Bhagavatam study 51 1.10.9-20 Imminent separation from Krishna triggers intense emotion

That will be discussed in the future verses in this chapter later. Thank you.
Shri Krishna is about to depart. Who all are the people who have come to see him off? That list is conveyed in this text. Krishna has ascended his chariot as was mentioned in the previous verse.
And farewells have been spoken. And all these people now are there. Especially, he is talking about, who all are there? Subhadra, Draupadi, Kunti, Virata Tanaya.
Virata Tanaya is Uttara, who had been married to Abhimanyu Tatha, Gandhari, Dhritarashtra. And then these are, the generations are Subhadra, Draupadi are the same generation as him. Kunti is in the upper generation, Virata Tanaya is in the next generation.
Gandhari and Dhritarashtra are in the same generation as Kunti. Yudhisthira, Gautama, Yamau. Yudhisthira was the only son of Dhritarashtra, who remained.
Gautama was, Gautama is, Gautama Rishi’s son was Gautama, that is Kripacharya. Yamau, the twin brothers Nakula and Sahadeva were there. This list goes on in the next steps also.
The bow that Krishna carries is known as Charanga. So, separation from him, Viraham, they were not able to tolerate. Nasehire, they found it extremely difficult to tolerate.
And Vimuhiyamanto, Vimuhiyamanto means they almost fainted because of that. Who all are them? Drukodara, that is Bhima, Dhaumyesha. Dhaumya was the family priest of the Pandavas.
Striyo Matsyasutadayaha. The other ladies of the family including Matsyasutadaya, that is, such as Satyavati, Bhishma’s stepmother, who was also there. So, Krishna was not just a relative for them.
They knew that he was their lord, he was their protector and they had developed a deep affection for him. And given that affection, they found it almost impossible to tolerate separation from him. And thus, because of that separation, they felt as if they were about to faint.
Chapter 11, Satsangaan Mukta Dusango Hatum Notsate Budha Hirtyamanam Yashoyasya Sakrut Aakaranya Rauchanam. Bhagavatam features an interweaving of narrative and exposition. Narrative means the story is being narrated and exposition means some spiritual principles are told based on the points in the narrative that have just been mentioned.
So, here there is a temporary shift to exposition. The previous verse talked about how there is separation, there is unbearable separation for the residents of Asthanapur from Krishna. They had all become affectionate towards Krishna and they couldn’t tolerate, especially many who were devoted to him.
They found separation unbearable. So, here the point is made that Satsangaan. So, by the association of the saintly, Mukta Dusango, by giving up the association of the materialistic, Hatum Notsate Budha.
So, one is not enthusiastic for, one doesn’t attempt to. Hirtyamanam Yashoyasya. One doesn’t give up.
One just delights in the glories of the Lord. One cannot avoid hearing the glories of the Lord. Hirtyamanam Yashoyasya.
The glories of that Lord who is glorious. Sakrut Aakarani Rochanam. Once only they hear them, they find it pleasing and they cannot give it up.
So, here the principle of how they find the separation unbearable is further expositioned, explained with an example of how separation from even his glories, from hearing about him also becomes unbearable. So, if someone here, not just an ordinary person, but someone who has actually found good association, Satsangaan, Mukta Dusango, and that person is given a bad association. So, what happens by adopting good association, giving a bad association is that our desires grow in association.
Sangat Sanjayate Kamaha. The kind of association we have, accordingly our desires grow. Our desires are often triangular, not just linear.
So, we don’t just see an object and desire it. We see an object, we see others desiring that object and we also start desiring it. So, when we are in materialistic association, the materialistic people desire sense objects and naturally we also start desiring those objects.
But if we are given a materialistic association, then by that, because we don’t have that association, material desires are not triggered. And if we are in spiritual association, then by that association, spiritual desires are triggered. And when spiritual desires are triggered and material desires are no longer triggered, then what happens by the combination of the two is that when we hear Krishna’s glory, our heart is receptive.
Our heart is like a dry wood on which when a spark falls, spark of fire falls, it catches fire. So, similarly, our heart becomes kindled with attraction towards Krishna. Once we hear His glories, we feel so delighted by hearing those glories that we want to hear them more and more.
