rule

 

Nrisimha Pranâma

 

 

 

Canto 11

 

Chapter 6

 

Retirement on the Advise of Brahmâ and Uddhava Addressed in Private

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Then [after Nârada had left] did lord Brahmâ surrounded by his sons, the gods and the lords of man, arrive [in Dvârakâ] together with lord Bhava [S'iva], for all living beings the controller favorable, who was accompanied by a host of ghostly beings. (2-4) Indra the powerful controller and his gods [the Maruts], the sons of Aditi, the good of clarity [the Vasus], the protectors of the health [the As'vins], the artists [the Ribhus], the descendants of Angirâ, the expansions of S'iva [the Rudras], the gods of the intellect [the Vis'vedevas], and the gods of commerce [the Sâdhyas], and other demigods; the singers and dancing girls of heaven [Ghandharvas and Apsaras], the ones of excel [the Nâgas], the perfected [Siddhas] and the venerable [Câranas], the treasure keepers [Guhyakas], the seers [the Rishis], the forefathers [Pitas] as also the scientists [Vidyâdharas] and the ones of special talents [the Kinnaras] all together arrived in Dvârakâ eager to see Krishna, the Supreme Lord eradicating the impurities of all places who by His transcendental form enchanting the entire human society spread His fame through all the worlds. (5) In that resplendent city rich in a great abundance saw they with their hungry eyes Lord Krishna so wonderful to behold.

(6) With covering Him, the best of the Yadus, with flower garlands brought from the gardens of heaven praised they Him, the Lord of the Living Being, expressing themselves in ideas and words of charm. (7) The gods said: 'We with our intelligence, senses, vital air, mind and words do bow down to Your lotus feet, o Lord, which are meditated upon within the heart by those united in the love of striving for liberation from the great bondage of karmic reactions. (8) You, by the material energy made up of the three modes, protect and destroy with the inconceivable of Yourself the manifestation, but situated within the modes of that material nature are You by these modes not entangled in karmic activities at all, o You Unconquerable One, since You, the Unimpeded and Unimpeachable One, are always absorbed in Your happiness [see also B.G. 3.22]. (9) O Worshipable One, the purification of those persons who have a contaminated consciousness is by incantations, obeying the injunctions, studying the s'âstras, charity, penances and rituals not as effected as by the faithful listening to the greatest of those situated in goodness who are fully matured in the transcendental glories of You [see also 4.29: 36-38]. (10) May there for us be the lotus feet, the fire annihilating our inauspicious mentality which by the sages desiring the real benefit is carried in hearts appeased, which by the truthful of self-control is carried for gaining a likewise opulence; it is of worshiping three times a day the inciting of You [the catur-vyûha] that one reaches beyond the heavens [see also 11.5: 34]. (11) They are meditated upon by the ones who, having folded their hands, take the ghee into the fire of sacrifice by the [nirukta] process of understanding the three Veda's; they are meditated upon by the yogapracticioners who, inquisitive about Your [yoga-]mâyâ, are united in realizing the True Self and [even more] perfectly are they worshiped by the most elevated of the devotees [see uttama and 11.2: 45-47 ]. (12) S'rî, Your Lordship's consort, does with the withered flower garland of You, o Almighty One, in this feel as competitive as a jealous co-wife because You accept our offering as being properly brought [see also B.G. 9: 26]; may there always be the lotus feet, the fire of the destruction of our impure desires! (13) Your feet with three mighty steps falling [with the water of the Ganges] in each of the three worlds [see 8.20] and as a flag adorning a pole creating fear and fearlessness among the asuras and the godly their respective armies, are there to the saintly for the attainment of heaven and for the envious there for just the opposite, o Most Powerful One; may these feet, o Supreme Lord, purify us, who are worshiping You, from our sins. (14) As oxen bound through the nose do Brahmâ and all the other embodied beings exist, struggling among each other under the control of the Time; may the lotus feet of You, the Supreme Personality in the beyond of both the material nature ànd the individual person, for us spread the transcendental fortune [compare 1.13: 42, 6.3: 12]. (15) You are the cause of this creation, maintenance and annihilation, the cause of the unseen, the individual soul and the greater of the manifest reality; You, this same personality, are said to be the controlling factor of time appearing as a wheel in three, who, as the Time uninterrupted in its flow effecting the diminution of everything, is the Supreme Personality [*]. (16) The masculine [of Mahâvishnu] from You [as the Time] acquiring the potential seed of this creation, impregnates the greater of matter of which He, whose semen is never wasted, joined with that same nature generated from the Self, like an ordinary fetus is produced brought forth the golden primeval egg of the universe endowed with its [seven, see kosha] outer layers. (17) You are therefore of everything mobile and stationary the original Controller, for even though You o Master of Each His Senses engaging with the sense objects Yourself are never touched by them, are others, on their own account being of control, in fear because of these objects who, raised from the transformation of the modes of that material nature, did accumulate [see also B.G. 16: 23-24]. (18) The sixteen thousand [of Your wives] so enchanting in the moments of their displays of feeling as they with their eyebrows, smiles and glances launched the arrows of Cupid, were with their messages and advances of conjugal love, by all their devices not able to perplex Your senses [see also 1.11: 36]. (19) The full rivers of Your nectarean topics and the rivers flowing from bathing Your feet are able to destroy all contamination of the three worlds; it is of the hearing with the ears to the tradition and the being in physical contact taking to [the waters of] Your feet that those who strive for purification approach to associate with these two aims of pilgrimage of You.'

