S'rîmad Bhâgavatam - Canto 11
Sanskrit, word-for-word and original translation of Swami Prabhupâda his pupils
(for the purports one will have to consult the books under the copyright of the BBT)
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Canto 11: 'General History'
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Chapter Thirty-0ne: The Disappearance of Lord S'rî Krishna
TEXT 1
s'rî-s'uka uvâca
atha tatrâgamad brahmâ
bhavânyâ ca samam bhavah
mahendra-pramukhâ devâ
munayah sa-prajes'varâh
s'rî-s'ukah uvâca - S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said; atha - then; tatra - there; âgamat - came; brahmâ - Lord Brahmâ; bhavânyâ - his consort, Bhavânî; ca - and; samam - along with; bhavah - Lord S'iva; mahâ-indra-pramukhâh - led by Lord Indra; devâh - the demigods; munayah - the sages; sa - with; prajâ-îs'varâh - the progenitors of the universe's population.
TRANSLATION
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said - Then Lord Brahmâ arrived at Prabhâsa along with Lord S'iva and his consort, the sages, the Prajâpatis and all the demigods, headed by Indra.
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TEXTS 2 - 3
pitarah siddha-gandharvâ
vidyâdhara-mahoragâh
câranâ yaksha-rakshâmsi
kinnarâpsaraso dvijâh
drasthu-kâmâ bhagavato
niryânam paramotsukâh
gâyantas' ca grinantas' ca
s'aureh karmâni janma ca
pitarah - the forefathers; siddha-gandharvâh - the Siddhas and Gandharvas; vidyâdhara-mahâ-uragâh - the Vidyâdharas and the great serpents; câranâh - the Câranas; yaksha-rakshâmsi - the Yakshas and Râkshasas; kinnara-apsarasah - the Kinnaras and Apsarâs; dvijâh - the great birds;
drasthu-kâmâh - desirous of seeing; bhagavatah - of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; niryânam - the passing away; parama-utsukâh - very eager; gâyantah - chanting; ca - and; grinantah - praising; ca - and; s'aureh - of Lord S'auri (Krishna); karmâni - the activities; janma - the birth; ca - and.
TRANSLATION
The forefathers, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyâdharas and great serpents also came, along with the Câranas, Yakshas, Râkshasas, Kinnaras, Apsarâs and relatives of Garuda, 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 S'auri [Krishna].
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TEXT 4
vavrishuh pushpa-varshâni
vimânâvalibhir nabhah
kurvantah sankulam râjan
bhaktyâ paramayâ yutâh
vavrishuh - they showered; pushpa-varshâni - showers of flowers; vimâna - of airplanes; âvalibhih - by great numbers; nabhah - the sky; kurvantah - making; sankulam - filled up; râjan - O King Parîkshit; bhaktyâ - with devotion; paramayâ - transcendental; yutâh - endowed.
TRANSLATION
O King, crowding the sky with their many airplanes, they showered down flowers with great devotion.
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TEXT 5
bhagavân pitâmaham vîkshya
vibhûtîr âtmano vibhuh
samyojyâtmani câtmânam
padma-netre nyamîlayat
bhagavân - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pitâmaham - Lord Brahmâ; vîkshya - seeing; vibhûtîh - the powerful expansions, the demigods; âtmanah - His own; vibhuh - the Almighty Lord; samyojya - fixing; âtmani - in Himself; ca - and; âtmânam - His consciousness; padma-netre - His lotus eyes; nyamîlyat - closed.
TRANSLATION
Seeing before Him Brahmâ, 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.
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TEXT 6
lokâbhirâmâm sva-tanum
dhâranâ-dhyâna-mangalam
yoga-dhâranayâgneyyâ-
dagdhvâ dhâmâvis'at svakam
loka - to all the worlds; abhirâmâm - most attractive; sva-tanum - His own transcendental body; dhâranâ - of all trance; dhyâna - and meditation; mangalam - the auspicious object; yoga-dhâranayâ - by mystic trance; âgneyyâ - focused on fire; adagdhvâ - without burning; dhâma - the abode; âvis'at - He entered; svakam - His own.
