VedaVyasa
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Canto 11
The Ascension of Lord Krishna
This chapter describes the return of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His own abode, along with all the Yadus.
Upon learning from Dāruka that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa had returned to His abode, Vasudeva and all the others remaining in Dvārakā became very much agitated by lamentation and went out from the city to find Him. All the demigods who, in pursuance of the desire of Lord Kṛṣṇa, had taken birth in the Yadu dynasty to render assistance in His pastimes followed Lord Kṛṣṇa and returned to their respective abodes. The Lord's activities of creating a life for Himself and then dismantling it are simply tricks of Māyā, like an actor's performance. Actually, He creates the entire universe, and then He enters within it as the Supersoul. In the end, He again winds up the entire universe within Himself and, remaining in His private glory, desists from external pastimes.
Though overcome by feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna was nevertheless able to pacify himself by remembering all the various instructions given to him by the Lord. Arjuna then carried out the rituals of offering piṇḍa and so on for his dead relatives. At that time the ocean swallowed up all of Dvārakā-purī except for the Lord's own residence. Arjuna took the remaining members of the Yadu dynasty to Indraprastha, where he installed Vajra upon the throne. Hearing of these events, the Pāṇḍavas, led by Yudhiṣṭhira, placed Parīkṣit upon their throne and left for the great journey.
11.31.1
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Then Brahmâ with his consort Bhavânî arrived there, along with S'iva and the demigods led by Indra and the sages with the lords of the people.
11.31.2-3
vidyādhara-mahoragāḥ
kinnarāpsaraso dvijāḥ
niryāṇaḿ paramotsukāḥ
(2-3) The forefathers, the perfected and divine singers, the scientists and the great egos, the venerable, the treasure keepers and the wild men, the ones of superpower and the dancing girls of heaven and all the ones of Garuda [the dvijâs] desirous to witness the passing away of the Supreme Lord, eagerly chanted and praised the birth and activities of S'auri.
11.31.4
vimānāvalibhir nabhaḥ
(4) They, crowding the sky in a great number of vimânas, o King, joined in transcendental devotion showering flowers.
11.31.5
vibhūtīr ātmano vibhuḥ
saḿyojyātmani cātmānaḿ
(5) The Supreme Lord seeing the great father and his powerful expansions before Him, fixed His consciousness within Himself, the Almighty One, and closed His lotus eyes.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, Lord Kṛṣṇa had previously answered the prayers of Lord Brahmā and the other demigods, who had requested the Lord to descend within this universe for the protection of His servants, the demigods. Now the demigods arrived before the Lord, each one desiring to take the Lord to his own planet. To avoid these innumerable social obligations, the Lord closed His eyes as if absorbed in samādhi.
Lord Kṛṣṇa closed His eyes to instruct the yogīs how to leave this mortal world without attachment to one's mystic opulences. All the demigods, including Brahmā, are mystic expansions of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and yet the Lord closed His eyes to emphasize that one should fix one's mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead when departing from this world.
11.31.6
yoga-dhāraṇayāgneyyā-
(6) Without burning in a mystic trance the object auspicious to all trance and meditation, viz. His body that is most attractive in all the worlds, He entered His own abode [compare 4.4].
A yogī empowered to select the moment of leaving his body can cause it to burst into flames by engaging in the yogic meditation called āgneyī, and thus he passes into his next life. The demigods similarly employ this mystic fire when being transferred to the spiritual world. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead is completely different from conditioned souls like yogīs and demigods, since the Lord's eternal, spiritual body is the source of all existence, as indicated here by the words lokābhirāmāḿ sva-tanum. Lord Kṛṣṇa's body is the source of pleasure for the entire universe. The word dhāraṇā-dhyāna-mańgalam indicates that those trying for spiritual elevation through meditation and yoga achieve all auspiciousness through meditation on the Lord's body. Since yogīs are liberated simply by thinking of Lord Kṛṣṇa's body, that body is certainly not material and therefore not subject to burning by mundane mystic fire or any other type of fire.