(20) The honorable son of Vyâsa [S'uka] said: 'Along with S'iva and the demigods thus praising Govinda, the Lord, offered he commanding the hundreds [Brahmâ], from his position in the sky, his obeisances. (21) S'rî Brahmâ said: 'You o Lord, o Unlimited Soul, by us for the sake of diminishing the burden of the earth being requested previously, have fulfilled that request as it was expressed. (22) Having established the principles of dharma among the pious and among the seekers of truth are it indeed the glories of You, thus by You disseminated in all directions, which remove the contamination of all worlds. (23) Descending in the Yadu-dynasty have You, for the benefit of the universe assuming a form, with magnanimous deeds performed incomparable activities. (24) O Lord, those saintly humans who in the age of Kali hear and chant about Your activities, will easily cross over the darkness [see also 10.14]. (25) O Supreme Personality, having descended in the Yadu-vams'a have one hundred and twenty-five autumns passed, o Master. (26-27) O You Foundation of Everything, for You there is no longer a duty to the godly, and the remaining part of the dynasty has virtually been annihilated by this curse of the brahmins [see 11.1]. Therefore we ask You, if You mind, to enter Your Supreme Abode, and please to continue with us, the protectors of all worlds and their inhabitants, to protect the servants of Vaikunthha [Lord Vishnu].'

(28) The Supreme Lord said: 'That what you've said is understood by Me, o controller of the demigods; to your favor has all the work been done to remove the burden of the earth. (29) This very Yadu-family has, threatening to devour the whole world in having expanded in its power, courage and opulence, been checked by Me just as an ocean is with a shore. (30) If I were to leave without withdrawing the vast dynasty of overly proud Yadus, would for that reason the whole world be destroyed by this flood. (31) Right now has because of the brahmins' curse the annihilation of the family begun; after that will I, o sinless Brahmâ, pay a visit to your abode.'

(32) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus being addressed by the Lord of the World, fell the selfborn one down at His feet to offer Him his obeisances along with the different gods and returned the godhead to his abode. (33) Thereafter, when the Supreme Lord observed the development of serious disturbances in the city of Dvârakâ, spoke He to the assembled Yadu-elders. (34) The Supreme Lord said: 'These indeed very great disturbances rising here on all sides follow the curse that there of the brahmins was against our family; it is impossible to counteract. (35) We should not desire to live residing here, o venerable ones; let's not delay and this very day go to Prabhâsa, that so very holy place of piety [**]. (36) The king of the stars [the moon god] seized by consumption because of a curse of Daksha, once took a bath there and was immediately freed from the reaction to his sin and resumed the waxing with his phases. (37-38) We also bathing at that place to the satisfaction of the forefathers, feeding the godly and the worshipable ones of learning by offerings of foodstuffs of different tastes and as well distributing gifts with faith in them as suitable candidates of charity, will by our charity, as with boats over an ocean, get across the danger.'

