VedaVyasa
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Chapter 71
The Lord Travels to Indraprastha on Advice of Uddhava
This chapter relates how Lord Kṛṣṇa followed Uddhava's advice and went to Indraprastha, where the Pāṇḍavas celebrated His arrival with great festivity.
Wise Uddhava, knowing Lord Kṛṣṇa's inner desire, advised the Lord as follows: "By conquering all directions and then performing the Rājasūya sacrifice, King Yudhiṣṭhira will fulfill all his purposes — defeating Jarāsandha, protecting those who have taken shelter of You, and executing the Rājasūya-yajña. Thus the Yādavas' powerful enemy will be destroyed and the imprisoned kings freed, and both deeds will glorify You.
"King Jarāsandha can be killed only by Bhīma, and since Jarāsandha is very devoted to the brāhmaṇas, Bhīma should disguise himself as a brāhmaṇa, go to Jarāsandha and beg a fight from him. Then, in Your presence, Bhīma will defeat the demon."
Nārada Muni, the Yādava elders and Lord Kṛṣṇa praised Uddhava's plan, and Lord Kṛṣṇa proceeded to mount His chariot and head for Indraprastha, followed by His devoted queens. Soon Lord Kṛṣṇa arrived in that city. Hearing of the Lord's arrival, King Yudhiṣṭhira immediately came out of the city to greet Him. Yudhiṣṭhira repeatedly embraced Lord Kṛṣṇa, losing external consciousness in his ecstasy. Then Bhīmasena, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva and others each embraced or bowed down to Him, as was appropriate.
After Lord Kṛṣṇa had properly greeted everyone, He entered the city as a fanfare of many musical instruments played and reverential hymns were chanted. The women of the city scattered flowers down from the rooftops, remarking on the extreme good fortune of the Lord's queens.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa entered the royal palace and offered respects to Queen Kuntīdevī, who embraced her nephew, and Draupadī and Subhadrā offered obeisances to the Lord. Kuntīdevī then requested Draupadī to worship Lord Kṛṣṇa's wives.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, gratified King Yudhiṣṭhira by remaining there for some months. During this stay He enjoyed strolling here and there. He would drive on chariots with Arjuna, followed by many warriors and soldiers.
10.71.1
devaṛṣer uddhavo 'bravīt
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Hearing thus what was stated by the devarishi, spoke the gifted Uddhava with understanding for the stance taken by the royal assembly and Krishna.
10.71.2
(2) S'rî Uddhava said: 'O Lord, You should do what the rishi said, and be of assistance to him, Your father's son, who intends to perform sacrifice, and You should as well offer those [the kings] protection who seek their refuge.
Devarṣi Nārada wanted Lord Kṛṣṇa to go to Indraprastha and help His cousin Yudhiṣṭhira perform the Rājasūya sacrifice. At the same time, the members of the royal assembly strongly desired that He defeat Jarāsandha and rescue the kings he was holding prisoner. The great-minded Uddhava could understand that Lord Kṛṣṇa desired to do both things, and thus he intelligently advised how both these purposes could be simultaneously accomplished.
10.71.3
ubhayārtho mato mama
(3) Since the Râjasûya sacrifice should be performed by the one who gained the upper hand in all directions o Almighty One, will You, in my opinion, with conquering the son of Jarâ be serving both purposes.
Śrī Uddhava here explains that only one who has conquered all directions is entitled to perform the Rājasūya sacrifice. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa should immediately accept the invitation to participate in the sacrifice, but then He should arrange to kill Jarāsandha as a necessary prerequisite. In this way the kings' request for protection would be fulfilled automatically. If the Lord would thus adhere to a single policy — namely, seeing that the Rājasūya sacrifice was performed properly — all purposes would be fulfilled. in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, one of Lord Kṛṣṇa's qualities is catura, "clever," which means that He can perform various types of work at the same time. Thus the Lord could certainly have solved the dilemma of how to simultaneously satisfy King Yudhiṣṭhira's desire to perform the Rājasūya sacrifice and the imprisoned kings' desire for freedom. But Kṛṣṇa wanted to give His dear devotee Uddhava the credit for the solution, and thus He pretended to be perplexed.
10.71.4
hy etenaiva bhaviṣyati
rājño baddhān vimuñcataḥ
(4) By this there will be great gain for us and for You, o Govinda, and You will release the kings imprisoned; thus proceeding will it be Your glory.
10.71.5
nāgāyuta-samo bale
(5) He [Jarâsandha] is a king as strong as a thousand elephants and cannot be conquered by other men of power, save for Bhîma who is equally strong.
that the Yādavas were extremely eager to kill Jarāsandha, and thus to caution them Śrī Uddhava spoke this verse. Jarāsandha's death could come only at the hand of Bhīma. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī adds that Uddhava had previously deduced this from the Jyotīr-rāga and other astrological scriptures he had learned from his teacher Bṛhaspati.
10.71.6
brāhmaṇyo 'bhyarthito viprair
(6) Only chariot-to-chariot can he be defeated, not when he is together with a hundred akshauhinîs; also will he, devoted as he is to the brahminical, never refuse what the learned ask from him.
It might be argued that since only Bhīma could equal Jarāsandha in personal strength, Jarāsandha would be more powerful when supported by his huge army. Therefore, Uddhava here recommends single combat. But how could Jarāsandha be persuaded to give up the support of his powerful army? Here Uddhava gives the clue: Jarāsandha will never refuse a request from brāhmaṇas, since he is devoted to brahminical culture.
10.71.7
haniṣyati na sandeho
(7) Visiting him wearing the dress of a brahmin must Bhîma beg for charity and without hesitation kill him in Your presence in a one-to-one fight.
10.71.8
hiraṇyagarbhaḥ śarvaś ca
kālasyārūpiṇas tava
(8) Hiranyagarbha ['the one of the golden light' or Brahmâ] and S'arva [he who kills by the arrow, viz. S'iva, see 7.10: 67], are of You, the Controller of the Universe, of Your formlessness of Time, but the instrument in creation and annihilation.
