Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 1
The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty and Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Departure
श्रीराजोवाच ततो महाभागवत उद्धवे निर्गते वनम् । द्वारवत्यां किमकरोद् भगवान् भूतभावन: ॥ १ ॥
śrī-rājovāca tato mahā-bhāgavata uddhave nirgate vanam dvāravatyāṁ kim akarod bhagavān bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
राजा परीक्षित म्हणाला—महाभागवत उद्धव वनात निघून गेल्यावर, द्वारकेत सर्व जीवांचा पालनकर्ता भगवान् काय करीत होता?
Parīkṣit Mahārāja now inquires from Śukadeva Gosvāmī about the topic of Chapter One of this canto, namely the annihilation of the Yadu dynasty and Lord Kṛṣṇa’s return to the spiritual sky. Because Lord Kṛṣṇa was playing the part of an ordinary member of the Yadu dynasty, He appeared to react to the curse of the brāhmaṇas by giving up His earthly pastimes. Lord Kṛṣṇa cannot actually be cursed by anyone. Nārada Muni and the other sages who cursed the Yadu dynasty are eternal devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa and could hardly curse Him. Therefore, in giving up His pastimes and leaving the earth with the Yadu dynasty, Lord Kṛṣṇa demonstrated His internal potency and personal will, since no one can challenge the supreme potency of the Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse introduces Parīkṣit’s inquiry about the Lord’s subsequent actions in Dvārakā after Uddhava departed, setting the stage for the narration of Kṛṣṇa’s final pastimes.
Parīkṣit is following the sequence of events: once Uddhava—Kṛṣṇa’s intimate devotee and messenger—leaves, Parīkṣit wants to know how the Lord arranged the concluding events of His manifest pastimes in Dvārakā.
Cultivate eager, step-by-step hearing (śravaṇa) about Kṛṣṇa’s līlā—like Parīkṣit—by asking sincere questions and staying attentive to how the Lord guides devotees and concludes worldly chapters with divine purpose.