Shloka 36
The Departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa from Hastināpura
तत्र तत्र ह तत्रत्यैर्हरि: प्रत्युद्यतार्हण: । सायं भेजे दिशं पश्चाद्गविष्ठो गां गतस्तदा ॥ ३६ ॥
tatra tatra ha tatratyair hariḥ pratyudyatārhaṇaḥ sāyaṁ bheje diśaṁ paścād gaviṣṭho gāṁ gatas tadā
In jeder Gegend wurde Hari ehrerbietig empfangen, verehrt und mit vielfältigen Gaben bedacht. Am Abend unterbrach der Herr überall seine Reise, um nach Sonnenuntergang die Abendriten (sandhyā) zu vollziehen; dies hielt Er regelmäßig ein.
It is said here that the Lord observed the religious principles regularly while He was on the journey. There are certain philosophical speculations that even the Lord is under the obligations of fruitive action. But actually this is not the case. He does not depend on the action of any good or bad work. Since the Lord is absolute, everything done by Him is good for everyone. But when He descends to the earth, He acts for the protection of the devotees and for the annihilation of the impious nondevotees. Although He has no obligatory duty, still He does everything so that others may follow. That is the way of factual teaching; one must act properly himself and teach the same to others, otherwise no one will accept one’s blind teaching. He is Himself the awarder of fruitive results. He is self-sufficient, and yet He acts according to the rulings of the revealed scripture in order to teach us the process. If He does not do so, the common man may go wrong. But in the advanced stage, when one can understand the transcendental nature of the Lord, one does not try to imitate Him. This is not possible.
FAQs
Bhagavatam 1.10.36 describes how people in every place came forward to receive Lord Hari with honors and offerings, showing that sincere reception of the Lord is itself an act of bhakti.
‘Hari’ is a name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa meaning the Lord who removes sins and suffering; here it emphasizes His divine presence as He is welcomed by devotees on His journey.
Cultivate the mood of ‘pratyudyata-arhaṇa’—actively honoring the Divine—by greeting sacred practices (japa, kīrtana, deity worship, guests, and devotees) with attention, respect, and heartfelt offerings.