VedaVyasa
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Canto 11
Chapter 30
The Disappearance of the Yadu-dynasty
This chapter discusses the destruction of the Yadu dynasty in connection with the winding up of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
After Śrī Uddhava left for Badarikāśrama, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, taking note of many bad omens, advised the Yādavas to abandon Dvārakā and go to Prabhāsa, on the bank of the Sarasvatī, to perform svasty-ayana and other rituals for counteracting bad fortune. They followed His advice and went to Prabhāsa. There they became absorbed in festivity, and by the illusory power of Lord Kṛṣṇa they became intoxicated from drinking liquor. Thus losing their intelligence, they quarreled among themselves and began killing one another, until not a man was left alive.
Afterward, Śrī Baladeva went to the shore of the ocean and by the mystic strength of yoga gave up His body. Seeing the disappearance of Baladeva, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa sat down silently upon the ground. Then a hunter named Jarā, mistaking the sole of the Lord's left foot for a deer, pierced it with an arrow. The hunter immediately understood his mistake and, falling at the feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, begged to be punished. In reply Lord Kṛṣṇa told the hunter that what he had done was actually according to His own desire. The Lord then sent the hunter to Vaikuṇṭha.
When Dāruka, Kṛṣṇa's charioteer, arrived on the scene and saw Lord Kṛṣṇa in that condition, he began to lament. Kṛṣṇa told him that he should go to Dvārakā, inform the residents about the annihilation of the Yadu dynasty, and advise them all to leave Dvārakā for Indraprastha. Dāruka obediently carried out this order.
11.30.1
śrī-rājovāca
dvāravatyāḿ kim akarod
(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?
Parīkṣit Mahārāja now inquires from Śukadeva Gosvāmī about the topic of Chapter One of this canto, namely the annihilation of the Yadu dynasty and Lord Kṛṣṇa's return to the spiritual sky. Because Lord Kṛṣṇa was playing the part of an ordinary member of the Yadu dynasty, He appeared to react to the curse of the brāhmaṇas by giving up His earthly pastimes. Lord Kṛṣṇa cannot actually be cursed by anyone. Nārada Muni and the other sages who cursed the Yadu dynasty are eternal devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa and could hardly curse Him. Therefore, in giving up His pastimes and leaving the earth with the Yadu dynasty, Lord Kṛṣṇa demonstrated His internal potency and personal will, since no one can challenge the supreme potency of the Personality of Godhead.
11.30.2
brahma-śāpopasaḿsṛṣṭe
(2) Please tell how He, the Chief of the Yadus Dearest to the Eyes of All, gave up His body when His family found destruction after being cursed by the brahmins [see 11.1]?
that the Personality of Godhead never gives up His spiritual body, which is eternal, full of bliss and knowledge. The word katham therefore indicates "How is it possible?", meaning it is not actually possible for Lord Kṛṣṇa to give up His eternal form, which is preyasīḿ sarva-netrāṇām, the most attractive object of pleasure for the eyes and all other senses.
11.30.3
(3) Attached to His form the women couldn't turn their eyes away from it, and having entered the ears of the sages the form, occupying their minds, wouldn't leave them. How attractive weren't the words that by the ambitious poets were used to express its beauty? And what to say of those who, seeing it on the battlefield on Arjuna's chariot, acquired a similar status?'
11.30.4
mahotpātān samutthitān
dṛṣṭvāsīnān su-dharmāyāḿ
(4) The powerful rishi [S'uka] said: 'Seeing the number of great disturbances which had appeared in the sky, the earth and in outer space, Krishna addressed the Yadus seated in the Sudharmâ hall [see 10.50: 54] as follows [see also 1.14].
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the inauspicious sign in the sky was the appearance of a halo around the sun, on the earth there were small earthquakes, and in outer space there was an unnatural redness on the horizon. These and other, similar omens were impossible to counteract, because they were personally arranged by Lord Kṛṣṇa.
11.30.5
(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, we shouldn't stay a moment longer here in Dvârakâ.
a great amount of evidence from the Vedic literatures proving that the humanlike form of the Personality of Godhead and His holy name, abode, paraphernalia and associates are all eternal, spiritual manifestations without any tinge of material contamination. (See Appendix). In this regard the ācārya has further explained that because the living entities must suffer the reactions to their sinful activities, the Lord arranges for them to be punished during the Kali-yuga. In other words, it is not Lord Kṛṣṇa's desire that conditioned souls be sinful and suffer, but since they are already sinful, the Lord creates an appropriate age during which they can experience the bitter fruits of irreligiosity.
