SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 3

(7) Beautiful with His blackish color, of pure goodness and peaceful with His reddish eyes, He could be recognized as having four arms and yellow silken garments [Vishnu]. (8) Resting with His right foot on His thigh against a young banyan tree He looked quite cheerful having left His household comforts.

(9) At that time [Maitreya,] a great devotee and follower of Krishna-dvaipâyana Vyâsa [Vyâsadeva], a well-wisher and friend traveling the three worlds, on his own accord [also] arrived at that place. (10) As the sage, attached to Him bent over in a pleasing attitude, with rapt attention was listening, allowed He, with kind glances and smiles, me to rest and spoke He to me. (11) The Supreme Lord said: 'I know from within what you desired in the days of yore when the wealthy ones who built this world were sacrificing. I give you that which by others is so difficult to achieve, o wealthy one: the association with Me you desire as the ultimate goal of life. (12) This life now is of all your incarnations, o honest one, the ultimate one because you achieved My mercy; as it is because of Me that, in the seclusion of quitting the worlds of man, you came to see what you saw in your unflinching devotion [viz. Vaikunthha]. (13) Long ago, in the beginning of creation, I told Brahmâ on the lotus that came out of My navel of the knowledge of the supreme of My transcendental glories, clarifying that which the theists call the Bhâgavatam.'

(14) Thus being favored by His addressing me, I at each instant being the object of the Supreme Personality His mercy, out of my own affection saw my hairs standing on end and with my eyes hazy of smearing my tears, I with folded hands said: (15) 'O my Lord, for those who live to Your feet, which are so difficult to obtain, it is in this world all a matter of the four goals of life [dharma, artha, kâma, moksha; religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation], but yet I have no preference for them, o Great One, as I am anxious to serve Your lotus feet only. (16) Although without desires You engage in all kinds of activities, although unborn You still take birth, although the controller of eternal Time, You take shelter of the fortress out of fear for Your enemies and although You enjoy in Yourself, You lead a household life in the association of women; this bewilders the intelligence of the learned in this world. (17) You are never divided under the influence of time, yet do You, in Your eternal intelligence o Master, call me in for consultation, as if You are bewildered while that is never so; that is boggling my mind, o Lord. (18) If You deem me sufficiently competent, then please, my Lord, tell me in detail about the sum total of the knowledge, the mystery and supreme enlightening of Your own Self, the way You told it Brahmâjî, as the Supreme Lord for crossing over the ocean of miseries.'

(19) Thus being prayed to by me from the core of my heart, He, the lotus-eyed Supreme Lord of the beyond, instructed me on His transcendental situation. (20) So have I thus, under the instruction of the Master, worshiped and studied the reality of the soul, understanding the path by respecting His lotus feet and did I, after circumambulating Him, reach this place with sadness in my heart due to being separated. (21) Thus, my best one [Vidura], I am now in pain without the pleasure of seeing Him and will go, as instructed by Him, to Badarikâs'rama [in the Himalayas] for association. (22) There did Nârâyana, in the incarnation of His humanity and Supreme Lordship [Nara and Nârâyana], as a sage amiable to everyone severe penance for a long time for the welfare of all living beings.'

(23) S'rî S'uka said: 'Hearing from Uddhava about the unbearable of the annihilation of his friends and relatives, the learned Vidura pacified, by means of transcendental knowledge, his rising bereavement. (24) As the great devotee of the Lord and best among the Kauravas was leaving, submitted Vidura in confidence the following to the chief in the devotional service of Krishna. (25) Vidura said: 'The Lord of Yoga enlightened you on the mystery of the transcendental knowledge of one's own soul - now of your own good self please tell it to me for the reason of being worth of Vishnu and the servants who wander for the interest of others.' (26) Uddhava then said: 'Turn yourself to the worshipable sage, the son of Kushâru [Maitreya] who stays nearby and who was directly instructed by the Supreme Lord while quitting the mortal world.

(27) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus discussing with Vidura the nectar of the Universal Person His qualities, he was greatly overwhelmed thereof at the bank of the Sarasvatî river and after passing the night that way as in a moment, the son of Aupagava went away.'

