Adhyaya 31

Verse 1

श्रीशुक उवाच अथ तत्रागमद् ब्रह्मा भवान्या च समं भव: । महेन्द्रप्रमुखा देवा मुनय: सप्रजेश्वरा: ॥ १ ॥

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Then, at Prabhāsa, Lord Brahmā arrived, along with Bhava (Lord Śiva) and Bhavānī. The demigods headed by Indra, and the sages together with the Prajāpatis, also came.

Verse 2

पितर: सिद्धगन्धर्वा विद्याधरमहोरगा: । चारणा यक्षरक्षांसि किन्नराप्सरसो द्विजा: ॥ २ ॥ द्रष्टुकामा भगवतो निर्याणं परमोत्सुका: । गायन्तश्च गृणन्तश्च शौरे: कर्माणि जन्म च ॥ ३ ॥

The forefathers, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyādharas and great serpents came as well, along with the Cāraṇas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Kinnaras, Apsarās and Garuḍa’s kin. Eager to witness the Supreme Bhagavān’s departure, they arrived singing and glorifying the birth and divine deeds of Śauri (Śrī Kṛṣṇa).

Verse 3

पितर: सिद्धगन्धर्वा विद्याधरमहोरगा: । चारणा यक्षरक्षांसि किन्नराप्सरसो द्विजा: ॥ २ ॥ द्रष्टुकामा भगवतो निर्याणं परमोत्सुका: । गायन्तश्च गृणन्तश्च शौरे: कर्माणि जन्म च ॥ ३ ॥

The forefathers, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyādharas and great serpents came as well, along with the Cāraṇas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Kinnaras, Apsarās and Garuḍa’s kin. Eager to witness the Supreme Bhagavān’s departure, they arrived singing and glorifying the birth and divine deeds of Śauri (Śrī Kṛṣṇa).

Verse 4

ववृषु: पुष्पवर्षाणि विमानावलिभिर्नभ: । कुर्वन्त: सङ्कुलं राजन् भक्त्या परमया युता: ॥ ४ ॥

O King, filling the sky with rows of celestial airplanes, they, endowed with supreme devotion, showered down rains of flowers.

Verse 5

भगवान् पितामहं वीक्ष्य विभूतीरात्मनो विभु: । संयोज्यात्मनि चात्मानं पद्मनेत्रे न्यमीलयत् ॥ ५ ॥

Seeing before Him Brahmā, the grandsire of the universe, and the other demigods—His own mighty expansions—the Almighty Lord drew His mind into Himself and gently closed His lotus eyes.

Verse 6

लोकाभिरामां स्वतनुं धारणाध्यानमङ्गलम् । योगधारणयाग्नेय्यादग्ध्वा धामाविशत् स्वकम् ॥ ६ ॥

Without employing the yogic āgneyī meditation to burn His transcendental body—so enchanting to all worlds and auspicious for all contemplation—Lord Kṛṣṇa entered His own abode.

Verse 7

दिवि दुन्दुभयो नेदु: पेतु: सुमनसश्च खात् । सत्यं धर्मो धृतिर्भूमे: कीर्ति: श्रीश्चानु तं ययु: ॥ ७ ॥

As soon as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa departed the earth, Truth, Dharma, Steadfastness, Glory, and Śrī—beauty and fortune—followed after Him. Kettledrums resounded in heaven, and flowers rained from the sky.

Verse 8

देवादयो ब्रह्ममुख्या न विशन्तं स्वधामनि । अविज्ञातगतिं कृष्णं दद‍ृशुश्चातिविस्मिता: ॥ ८ ॥

Most of the demigods and higher beings led by Brahmā could not see Lord Kṛṣṇa as He entered His own abode, for He did not disclose His course. Yet some did behold Him, and they were struck with profound amazement.

Verse 9

सौदामन्या यथाक्लाशे यान्त्या हित्वाभ्रमण्डलम् । गतिर्न लक्ष्यते मर्त्यैस्तथा कृष्णस्य दैवतै: ॥ ९ ॥

Just as mortals cannot trace the course of lightning as it leaves a bank of clouds, so the demigods could not follow the movements of Lord Kṛṣṇa as He returned to His own abode.

Verse 10

ब्रह्मरुद्रादयस्ते तु द‍ृष्ट्वा योगगतिं हरे: । विस्मितास्तां प्रशंसन्त: स्वं स्वं लोकं ययुस्तदा ॥ १० ॥

Brahmā, Rudra and the other demigods, seeing Hari’s mystic yoga-gati, were struck with wonder. They praised the Lord’s māyā-śakti and then returned to their own abodes.