of Lord Kṛṣṇa's statement in the Eleventh Canto, Chapter Fourteen, verse 37: vahni-madhye smared rūpaḿ mamaitad dhyāna-mańgalam. "Within the fire one should meditate upon My form, which is the auspicious object of all meditation." Since Lord Kṛṣṇa's transcendental form is present within fire as the maintaining principle, how can fire affect that form? Thus although the Lord appeared to enter the mystic yoga trance, the word adagdhvā indicates that the Lord, since His body is purely spiritual, bypassed the formality of burning and directly entered His own abode in the spiritual sky.
11.31.7
(7) And while in heaven kettledrums resounded and flowers fell from the sky, He was, as He left the earth, followed by Truth, Righteousness, Constancy, Fame and Beauty [see also 10.39: 53-55].
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, all the demigods were jubilant because each one thought Lord Kṛṣṇa was coming to his own planet.
11.31.8
(8) The demigods and others headed by Brahmâ, not [quite] knowing what Krishna had done, didn't all see Him entering His abode, but those who did were most amazed.
11.31.9
saudāmanyā yathāklāśe
yāntyā hitvābhra-maṇḍalam
(9) Just as mortals cannot ascertain the path lightning describes in the sky as it finds its way through the clouds, the gods likewise couldn't trace the path of Krishna.
The sudden movements of a lightning bolt are seen by the demigods but not by human beings. Similarly, the sudden departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa could be understood by the Lord's intimate associates in the spiritual sky but not by the demigods.
11.31.10
vismitās tāḿ praśaḿsantaḥ
(10) But Brahmâ, S'iva and the others witnessing, in astonishment glorified the yogic power of the Lord, after which each of them returned to his own world.
Although the demigods are virtually omniscient within this universe, they could not understand the movements of Lord Kṛṣṇa's mystic potency. Thus they were astonished.
11.31.11
(11) O King, you should understand that the appearance, the actions of His illusory potency, and the disappearance of the Supreme One, just as it happens with normal embodied beings, constitutes a performance. It is a show in which He just like an actor by means of Himself sets in motion this universe by entering it, acting in it and in the end winding it up. After having ceased He then remains in the greatness of the Supreme Self.
the so-called fight among the members of the Yadu dynasty was actually a display of the pastime potency of the Lord, since Lord Kṛṣṇa's personal associates are never subject to ordinary birth and death like conditioned souls. This being the case, certainly the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself is transcendental to material birth and death, as clearly stated in this verse.
The word naṭasya, "of an actor or magician," is significant here - story of a certain magician who exhibits the trick of dying:
"In front of a great king, a magician approaches a stack of valuable garments, jewels, coins and so forth, all placed there by the king. Taking a jeweled necklace, the magician tells the king, 'Now I am taking this necklace, and you can't have it,' and he makes the necklace disappear. 'Now I'm taking this gold coin, and you can't have it,' he says, and makes the gold coin disappear. Next, challenging the king in the same way, the magician makes seven thousand horses disappear. Then the magician creates the illusion that the king's children, grandchildren, brothers and other family members have attacked each other and that nearly all are dead from the violent quarrel. The king hears the magician speaking and at the same time observes these things taking place before him as he sits in the great assembly hall.
"Then the magician says, 'O King, I no longer wish to live. Just as I have studied magic, so also, by the mercy of the lotus feet of my guru, I have learned the mystic meditation of yoga. One is supposed to give up one's body while meditating in a holy place, and since you have performed so many pious activities, you are a holy place yourself. Therefore I shall now give up my body.'
"Thus speaking, the magician sits down in the proper yoga posture, fixes himself in prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi and becomes silent. A moment later, a fire generated from his trance blazes forth out of his body and burns it to ashes. Then all the wives of the magician, distraught with lamentation, enter into that fire.
