11.31.1

śrī-śuka uvāca

atha tatrāgamad brahmā

bhavānyā ca samaḿ bhavaḥ

mahendra-pramukhā devā

munayaḥ sa-prajeśvarāḥ

 

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; atha — then; tatra — there; āgamat — came; brahmā — Lord Brahmā; bhavānyā — his consort, Bhavānī; ca — and; samam — along with; bhavaḥ — Lord Śiva; mahā-indra-pramukhāḥ — led by Lord Indra; devāḥ — the demigods; munayaḥ — the sages; sa — with; prajā-īśvarāḥ — the progenitors of the universe's population.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Then Lord Brahmā arrived at Prabhāsa along with Lord Śiva and his consort, the sages, the Prajāpatis and all the demigods, headed by Indra.

 

11.31.2-3

pitaraḥ siddha-gandharvā

vidyādhara-mahoragāḥ

cāraṇā yakṣa-rakṣāḿsi

kinnarāpsaraso dvijāḥ

 

draṣṭu-kāmā bhagavato

niryāṇaḿ paramotsukāḥ

gāyantaś ca gṛṇantaś ca

śaureḥ karmāṇi janma ca

 

pitaraḥ — the forefathers; siddha-gandharvāḥ — the Siddhas and Gandharvas; vidyādhara-mahā-uragāḥ — the Vidyādharas and the great serpents; cāraṇāḥ — the Cāraṇas; yakṣa-rakṣāḿsi — the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas; kinnara-apsarasaḥ — the Kinnaras and Apsarās; dvijāḥ — the great birds;

 

draṣṭu-kāmāḥ — desirous of seeing; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; niryāṇam — the passing away; parama-utsukāḥ — very eager; gāyantaḥ — chanting; ca — and; gṛṇantaḥ — praising; ca — and; śaureḥ — of Lord Śauri (Kṛṣṇa); karmāṇi — the activities; janma — the birth; ca — and.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The forefathers, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyādharas and great serpents also came, along with the Cāraṇas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Kinnaras, Apsarās and relatives of Garuḍa, greatly eager to witness the departure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As they were coming, all these personalities variously chanted and glorified the birth and activities of Lord Śauri [Kṛṣṇa].

 

11.31.4

vavṛṣuḥ puṣpa-varṣāṇi

vimānāvalibhir nabhaḥ

kurvantaḥ sańkulaḿ rājan

bhaktyā paramayā yutāḥ

 

vavṛṣuḥ — they showered; puṣpa-varṣāṇi — showers of flowers; vimāna — of airplanes; āvalibhiḥ — by great numbers; nabhaḥ — the sky; kurvantaḥ — making; sańkulam — filled up; rājan — O King Parīkṣit; bhaktyā — with devotion; paramayā — transcendental; yutāḥ — endowed.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O King, crowding the sky with their many airplanes, they showered down flowers with great devotion.

 

11.31.5

bhagavān pitāmahaḿ vīkṣya

vibhūtīr ātmano vibhuḥ

saḿyojyātmani cātmānaḿ

padma-netre nyamīlayat

 

bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pitāmaham — Lord Brahmā; vīkṣya — seeing; vibhūtīḥ — the powerful expansions, the demigods; ātmanaḥ — His own; vibhuḥ — the Almighty Lord; saḿyojya — fixing; ātmani — in Himself; ca — and; ātmānam — His consciousness; padma-netre — His lotus eyes; nyamīlyat — closed.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Seeing before Him Brahmā, the grandfather of the universe, along with the other demigods, who are all His personal and powerful expansions, the Almighty Lord closed His lotus eyes, fixing His mind within Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

11.31.6

lokābhirāmāḿ sva-tanuḿ

dhāraṇā-dhyāna-mańgalam

yoga-dhāraṇayāgneyyā-

dagdhvā dhāmāviśat svakam

 

loka — to all the worlds; abhirāmām — most attractive; sva-tanum — His own transcendental body; dhāraṇā — of all trance; dhyāna — and meditation; mańgalam — the auspicious object; yoga-dhāraṇayā — by mystic trance; āgneyyā — focused on fire; adagdhvā — without burning; dhāma — the abode; āviśat — He entered; svakam — His own.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Without employing the mystic āgneyī meditation to burn up His transcendental body, which is the all-attractive resting place of all the worlds and the object of all contemplation and meditation, Lord Kṛṣṇa entered into His own abode.

