Shloka 1
Kṛṣṇa’s Arrival at Dvārakā
Dvārakā-praveśa and Bhakta-vātsalya
सूत उवाच आनर्तान् स उपव्रज्य स्वृद्धाञ्जनपदान्स्वकान् । दध्मौ दरवरं तेषां विषादं शमयन्निव ॥ १ ॥
sūta uvāca ānartān sa upavrajya svṛddhāñ jana-padān svakān dadhmau daravaraṁ teṣāṁ viṣādaṁ śamayann iva
Sūta berkata: Ketika Sang Tuhan mendekati perbatasan negeri Ānarta yang makmur (Dvārakā), Ia meniup sangkakala suci-Nya yang membawa berkah, menandai kedatangan-Nya dan seakan menenteramkan kesedihan penduduk.
The beloved Lord was away from His own prosperous metropolis of Dvārakā for a considerably long period because of the Battle of Kurukṣetra, and thus all the inhabitants were overcome with melancholia due to the separation. When the Lord descends to the earth, His eternal associates also come with Him, just as the entourage of a king accompanies him. Such associates of the Lord are eternally liberated souls, and they cannot bear the separation of the Lord even for a moment because of intense affection for the Lord. Thus the inhabitants of the city of Dvārakā were in a mood of dejection and expected the arrival of the Lord at any moment. So the heralding sound of the auspicious conchshell was very encouraging, and apparently the sound pacified their dejection. They were still more aspirant to see the Lord amongst themselves, and all of them became alert to receive Him in the befitting manner. These are the signs of spontaneous love of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse depicts Kṛṣṇa blowing His conch upon nearing His own realm, as if to soothe the residents’ grief—showing that His presence and divine signals comfort devotees in separation.
As He neared the Ānarta region (Dvārakā area), the conch blast served like an auspicious announcement of His arrival and a balm for the people’s anxiety and sorrow.
Remembering the Lord through sound—kīrtana, japa, and sacred recitation—can steady the heart during separation, fear, or grief, just as the conch blast is portrayed as calming the people.