11.30 · The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty

King Parīkṣit said: After the great devotee Uddhava left for the forest, what did the Supreme Lord, the protector of all living beings, do in the city of Dvārakā? In the Thirtieth Chapter, the Lord has the devatā portions of the Yadus go the Prabhāsa, withdraws them from the world and sends them to Svarga, while he, in his expansion, went to Vaikuṇṭha.

After his dynasty met destruction from the curse of the brāhmaṇas, how could the best of the Yadus give up his body, the dearest object of all eyes? When his dynasty was destroyed, how did the Lord give up his body which was most dear for all, even for Śiva? It is heard that some sages maintain that the Lord actually gave up his body. How is that possible? This is not possible at all, since it is impossible that the Lord could give up a body which is eternity, knowledge and bliss. How can a true brāhmaṇa give up his position of being a brāhmaṇa? It is not possible. Sa-viśeṣaṇe vidhi-niṣedhau viśesaṇam upasaṁkrāmataḥ sati viśeṣye bādhe: statements of affirmation and denial change the meaning of their particular descriptive elements if there is a contradiction to the principal subject. (Nyāya-vartika-tātparya by Vacaspati Miśra) In this sentence, it states that the Lord gave up a body which was dear to him. That means he gave up his dynasty (body) manifested on earth. [Note: This is the meaning given to a similar statement in SB 3.4.29.] Another example is as follows. “A traveler gave up a gold pot full of water.” This means that the traveler poured the water out of the pot, because of fatigue due to the weight, and carried the empty gold pot.

Once their eyes were fixed upon his transcendental form, women were unable to withdraw them, and once that form had entered the ears of the sages and became fixed in their hearts, it would never depart. What to speak of acquiring fame, the great poets who described the beauty of the Lord’s form would have their words invested with joy. And by seeing that form on Arjuna’s chariot, all the warriors on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra attained the liberation. This verse shows that he could not give up his body. The eternal wives like Rukminī could not withdraw their eyes which were attached to his form. That form entered the ears of the ātmārāma sages like you and remained there like a picture, and would not go away. The beauty of that form described by poets like Vyāsa produced special joy in their words. Seeing that form on Arjuna’s chariot in battle, the soldiers attained sāyujya. That body was directly Brahman, beyond the guṇas. By seeing a material form one cannot attain sāyujya. The personified Vedas say: nibhṛta-marun-mano-’kṣa-dṛḍha-yoga-yujo hṛdi yan munaya upāsate tad arayo ’pi yayuḥ smaraṇāt Simply by constantly thinking of him, the enemies of the Lord attained the same Supreme Truth whom sages fixed in yoga worship by controlling their breath, mind and senses. SB 10.87.23 Nor would ātmārāmas remain attached to a material form. Nor would the Lord’s eternal wives such as Lakṣmī, hlādinī-śaktis, be attached to a material form. Therefore, sages who describe that the Lord gave up his body are bewildered by the Lord’s māyā.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Having observed many disturbing signs in the sky, on the earth and in outer space, Kṛṣṇa addressed the Yadus assembled in the Sudharmā council hall as follows.