 

11.31.7

divi dundubhayo neduḥ

petuḥ sumanasaś ca khāt

satyaḿ dharmo dhṛtir bhūmeḥ

kīrtiḥ śrīś cānu taḿ yayuḥ

 

divi — in heaven; dundubhayaḥ — kettledrums; neduḥ — sounded; petuḥ — fell; sumanasaḥ — flowers; ca — and; khāt — from the sky; satyam — Truth; dharmaḥ — Religion; dhṛtiḥ — Faithfulness; bhūmeḥ — from the earth; kīrtiḥ — Fame; śrīḥ — Beauty; ca — and; anu — following; tam — Him; yayuḥ — they went.

 

TRANSLATION

 

As soon as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa left the earth, Truth, Religion, Faithfulness, Glory and Beauty immediately followed Him. Kettledrums resounded in the heavens and flowers showered from the sky.

 

11.31.8

devādayo brahma-mukhyā

na viśantaḿ sva-dhāmani

avijñāta-gatiḿ kṛṣṇaḿ

dadṛśuś cāti-vismitāḥ

 

deva-ādayaḥ — the demigods and others; brahma-mukhyāḥ — headed by Brahmā; na — not; viśantam — entering; sva-dhāmani — His own abode; avijñāta — unknown; gatim — His movements; kṛṣṇam — Lord Kṛṣṇa; dadṛśuḥ — they saw; ca — and; ati-vismitāḥ — very amazed.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Most of the demigods and other higher beings led by Brahmā could not see Lord Kṛṣṇa as He was entering His own abode, since He did not reveal His movements. But some of them did catch sight of Him, and they were extremely amazed.

 

11.31.9

saudāmanyā yathāklāśe

yāntyā hitvābhra-maṇḍalam

gatir na lakṣyate martyais

tathā kṛṣṇasya daivataiḥ

 

saudāmanyāḥ — of lightning; yathā — just as; ākāśe — in the sky; yāntyāḥ — which is traveling; hitvā — having left; abhra-maṇḍalam — the clouds; gatiḥ — the movement; na lakṣyate — cannot be ascertained; martyaiḥ — by mortals; tathā — similarly; kṛṣṇasya — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; daivataiḥ — by the demigods.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Just as ordinary men cannot ascertain the path of a lightning bolt as it leaves a cloud, the demigods could not trace out the movements of Lord Kṛṣṇa as He returned to His abode.

 

11.31.10

brahma-rudrādayas te tu

dṛṣṭvā yoga-gatiḿ hareḥ

vismitās tāḿ praśaḿsantaḥ

svaḿ svaḿ lokaḿ yayus tadā

 

brahma-rudra-ādayaḥ — Brahmā, Rudra and others; te — they; tu — but; dṛṣṭvā — seeing; yoga-gatim — the mystic power; hareḥ — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; vismitāḥ — astonished; tām — that power; praśaḿsantaḥ — glorifying; svam svam — each to his own; lokam — world; yayuḥ — went; tadā — then.

 

TRANSLATION

 

A few of the demigods, however — notably Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva — could ascertain how the Lord's mystic power was working, and thus they became astonished. All the demigods praised the Lord's mystic power and then returned to their own planets.

 

11.31.11

rājan parasya tanu-bhṛj-jananāpyayehā

māyā-viḍambanam avehi yathā naṭasya

sṛṣṭvātmanedam anuviśya vihṛtya cānte

saḿhṛtya cātma-mahinoparataḥ sa āste

 

rājan — O King Parīkṣit; parasya — of the Supreme; tanu-bhṛt — resembling the embodied living beings; janana — of birth; apyaya — and disappearance; īhāḥ — the activities; māyā — of His illusory potency; viḍambanam — the false show; avehi — you should understand; yathā — just as; naṭasya — of an actor; sṛṣṭvā — creating; ātmanā — by Himself; idam — this universe; anuviśya — entering it; vihṛtya — playing; ca — and; ante — in the end; saḿhṛtya — winding it up; ca — and; ātma-mahinā — with His own glory; uparataḥ — having ceased; saḥ — He; āste — remains.

 

TRANSLATION

 

My dear King, you should understand that the Supreme Lord's appearance and disappearance, which resemble those of embodied conditioned souls, are actually a show enacted by His illusory energy, just like the performance of an actor. After creating this universe He enters into it, plays within it for some time, and at last winds it up. Then the Lord remains situated in His own transcendental glory, having ceased from the functions of cosmic manifestation.

