Chapter 49: Akrūra's Mission in Hastināpura

 

10.49.1-2

śrī-śuka uvāca

sa gatvā hāstinapuraḿ

pauravendra-yaśo-'ńkitam

dadarśa tatrāmbikeyaḿ

sa-bhīṣmaḿ viduraḿ pṛthām

 

saha-putraḿ ca bāhlīkaḿ

bhāradvājaḿ sa-gautamam

karnaḿ suyodhanaḿ drauṇiḿ

pāṇḍavān suhṛdo 'parān

 

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; saḥ — he (Akrūra); gatvā — going; hāstina-puram — to Hastināpura; paurava-indra — of the rulers of the dynasty of Pūru; yaśaḥ — by the glory; ańkitam — decorated; dadarśa — he saw; tatra — there; āmbikeyam — the son of Ambikā (Dhṛtarāṣṭra); sa — together with; bhīṣmam — Bhīṣma; viduram — Vidura; pṛthām — Pṛthā (Kuntī, the widow of King Pāṇḍu);

 

saha-putram — with his son (namely, Somadatta); ca — and; bāhlīkam — Mahārāja Bāhlīka; bhāradvājam — Droṇa; sa — and; gautamam — Kṛpa; karṇam — Karṇa; suyodhanam — Duryodhana; drauṇim — the son of Droṇa (Aśvatthāmā); pāṇḍavān — the sons of Pāṇḍu; suhṛdaḥ — friends; aparān — other.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Akrūra went to Hastināpura, the city distinguished by the glory of the Paurava rulers. There he saw Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Bhīṣma, Vidura and Kunti, along with Bāhlika and his son Somadatta. He also saw Droṇācārya, Kṛpācārya, Karṇa, Duryodhana, Aśvatthāmā, the Pāṇḍavas and other close friends.

 

10.49.3

yathāvad upasańgamya

bandhubhir gāndinī-sutaḥ

sampṛṣṭas taiḥ suhṛd-vārtāḿ

svayaḿ cāpṛcchad avyayam

 

yathā-vat — appropriately; upasańgamya — meeting; bandhubhiḥ — with his relatives and friends; gāndinī-sutaḥ — Akrūra, son of Gāndinī; sampṛṣṭaḥ — inquired from; taiḥ — by them; suhṛt — of their dear ones; vārtām — for news; svayam — himself; ca — in addition; apṛcchat — asked; avyayam — about their well-being.

 

TRANSLATION

 

After Akrūra, the son of Gāndinī, had appropriately greeted all his relatives and friends, they asked him for news of their family members, and he in turn asked about their welfare.

 

10.49.4

uvāsa katicin māsān

rājño vṛtta-vivitsayā

duṣprajasyālpa-sārasya

khala-cchandānuvartinaḥ

 

uvāsa — resided; katicit — some; māsān — months; rājñaḥ — of the King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra); vṛtta — the activity; vivitsayā — with the desire of finding out; duṣprajasya — whose sons were wicked; alpa — weak; sārasya — whose determination; khala — of mischievous persons (like Karṇa); chanda — the desires; anuvartinaḥ — who tended to follow.

 

TRANSLATION

 

He remained in Hastināpura for several months to scrutinize the conduct of the weak-willed King, who had bad sons and who was inclined to give in to the whims of mischievous advisers.

 

10.49.5-6

teja ojo balaḿ vīryaḿ

praśrayādīḿś ca sad-guṇān

prajānurāgaḿ pārtheṣu

na sahadbhiś cikīṛṣitam

 

kṛtaḿ ca dhārtarāṣṭrair yad

gara-dānādy apeśalam

ācakhyau sarvam evāsmai

pṛthā vidura eva ca

 

tejaḥ — the influence; ojaḥ — skill; balam — strength; vīryam — bravery; praśraya — humility; ādīn — and so on; ca — and; sat — excellent; guṇān — qualities; prajā — of the citizens; anurāgam — the great affection; pārtheṣu — for the sons of Pṛthā; na sahadbhiḥ — of those who could not tolerate; cikīrṣitam — the intentions;

