The Disappearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
VERSE 11.31.1
śrī-śuka uvāca
atha tatrāgamad brahmā
bhavānyā ca samaṁ bhavaḥ
mahendra-pramukhā devā
munayaḥ sa-prajeśvarāḥ
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.2-3
pitaraḥ siddha-gandharvā
vidyādhara-mahoragāḥ
cāraṇā yakṣa-rakṣāṁsi
kinnarāpsaraso dvijāḥ
draṣṭu-kāmā bhagavato
niryāṇaṁ paramotsukāḥ
gāyantaś ca gṛṇantaś ca
śaureḥ karmāṇi janma ca
SYNONYMS
pitaraḥ — the forefathers; siddha-gandharvāḥ — the Siddhas and Gandharvas; vidyādhara-mahā-uragāḥ — the Vidyādharas and the great serpents; cāraṇāḥ — the Cāraṇas; yakṣa-rakṣāṁsi — 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].
VERSE 11.31.4
vavṛṣuḥ puṣpa-varṣāṇi
vimānāvalibhir nabhaḥ
kurvantaḥ saṅkulaṁ rājan
bhaktyā paramayā yutāḥ
SYNONYMS
vavṛṣuḥ — they showered; puṣpa-varṣāṇi — showers of flowers; vimāna — of airplanes; āvalibhiḥ — by great numbers; nabhaḥ — the sky; kurvantaḥ — making; saṅkulam — 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.
VERSE 11.31.5
bhagavān pitāmahaṁ vīkṣya
vibhūtīr ātmano vibhuḥ
saṁyojyātmani cātmānaṁ
padma-netre nyamīlayat
SYNONYMS
bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pitāmaham — Lord Brahmā; vīkṣya — seeing; vibhūtīḥ — the powerful expansions, the demigods; ātmanaḥ — His own; vibhuḥ — the Almighty Lord; saṁyojya — 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.
VERSE 11.31.6
lokābhirāmāṁ sva-tanuṁ
dhāraṇā-dhyāna-maṅgalam
yoga-dhāraṇayāgneyyā-
dagdhvā dhāmāviśat svakam
SYNONYMS
loka — to all the worlds; abhirāmām — most attractive; sva-tanum — His own transcendental body; dhāraṇā — of all trance; dhyāna — and meditation; maṅgalam — 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.
VERSE 11.31.7
divi dundubhayo neduḥ
petuḥ sumanasaś ca khāt
satyaṁ dharmo dhṛtir bhūmeḥ
kīrtiḥ śrīś cānu taṁ yayuḥ
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.8
devādayo brahma-mukhyā
na viśantaṁ sva-dhāmani
avijñāta-gatiṁ kṛṣṇaṁ
dadṛśuś cāti-vismitāḥ
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.9
saudāmanyā yathākāśe
yāntyā hitvābhra-maṇḍalam
gatir na lakṣyate martyais
tathā kṛṣṇasya daivataiḥ
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.10
brahma-rudrādayas te tu
dṛṣṭvā yoga-gatiṁ hareḥ
vismitās tāṁ praśaṁsantaḥ
svaṁ svaṁ lokaṁ yayus tadā
SYNONYMS
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; praśaṁsantaḥ — 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.
VERSE 11.31.11
rājan parasya tanu-bhṛj-jananāpyayehā
māyā-viḍambanam avehi yathā naṭasya
sṛṣṭvātmanedam anuviśya vihṛtya cānte
saṁhṛtya cātma-mahinoparataḥ sa āste
SYNONYMS
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; saṁhṛtya — 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.
VERSE 11.31.12
martyena yo guru-sutaṁ yama-loka-nītaṁ
tvāṁ cānayac charaṇa-daḥ paramāstra-dagdham
jigye ’ntakāntakam apīśam asāv anīśaḥ
kiṁ svāvane svar anayan mṛgayuṁ sa-deham
SYNONYMS
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?
VERSE 11.31.13
tathāpy aśeṣa-sthiti-sambhavāpyayeṣv
ananya-hetur yad aśeṣa-śakti-dhṛk
naicchat praṇetuṁ vapur atra śeṣitaṁ
martyena kiṁ sva-stha-gatiṁ pradarśayan
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.14
ya etāṁ prātar utthāya
kṛṣṇasya padavīṁ parām
prayataḥ kīrtayed bhaktyā
tām evāpnoty anuttamām
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.15
dāruko dvārakām etya
vasudevograsenayoḥ
patitvā caraṇāv asrair
nyaṣiñcat kṛṣṇa-vicyutaḥ
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.16-17
kathayām āsa nidhanaṁ
vṛṣṇīnāṁ kṛtsnaśo nṛpa
tac chrutvodvigna-hṛdayā
janāḥ śoka-virmūrcchitāḥ
tatra sma tvaritā jagmuḥ
kṛṣṇa-viśleṣa-vihvalāḥ
vyasavaḥ śerate yatra
jñātayo ghnanta ānanam
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.18
devakī rohiṇī caiva
vasudevas tathā sutau
kṛṣṇa-rāmāv apaśyantaḥ
śokārtā vijahuḥ smṛtim
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.19
prāṇāṁś ca vijahus tatra
bhagavad-virahāturāḥ
upaguhya patīṁs tāta
citām āruruhuḥ striyaḥ
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.20
rāma-patnyaś ca tad-deham
upaguhyāgnim āviśan
vasudeva-patnyas tad-gātraṁ
pradyumnādīn hareḥ snuṣāḥ
kṛṣṇa-patnyo ’viśann agniṁ
rukmiṇy-ādyās tad-ātmikāḥ
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.21
arjunaḥ preyasaḥ sakhyuḥ
kṛṣṇasya virahāturaḥ
ātmānaṁ sāntvayām āsa
kṛṣṇa-gītaiḥ sad-uktibhiḥ
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.22
bandhūnāṁ naṣṭa-gotrāṇām
arjunaḥ sāmparāyikam
hatānāṁ kārayām āsa
yathā-vad anupūrvaśaḥ
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.23
dvārakāṁ hariṇā tyaktāṁ
samudro ’plāvayat kṣaṇāt
varjayitvā mahā-rāja
śrīmad-bhagavad-ālayam
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.24
nityaṁ sannihitas tatra
bhagavān madhusūdanaḥ
smṛtyāśeṣāśubha-haraṁ
sarva-maṅgala-maṅgalam
SYNONYMS
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-maṅgala — of all auspicious things; maṅgalam — 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.
VERSE 11.31.25
strī-bāla-vṛddhān ādāya
hata-śeṣān dhanañjayaḥ
indraprasthaṁ samāveśya
vajraṁ tatrābhyaṣecayat
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.26
śrutvā suhṛd-vadhaṁ rājann
arjunāt te pitāmahāḥ
tvāṁ tu vaṁśa-dharaṁ kṛtvā
jagmuḥ sarve mahā-patham
SYNONYMS
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; vaṁśa-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.
VERSE 11.31.27
ya etad deva-devasya
viṣṇoḥ karmāṇi janma ca
kīrtayec chraddhayā martyaḥ
sarva-pāpaiḥ pramucyate
SYNONYMS
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.
VERSE 11.31.28
itthaṁ harer bhagavato rucirāvatāra-
vīryāṇi bāla-caritāni ca śantamāni
anyatra ceha ca śrutāni gṛṇan manuṣyo
bhaktiṁ parāṁ paramahaṁsa-gatau labheta
SYNONYMS
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; paramahaṁsa — 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.