 

11.31.12

martyena yo guru-sutaḿ yama-loka-nītaḿ

tvāḿ cānayac charaṇa-daḥ paramāstra-dagdham

jigye 'ntakāntakam apīśam asāv anīśaḥ

kiḿ svāvane svar anayan mṛgayuḿ sa-deham

 

martyena — in the same human body; yaḥ — who; guru-sutam — the son of His spiritual master; yama-loka — to the planet of Yamarāja; nītam — brought; tvām — you; ca — and; ānayat — brought back; śaraṇa-daḥ — the giver of shelter; parama-astra — by the supreme weapon, the brahmāstra; dagdham — burned; jigye — He conquered; antaka — of the agents of death; antakam — who is the death; api — even; īśam — Lord Śiva; asau — He, Kṛṣṇa; anīśaḥ — incapable; kim — whether; sva — of Himself; avane — in the protection; svaḥ — to the spiritual world; anayat — brought; mṛgayum — the hunter; sa-deham — in the same body.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Lord Kṛṣṇa brought the son of His guru back from the planet of the lord of death in the boy's selfsame body, and as the ultimate giver of protection He saved you also when you were burned by the brahmāstra of Aśvatthāmā. He conquered in battle even Lord Śiva, who deals death to the agents of death, and He sent the hunter Jarā directly to Vaikuṇṭha in his human body. How could such a personality be unable to protect His own Self?

 

11.31.13

tathāpy aśeṣa-sthiti-sambhavāpyayeṣv

ananya-hetur yad aśeṣa-śakti-dhṛk

naicchat praṇetuḿ vapur atra śeṣitaḿ

martyena kiḿ sva-stha-gatiḿ pradarśayan

 

tathā api — nevertheless; aśeṣa — of all created beings; sthiti — in the maintenance; sambhava — creation; apyayeṣu — and annihilation; ananya-hetuḥ — the exclusive cause; yat — because; aśeṣa — unlimited; śakti — potencies; dhṛk — possessing; na aicchat — He did not desire; praṇetum — to keep; vapuḥ — His transcendental body; atra — here; śeṣitam — remaining; martyena — with this mortal world; kim — what use; sva-stha — of those who are fixed in Him; gatim — the destination; pradarśayan — showing.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Although Lord Kṛṣṇa, being the possessor of infinite powers, is the only cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of innumerable living beings, He simply did not desire to keep His body in this world any longer. Thus He revealed the destination of those fixed in the self and demonstrated that this mortal world is of no intrinsic value.

 

11.31.14

ya etāḿ prātar utthāya

kṛṣṇasya padavīḿ parām

prayataḥ kīrtayed bhaktyā

tām evāpnoty anuttamām

 

yaḥ — anyone who; etām — this; prātaḥ — early in the morning; utthāya — getting up; kṛṣṇasya — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; padavīm — the destination; parām — supreme; prayataḥ — with careful attention; kīrtayet — glorifies; bhaktyā — with devotion; tām — that destination; eva — indeed; āpnoti — he obtains; anuttamam — unsurpassable.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Anyone who regularly rises early in the morning and carefully chants with devotion the glories of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's transcendental disappearance and His return to His own abode will certainly achieve that same supreme destination.

 

11.31.15

dāruko dvārakām etya

vasudevograsenayoḥ

patitvā caraṇāv asrair

nyaṣiñcat kṛṣṇa-vicyutaḥ

 

dārukaḥ — Dāruka; dvārakām — in Dvārakā; etya — arriving; vasudeva-ugrasenayoḥ — of Vasudeva and Ugrasena; patitvā — falling down; caraṇau — at the feet; asraiḥ — with his tears; nyaṣiñcat — drenched; kṛṣṇa-vicyutaḥ — deprived of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

 

TRANSLATION

 

As soon as Dāruka reached Dvārakā, he threw himself at the feet of Vasudeva and Ugrasena and drenched their feet with his tears, lamenting the loss of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

 

11.31.16-17

kathayām āsa nidhanaḿ

vṛṣṇīnāḿ kṛtsnaśo nṛpa

tac chrutvodvigna-hṛdayā

janāḥ śoka-virmūrcchitāḥ

 

tatra sma tvaritā jagmuḥ

kṛṣṇa-viśleṣa-vihvalāḥ

vyasavaḥ śerate yatra

jñātayo ghnanta ānanam

 

kathayām āsa — he related; nidhanam — the destruction; vṛṣṇīnām — of the Vṛṣṇis; kṛtsnaśaḥ — total; nṛpa — O King Parīkṣit; tat — that; śrutvā — hearing; udvigna — agitated; hṛdayāḥ — their hearts; janāḥ — the people; śoka — by sorrow; virmūrcchitāḥ — rendered senseless; tatra — there; sma — indeed; tvaritāḥ — swiftly; jagmuḥ — they went; kṛṣṇa-viśleṣa — by separation from Lord Kṛṣṇa; vihvalāḥ — overwhelmed; vyasavaḥ — lifeless; śerate — they lay; yatra — where; jñātayaḥ — their relatives; ghnantaḥ — striking; ānanam — their own faces.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Dāruka delivered the account of the total destruction of the Vṛṣṇis, and upon hearing this, O Parīkṣit, the people became deeply distraught in their hearts and stunned with sorrow. Feeling the overwhelming pain of separation from Kṛṣṇa, they struck their own faces while hurrying to the place where their relatives lay dead.