 

kṛtam — had been done; ca — also; dhārtarāṣṭraiḥ — by the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; yat — what; gara — of poison; dāna — the giving; ādi — and so on; apeśalam — unbecoming; ācakhyau — told; sarvam — everything; eva — indeed; asmai — to him (Akrūra); pṛthā — Kuntī; viduraḥ — Vidura; eva ca — both.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Kuntī and Vidura described to Akrūra in detail the evil intentions of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons, who could not tolerate the great qualities of Kuntī's sons — such as their powerful influence, military skill, physical strength, bravery and humility — or the intense affection the citizens had for them. Kuntī and Vidura also told Akrūra about how the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra had tried to poison the Pāṇḍavas and carry out other such plots.

 

10.49.7

pṛthā tu bhrātaraḿ prāptam

akrūram upasṛtya tam

uvāca janma-nilayaḿ

smaranty aśru-kalekṣaṇā

 

pṛthā — Kuntī; tu — and; bhrātaram — her brother (more exactly, the grandson of Vṛṣṇi, her own and Vasudeva's tenth-generation ancestor); prāptam — obtained; akrūram — Akrūra; upasṛtya — approaching; tam — him; uvāca — she said; janma — of her birth; nilayam — the home (Mathurā); smarantī — remembering; aśru — of tears; kalā — with traces; īkṣaṇā — whose eyes.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Kuntīdevī, taking advantage of her brother Akrūra's visit, approached him confidentially. While remembering her birthplace, she spoke with tears in her eyes.

 

10.49.8

api smaranti naḥ saumya

pitarau bhrātaraś ca me

bhaginyau bhrātṛ-putrāś ca

jāmayaḥ sakhya eva ca

 

api — whether; smaranti — they remember; naḥ — us; saumya — O gentle one; pitarau — parents; bhrātaraḥ — brothers; ca — and; me — my; bhaginyau — sisters; bhrātṛ-putrāḥ — brother's sons; ca — and; jāmayaḥ — women of the family; sakhyaḥ — girlfriends; eva ca — also.

 

TRANSLATION

 

[Queen Kuntī said:] O gentle one, do my parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, family women and girlhood friends still remember us?

 

10.49.9

bhrātreyo bhagavān kṛṣṇaḥ

śaraṇyo bhakta-vatsalaḥ

paitṛ-ṣvasreyān smarati

rāmaś cāmburuhekṣaṇaḥ

 

bhrātreyaḥ — brother's son; bhagavān — the Supreme Lord; kṛṣṇaḥ — Kṛṣṇa; śaraṇyaḥ — the giver of shelter; bhakta — to His devotees; vatsalaḥ — compassionate; paitṛ-svasreyān — the sons of His father's sister; smarati — remembers; rāmaḥ — Lord Balarāma; ca — and; amburuha — like lotus petals; īkṣaṇaḥ — whose eyes.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Does my nephew Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality and the compassionate shelter of His devotees, still remember His aunt's sons? And does lotus-eyed Rāma remember them also?

 

10.49.10

sapatna-madhye śocantīḿ

vṛkānāḿ hariṇīm iva

sāntvayiṣyati māḿ vākyaiḥ

pitṛ-hīnāḿś ca bālakān

 

sapatna — of enemies; madhye — in the midst; śocantīm — who is lamenting; vṛkānām — of wolves; hariṇīm — a doe; iva — like; sāntvayiṣyati — will He console; mām — me; vākyaiḥ — with His words; pitṛ — of their father; hīnān — deprived; ca — and; bālakān — young boys.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Now that I am suffering in the midst of my enemies like a doe in the midst of wolves, will Kṛṣṇa come to console me and my fatherless sons with His words?

