rimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavata Purana Canto 1 chapter 10 : Sanskrit

(1) S'aunaka Muni asked: "How did King Yudhishthhira, the greatest of the strict followers of the religion, with his younger brothers rule the kingdom after having killed the aggressors who wanted to usurp the legal inheritance? The joys of life had to be restricted, isn't it?"

(2) Sûta said: "After the exhausting bamboo fire of the Kuru dynasty, was the Lord, the maintainer of the creation, pleased to see how the seedling of Yudhishthhira his own kingdom had been restored. (3) After having heard what Bhîshma and the Infallible One had said, was Yudhishthhira, enlightened by perfect knowledge, freed from his bewilderment and ruled he, followed by his brothers and protected by the invincible Lord, over the earth and the seas like he was the king of heaven [Indra]. (4) All the rain that was needed showered, the earth yielded everything desired and the cows out of sheer joy moistened the pastures with their filled udders. (5) The rivers, oceans and hills assured him in every season of all necessary vegetables, greenery and medicinal herbs. (6) Never was, because of themselves, nature or because of others, any living being troubled by anxieties, diseases or extreme temperatures, as always happens with a king who has no enemies.

(7) In order to appease His family and please His sister [Subhadrâ, who was married with Arjuna], stayed the Lord for a few months in the city of Hastinâpura. (8) After that time was He, duly asking permission, permitted to leave, and after embracing and bowing down with the king ascended He His chariot, receiving from others the same respects and embraces. (9-10) His sister, [the wife of the Pândavas] Draupadî, [their mother] Kuntî, [Parîkchit's mother] Uttarâ and also [the blind grandfather] Dhritarâshthra and [his wife] Gândhârî, [their son] Yuyutsu, [the Kuru priest] Kripâcârya, [the twin brothers] Nakula and Sahadeva together with Bhîma, and [the Pândava priest] Dhaumya as also other ladies from the palace and [Vyâsa's mother] Satyavatî, had great difficulty bearing the separation from the One with the conch in His hands, and almost fainted. (11-12) An intelligent person will, concerning the fame that is sung, being liberated from materialistic association by the right company, never think of giving it up, when he but once has heard the pleasing. How could the Pândavas who gave Him their heart then tolerate it to be separated from Him having seen Him face to face and touching, sleeping, sitting and eating together with Him? (13) All of them, looking at Him with wide open eyes, melted for Him and bound as they were by pure affection, they were moving restlessly. (14) The ladies of the family who came out of the palace, had difficulty checking their tears from overflowing, as they were afraid that because of it inauspicious things might happen to the son of Devakî. (15) At that time mridangas [drums used in devotional service], conchshells, horns, strings, flutes and more drums, bells and other rhythm-instruments were sounded. (16) To have a good view the ladies of the Kuru dynasty got on the roof of the palace, from where they showered flowers upon Krishna with love and shy smiles. (17) For the Most Beloved of the Beloved took [Arjuna] the conqueror of sleep up an embroidered sun-shade decorated with perls and lace with a handle inlaid with jewels. (18) He, as the master of Madhu, resplendent sitting on flowers scattered all around was on His way fanned by Uddhava, His cousin brother and His driver Sâtyaki.

(19) From everywhere were heard the truthful respects and sayings of the brahmins which to the occasion were neither befitting or unbefitting considering the Absolute Truth present there in a form subjected to the modes of nature. (20) The ladies of the capital of the king of the Kurus were with their hearts absorbed in talking amongst each other about Him hailed by the scriptures, in such a manner that it sounded more attractive than the hymns of the Vedas themselves: (21) 'Him we will definitely remember as the Personality of Godhead, as the Original One who existed materially unmanifested in His own Self before the creation of the modes of nature; He, that Supersoul, that Supreme Lord, in whom the living beings merge, with their energies suspended, as if during the night. (22) He in the role of the compiler of the revealed scriptures thus, by the performance of His own personal potency, gave the individual soul time and again names and forms in the re-creation of the outer illusion of material nature; names He assigns to that what factually cannot be named. (23) He happens to be the same Personality of Godhead as the one seen by those great devotees who managed to control their senses and life and who, by the grace of their devotion, may see the development of a pure mind; it is they who from this, only this, deserve a purified existence. (24) O friends, this is He who for His excellent pastimes, confidentially described in the Vedas as also discussed by the intimate devotees, is respected as the one and only Supreme Controller and Supersoul of the complete creation, who, by the manifestation of His pastimes creates, maintains and destroys, without ever becoming attached to it. (25) Whenever there are rulers, who ignorantly, like animals, go against the divine principles, manifests He, for sure out of goodness, His supreme power and positive truth, mercy and wonderful activities, in various forms, for the sake of maintaining [the dharma] in the different periods and ages [see also B.G 4: 7]. (26) O, how supremely glorified is the dynasty of King Yadu and how elevated is the virtue of the land of Mathurâ, because this, of all the living beings, is the supreme leader and husband of the goddess of fortune who has appeared and roamed here.

