SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 11

S'rî S'uka said: 'After Lord Krishna surrounded by the Yadus together with Râma realized the elimination of the Daityas and reduced the burden of the earth, rose very soon a conflict [between the Kauravas and the Pândavas].

S'rî S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said - Lord S'rî Krishna, accompanied by Balarâma and surrounded by the Yadu dynasty, executed the killing of many demons. Then, further to remove the burden of the earth, the Lord arranged for the great Battle of Kurukshetra, which suddenly erupted in violence between the Kurus and the Pândavas. (Vedabase)

Text 2

The Supreme Lord who relieved the earth of her burden by killing all the kings that assembled on opposite sides to fight, made the ones who time and again were driven mad by the duplicitous gambling, the insults, the grabbing by the hair [of Draupadî] and the other transgressions of their enemies, the immediate cause [of the dynastic struggle, see also Yayâti and 10.49 & 10.68].

Because the sons of Pându were enraged by the numerous offenses of their enemies, such as duplicitous gambling, verbal insults, the seizing of Draupadî's hair, and many other cruel transgressions, the Supreme Lord engaged those Pândavas as the immediate cause to execute His will. On the pretext of the Battle of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna arranged for all the kings who were burdening the earth to assemble with their armies on opposite sides of the battlefield, and when the Lord killed them through the agency of war, the earth was relieved of its burden. (Vedabase)

Text 3

After the Yadus under the protection of His own arms had eliminated the kings who with their royal armies had burdened the world, thought the Unfathomable Lord to Himself: 'One may say that the burden of the earth has been eliminated, but I don't think it's gone; with the Yadu dynasty itself is the intolerable alas remaining [see also 4.16: 13].

The Supreme Personality of Godhead used the Yadu dynasty, which was protected by His own arms, to eliminate the kings who with their armies had been the burden of this earth. Then the unfathomable Lord thought to Himself, 'Although some may say that the earth's burden is now gone, in My opinion it is not yet gone, because there still remains the Yâdava dynasty itself, whose strength is unbearable for the earth.' (Vedabase)

Text 4

They who in every respect sought their refuge in Me were never frustrated in the control they exercized, thus have they no defeat to fear from any other side. Therefore I'll inspire a quarrel within the Yadu-dynasty like fire in a bamboo-grove and will I thus achieve [My purpose:] My abode of peace [see also 3.3: 14 and 8.8: 37].'

Lord Krishna thought, 'No outside force could ever bring about the defeat of this family, the Yadu dynasty, whose members have always been fully surrendered to Me and are unrestricted in their opulence. But if I inspire a quarrel within the dynasty, that quarrel will act just like a fire created from the friction of bamboo in a grove, and then I shall achieve My real purpose and return to My eternal abode.' (Vedabase)

Text 5

Thus having decided o King, withdrew the Controller, the Almighty One whose every desire comes to pass, His family by means of a curse that was pronounced against them by the brahmins.

My dear King Parîkshit, when the supreme almighty Lord, whose desire always comes to pass, had thus made up His mind, He withdrew His own family on the pretext of a curse spoken by an assembly of brâhmanas. (Vedabase)

Text 6-7

By His own form, the beauty of all the worlds, delivering the eyes of men, by His words delivering the minds of all who remembered them and by His feet delivering the [devotional] activities to them, demonstrated the Lord, who thus had been of attraction and had attained His position, that to His opinion the people who were ignorant, with the on earth spreading of His glories in the best of verses, very easily with [the listening to and chanting of] them would attain their destination [see also 7.5: 23-24].'

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the reservoir of all beauty. All beautiful things emanate from Him, and His personal form is so attractive that it steals the eyes away from all other objects, which then seem devoid of beauty in comparison to Him. When Lord Krishna was on the earth, He attracted the eyes of all people. When Krishna spoke, His words attracted the minds of all who remembered them. By seeing the footsteps of Lord Krishna, people became attracted to Him, and thus they wanted to offer their bodily activities to the Lord as His followers. In this way Krishna very easily spread His glories, which are sung throughout the world by the most sublime and essential Vedic verses. Lord Krishna considered that simply by hearing and chanting those glories, conditioned souls born in the future would cross beyond the darkness of ignorance. Being satisfied with this arrangement, He left for His desired destination. (Vedabase)

Text 8

The King said: 'How could it happen that this curse against the Vrishnis was pronounced by the brahmins? The Vrishnis who were fully absorbed in Krishna, were always charitable and respectful with the learned ones and served the elders.

King Parîkshit inquired - How could the brâhmanas curse the Vrishnis, who were always respectful to the brâhmanas, charitable, and inclined to serve senior and exalted personalities and whose minds were always fully absorbed in thought of Lord Krishna? (Vedabase)

Text 9

What motivated them to such a serious curse and what was its nature, o purest of the twice-born? Please tell me how there, among those who shared the same soul [of Krishna], could be this discord.'