(28) The king [Parîkchit] asked: 'How could it be that after the destruction that came over the Vrishni and Bhoja dynasty, the great leader in command among them, the prominent Uddhava was the only one to remain after the Lord completed His pastimes as the Master over the three worlds?

(29) S'rî S'uka said: 'The cursing of the brahmins [of the Yadu-dynasty] was only a plea, factually it was the [Lord His] unfailing desire to end the excess of His own family after which He gave up His universal appearance and thought to Himself: (30) 'Having disappeared from this world the knowledge of Myself and My shelter will certainly befall Uddhava directly, who is at present the foremost of the devotees. (31) Uddhava is not in the least inferior to Me as he is never affected by the material modes and therefore, as the master of the knowledge of Me, may remain to disseminate it in this world'. (32) Thus being perfectly taught by the spiritual master and source of all vedic knowledge of the three worlds he [Uddhava] reached Badarikâs'rama and was he happy in being absorbed in the Lord. (33) Vidura also heard from Uddhava about how Krishna, the Supersoul, extraordinarily assumed a form for the ways of the world and also most gloriously worked Himself above it. (34) His entering the body is for as well the persevering great sages as for others very difficult to understand and for the beastly ones simply a mental disturbance. (35) This was also true for himself, o best amongst the Kurus, when he thought of how Krishna had remembered him, and with the Fortunate One having left, cried he out loud overwhelmed by the joy of ecstasy.

(36) O best of the Bharatas, Vidura thus having passed his days on the bank of the Yamunâ [see 3:1.24], thereafter reached the holy waters of the Ganges where he, the son of Mitra [in the sense of being the incarnation of Yamarâja as the son of a s'ûdra, see 1.13:15], met the sage Maitreya.

Uddhava said: 'After, with the permission of the brahmins, partaking of the offerings they [the Yadus] drank liquor of which they spoilt their minds and touched each others hearts with harsh words.

Thereafter, all of them [the descendants of Vrishni and Bhoja], being permitted by the brâhmanas, partook of the remnants of prasâda and also drank liquor made of rice. By drinking they all became delirious, and, bereft of knowledge, they touched the cores of each other's hearts with harsh words. (Vedabase)

Text 2

At sunset, they who lost their balance of mind because of the faults of that intoxication, saw the destruction of the bamboos [with which they started fighting oneother] take place.

As by the friction of bamboos destruction takes place, so also, at sunset, by the interaction of the faults of intoxication, all their minds became unbalanced, and destruction took place. (Vedabase)

Text 3

The Supreme Lord, who from His internal potency foresaw the end, went to the River the Sarasvatî and after sipping water He sat down underneath a tree.

The Personality of Godhead, Lord S'rî Krishna, after foreseeing the end [of His family] by His internal potency, went to the bank of the River Sarasvatî, sipped water, and sat down underneath a tree. (Vedabase)

Text 4

I was told by the Lord of the Surrendered who vanquishes all distress, that indeed I should go to Badarikâs'rama to see you about Him who desired to destroy His own family.

The Lord is the vanquisher of the distresses of one who is surrendered unto Him. Thus He who desired to destroy His family told me previously to go to Badarikâs'rama. (Vedabase)

Text 5

Yet in spite of His wish did I, o subduer of the enemy [Vidura], follow the Master not able to bear the being separated from His lotus feet.

Yet in spite of my knowing His desire [to destroy the dynasty], O Arindama [Vidura], I followed Him because it was impossible for me to bear separation from the lotus feet of the master. (Vedabase)

Text 6

I saw Him, He who doesn't need to take shelter, my Patron and Master, sitting alone thinking deeply, taking shelter of the goddess at that riverbank.

Thus following, I saw my patron and master [Lord Krishna] sitting alone and deeply thinking, taking shelter on the bank of the River Sarasvatî although He is the shelter of the goddess of fortune. (Vedabase)

Text 7

Beautiful with His blackish color, of pure goodness and peaceful with His reddish eyes, He could be recognized as having four arms and yellow silken garments [Vishnu].