Verse 11

राजन् परस्य तनुभृज्जननाप्ययेहा मायाविडम्बनमवेहि यथा नटस्य । सृष्ट्वात्मनेदमनुविश्य विहृत्य चान्ते संहृत्य चात्ममहिनोपरत: स आस्ते ॥ ११ ॥

O King, the Supreme Lord’s appearance and disappearance, though resembling those of embodied souls, are but a display of His māyā, like an actor’s performance. Having created the universe, He enters it, sports in līlā for a time, and at last withdraws it, remaining in His own transcendental glory.

Verse 12

मर्त्येन यो गुरुसुतं यमलोकनीतं त्वां चानयच्छरणद: परमास्‍त्रदग्धम् । जिग्येऽन्तकान्तकमपीशमसावनीश: किं स्वावने स्वरनयन्मृगयुं सदेहम् ॥ १२ ॥

Lord Kṛṣṇa brought back His guru’s son from Yamaloka in that very body, and as the supreme giver of shelter He saved you when you were burned by Aśvatthāmā’s brahmāstra. He even conquered Śiva in battle and sent the hunter Jarā to Vaikuṇṭha in his human body. How could such a Person be unable to protect His own Self?

Verse 13

तथाप्यशेषस्थितिसम्भवाप्यये- ष्वनन्यहेतुर्यदशेषशक्तिधृक् । नैच्छत् प्रणेतुं वपुरत्र शेषितं मर्त्येन किं स्वस्थगतिं प्रदर्शयन् ॥ १३ ॥

Although Lord Kṛṣṇa, possessor of infinite powers, is the sole cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of innumerable beings, He did not wish to keep His body in this world any longer. Thus He revealed the supreme destination of those fixed in the Self and showed that this mortal realm has no intrinsic worth.

Verse 14

य एतां प्रातरुत्थाय कृष्णस्य पदवीं पराम् । प्रयत: कीर्तयेद् भक्त्या तामेवाप्नोत्यनुत्तमाम् ॥ १४ ॥

Whoever regularly rises early each morning and, with care and devotion, chants the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s supreme path—His transcendental departure and return to His own abode—will surely attain that same unsurpassed destination.

Verse 15

दारुको द्वारकामेत्य वसुदेवोग्रसेनयो: । पतित्वा चरणावस्रैर्न्यषिञ्चत् कृष्णविच्युत: ॥ १५ ॥

Reaching Dvārakā, Dāruka fell at the feet of Vasudeva and Ugrasena and, lamenting separation from Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, drenched their feet with his tears.

Verse 16

कथयामास निधनं वृष्णीनां कृत्‍स्‍नशो नृप । तच्छ्रुत्वोद्विग्नहृदया जना: शोकविर्मूर्च्छिता: ॥ १६ ॥ तत्र स्म त्वरिता जग्मु: कृष्णविश्लेषविह्वला: । व्यसव: शेरते यत्र ज्ञातयो घ्नन्त आननम् ॥ १७ ॥

O King, Dāruka recounted in full the total destruction of the Vṛṣṇis. Hearing it, the people’s hearts were shaken, and they stood stunned, as if fainting in grief.

Verse 17

कथयामास निधनं वृष्णीनां कृत्‍स्‍नशो नृप । तच्छ्रुत्वोद्विग्नहृदया जना: शोकविर्मूर्च्छिता: ॥ १६ ॥ तत्र स्म त्वरिता जग्मु: कृष्णविश्लेषविह्वला: । व्यसव: शेरते यत्र ज्ञातयो घ्नन्त आननम् ॥ १७ ॥

Overwhelmed by the agony of separation from Kṛṣṇa, they hurried to the place where their kinsmen lay lifeless, striking their own faces in grief as they went.

Verse 18

देवकी रोहिणी चैव वसुदेवस्तथा सुतौ । कृष्णरामावपश्यन्त: शोकार्ता विजहु: स्मृतिम् ॥ १८ ॥

Devakī, Rohiṇī, and Vasudeva, unable to find their sons—Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma—were stricken with grief and lost consciousness.