TRANSLATION
Without employing the mystic âgneyî 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 Krishna entered into His own abode.
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TEXT 7
divi dundubhayo neduh
petuh sumanasas' ca khât
satyam dharmo dhritir bhûmeh
kîrtih s'rîs' cânu tam yayuh
divi - in heaven; dundubhayah - kettledrums; neduh - sounded; petuh - fell; sumanasah - flowers; ca - and; khât - from the sky; satyam - Truth; dharmah - Religion; dhritih - Faithfulness; bhûmeh - from the earth; kîrtih - Fame; s'rîh - Beauty; ca - and; anu - following; tam - Him; yayuh - they went.
TRANSLATION
As soon as Lord S'rî Krishna left the earth, Truth, Religion, Faithfulness, Glory and Beauty immediately followed Him. Kettledrums resounded in the heavens and flowers showered from the sky.
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TEXT 8
devâdayo brahma-mukhyâ
na vis'antam sva-dhâmani
avijñâta-gatim krishnam
dadris'us' câti-vismitâh
deva-âdayah - the demigods and others; brahma-mukhyâh - headed by Brahmâ; na - not; vis'antam - entering; sva-dhâmani - His own abode; avijñâta - unknown; gatim - His movements; krishnam - Lord Krishna; dadris'uh - they saw; ca - and; ati-vismitâh - very amazed.
TRANSLATION
Most of the demigods and other higher beings led by Brahmâ could not see Lord Krishna 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.
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TEXT 9
saudâmanyâ yathâklâs'e
yântyâ hitvâbhra-mandalam
gatir na lakshyate martyais
tathâ krishnasya daivataih
saudâmanyâh - of lightning; yathâ - just as; âkâs'e - in the sky; yântyâh - which is traveling; hitvâ - having left; abhra-mandalam - the clouds; gatih - the movement; na lakshyate - cannot be ascertained; martyaih - by mortals; tathâ - similarly; krishnasya - of Lord Krishna; daivataih - 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 Krishna as He returned to His abode.
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TEXT 10
brahma-rudrâdayas te tu
dristhvâ yoga-gatim hareh
vismitâs tâm pras'amsantah
svam svam lokam yayus tadâ
brahma-rudra-âdayah - Brahmâ, Rudra and others; te - they; tu - but; dristhvâ - seeing; yoga-gatim - the mystic power; hareh - of Lord Krishna; vismitâh - astonished; tâm - that power; pras'amsantah - glorifying; svam svam - each to his own; lokam - world; yayuh - went; tadâ - then.
TRANSLATION
A few of the demigods, however - notably Lord Brahmâ and Lord S'iva - 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.
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TEXT 11
râjan parasya tanu-bhrij-jananâpyayehâ
mâyâ-vidambanam avehi yathâ nathasya
sristhvâtmanedam anuvis'ya vihritya cânte
samhritya câtma-mahinoparatah sa âste
râjan - O King Parîkshit; parasya - of the Supreme; tanu-bhrit - resembling the embodied living beings; janana - of birth; apyaya - and disappearance; îhâh - the activities; mâyâ - of His illusory potency; vidambanam - the false show; avehi - you should understand; yathâ - just as; nathasya - of an actor; sristhvâ - creating; âtmanâ - by Himself; idam - this universe; anuvis'ya - entering it; vihritya - playing; ca - and; ante - in the end; samhritya - winding it up; ca - and; âtma-mahinâ - with His own glory; uparatah - having ceased; sah - He; âste - 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.