(39) S'rî S'uka said: 'O child of the Kurus, the Yâdavas, thus by the Fortunate One instructed, having made up their minds yoked their horses to their chariots to head for the holy site. (40-41) O King, Uddhava [see also 3.2 and 10.46 & 47], as an ever faithful follower of Krishna hearing that what by the Lord had been said, approached, observing the fearful evil omens [see also 1.14: 2-5], in private the one Controller of the Controllers of All the Living Universe and, at His feet bowing down his head, addressed Him with folded hands. (42) S'rî Uddhava said: 'O Lord and God of Gods, o Master of Yoga, o Piety by Hearing and Singing, withdrawing this family from this world, do You say that, although as the all-pervading benevolent Controller being capable of revoking the curse of the learned ones, You're unable to do so! (43) I'm not even capable to tolerate for half a moment to give up on Your lotus feet, o Kes'ava; please take me to Your abode as well o Master [see also 3.29: 13]. (44) Your pastimes supremely auspicious, o Krishna, are nectar for the ears of men; once they have the taste will people relinquish their desires for other things. (45) How can we, the devotees of You, the dearmost Self, in our lying down, sitting, walking, standing, bathing, recreating and eating and such, ever abandon You? (46) Eating the food remnants and adorned with the garlands, fragrances, garments and ornaments already enjoyed by You, will we, Your servants, for sure conquer the illusory energy. (47) The but in air clad sinless members of the renounced order who as sages of strict observance keep their seed going upwards, go to the abode known as brahman [see ûrdhva retah and also 10.2: 32]. (48-49) We on the other hand, o Greatest of Yogîs, wandering in this world on the paths of fruitive labor will, along with Your devotees, cross over the hard to conquer darkness by discussing the topics with which we remember and glorify Your deeds, words, movements, broad smiles, glances and amorous sports in imitation of the human world.'

(50) S'rî S'uka said: 'This way being requested, o King, spoke the Supreme Lord, the son of Devakî, in private at length to the dear servant Uddhava.'  

 

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Source Texts:

The Yadu Dynasty Retires to Prabhâsa

 

Text 1

S'rî S'uka said: 'Then [after Nârada had left] did lord Brahmâ surrounded by his sons, the gods and the lords of man, arrive [in Dvârakâ] together with lord Bhava [S'iva], for all living beings the controller favorable, who was accompanied by a host of ghostly beings.

S'rî S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said - Lord Brahmâ then set off for Dvârakâ, accompanied by his own sons as well as by the demigods and the great Prajâpatis. Lord S'iva, the bestower of auspiciousness to all living beings, also went, surrounded by many ghostly creatures.

 

Text 2-4:

Indra the powerful controller and his gods [the Maruts], the sons of Aditi, the good of clarity [the Vasus], the protectors of the health [the As'vins], the artists [the Ribhus], the descendants of Angirâ, the expansions of S'iva [the Rudras], the gods of the intellect [the Vis'vedevas], and the gods of commerce [the Sâdhyas], and other demigods; the singers and dancing girls of heaven [Ghandharvas and Apsaras], the ones of excel [the Nâgas], the perfected [Siddhas] and the venerable [Câranas], the treasure keepers [Guhyakas], the seers [the Rishis], the forefathers [Pitas] as also the scientists [Vidyâdharas] and the ones of special talents [the Kinnaras] all together arrived in Dvârakâ eager to see Krishna, the Supreme Lord eradicating the impurities of all places who by His transcendental form enchanting the entire human society spread His fame through all the worlds.

The powerful Lord Indra, along with the Maruts, Âdityas, Vasus, As'vinîs, Ribhus, Angirâs, Rudras, Vis'vedevas, Sâdhyas, Gandharvas, Apsaras, Nâgas, Siddhas, Câranas, Guhyakas, the great sages and forefathers and the Vidyâdharas and Kinnaras, arrived at the city of Dvârakâ, hoping to see Lord Krishna. By His transcendental form, Krishna, the Supreme Lord, enchanted all human beings and spread His own fame throughout the worlds. The Lord's glories destroy all contamination within the universe.

 

Text 5

In that resplendent city rich in a great abundance saw they with their hungry eyes Lord Krishna so wonderful to behold.

In that resplendent city of Dvârakâ, rich with all superior opulences, the demigods beheld with unsatiated eyes the wonderful form of S'rî Krishna.

