Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 4
Kṛṣṇa’s Impending Departure; Uddhava’s Surrender; King Yadu and the Avadhūta’s Twenty-Four Gurus
Beginnings
यर्ह्येवायं मया त्यक्तो लोकोऽयं नष्टमङ्गल: । भविष्यत्यचिरात्साधो कलिनापि निराकृत: ॥ ४ ॥
yarhy evāyaṁ mayā tyakto loko ’yaṁ naṣṭa-maṅgalaḥ bhaviṣyaty acirāt sādho kalināpi nirākṛtaḥ
Ô saint Uddhava, lorsque J’abandonnerai cette terre, bientôt l’âge de Kali la submergera, et elle sera dépouillée de toute piété et de tout bon augure.
Lord Kṛṣṇa’s plan was to bring Uddhava back to His own eternal abode after a brief delay. Because of Uddhava’s extraordinary spiritual qualities, the Lord wanted to engage him in propagating His message among other saintly persons who were not yet advanced to the stage of pure devotional service. However, the Lord assured Uddhava that he would not be bereft of the Lord’s association for even a moment. Also, because Uddhava had become a perfect master of his senses, he would never be afflicted by the three modes of material nature. In this way, before bringing Uddhava back home, back to Godhead, the Lord empowered him to carry out a specific confidential mission.
FAQs
This verse states that once Kṛṣṇa leaves the world, it quickly becomes devoid of auspiciousness and is soon overwhelmed by the influence of Kali.
Kṛṣṇa is preparing Uddhava for His impending departure and warning him about the rapid rise of Kali-yuga’s influence, encouraging renunciation and spiritual focus.
Recognize the destabilizing influence of Kali-yuga—confusion, decline of values—and consciously anchor life in bhakti, sādhana, and dharmic habits rather than worldly “auspiciousness.”