(27) How wonderful is Dvârakâ [the island where Krishna resides], that place that, adding to the virtue and fame of the earth, defeats the glory of the heavenly worlds and whose inhabitants are used to constantly see the soul of the living being [Krishna] bestowing His grace with the benediction of His smiling glance. (28) For the wives He married to relish His lips again and again, must they certainly by vow, bath, fire-sacrifice and such have been of perfect worship with the Lord, o friends; often fainted the damsels of Vraja with their minds set on that! (29) Of the lady of Dvârakâ [Rukminî, Krishna's first wife], who with great valor was taken away by Him from the open selection of the bridegroom as the price that had to be paid by the harassing powerful kings headed by S'is'upâla, and of the other ladies that were similarly brought home after the killing of thousands of wicked kings [headed by Bhaumâsura], there are children like Pradyumna, Sâmba and Amba. (30) All these very fine women of the highest stature who were bereft of their individuality and purity were by their lotus-eyed husband who touched them in drawning them near in the heart, thus never left alone in their homes.'

(31) While the ladies of the capital were praying and talking this way about Him, He granted them the grace of His glance and greeting them with a smile on His face the Lord departed. (32) Yudhishthhira, the man without enemies, out of affection and being anxious, engaged four divisions of soldiers [on horseback, elephant, chariot and foot] for the protection of the enemy of the atheists. (33) After thus having accompanied Him for a long distance, persuaded the Lord politely and full of affection the determined Pândavas to return who were overtaken by the thought of their future separation, after which He with His dear companions proceeded towards Dvârakâ. (34-35) Through Kurujâñgala [the province of Delhi] and Pâñcâlâ [part of Punjab] and S'ûrasenâ and Brahmâvarta [Uttar Pradesh its North] and the districts along the Yamunâ river, He came along Kurukshetra where the battle was fought and the province of Matsyâ, Sârasvatân [another part of Punjab] and so on. Then through the land of deserts [Rajasthan] and the land where there is hardly any water [Madhya Pradesh], and after passing through the provinces of Sauvîra [Saurastra] and Âbhîra [part of Gujarat], He, o S'aunaka, finally reached the western side of the province of Dvârakâ with His horses slightly overtaken by fatigue of the long journey. (36) At different places it so happened that the Lord was welcomed and served variously when He arrived in the evening after the sun had passed the eastern sky to be gone where the ocean is."

S'aunaka Muni asked: "How did King Yudhishthhira, the greatest of the strict followers of the religion, with his younger brothers rule the kingdom after having killed the aggressors who wanted to usurp the legal inheritance? The joys of life had to be restricted, isn't it?"

S'aunaka Muni asked: After killing his enemies who desired to usurp his rightful inheritance, how did the greatest of all religious men, Mahârâja Yudhishthhira, assisted by his brothers, rule his subjects? Surely he could not freely enjoy his kingdom with unrestricted consciousness. (Vedabase)

Text 2

Sûta said: "After the exhausting bamboo fire of the Kuru dynasty, was the Lord, the maintainer of the creation, pleased to see how the seedling of Yudhishthhira his own kingdom had been restored.

Sûta Gosvâmî said: Lord S'rî Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the maintainer of the world, became pleased after reestablishing Mahârâja Yudhishthhira in his own kingdom and after restoring the Kuru dynasty, which had been exhausted by the bamboo fire of anger. (Vedabase)

Text 3

After having heard what Bhîshma and the Infallible One had said, was Yudhishthhira, enlightened by perfect knowledge, freed from his bewilderment and ruled he, followed by his brothers and protected by the invincible Lord, over the earth and the seas like he was the king of heaven [Indra].

Mahârâja Yudhishthhira, after being enlightened by what was spoken by Bhîshmadeva and Lord S'rî Krishna, the infallible, engaged himself in matters of perfect knowledge because all his misgivings were eradicated. Thus he ruled over the earth and seas and was followed by his younger brothers. (Vedabase)

Text 4

All the rain that was needed showered, the earth yielded everything desired and the cows out of sheer joy moistened the pastures with their filled udders.