 

Text6:

With covering Him, the best of the Yadus, with flower garlands brought from the gardens of heaven praised they Him, the Lord of the Living Being, expressing themselves in ideas and words of charm.

The demigods covered the Supreme Lord of the universe with flower garlands brought from the gardens of heaven. Then they praised Him, the best of the Yadu dynasty, with statements containing charming words and ideas.

 

 Text 7

The gods said: 'We with our intelligence, senses, vital air, mind and words do bow down to Your lotus feet, o Lord, which are meditated upon within the heart by those united in the love of striving for liberation from the great bondage of karmic reactions.

The demigods began to speak - Our dear Lord, advanced mystic yogis, striving for liberation from the severe bondage of material work, meditate with great devotion upon Your lotus feet within their hearts. Dedicating our intelligence, senses, vital air, mind and power of speech to Your Lordship, we demigods bow down at Your lotus feet.

 

Text 8

You, by the material energy made up of the three modes, protect and destroy with the inconceivable of Yourself the manifestation, but situated within the modes of that material nature are You by these modes not entangled in karmic activities at all, o You Unconquerable One, since You, the Unimpeded and Unimpeachable One, are always absorbed in Your happiness [see also B.G. 3.22].

O unconquerable Lord, You engage Your illusory energy, composed of three modes, to unleash, maintain and devastate the inconceivable manifest cosmos, all within Your own self. As the supreme superintendent of mâyâ, You appear to be situated in the interaction of the modes of nature; however, You are never affected by material activities. In fact, You are directly engaged in Your own eternal, spiritual bliss, and thus You cannot be accused of any material infection.

 

Text 9

O Worshipable One, the purification of those persons who have a contaminated consciousness is by incantations, obeying the injunctions, studying the s'âstras, charity, penances and rituals not as effected as by the faithful listening to the greatest of those situated in goodness who are fully matured in the transcendental glories of You [see also 4.29: 36-38].

O greatest of all, those whose consciousness is polluted by illusion cannot purify themselves merely by ordinary worship, study of the Vedas, charity, austerity and ritual activities. Our Lord, those pure souls who have developed a powerful transcendental faith in Your glories achieve a purified state of existence that can never be attained by those lacking such faith.

 

Text 10

May there for us be the lotus feet, the fire annihilating our inauspicious mentality which by the sages desiring the real benefit is carried in hearts appeased, which by the truthful of self-control is carried for gaining a likewise opulence; it is of worshiping three times a day the inciting of You [the catur-vyûha] that one reaches beyond the heavens [see also 11.5: 34].

Great sages, desiring the highest benefit in life, always cherish Your lotus feet within their hearts, which are melted by love for You. Similarly, Your self-controlled devotees, desiring to cross beyond the material kingdom of heaven to achieve opulence equal to Yours, worship Your lotus feet in the morning, at noon and in the evening. Thus, they meditate upon Your Lordship in Your quadruple expansion. Your lotus feet are just like a blazing fire that burns to ashes all the inauspicious desires for material sense gratification.

 

 Text 11

They are meditated upon by the ones who, having folded their hands, take the ghee into the fire of sacrifice by the [nirukta] process of understanding the three Veda's; they are meditated upon by the yogapracticioners who, inquisitive about Your [yoga-]mâyâ, are united in realizing the True Self and [even more] perfectly are they worshiped by the most elevated of the devotees [see uttama and 11.2: 45-47 ].

Those about to offer oblations into the fire of sacrifice in accordance with the Rig, Yajur and Sâma Vedas meditate on Your lotus feet. Similarly, the practitioners of transcendental yoga meditate upon Your lotus feet, hoping for knowledge about Your divine mystic potency, and the most elevated pure devotees perfectly worship Your lotus feet, desiring to cross beyond Your illusory potency.

  

 Text 12  

S'rî, Your Lordship's consort, does with the withered flower garland of You, o Almighty One, in this feel as competitive as a jealous co-wife because You accept our offering as being properly brought [see also B.G. 9: 26]; may there always be the lotus feet, the fire of the destruction of our impure desires!

O almighty Lord, You are so kind to Your servants that You have accepted the withered flower garland that we have placed on Your chest. Since the goddess of fortune makes her abode on Your transcendental chest, she will undoubtedly become agitated, like a jealous co-wife, upon seeing our offering also dwelling there. Yet You are so merciful that You neglect Your eternal consort Lakshmî and accept our offering as most excellent worship. O merciful Lord, may Your lotus feet always act as a blazing fire to consume the inauspicious desires within our hearts.