The Lord's body is blackish, but is eternal, full of bliss and knowledge, and very, very beautiful. His eyes are always peaceful, and they are reddish like the rising morning sun. I could immediately recognize Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His four hands, different symbolic representations, and yellow silk garments. (Vedabase)

Text 8

Resting with His right foot on His thigh against a young banyan tree He looked quite cheerful having left His household comforts.

The Lord was sitting, taking rest against a young banyan tree, with His right lotus foot on His left thigh, and although He had left all household comforts, He looked quite cheerful in that posture. (Vedabase)

Text 9

At that time [Maitreya,] a great devotee and follower of Krishna-dvaipâyana Vyâsa [Vyâsadeva], a well-wisher and friend traveling the three worlds, on his own accord [also] arrived at that place.

At that time, after traveling in many parts of the world, Maitreya, a great devotee of the Lord and a friend and well-wisher of the great sage Krishna-dvaipâyana Vyâsa, reached that spot out of his own perfect accord. (Vedabase)

Text 10

As the sage, attached to Him bent over in a pleasing attitude, with rapt attention was listening, allowed He, with kind glances and smiles, me to rest and spoke He to me.

Maitreya Muni was greatly attached to Him [the Lord], and he was listening in a pleasing attitude, with his shoulder lowered. With a smile and a particular glance upon me, having allowed me to rest, the Lord spoke as follows. (Vedabase)

Text 11

The Supreme Lord said: 'I know from within what you desired in the days of yore when the wealthy ones who built this world were sacrificing. I give you that which by others is so difficult to achieve, o wealthy one: the association with Me you desire as the ultimate goal of life.

O Vasu, I know from within your mind what you desired in the days of yore when the Vasus and other demigods responsible for expanding the universal affairs performed sacrifices. You particularly desired to achieve My association. This is very difficult to obtain for others, but I award it unto you. (Vedabase)

Text 12

This life now is of all your incarnations, o honest one, the ultimate one because you achieved My mercy; as it is because of Me that, in the seclusion of quitting the worlds of man, you came to see what you saw in your unflinching devotion [viz. Vaikunthha].

O honest one, your present life is the last and the supermost because in this term of life you have been awarded My ultimate favor. Now you can go to My transcendental abode, Vaikunthha, by leaving this universe of conditioned living entities. Your visit to Me in this lonely place because of your pure and unflinching devotional service is a great boon for you. (Vedabase)

Text 13

Long ago, in the beginning of creation, I told Brahmâ on the lotus that came out of My navel of the knowledge of the supreme of My transcendental glories, clarifying that which the theists call the Bhâgavatam.'

O Uddhava, in the lotus millennium in the days of yore, at the beginning of the creation, I spoke unto Brahmâ, who is situated on the lotus that grows out of My navel, about My transcendental glories, which the great sages describe as S'rîmad-Bhâgavatam. (Vedabase)

Text 14

Thus being favored by His addressing me, I at each instant being the object of the Supreme Personality His mercy, out of my own affection saw my hairs standing on end and with my eyes hazy of smearing my tears, I with folded hands said:

Uddhava said: O Vidura, when I was thus favored at every moment by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and addressed by Him with great affection, my words failed in tears, and the hairs on my body erupted. After smearing my tears, I, with folded hands, spoke like this. (Vedabase)

Text 15

'O my Lord, for those who live to Your feet, which are so difficult to obtain, it is in this world all a matter of the four goals of life [dharma, artha, kâma, moksha; religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation], but yet I have no preference for them, o Great One, as I am anxious to serve Your lotus feet only.

O my Lord, devotees who engage in the transcendental loving service of Your lotus feet have no difficulty in achieving anything within the realm of the four principles of religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation. But, o great one, as far as I am concerned, I have preferred only to engage in the loving service of Your lotus feet. (Vedabase)

Text 16

Although without desires You engage in all kinds of activities, although unborn You still take birth, although the controller of eternal Time, You take shelter of the fortress out of fear for Your enemies and although You enjoy in Yourself, You lead a household life in the association of women; this bewilders the intelligence of the learned in this world.