Uddhava here explains that in fact Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself will cause the death of Jarāsandha, and Bhīma will merely be the instrument. The Supreme Lord, through His invisible potency of time, creates and annihilates the entire cosmic situation, whereas great demigods such as Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva are merely the instruments of the Lord's will. Therefore Bhīma will have no difficulty acting as the Lord's instrument to kill the powerful Jarāsandha. In this way, by the Lord's arrangement, His devotee Bhīma will be glorified.
10.71.9
(9) In their homes do the godly wives of the [imprisoned] kings sing about Your spotless deeds. They sing about You killing their enemy and delivering their husbands; just as the gopîs do [in missing You, see 10.31] and the lord of the elephants [Gajendra being captured see 8.3], just as the daughter of Janaka did [Râmacandra's Sîtâ, see 9.10] and Your parents [when in Kamsa's prison, see 10.3], and so too do the sages upon having obtained your shelter [see e.g. 9.5] as well as we sing about You.
Great sages and devotees had informed the grief-stricken wives of the imprisoned kings that Lord Kṛṣṇa would arrange for the killing of Jarāsandha and would thus save them from their crisis. These godly women would thus sing the glories of the Lord at home, and when their children would cry for their fathers, their mothers would tell them, "Child, do not cry. Śrī Kṛṣṇa will save your father." In fact, the Lord has saved many devotees in the past, as described here.
10.71.10
bhūry-arthāyopakalpate
(10) The killing of Jarâsandha, o Krishna, surely will bring us an immense advantage, namely the consequent excellence [of the kings] ànd the sacrifice favored by You.'
hat the word bhūry-artha, "immense benefit," signifies that with the death of Jarāsandha it will become easy to kill the demon Śiśupāla and to realize other objectives. The great commentator Śrīdhara Svāmī further explains that the term pāka indicates that the kings will be saved as a result of their piety, and that the term vipākena indicates that Jarāsandha will die as a result of his wickedness. In either case, the plan Uddhava has proposed is most favorable for the execution of the great Rājasūya sacrifice, desired by both the Lord and His pure devotees the Pāṇḍavas, headed by King Yudhiṣṭhira.
10.71.11
kṛṣṇaś ca pratyapūjayan
(11) S'rî S'uka said: 'The words Uddhava thus stated, in every way auspicious and infallible o King, were by the devarishi, the Yadu elders and by Krishna as well praised in response.
that the term acyutam indicates that Uddhava's proposal was "fortified by logical reasoning." Furthermore, Śukadeva Gosvāmī specifically indicates by the term yadu-vṛddhāḥ that it was the senior members, not the junior ones, who welcomed the proposal. Young princes such as Aniruddha did not like Uddhava's proposal, since they were eager to fight Jarāsandha's army immediately.
10.71.12
athādiśat prayāṇāya
(12) The Almighty Supreme Lord, the son of Devakî, took leave from those He owed respect [following the human ways] and next ordered His servants Dâruka, Jaitra and others to prepare for His departure.
10.71.13
nirgamayyāvarodhān svān
(13) Sending away His wives and sons for the luggage and saying goodbye to Sankarshana [Balarâma] and the Yadu king [Ugrasena], o killer of the enemies, mounted He His chariot brought by His driver, from which the flag of Garuda waved.
Having accepted Uddhava's proposal, Lord Kṛṣṇa first proceeded with His wives, family and entourage to the royal city of Indraprastha, the capital of the Pāṇḍavas. The rest of this chapter describes Lord Kṛṣṇa's journey to that city and how He was received there by His loving devotees. In Indraprastha Lord Kṛṣṇa explained to the Pāṇḍavas His plan to first kill Jarāsandha and then perform the Rājasūya sacrifice, and with their full agreement He proceeded, with Bhīmasena, to settle accounts with the wicked king.
that Lord Kṛṣṇa's wives had also been invited to the Rājasūya sacrifice and were eager to go. The description of the colorful royal procession begins with the following verse.
10.71.14
mṛdańga-bhery-ānaka-śańkha-gomukhaiḥ
praghoṣa-ghoṣita-kakubho nirakramat
(14) Then, surrounded by His chiefs and fierce guards, chariots, elephants, infantry and cavalry - His personal army - moved He out with from all sides vibrating the sounds of mridangas, bherî horns, gomukha horns, kettledrums and conch shells.
10.71.15
su-saḿvṛtā nṛbhir asi-carma-pāṇibhiḥ
(15) In golden palanquins carried by men, came following in fine clothes, ornamented, with perfumed oils and garlands, Acyuta's wives along with their children well guarded by soldiers with shields and swords in their hands.
10.71.16
sv-alańkṛtāḥ kaṭa-kuṭi-kambalāmbarādy-
(16) The well ornamented women of the household and the courtesans came along with human carriers, camels, bulls, buffalo, donkeys, mules, bullock carts and she-elephants fully loaded with grass-huts, blankets, clothing and more items like that.
that the household attendants mentioned here included washerwomen and other helpers.
10.71.17
varāyudhābharaṇa-kirīṭa-varmabhiḥ
yathārṇavaḥ kṣubhita-timińgilormibhiḥ
(17) The huge army with a choice of flagpoles, banners, sunshades, yak-tail fans, weapons, jewelry, helmets and armor appeared that day glittering and shining in the rays of the sun; with the rumour of its sounds was it like an ocean restless with timingilas and waves.
10.71.18
atho munir yadu-patinā sabhājitaḥ
niśamya tad-vyavasitam āhṛtārhaṇo
mukunda-sandaraśana-nirvṛtendriyaḥ
(18) After having heard and approved His plan, bowed the muni [Nârada], being honored by the Lord of the Yadus and feeling happy over the meeting with Mukunda, down to Him and went he, placing Him in his heart, away through the sky.
10.71.19
(19) The messenger of the kings was by the Supreme Lord, to please him with His word, addressed with: 'Do not fear, o envoy, all fortune to you [and your kings]. I'll arrange for the killing of the king of Mâgadha.'