 

Text 13

Your feet with three mighty steps falling [with the water of the Ganges] in each of the three worlds [see 8.20], as a flag adorning a pole, creating fear and fearlessness among the asuras and the godly their respective armies, are there to the saintly for the attainment of heaven and for the envious there for just the opposite, o Most Powerful One; may these feet, o Supreme Lord, purify us, who are worshiping You, from our sins.

O omnipotent Lord, in Your incarnation as Trivikrama, You raised Your leg like a flagpole to break the shell of the universe, allowing the holy Ganges to flow down, like a banner of victory, in three branches throughout the three planetary systems. By three mighty steps of Your lotus feet, Your Lordship captured Bali Mahârâja, along with his universal kingdom. Your lotus feet inspire fear in the demons by driving them down to hell and fearlessness among Your devotees by elevating them to the perfection of heavenly life. We are sincerely trying to worship You, our Lord; therefore may Your lotus feet kindly free us from all of our sinful reactions.

  

 Text 14

As oxen bound through the nose do Brahmâ and all the other embodied beings exist, struggling among each other under the control of the Time; may the lotus feet of You, the Supreme Personality in the beyond of both the material nature ànd the individual person, for us spread the transcendental fortune [compare 1.13: 42, 6.3: 12].

You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the transcendental entity who is superior to both material nature and the enjoyer of nature. May Your lotus feet bestow transcendental pleasure upon us. All of the great demigods, beginning with Brahmâ, are embodied living entities. Struggling painfully with one another under the strict control of Your time factor, they are just like bulls dragged by ropes tied through their pierced noses.

 

 Text 15  

You are the cause of this creation, maintenance and annihilation, the cause of the unseen, the individual soul and the greater of the manifest reality; You, this same personality, are said to be the controlling factor of time appearing as a wheel in three, who, as the Time uninterrupted in its flow effecting the diminution of everything, is the Supreme Personality. [*].

You are the cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of this universe. As time, You regulate the subtle and manifest states of material nature and control every living being. As the threefold wheel of time You diminish all things by Your imperceptible actions, and thus You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

Text 16

The masculine [of Mahâvishnu] from You [as the Time] acquiring the potential seed of this creation, impregnates the greater of matter of which He, whose semen is never wasted, joined with that same nature generated from the Self, like an ordinary fetus is produced, brought forth the golden primeval egg of the universe endowed with its [seven, see kosha] outer layers.

My dear Lord, the original purusha-avatâra, Mahâ-Vishnu, acquires His creative potency from You. Thus with infallible energy He impregnates material nature, producing the mahat-tattva. Then the mahat-tattva, the amalgamated material energy, endowed with the potency of the Lord, produces from itself the primeval golden egg of the universe, which is covered by various layers of material elements.

 

Text 17  

You are therefore of everything mobile and stationary the original Controller, for even though You o Master of Each His Senses engaging with the sense objects Yourself are never touched by them, are others, on their own account being of control, in fear because of these objects who, raised from the transformation of the modes of that material nature, did accumulate [see also B.G. 16: 23-24].

O Lord, You are the supreme creator of this universe and the ultimate controller of all moving and nonmoving living entities. You are Hrishîkes'a, the supreme controller of all sensory activity, and thus You never become contaminated or entangled in the course of Your supervision of the infinite sensory activities within the material creation. On the other hand, other living entities, even yogîs and philosophers, are disturbed and frightened simply by remembering the material objects that they have supposedly renounced in their pursuit of enlightenment.

 

 Text 18

The sixteen thousand [of Your wives] so enchanting in the moments of their displays of feeling as they with their eyebrows, smiles and glances launched the arrows of Cupid, were with their messages and advances of conjugal love, by all their devices not able to perplex Your senses [see also 1.11: 36].

My Lord, You are living with sixteen thousand exquisitely beautiful, aristocratic wives. By their irresistible coy and smiling glances and by their lovely arching eyebrows, they send You messages of eager conjugal love. But they are completely unable to disturb the mind and senses of Your Lordship.