 

10.49.11

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-yogin

viśvātman viśva-bhāvana

prapannāḿ pāhi govinda

śiśubhiś cāvasīdatīm

 

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa — O Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa; mahā-yogin — possessor of the greatest spiritual power; viśva-ātman — O Supreme Soul of the universe; viśva-bhāvana — O protector of the universe; prapannām — a surrendered lady; pāhi — please protect; govinda — O Govinda; śiśubhiḥ — along with my children; ca — and; avasīdatīm — who am sinking down in distress.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa! O great yogi! O Supreme Soul and protector of the universe! O Govinda! Please protect me, who have surrendered to You. I and my sons are being overwhelmed by trouble.

 

10.49.12

nānyat tava padāmbhojāt

paśyāmi śaraṇaḿ nṛṇām

bibhyatāḿ mṛtyu-saḿsārād

īsvarasyāpavargikāt

 

na — no; anyat — other; tava — Your; pada-ambhojāt — than the lotus feet; paśyāmi — I see; śaraṇam — shelter; nṛṇām — for men; bibhyatām — fearful; mṛtyu — of death; saḿsārāt — and rebirth; īśvarasya — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; āpavargikāt — which give liberation.

 

TRANSLATION

 

For persons fearful of death and rebirth, I see no shelter other than Your liberating lotus feet, for You are the Supreme Lord.

 

10.49.13

namaḥ kṛṣṇāya śuddhāya

brahmaṇe paramātmane

yogeśvarāya yogāya

tvām ahaḿ śaraṇaḿ gatā

 

namaḥ — obeisances; kṛṣṇāya — to Kṛṣṇa; śuddhāya — the pure; brahmaṇe — the Absolute Truth; parama-ātmane — the Supersoul; yoga — of pure devotional service; īśvarāya — the controller; yogāya — the source of all knowledge; tvām — You; aham — I; śaraṇam — for shelter; gatā — have approached.

 

TRANSLATION

 

I offer my obeisances unto You, Kṛṣṇa, the supreme pure, the Absolute Truth and the Supersoul, the Lord of pure devotional service and the source of all knowledge. I have come to You for shelter.

 

10.49.14

śrī-śuka uvāca

ity anusmṛtya sva-janaḿ

kṛṣṇaḿ ca jagad-īśvaram

prārudad duḥkhitā rājan

bhavatāḿ prapitāmahī

 

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; iti — as expressed in these words; anusmṛtya — remembering; sva-janam — her own relatives; kṛṣṇam — Kṛṣṇa; ca — and; jagat — of the universe; īśvaram — the Supreme Lord; prārudat — she cried loudly; duḥkhitā — unhappy; rājan — O King (Parīkṣit); bhavatām — of your good self; prapitāmahī — the great-grandmother.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus meditating on her family members and also on Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the universe, your great-grandmother Kuntīdevī began to cry out in grief, O King.

 

10.49.15

sama-duḥkha-sukho 'krūro

viduraś ca mahā-yaśāḥ

sāntvayām āsatuḥ kuntīḿ

tat-putrotpatti-hetubhiḥ

 

sama — equal (with her); duḥkha — in distress; sukhaḥ — and happiness; akrūraḥ — Akrūra; viduraḥ — Vidura; ca — and; mahā-yaśāḥ — most famous; sāntvayām āsatuḥ — the two of them consoled; kuntīm — Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī; tat — her; putra — of the sons; utpatti — of the births; hetubhiḥ — with explanations about the origins.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Both Akrūra, who shared Queen Kuntī's distress and happiness, and the illustrious Vidura consoled the Queen by reminding her of the extraordinary way her sons had taken birth.

 

10.49.16

yāsyan rājānam abhyetya

viṣamaḿ putra-lālasam

avadat suhṛdāḿ madhye

bandhubhiḥ sauhṛdoditam

 

yāsyan — when he was about to go; rājānam — the King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra); abhyetya — going up to; viṣamam — biased; putra — toward his sons; lālasam — ardently affectionate; avadat — he spoke; suhṛdām — relatives; madhye — among; bandhubhiḥ — by well-wishing relatives (Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma); sauhṛda — in friendship; uditam — what had been said.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The ardent affection King Dhṛtarāṣṭra felt for his sons had made him act unjustly toward the Pāṇḍavas. Just before leaving, Akrūra approached the King, who was seated among his friends and supporters, and related to him the message that his relatives — Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma — had sent out of friendship.