The statement ma bhaiṣṭa, "do not fear," is in the plural, being intended for both the messenger and the kings. Similarly, the expression bhadraḿ vaḥ, "blessings unto you," is also in the plural, expressing a similar intent.
10.71.20
ity uktaḥ prasthito dūto
te 'pi sandarśanaḿ śaureḥ
(20) Thus being addressed departed the messenger who informed the kings in detail. They then, eager for their liberation, awaited the moment they would meet S'auri.
that by force of circumstances the kings began focusing their attention on Lord Kṛṣṇa alone.
10.71.21
(21) Crossing through Ânarta [the region of Dvârakâ], Sauvîra [eastern Gujarat], Marudes'a [the Rajasthan desert] and Vinas'ana [the district of Kurukshetra], passed the Lord through hills, rivers, cities, villages, cow pastures and quarries.
10.71.22
tato dṛṣadvatīḿ tīrtvā
mukundo 'tha sarasvatīm
(22) Mukunda first crossing the river Drishadvatî then crossed the Sarasvatî, then passed through the province of Pañcâla and Matsya and finally reached Indraprastha.
10.71.23
prīto durdarśanaḿ nṛnām
sopadhyāyaḥ suhṛd-vṛtaḥ
(23) Hearing that He, so rarely seen by human beings, had arrived, marched he whose enemy never was born [king Yudhishthhira] out [of his city] surrounded by his priests and relatives [in order to welcome Him].
10.71.24
(24) With an abundance of sounds of songs and instrumental music and the vibration of hymns went he forth to Hrishîkes'a, being as reverential as the senses are tuned to life.
Lord Kṛṣṇa is here described as Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord of the senses, and King Yudhiṣṭhira's rushing to the Lord is compared to the senses eagerly joining the consciousness of life. Without consciousness, the senses are useless; indeed, the senses function through consciousness. Similarly, when the individual souls are bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love of God, they enter into a useless and illusory struggle called material existence. Pure devotees like King Yudhiṣṭhira are never bereft of the Lord's association, for they keep Him always within their heart, and yet they feel special ecstasy when they see the Lord after long separation, as described here.
10.71.25
cirād dṛṣṭaḿ priyatamaḿ
(25) The heart of the Pândava seeing Lord Krishna after so long a time melted with affection whereupon he embraced Him, his dearmost friend, over and over.
10.71.26
dorbhyāḿ pariṣvajya ramāmalālayaḿ
hṛṣyat-tanur vismṛta-loka-vibhramaḥ
(26) The ruler of man closing in his arms the body of Mukunda, the shining abode of Ramâ, found all his ill-fortune destroyed and achieved the highest bliss, in his exhilaration with tears in his eyes forgetting the illusory affair of being embodied in the material world.
10.71.27
taḿ mātuleyaḿ parirabhya nirvṛto
10.71.28
arjunena pariṣvakto
brāhmaṇebhyo namaskṛtya
vṛddhebhyaś ca yathārhataḥ
(28) After He was embraced by Arjuna and had received the twins their obeisances, bowed He, according the etiquette, before the brahmins, the elders and the honorable Kurus, Sriñjayas and Kaikayas.
hat since Arjuna was considered Lord Kṛṣṇa's social equal, when Arjuna tried to bow down to Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa held Arjuna by his arms so that he could only embrace Him. The twins, however, being junior cousins, bowed down and grasped Lord Kṛṣṇa's feet.
10.71.29
vandinaś copamantriṇaḥ
brāhmaṇāś cāravindākṣaḿ
tuṣṭuvur nanṛtur jaguḥ
(29) The bards, the chroniclers, the singers of heaven, the eulogists and jesters with mridangas, conches, kettledrums, vînâs, small drums and gomukha horns, all sang, danced and glorified with hymns the Lotus-eyed one as also did the brahmins.
10.71.30
saḿstūyamāno bhagavān
viveśālańkṛtaḿ puram
(30) The Supreme Lord, the Crest Jewel of the Renown of Piety, thus being glorified by His well-wishers around Him, entered the decorated city.
While Lord Kṛṣṇa was entering the city, all the people were talking among themselves about the glories of the Lord, praising His transcendental name, quality, form, etc."
10.71.31-32
mṛṣṭātmabhir nava-dukūla-vibhūṣaṇa-srag-
gandhair nṛbhir yuvatibhiś ca virājamānam
(31-32) In the city of the king of the Kurus He saw the roads sprinkled with water fragrant of the mada [the rut-liquid] of elephants, colorful flags, gateways decorated with golden pots full of water and young men and women all in new apparel with ornaments, flower garlands and sandalwood on their bodies. In each home lamps were lit and offerings of tribute displayed with the smoke of incense drifting from the latticed windows and banners waving from the roofs that were adorned with golden domes with large silver bases.
10.71.33
draṣṭuḿ yayur yuvatayaḥ sma narendra-mārge
(33) Hearing of the arrival of the Reservoir for the Eyes of Man to Drink from, went the young women, to look on, onto the king's road thereby immediately abandoning their households or their husbands in bed, with the knots still in their hair and their dresses loosened in their eagerness.
10.71.34
nāryo vikīrya kusumair manasopaguhya
su-svāgataḿ vidadhur utsmaya-vīkṣitena
(34) There, very crowded with elephants, horses, chariots and soldiers on foot, caught they the sight of Krishna with His wives, and while they embraced Him in their hearts, scattered the women who [because of the commotion] had climbed onto the rooftops, flowers while giving Him a heartfelt welcome with broad smiles to their glances.
that the ladies communicated through their affectionate glances, their eager inquiries as to the comfort of Lord Kṛṣṇa's trip, and so on. In other words, in their ecstasy they intensely desired to serve the Lord.
10.71.35
yac cakṣuṣāḿ puruṣa-maulir udāra-hāsa
līlāvaloka-kalayotsavam ātanoti
(35) Seeing Mukunda's wives on the road like stars around the moon, exclaimed the women: 'What did they do that the Diadem of Men with the small portion of His playful smiles and glances grants their eyes the honor of the [complete] festival?'