My Lord, even the learned sages become disturbed in their intelligence when they see that Your Greatness engages in fruitive work although You are free from all desires, that You take birth although You are unborn, that You flee out of fear of the enemy and take shelter in a fort although You are the controller of invincible time, and that You enjoy householder life surrounded by many women although You enjoy in Your Self. (Vedabase)

Text 17

You are never divided under the influence of time, yet do You, in Your eternal intelligence o Master, call me in for consultation, as if You are bewildered while that is never so; that is boggling my mind, O Lord.

O my Lord, Your eternal Self is never divided by the influence of time, and there is no limitation to Your perfect knowledge. Thus you were sufficiently able to consult with yourself, yet you called upon me for consultation, as if bewildered, although you are never bewildered. And this act of yours bewilders me. (Vedabase)

Text 18:

If You deem me sufficiently competent, then please, my Lord, tell me in detail about the sum total of the knowledge, the mystery and supreme enlightening of Your own Self, the way You told it Brahmâjî, as the Supreme Lord for crossing over the ocean of miseries.'

My Lord, kindly explain to us, if You think us competent to receive it, that transcendental knowledge which gives enlightenment about Yourself and which You explained before to Brahmâjî. (Vedabase)

Text 19:

Thus being prayed to by me from the core of my heart, He, the lotus-eyed Supreme Lord of the beyond, instructed me on His transcendental situation.

When I thus expressed by heartfelt desires unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the lotus-eyed Lord instructed me about His transcendental situation. (Vedabase)

Text 20:

So have I thus, under the instruction of the Master, worshiped and studied the reality of the soul, understanding the path by respecting His lotus feet and did I, after circumambulating Him, reach this place with sadness in my heart due to being separated.

I have studied the path of understanding self-knowledge from my spiritual master, the Personality of Godhead, and thus after circumambulating Him I have come to this place, very much aggrieved due to separation. (Vedabase)

Text 21:

Thus, my best one [Vidura], I am now in pain without the pleasure of seeing Him and will go, as instructed by Him, to Badarikâs'rama [in the Himalayas] for association.

My dear Vidura, now I am mad for want of the pleasure of seeing Him, and just to mitigate this I am now proceeding to Badarikâs'rama in the Himalayas for association, as I have been instructed by Him. (Vedabase)

Text 22:

There did Nârâyana, in the incarnation of His humanity and Supreme Lordship [Nara and Nârâyana], as a sage amiable to everyone severe penance for a long time for the welfare of all living beings.

There in Badarikâs'rama the Personality of Godhead, in His incarnation as the sages Nara and Nârâyana, has been undergoing great penance since time immemorial for the welfare of all amiable living entities. (Ved a base)

Text 23:

S'rî S'uka said: 'Hearing from Uddhava about the unbearable of the annihilation of his friends and relatives, the learned Vidura pacified,by means of transcendental knowledge, his rising bereavement.

S'rî S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: After hearing from Uddhava all about the annihilation of his friends and relatives, the learned Vidura pacified his overwhelming bereavement by dint of his transcendental knowledge. (Vedabase)

Text 24:

As the great devotee of the Lord and best among the Kauravas was leaving, submitted Vidura in confidence the following to the chief in the devotional service of Krishna.

While Uddhava, the chief and most confidential amongst the devotees of the Lord, was going away, Vidura, in affection and confidence, questioned him. (Vedabase)

Text 25:

Vidura said: 'The Lord of Yoga enlightened you on the mystery of the transcendental knowledge of one's own soul - now of your own good self please tell it to me for the reason of being worth of Vishnu and the servants who wander for the interest of others.

Vidura said: O Uddhava, because the servants of Vishnu, the Lord, wander in the interest of serving others, it is quite fit that you kindly describe the self-knowledge with which you have been enlightened by the Lord Himself. (Vedabase)

Text 26:

Uddhava said: 'Turn yourself to the worshipable sage, the son of Kushâru [Maitreya] who stays nearby and who was directly instructed by the Supreme Lord while quitting the mortal world.