 

10.49.17

akrūra uvāca

bho bho vaicitravīrya tvaḿ

kurūṇāḿ kīrti-vardhana

bhrātary uparate pāṇḍāv

adhunāsanam āsthitaḥ

 

akrūraḥ uvāca — Akrūra said; bhoḥ bhoḥ — O my dear, my dear; vaicitravīrya — son of Vicitravīrya; tvam — you; kurūṇām — of the Kurus; kīrti — the glory; vardhana — O you who increase; bhrātari — your brother; uparate — having passed away; pāṇḍau — Mahārāja Pāṇḍu; adhunā — now; āsanam — the throne; āsthitaḥ — have assumed.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Akrūra said: O my dear son of Vicitravīrya, O enhancer of the Kurus' glory, your brother Pāṇḍu having passed away, you have now assumed the royal throne.

 

10.49.18

dharmeṇa pālayann urvīḿ

prajāḥ śīlena rañjayan

vartamānaḥ samaḥ sveṣu

śreyaḥ kīrtim avāpsyasi

 

dharmeṇa — religiously; pālayan — protecting; urvīm — the earth; prajāḥ — the citizens; śīlena — by good character; rañjayan — delighting; vartamānaḥ — remaining; samaḥ — equally disposed; sveṣu — to your relatives; śreyaḥ — perfection; kīrtim — glory; avāpsyasi — you will achieve.

 

TRANSLATION

 

By religiously protecting the earth, delighting your subjects with your noble character, and treating all your relatives equally, you will surely achieve success and glory.

 

10.49.19

anyathā tv ācaran loke

garhito yāsyase tamaḥ

tasmāt samatve vartasva

pāṇḍaveṣv ātmajeṣu ca

 

anyathā — otherwise; tu — however; ācaran — acting; loke — in this world; garhitaḥ — condemned; yāsyase — you will attain; tamaḥ — darkness; tasmāt — therefore; samatve — in equanimity; vartasva — remain situated; pāṇḍaveṣu — toward the Pāṇḍavas; ātma-jeṣu — toward your sons; ca — and.

 

TRANSLATION

 

If you act otherwise, however, people will condemn you in this world, and in the next life you will enter the darkness of hell. Remain equally disposed, therefore, toward Pāṇḍu's sons and your own.

 

10.49.20

neha cātyanta-saḿvāsaḥ

kasyacit kenacit saha

rājan svenāpi dehena

kim u jāyātmajādibhiḥ

 

na — not; iha — in this world; ca — and; atyanta — perpetual; saḿvāsaḥ — association (dwelling together); kasyacit — of anyone; kenacit saha — with anyone; rājan — O King; svena — with one's own; api — even; dehena — body; kim u — what to speak then; jāyā — with wife; ātma-ja — children; ādibhiḥ — and so on.

 

TRANSLATION

 

In this world no one has any permanent relationship with anyone else, O King. We cannot stay forever even with our own body, what to speak of our wife, children and the rest.

 

10.49.21

ekaḥ prasūyate jantur

eka eva pralīyate

eko 'nubhuńkte sukṛtam

eka eva ca duṣkṛtam

 

ekaḥ — alone; prasūyate — is born; jantuḥ — a living creature; ekaḥ — alone; eva — also; pralīyate — meets his demise; ekaḥ — alone; anubhuńkte — enjoys as is due him; sukṛtam — his good reactions; ekaḥ — alone; eva ca — and surely; duṣkṛtam — bad reactions.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Every creature is born alone and dies alone, and alone one experiences the just rewards of his good and evil deeds.