10.71.36
tatra tatropasańgamya
(36) Here and there approached citizens with auspicious offerings in their hands and performed the masters of the guilds, who banned their sins, worship for Krishna.
"While Lord Kṛṣṇa was thus passing on the road, at intervals some of the opulent citizens, who were all rich, respect able and freed from sinful activities, presented auspicious articles to the Lord, just to offer Him a reception to the city. Thus they worshiped Him as humble servitors."
10.71.37
sa-sambhramair abhyupetaḥ
(37) As He entered the king's palace approached the members of the royal household all in a flurry to greet full of love and with blossoming eyes Mukunda.
10.71.38
kṛṣṇaḿ tri-bhuvaneśvaram
prītātmotthāya paryańkāt
(38) When Prithâ [queen Kuntî] saw her brother's son, Krishna, the Controller of the Three Worlds, rose she with a heart full of love from her couch together with her daughter-in-law [Draupadî] in order to embrace Him.
10.71.39
pramodopahato nṛpaḥ
(39) The king bringing Govinda, the Supreme God of All Gods, to His quarters could, overwhelmed by his great joy, not remember anymore what all had to be done for the reverential display of worship.
"As he brought Kṛṣṇa within the palace, King Yudhiṣṭhira became so confused in his jubilation that he practically forgot what he was to do at that time in order to receive Kṛṣṇa and worship Him properly."
10.71.40
kṛṣṇaś cakre 'bhivādanam
bhaginyā cābhivanditaḥ
(40) Krishna performed an offering of obeisances in respect of His father's sister and the elderly women, o King, and so also did His sister [Subhadrâ] and Krishnâ [Draupadî] bow down to Him.
"Lord Kṛṣṇa delightfully offered His respectful obeisances to Kuntī and other elderly ladies of the palace. His younger sister, Subhadrā, was also standing there with Draupadī, and both offered their respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of the Lord."
10.71.41-42
anyāś cābhyāgatā yās tu
vāsaḥ-srań-maṇḍanādibhiḥ
(41-42) Prompted by her mother-in-law [Kuntî] worshiped Krishnâ [Draupadî] with clothing, flower garlands, jewelry and so on, all Krishna's wives: Rukminî, Satyabhâmâ, Bhadrâ, Jâmbavatî, Kâlindî, Mitravindâ the descendant of S'ibi, the chaste Nâgnajitî as well as the others who had come.
10.71.43
dharma-rājo janārdanam
(43) The king of dharma [Yudhishthhira] comfortably accommodating Janârdana with His army, His servants and ministers and His wives saw to it that they were provided each and every moment.
10.71.44-45
phālgunena bhaṭair vṛtaḥ
(44-45) Staying several months according His desire to please the king, went He, sporting with Arjuna and surrounded by guards, out riding with His chariot. He, accompanied by Arjuna, satisfied the fire-god by offering him the Khândava forest. Maya [a demon] whom He had saved, then built a celestial assembly hall for the king [in Hastinâpura].'
"It was during this time that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, with the help of Arjuna, for the satisfaction of the fire-god, Agni, allowed Agni to devour the Khāṇḍava forest. During the forest fire, Kṛṣṇa saved the demon Mayāsura, who was hiding in the forest. Upon being saved, Mayāsura felt obliged to the Pāṇḍavas and Lord Kṛṣṇa, and he constructed a wonderful assembly house within the city of Hastināpura. In this way, Lord Kṛṣṇa, in order to please King Yudhiṣṭhira, remained in the city of Hastināpura for several months. During His stay, He enjoyed strolling here and there. He used to drive on chariots along with Arjuna, and many warriors and soldiers used to follow them."
Thus end of the Tenth Canto, Seventy-first Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Lord Travels to Indraprastha."
Canto 10
Chapter 72
Jarâsandha Killed by Bhîma and the Kings Freed
This chapter describes how Lord Kṛṣṇa heard King Yudhiṣṭhira's request and then arranged for Bhīmasena to defeat Jarāsandha.
One day King Yudhiṣṭhira addressed Lord Kṛṣṇa as He sat in the royal assembly: "My Lord, I wish to perform the Rājasūya sacrifice. In this sacrifice people uninterested in Your devotional service will be able to see firsthand the superiority of Your devotees and the inferiority of nondevotees. They will also be able to see Your lotus feet."
Lord Kṛṣṇa extolled Yudhiṣṭhira's proposition: "Your scheme is so excellent that it will spread your fame throughout the universe. Indeed, all living beings should desire that this sacrifice be performed. To make this sacrifice possible, however, you must first defeat all the kings of the earth and collect all the necessary paraphernalia."
Satisfied with Lord Kṛṣṇa's words, King Yudhiṣṭhira sent his brothers to conquer the various directions. After they had conquered — or won the fealty of — the kings in their assigned directions, they brought back abundant wealth to Yudhiṣṭhira. They informed him, however, that Jarāsandha could not be defeated. As King Yudhiṣṭhira pondered how he could subdue Jarāsandha, Śrī Kṛṣṇa revealed to him the means for doing so, following the previous advice of Uddhava.
Bhīma, Arjuna and Śrī Kṛṣṇa then disguised themselves as brāhmaṇas and went to the palace of Jarāsandha, who was very devoted to the brahminical class. They introduced themselves as brāhmaṇas to King Jarāsandha, flattering him by praising his reputation for hospitality, and requested him to grant their desire. Seeing the marks of bowstrings on their limbs, Jarāsandha concluded that they were warriors and not brāhmaṇas, but still, even though fearful, he promised to fulfill whatever desire they might have. At that point Lord Kṛṣṇa discarded His disguise and asked Jarāsandha to fight Him in one-to-one combat. But Jarāsandha refused, claiming that Kṛṣṇa was a coward because He had once fled the battlefield. Jarāsandha also declined to fight Arjuna on the plea that he was inferior in age and size. But Bhīma he considered a worthy opponent.
Thus Jarāsandha handed Bhīma a club and took up another himself, and they all went outside the city to begin the fight.
