FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.13.28

अथोदीचीं दिशं यातु स्वैरज्ञातगतिर्भवान् । इतोऽर्वाक्प्रायश: काल: पुंसां गुणविकर्षण: ॥ २८ ॥
athodīcīṁ diśaṁ yātu
[athodeecheem disham yaatu]
svair ajñāta-gatir bhavān
[svair ajnaata-gatir bhavaan]
ito ’rvāk prāyaśaḥ kālaḥ
[ito ’rvaak praayashah kaalah]
puṁsāṁ guṇa-vikarṣaṇaḥ
[pumsaam guna-vikarshanah]
atha — therefore udīcīm — northern side diśam — direction yātu — please go away svaiḥ — by your relatives ajñāta — without knowledge gatiḥ — movements bhavān — of yourself itaḥ — after this arvāk — will usher in prāyaśaḥ — generally kālaḥ — time puṁsām — of men guṇa — qualities vikarṣaṇaḥ — diminishing.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
athodīcīṁ diśaṁ yātu
atha
therefore
udīcīm
northern side
diśam
direction
yātu
please go away
svair ajñāta-gatir bhavān
svaiḥ
by your relatives
ajñāta
without knowledge
gatiḥ
movements
bhavān
of yourself
ito ’rvāk prāyaśaḥ kālaḥ
itaḥ
after this
puṁsāṁ guṇa-vikarṣaṇaḥ
arvāk
will usher in
prāyaśaḥ
generally
kālaḥ
time
puṁsām
of men
guṇa
qualities
vikarṣaṇaḥ
diminishing.
Please, therefore, leave for the North immediately, without letting your relatives know, for soon that time will approach which will diminish the good qualities of men.

One can compensate for a life of frustration by becoming a dhīra, or leaving home for good without communicating with relatives, and Vidura advised his eldest brother to adopt this way without delay because very quickly the Age of Kali was approaching. A conditioned soul is already degraded by the material association, and still in the Kali-yuga the good qualities of a man will deteriorate to the lowest standard. He was advised to leave home before Kali-yuga approached because the atmosphere which was created by Vidura, his valuable instructions on the facts of life, would fade away due to the influence of the age which was fast approaching. To become narottama, or a first-class human being depending completely on the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is not possible for any ordinary man. It is stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.28) that a person who is completely relieved of all taints of sinful acts can alone depend on the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. Dhṛtarāṣṭra was advised by Vidura at least to become a dhīra in the beginning if it were impossible for him to become a sannyāsī or a narottama. Persistently endeavoring on the line of self-realization helps a person to rise to the conditions of a narottama from the stage of a dhīra. The dhīra stage is attained after prolonged practice of the yoga system, but by the grace of Vidura one can attain the stage immediately simply by willing to adopt the means of the dhīra stage, which is the preparatory stage for sannyāsa. The sannyāsa stage is the preparatory stage of paramahaṁsa, or the first-grade devotee of the Lord.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Therefore, go to the north, somewhere unknown to your relatives. Then time, the destroyer of most of man’s qualities, will come.
Commentary

You have not become a narottama. Therefore become a dhīra. Arvāk kālaḥ means “time will come.” That time, the destroyer of man’s qualities like determination and mercy will come.

Therefore leave for the North immediately, without letting your relatives know — soon the qualities of men will diminish. Quiet departures avoid drama. Some things must be left without announcement.
Reflection Questions
  • What departure am I delaying because I want a big goodbye?
  • Where would silent leaving be the higher dharma?
📝 My note

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