King Parîkshit continued inquiring - What was the motive for this curse? What did it consist of, O purest of the twice-born? And how could such a disagreement have arisen among the Yadus, who all shared the same goal of life? Please tell me all these things. (Vedabase)

Text 10

The son of Vyâsa said: 'Carrying a body that was the amalgamation of all things beautiful, on earth performing the most auspicious activities and fully satisfied enjoying His life as He resided in His abode [of Dvârakâ], wanted He, who was so greatly sung, to destroy His dynasty. That was the only thing left to do.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said - The Lord, who bore His body as the amalgamation of everything beautiful, dutifully executed the most auspicious activities while on the earth, although He was, in fact, without any endeavor already satisfied in all desires. Residing in His abode and enjoying life, the Lord, whose glorification is in itself magnanimous, now wanted to annihilate His dynasty, as there still remained some small part of His duty to be carried out. (Vedabase)

Text 11-12

After having performed favorable rituals to bestow piety, stayed the sages Vis'vâmitra, Asita, Kanva, Durvâsâ, Bhrigu, Angirâ, Kas'yapa, Vâmadeva, Atri, Vasishthha, along with Nârada and others, [some day] in the house of the lord of the Yadus [Vasudeva]. Thereafter went they to Pindâraka [a site of pilgrimage] to the occasion of which the Lord bid them farewell, He, the Soul of Time about whom chanting is so auspicious for the entire world because the impurities of Kali-yuga are taken away by it.

The sages Vis'vâmitra, Asita, Kanva, Durvâsâ, Bhrigu, Angirâ, Kas'yapa, Vâmadeva, Atri and Vasishthha, along with Nârada and others, once performed fruitive rituals that award abundant pious results, bring great happiness and take away the sins of Kali-yuga for the whole world by merely being recounted. The sages duly executed these rituals in the home of the chief of the Yadus, Vasudeva, the father of Lord Krishna. After Lord Krishna, who was staying in Vasudeva's house as time personified, respectfully sent the sages off at the conclusion of the ceremonies, they went to the holy place called Pindâraka. (Vedabase)

Text 13-15

There were they by the young boys of the Yadu dynasty in a game approached in which Sâmba the son of Jâmbavatî [see also 10.68] had dressed up in woman's clothes. Taking hold of their feet asked they, feigning humility, impudently: 'This black-eyed pregnant woman would like to have a son, o learned ones. But she is too embarrassed to ask it herself. Therefore we ask you whether you, with your vision that is never clouded, can tell whether she'll give birth to a son or not?'

To that holy place, the young boys of the Yadu dynasty had brought Sâmba, son of Jâmbavatî, dressed in woman's garb. Playfully approaching the great sages gathered there, the boys grabbed hold of the sages' feet and impudently asked them with feigned humility, 'O learned brâhmanas, this black-eyed pregnant woman has something to ask you. She is too embarrassed to inquire for herself. She is just about to give birth and is very desirous of having a son. Since all of you are great sages with infallible vision, please tell us whether her child will be a boy or a girl.' (Vedabase)

Text 16

o King, the sages thus being tricked said angered to the boys: 'She will bear you, o fools, a mace which will destroy the dynasty!'

Thus ridiculed by deceit, the sages became angry, O King, and told the boys, 'Fools! She will bear you an iron club that will destroy your entire dynasty.' (Vedabase)

Text 17

They, most terrified to hear that, hastily uncovered the belly of Sâmba wherein they indeed found a club made of iron.

Upon hearing the curse of the sages, the terrified boys quickly uncovered the belly of Sâmba, and indeed they observed that therein was an iron club. (Vedabase)

Text 18

'What have we done, what will the family say of us? What a bad luck!' Thus being overwhelmed speaking took they the club and went they home.

The young men of the Yadu dynasty said, 'Oh, what have we done? We are so unfortunate! What will our family members say to us?' Speaking thus and being very disturbed, they returned to their homes, taking the club with them. (Vedabase)

Text 19

With the beauty of their faces faded, brought they the club to the king [Ugrasena] during a meeting of all the Yadus and told they what had happened.

The Yadu boys, the luster of their faces completely faded, brought the club into the royal assembly, and in the presence of all the Yâdavas they told King Ugrasena what had happened. (Vedabase)

Text 20

When they saw the club and heard about the infallible curse of the learned, o King, were the inhabitants of Dvârakâ amazed and distraught with fear.

O King Parîkshit, when the inhabitants of Dvârakâ heard of the infallible curse of the brâhmanas and saw the club, they were astonished and distraught with fear. (Vedabase)

Text 21

Having that club ground to bits threw Âhuka [Ugrasena], the Yadu king, the bits together with the remaining iron of the club into the water of the ocean.

After having the club ground to bits, King Âhuka [Ugrasena] of the Yadus personally threw the pieces, along with the remaining lump of iron, into the water of the ocean. (Vedabase)

Text 22

The lump was swallowed by some fish. The bits were from that place by the waves carried away and washed ashore where they grew into sharp canes [called eraka].

A certain fish swallowed the iron lump, and the bits of iron, carried back to the shore by the waves, implanted themselves there and grew into tall, sharp canes. (Vedabase)

Text 23

The fish in the ocean was together with others caught in a net by a fisherman. The piece of iron contained in the fish's stomach was fixed by a hunter [called Jarâ] on an arrow [as an arrowhead].

The fish was caught in the ocean along with other fish in a fishermen's net. The iron lump in the fish's stomach was taken by the hunter Jarâ, who fixed it as an arrowhead at the end of his shaft. (Vedabase)

Text 24

The Supreme Lord very well knowing the meaning of all that happened, didn't want to undo what had passed though and accepted, exhibiting His form of Time, the curse of the brahmins.'

Knowing fully the significance of all these events, the Supreme Lord, though capable of reversing the brâhmanas' curse, did not wish to do so. Rather, in His form of time, He gladly sanctioned the events. (Vedabase)