The Supreme Lord said: O leaders of the Yadu dynasty! Please note all these terrible omens that have appeared in Dvārakā just like the flags of death. We should not remain here a moment longer. Internally the Lord thought as follows. Among all the persons who came to meet me from various places during the trip to Kurukṣetra, Kali came unnoticed by others and spoke to me. “O master! When will I take charge of the earth?” I said, “You can take charge only when my pastimes are over.” After I disappear, with the right given by me, Kali will pervade the earth. However, during my present appearance, dharma has increased to four legs, even greater than in Satya-yuga. If dharma is so strong, how can Kali rule? The rule is that Kali will rule when only one leg of dharma remains. One should not say that when I disappear then the four legs of dharma will also disappear, on the logic of nimittāpāye naimittikasyāpy apāyaḥ: when the cause disappears, the effects disappear-- since the devatās of great fame, purifiers of the whole world, remain alert. Moreover I have destroyed the unfavorable among the population of favorable, unfavorable and neutral parties. Now, if I ascend to Vaikuṇṭha with all the inhabitants of my abode, in sight of all persons, as Rāma did, the favorable devotees will double in number. Those who are already intensely favorable will increase their prema a hundredfold out of great longing in prema and those who are neutral will become devotees on seeing this extraordinary event. Dharma will thus increase. How will even a little influence of Kali be possible? By what method will I increase adharma in order to restrict dharma? Here is the method. I will remain as I do now in Dvārakā with the Yadus who are my associates in pastimes, but will become invisible to the eyes of all material people. The devatās who are vibhūtis, such as Cupid and Kārtikeya, have entered into my eternal associates like Pradyumna and others. By my power of yoga I will withdraw them from those bodies, without others noticing. Making some fake forms for the eyes of ordinary people, which appear to be Pradyumna and others, I will have the devatās in those bodies go to Prabhāsa, with the other inhabitants of Dvārakā, and have them drink wine after meditating and giving charity, and send them to Svarga according to their individual qualification as devotees. I (in another form) will depart for Vaikuṇṭha with the other inhabitants of Dvārakā, as Rāma did. (The root forms of Kṛṣṇa and his associates remained in Dvārakā invisibly.) But I will let the common people see the influence of māyā. They will think that the Yadus left Dvārakā, went to Prabhāsa with the entire Yadu dynasty and under the control of the brāhmaṇas’ curse, drank wine and gave up their bodies after killing each other. They will think the Lord along with Balarāma, giving up a human body, ascended to the spiritual abode. Thus they will say that my body was temporary, made of matter. Thinking I have a material body is a great offense. I have said avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: the fools deride me, thinking I have a material human form. (BG 9.11) I have describd the result: moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jṣānā vicetasaḥ | rākṣasīm āsurīṁ caiva prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ || Among those who cannot distinguish this truth, those who are devotees do not gain sālokya, those who are karmīs do not attain their material fruits, and those who are jṣānīs do not attain liberation. They assume the nature of Rākṣasas and asuras. BG 9.12 If the devotees think in this way, their desire to attain me will be futile. If the karmīs think in this way, they cannot attain Svarga. If the jṣānīs think in this way, they cannot attain liberation. They become Rākṣasas. Some will think that Supreme Lord has a temporary body because of seeing that all others have temporary bodies. Some bodies live a long time and others a short time. Others will claim that just as the Kurus all died, Kṛṣna died with his family at Prabhāsa. By people’s hearing, speaking and praising such preaching of wrong ideas by idiots who think they are learned, immediately one leg of dharma only will remain. Just as eyes afflicted with jaundice preceive a shining white conch to be yellow, people whose minds and eyes are afflicted by māyā will perceive my departure pastimes, which are actually eternity, knowledge and bliss, to be afflicted by material misfortune. They will see and conclude that I gave up my body along with all asociates