cloudless thunder and see the bolts from the blue.

 

1.14.16

vāyur vāti khara-sparśo

rajasā visṛjaḿs tamaḥ

asṛg varṣanti jaladā

bībhatsam iva sarvataḥ

 

vāyuḥ — wind; vāti — blowing; khara-sparśaḥ — sharply; rajasā — by the dust; visṛjan — creating; tamaḥ — darkness; asṛk — blood; varṣanti — are raining; jaladāḥ — the clouds; bībhatsam — disastrous; iva — like; sarvataḥ — everywhere.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The wind blows violently, blasting dust everywhere and creating darkness. Clouds are raining everywhere with bloody disasters.

 

1.14.17

sūryaḿ hata-prabhaḿ paśya

graha-mardaḿ mitho divi

sasańkulair bhūta-gaṇair

jvalite iva rodasī

 

sūryam — the sun; hata-prabham — its rays declining; paśya — just see; graha-mardam — clashes of the stars; mithaḥ — among one another; divi — in the sky; sa-sańkulaiḥ — being mixed with; bhūta-gaṇaiḥ — by the living entities; jvalite — being ignited; iva — as if; rodasī — crying.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The rays of the sun are declining, and the stars appear to be fighting amongst themselves. Confused living entities appear to be ablaze and weeping.

 

1.14.18

nadyo nadāś ca kṣubhitāḥ

sarāḿsi ca manāḿsi ca

na jvalaty agnir ājyena

kālo 'yaḿ kiḿ vidhāsyati

 

nadyaḥ — rivers; nadāḥ ca — and the tributaries; kṣubhitāḥ — all perturbed; sarāḿsi — reservoirs of water; ca — and; manāḿsi — the mind; ca — also; na — does not; jvalati — ignite; agniḥ — fire; ājyena — with the help of butter; kālaḥ — the time; ayam — extraordinary it is; kim — what; vidhāsyati — going to happen.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Rivers, tributaries, ponds, reservoirs and the mind are all perturbed. Butter no longer ignites fire. What is this extraordinary time? What is going to happen?

 

1.14.19

na pibanti stanaḿ vatsā

na duhyanti ca mātaraḥ

rudanty aśru-mukhā gāvo

na hṛṣyanty ṛṣabhā vraje

 

na — does not; pibanti — suck; stanam — breast; vatsāḥ — the calves; na — do not; duhyanti — allow milking; ca — also; mātaraḥ — the cows; rudanti — crying; aśru-mukhāḥ — with a tearful face; gāvaḥ — the cows; na — do not; hṛṣyanti — take pleasure; ṛṣabhāḥ — the bulls; vraje — in the pasturing ground.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The calves do not suck the teats of the cows, nor do the cows give milk. They are standing, crying, tears in their eyes, and the bulls take no pleasure in the pasturing grounds.

 

1.14.20

daivatāni rudantīva

svidyanti hy uccalanti ca

ime jana-padā grāmāḥ

purodyānākarāśramāḥ

bhraṣṭa-śriyo nirānandāḥ

kim aghaḿ darśayanti naḥ

 

daivatāni — the Deities in the temples; rudanti — seem to be crying; iva — like that; svidyanti — perspiring; hi — certainly; uccalanti — as if going out; ca — also; ime — these; jana-padāḥ — cities; grāmāḥ — villages; pura — towns; udyāna — gardens; ākara — mines; āśramāḥ — hermitages, etc.; bhraṣṭa — devoid of; śriyaḥ — beauty; nirānandāḥ — bereft of all happiness; kim — what sort of; agham — calamities; darśayanti — shall manifest; naḥ — to us.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Deities seem to be crying in the temple, lamenting and perspiring. They seem about to leave. All the cities, villages, towns, gardens, mines and hermitages are now devoid of beauty and bereft of all happiness. I do not know what sort of calamities are now awaiting us.

 

1.14.21

manya etair mahotpātair

nūnaḿ bhagavataḥ padaiḥ

ananya-puruṣa-śrībhir

hīnā bhūr hata-saubhagā

 

manye — I take it for granted; etaiḥ — by all these; mahā — great; utpātaiḥ — upsurges; nūnam — for want of; bhagavataḥ — of the Personality of Godhead; padaiḥ — the marks on the sole of the foot; ananya — extraordinary; puruṣa — of the Supreme Personality; śrībhiḥ — by the auspicious signs; hīnā — dispossessed; bhūḥ — the earth; hata-saubhagā — without the fortune.

 

TRANSLATION

 

I think that all these earthly disturbances indicate some greater loss to the good fortune of the world. The world was fortunate to have been marked with the footprints of the lotus feet of the Lord. These signs indicate that this will no longer be.