Shloka 22
Uddhava’s Remembrance of Kṛṣṇa and the Theology of the Lord’s Disappearance
तत्तस्य कैङ्कर्यमलं भृतान्नो विग्लापयत्यङ्ग यदुग्रसेनम् । तिष्ठन्निषण्णं परमेष्ठिधिष्ण्ये न्यबोधयद्देव निधारयेति ॥ २२ ॥
tat tasya kaiṅkaryam alaṁ bhṛtān no viglāpayaty aṅga yad ugrasenam tiṣṭhan niṣaṇṇaṁ parameṣṭhi-dhiṣṇye nyabodhayad deva nidhārayeti
Vì thế, ôi Vidura, chẳng phải lòng chúng ta—những kẻ phụng sự Ngài—đau xót sao khi nhớ rằng Thượng Đế Śrī Kṛṣṇa từng đứng trước vua Ugrasena đang ngự trên ngai, khiêm cung trình bày: “Muôn tâu, xin Ngài hãy biết cho”?
Lord Kṛṣṇa’s gentle behavior before His so-called superiors such as His father, grandfather and elder brother, His amiable behavior with His so-called wives, friends and contemporaries, His behavior as a child before His mother Yaśodā, and His naughty dealings with His young girlfriends cannot bewilder a pure devotee like Uddhava. Others, who are not devotees, are bewildered by such behavior of the Lord, who acted just like a human being. This bewilderment is explained by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.11) as follows:
FAQs
This verse highlights the Lord’s līlā of humility: although supreme, Kṛṣṇa honors dharma and social order by treating Ugrasena as the rightful king and personally attending him.
‘Kaiṅkarya’ means pure, devoted service rendered with affection and reverence; here it refers to Kṛṣṇa’s spotless, exemplary service to His elder and king.
It teaches leadership through humility—honoring elders, respecting rightful authority, and serving others without ego even when one is powerful or accomplished.