Source
Texts:
The
Disappearance of the Yadu-dynasty
Text
1
The honorable
king [Parîkchit] said: 'What did the Supreme Lord
and Protector of All Living Beings do in Dvârakâ
after Uddhava, the great devotee, had left?
King
Parîkshit said - After the great devotee Uddhava left
for the forest, what did the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
the protector of all living beings, do in the city of
Dvârakâ?
Text
2
Please tell how
He, the Chief of the Yadus Dearest to the Eyes of All, gave up
His body upon the destruction of His family following the curse
of the brahmins [see 11.1]?
After
His own dynasty met destruction from the curse of the
brâhmanas, how could the best of the Yadus give up His
body, the dearmost object of all eyes?
Text
3
Attached to it
could the women not turn their eyes away; having entered the
ears of the sages would it, stuck in their minds, not leave;
and what to say of the special attraction of the words that
generated to the honor of the poets seeing its beauty and of
those who, seeing it on Arjuna's chariot on the battlefield,
attained an equal status?'
Once
their eyes were fixed upon His transcendental form, women
were unable to withdraw them, and once that form had entered
the ears of the sages and become fixed in their hearts, it
would never depart. What to speak of acquiring fame, the
great poets who described the beauty of the Lord's form
would have their words invested with transcendentally
pleasing attraction. And by seeing that form on Arjuna's
chariot, all the warriors on the battlefield of Kurukshetra
attained the liberation of gaining a spiritual body similar
to the Lord's.
Text
4
The fine rishi
[S'uka] said: 'Seeing the number of great disturbances
which had appeared in the sky, the earth and in outer space
addressed Krishna the Yadus seated in the Sudharmâ hall
[see 10.50:
54] as
follows [see also 1.14].
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said - Having observed many disturbing
signs in the sky, on the earth and in outer space, Lord
Krishna addressed the Yadus assembled in the Sudharmâ
council hall as follows.
Text
5
The Supreme
Lord said: 'O best of the Yadus, with these fearful, great and
inauspicious omens, that are like the flags of the king of
death, shouldn't we stay a moment longer here in
Dvârakâ.
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O leaders of the Yadu
dynasty, please note all these terrible omens that have
appeared in Dvârakâ just like the flags of
death. We should not remain here a moment longer.
Text
6
The women, the
children and the old-aged should go to S'ankoddhâra
[halfway Dvârakâ and Prabhâsa]; we
shall go from here to Prabhâsa where the Sarasvatî
flows westward.
The
women, children and old men should leave this city and go to
S'ankhoddhâra. We shall go to Prabhâsa-kshetra,
where the river Sarasvatî flows toward the
west.
Text
7
There we should
purify bathing, fast and fix our minds, and will we worship the
gods [the idols] with various offerings, ablutions and
âlepa [smearing with sandalwood].
There
we should bathe for purification, fast, and fix our minds in
meditation. We should then worship the demigods by bathing
their images, anointing them with sandalwood pulp, and
presenting them various offerings.
Text
8
The brahmins so
full of grace having performed the ceremonies for good fortune
will we [honor] with cows, land, gold, clothing,
elephants, horses, chariots and houses [see also
3.3:
26-28].
After
performing the expiatory rituals with the help of greatly
fortunate brâhmanas, we will worship those
brâhmanas by offering them cows, land, gold, clothing,
elephants, horses, chariots and dwelling places.
Text
9
This is the
course to follow indeed to avert the misfortune and bring good
fortune; to worship the best among the living beings - the
gods, the brahmins and the cows - brings about the supreme
[compare to 10.24:
25].
This
is indeed the appropriate process for counteracting our
imminent adversity, and it is sure to bring about the
highest good fortune. Such worship of the demigods,
brâhmanas and cows can earn the highest birth for all
living entities.
Text
10
All of them
thus listening to the Enemy of Madhu, said the elderly Yadus
'so be it', and crossed they over by boat to head for
Prabhâsa in chariots.
