Shloka 19
The Departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa from Hastināpura
अश्रूयन्ताशिष: सत्यास्तत्र तत्र द्विजेरिता: । नानुरूपानुरूपाश्च निर्गुणस्य गुणात्मन: ॥ १९ ॥
aśrūyantāśiṣaḥ satyās tatra tatra dvijeritāḥ nānurūpānurūpāś ca nirguṇasya guṇātmanaḥ
અહીં ત્યાં દ્વિજોએ ઉચ્ચારેલા સત્ય આશીર્વાદો સંભળાતા હતા; પરંતુ તે ન તો યોગ્ય હતા ન અયોગ્ય—કારણ કે તે નિર્ગુણ પરમ તત્ત્વ માટે હતા, જે હવે ગુણધારી બની માનવલીલા કરી રહ્યો હતો।
At places there were sounds of Vedic benediction aiming at the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The benedictions were fitting in the sense that the Lord was playing the part of a human being, as if a cousin of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, but they were also unfitting because the Lord is absolute and has nothing to do with any kind of material relativities. He is nirguṇa, or there are no material qualities in Him, but He is full of transcendental qualities. In the transcendental world there is nothing contradictory, whereas in the relative world everything has its opposite. In the relative world white is the opposite conception of black, but in the transcendental world there is no distinction between white and black. Therefore the sounds of benedictions uttered by the learned brāhmaṇas here and there appear to be contradictory in relation with the Absolute Person, but when they are applied to the Absolute Person they lose all contradiction and become transcendental. One example may clear this idea. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is sometimes described as a thief. He is very famous amongst His pure devotees as the Mākhana-cora. He used to steal butter from the houses of neighbors at Vṛndāvana in His early age. Since then He is famous as a thief. But in spite of His being famous as a thief, He is worshiped as a thief, whereas in the mundane world a thief is punished and is never praised. Since He is the Absolute Personality of Godhead, everything is applicable to Him, and still in spite of all contradictions He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse states that the Lord is nirguṇa—beyond material modes—yet guṇātmā, the very source and essence of all qualities; therefore ordinary blessings can never fully match His transcendence.
As Krishna was leaving, the brāhmaṇas (and others) naturally invoked auspicious benedictions for Him; the narration emphasizes the devotees’ affection, even though the Lord needs no protection or enhancement.
See God as beyond worldly labels and moods, yet the fountainhead of all virtues; cultivate devotion by praying for purity and service rather than trying to “measure” or limit the Divine with material ideas.