Since Lord Kṛṣṇa personally establishes religious principles in His various appearances in this material world, at the end of Dvāpara-yuga religion on the earth was overwhelmingly powerful. All the significant demons had been killed; the great sages, saints and devotees had been greatly encouraged, enlightened and fortified; and there was little scope for irreligion. Had Lord Kṛṣṇa ascended to the spiritual sky in His spiritual body before the eyes of the world, it would have been very difficult for Kali-yuga to flourish. Lord Kṛṣṇa left the world in exactly that way during His appearance as Rāmacandra, and hundreds of thousands of years later, hundreds of millions of pious persons still discuss this wonderful pastime of the Lord. To pave the way for Kali-yuga, however, Lord Kṛṣṇa left this world in a way that puzzles those who are not His staunch devotees.
The eternal form of the Lord is described throughout Vedic literature, and His eternal form constitutes the highest understanding of the Absolute Truth according to all great ācāryas, including Śańkarācārya and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Yet although Lord Kṛṣṇa's eternal, spiritual form is a realized fact for advanced devotees, for those who are weak in Kṛṣṇa consciousness the inconceivable pastimes and plan of the Lord are sometimes hard to appreciate properly.
11.30.6
śańkhoddhāraḿ vrajantv itaḥ
vayaḿ prabhāsaḿ yāsyāmo
(6) The women, the children and the old-aged should go to S'ankhoddhâra [halfway Dvârakâ and Prabhâsa] and we will leave for Prabhâsa where the Sarasvatî flows westward.
11.30.7
tatrābhiṣicya śucaya
snapanālepanārhaṇaiḥ
(7) There we should purify by bathing, fasting and fixing our minds, and then worship the gods [the idols] with various offerings, ablutions and âlepa [smearing with sandalwood].
11.30.8
gajāśva-ratha-veśmabhiḥ
(8) When the brahmins full of grace have performed the ceremonies for our good fortune, we'll give them cows, land, gold, clothing, elephants, horses, chariots and houses [see also 3.3: 26-28].
11.30.9
mańgalāyanam uttamam
(9) This is the course we have to follow in order to avert misfortune and bring about good fortune, for to worship the best among the living beings - the gods, the brahmins and the cows - brings about the supreme [compare to 10.24: 25].'
11.30.10
tatheti naubhir uttīrya
prabhāsaḿ prayayū rathaiḥ
(10) After they all thus had listened to the Enemy of Madhu, said the elderly Yadus 'So be it!', and crossed over by boat [to mainland] to head for Prabhâsa in chariots.
11.30.11
tasmin bhagavatādiṣṭaḿ
sarva-śreyopabṛḿhitam
(11) There, in accordance with the instructions of the Lord of the Yadus, the Supreme Personality, the Yadus performed all auspicious rituals with transcendental devotion and everything else that would strengthen them.
11.30.12
papur maireyakaḿ madhu
diṣṭa-vibhraḿśita-dhiyo
(12) Then as destined [see 11.1: 4] they lost their intelligence drinking from a large supply of sweet tasting maireya [honey-liquor] the ingredients of which overpowered their minds [see also 6.1: 58-60].
The word diṣṭa here indicates the desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the first chapter of this Canto, "The Curse Upon the Yadu Dynasty," this incident is elaborately explained.
11.30.13
mahā-pānābhimattānāḿ
(13) Among the heroes bewildered by Krishna's illusory potency arose a terrible quarrel because they intoxicated of the excessive drinking became arrogant.
11.30.14
dhanurbhir asibhir bhallair
gadābhis tomararṣṭibhiḥ
(14) Infuriated they took up their weapons - their bows, swords, bhalla-arrows [arrows with a particular arrowhead] clubs, lances and spears - and fought against each other on the shore.
11.30.15
kharoṣṭra-gobhir mahiṣair narair api
(15) With flying flags riding chariots, elephants and other carriers - asses, camels, bulls, buffalos, mules and even humans - they most enraged facing one another attacked with arrows, just like elephants who in the forest attack each other with their tusks.