Having
heard these words from Lord Krishna, the enemy of Madhu, the
elders of the Yadu dynasty gave their assent, saying, 'So be
it.' After crossing over the ocean in boats, they proceeded
on chariots to Prabhâsa.
Text
11
There, to what
the Supreme Personality, the Lord of the Yadus had instructed,
performed the Yadus with transcendental devotion and all that
would strengthen, all auspicious rituals.
There,
with great devotion, the Yâdavas performed the
religious ceremonies according to the instructions of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, their personal Lord. They
also performed various other auspicious rituals.
Text
12
Then as
destined [see 11.1:
4] falling
from their intelligence, drank they a large amount of the sweet
tasting maireya [honey-liquor] of which the ingredients
overpower the mind [see also 6.1:
58-60].
Then,
their intelligence covered by Providence, they liberally
indulged in drinking the sweet maireya beverage, which can
completely intoxicate the mind.
Text
13
With the heroes
bewildered by Krishna's illusory potency arose, by the
excessive drinking intoxicated, arrogant of mind a terrible
quarrel.
The
heroes of the Yadu dynasty became intoxicated from their
extravagant drinking and began to feel arrogant. When they
were thus bewildered by the personal potency of Lord
Krishna, a terrible quarrel arose among them.
Text
14
Totally
agitated with anger they took up their weapons - their bows,
swords, bhalla-arrows [arrows with a particular
arrowhead] clubs, lances and spears - and fought they on
the shore.
Infuriated,
they seized their bows and arrows, swords, bhallas, clubs,
lances and spears and attacked one another on the shore of
the ocean.
Text
15
With flying
flags riding chariots, elephants and other carriers - asses,
camels, bulls, buffalos, mules and even humans - came they
together most enraged attacking with arrows as if they were
elephants in the forest attacking with their
tusks.
Riding
on elephants and chariots with flags flying, and also on
donkeys, camels, bulls, buffalos, mules and even human
beings, the extremely enraged warriors came together and
violently attacked one another with arrows, just as
elephants in the forest attack one another with their
tusks.
Text
16
With their
enmity aroused in battle fought ferociously Pradyumna against
Sâmba, Akrûra against Bhoja, Aniruddha against
Sâtyaki, Subhadra against Sangrâmajit, Sumitra
against Suratha and the two Gadas [the brother and a son of
Krishna] against each other.
Their
mutual enmity aroused, Pradyumna fought fiercely against
Sâmba, Akrûra against Kuntibhoja, Aniruddha
against Sâtyaki, Subhadra against Sangrâmajit,
Sumitra against Suratha, and the two Gadas against each
other.
Text
17
Others
also, such as Nis'athha, Ulmuka and so on under the lead of
Sahasrajit, S'atajit and Bhânu, confronted and killed
each other, blinded as they were by intoxication and totally
confused by Mukunda.
Others
also, such as Nis'athha, Ulmuka, Sahasrajit, S'atajit and
Bhânu, confronted and killed one another, being
blinded by intoxication and thus completely bewildered by
Lord Mukunda Himself.
Text
18
Completely
letting go of their friendship slaughtered the Kuntis, the
Kukuras, the Visarjanas, the Madhus and
Arbudas,
Vrishnis and Andhakas, the Bhojas, the
Sâtvatas,
the Dâs'ârhas and the inhabitants of Mâthura
and S'ûrasena one another.
Completely
abandoning their natural friendship, the members of the
various Yadu clans - the Dâs'ârhas, Vrishnis and
Andhakas, the Bhojas, Sâtvatas, Madhus and Arbudas,
the Mâthuras, S'ûrasenas, Visarjanas, Kukuras
and Kuntis - all slaughtered one another.
Text
19
Bewildered
killed relatives relatives and friends friends; sons fought
with their fathers and their brothers, nephews with uncles,
paternal uncles with maternal uncles and well-wishers with
well-wishers.
