Shloka 34
Arjuna’s Lament, the End of the Yadus, and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure
ययाहरद् भुवो भारं तां तनुं विजहावज: । कण्टकं कण्टकेनेव द्वयं चापीशितु: समम् ॥ ३४ ॥
yayāharad bhuvo bhāraṁ tāṁ tanuṁ vijahāv ajaḥ kaṇṭakaṁ kaṇṭakeneva dvayaṁ cāpīśituḥ samam
Com o mesmo corpo pelo qual o Supremo não nascido, o Senhor Śrī Kṛṣṇa, aliviou o fardo da terra, Ele abandonou esse corpo; e fez com que os membros da dinastia Yadu também deixassem os seus, aliviando assim o mundo. Foi como tirar um espinho com outro, embora para o Controlador ambos sejam iguais.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura suggests that the ṛṣis like Śaunaka and others who were hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Sūta Gosvāmī at Naimiṣāraṇya were not happy to hear about the Yadus’ dying in the madness of intoxication. To give them relief from this mental agony, Sūta Gosvāmī assured them that the Lord caused the members of the Yadu dynasty to relinquish their bodies by which they had to take away the burden of the world. The Lord and His eternal associates appeared on earth to help the administrative demigods in eradicating the burden of the world. He therefore called for some of the confidential demigods to appear in the Yadu family and serve Him in His great mission. After the mission was fulfilled, the demigods, by the will of the Lord, relinquished their corporeal bodies by fighting amongst themselves in the madness of intoxication. The demigods are accustomed to drinking the soma-rasa beverage, and therefore the drinking of wine and intoxication are not unknown to them. Sometimes they were put into trouble for indulging in intoxication. Once the sons of Kuvera fell in the wrath of Nārada for being intoxicated, but afterwards they regained their original forms by the grace of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. We shall find this story in the Tenth Canto. For the Supreme Lord, both the asuras and the demigods are equal, but the demigods are obedient to the Lord, whereas the asuras are not. Therefore, the example of picking out a thorn by another thorn is quite befitting. One thorn, which causes pinpricks on the leg of the Lord, is certainly disturbing to the Lord, and the other thorn, which takes out the disturbing elements, certainly gives service to the Lord. So although every living being is a part and parcel of the Lord, still one who is a pinprick to the Lord is called an asura, and one who is a voluntary servitor of the Lord is called a devatā, or demigod. In the material world the devatās and asuras are always contending, and the devatās are always saved from the hands of the asuras by the Lord. Both of them are under the control of the Lord. The world is full of two kinds of living beings, and the Lord’s mission is always to protect the devatās and destroy the asuras, whenever there is such a need in the world, and to do good to both of them.
FAQs
This verse explains that the unborn Lord only appeared in a particular form to remove the earth’s burden, and then He departed that manifested form—remaining the supreme Controller, untouched and unchanged.
Just as one thorn is used to remove another and then both are thrown away, the Lord uses a temporary manifestation and mission to accomplish His purpose, and then withdraws that manifestation—without being bound by it.
Use material means responsibly to overcome material problems, but don’t cling to the means; cultivate detachment and remember that ultimate shelter is the Lord, who is beyond all temporary arrangements.