Shloka 44
Inauspicious Omens and Arjuna’s Return from Dvārakā
कच्चित् प्रेष्ठतमेनाथ हृदयेनात्मबन्धुना । शून्योऽस्मि रहितो नित्यं मन्यसे तेऽन्यथा न रुक् ॥ ४४ ॥
kaccit preṣṭhatamenātha hṛdayenātma-bandhunā śūnyo ’smi rahito nityaṁ manyase te ’nyathā na ruk
ഹേ നാഥാ! നിന്റെ അതിപ്രിയ ഹൃദയബന്ധുവായ ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണനിൽ നിന്നുള്ള വിരഹം കൊണ്ടു നീ എപ്പോഴും ശൂന്യനായി തോന്നുന്നുവോ? ഓ സഹോദരാ അർജുനാ, നിന്റെ ഈ വിഷാദത്തിന് മറ്റൊരു കാരണം എനിക്ക് കാണുന്നില്ല.
All the inquisitiveness of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira about the world situation was already conjectured by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira on the basis of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s disappearance from the vision of the world, and this was now disclosed by him because of the acute dejection of Arjuna, which could not have been possible otherwise. So even though he was doubtful about it, he was obliged to inquire frankly from Arjuna on the basis of Śrī Nārada’s indication.
FAQs
This verse portrays the devotee’s intense feeling of emptiness when Krishna is absent—Krishna is described as the heart and the soul’s true friend, and separation from Him is experienced as a profound void.
After returning from Dvaraka, Arjuna indicates that something is terribly wrong—he fears that Krishna is no longer present, and he voices the devastating sense of loss that follows Krishna’s disappearance.
The verse encourages cultivating heartfelt dependence on Krishna through remembrance, prayer, and devotional practice, so that life’s emptiness is healed by reconnecting the heart to the Lord.