"Three or four days later, after the magician has returned to his own province, he sends one of his daughters to the king. The daughter tells him, 'O King, I have just come to your palace, bringing along with me, invisibly, all your sons, grandsons and brothers in good health — along with all the jewels and other items given by you. Please, therefore, give me whatever you consider fitting remuneration for the wisdom of the magic that has been exhibited before you.' In this way, even by ordinary magic one can simulate birth and death."
It is not difficult to understand, therefore, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although transcendental to the laws of nature, exhibits His illusory potency so that ordinary fools will think the Lord has left His body like a human being. Actually, Lord Kṛṣṇa returned to His abode in His own eternal body, as confirmed throughout the Vedic literature.
11.31.12
(12) He who brought His guru's son in his selfsame body back after he had been taken to the world of Yamarâja [10.45], He who also offered protection against the superior weapon that burned you [1.12]; He who even conquered S'iva, who is the death of the agents of death [10.63], why would He, who brought the deerhunter [Jarâ] body and all to the spiritual world, be incapable of preserving Himself?
To mitigate his own and Parīkṣit Mahārāja's distress at the narration of Lord Kṛṣṇa's departure from this world, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī here gives several clear examples proving that Lord Kṛṣṇa is far beyond the influence of death. Although the son of Lord Kṛṣṇa's spiritual master (Sāndīpani Muni) had been taken by death, the Lord brought him back in his same body. Similarly, the power of Brahman cannot touch Lord Kṛṣṇa, since Parīkṣit Mahārāja, though burned by the brahmāstra weapon, was easily saved by the Lord. Lord Śiva was clearly defeated by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the battle with Bāṇāsura, and the hunter Jarā was sent to a Vaikuṇṭha planet in his same human body. Death is an insignificant expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa's external potency and cannot possibly act upon the Lord Himself. Those who actually understand the transcendental nature of Lord Kṛṣṇa's activities will find convincing evidence in these examples.
11.31.13
(13) Despite of the fact that He as the One Possessing Unlimited Potencies constitutes the exclusive cause of the maintenance, creation and annihilation of all created beings, He did not desire to keep His physical frame here in the mortal world. Why would He, who is the destination for those who fixed themselves upon Him, keep up appearances [see also 3.2: 10-11]?
Although Lord Kṛṣṇa descended to this world to save the fallen souls, He did not want to encourage people in the future to loiter here unnecessarily. In other words, as soon as possible one should perfect one's Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go back home, back to Godhead. If Lord Kṛṣṇa had remained longer on the earth, He would have unnecessarily increased the prestige of the material world.
As stated by Śrī Uddhava in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.2.11), ādāyāntar adhād yas tu sva-bimbaḿ loka-locanam: "Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who manifested His eternal form before the vision of all on the earth, performed His disappearance by removing His form from the sight of those who are unable to see Him [as He is] due to not executing the required penance. " Uddhava also states in the Bhāgavatam (3.2.10):
ātmany uptātmano harau
"Under no circumstances can the words of persons bewildered by the illusory energy of the Lord deviate the intelligence of those who are completely surrendered souls." One who follows the Vaiṣṇava authorities in his attempt to understand Lord Kṛṣṇa's transcendental disappearance easily appreciates that the Lord is the omnipotent Personality of Godhead and that His spiritual body is identical with His eternal spiritual potency.
11.31.14
(14) Anyone who, rising early in the morning, with care glorifies this supreme destination of Krishna, will with the devotion undoubtedly reach that unsurpassable destination [see also B.G. 8: 6].
11.31.15
vasudevograsenayoḥ
patitvā caraṇāv asrair
(15) Dâruka deprived of Krishna arriving in Dvârakâ, wet with his tears the feet of Vasudeva and Ugrasena he fell down to.