Thus
bewildered, sons fought with fathers, brothers with
brothers, nephews with paternal and maternal uncles, and
grandsons with grandfathers. Friends fought with friends,
and well-wishers with well-wishers. In this way intimate
friends and relatives all killed one another.
Text
20
Running out of
arrows and with their bows broken and missiles used up, took
they cane stalks [eraka, see 11.1:
22] in
their fists.
When
all their bows had been broken and their arrows and other
missiles spent, they seized the tall stalks of cane with
their bare hands.
Text
21
Those stalks
held in their fists turned into iron rods as strong as thunder
bolts as they attacked their enemies with them, and although
Krishna tried to stop them, attacked they Him as
well.
As
soon as they took these cane stalks in their fists, the
stalks changed into iron rods as hard as thunderbolts. With
these weapons the warriors began attacking one another again
and again, and when Lord Krishna tried to stop them they
attacked Him as well.
Text
22
Confused with
their minds set on killing, mistaking Balarâma for an
enemy, o King, raised they their weapons also against
Him.
In
their confused state, O King, they also mistook Lord
Balarâma for an enemy. Weapons in hand, they ran
toward Him with the intention of killing Him.
Text
23
The Two then
also most furiously joined the fight, o son of the Kurus, and
started, cane in fist using them as clubs, to kill moving about
in the battle.
O
son of the Kurus, Krishna and Balarâma then became
very angry. Picking up cane stalks, They moved about within
the battle and began to kill with these clubs.
Text
24
Overcome by the
brahmins curse and with their minds clouded by Krishna's
mâyâ, led the fury of the competition to their end
like a fire of bamboos does in a forest.
The
violent anger of these warriors, who were overcome by the
brâhmanas' curse and bewildered by Lord Krishna's
illusory potency, now led them to their annihilation, just
as a fire that starts in a bamboo grove destroys the entire
forest.
Text
25
When all of His
own clans
had been destroyed
this way,
concluded
Krishna, remaining, that
as planned [11.1:
1-4]
the
earth its burden was removed.
When
all the members of His own dynasty were thus destro yed,
Lord Krishna thought to Himself that at last the burden of
the earth had been removed.
Text
26
Râma at
the shore of the ocean resorting to meditation on the Original
Person, merging Himself within Himself, gave up the human
world.
Lord
Balarâma then sat down on the shore of the ocean and
fixed Himself in meditation upon the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Merging Himself within Himself, He gave up this
mortal world.
Text
27
Seeing that
Râma had left sat the Supreme lord, the son of
Devakî, finding a pippala tree, silently down on the lap
of the earth [see also 3.4].
Lord
Krishna, the son of Devakî, having seen the departure
of Lord Râma, sat down silently on the ground under a
nearby pippala tree.
Text
28-32
Exhibiting His
four-armed form dissipated, like a fire without smoke, His
brilliant effulgence the darkness in all directions. With the
s'rîvatsa mark and gray-blue color like the clouds,
radiated He like molten gold wearing an all-auspicious pair of
silken garments. His face like a blue lotus smiling beautifully
with the charming lotus eyes, was adorned with His locks of
hair and gleaming shark-shaped earrings. Splendid with a belt,
a sacred thread, a helmet and bracelets; arm-ornaments,
necklaces, ankle bells and royal symbols, was there the
kaustubha gem. Placing His right foot reddish like a lotus on
His thigh, sat He with the forms of His personal weapons and
His limbs encircled by a garland of forest
flowers.
The
Lord was exhibiting His brilliantly effulgent four-armed
form, the radiance of which, just like a smokeless fire,
dissipated the darkness in all directions. His complexion
was the color of a dark blue cloud and His effulgence the
color of molten gold, and His all-auspicious form bore the
mark of S'rîvatsa. A beautiful smile graced His lotus
face, locks of dark blue hair adorned His head, His lotus
eyes were very attractive, and His shark-shaped earrings
glittered. He wore a pair of silken garments, an ornamental
belt, the sacred thread, bracelets and arm ornaments, along
with a helmet, the Kaustubha jewel, necklaces, anklets and
other royal emblems. Encircling His body were flower
garlands and His personal weapons in their embodied forms.