like Pradyumna and that the queens like Rukmiṇī were burned in the funeral fire. Not only the materialists will see this. Even persons like Arjuna will see this by my divine will. Sages like Vaiśampāyana and Parāśara will describe this in their works. And Śiva, my devotee, taking birth in Kali-yuga, will preach this in a commentary on the Vedānta-sūtras in order to spread Kali’s influence. Persons with no intelligence, repeatedly studying the sūtras, will explain the meaning according that commentary. Sūkṣmo yaḥ kāraṇopādhir māyākhye ’neka-śaktimān sa eva bhagavad-dehaḥ: the body of the Lord, possessing unlimited powers, is a subtle covering of māyā on Brahman. Thinking in this way, with the idea of producing great disturbance, the Lord spoke this verse, expressing fear and agitation. Is there any fear of the Lord being cruel in this plan? For those other than devotees, at the time of ripening of their bad karmas, their unfortunate path would manifest anyway. The will of the Lord alone is the cause of the good or bad karmas manifesting. Otherwise one could also accuse Buddha of being cruel (by telling people to reject the Vedas). The Lord spoke the truth about his pastimes to Uddhava in order to dispell doubt for the devotees’ worship. Uddava said: ity āvedita-hārdāya mahyaṁ sa bhagavān paraḥ ādideśāravindākṣa ātmanaḥ paramāṁ sthitim When I asked the lotus-eyed Lord what I desired in my heart, he explained to me his supreme decision. SB 3.4.19 Sthitim means “the decision of the Lord,” concerning the arrangement of his pastimes and the eternal residents of Dvārakā. Uddhava also explains the disappearance pastime of the Lord: pradarśyātapta-tapasām avitṛpta-dṛśāṁ nṛṇām ādāyāntaradhād yas tu sva-bimbaṁ loka-locanam The Lord, having shown his form, the center of attraction for all eyes, then took that form and disappeared from the men, who had not performed austerities but had attained the Lord’s mercy, and were continually craving a vision of his form. SB 3.2.11 The Lord took that form which was attractive to all eyes and disappeared. Another meaning cannot be given to the word bimbam, because in later verses this refers to the Lord’s body. yan martya-līlaupayikaṁ sva-yoga- māyā-balaṁ darśayatā gṛhītam vismāpanaṁ svasya ca saubhagarddheḥ paraṁ padaṁ bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇāṅgam Kṛṣṇa possesses that form suitable for human pastimes to show the full capacity of his yoga-māyā. That form astonishes even the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. It is the pinnacle of auspicious qualities and enhances the beauty of his ornaments. SB 3.2.12 yad dharma-sūnor bata rājasūye nirīkṣya dṛk-svastyayanaṁ tri-lokaḥ kārtsnyena cādyeha gataṁ vidhātur arvāk-sṛtau kauśalam ity amanyata At the rājasūya sacrifice of Yudhiṣṭhira, all the people of the universe, seeing the form of the Lord which created auspiciousness in all directions, considered that the skill of the creator in making the most beautiful objects in the recent universe was nullified completely at that time. SB 3.2.13 Kṛṣṇa’s disappearance is compared to the sun, which sets but does not get destroyed. Kṛṣṇa-dyumaṇi nimloce: Kṛṣṇa has disappeared like the sun. (SB 3.2.5) However, eyes covered by māyā will take shelter of wrong philosophy. Uddhava says: devasya māyayā spṛṣṭā ye cānyad asad-āśritāḥ bhrāmyate dhīr na tad-vākyair ātmany uptātmano harau The intelligence of the devotee who is absorbed in Paramātmā is not bewildered by the words of those touched by the Lord’s māyā or those who take shelter of a demonic mentality. SB 3.2.10 Those whose eyes are affected by māyā, who are materialistic, who take shelter of the philosophy of material karma, will say that Kṛṣṇa gave up his body. One’s intelligence should not be bewildered by their words such as “Kṛṣṇa simply obtained the results of his irreligious acts.” Whose intelligence should not be affected? The intelligence of the devotee, whose mind is absorbed (uptātmanaḥ) in the Lord (ātmani), should not be bewildered. Here is the evidence showing that the Lord’s form, names, abodes, qualities, pastimes associates are all eternal. govindaḥ sac-dic-ānanda-vigragaḥ paṣca-padaṁ vṛnḍāvana-sura-bhūruha-talāsīnaḥ satataṁ sa-marud-gaṇo’ haṁ paramayā stutyā tosayāmi I satisfy with praises, along with the Maruts, Govinda, a form of eternity, knowledge and bliss, five feet tall, seated at the base of desire tree in Vṛndāvana. Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.33 vāsudevaḥ saṅkarṣaṇaḥ pradyumno’niruddho’haṁ matsyaḥ kūrmo varāho narasiṁho vāmano rāmo rāmo rāmaḥ kṛṣṇo buddhaḥ kalkir ahaṁ śatadhāhaṁ sahasradhāham amito’ham ananto’ham | naivaite jāyante, naivaite mriyante, naiṣām ajṣāna-baddho na muktiḥ, sarva eva hy ete pūrṇā ajarā amṛtāḥ paramāḥ paramānandāḥ I am unlimited, immeasureable by a hundred, by a thousand times, in the forms of Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Narasiṁha, Vāmana, Rāma, Paraśurāma, Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa, Buddha and Kalki. These forms are not born and do not die. They do not become bound by ignorance or become liberated. They are all perfect, ageless, deathless, full of supreme bliss. Catur-veda-śikhā nirdoṣa-pūrṇa-guṇa-vigraha ātma-tantro niścetanātmaka-śarīrra-guṇaiś ca hīnaḥ | ānanda-mātra-mukha-pāda-saroruhādiḥ The Lord’s form is faultess and full of perfect qualities. It is independent, devoid of qualities of the material, unconscious bodies. His head, lotus feet and other limbs are all full of bliss. Dhyāna-bindu Upaniṣad. nanda-vraja-janānandī sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ Kṛṣṇa’s form is eternity, knowledge and bliss, and gives bliss to the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa sarve nityāḥ śāśvatāś ca dehās tasya parātmanaḥ | hānopādāna-rahitā naiva prakṛtijāḥ kvacit || The Lord’s bodies are all eternal, devoid of destructible elements. They do not arise from matter. Mahā-vārāha Purāṇa yuge yuge viṣṇur anādi-mūrtiṁ āsthāya śiṣṭaṁ paripāti duṣṭahā Situated in his beginningless form in every yuga, Viṣṇu protects the devotees and kills the demons. Narasiṁha Purāṇa yo vetti bhautikaṁ dehaṁ kṛṣṇasya paramātmanaḥ | sa sarvasmād bahiṣkāryaḥ śrauta-smārta-vidhānataḥ | mukhaṁ tasyāvalokyāpi sa-celaḥ snānam ācaret || He who thinks that the body of Kṛṣna is material should be excluded from all rites according the Vedas and Smṛtis. If one sees his face one should bathe with one’s clothes on. Viṣṇu Purāṇa na bhūta-saṅga-saṁsthāno doho’sya paramātmanaḥ The Supreme Lord has no faults arising from contact with material elements. Mahā-bhārata amṛtāṁśo’mṛta-vapuḥ The Lord’s body is immortal, made of nectar. Mahābhārata Śāṅkārācarya in his famous commentary says that this means “he who has a body without death.” The following verses are proof from the Bhāgavatam: tāvat prasanno Bhagavān puṣkarākṣaḥ kṛte yuge darśayām āsa taṁ kṣattaḥ śābdaṁ brahma dadhad vapuḥ O Vidura! The lotus eyed Lord, having a body made of eternity knowledge and bliss, pleased with Kardama, showed him his form in Satya-yuga. SB 3.21.7 yat tad vapur bhāti vibhūṣaṇāyudhair avyakta-cid-vyaktam adhārayad dhariḥ babhūva tenaiva sa vāmano vaṭuḥ sampaśyator divya-gatir yathā naṭaḥ The Lord whose body is eternally endowed with ornaments and weapons, which is invisible to the word and with spiritual form, became visible. Then, in the presence of parents, to please them, the Lord, like an actor whose actions are hard to understand, became Vāmana, a brāhmaṇa-dwarf, a brahmacārī. SB 8.18.12 taṁ matvātmajam avyaktaṁ martya-liṅgam adhokṣajam gopikolūkhale dāmnā babandha prākṛtaṁ yathā That unmanifested person, who is beyond the perception of the senses, had now appeared as a human child, and mother Yaśodā, considering him her own ordinary child, bound Him to the wooden mortar with a rope. SB 10.9.4 satya-jṣānānantānanda-mātraika-rasa-mūrtayaḥ aspṛṣṭa-bhūri-māhātmyā api hy upaniṣad-dṛśām The forms of Viṣṇu all had eternal, unlimited forms, full of knowledge and bliss and existing beyond the influence of time. Their great glory was not even to be touched by the jṣānīs engaged in studying the Upaniṣads. SB 10.13.54 asyāpi deva vapuṣo mad-anugrahasya svecchā-mayasya na tu bhūta-mayasya ko ’pi neśe mahi tv avasituṁ manasāntareṇa sākṣāt tavaiva kim utātma-sukhānubhūteḥ My dear Lord, neither I nor anyone else can estimate the potency of this transcendental body of yours, which has shown such mercy to me and which appears just to fulfil the desires of your pure devotees. Although my mind is completely withdrawn from material affairs, I cannot understand your personal form. How, then, could I possibly understand the happiness you experience within yourself? SB 10.14.2 tasmād idaṁ jagad aśeṣam asat-svarūpaṁ svapnābham asta-dhiṣaṇaṁ puru-duḥkha-duḥkham tvayy eva nitya-sukha-bodha-tanāv anante māyāta udyad api yat sad ivāvabhāti Therefore this entire universe, which like a dream is by nature unreal, nevertheless appears real, and thus it covers one’s consciousness and assails one with repeated miseries. This universe appears real because it is manifested by the potency of