After the fight had gone on for some time, it became clear that the two opponents were too equally matched for either to gain victory. Lord Kṛṣṇa then split a small tree branch in half, thus showing Bhīma how to kill Jarāsandha. Bhīma threw Jarāsandha to the ground, stepped on one of his legs, seized the other with his arms and proceeded to tear him apart from his genitals to his head.
Seeing Jarāsandha dead, his relatives and subjects cried out in lamentation. Lord Kṛṣṇa then appointed Jarāsandha's son ruler of Magadha and released the kings Jarāsandha had imprisoned.
10.72.1-2
āsthito munibhir vṛtaḥ
brāhmaṇaiḥ kṣatriyair vaiśyair
bhrātṛbhiś ca yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
śṛṇvatām eva caiteṣām
(1-2) S'rî S'uka said: 'Once seated in his court surrounded by the sages, the nobles, the popular personalities, the business men and his brothers, addressed Yudhishthhira Krishna in the midst of all the âcâryas, the family, the elders, his blood relatives, in-laws and friends listening, and said he the following.
10.72.3
yakṣye vibhūtīr bhavatas
(3) S'rî Yudhishthhira said: 'O Govinda, I wish to honor the manifold glory of You with the purifying king of all fire sacrifices named Râjasûya; please allow us that to perform o Master.
the word vibhūtīḥ refers to Lord Kṛṣṇa's expansions (aḿśān), and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura further explains that here the word vibhūtīḥ refers to Lord Kṛṣṇa's opulent expansions within this world, such as the demigods and other empowered beings. Thus Śrīla Prabhupāda treats this verse as follows in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, the sacrifice known as the Rājasūya yajña is to be performed by the emperor, and it is considered to be the king of all sacrifices. By performing this sacrifice, I wish to satisfy all the demigods, who are Your empowered representatives within this material world, and I wish that You will kindly help me in this great adventure so that it may be successfully executed. As far as the Pāṇḍavas are concerned, we have nothing to ask from the demigods. We are personally satisfied by being Your devotees. As you say in the Bhagavad-gītā, 'Persons who are bewildered by material desires worship the demigods,' but our purpose is different. I want to perform this Rājasūya sacrifice and invite the demigods to show them that they have no power independent of You. They are all Your servants, and You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Foolish persons with a poor fund of knowledge consider Your Lordship an ordinary human being. Sometimes they try to find fault in You, and sometimes they defame You. Therefore I wish to perform the Rājasūya yajña. I wish to invite all the demigods, beginning from Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and other exalted chiefs of the heavenly planets, and in that great assembly of the demigods from all parts of the universe, I want to substantiate that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that everyone is Your servant."
10.72.4
(4) They who constantly in full service meditate upon and glorify Your slippers, which cause the destruction of all things inauspicious, are purified; they, and not other persons, o You whose Navel is like a Lotus, manage to put an end to a material existence or obtain, if they desire something, that what they long for.
that liberated, Kṛṣṇa conscious persons "do not even desire to become freed from this material existence or to enjoy material opulences; their desires are fulfilled by Kṛṣṇa conscious activities. As far as we [King Yudhiṣṭhira] are concerned, we are fully surrendered unto Your lotus feet, and by Your grace we are so fortunate to see You personally. Therefore, naturally we have no desire for material opulences. The verdict of the Vedic wisdom is that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I want to establish this fact, and I also want to show the world the difference between accepting You as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and accepting You as an ordinary powerful historical person. I wish to show the world that one can attain the highest perfection of life simply by taking shelter at Your lotus feet, exactly as one can satisfy the branches, twigs, leaves and flowers of an entire tree simply by watering the root. Thus, if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his life becomes fulfilled both materially and spiritually."
King Yudhiṣṭhira's statement: "We feel no great urgency to perform the Rājasūya sacrifice, nor do we have any personal interest, since we are already seeing Your lotus feet and by Your boundless mercy have been taken into Your personal association. But in this world there are some whose hearts are contaminated and who thus think You are not the Supreme Personality of Godhead but an ordinary man. Or else they find fault with You and even criticize You. This is an arrow piercing our hearts.
"Therefore, to extract this arrow from our heart, we must call to this place — on the pretext of the Rājasūya — Brahmā, Rudra and other wise brahmacārīs and demigods who reside in each of the fourteen planetary systems. When such an exalted congregation has assembled, it will be incumbent upon them to first arrange for the agra-pūjā, or the first worship for the most worthy person present. And when they are directly shown that You, Lord Kṛṣṇa, are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the arrow piercing our heart will be removed."
10.72.5
(5) Therefore o God of Gods, let the populace see the power in this world of serving the lotus feet; please show, o All-powerful one, the status of those Kurus and Sriñjayas who worship You like this, relative to the status of those who do not worship.
Here we clearly see the heart of a preacher. The great devotee Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja implores Lord Kṛṣṇa to demonstrate plainly the result of worshiping Him and the result of not worshiping Him. If the people of the world could understand this, they could begin to recognize that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that everyone's ultimate self-interest lies in surrendering to Him. As confirmed by great authorities, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is a pure devotee of the Lord, and thus his actual motivation in discharging his duties as a king was to establish the supremacy of Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the real purport of the activities of the Pāṇḍavas, which are described in both the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Mahābhārata.