As He sat He held His left foot, with its lotus-red sole,
upon His right thigh.
Text
33
His foot having
the form of a deer's face was [then] pierced by a
hunter named Jarâ
who thought he saw a deer, [aiming] with his arrow that
was made with a fragment that had remained of the iron
[from the by the brahmins cursed and destroyed club, see
11.1:
23].
Just
then a hunter named Jarâ, who had approached the
place, mistook the Lord's foot for a deer's face. Thinking
he had found his prey, Jarâ pierced the foot with his
arrow, which he had fashioned from the remaining iron
fragment of Sâmba's club.
Text
34
Seeing that
four-armed personality fell he, afraid of having committed an
offense, with his head down at the feet of the Enemy of the
Asuras:
Then,
seeing that four-armed personality, the hunter became
terrified of the offense he had committed, and he fell down,
placing his head upon the feet of the enemy of the
demons.
Text
35
'This was done
by a sinful person acting in ignorance; o Madhusûdana,
please forgive this sinner his deed, o Uttamas'loka,
o Sinless One.
Jarâ
said: O Lord Madhusûdana, I am a most sinful person. I
have committed this act out of ignorance. O purest Lord, O
Uttamahs'loka, please forgive this sinner.
Text
36
O Master, what
I did toward Him, Vishnu, to You, was wrong; o You, of whom the
constant remembrance destroys the darkness of ignorance of all
men, so they say.
O
Lord Vishnu, the learned say that for any man, constant
remembrance of You will destroy the darkness of ignorance. O
master, I have wronged You!
Text
37
Therefore,
please kill me right now o Lord of Vaikunthha, so that I, a
sinful deer hunter indeed, thus not again may commit such an
offense against the True One [*].
Therefore,
O Lord of Vaikunthha, please kill this sinful hunter of
animals immediately so he may not again commit such offenses
against saintly persons.
Text
38
What can we,
impure of birth, say of Him, of You, with our direct vision to
this being covered by Your illusory potency, with Your mystic
power not [even] understood by Viriñca,
Rudra and his other masters and sons of the vedic
word?'
Neither
Brahmâ nor his sons, headed by Rudra, nor any of the
great sages who are masters of the Vedic mantras can
understand the function of Your mystic power. Because Your
illusory potency has covered their sight, they remain
ignorant of how Your mystic power works. Therefore, what can
I, such a low-born person, possibly say?
Text
39
S'rî
Bhagavân said: 'Fear not o Jarâ, please get up, for
what you did was My desire; you've My permission to go to the
spiritual realm, the abode of the ones of good
deeds.'
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Jarâ, do
not fear. Please get up. What has been done is actually My
own desire. With My permission, go now to the abode of the
pious, the spiritual world.
Text
40
Thus instructed
by Krishna, the Fortunate One embodied to His own will,
circumambulated he Him three times and went he, bowing down to
Him, with a higher spirit [a 'vimâna']
to heaven.
So
instructed by the Supreme Lord Krishna, who assumes His
transcendental body by His own will, the hunter
circumambulated the Lord three times and bowed down to Him.
Then the hunter departed in an airplane that had appeared
just to carry him to the spiritual sky.
Text
41
Dâruka
seeking out where Krishna had gone to, came near Him scenting
the air fragrant of tulasî and approached
Him.
At
that time Dâruka was searching for his master,
Krishna. As he neared the place where the Lord was sitting,
he perceived the aroma of tulasî flowers in the breeze
and went in its direction.
Text
42
With Him there
brilliant and effulgent, surrounded by His weapons resting at
the base of the As'vathha,
fell he, rushing down from the chariot with tear-filled eyes,
with his heart overwhelmed with affection down at His
feet.