illusion emanating from you, whose unlimited transcendental forms are full of eternal happiness and knowledge. SB 10.14.22 The śruti also says the name of the Lord is eternal. om āsya jānanto nāma cid vivaktana: You who know the name of the Lord is spiritual should chant it. (Ṛg Veda 1.156.3) The present tense in the following verse indicates the names are eternal. bahūni santi nāmāni rūpāṇi ca sutasya te guṇa-karmānurūpāṇi tāny ahaṁ veda no janāḥ For this son of yours there are many forms and names according to his transcendental qualities and activities. These are known to me, but people in general do not understand them. SB 10.8.15 anāma-rūpa evāyaṁ bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ | akarteti ca yo vedaiḥ smṛtibhiś cābhidhīyate || The Lord is said to be without material name, form and action according to the Vedas and Smṛti scriptures. Padma Purāṇa The statement in Vāsudevadhyātma summarizes the meaning: aprasiddhes tad-guṇānām anāmāsau prakīrtitaḥ | aprākṛtatvād arūpasyāpy arūpo’sāv udīryate || sambandhena pradhānasya harer nāsty eva kartṛtā | akartāram ataḥ prāhuḥ purāṇaṁ taṁ purāvidaḥ || Because his qualites are extraordinary the Lord is said to be without name. Because he does not hava material form he is said to be without form. Because he has no relation to matter, the Lord, the doer, the ancient sages say he is without actions. Upāsakānāṁ siddhy-arthaṁ brahmaṇo rūpa-kalpanā means that the deity forms of the Lord are for the purpose of worshippers perfecting their worship. Those forms may be made of stone, wood, or metal in the form of Rāma, Kṛṣṇa or others. (It does not mean the spiritual forms are assumed by Brahman only for worshippers.) The abodes of the Lord are eternal. tāsāṁ madhye sākṣād brahma gopāla-purī hi: among the places, the village of Gopāla is directly Brahman. (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad) Nityaṁ me mathurāṁ viddhi purīṁ dvāravatīṁ tathā: know that my abodes of Mathurā and Dvārakā are eternal. (Padma Purāṇa). Sometimes the phrase vanaṁ vṛndāvanaṁ tathā replaces Dvārakā in the last quotation. The Lord’s pastimes are eternal. Eko devo nitya-līlānurakto bhakta-vyāpī bhakta-hṛdy antarātmā: the oneLord, absorbed in his eternal pastimes, pervades the devotee and resides in the heart of the devotee. (Puruṣa-bodhinī Śruti) The present tense in the next verse indicate the eternal natrure of the pastimes: jayati jana-nivāso devakī-janma-vādo yadu-vara-pariṣat svair dorbhir asyann adharmam sthira-cara-vṛjina-ghnaḥ su-smita-śrī-mukhena vraja-pura-vanitānāṁ vardhayan kāma-devam Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa lives eternally among the cowherd men and the Yādavas, and is conclusively both the son of Devakī and Yaśodā. He is the guide of the Yadu dynasty and the cowherd men, and with His mighty arms He kills everything inauspicious, in Vraja, Mathurā and Dvārakā. By His presence He destroys all things inauspicious for all living entities, moving and inert, and the suffering of separation of the inhabitants of Vraja and Dvārakā. His blissful smiling face always increases the desires of the gopīs of Vṛndāvana and women of Mathurā and Dvārakā. He remains eternally in this situation. SB 10.90.48 kāmaṁ krodhaṁ bhayaṁ sneham aikyaṁ sauhṛdam eva ca nityaṁ harau vidadhato yānti tan-mayatāṁ hi te Persons who constantly direct their lust, anger, fear, protective affection, feeling of impersonal oneness, or friendship toward Lord Hari are sure to become absorbed in thought of him. SB 10.29.15 The associates in the pastimes are eternal: yathā saumitri-bharatau yathā saṅkarṣaṇādayaḥ | tathā tenaiva jāyante nija-lokād yadṛcchayā || ete hi yādavāḥ sarve mad-gaṇā eva bhāvini | sarvathā mat-priyā devi mat-tulya-guṇa-śālinaḥ || Just like Lakṣmaṇa and Bharata, and Saṅkarṣaṇa, the Yādavas appear in this world by coming from their spiritual planets by their will. All the Yādavas, my associates, are dear to me and equal to me in qualities. Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa 229.57-58 nityāvatāro bhagavān nitya-mūrtir jagat-patiḥ | nitya-rūpo nitya-gandho nityaiśvarya-sukhānubhūḥ || The Supreme Lord, master of the universe, has eternal forms, eternal avatāras, eternal fragrance, eternal power and eternal bliss. BṛhadViṣṇu Purāṇa [Note: This is the source according to Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta. It is not in the regular Viṣṇu Purāṇa.] Thus there can be no objection concerning eternal the Lord. The phrase “flags of death” indicate death. We should not stay here a moment longer.