 

10.49.22

adharmopacitaḿ vittaḿ

haranty anye 'lpa-medhasaḥ

sambhojanīyāpadeśair

jalānīva jalaukasaḥ

 

adharma — by irreligious means; upacitam — gathered; vittam — wealth; haranti — steal; anye — other persons; alpa-medhasaḥ — of one who is unintelligent; sambhojanīya — as requiring support; apadeśaiḥ — by the false designations; jalāni — water; iva — as; jala-okasaḥ — of a resident of the water.

 

TRANSLATION

 

In the guise of dear dependents, strangers steal the sinfully acquired wealth of a foolish man, just as the offspring of a fish drink up the water that sustains the fish.

 

10.49.23

puṣṇāti yān adharmeṇa

sva-buddhyā tam apaṇḍitam

te 'kṛtārthaḿ prahiṇvanti

prāṇā rāyaḥ sutādayaḥ

 

puṣṇāti — nourishes; yān — which things; adharmeṇa — by sinful activity; sva-buddhyā — thinking them to be his own; tam — him; apaṇḍitam — uneducated; te — they; akṛta-artham — his purposes frustrated; prahiṇvanti — abandon; prāṇāḥ — life air; rāyaḥ — wealth; suta-ādayaḥ — children and others.

 

TRANSLATION

 

A fool indulges in sin to maintain his life, wealth and children and other relatives, for he thinks, "These things are mine." In the end, however, these very things all abandon him, leaving him frustrated.

 

10.49.24

svayaḿ kilbiṣam ādāya

tais tyakto nārtha-kovidaḥ

asiddhārtho viśaty andhaḿ

sva-dharma-vimukhas tamaḥ

 

svayam — for himself; kilbiṣam — sinful reaction; ādāya — taking on; taiḥ — by them; tyaktaḥ — abandoned; na — not; artha — the purpose of his life; kovidaḥ — knowing properly; asiddha — unfulfilled; arthaḥ — whose goals; viśati — he enters; andham — blind; sva — his own; dharma — to the religious duty; vimukhaḥ — indifferent; tamaḥ — darkness (of hell).

 

TRANSLATION

 

Abandoned by his so-called dependents, ignorant of the actual goal of life, indifferent to his real duty, and having failed to fulfill his purposes, the foolish soul enters the blindness of hell, taking his sinful reactions with him.

 

10.49.25

tasmāl lokam imaḿ rājan

svapna-māyā-manoratham

vīkṣyāyamyātmanātmānaḿ

samaḥ śānto bhava prabho

 

tasmāt — therefore; lokam — world; imam — this; rājan — O King; svapna — as a dream; māyā — a magic trick; manaḥ-ratham — or a fantasy in the mind; vīkṣya — seeing; āyamya — bringing under control; ātmanā — by intelligence; ātmānam — the mind; samaḥ — equal; śāntaḥ — peaceful; bhava — become; prabho — my dear master.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Therefore, O King, looking upon this world as a dream, a magician's illusion or a flight of fancy, please control your mind with intelligence and become equipoised and peaceful, my lord.

 

10.49.26

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca

yathā vadati kalyāṇīḿ

vācaḿ dāna-pate bhavān

tathānayā na tṛpyāmi

martyaḥ prāpya yathāmṛtam

 

dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ uvāca — Dhṛtarāṣṭra said; yathā — as; vadati — speak; kalyāṇīm — auspicious; vācam — words; dāna — of charity; pate — O master; bhavān — you; tathā — so; anayā — by this; na tṛpyāmi — I am not satiated; martyaḥ — a mortal; prāpya — attaining; yathā — as if; amṛtam — the nectar of immortality.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: O master of charity, I can never be satiated while hearing your auspicious words. Indeed, I am like a mortal who has obtained the nectar of the gods.