10.72.6
saḿsevatāḿ sura-taror iva te prasādaḥ
(6) In Your mind of Absolute Truth can there be no difference between what is Your own and what is of others, for You are the Soul of All Beings who equal in Your vision experience within Yourself the happiness. To those who properly serve You are You like the desire tree granting the desired results in accordance with the service delivered - in this [catering to desires of You] there is no contradiction.'
that a desire tree has no material attachments or partiality but simply bestows its fruits upon those who deserve them, and not upon others. Jīva Gosvāmī Prabhupāda adds that a desire tree does not think, "This person is fit to worship me, but that other person is not." Rather, a desire tree is satisfied with all who properly serve it. And the Lord acts in the same way, as explained here by King Yudhiṣṭhira.
that no one should accuse Lord Kṛṣṇa of being envious of one person and showing favoritism toward another. Since the Lord is sva-sukhānubhūti, experiencing His own happiness within Himself, He has nothing to gain or lose in relation to conditioned souls. Rather, He reciprocates according to how they approach Him. Śrīla Prabhupāda very nicely sums up this point as follows in his rendering of King Yudhiṣṭhira's statement: "If one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his life becomes fulfilled both materially and spiritually. This does not mean that You are partial to the Kṛṣṇa conscious person and indifferent to the non-Kṛṣṇa conscious person. You are equal to everyone; that is Your declaration. You cannot be partial to one and not interested in others, because You are sitting in everyone's heart as the Supersoul and giving everyone the respective results of his fruitive activities. You give every living entity the chance to enjoy this material world as he desires. As the Supersoul, You are sitting in the body along with the living entity, giving him the results of his own actions as well as opportunities to turn toward Your devotional service by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You openly declare that one should surrender unto You, giving up all other engagements, and that You will take charge of him, giving him relief from the reactions of all sins. You are like the desire tree in the heavenly planets, which awards benediction according to one's desires. Everyone is free to achieve the highest perfection, but if one does not so desire, then Your awarding of lesser benedictions is not due to partiality."
10.72.7
samyag vyavasitaḿ rājan
(7) The Supreme Lord said: 'There is nothing wrong with your plan o King, following it will all the world witness your auspicious fame, o tormentor of the enemies!
Lord Kṛṣṇa here concurs with King Yudhiṣṭhira's decision that the Rājasūya sacrifice should be performed. The Lord further agrees that there is nothing unfair in the fact that one result is achieved by those who worship Him, and another by those who do not. The great Bhāgavatam commentators point out that by addressing King Yudhiṣṭhira as śatru-karśana, "tormentor of enemies," Lord Kṛṣṇa is imparting to him the potency to conquer all the enemy kings. Thus Kṛṣṇa predicted that King Yudhiṣṭhira's noble fame would spread to all the worlds, and in fact it has.
10.72.8
(8) For the sages, the forefathers, the gods and the friends also, o master of Us, as well as for all living beings is this king of sacrifices [the literal meaning of Râjasûja] desirable.
10.72.9
(9) Bringing the earth under control, conquering all the kings and collecting all the necessities, [you must next] perform the great sacrifice.
10.72.10
loka-pālāḿśa-sambhavāḥ
durjayo yo 'kṛtātmabhiḥ
(10) These brothers of yours o King, were born as individual parts of the demigods who rule the worlds [see family-tree], and I, unconquerable for those who are not in control of themselves, am won by you who are self-controlled.
"It is said that Bhīma was born of the demigod Vāyu and that Arjuna was born of the demigod Indra, whereas King Yudhiṣṭhira himself was born of the demigod Yamarāja." Śrīla Prabhupāda goes on to state, "Lord Kṛṣṇa told King Yudhiṣṭhira that He becomes conquered by the love of one who has conquered his senses. One who has not conquered his senses cannot conquer the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the secret of devotional service.
To conquer the senses means to engage them constantly in the service of the Lord. The specific qualification of all the Pāṇḍava brothers was that they always engaged their senses in the service of the Lord. One who thus engages his senses becomes purified, and with purified senses one can actually render service to the Lord. The Lord can thus be conquered by the devotee through loving transcendental service."
10.72.11
vibhūtibhir vābhibhaved
devo 'pi kim u pārthivaḥ
(11) No person, not even a demigod - not mentioning an earthly ruler -, can by his strength, beauty, fame or might subdue in this world someone who is dedicated to Me.'
Here Lord Kṛṣṇa assures King Yudhiṣṭhira that he will have no problem conquering the worldly kings, since the King is a pure devotee and the Lord's pure devotees can never be conquered, even by the demigods, what to speak of earthly kings. Although materialists are proud of their power, fame, beauty and opulence, they can never surpass the pure devotees of the Lord in any of these categories.
10.72.12
viṣṇu-tejopabṛḿhitān
(12) S'rî S'uka said: 'With a face blossoming like a lotus, pleased to hear the song [the Gîtâ] of the Supreme Lord, engaged he, invigorated by the potency of Vishnu, his brothers in the conquest of all the directions.
10.72.13
(13) Sahadeva with the Sriñjayas he sent to the south, Nakula with the Matsyas in the western direction, Arjuna with the Kekayas to the north and Bhîma with the Madrakas to the east.
10.72.14
ājahrur digbhya ojasā
(14) They, the heroes, with their personal strength subduing many kings brought from everywhere an abundance of riches to him of whom, intent upon performing the sacrifice, the enemy wasn't born, o King.
"It may be noted that by dispatching his younger brothers to conquer in different directions, King Yudhiṣṭhira did not actually intend that they declare war with the kings. Actually, the brothers started for different directions to inform the respective kings about King Yudhiṣṭhira's intention to perform the Rājasūya sacrifice. The kings were thus informed that they were required to pay taxes for the execution of the sacrifice. This payment of taxes to Emperor Yudhiṣṭhira meant that the king accepted his subjugation before him. In case of a king's refusal to act accordingly, there was certainly a fight. Thus by their influence and strength, the brothers conquered all the kings in different directions, and they were able to bring in sufficient taxes and presentations. These were brought before King Yudhiṣṭhira by his brothers."
10.72.15
śrutvājitaḿ jarāsandhaḿ
nṛpater dhyāyato hariḥ
āhopāyaḿ tam evādya
(15) The king pondering over the news that Jarâsandha was not defeated, was by the Original Person of the Lord enlightened on the means which thereto had been mentioned by Uddhava [in 10.71: 2-10].
10.72.16
bhīmaseno 'rjunaḥ kṛṣṇo
jagmur girivrajaḿ tāta
bṛhadratha-suto yataḥ
(16) And so went Bhîmasena, Arjuna and Krishna disguised as brahmins together to Girivraja, my dear, where the son of Brihadratha [Jarâsandha] resided.