The women, children and old men should leave this city and go to Śaṅkhoddhāra. We shall go to Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the river Sarasvatī flows toward the west. Praytak means “flowing to the west.”

There we should bathe for purification, fast, and fix our minds in meditation. We should then worship the devatās by bathing their images, anointing them with sandalwood pulp, and presenting them various offerings. Abhisicya means bathing.

After brāhmaṇas have completed the auspicious rites, we will worship those highly fortunate brāhmaṇas by offering them cows, land, gold, clothing, elephants, horses, chariots and dwelling places.

This is indeed the appropriate process for counteracting our imminent adversity, and it is sure to bring about the highest good fortune. Such worship of the devatās, brāhmaṇas and cows can earn the highest auspiciousness for all living entities. Bhavaḥ means auspiciousness.

Having heard these words from Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of Madhu, all the elders of the Yadu dynasty gave their assent, saying, “So be it.” After crossing the water in boats, they proceeded on chariots to Prabhāsa.

There, with great devotion, the Yādavas performed the religious ceremonies according to the instructions of the Supreme Lord, lord of the Yadus. The sandhi in śreyopabṛṁhitam is poetic license.

Then, their intelligence covered by fate, they liberally indulged in drinking sweet liquor, which can completely intoxicate the mind. Maireyakam is a type of liquor. From this verse till verse 26 the opinions of others, which are not the actual truth, are expressed. The Lord has said: vayaṁ ca tasminn āplutya tarpayitvā pitṝn surān bhojayitvoṣijo viprān nānā-guṇavatāndhasā teṣu dānāni pātreṣu śraddhayoptvā mahānti vai vṛjināni tariṣyāmo dānair naubhir ivārṇavam By bathing at Prabhāsa-kṣetra, by offering tarpanas to the Pitṛs and devatās, by feeding the worshipable brāhmaṇas with various delicious foodstuffs and by bestowing gifts upon them as the most suitable candidates for charity, like sowing seeds, 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. SB 11.6.37-38 Thus the devatās, on the strength of the Lord’s words, overcame the curse of the brāhmaṇas by giving charity. Drinking wine, they disappeared and ascended to Svarga. The Lord’s version of events starts in verse 27. Previously the Lord said: madhv-āmadātāmra-vilocanānām mitho yadaiṣāṁ bhavitā vivādo naiṣāṁ vadhopāya iyān ato ’nyo mayy udyate ’ntardadhate svayaṁ sma When they will quarrel among themselves, with eyes red because of complete intoxication from liquor, they actually will not die. The cause of their disappearance is otherwise. Only when I decide that they disappear, they will disappear spontaneously. SB 3.3.15 The meaning of the above verse is this. When the quarrel will arise, it is not a method of killing them. That quarrel among them cannot be a cause of their death. Even beating each other with handfuls of reeds will not kill them. The quarrel and the killing seen by ordinary people are not factual. “What was the cause of their destruction?” It is other than killing. What is it? When I desire, they will simply disappear. That is certain (sma).

The heroes of the Yadu dynasty became intoxicated from their extravagant drinking and began to feel arrogant. When they were thus bewildered by the personal potency of Kṛṣṇa, a terrible quarrel arose among them. They became bewildered by Kṛṣṇa’s māyā. “Who is this? Did we do that?” Such is the bewilderment. Saṅgharṣaḥ means an intense quarrel.

Infuriated, they seized their weapons and fought each other with bows and arrows, swords, missiles, clubs, lances and spears on the shore of the ocean.

Riding on elephants and chariots with flags flying, and also on donkeys, camels, bulls, buffalos, mules and even human beings, the extremely enraged warriors came together and violently attacked one another with arrows, just as elephants in the forest attack one another with their tusks.

Their mutual enmity aroused, Pradyumna fought fiercely against Sāmba, Akrūra against Kuntibhoja, Aniruddha against Sātyaki, Subhadra against Saṅgrāmajit, Sumitra against Suratha, and the two Gadas against each other. One Gada was Kṛṣṇa’s brother. The other Gada was Kṛṣna’s son.

Others also, such as Niśaṭha, Ulmuka, Sahasrajit, Śatajit and Bhānu, confronted and killed one another, blinded by intoxication and thus completely bewildered by Mukunda. They became blinded by the intoxication. Or andhakāra can be combined with the suffix itaḥ to form andhakaritaḥ, “produced in darkness,” similar to words like tāritaḥ, “produced with stars.”

Completely abandoning their natural friendship, the members of the various Yadu clans—the Dāśārhas, Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas, the Bhojas, Sātvatas, Madhus and Arbudas, the Māthuras, Śūrasenas, Visarjanas, Kukuras and Kuntis—all slaughtered one another.

Thus bewildered, sons fought with fathers, brothers with brothers, nephews with paternal and maternal uncles, and grandsons with grandfathers. Friends fought with friends, and well-wishers with well-wishers. In this way intimate friends and relatives all killed one another.

When all their bows had been broken and their arrows and other missiles spent, they seized the tall stalks of cane with their bare hands. Jahruḥ should be jagṛhuḥ.

As soon as they took these cane stalks in their fists, the stalks changed into iron rods as hard as thunderbolts. With these club-like weapons the warriors began attacking one another, and when Kṛṣṇa tried to stop them they attacked him as well. Holding the reeds which became like iron clubs they attacked each other and attacked Kṛṣṇa.

In their confused state, O King, they also mistook Balarāma for an enemy. Weapons in hand, they ran toward him with the intention of killing him.

O son of the Kurus! Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma then became very angry. Picking up cane stalks, they moved about within the battle and began to kill with these clubs. They began to get angry (udyamya). They took fistfuls of reed as well.

The violent anger of these warriors, who were overcome by the brāhmaṇas’ curse and bewildered by Kṛṣṇa’s illusory potency, now led them to their annihilation, just as a fire that starts in a bamboo grove destroys the entire forest.