11.31.16-17
vṛṣṇīnāḿ kṛtsnaśo nṛpa
tac chrutvodvigna-hṛdayā
jñātayo ghnanta ānanam
(16-17) He related the destruction of the entirety of the Vrishnis, o ruler of man, and hearing that the people, with their hearts full of sorrow, were rendered senseless. They, overwhelmed by the separation from Krishna, struck their faces, and quickly went to the place where their relatives were laying lifeless.
11.31.18
kṛṣṇa-rāmāv apaśyantaḥ
(18) When Devakî, Rohinî and Vasudeva thereupon couldn't find their sons, they pained in tears lost their consciousness.
the original Devakī, Rohiṇī and other ladies of Dvārakā actually remained in Dvārakā, invisible to the eyes of the material world, whereas the demigods who represented partial aspects of Devakī, Rohiṇī and so on went to Prabhāsa to see their dead relatives.
11.31.19
bhagavad-virahāturāḥ
(19) Tormented by being separated from the Supreme Lord they gave up their lives on the spot. Embracing their [dead] husbands my dearest, the wives climbed upon the funeral pyre.
11.31.20
upaguhyāgnim āviśan
(20) The same way the wives of Balarâma embraced His body and entered the fire, the wives of Vasudeva joined his body in the fire and the Lord His daughters-in-law to Pradyumna and the others stepped into the fire. Also the wives of Krishna led by Rukminî, His first queen, fully absorbed in Him followed that course.
It is understood that the anguished scene described here is a display of the Lord's illusory potency, adding a final dramatic note to Lord Kṛṣṇa's pastimes on the earth. In reality, Lord Kṛṣṇa returned to His eternal abode in His original body, and His eternal associates returned with Him. This final heartbreaking scene of the Lord's pastimes is a creation of the Lord's internal potency that brings the Lord's manifest pastimes to a perfect dramatic end.
11.31.21
kṛṣṇasya virahāturaḥ
(21) Arjuna distressed because of his separation from Krishna, his dear friend, consoled himself with the transcendental words of Krishna's song [like 2: 11-12, 2: 20-21, 2: 27, 4: 7, 4: 6, 7: 25 and 14: 27 of the Bhagavad Gîtâ].
mūḍho 'yaḿ nābhijānāti
(Bg. 7.25)
"I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency (yoga-māyā), and so the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and infallible."
Similarly, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has mentioned the Gītā verse mām evaiṣyasi satyaḿ te pratijāne priyo 'si me (Bg. 18.65): "You will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend." He has also quoted from the Svarga-parva of the Mahābhārata as follows:
brahmaṇe vapuṣānvitam
sādṛśyenopasūcitam
divyair astrair upaskṛtam
cakra-prabhṛtibhir ghorair
tathaiva madhusūdanam
yathārhaḿ pratipedāte
"There Yudhiṣṭhira saw Lord Govinda as the Absolute Truth in His original, personal form. He appeared just as Yudhiṣṭhira had seen Him before, with all the same characteristics. He was glowing brilliantly with the effulgence coming from His own body, and He was surrounded by His transcendental weapons — the disc and so on — which appeared in their fearsome personified forms. O descendant of Kuntī, Lord Madhusūdana was being worshiped by the effulgent hero Arjuna, who also appeared in his original form. When these two lions among men, who are worshipable by the demigods, noticed the presence of Yudhiṣṭhira, they approached him with proper respect and offered him worship."
11.31.22
(22) As is prescribed Arjuna saw to it that for the relatives who had died and who had no remaining family members, the funeral rites were executed in order of the seniority of the deceased.
11.31.23
samudro 'plāvayat kṣaṇāt
(23) Dvârakâ, once it was abandoned by the Lord, was immediately flooded by the ocean except, o King, for the residence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead [see archeology pictures 1,2 & 3 of the site].
that whereas the external manifestation of the Lord's abode was covered by the ocean, the Lord's eternal Dvārakā exists beyond the material universe and certainly beyond the material ocean. Dvārakā had been constructed by Viśvakarmā, the architect of the demigods, and the Sudharmā assembly hall had been brought from heaven. In that city there were many beautiful and splendorous residences of the aristocratic Yadu dynasty, and the most beautiful residence of all was that of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī mentions that even in the modern age, people who live near the site of the original Dvārakā sometimes catch a glimpse of it in the ocean. Ultimately, the Lord's associates and abode are eternal, and one who understands this is qualified to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious.