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TEXT 12
martyena yo guru-sutam yama-loka-nîtam
tvâm cânayac charana-dah paramâstra-dagdham
jigye 'ntakântakam apîs'am asâv anîs'ah
kim svâvane svar anayan mrigayum sa-deham
martyena - in the same human body; yah - who; guru-sutam - the son of His spiritual master; yama-loka - to the planet of Yamarâja; nîtam - brought; tvâm - you; ca - and; ânayat - brought back; s'arana-dah - the giver of shelter; parama-astra - by the supreme weapon, the brahmâstra; dagdham - burned; jigye - He conquered; antaka - of the agents of death; antakam - who is the death; api - even; îs'am - Lord S'iva; asau - He, Krishna; anîs'ah - incapable; kim - whether; sva - of Himself; avane - in the protection; svah - to the spiritual world; anayat - brought; mrigayum - the hunter; sa-deham - in the same body.
TRANSLATION
Lord Krishna 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 brahmâstra of As'vatthâmâ. He conquered in battle even Lord S'iva, who deals death to the agents of death, and He sent the hunter Jarâ directly to Vaikunthha in his human body. How could such a personality be unable to protect His own Self?
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TEXT 13
tathâpy as'esha-sthiti-sambhavâpyayeshv
ananya-hetur yad as'esha-s'akti-dhrik
naicchat pranetum vapur atra s'eshitam
martyena kim sva-stha-gatim pradars'ayan
tathâ api - nevertheless; as'esha - of all created beings; sthiti - in the maintenance; sambhava - creation; apyayeshu - and annihilation; ananya-hetuh - the exclusive cause; yat - because; as'esha - unlimited; s'akti - potencies; dhrik - possessing; na aicchat - He did not desire; pranetum - to keep; vapuh - His transcendental body; atra - here; s'eshitam - remaining; martyena - with this mortal world; kim - what use; sva-stha - of those who are fixed in Him; gatim - the destination; pradars'ayan - showing.
TRANSLATION
Although Lord Krishna, 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.
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TEXT 14
ya etâm prâtar utthâya
krishnasya padavîm parâm
prayatah kîrtayed bhaktyâ
tâm evâpnoty anuttamâm
yah - anyone who; etâm - this; prâtah - early in the morning; utthâya - getting up; krishnasya - of Lord Krishna; padavîm - the destination; parâm - supreme; prayatah - with careful attention; kîrtayet - glorifies; bhaktyâ - with devotion; tâm - that destination; eva - indeed; âpnoti - he obtains; anuttamam - unsurpassable.
TRANSLATION
Anyone who regularly rises early in the morning and carefully chants with devotion the glories of Lord S'rî Krishna's transcendental disappearance and His return to His own abode will certainly achieve that same supreme destination.
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TEXT 15
dâruko dvârakâm etya
vasudevograsenayoh
patitvâ caranâv asrair
nyashiñcat krishna-vicyutah
dârukah - Dâruka; dvârakâm - in Dvârakâ; etya - arriving; vasudeva-ugrasenayoh - of Vasudeva and Ugrasena; patitvâ - falling down; caranau - at the feet; asraih - with his tears; nyashiñcat - drenched; krishna-vicyutah - deprived of Lord Krishna.
TRANSLATION
As soon as Dâruka reached Dvârakâ, he threw himself at the feet of Vasudeva and Ugrasena and drenched their feet with his tears, lamenting the loss of Lord Krishna.
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TEXTS 16 - 17
kathayâm âsa nidhanam
vrishnînâm kritsnas'o nripa
tac chrutvodvigna-hridayâ
janâh s'oka-virmûrcchitâh
tatra sma tvaritâ jagmuh
krishna-vis'lesha-vihvalâh
vyasavah s'erate yatra
jñâtayo ghnanta ânanam
kathayâm âsa - he related; nidhanam - the destruction; vrishnînâm - of the Vrishnis; kritsnas'ah - total; nripa - O King Parîkshit; tat - that; s'rutvâ - hearing; udvigna - agitated; hridayâh - their hearts; janâh - the people; s'oka - by sorrow; virmûrcchitâh - rendered senseless;
tatra - there; sma - indeed; tvaritâh - swiftly; jagmuh - they went; krishna-vis'lesha - by separation from Lord Krishna; vihvalâh - overwhelmed; vyasavah - lifeless; s'erate - they lay; yatra - where; jñâtayah - their relatives; ghnantah - striking; ânanam - their own faces.