When all the members of his dynasty were thus destroyed, Kṛṣṇa thought to himself that at last the burden of the earth had been removed.

Balarāma then sat down on the shore of the ocean and fixed himself in meditation upon the Supreme Lord. Merging himself within himself, he left this earth planet. He gave up the earth planet or gave up the human body (lokaṁ mānuṣyam).

Kṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī, seeing the departure of Balarāma, silently sat down on the ground under a nearby pippala tree. From here, the Lord’s version starts. Seeing Balarāma return in his svarūpa to Mahā-vaikuṇṭha, and his aṁśa go beneath Pātāla as Śeṣa, Kṛṣṇa sat under a pippala tree.

The Lord was exhibiting his effulgent four-armed form, the radiance of which, just like a smokeless fire, dissipated the darkness in all directions. His complexion was the color of a dark blue cloud and his ornaments emitted effulgence the color of molten gold. He bore the mark of Śrīvatsa. A beautiful smile graced his lotus face, locks of dark blue hair adorned his head, his lotus eyes were very attractive, and his makara earrings glittered. He wore a pair of silken garments, an ornamental belt, the sacred thread, bracelets and arm ornaments, along with a helmet, the Kaustubha jewel, necklaces, anklets and other royal emblems. Encircling his body were flower garlands and his personal weapons in their embodied forms. As he sat, he placed his left foot, with its lotus-red sole, upon his right thigh. His ornaments gave off a golden glow.

Just then a hunter named Jarā, who had approached the place, mistook the Lord’s foot for a deer’s face. Jarā pierced the foot with his arrow, which he had fashioned from the remaining iron fragment of Sāmba’s club. He pierced his foot. This means that the hunter Jarā thought that he had shot a deer. Actually his arrow only touched Kṛṣṇa’s foot but did not pierce it, since the Lord’s limbs are eternity, knowledge and bliss. Otherwise when the hunter in fear placed his head on the Lord’s foot, as explained in the next verse, he would have taken out the arrow.

Then, seeing that four-armed personality, the hunter became terrified of the offense he had committed, and he fell down, placing his head upon the Lord’s feet. His sin was that he had fired an arrow at the Lord.

Jarā said: O Lord Madhusūdana, I am a most sinful person. I have committed this act out of ignorance. O sinless Lord, O glorious Lord! Please forgive this sinner. You should forgive my sin. You are sinless. No sin can exist at your feet. Thus you are qualified to forgive my sin.

O Viṣṇu! O master! The learned say that for any man, constant remembrance of you will destroy the darkness of ignorance. And I have wronged such a person!

Therefore, O Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, please kill this sinful hunter of animals immediately so he may not again commit such offenses against saintly persons. “Fortunately, I have no pain in my foot. But you, with intention of violence, shot the arrow.” In response, the hunter speaks this verse. Therefore, please kill me immediately. The following description was previously given: teṣāṁ maireya-doṣeṇa viṣamīkṛta-cetasām nimlocati ravāv āsīd veṇūnām iva mardanam As the sun was setting, with consciousness distorted by intoxication of liquor, they destroyed each other, just as bamboos by mutual friction start a fire and destroy the whole forest. bhagavān svātma-māyāyā gatiṁ tām avalokya saḥ sarasvatīm upaspṛśya vṛkṣa-mūlam upāviśat Seeing this action of his māyā, Kṛṣṇa, sipping the water of the Sarasvatī River, sat down under a tree. SB 3.4.2-3 According to the Third Canto, when the sun was setting and the Yadus had killed each other in battle, the Lord sat down on the bank of the Sarasvatī River. Then the hunter approached to kill a deer. But this is not possible. If 560,000,000 Yadus were suddenly killed in battle at that place, there would be a river of blood and great confusion of noise. How would it be possible for the hunter to arrive there to kill a deer? How would a deer, fearful in nature, remain in that place? Therefore this killing of the Yadus was actually false. However, the Lord made Arjuna and others believe it, in order to increase the prema in karunā-rasa of his devotees like Yudhiṣṭhira and to make them give up this world. And for others, he did this to increase the wrong philosophy so that dharma would be stifled. Actually, after the devatās had drunk wine and disappeared, the hunter came to that place which was without sound and people. (The battle was an illusion.)

Neither Brahmā nor his sons, headed by Rudra, nor any of the great sages who are masters of the Vedic mantras can understand the workings of your mystic power, because your illusory potency has covered their sight. Therefore, how can I, such a low-born person, say immediately what has happened? Girāṁ patayaḥ means the seers of the Vedas. Even they do not know about this, which is produced by your māyā. How can I, of low birth, say immediately what has happened?