 

Text 19

The full rivers of Your nectarean topics and the rivers flowing from bathing Your feet are able to destroy all contamination of the three worlds; it is of the hearing with the ears to the tradition and the being in physical contact taking to [the waters of] Your feet that those who strive for purification approach to associate with these two aims of pilgrimage of You.'

The nectar-bearing rivers of discussions about You, and also the holy rivers generated from the bathing of Your lotus feet, are able to destroy all contamination within the three worlds. Those who are striving for purification associate with the holy narrations of Your glories by hearing them with their ears, and they associate with the holy rivers flowing from Your lotus feet by physically bathing in them.

 

Text 20

The honorable son of Vyâsa [S'uka] said: 'Along with S'iva and the demigods thus praising Govinda, the Lord, offered he commanding the hundreds [Brahmâ], from his position in the sky, his obeisances.

S'rî S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued - After Brahmâ, along with Lord S'iva and the other demigods, thus offered prayers to the Supreme Lord, Govinda, Lord Brahmâ situated himself in the sky and addressed the Lord as follows.

 

Text 21

S'rî Brahmâ said: 'You o Lord, o Unlimited Soul, by us for the sake of diminishing the burden of the earth being requested previously, have fulfilled that request as it was expressed.

Lord Brahmâ said - My dear Lord, previously we requested You to remove the burden of the earth. O unlimited Personality of Godhead, that request has certainly been fulfilled.

 

 Text 22

Having established the principles of dharma among the pious and among the seekers of truth are it indeed the glories of You, thus by You disseminated in all directions, which remove the contamination of all worlds.

My Lord, You have reestablished the principles of religion among pious men who are always firmly bound to the truth. You have also distributed Your glories all over the world, and thus the whole world can be purified by hearing about You.

 

 Text 23

Descending in the Yadu-dynasty have You, for the benefit of the universe assuming a form, with magnanimous deeds performed incomparable activities.

Descending into the dynasty of King Yadu, You have manifested Your unique transcendental form, and for the benefit of the entire universe You have executed magnanimous transcendental activities.

 

 Text 24

O Lord, those saintly humans who in the age of Kali hear and chant about Your activities, will easily cross over the darkness [see also 10.14].

My dear Lord, those pious and saintly persons who in the age of Kali hear about Your transcendental activities and also glorify them will easily cross over the darkness of the age.

 

 Text 25

O Supreme Personality, having descended in the Yadu-vams'a have one hundred and twenty-five autumns passed, o Master.

O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O my Lord, You have descended into the Yadu dynasty, and thus You have spent one hundred twenty-five autumns with Your devotees.

 

 Text 26-27

O You Foundation of Everything, for You there is no longer a duty to the godly, and the remaining part of the dynasty has virtually been annihilated by this curse of the brahmins [see 11.1]. Therefore we ask You, if You mind, to enter Your Supreme Abode, and please to continue with us, the protectors of all worlds and their inhabitants, to protect the servants of Vaikunthha [Lord Vishnu].'

My dear Lord, there is nothing remaining at this time for Your Lordship to do on behalf of the demigods. You have already withdrawn Your dynasty by the curse of the brâhmanas. O Lord, You are the basis of everything, and if You so desire, kindly return now to Your own abode in the spiritual world. At the same time, we humbly beg that You always protect us. We are Your humble servants, and on Your behalf we are managing the universal situation. We, along with our planets and followers, require Your constant protection.

  

 Text 28

The Supreme Lord said: 'That what you've said is understood by Me, o controller of the demigods; to your favor has all the work been done to remove the burden of the earth.

The Supreme Lord said: O lord of the demigods, Brahmâ, I understand your prayers and request. Having removed the burden of the earth, I have executed everything that was required on your behalf.

 

 Text 29

This very Yadu-family has, threatening to devour the whole world in having expanded in its power, courage and opulence, been checked by Me just as an ocean is with a shore.

That very Yâdava dynasty in which I appeared became greatly magnified in opulence, especially in their physical strength and courage, to the extent that they threatened to devour the whole world. Therefore I have stopped them, just as the shore holds back the great ocean.

 

 Text 30

If I were to leave without withdrawing the vast dynasty of overly proud Yadus, would for that reason the whole world be destroyed by this flood.

If I were to leave this world without withdrawing the overly proud members of the Yadu dynasty, the whole world would be destroyed by the deluge of their unlimited expansion.