11.30.16
(16) With their enmity aroused in the battle fought Pradyumna ferociously 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.
11.30.17
(17) Others as well, like Nis'athha, Ulmuka and more lead by Sahasrajit, S'atajit and Bhânu, confronted and killed each other, totally being bewildered by Mukunda and blinded by their intoxication.
11.30.18
(18) Completely letting go of their friendship 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 slaughtered each other.
11.30.19
(19) Relatives bewildered killed 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.
11.30.19
(20) Running out of arrows and with their bows broken and missiles used, they took cane stalks [eraka, see 11.1: 22] in their fists.
11.30.21
jaghnur dviṣas taiḥ kṛṣṇena
(21) Those stalks held in their fists turned into iron rods as strong as thunder bolts as they attacked their enemies with them, and even though Krishna tried to stop them, they attacked Him as well.
11.30.22
pratyanīkaḿ manyamānā
(22) Confounded with their minds turned to killing, they mistook Balarâma for an enemy o King and also raised their weapons against Him.
11.30.23
(23) The Two [of Balarâma and Krishna] then also most furiously joined the fight o son of the Kurus, and began to kill, using the stalks in Their fists as clubs as They moved about in the fight.
11.30.24
brahma-śāpopasṛṣṭānāḿ
kṛṣṇa-māyāvṛtātmanām
(24) In the grip of the curse of the brahmins and with their minds clouded by Krishna's mâyâ, the anger of their rivalry now led to their destruction, just like a fire of bamboos does with a forest.
11.30.25
avatārito bhuvo bhāra
(25) When all of His own clans had been destroyed this way, concluded Krishna that as planned [11.1: 1-4] what had remained of the burden of the earth was removed.
11.30.26
saḿyojyātmānam ātmani
(26) Balarâma at the shore of the ocean resorted to meditation on the Original Person and, merging Himself within Himself, gave up the human world.
11.30.27
niṣasāda dharopasthe
(27) Seeing that Râma had left, the Supreme Lord, the son of Devakî, finding a pippala tree, silently sat down on the lap of the earth [see also 3.4].
11.30.27
niṣasāda dharopasthe
(28-32) Exhibiting His four-armed form He, like a fire without smoke, with His brilliant effulgence dissipated the darkness in all directions. With the S'rîvatsa mark and gray-blue color like the clouds, He wore an all-auspicious pair of silken garments and radiated like molten gold. His face like a blue lotus smiling beautifully with His 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. And so He sat there with His right foot reddish like a lotus placed on His thigh, with the forms of His personal weapons in His hands and with a garland of forest flowers around His neck.
11.30.33
muṣalāvaśeṣāyaḥ-khaṇḍa-
kṛteṣur lubdhako jarā
mṛgāsyākāraḿ tac-caraṇaḿ
(33) His foot having the form of a deer's face was [then] pierced by an arrow of a hunter named Jarâ who thought he saw a deer. The arrow was fashioned from a fragment of the iron that had remained [from the by the brahmins cursed and destroyed club, see 11.1: 23].
the statement that the arrow "pierced the Lord's foot" expresses the point of view of the hunter, who thought he had struck a deer. In fact the arrow merely touched the Lord's lotus foot and did not pierce it, since the Lord's limbs are composed of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Otherwise, in the description of the next verse (that the hunter became fearful and fell down with his head upon the Lord's feet), Śukadeva Gosvāmī would have stated that he extracted his arrow from the Lord's foot.
11.30.34
(34) When he saw the four-armed personality he fell, afraid of having committed an offense, with his head down at the feet of the Enemy of the Asuras:
11.30.35
uttamaḥśloka me 'nagha
(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.
11.30.36
yasyānusmaraṇaḿ nṛṇām
(36) O Master, what I did against Him, Vishnu, to You, was wrong; o You, of whom the constant remembrance destroys the darkness of ignorance of all men, so they say.