During the reign of Mahârâja Yudhishthhira, the clouds showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of man in profusion. Due to its fatty milk bag and cheerful attitude, the cow used to moisten the grazing ground with milk. (Vedabase)

Text 5

The rivers, oceans and hills assured him in every season of all necessary vegetables, greenery and medicinal herbs.

The rivers, oceans, hills, mountains, forests, creepers and active drugs, in every season, paid their tax quota to the King in profusion. (Vedabase)

Text 6

Never was, because of themselves, nature or because of others, any living being troubled by anxieties, diseases or extreme temperatures, as always happens with a king who has no enemies.

Because of the King's having no enemy, the living beings were not at any time disturbed by mental agonies, diseases, or excessive heat or cold. (Vedabase)

Text 7

In order to appease His family and please His sister [Subhadrâ, who was married with Arjuna], stayed the Lord for a few months in the city of Hastinâpura.

S'rî Hari, Lord S'rî Krishna, resided at Hastinâpura for a few months to pacify His relatives and please His own sister [Subhadrâ]. (Vedabase)

Text 8

After that time was He, duly asking permission, permitted to leave, and after embracing and bowing down with the king ascended He His chariot, receiving from others the same respects and embraces.

Afterwards, when the Lord asked permission to depart and the King gave it, the Lord offered His respects to Mahârâja Yudhishthhira by bowing down at his feet, and the King embraced Him. After this the Lord, being embraced by others and receiving their obeisances, got into His chariot. (Vedabase)

Text 9-10:

His sister, [the wife of the Pândavas] Draupadî, [their mother] Kuntî, [Parîkchit's mother] Uttarâ and also [the blind grandfather] Dhritarâshthra and [his wife] Gândhârî, [their son] Yuyutsu, [the Kuru priest] Kripâcârya, [the twin brothers] Nakula and Sahadeva together with Bhîma, and [the Pândava priest] Dhaumya as also other ladies from the palace and [Vyâsa's mother] Satyavatî, had great difficulty bearing the separation from the One with the conch in His hands, and almost fainted.

At that time Subhadrâ, Draupadî, Kuntî, Uttarâ, Gândhârî, Dhritarâshthra, Yuyutsu, Kripâcârya, Nakula, Sahadeva, Bhîmasena, Dhaumya and Satyavatî all nearly fainted because it was impossible for them to bear separation from Lord Krishna. (Vedabase)

Text 11-12

An intelligent person will, concerning the fame that is sung, being liberated from materialistic association by the right company, never think of giving it up, when he but once has heard the pleasing. How could the Pândavas who gave Him their heart then tolerate it to be separated from Him having seen Him face to face and touching, sleeping, sitting and eating together with Him?

The intelligent, who have understood the Supreme Lord in association with pure devotees and have become freed from bad materialistic association, can never avoid hearing the glories of the Lord, even though they have heard them only once. How, then, could the Pândavas tolerate His separation, for they had been intimately associated with His person, seeing Him face to face, touching Him, conversing with Him, and sleeping, sitting and dining with Him? (Vedabase)

Text 13

All of them, looking at Him with wide open eyes, melted for Him and bound as they were by pure affection, they were moving restlessly.

All their hearts were melting for Him on the pot of attraction. They looked at Him without blinking their eyes, and they moved hither and thither in perplexity. (Vedabase)

Text 14

The ladies of the family who came out of the palace, had difficulty checking their tears from overflowing, as they were afraid that because of it inauspicious things might happen to the son of Devakî.

The female relatives, whose eyes were flooded with tears out of anxiety for Krishna, came out of the palace. They could stop their tears only with great difficulty. They feared that tears would cause misfortune at the time of departure. (Vedabase)

Text 15

At that time mridangas [drums used in devotional service], conchshells, horns, strings, flutes and more drums, bells and other rhythm-instruments were sounded.

While the Lord was departing from the palace of Hastinâpura, different types of drums --like the mridanga, dhola, nagra, dhundhurî and dundubhi--and flutes of different types, the vînâ, gomukha and bheri, all sounded together to show Him honor. (Vedabase)

Text 16

To have a good view the ladies of the Kuru dynasty got on the roof of the palace, from where they showered flowers upon Krishna with love and shy smiles.

Out of a loving desire to see the Lord, the royal ladies of the Kurus got up on top of the palace, and smiling with affection and shyness, they showered flowers upon the Lord. (Vedabase)

Text 17:

For the most Beloved of the Beloved took [Arjuna] the conqueror of sleep up an embroidered sun-shade decorated with perls and lace with a handle inlaid with jewels.