 

11.31.18

devakī rohiṇī caiva

vasudevas tathā sutau

kṛṣṇa-rāmāv apaśyantaḥ

śokārtā vijahuḥ smṛtim

 

devakī — Devakī; rohiṇī — Rohiṇī; ca — also; eva — indeed; vasudevaḥ — Vasudeva; tathā — as well; sutau — their two sons; kṛṣṇa-rāmau — Kṛṣṇa and Rāma; apaśyantaḥ — not seeing; śoka-ārtāḥ — feeling the pain of lamentation; vijahuḥ — they lost; smṛtim — their consciousness.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When Devakī, Rohiṇī and Vasudeva could not find their sons, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, they lost consciousness out of anguish.

 

11.31.19

prāṇāḿś ca vijahus tatra

bhagavad-virahāturāḥ

upaguhya patīḿs tāta

citām āruruhuḥ striyaḥ

 

prāṇān — their lives; ca — and; vijahuḥ — they gave up; tatra — there; bhagavat — from the Personality of Godhead; viraha — because of separation; āturāḥ — tormented; upagahya — embracing; patīn — their husbands; tāta — my dear Parīkṣit; citām — the funeral pyre; āruruhuḥ — they climbed upon; striyaḥ — the wives.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Tormented by separation from the Lord, His parents gave up their lives at that very spot. My dear Parīkṣit, the wives of the Yādavas then climbed onto the funeral pyres, embracing their dead husbands.

 

11.31.20

rāma-patnyaś ca tad-deham

upaguhyāgnim āviśan

vasudeva-patnyas tad-gātraḿ

pradyumnādīn hareḥ snuṣāḥ

kṛṣṇa-patnyo 'viśann agniḿ

rukmiṇy-ādyās tad-ātmikāḥ

 

rāma-patnyaḥ — the wives of Lord Balarāma; ca — and; tat-deham — His body; upaguhya — embracing; agnim — the fire; āviśan — entered; vasudeva-patnyaḥ — the wives of Vasudeva; tat-gātram — his body; pradyumna-ādīn — Pradyumna and the others; hareḥ — of Lord Hari; snuṣāḥ — the daughters-in-law; kṛṣṇa-patnyaḥ — the wives of Lord Kṛṣṇa; aviśan — entered; agnim — the fire; rukmiṇī-ādyāḥ — led by Queen Rukmiṇī; tat-ātmikāḥ — whose consciousness was completely absorbed in Him.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The wives of Lord Balarāma also entered the fire and embraced His body, and Vasudeva's wives entered his fire and embraced his body. The daughters-in-law of Lord Hari entered the funeral fires of their respective husbands, headed by Pradyumna. And Rukmiṇī and the other wives of Lord Kṛṣṇa — whose hearts were completely absorbed in Him — entered His fire.

 

11.31.21

arjunaḥ preyasaḥ sakhyuḥ

kṛṣṇasya virahāturaḥ

ātmānaḿ sāntvayām āsa

kṛṣṇa-gītaiḥ sad-uktibhiḥ

 

arjunaḥ — Arjuna; preyasaḥ — of his dear; sakhyuḥ — friend; kṛṣṇasya — Lord Kṛṣṇa; viraha — because of the separation; āturaḥ — distressed; ātmānam — himself; sāntvayām āsa — consoled; kṛṣṇa-gītaiḥ — with the song sung by Lord Kṛṣṇa (the Bhagavad-gītā); sat-uktibhiḥ — with the transcendental words.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Arjuna felt great distress over separation from Lord Kṛṣṇa, his dearmost friend. But he consoled himself by remembering the transcendental words the Lord had sung to him.

 

11.31.22

bandhūnāḿ naṣṭa-gotrāṇām

arjunaḥ sāmparāyikam

hatānāḿ kārayām āsa

yathā-vad anupūrvaśaḥ

 

bandhūnām — of the relatives; naṣṭa-gotrāṇām — who had no remaining immediate family members; arjunaḥ — Arjuna; sāmparāyikam — the funeral rites; hatānām — of the killed; kārayām āsa — had executed; yathā-vat — as prescribed in the Vedas; anupūrvaśaḥ — in order of the seniority of the deceased.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Arjuna then saw to it that the funeral rites were properly carried out for the dead, who had no remaining male family members. He executed the required ceremonies for each of the Yadus, one after another.