11.31.24
smṛtyāśeṣāśubha-haraḿ
(24) In that very place Madhusûdana, the Supreme Lord, is eternally present. As the most auspicious of all auspicious places, its remembrance takes away everything inauspicious.
11.31.25
vajraḿ tatrābhyaṣecayat
(25) Arjuna, resettling the survivors - the women, the children and elders of the ones killed - in Indraprastha, placed there Vajra [Aniruddha's son] on the throne.
11.31.26
(26) From Arjuna hearing of the death of their friend, o King, left all your grandfathers to make the great journey, after first installing you as the maintainer of the dynasty [they went northwards, see also 1.15: 34-51].
11.31.27
kīrtayec chraddhayā martyaḥ
(27) Any conditioned soul who with faith sings about the birth and activities of Vishnu, the God of Gods, will be completely freed from all sins [see S'rî Das'âvatâra Stotra].
11.31.28
(28) The attractive and most auspicious exploits and childhood pastimes of the incarnation of the Supreme Lord Hari [with all His expansions, see 10.1: 62-63], have now been described here [in this Story of the Fortunate One] as also elsewhere [in other scriptures]. A person singing them will attain the transcendental devotional service which is the destination of all the perfect sages [the paramahamsas].'
Thus end of the Eleventh Canto, Thirty-first Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Disappearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa."
END OF THE ELEVENTH CANTO
SB 11 Appendix
The Absolute Nature of the Supreme Lord
In his commentary on Text 5, Chapter 30, quoting several statements by Śrī Uddhava from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.2.7-12) that nicely explain the transcendental nature of Lord Kṛṣṇa's disappearance from this world. The reader is referred to that portion of Śrīla Prabhupāda's Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for further illumination on this subject.
Next, from various Vedic scriptures Viśvanātha Cakravartī cites many important verses that clearly establish the absolute, eternal nature of the Personality of Godhead's forms, names, abodes, qualities, pastimes and entourage.
Forms: The Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad (1.38) states, govindaḿ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḿ vṛndāvana-sura-bhūraha-talāsīnaḿ satataḿ sa-marud-gaṇo 'haḿ paramayā stutyā toṣayāmi: "With transcendental prayers, I and the Maruts are always trying to satisfy Lord Govinda, whose personal form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, and who is sitting amidst the celestial desire trees of Vṛndāvana."
Similarly, in his Vedānta-bhāṣya Śrīla Madhvācārya cites the following passage from the śruti: vāsudevaḥ sańkarṣaṇaḥ pradyumno 'niruddho 'haḿ matsyaḥ kūrmo varāho narasiḿho vāmano rāmo rāmo rāmaḥ kṛṣṇo buddhaḥ kalkir ahaḿ śatadhāhaḿ sahasradhāham amito 'ham ananto 'haḿ naivaite jāyante naivaite mriyante naiṣām ajñāna-bandho na muktiḥ sarva eva hy ete pūrṇā ajarā amṛtāḥ paramāḥ paramānandāḥ. "I am Vāsudeva, Sańkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. I am Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Narasiḿha, Vāmana, the three Rāmas [Rāmacandra, Paraśurāma and Balarāma], Kṛṣṇa, Buddha and Kalki. Immeasurable and unlimited, I appear in hundreds and thousands of forms, none of which ever takes birth or dies. These forms of Mine are not bound by ignorance, nor do they have to strive for liberation. They are all complete, free from old age, immortal, supreme and supremely blissful."
