Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 2
The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty and Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Departure
ब्रह्मशापोपसंसृष्टे स्वकुले यादवर्षभ: । प्रेयसीं सर्वनेत्राणां तनुं स कथमत्यजत् ॥ २ ॥
brahma-śāpopasaṁsṛṣṭe sva-kule yādavarṣabhaḥ preyasīṁ sarva-netrāṇāṁ tanuṁ sa katham atyajat
Nachdem Seine eigene Dynastie durch den Fluch der Brāhmaṇas zugrunde gegangen war, wie konnte der Beste der Yadus Seinen Leib aufgeben, den Liebling aller Augen?
In relation to this verse, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains 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 preyasīṁ sarva-netrāṇām, the most attractive object of pleasure for the eyes and all other senses.
FAQs
This verse frames Parīkṣit’s question: Kṛṣṇa is “the beloved of all eyes,” so His departure is not ordinary death but a divine, purposeful disappearance connected with His pastimes and the conclusion of the Yadu dynasty.
Because the narrative says the Yadus were affected by a brāhmaṇa curse; Parīkṣit wants to understand how such events could occur around the Lord and how they relate to Kṛṣṇa’s decision to withdraw His visible presence from the world.
It teaches discernment: do not equate divine or saintly life-events with ordinary misfortune—seek the deeper purpose, and cultivate detachment by remembering that even the most cherished worldly scenes are temporary.