 

10.49.27

tathāpi sūnṛtā saumya

hṛdi na sthīyate cale

putrānurāga-viṣame

vidyut saudāmanī yathā

 

tathā api — nevertheless; sūnṛtā — pleasing words; saumya — O gentle one; hṛdi — in my heart; na sthīyate — do not remain steady; cale — which is unsteady; putra — for my sons; anurāga — by affection; viṣame — prejudiced; vidyut — lightning; saudāmanī — in a cloud; yathā — as.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Even so, gentle Akrūra, because my unsteady heart is prejudiced by affection for my sons, these pleasing words of yours cannot remain fixed there, just as lightning cannot remain fixed in a cloud.

 

10.49.28

īśvarasya vidhiḿ ko nu

vidhunoty anyathā pumān

bhūmer bhārāvatārāya

yo 'vatīrṇo yadoḥ kule

 

īśvarasya — of the Supreme Lord; vidhim — the law; kaḥ — what; nu — at all; vidhunoti — can shake off; anyathā — otherwise; pumān — person; bhūmeḥ — of the earth; bhāra — the burden; avatārāya — in order to diminish; yaḥ — who; avatīrṇaḥ — has descended; yadoḥ — of Yadu; kule — in the family.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Who can defy the injunctions of the Supreme Lord, who has now descended in the Yadu dynasty to diminish the earth's burden?

 

10.49.29

yo durvimarśa-pathayā nija-māyayedaḿ

sṛṣṭvā guṇān vibhajate tad-anupraviṣṭaḥ

tasmai namo duravabodha-vihāra-tantra-

saḿsāra-cakra-gataye parameśvarāya

 

yaḥ — who; durvimarśa — inconceivable; pathayā — whose path; nija — by His own; māyayā — creative energy; idam — this universe; sṛṣṭvā — creating; guṇān — its modes; vibhajate — He distributes; tat — within it; anupraviṣṭaḥ — entering; tasmai — to Him; namaḥ — obeisances; duravabodha — unfathomable; vihāra — of whose pastimes; tantra — the purport; saḿsāra — of birth and death; cakra — the cycle; gataye — and liberation (coming from whom); parama-īśvarāya — to the supreme controller.

 

TRANSLATION

 

I offer my obeisances to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who creates this universe by the inconceivable activity of His material energy and then distributes the various modes of nature by entering within the creation. From Him, the meaning of whose pastimes is unfathomable, come both the entangling cycle of birth and death and the process of deliverance from it.

 

10.49.30

śrī-śuka uvāca

ity abhipretya nṛpater

abhiprāyaḿ sa yādavaḥ

suhṛdbhiḥ samanujñātaḥ

punar yadu-purīm agāt

 

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; iti — thus; abhipretya — ascertaining; nṛpateḥ — of the King; abhiprāyam — the mentality; saḥ — he; yādavaḥ — Akrūra, the descendant of King Yadu; suhṛdbhiḥ — by his well-wishers; samanujñātaḥ — given permission to leave; punaḥ — again; yadu-purīm — to the city of the Yadu dynasty; agāt — went.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Having thus apprised himself of the King's attitude, Akrūra, the descendant of Yadu, took permission from his well-wishing relatives and friends and returned to the capital of the Yādavas.

 

10.49.31

śaśaḿsa rāma-kṛṣṇābhyāḿ

dhṛtarāṣṭra-viceṣṭitam

pāṇdavān prati kauravya

yad-arthaḿ preṣitaḥ svayam

 

śaśaḿsa — he reported; rāma-kṛṣṇābhyām — to Lord Balarāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa; dhṛtarāṣṭra-viceṣṭitam — the behavior of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra; pāṇḍavān prati — toward the sons of Pāṇḍu; kauravya — O descendant of the Kurus (Parīkṣit); yat — for which; artham — purpose; preṣitaḥ — sent; svayam — himself.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Akrūra reported to Lord Balarāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa how Dhṛtarāṣṭra was behaving toward the Pāṇḍavas. Thus, O descendant of the Kurus, he fulfilled the purpose for which he had been sent.