S'rî Uddhava said: You may take lessons from the great learned sage Maitreya, who is nearby and who is worshipable for reception of transcendental knowledge. He was directly instructed by the Personality of Godhead while He was about to quit this mortal world. (Vedabase)

Text 27:

S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus discussing with Vidura the nectar of the Universal Person His qualities, he was greatly overwhelmed thereof at the bank of the Sarasvatî river and after passing the night that way as in a moment, the son of Aupagava [Uddhava] went away.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: O King, after thus discussing with Vidura the transcendental name, fame, qualities, etc., on the bank of the Yamunâ, Uddhava was overwhelmed with great affliction. He passed the night as if it were a moment, and thereafter he went away. (Vedabase)

Text 28:

The king [Parîkchit] asked: 'How could it be that after the destruction that came over the Vrishni and Bhoja dynasty, the great leader in command among them, the prominent Uddhava was the only one to remain after the Lord completed His pastimes as the Master over the three worlds?

The King inquired: At the end of the pastimes of the Lord of the three worlds, S'rî Krishna, and after the disappearance of the members of the Vrishni and Bhoja dynasties, who were the best of the great commanders, why did Uddhava alone remain? (Vedabase)

Text 29:

S'rî S'uka said: 'The cursing of the brahmins [of the Yadu-dynasty] was only a plea, factually it was the [Lord His] unfailing desire to end the excess of His own family after which He gave up His universal appearance and thought to Himself:

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî replied: My dear King, the cursing of the brâhmanas was only a plea, but the actual fact was the supreme desire of the Lord. He wanted to disappear from the face of the earth after dispatching His excessively numerous family members. He thought to Himself as follows. (Vedabase)

Text 30:

'Having disappeared from this world the knowledge of Myself and My shelter will certainly befall Uddhava directly, who is at present the foremost of the devotees.'

Now I shall leave the vision of this mundane world, and I see that Uddhava, the foremost of My devotees, is the only one who can be directly entrusted with knowledge about Me. (Vedabase)

Text 31:

'Uddhava is not in the least inferior to Me as he is never affected by the material modes and therefore, as the master of the knowledge of Me, may remain to disseminate it in this world'.

Uddhava is not inferior to Me in any way because he is never affected by the modes of material nature. Therefore he may remain in this world in order to disseminate specific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead. (Vedabase)

Text 32:

Thus being perfectly taught by the spiritual master and source of all vedic knowledge of the three worlds he [Uddhava] reached Badarikâs'rama and was he happy in being absorbed in the Lord.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî informed the King that Uddhava, being thus instructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the source of all Vedic knowledge and the spiritual master of the three worlds, reached the pilgrimage site of Badarikâs'rama and engaged himself there in trance to satisfy the Lord. (Vedabase)

Text 33:

Vidura also heard from Uddhava about how Krishna, the Supersoul, extraordinarily assumed a form for the ways of the world and also most gloriously worked Himself above it.

Vidura also heard from Uddhava about the appearance and disappearance of Lord Krishna, the Supersoul, in the mortal world, which is a subject matter sought after with great perseverance by the great sages. (Vedabase)

Text 34:

His entering the body is for as well the persevering great sages as for others very difficult to understand and for the beastly ones simply a mental disturbance.

The Lord's glorious acts and His acceptance of various transcendental forms for the performance of extraordinary pastimes in the mortal world are very difficult for anyone other than His devotees to understand, and for the beasts they are simply a mental disturbance. (Vedabase)

Text 35:

This was also true for himself, o best amongst the Kurus, when he thought of how Krishna had remembered him, and with the Fortunate One having left, cried he out loud overwhelmed by the joy of ecstasy.

Understanding that he was remembered by Lord Krishna [while quitting this world], Vidura began to cry loudly, overwhelmed by the ecstasy of love. (Vedabase)

Text 36:

O best of the Bharatas, Vidura thus having passed his days on the bank of the Yamunâ, thereafter reached the holy waters of the Ganges where he , the son of Mitra [in the sense of being the incarnation of Yamarâja as the son of a s'ûdra, see 1.13:15] met the sage Maitreya.

After passing a few days on the bank of the River Yamunâ, Vidura, the self-realized soul, reached the bank of the Ganges, where the great sage Maitreya was situated. (Vedabase)