The Dhyāna-bindu Upaniṣad states, nirdoṣa-pūrṇa-guṇa-vigraha ātma-tantro niścetanātmaka- śarīra-guṇaiś ca hīnah/ ānanda-mātra-mukha-pāda-saroruhādiḥ: "[The Lord's] personal form possesses complete and faultless transcendental qualities. Indeed, the form of the completely independent Lord is free from all lifeless bodily characteristics. His lotus face and lotus feet consist simply of pure ecstasy."
The Vāsudeva Upaniṣad states, sad-rūpam advayaḿ brahma madhyādy-anta-vivarjitam/ sva-prabhaḿ sac-cid-ānandaḿ bhaktyā jānati cāvyayam: "[The Lord's] transcendental form is the Absolute Truth, devoid of duality or of middle, beginning or end. It is self-effulgent, eternal and full of knowledge and bliss. Only through devotional service can one understand that form to be infallible."
The Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa states, nanda-vraja-janānandī sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ: [Bs. 5.1], "The body of the Lord, who gives ecstasy to the residents of King Nanda's pastures, is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss." The Mahā-varāha Purāṇa states, sarve nityāḥ śāsvatāś ca dehās tasya parātmanaḥ/ hānopadāna-rahitā naiva prakṛti-jāḥ kvacit: "The bodies of that Supreme Soul are all eternal and primeval. Since they are not born of material nature, they are not subject to destruction or creation."
The Nṛsiḿha Purāṇa states, yuge yuge viṣṇur anādi-mūrtim āsthāya śiṣṭaḿ paripāti duṣṭa-hā: "In each age, Lord Viṣṇu assumes His various eternal forms in order to protect those who are civilized [the devotees] and to destroy those who are evil [the demons]." The Bṛhad-vaiṣṇava-smṛti states, yo vetti bhautikaḿ dehaḿ kṛṣṇasya paramātmanaḥ/ sa sarvasmād bahiṣkāryaḥ śrauta-smārta-vidhānataḥ/ mukhaḿ tasyāvalokyāpi sa-celaḥ snānam ācaret: "If a person thinks the body of the Supreme Soul, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is made of matter, he should be excluded from all ceremonies, both of the śruti and the smṛti. One who even glances upon such a person's face must immediately take a bath with all his clothes on." The Mahābhārata states, na bhūta-sańgha-samsthāno deho 'sya paramātmanaḥ: "The body of the Supreme Soul is not composed of a combination of material elements." Also from the Mahābhārata: amṛtāḿśo 'mṛta-vapuḥ. "His personal expansions and personal bodies are all immortal."
The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam itself contains many passages attesting to the absolute nature of the Lord's forms. Here are a few: śābdaḿ-brahma dadhad vapuḥ. "Appearing in Your transcendental form as the Vedas and as the personal feature of the Absolute Truth..." Yat tad vapur bhāti vibhūṣaṇāyudhair avyakta-cid-vyaktam adhārayad vibhuḥ (8.18.12): "That transcendental body which is appearing with its ornaments and weapons has been assumed by the Almighty Lord as the spiritual manifestation of Himself, who is materially unmanifested." Babandha prākṛtaḿ yathā (10.9.14): "She bound Him up just like an ordinary child." Satya-jñānānantānanda-mātraika-rasa-mūrtyaḥ (10.13.54): "The viṣṇu-mūrtis all had eternal, unlimited forms full of knowledge and bliss and existing beyond the influence of time." Svecchā-mayasya na tu bhūta-mayasya (10.14.2): "His body is composed of His own desire, rather than of material elements." And tvayy eva nitya-sukha-bodha-tanau: "In You, whose body is full of eternal happiness and consciousness..."
Names: The Ṛg Veda states, oḿ āsya jānanto nāma cid viviktan: "If we understand even a little of the glories of His holy name..." The Bhāgavatam (10.8.15) contains the following passage: bahūni santi nāmāni rūpaṇi ca sutasya te guṇa-karmānurūpāṇi. "For this son of yours there are many forms and names according to His transcendental qualities." That this passage is in the present tense indicates that the Lord's names are absolute and eternal.