 

 Text 31

Right now has because of the brahmins' curse the annihilation of the family begun; after that will I, o sinless Brahmâ, pay a visit to your abode.'

Now due to the brâhmana's curse, the annihilation of My family has already begun. O sinless Brahmâ, when this annihilation is finished and I am enroute to Vaikunthha, I will pay a small visit to your abode.

 

 Text 32

S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus being addressed by the Lord of the World, fell the selfborn one down at His feet to offer Him his obeisances along with the different gods and returned the godhead to his abode.

S'rî S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said - Thus addressed by the Lord of the universe, the self-born Brahmâ fell down in obeisances at the lotus feet of the Lord. Surrounded by all the demigods, the great Brahmâ then returned to his personal abode.

 

 Text 33

Thereafter, when the Supreme Lord observed the development of serious disturbances in the city of Dvârakâ, spoke He to the assembled Yadu-elders.

Thereafter, the Personality of Godhead observed that tremendous disturbances were taking place in the holy city of Dvârakâ. Thus the Lord spoke to the assembled senior members of the Yadu dynasty as follows.

 

 Text 34

The Supreme Lord said: 'These indeed very great disturbances rising here on all sides follow the curse that there of the brahmins was against our family; it is impossible to counteract.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Our dynasty has been cursed by the brâhmanas. Such a curse is impossible to counteract, and thus great disturbances are appearing everywhere around us.

 

 Text 35

We should not desire to live residing here, o venerable ones; let's not delay and this very day go to Prabhâsa, that so very holy place of piety [**].

My dear respected elders, we must not remain any longer in this place if we wish to keep our lives intact. Let us go this very day to the most pious place Prabhâsa. We have no time to delay.

 

 Text 36

The king of the stars [the moon god] seized by consumption because of a curse of Daksha, once took a bath there and was immediately freed from the reaction to his sin and resumed the waxing with his phases.

Once, the moon was afflicted with consumption because of the curse of Daksha, but just by taking bath at Prabhâsa-kshetra, the moon was immediately freed from his sinful reaction and again resumed the waxing of his phases.

 

 Text 37-38

We also bathing at that place to the satisfaction of the forefathers, feeding the godly and the worshipable ones of learning by offerings of foodstuffs of different tastes and as well distributing gifts with faith in them as suitable candidates of charity, will by our charity, as with boats over an ocean, get across the danger.'

By bathing at Prabhâsa-kshetra, by offering sacrifice there to placate the forefathers and demigods, by feeding the worshipable brâhmanas with various delicious foodstuffs and by bestowing opulent gifts upon them as the most suitable candidates for charity, we will certainly cross over these terrible dangers through such acts of charity, just as one can cross over a great ocean in a suitable boat.

 

 Text 39

S'rî S'uka said: 'O child of the Kurus, the Yâdavas, thus by the Fortunate One instructed, having made up their minds yoked their horses to their chariots to head for the holy site.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: O favorite son of the Kurus, thus advised by the Personality of Godhead, the Yâdavas made up their minds to go to that holy place, Prabhâsa-kshetra, and thus yoked their horses to their chariots.

 

 Text 40-41

O King, Uddhava [see also 3.2 and 10.46 & 47], as an ever faithful follower of Krishna hearing that what by the Lord had been said, approached, observing the fearful evil omens [see also 1.14: 2-5], in private the one Controller of the Controllers of All the Living Universe and, at His feet bowing down his head, addressed Him with folded hands.

My dear King, Uddhava was a constantly faithful follower of Lord Krishna. Upon seeing the imminent departure of the Yâdavas, hearing from them of the Lord's instructions and taking note of the fearful omens, he approached the Personality of Godhead in a private place. He bowed down with his head at the lotus feet of the supreme controller of the universe and with folded hands addressed Him as follows.

 

 Text 42

S'rî Uddhava said: 'O Lord and God of Gods, o Master of Yoga, o Piety by Hearing and Singing, withdrawing this family from this world, do You say that, although as the all-pervading benevolent Controller being capable of revoking the curse of the learned ones, You're unable to do so!