10.72.17
(17) Going to his residence at the hour appointed for receiving uninvited guests begged the nobles, appearing as brahmins, with the religious householder who was of respect for brahmins:
"King Jarāsandha was a very dutiful householder, and he had great respect for the brāhmaṇas. He was a great fighter, a kṣatriya king, but he was never neglectful of the Vedic injunctions. According to Vedic injunctions, the brāhmaṇas are considered to be the spiritual masters of all other castes. Lord Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna and Bhīmasena were actually kṣatriyas, but they dressed themselves as brāhmaṇas, and at the time when King Jarāsandha was to give charity to the brāhmaṇas and receive them as guests, they approached him."
10.72.18
(18) 'O King, know us to be guests who in their need have arrived from afar; wishing you all the best, please grant us all that we desire.
10.72.19
(19) What would for a person of patience be intolerable, what would for the impious all be impossible, what wouldn't be donated by the generous, and who would exclude those who are equal in their vision?
nd Arjuna, requested Jarāsandha to grant them whatever they asked of him. Here they explain why there is no need for them to specify their desire.
The ācāryas comment on this verse as follows: Jarāsandha might be thinking, "What if you request my son, from whom separation would be intolerable?"
To this possible objection Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas reply, "For a tolerant person, nothing is intolerable."
Similarly, Jarāsandha could object, "What if you ask me to give my body or my precious jewels and other ornaments, which are meant to be given to my sons, not to ordinary beggars?"
To this they reply, "For the generous, what is not to be donated in charity?" In other words, everything is to be given.
Jarāsandha might also object that he could be giving charity to his enemies. To this his guests counter with the statement kaḥ paraḥ sama-darśinām: "For those with equal vision, who is a stranger?"
Thus Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas encouraged Jarāsandha to simply agree to grant their request without further discussion.
10.72.20
yo 'nityena śarīreṇa
(20) He indeed is contemptible and pitiable who, very well being able, with the temporary existence of his body fails to acquire the lasting fame as sung by the saintly.
10.72.21
hariścandro rantideva
uñchavṛttiḥ śibir baliḥ
vyādhaḥ kapoto bahavo
(21) Many like Haris'candra, Rantideva, Uñchavritti Mudgala, S'ibi, Bali, and the legendary hunter and pigeon [see*], attained the permanent by departing from the impermanent.'
Here Lord Kṛṣṇa and the two Pāṇḍavas are pointing out to Jarāsandha that one can use the temporary material body to achieve a permanent situation in life. Because Jarāsandha was a materialist, they appealed to his natural interest in the heavenly planets, where life lasts so long that it appears permanent to people on earth. "To pay off his debts to Viśvāmītra, Hariścandra sold everything he had, including his wife and children. Yet even after attaining the status of a caṇḍāla, he did not become discouraged; thus he went to heaven, together with all the inhabitants of Ayodhyā. Rantideva, after going without even water for forty-eight days, somehow obtained some food and water, but then some beggars came and he gave it all away to them. In this way he attained Brahmaloka. Mudgala followed the practice of gathering grains left behind in the fields after the harvest. Yet still he was hospitable toward uninvited guests, even after his family had been suffering in poverty for six months. Thus he also went to Brahmaloka.
"To protect a pigeon who had taken shelter of him, King Śibi gave his own flesh to a hawk and attained heaven. Bali Mahārāja gave all his property to Lord Hari when the Lord disguised Himself as a dwarf brāhmaṇa (Vāmanadeva), and so Bali gained the Lord's personal association. The pigeon and his mate gave their own flesh to a hunter as a show of hospitality, and thus they were taken to heaven in a celestial airplane. When the hunter understood their situation in the mode of goodness, he also became renounced, and thus he gave up hunting and went off to perform severe austerities. Because he was freed of all sins, after his body burned to death in a forest fire he was elevated to heaven. Thus many personalities have attained enduring life on higher planets by means of the temporary material body."
10.72.22
svarair ākṛtibhis tāḿs tu
(22) S'rî S'uka said: 'However, from their voices, their physical stature and the marks of bowstrings on their arms even, recognized he [Jarâsandha] them as nobles, as members of the family he had seen before.
The ācāryas point out that Jarāsandha had seen Lord Kṛṣṇa, Bhīmasena and Arjuna at Draupadī's svayaḿ-vara ceremony. Since they had come begging in the guise of brāhmaṇas, Jarāsandha thought they must be low-class kṣatriyas, as indicated here by the word rājanya-bandhūn.
10.72.23
dadāni bhikṣitaḿ tebhya
(23) [he thought:] 'These relatives of the royal class wearing the insignia of brahmins I should give whatever they ask for, even something as difficult to forsake as my own body.
Here Jarāsandha reveals his strong commitment to charity, especially when begged by brāhmaṇas.
10.72.24-25
aiśvaryād bhraḿśitasyāpi
śriyaḿ jihīrṣatendrasya
(24-25) Isn't it known of Bali that his glories spread wide in all directions because of his spotless rule of state, even though he was brought down by Lord Vishnu [Vâmana] who, in the guise of a brahmin appearing as a twice-born one of Vishnu, wanted to take away Indra's opulence? Knowingly gave he away the entire earth, despite the advise against the daitya king [Bali] received [from his guru, see 8.19].
10.72.26
jīvatā brāhmaṇārthāya
(26) What use at all is it for a fallen kshatriya to be alive but with his perishable body not to endeavor for the benefit, the greater glory, of the brahmins?'
10.72.27
kṛṣṇārjuna-vṛkodarān
(27) Thus being a broad-minded person said he to Krishna, Arjuna and Vrikodara ['wolf-belly' or Bhîma]: 'O men of learning, ask me whatever you want, I'll even give my own head to you!'
10.72.28
rājanyā nānya-kāńkṣiṇaḥ
(28) The Supreme Lord said: 'Please o high and mighty King, accept the challenge to give us battle in a one-to-one fight; we, members of the royalty, came here wishing a fight and don't want anything else.