The Supreme Lord said: O Jarā, do not fear. Please get up. What has been done is actually my desire. With my permission, go now to the abode of the devotees, the place for those who perform good acts. This is my desire. I had to accept the curse of the brāhmaṇa. It was my desire. Go to the spiritual (svargam) place of those with the best actions, my devotees. Go to Vaikuṇṭha. Sukṛtinām means “of those possessing good act,” to praise the hunter.

So instructed by the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, who assumes the best body by his own will, the hunter circumambulated the Lord three times and bowed down to him. Then the hunter departed in an airplane to the spiritual sky. Icchā-śarīriṇā means “by the Lord who possesses the best body by his desire.”

At that time Dāruka was searching for his master, Kṛṣṇa. Smelling the aroma of tulasī flowers in the breeze, he went in its direction.

Upon seeing Kṛṣṇa resting at the foot of a pippala tree, surrounded by his shining weapons, Dāruka could not control the affection he felt in his heart. His eyes filled with tears as he jumped down from his chariot and fell at the Lord’s feet.

Dāruka said: Just as on a moonless night people are merged into darkness and cannot find their way, so I, having lost sight of your lotus feet, my Lord, have lost my vision and am wandering blindly in darkness. I cannot tell my direction, nor can I find any peace.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O foremost of kings! While the chariot driver was still speaking, before his very eyes the Lord’s chariot rose up into the sky along with its horses and its flag, which was marked with the emblem of Garuḍa.

All the divine weapons of Viṣṇu followed the chariot. The Lord, Janārdana, then spoke to his chariot driver, who was most astonished at seeing this.

O driver, go to Dvārakā and tell our family members about the mutual destruction of their relatives, the disappearance of Saṅkarṣaṇa and my condition of unmanifest pastimes. Though the chariot was sent to Vaikuṇṭha, the charioteer was not sent to Vaikuṇṭha. This arrangement was made in order that Dāruka would inform others of the present situation, and that Dāruka, who had come from Vaikuṇṭha, [Note: The form of Dāruka from Vaikuṇṭha seems to be an aṁśa of Dāruka, just as the aṁṣa of Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, came from Vaikuṇṭha. ] would enter into the unmanifest pastimes in Dvārakā on seeing that in Dvārakā there was an increase in prema with all the eternal associates such as Uddhava. Dāruka should inform others of the Lord’s condition—that he would be performing unmanifest pastimes.

You and your relatives should not remain in Dvārakā, the capital of the Yadus, because once I have abandoned that city it will be inundated by the ocean.

You should all take your own families, together with my parents, and under Arjuna’s protection go to Indraprastha.

You, Dāruka, should be firmly situated in devotion to me, fixed in spiritual knowledge and unattached to material considerations. Understanding these pastimes to be a display of my illusory potency, you should remain peaceful. “What is the nature of this arrangement of disappearing, since you have a form which is eternity, knowledge and bliss? Be merciful and explain that to me.” This deceptive pastime was created by my māyā.

Thus ordered, Dāruka circumambulated the Lord and offered obeisances to him again and again. He placed Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet upon his head and then with a sad heart went back to the city. Thus ends the commentary on the Thirtieth Chapter of the Eleventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas. Chapter Thirty-one Flooding of Dvārakā 11.31: The Disappearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa 31. The Disappearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa 11.31 Summary This chapter describes the return of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His own abode, along with all the Yadus. Upon learning from Dāruka that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa had returned to His abode, Vasudeva and all the others remaining in Dvārakā became very much agitated by lamentation and went out from the city to find Him. All the demigods who, in pursuance of the desire of Lord Kṛṣṇa, had taken birth in the Yadu dynasty to render assistance in His pastimes followed Lord Kṛṣṇa and returned to their respective abodes. The Lord's activities of creating a life for Himself and then dismantling it are simply tricks of Māyā, like an actor's performance. Actually, He creates the entire universe, and then He enters within it as the Supersoul. In the end, He again winds up the entire universe within Himself and, remaining in His private glory, desists from external pastimes. Though overcome by feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna was nevertheless able to pacify himself by remembering all the various instructions given to him by the Lord. Arjuna then carried out the rituals of offering piṇḍa and so on for his dead relatives. At that time the ocean swallowed up all of Dvārakā-purī except for the Lord's own residence. Arjuna took the remaining members of the Yadu dynasty to Indraprastha, where he installed Vajra upon the throne. Hearing of these events, the Pāṇḍavas, led by Yudhiṣṭhira, placed Parīkṣit upon their throne and left for the great journey.