TRANSLATION
Dâruka delivered the account of the total destruction of the Vrishnis, and upon hearing this, O Parîkshit, the people became deeply distraught in their hearts and stunned with sorrow. Feeling the overwhelming pain of separation from Krishna, they struck their own faces while hurrying to the place where their relatives lay dead.
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TEXT 18
devakî rohinî caiva
vasudevas tathâ sutau
krishna-râmâv apas'yantah
s'okârtâ vijahuh smritim
devakî - Devakî; rohinî - Rohinî; ca - also; eva - indeed; vasudevah - Vasudeva; tathâ - as well; sutau - their two sons; krishna-râmau - Krishna and Râma; apas'yantah - not seeing; s'oka-ârtâh - feeling the pain of lamentation; vijahuh - they lost; smritim - their consciousness.
TRANSLATION
When Devakî, Rohinî and Vasudeva could not find their sons, Krishna and Râma, they lost consciousness out of anguish.
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TEXT 19
prânâms' ca vijahus tatra
bhagavad-virahâturâh
upaguhya patîms tâta
citâm âruruhuh striyah
prânân - their lives; ca - and; vijahuh - they gave up; tatra - there; bhagavat - from the Personality of Godhead; viraha - because of separation; âturâh - tormented; upagahya - embracing; patîn - their husbands; tâta - my dear Parîkshit; citâm - the funeral pyre; âruruhuh - they climbed upon; striyah - the wives.
TRANSLATION
Tormented by separation from the Lord, His parents gave up their lives at that very spot. My dear Parîkshit, the wives of the Yâdavas then climbed onto the funeral pyres, embracing their dead husbands.
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TEXT 20
râma-patnyas' ca tad-deham
upaguhyâgnim âvis'an
vasudeva-patnyas tad-gâtram
pradyumnâdîn hareh snushâh
krishna-patnyo 'vis'ann agnim
rukminy-âdyâs tad-âtmikâh
râma-patnyah - the wives of Lord Balarâma; ca - and; tat-deham - His body; upaguhya - embracing; agnim - the fire; âvis'an - entered; vasudeva-patnyah - the wives of Vasudeva; tat-gâtram - his body; pradyumna-âdîn - Pradyumna and the others; hareh - of Lord Hari; snushâh - the daughters-in-law; krishna-patnyah - the wives of Lord Krishna; avis'an - entered; agnim - the fire; rukminî-âdyâh - led by Queen Rukminî; tat-âtmikâh - whose consciousness was completely absorbed in Him.
TRANSLATION
The wives of Lord Balarâma 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 Rukminî and the other wives of Lord Krishna - whose hearts were completely absorbed in Him - entered His fire.
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TEXT 21
arjunah preyasah sakhyuh
krishnasya virahâturah
âtmânam sântvayâm âsa
krishna-gîtaih sad-uktibhih
arjunah - Arjuna; preyasah - of his dear; sakhyuh - friend; krishnasya - Lord Krishna; viraha - because of the separation; âturah - distressed; âtmânam - himself; sântvayâm âsa - consoled; krishna-gîtaih - with the song sung by Lord Krishna (the Bhagavad-gîtâ); sat-uktibhih - with the transcendental words.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna felt great distress over separation from Lord Krishna, his dearmost friend. But he consoled himself by remembering the transcendental words the Lord had sung to him.
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TEXT 22
bandhûnâm nastha-gotrânâm
arjunah sâmparâyikam
hatânâm kârayâm âsa
yathâ-vad anupûrvas'ah
bandhûnâm - of the relatives; nastha-gotrânâm - who had no remaining immediate family members; arjunah - Arjuna; sâmparâyikam - the funeral rites; hatânâm - of the killed; kârayâm âsa - had executed; yathâ-vat - as prescribed in the Vedas; anupûrvas'ah - 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.
