Shloka 45
Arjuna’s Lament, the End of the Yadus, and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure
सर्वे तमनुनिर्जग्मुर्भ्रातर: कृतनिश्चया: । कलिनाधर्ममित्रेण दृष्ट्वा स्पृष्टा: प्रजा भुवि ॥ ४५ ॥
sarve tam anunirjagmur bhrātaraḥ kṛta-niścayāḥ kalinādharma-mitreṇa dṛṣṭvā spṛṣṭāḥ prajā bhuvi
മഹാരാജ യുദിഷ്ഠിരന്റെ ഇളയ സഹോദരന്മാർ കലിയുഗാധർമ്മം ലോകമാകെ വ്യാപിച്ച് പ്രജകളെ സ്പർശിച്ചതായി കണ്ടു; അതിനാൽ അവർ ദൃഢനിശ്ചയത്തോടെ ജ്യേഷ്ഠന്റെ പാദചിഹ്നങ്ങൾ പിന്തുടർന്നു।
The younger brothers of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira were already obedient followers of the great Emperor, and they had sufficiently been trained to know the ultimate goal of life. They therefore decidedly followed their eldest brother in rendering devotional service to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. According to the principles of sanātana-dharma, one must retire from family life after half the duration of life is finished and must engage himself in self-realization. But the question of engaging oneself is not always decided. Sometimes retired men are bewildered about how to engage themselves for the last days of life. Here is a decision by authorities like the Pāṇḍavas. All of them engaged themselves in favorably culturing the devotional service of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to Svāmī Śrīdhara, dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa, or fruitive activities, philosophical speculations and salvation, as conceived by several persons, are not the ultimate goal of life. They are more or less practiced by persons who have no information of the ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is already indicated by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.64) , and the Pāṇḍavas were intelligent enough to follow it without hesitation.
FAQs
This verse says the citizens became afflicted by Kali on earth—Kali advances by aligning with irreligion while appearing respectable, leading to widespread decline in dharma.
They had made a firm decision to retire, and seeing Kali’s influence spreading among the people, they understood the time had come to withdraw and pursue the ultimate spiritual goal.
Be alert to irreligion disguised as virtue, and respond with firm values and timely detachment—prioritizing spiritual practice when society’s direction becomes degrading.