10.72.29
asau vṛkodaraḥ pārthas
anayor mātuleyaḿ māḿ
(29) That one is Bhîma the son of Prithâ and this other one is Arjuna in person and I, I am Krishna their maternal cousin, your enemy as you know [see 10.50].'
10.72.30
(30) Thus being invited had the king of Magadha to laugh out loud and said he contemptuously: 'In that case, I'll give you battle, you fools!
that Jarāsandha felt inner satisfaction because he thought that his enemies had been humiliated by having to dress like brāhmaṇas to approach him. Thus the ācārya understands Jarāsandha's mind as follows: "O weak ones, forget the botheration of fighting. Why not just accept my head? By dressing yourselves as brāhmaṇas begging charity, you have made your heroism set like the sun, but if somehow you have not lost your courage, I will give you battle."
The ācārya finally points out that the goddess of learning intends the phrase amarṣito mandāḥ to read amarṣito 'mandāḥ. In other words, Lord Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas are amandāḥ, "never foolish." And that is why they chose the best tactic for doing away once and for all with the cruel Jarāsandha.
10.72.31
(31) But I won't fight with You. Cowardly, You lacked in strength in battle when You abandoned Your own city Mathurâ to leave for a safe place in the ocean.
10.72.32
(32) As for this one, Arjuna, he, not old enough nor very strong, is no match for me and shouldn't be the contender; Bhîma is the one equal in strength to me.'
10.72.33
ity uktvā bhīmasenāya
(33) Thus having spoken gave he Bhîma a large club and went he outside the city, himself taking another one.
10.72.34
saḿyuktāv itaretaram
jaghnatur vajra-kalpābhyāḿ
(34) Then, engaged in the fighting area, stroke the two heroes each other with their lightning-bolt like clubs. The fight drove them to mad fury.
10.72.35
naṭayor iva rańgiṇoḥ
(35) Skillfully circling left and right appeared the two thus moving around in the fight, as splendidly as a couple of actors on a stage.
Jarāsandha and Bhīma here demonstrate their expertise in the use of clubs. Thus it can be understood that both fighters were fearless and steady even in the rage of battle.
10.72.36
(36) When they swung their clubs against each other gave that a sound resembling a crash of lightning, o King, or the clattering of the tusks of elephants.
10.72.37
(37) Infuriated vigorously fighting like a couple of elephants were the clubs that with the rapid force of their arms powerfully were swung against each other's shoulders, hips, feet, hands, thighs and collarbones, in the contact smashed to pieces like some arka branches.
10.72.38
śabdas tayoḥ praharator ibhayor ivāsīn
(38) With their clubs thus ruined pummeled the two great heroes among men angrily each other with their fists iron to the touch. The slapping of their hands sounded like elephants crashing into each other or as harsh claps of thunder.
10.72.39
tayor evaḿ praharatoḥ
nirviśeṣam abhūd yuddham
(39) With the two thus striking, equally trained, strong and of endurance as they were, remained the fight undecided and continued it unabated, o King. [**]
evaḿ tayor mahā-rāja
na śakto 'haḿ jarāsandhaḿ
"Thus, O King, they continued to fight for twenty-seven days. At the end of each day's fighting, both lived at night as friends in Jarāsandha's palace. Then on the twenty-eighth day, O King, Vṛkodara [Bhīma] told his maternal cousin, 'Mādhava, I cannot defeat Jarāsandha in battle.' "10.72.40
tejasācintayad dhariḥ
(40) Knowing of the birth and death of the enemy and how he was brought to life by Jarâ [see 9.22: 8 and ***], empowered Krishna the son of Prithâ with His own power of thought.
that Lord Kṛṣṇa "knew the mystery of the birth of Jarāsandha. Jarāsandha was born in two different parts from two different mothers. When his father saw that the baby was useless, he threw the two parts in the forest, where they were later found by a black-hearted witch named Jarā. She managed to join the two parts of the baby from top to bottom. Knowing this, Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore also knew how to kill him."
10.72.41
sañcintyārī-vadhopāyaḿ
bhīmasyāmogha-darśanaḥ
(41) Having determined the means to kill their enemy showed He whose Vision is Infallible it to Bhîma by tearing apart a twig as a sign.
10.72.42
(42) Understanding that seized the immensely strong Bhîma, the best of fighters, his enemy by the feet and threw he him to the ground.
10.72.43
(43) Standing with his foot on top of one leg took he with both hands hold of the other one and tore he, like a great elephant with the branch of a tree, him apart from the anus upward.
10.72.44
śakale dadṛśuḥ prajāḥ(44) The king's subjects then saw him separated in two pieces with each one leg, thigh, testicle, hip, backside, shoulder, arm, eye, eyebrow and ear.
10.72.45
nihate magadheśvare
parirabhya jayācyatau(45) With the lord of Magadha being killed arose a great cry of lamentation, while Arjuna and Acyuta both congratulated Bhîma as they embraced him
10.72.46
abhyaṣiñcad ameyātmā
. (46) The Unfathomable One Supreme Lord and Sustainer of All Living Beings crowned his son Sahadeva to be the lord and master of the Magadhas and next freed the kings who were imprisoned by the king of Magadha.'
"Although Jarāsandha was killed, neither Kṛṣṇa nor the two Pāṇḍava brothers made a claim to the throne. Their purpose in killing Jarāsandha was to stop him from creating a disturbance against the proper discharge of world peace. A demon always creates disturbances, whereas a demigod always tries to keep peace in the world. The mission of Lord Kṛṣṇa is to give protection to the righteous persons and to kill the demons who disturb a peaceful situation. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa immediately called for the son of Jarāsandha, whose name was Sahadeva, and with due ritualistic ceremonies He asked him to occupy the seat of his father and reign over the kingdom peacefully. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the master of the whole cosmic creation, and He wants everyone to live peacefully and execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. After installing Sahadeva on the throne, He released all the kings and princes who had been imprisoned unnecessarily by Jarāsandha."
Thus end of the Tenth Canto, Seventy-second Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Slaying of the Demon Jarāsandha."
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