Upon
seeing Lord Krishna resting at the foot of a banyan tree,
surrounded by His shining weapons, Dâruka could not
control the affection he felt in his heart. His eyes filled
with tears as he rushed down from the chariot and fell at
the Lord's feet.
Text
43
'O Master, not
seeing Your lotus feet is my power of vision destroyed and do
I, just as in the night of a new moon having landed in
darkness, not know the directions nor can I find
peace.
Dâruka
said: Just as on a moonless night people are merged into
darkness and cannot find their way, now that I have lost
sight of Your lotus feet, my Lord, I have lost my vision and
am wandering blindly in darkness. I cannot tell my
direction, nor can I find any peace.
Text
44
As he was
speaking thus rose for true before the chariot driver his eyes
the chariot along with the horses and the flag of Garuda that
marked it, up into the sky, o King of kings.
[S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî continued:] O foremost of kings,
while the chariot driver was still speaking, before his very
eyes the Lord's chariot rose up into the sky along with its
horses and its flag, which was marked with the emblem of
Garuda.
Text
45
With Vishnu's
divine weapons following it, spoke Janârdana
to the driver flabbergasted by that occurrence:
All
the divine weapons of Vishnu rose up and followed the
chariot. The Lord, Janârdana, then spoke to His
chariot driver, who was most astonished to see all
this.
Text
46
O driver, head
for Dvârakâ and inform our family members of the
mutual destruction of their close relatives, My condition and
the passing away of Sankarshana.
O
driver, go to Dvârakâ and tell Our family
members how their loved ones destroyed one another. Also
tell them of the disappearance of Lord Sankarshana and of My
present condition.
Text
47
You and your
relatives should not remain in Dvârakâ; now the
Yadu capital is abandoned by Me will it sink into the
ocean.
You
and your relatives should not remain in Dvârakâ,
the capital of the Yadus, because once I have abandoned that
city it will be inundated by the ocean.
Text
48
Each taking all
his family as well as Our parents with him, should you all,
protected by Arjuna, go to Indraprastha.
You
should all take your own families, together with My parents,
and under Arjuna's protection go to Indraprastha.
Text
49
You however,
fixed in knowledge and indifferent about My mâyâ
will, remaining firm in My devotional service, with
understanding for what I arranged, acquire the tranquility of
mind.
You,
Dâruka, should be firmly situated in devotion to Me,
remaining fixed in spiritual knowledge and unattached to
material considerations. Understanding these pastimes to be
a display of My illusory potency, you should remain
peaceful.
Text
50
Thus being
addressed by Him circumambulated he Him offering his obeisances
again and again, and went he, placing His lotus feet on his
head, with a heavy heart to the city.
Thus
ordered, Dâruka circumambulated the Lord and offered
obeisances to Him again and again. He placed Lord Krishna's
lotus feet upon his head and then with a sad heart went back
to the city.
*:
S'rîla Vis'vanâtha Cakravartî Thhâkura
wonders whether, since deer are by nature fearful and timid,
how any deer could possibly be on the scene of such a huge
battle, and how could a hunter calmly go about his business in
the midst of such carnage? Therefore, the withdrawal of the
Yadu dynasty and Lord Krishna's own disappearance from this
earth were not material historical events; they were instead a
display of the Lord's internal potency for the purpose of
winding up His manifest pastimes on earth [p.p.
11.30:
37].
Also the name of the hunter Jarâ, meaning old age, is
indicative of the metaphorical purport of this incident
[see also footnote 10.87:*].
In the Mahâbhârata-tâtparya-nirnaya,
S'rî Madhvâcârya-pâda wrote that the
Lord for His mission created a body of material energy into
which the arrow was shot. But the Lord's actual four-armed form
was never touched by the arrow of Jarâ, who is actually
the Lord's devotee Bhrigu Rishi. In a previous age Bhrigu Muni
had offensively placed his foot on the chest of Lord
Vishnu.