At that time Arjuna, the great warrior and conqueror of sleep, who is the intimate friend of the most beloved Supreme Lord, took up an umbrella which had a handle of jewels and was embroidered with lace and pearls. (Vedabase)

Text 18

He, as the master of Madhu, resplendent sitting on flowers scattered all around was on His way fanned by Uddhava, His cousin brother and His driver Sâtyaki.

Uddhava and Sâtyaki began to fan the Lord with decorated fans, and the Lord, as the master of Madhu, seated on scattered flowers, commanded them along the road. (Vedabase)

Text 19:

From everywhere were heard the truthful respects and sayings of the brahmins which to the occasion were neither befitting or unbefitting considering the Absolute Truth present there in a form subjected to the modes of nature.

It was being heard here and there that the benedictions being paid to Krishna were neither befitting nor unbefitting because they were all for the Absolute, who was now playing the part of a human being. (Vedabase)

Text 20

The ladies of the capital of the king of the Kurus were with their hearts absorbed in talking amongst each other about Him hailed by the scriptures, in such a manner that it sounded more attractive than the hymns of the Vedas themselves:

Absorbed in the thought of the transcendental qualities of the Lord, who is glorified in select poetry, the ladies on the roofs of all the houses of Hastinâpura began to talk of Him. This talk was more attractive than the hymns of the Vedas. (Vedabase)

Text 21

Him we will definitely remember as the Personality of Godhead, as the Original One who existed materially unmanifested in His own Self before the creation of the modes of nature; He, that Supersoul, that Supreme Lord, in whom the living beings merge, with their energies suspended, as if during the night.

They said: Here He is, the original Personality of Godhead as we definitely remember Him. He alone existed before the manifested creation of the modes of nature, and in Him only, because He is the Supreme Lord, all living beings merge, as if sleeping at night, their energy suspended. (Vedabase)

Text 22

He in the role of the compiler of the revealed scriptures thus, by the performance of His own personal potency, gave the individual soul time and again names and forms in the re-creation of the outer illusion of material nature; names He assigns to that what factually cannot be named.

The Personality of Godhead, again desiring to give names and forms to His parts and parcels, the living entities, placed them under the guidance of material nature. By His own potency, material nature is empowered to re-create. (Vedabase)

Text 23

He happens to be the same Personality of Godhead as the one seen by those great devotees who managed to control their senses and life and who, by the grace of their devotion, may see the development of a pure mind; it is they who from this, only this, deserve a purified existence.

Here is the same Supreme Personality of Godhead whose transcendental form is experienced by the great devotees who are completely cleansed of material consciousness by dint of rigid devotional service and full control of life and the senses. And that is the only way to purify existence. (Vedabase)

Text 24

O friends, this is He who for His excellent pastimes, confidentially described in the Vedas as also discussed by the intimate devotees, is respected as the one and only Supreme Controller and Supersoul of the complete creation, who, by the manifestation of His pastimes creates, maintains and destroys, without ever becoming attached to it.

O dear friends, here is that very Personality of Godhead whose attractive and confidential pastimes are described in the confidential parts of Vedic literature by His great devotees. It is He only who creates, maintains and annihilates the material world and yet remains unaffected. (Vedabase)

Text 25

Whenever there are rulers, who ignorantly, like animals, go against the divine principles, manifests He, for sure out of goodness, His supreme power and positive truth, mercy and wonderful activities, in various forms, for the sake of maintaining [the dharma] in the different periods and ages [see also B.G 4: 7].

Whenever there are kings and administrators living like animals in the lowest modes of existence, the Lord in His transcendental form manifests His supreme power, the Truth Positive, shows special mercy to the faithful, performs wonderful activities and manifests various transcendental forms as is necessary in different periods and ages. (Vedabase)

Text 26

O, how supremely glorified is the dynasty of King Yadu and how elevated is the virtue of the land of Mathurâ, because this, of all the living beings, is the supreme leader and husband of the goddess of fortune who has appeared and roamed here.

Oh, how supremely glorified is the dynasty of King Yadu, and how virtuous is the land of Mathurâ, where the supreme leader of all living beings, the husband of the goddess of fortune, has taken His birth and wandered in His childhood. (Vedabase)

Text 27

How wonderful is Dvârakâ [the island where Krishna resides], that place that, adding to the virtue and fame of the earth, defeats the glory of the heavenly worlds and whose inhabitants are used to constantly see the soul of the living being [Krishna] bestowing His grace with the benediction of His smiling glance.