The Padma Purāṇa states, yat tv anāma-rūpa evāyaḿ bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ/ akarteti ca yo vedaiḥ smṛtibhiś cābhidhīyate: "It is the Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari, whom the Vedas and smṛtis describe as that which has no name or form and which does nothing." The Vāsudevādhyātma reconciles the apparent contradiction thus raised: aprasiddhes tad-guṇānām anāmo 'sau prakīrtitaḥ/ aprākṛtatvād rūpasyāpy arūpo 'sāv udīryate/ sambandhena pradhānasya harer nāsty eva kartatā/ akartāram ataḥ prāhuḥ purāṇaḿ taḿ purā vidaḥ. "Because His qualities are generally unknown, He is said to have no name. Because His form is not material, He is said to be formless. And because Lord Hari does nothing in relationship with the material nature, He is said to be inactive."
Abodes: The Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad (2.36) states, tāsāḿ madhye sākṣād brahma gopāla-purī: "Among all these [abodes], the residence of Lord Gopāla is directly the Absolute Truth." And the Padma Purāṇa states, nityaḿ me mathurāḿ vidhi purīḿ dvāravatīḿ tathā: "You should know that My cities of Mathurā and Dvārakā are both eternal." An alternate reading for this verse is nityaḿ me mathurāḿ vidhi vanaḿ vṛndāvanaḿ tathā, in which case the translation is "You should know that both My Mathurā and My forest of Vṛndāvana are eternal."
Qualities: The Bhāgavatam (1.16.29) states, ete cānye ca bhagavan nityā yatra mahā-guṇāḥ/prārthyā mahattvam icchadbhir na viyanti sma karhicit: "In Him reside these and many other transcendental qualities, which are eternally present and never to be separated from Him."
Pastimes: The Puruṣa-bodhanī Upaniṣad, of the Pippalāda-śākha of the Atharva Veda, states, eko devo nitya-līlānurakto bhakta-vyāpī bhakta-hṛdy antar-ātmā: "He is the one Supreme Lord, always attached to His eternal pastimes, extending Himself to His devotees, and present as the Supreme Soul within the hearts of His devotees." In the Bhāgavatam (10.90.48) we find the verse beginning jayati jana-nivāsaḥ, which contains the phrase dorbhir asyann adharmam, "with His arms casting out irreligion." The same verse also states, vraja-pura-vanitānāḿ vardhayan kāma-devam, "increasing the lusty desires of the young women of Vṛndāvana village. " The Bhāgavatam (10.29.15) states, kāmaḿ krodhaḿ bhayaḿ sneham aikyaḿ sauhṛdam eva vā/ nityaḿ harau vidadhato yānti tan-mayatāḿ hi te: "Persons who constantly direct their lust, anger, fear, protective affection, feeling of impersonal oneness or friendship toward Lord Hari are sure to become absorbed in thought of Him." That all these passages employ the present tense indicates that the Lord is eternally enacting His pastimes.
Entourage: The Padma Purāṇa states, eta hi yādavāḥ sarve mad-gaṇā eva bhāvini/ sarvathā mat-priyā devi mat-tulya-guṇa-śālinaḥ: "My dear lady, all these Yādavas are My personal associates. They are in all respects very dear to Me, O goddess, and their characters are equal to Mine."
To summarize, we may cite the following verse from the Vedic literature: nityāv avatāre bhagavān nitya-mūrtir jagat-patiḥ/ nitya-rūpo nitya-gandho nityaiśvarya-sukhānubhūḥ: "In His eternal incarnation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of the universe, exhibits His eternal personal form. His bodily beauty, His fragrance, His opulence and His happiness are also all eternal."
Thus the eleventh Canto of the S'rîmad Bhâgavatam ends named: 'General History' named.
(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swamyjis, Philosophers, Scholars and Knowledge Seekers for the collection)
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