 

11.31.23

dvārakāḿ hariṇā tyaktāḿ

samudro 'plāvayat kṣaṇāt

varjayitvā mahā-rāja

śrīmad-bhagavad-ālayam

 

dvārakām — Dvārakā; hariṇā — by Lord Hari; tyaktām — abandoned; samudraḥ — the ocean; aplāvayat — overflooded; kṣaṇāt — immediately; varjayitvā — except for; mahā-rāja — O King; śrīmat-bhagavat — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ālayam — the residence.

 

TRANSLATION

 

As soon as Dvārakā was abandoned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ocean flooded it on all sides, O King, sparing only His palace.

 

11.31.24

nityaḿ sannihitas tatra

bhagavān madhusūdanaḥ

smṛtyāśeṣāśubha-haraḿ

sarva-mańgala-mańgalam

 

nityam — eternally; sannihitaḥ — present; tatra — there; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; madhusūdanaḥ — Madhusūdana; smṛtyā — by remembrance; aśeṣa-aśubha — of everything inauspicious; haram — which takes away; sarva-mańgala — of all auspicious things; mańgalam — the most auspicious.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Lord Madhusūdana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is eternally present in Dvārakā. It is the most auspicious of all auspicious places, and merely remembering it destroys all contamination.

 

11.31.25

strī-bāla-vṛddhān ādāya

hata-śeṣān dhanañjayaḥ

indraprasthaḿ samāveśya

vajraḿ tatrābhyaṣecayat

 

strī — the women; bāla — children; vṛddhān — and elders; ādāya — taking; hata — of the killed; śeṣān — the survivors; dhanañjayaḥ — Arjuna; indraprastham — in the capital of the Pāṇḍavas; samāveśya — resettling; vajram — Vajra, the son of Aniruddha; tatra — there; abhyaṣecayat — placed upon the throne.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Arjuna took the survivors of the Yadu dynasty — the women, children and old men — to Indraprastha, where he installed Vajra as ruler of the Yadus.

 

11.31.26

śrutvā suhṛd-vadhaḿ rājann

arjunāt te pitāmahāḥ

tvāḿ tu vaḿśa-dharaḿ kṛtvā

jagmuḥ sarve mahā-patham

 

śrutvā — hearing; suhṛt — of their friend; vadham — the death; rājan — O King; arjunāt — from Arjuna; te — your; pitāmahāḥ — grandfathers (Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers); tvām — you; tu — and; vaḿśa-dharam — the maintainer of the dynasty; kṛtvā — making; jagmuḥ — they left; sarve — all of them; mahā-patham — for the great journey.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Hearing from Arjuna of the death of their friend, my dear King, your grandfathers established you as the maintainer of the dynasty and left to prepare for their departure from this world.

 

11.31.27

ya etad deva-devasya

viṣṇoḥ karmāṇi janma ca

kīrtayec chraddhayā martyaḥ

sarva-pāpaiḥ pramucyate

 

yaḥ — who; etat — these; deva-devasya — of the Lord of lords; viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu; karmāṇi — the activities; janma — the birth; ca — and; kīrtayet — chants; śraddhayā — with faith; martyaḥ — a human being; sarva-pāpaiḥ — from all sins; pramucyate — becomes completely liberated.

 

TRANSLATION

 

A person who with faith engages in chanting the glories of these various pastimes and incarnations of Viṣṇu, the Lord of lords, will gain liberation from all sins.

 

11.31.28

itthaḿ harer bhagavato rucirāvatāra-

vīryāṇi bāla-caritāni ca śantamāni

anyatra ceha ca śrutāni gṛṇan manuṣyo

bhaktiḿ parāḿ paramahaḿsa-gatau labheta

 

ittham — thus; hareḥ — of Lord Hari; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rucira — attractive; avatāra — of the incarnations; vīryāṇi — the exploits; bāla — childhood; caritāni — pastimes; ca — and; śam-tamāni — most auspicious; anyatra — elsewhere; ca — and; iha — here; ca — also; śrutāni — heard; gṛṇan — clearly chanting; manuṣyaḥ — a person; bhaktim — devotional service; parām — transcendental; paramahaḿsa — of the perfect sages; gatau — for the destination (Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa); labheta — will attain.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The all-auspicious exploits of the all-attractive incarnations of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and also the pastimes He performed as a child, are described in this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and in other scriptures. Anyone who clearly chants these descriptions of His pastimes will attain transcendental loving service unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the goal of all perfect sages.