11.30.37
(37) Therefore, please kill me right now o Lord of Vaikunthha, so that I, nothing but a sinful deer hunter, may not again commit such an offense against the True One [*].
that the fratricidal battle of the Yadu dynasty and the hunter's attack upon Lord Kṛṣṇa are clearly activities of the Lord's internal potency for the purpose of fulfilling the Lord's pastime desires. According to the evidence, the quarrel among the members of the Yadu dynasty occurred at sunset; then the Lord sat down on the bank of the Sarasvatī River. It is stated that a hunter then arrived with the intention of killing a deer, but it is highly unlikely — when more than 560 million warriors had just been killed in a great uproarious battle and the place had been flooded with blood and strewn with corpses — that a simple hunter would somehow come along trying to kill a deer. Since deer are by nature fearful and timid, how could any deer 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 Kṛṣṇa'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.
11.30.38
(38) What could we, impure of birth, say about Him, about You [and the destruction of the Yadus]? For Your mystic power is not even understood by Viriñca, Rudra and his other masters and sons of the vedic word, because their vision of Your being is clouded by Your bewildering potency!'
11.30.39
(39) S'rî Bhagavân said: 'Fear not o Jarâ, please get up, for what you did was My desire; you've My permission to leave for the spiritual realm, the abode for the ones who are of good deeds.'
11.30.40
ity ādiṣṭo bhagavatā
kṛṣṇenecchā-śarīriṇā
(40) After thus having been instructed by Krishna, the Fortunate One who generated His own form, circumambulated he Him three times. Then bowing down to Him he departed in a higher spirit [a 'vimâna', also: a heavenly vehicle] to heaven.
11.30.41
vāyuḿ tulasikāmodam
āghrāyābhimukhaḿ yayau
(41) Dâruka seeking out where Krishna had gone to, coming near Him scented the air fragrant of tulasî and approached Him.
11.30.42
(42) He found Him there brilliant and effulgent, surrounded by His weapons and resting at the base of the As'vathha. With his heart overwhelmed by emotions he rushed down from the chariot and fell with his eyes full of tears at His feet.
11.30.43
apaśyatas tvac-caraṇāmbujaḿ prabho
(43) 'O Master, not seeing Your lotus feet my power of vision is lost and I fail to know the directions, nor can I find peace; just the way one in the night of a new moon lands in darkness.'
11.30.44
ratho garuḍa-lāñchanaḥ
sāśva-dhvaja udīkṣataḥ
(44) As he was speaking thus rose right before the eyes of the chariot driver the chariot, along with the horses and the flag of Garuda marking it, up into the sky, o King of kings.
11.30.45
tenāti-vismitātmānaḿ
(45) And while Vishnu's divine weapons were following, spoke Janârdana to the driver who stood perplexed about what was happening:
11.30.46
(46) 'O driver, head for Dvârakâ and inform Our family members about the mutual destruction of their close relatives, about My condition and about the passing away of Sankarshana.
Lord Kṛṣṇa sent His chariot driverless back to Vaikuṇṭha, along with the horses and weapons, because the chariot driver, Dāruka, had some final service to do on earth.
11.30.47
(47) You and your relatives should not remain in Dvârakâ; now the Yadu capital is abandoned by Me it will sink into the ocean.
11.30.48
arjunenāvitāḥ sarva
(48) Each of you taking your own family as well as Our parents with you, should together, protected by Arjuna, head for Indraprastha.
11.30.49
vijñayopaśamaḿ vraja
(49) You however, fixed in knowledge and indifferent about My mâyâ will, remaining firm in My devotional service, understand what I arranged and make your peace with it.'
the word tu here emphasizes that Dāruka is an eternally liberated associate of Lord Kṛṣṇa, having descended from Vaikuṇṭha. Therefore, even though others might be bewildered by the Lord's pastimes, Dāruka should remain peaceful and fixed in spiritual knowledge.
11.30.50
ity uktas taḿ parikramya
(50) Thus being addressed by Him he circumambulated Him offering his obeisances again and again, and went, after placing His lotus feet on his head, with a heavy heart to the city.'
Thus end of the Eleventh Canto, Thirtieth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty."
Footnote:
wonders, since deer are by nature fearful and timid, how any deer could possibly be on the scene of such a huge battle, and how a hunter could 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 are 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 an incarnation of the Lord's devotee Bhrigu Rishi. In a previous age Bhrigu Muni had offensively placed his foot on the chest of Lord Vishnu.
(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swamyjis, Philosophers, Scholars and Knowledge Seekers for the collection)
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