S'rî Uddhava said - O my Lord, O supreme God among all the demigods, real piety is invoked simply by hearing and chanting Your transcendental glories. My Lord, it appears that You will now withdraw Your dynasty, and thus You Yourself will finally give up Your pastimes within this universe. You are the supreme controller and the master of all mystic power. But although You are fully capable of counteracting the brâhmanas' curse against Your dynasty, You are not doing so, and Your disappearance is imminent.

 

 Text 43

I'm not even capable to tolerate for half a moment to give up on Your lotus feet, o Kes'ava; please take me to Your abode as well o Master [see also 3.29: 13].

O Lord Kes'ava, my dear master, I cannot tolerate giving up Your lotus feet even for a fraction of a moment. I urge You to take me along with You to Your own abode.

 

 Text 44

Your pastimes supremely auspicious, o Krishna, are nectar for the ears of men; once they have the taste will people relinquish their desires for other things.

O my dear Krishna, Your pastimes are supremely auspicious for mankind and are an intoxicating beverage for the ears. Tasting such pastimes, people forget their desires for other things.

 

 Text 45

How can we, the devotees of You, the dearmost Self, in our lying down, sitting, walking, standing, bathing, recreating and eating and such, ever abandon You?

My dear Lord, You are the Supreme Soul, and thus You are most dear to us. We are Your devotees, and how can we possibly reject You or live without You even for a moment? Whether we are lying down, sitting, walking, standing, bathing, enjoying recreation, eating or doing anything else, we are constantly engaged in Your service.

 

 Text 46

Eating the food remnants and adorned with the garlands, fragrances, garments and ornaments already enjoyed by You, will we, Your servants, for sure conquer the illusory energy.

Simply by decorating ourselves with the garlands, fragrant oils, clothes and ornaments that You have already enjoyed, and by eating the remnants of Your meals, we, Your servants, will indeed conquer Your illusory energy.

 

 Text 47

The but in air clad sinless members of the renounced order who as sages of strict observance keep their seed going upwards, go to the abode known as brahman [see ûrdhva retah and also 10.2: 32].

Naked sages who seriously endeavor in spiritual practice, who have raised their semen upward, who are peaceful and sinless members of the renounced order, attain the spiritual abode called Brahman.

 

 Text 48-49

We on the other hand, o Greatest of Yogîs, wandering in this world on the paths of fruitive labor will, along with Your devotees, cross over the hard to conquer darkness by discussing the topics with which we remember and glorify Your deeds, words, movements, broad smiles, glances and amorous sports in imitation of the human world.

O greatest of mystics, although we are conditioned souls wandering on the path of fruitive work, we will certainly cross beyond the darkness of this material world simply by hearing about Your Lordship in the association of Your devotees. Thus we are always remembering and glorifying the wonderful things You do and the wonderful things You say. We ecstatically recall Your amorous pastimes with Your confidential conjugal devotees and how You boldly smile and move about while engaged in such youthful pastimes. My dear Lord, Your loving pastimes are bewilderingly similar to the activities of ordinary people within this material world.

 

  Text 50

S'rî S'uka said: 'This way being requested, o King, spoke the Supreme Lord, the son of Devakî, in private at length to the dear servant Uddhava.'

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: O King Parîkshit, thus addressed, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the son of Devakî, began to reply confidentially to His dear, unalloyed servant Uddhava.

 

*: Time in three can be regarded as the three types of seasons, summer winter and spring/autumn or as the three to the order, the cakra, of the sun, moon and the stars or the past, the present and the future and as the time of nature, culture and the psychological experience [see also tri-kâlika, 5.22: 2, time-quotes and B.G. 10.30 & 33, 11: 32].

**: Prabhâsa is a famous holy place located near the Veraval railway station, within the region of Junagarah. At the base of the same pippala tree under which Lord Krishna was reported to have reposed there is now a temple. One mile away from the tree, on the seashore, is the Vîra-prabhañjana Mathha, and it is said that from this point the hunter Jarâ fired the arrow which marked the end of His earthly presence [as described in the last two chapters of this Canto].

 

 

 

 

 

For this original translation was used the Vedabase of the BBT offering the work
that Svâmi Prabhupâda's pupils did to complete his translation of the Bhâgavatam.
See the
S'rîmad Bhâgavatam links-page
for this and more books of Prabhupâda.
The image of Time on this page is by
Johannes Ptok
Production:
Filognostic Association of The Order of Time


 

 

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