Verse 19

प्राणांश्च विजहुस्तत्र भगवद्विरहातुरा: । उपगुह्य पतींस्तात चितामारुरुहु: स्‍त्रिय: ॥ १९ ॥

Tormented by separation from the Lord, His parents gave up their lives there and then. Dear Parīkṣit, the wives of the Yādavas next embraced their departed husbands and ascended the funeral pyres.

Verse 20

रामपत्न्‍यश्च तद्देहमुपगुह्याग्निमाविशन् । वसुदेवपत्न्‍यस्तद्गात्रं प्रद्युम्नादीन् हरे: स्‍नुषा: । कृष्णपत्न्‍योऽविशन्नग्निं रुक्‍मिण्याद्यास्तदात्मिका: ॥ २० ॥

Balarāma’s wives embraced His body and entered the funeral fire. Vasudeva’s wives likewise entered his pyre, clinging to his limbs. The daughters-in-law of Hari—wives of Pradyumna and the others—entered the fires of their respective husbands. And Rukmiṇī and the other wives of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, their hearts wholly absorbed in Him, entered His fire.

Verse 21

अर्जुन: प्रेयस: सख्यु: कृष्णस्य विरहातुर: । आत्मानं सान्त्वयामास कृष्णगीतै: सदुक्तिभि: ॥ २१ ॥

Arjuna, anguished by separation from Kṛṣṇa, his dearmost friend, consoled himself by remembering the Lord’s transcendental words that had been sung to him.

Verse 22

बन्धूनां नष्टगोत्राणामर्जुन: साम्परायिकम् । हतानां कारयामास यथावदनुपूर्वश: ॥ २२ ॥

Arjuna then saw that the proper funeral rites were performed for the slain, who had no remaining male kin in their line. He carried out the required ceremonies for each of the Yadus, one after another, in due order.

Verse 23

द्वारकां हरिणा त्यक्तां समुद्रोऽप्लावयत् क्षणात् । वर्जयित्वा महाराज श्रीमद्भ‍गवदालयम् ॥ २३ ॥

O King, as soon as Dvārakā was abandoned by Bhagavān Hari, the ocean flooded it from all sides in an instant, sparing only the Lord’s own palace.

Verse 24

नित्यं सन्निहितस्तत्र भगवान् मधुसूदन: । स्मृत्याशेषाशुभहरं सर्वमङ्गलमङ्गलम् ॥ २४ ॥

Lord Madhusūdana is eternally present in Dvārakā. It is the most auspicious of all holy places, and mere remembrance of it destroys all impurity.

Verse 25

स्‍त्रीबालवृद्धानादाय हतशेषान् धनञ्जय: । इन्द्रप्रस्थं समावेश्य वज्रं तत्राभ्यषेचयत् ॥ २५ ॥

Arjuna, known as Dhanañjaya, gathered the surviving women, children, and elders of the Yadu line, brought them to Indraprastha, and there installed Vajra as ruler of the Yadus by royal consecration.

Verse 26

श्रुत्वा सुहृद्वधं राजन्नर्जुनात्ते पितामहा: । त्वां तु वंशधरं कृत्वा जग्मु: सर्वे महापथम् ॥ २६ ॥

O King, hearing from Arjuna of their dear friend’s death, your grandfathers established you as the bearer of the dynasty and then all set out upon the Great Path, preparing to depart this world.

Verse 27

य एतद् देवदेवस्य विष्णो: कर्माणि जन्म च । कीर्तयेच्छ्रद्धया मर्त्य: सर्वपापै: प्रमुच्यते ॥ २७ ॥

One who, with faith, chants the births and deeds of Viṣṇu, the Lord of lords, is freed from all sins.

Verse 28

इत्थं हरेर्भगवतो रुचिरावतार- वीर्याणि बालचरितानि च शन्तमानि । अन्यत्र चेह च श्रुतानि गृणन् मनुष्यो भक्तिं परां परमहंसगतौ लभेत ॥ २८ ॥ कलेर्दोषनिधे राजन्नस्ति ह्येको महान् गुण: । कीर्तनादेव कृष्णस्य मुक्तसङ्ग: परं व्रजेत् ॥ ५१ ॥

Thus the charming prowess of Bhagavān Hari, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in His various auspicious descents, and His soothing childhood pastimes, are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other scriptures. One who clearly chants these narrations attains supreme bhakti—loving devotional service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the goal of the perfected sages. O King, though Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, it has one great virtue: simply by kīrtana of Kṛṣṇa one becomes free from attachment and reaches the supreme destination.