Undoubtedly it is wonderful that Dvârakâ has defeated the glories of the heavenly planets and has enhanced the celebrity of the earth. The inhabitants of Dvârakâ are always seeing the soul of all living beings [Krishna] in His loving feature. He glances at them and favors them with sweet smiles. (Vedabase)

Text 28

For the wives He married to relish His lips again and again, must they certainly by vow, bath, fire-sacrifice and such have been of perfect worship with the Lord, o friends; often fainted the damsels of Vraja with their minds set on that!

O friends, just think of His wives, whose hands He has accepted. How they must have undergone vows, baths, fire sacrifices and perfect worship of the Lord of the universe to constantly relish now the nectar from His lips [by kissing]. The damsels of Vrajabhûmi would often faint just by expecting such favors. (Vedabase)

Text 29

Of the lady of Dvârakâ [Rukminî the first wife of Krishna], who with great valor wes taken away by Him from the open selection of the bridegroom as the price that had to be paid by the harassing powerful kings headed by S'is'upâla, and of the other ladies that were similarly brought home after the killing of thousands of wicked kings [headed by Bhaumâsura], there are children like Pradyumna, Sâmba and Amba.

The children of these ladies are Pradyumna, Sâmba, Amba, etc: Ladies like Rukminî, Satyabhâmâ and Jâmbavatî were forcibly taken away by Him from their svayamvara ceremonies after He defeated many powerful kings, headed by S'is'upâla. And other ladies were also forcibly taken away by Him after He killed Bhaumâsura and thousands of his assistants. All of these ladies are glorious. (Vedabase)

Text 30

All these very fine women of the highest stature who were bereft of their individuality and purity were by their lotus-eyed husband who touched them in drawning them near in the heart, thus never left alone in their homes.'

All these women auspiciously glorified their lives despite their being without individuality and without purity. Their husband, the lotus-eyed Personality of Godhead, never left them alone at home. He always pleased their hearts by making valuable presentations. (Vedabase)

Text 31

While the ladies of the capital were praying and talking this way about Him, He granted them the grace of His glance and greeting them with a smile on His face the Lord departed.

While the ladies of the capital of Hastinâpura were greeting Him and talking in this way, the Lord, smiling, accepted their good greetings, and casting the grace of His glance over them, He departed from the city. (Vedabase)

Text 32

Yudhishthhira, the man without enemies, out of affection and being anxious, engaged four divisions of soldiers [on horseback, elephant, chariot and foot] for the protection of the enemy of the atheists.

Mahârâja Yudhishthhira, although no one's enemy, engaged four divisions of defense [horse, elephant, chariot and army] to accompany Lord Krishna, the enemy of the asuras [demons]. The Mahârâja did this because of the enemy, and also out of affection for the Lord. (Vedabase)

Text 33

After thus having accompanied Him for a long distance, persuaded the Lord politely and full of affection the determined Pândavas to return who were overtaken by the thought of their future separation, after which He with His dear companions proceeded towards Dvârakâ.

Out of profound affection for Lord Krishna, the Pândavas, who were of the Kuru dynasty, accompanied Him a considerable distance to see Him off. They were overwhelmed with the thought of future separation. The Lord, however, persuaded them to return home, and He proceeded towards Dvârakâ with His dear companions. (Vedabase)

Text 34-35:

Through Kurujâñgala [the province of Delhi] and Pâñcâlâ [part of Punjab] and S'ûrasenâ and Brahmâvarta [Uttar Pradesh its North] and the districts along the Yamunâ river, He came along Kurukshetra where the battle was fought and the province of Matsyâ, Sârasvatân [another part of Punjab] and so on. Then through the land of deserts [Rajasthan] and the land where there is hardly any water [Madhya Pradesh], and after passing through the provinces of Sauvîra [Saurastra] and Âbhîra [part of Gujarat], He, o S'aunaka, finally reached the western side of the province of Dvârakâ with His horses slightly overtaken by fatigue of the long journey.

O S'aunaka, the Lord then proceeded towards Kurujâñgala, Pâñcâlâ, S'ûrasenâ, the land on the bank of the River Yamunâ, Brahmâvarta, Kurukshetra, Matsyâ, Sârasvatâ, the province of the desert and the land of scanty water. After crossing these provinces He gradually reached the Sauvîra and Âbhîra provinces, then west of these, reached Dvârakâ at last. (Vedabase)

Text 36:

At different places it so happened that the Lord was welcomed and served variously when He arrived in the evening after the sun had passed the eastern sky to be gone where the ocean is.

On His journey through these provinces He was welcomed, worshiped and given various presentations. In the evening, in all places, the Lord suspended His journey to perform evening rites. This was regularly observed after sunset. (Vedabase)