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TEXT 23
dvârakâm harinâ tyaktâm
samudro 'plâvayat kshanât
varjayitvâ mahâ-râja
s'rîmad-bhagavad-âlayam
dvârakâm - Dvârakâ; harinâ - by Lord Hari; tyaktâm - abandoned; samudrah - the ocean; aplâvayat - overflooded; kshanât - immediately; varjayitvâ - except for; mahâ-râja - O King; s'rîmat-bhagavat - of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; âlayam - the residence.
TRANSLATION
As soon as Dvârakâ was abandoned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ocean flooded it on all sides, O King, sparing only His palace.
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TEXT 24
nityam sannihitas tatra
bhagavân madhusûdanah
smrityâs'eshâs'ubha-haram
sarva-mangala-mangalam
nityam - eternally; sannihitah - present; tatra - there; bhagavân - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; madhusûdanah - Madhusûdana; smrityâ - by remembrance; as'esha-as'ubha - of everything inauspicious; haram - which takes away; sarva-mangala - of all auspicious things; mangalam - the most auspicious.
TRANSLATION
Lord Madhusûdana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is eternally present in Dvârakâ. It is the most auspicious of all auspicious places, and merely remembering it destroys all contamination.
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TEXT 25
strî-bâla-vriddhân âdâya
hata-s'eshân dhanañjayah
indraprastham samâves'ya
vajram tatrâbhyashecayat
strî - the women; bâla - children; vriddhân - and elders; âdâya - taking; hata - of the killed; s'eshân - the survivors; dhanañjayah - Arjuna; indraprastham - in the capital of the Pândavas; samâves'ya - resettling; vajram - Vajra, the son of Aniruddha; tatra - there; abhyashecayat - 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.
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TEXT 26
s'rutvâ suhrid-vadham râjann
arjunât te pitâmahâh
tvâm tu vams'a-dharam kritvâ
jagmuh sarve mahâ-patham
s'rutvâ - hearing; suhrit - of their friend; vadham - the death; râjan - O King; arjunât - from Arjuna; te - your; pitâmahâh - grandfathers (Yudhisthhira and his brothers); tvâm - you; tu - and; vams'a-dharam - the maintainer of the dynasty; kritvâ - making; jagmuh - they left; sarve - all of them; mahâ-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.
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TEXT 27
ya etad deva-devasya
vishnoh karmâni janma ca
kîrtayec chraddhayâ martyah
sarva-pâpaih pramucyate
yah - who; etat - these; deva-devasya - of the Lord of lords; vishnoh - of Lord Vishnu; karmâni - the activities; janma - the birth; ca - and; kîrtayet - chants; s'raddhayâ - with faith; martyah - a human being; sarva-pâpaih - 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 Vishnu, the Lord of lords, will gain liberation from all sins.
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TEXT 28
ittham harer bhagavato rucirâvatâra-
vîryâni bâla-caritâni ca s'antamâni
anyatra ceha ca s'rutâni grinan manushyo
bhaktim parâm paramahamsa-gatau labheta
ittham - thus; hareh - of Lord Hari; bhagavatah - of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rucira - attractive; avatâra - of the incarnations; vîryâni - the exploits; bâla - childhood; caritâni - pastimes; ca - and; s'am-tamâni - most auspicious; anyatra - elsewhere; ca - and; iha - here; ca - also; s'rutâni - heard; grinan - clearly chanting; manushyah - a person; bhaktim - devotional service; parâm - transcendental; paramahamsa - of the perfect sages; gatau - for the destination (Lord S'rî Krishna); labheta - will attain.
TRANSLATION
The all-auspicious exploits of the all-attractive incarnations of Lord S'rî Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and also the pastimes He performed as a child, are described in this S'rîmad-Bhâgavatam and in other scriptures. Anyone who clearly chants these descriptions of His pastimes will attain transcendental loving service unto Lord Krishna, who is the goal of all perfect sages.