And we get such taste in them that we can’t tolerate not hearing them. This is how the magic of attraction to Krishna consciousness works when we place ourselves in the right environment. So, Suta Goswami is making the point that if this applies for hearing itself, then how much more will it apply for direct contact with the Lord? That’s the next text, text 12.
TasmÄ«n yasta dhÄ«hā pārthah saheranviraham katham darshana-sparsha-samlāp chhenāsana-bhojanai TasmÄ«n, unto Him, yasta dhÄ«hā pārthah. yasta dhÄ«hā, dhÄ«hā refers to intelligence, it refers to mind, it refers to consciousness, basically, dhÄ«hā. So, one who has given one’s consciousness to Him, pārthah.
So, usually we refer to the word, usually the word pārthah is used to refer to Arjuna. But it can refer to all the sons of Pritha, Yudhishthira, Bhīma and Arjuna. And in the generic sense, even Nakula and Sahadeva, because they also, after the demise of their mother, So, all the Pāṇḍavas, what happens to them? They, saheranviraham katham, how could they possibly tolerate separation from the Lord? Why? Because they had not just heard His glories, but darshana-sparsha-samlāp, they had directly beheld Him, they had touched Him, Krishna, they would embrace Krishna, Krishna would embrace them, they would sit and talk with Him, they would sleep together, sit together, they would eat together.
So, normally, when we spend time with a person who is very pleasant and loving, our affection for that person increases more and more. So, something similar happened here for the Pāṇḍavas and they had so much contact with Krishna that their attraction to Him was unstoppable, was irresistible. And so, this rhetorical question is asked over here.
How could saheranviraham katham, how could they tolerate separation from Him? After all, they had such intense proximity and intimacy with Krishna that it would be impossible to live without Him. So, text 13, sarve te animishair akshais tam anudrutah chetasah vikshanta-sneha-sambaddhah vichelus tatra-tatraham sarve te animishair akshais All of them with unblinking eyes, animishair akshais. So, they knew that Krishna was going away and afterward they would not be able to see Him.
So, they didn’t want to miss the beautiful side of Krishna, which would be their last sight for a long time. They didn’t want to miss it even for a moment and that’s why animishair akshais. With unblinking eyes, they were beholding Krishna.
tam anudrutah chetasah They were unto Him, after Him they were beholding. vichelus tatraham sarve te animishair akshais Chetasah is consciousness. And dhruta is like we have dravya, which is in a liquid form.
So, their heart, chetasah can be consciousness, can be the heart. Their heart was melting. They were feeling such intense emotions on beholding Krishna, on contemplating that He was going away, that their heart had melted.
chetasah vikshantasnehasambadha vikshantas, saying Him, snehasambadha They were bound with affection towards Him. vichelus tatra tatraham They started moving here and there. Sometimes when we are restless, sometimes when we don’t know what to do, sometimes when our minds are disturbed, we just move.
Our mind is somewhere and then physically we just move here and there, not being aware of where we are. So, normally we consider this kind of absent-mindedness as a problem. The absent-minded professor is a standard image in literature and culture where the person’s mind is elsewhere.
But that indicates that the mind is somewhere else and the body is going elsewhere. So, this is normally a distracted, fragmented state. But when the mind is going towards Krishna, it’s a fortunate state to have so much attraction towards Krishna.
When the mind goes towards Him, in uncontrolled ways, it’s a matter of great fortune. And that’s what has happened to the Pandavas and they are immensely grateful for that. Text 14 nirundhan udgalad bhashpam autkanthya devakisute niryatya agarano bhadram itisyad bandhavastriyaha nyarundhan udgalad bhashpam So, udgalad bhashpam, over, udgala is overflow, bhashpa is tears.
So, the tears were overflowing for their eyes, but they were checking it somehow. nyarundhan utkanthya devakisute So, Krishna is referred here as devakisute. He is Yashoda Sutra, he is Nanda Sutra, he is Vasudeva Sutra, Vasudeva.
He is referred to as devakisute. He is going back to meet Devaki now. Devaki and Vasudeva.
utkanthya Out of great anxiety, out of great longing, they didn’t find it very easy to tolerate the separation from Him. niryatya agarano bhadram niryatya, they came out, agarano agar is the place of residence, the palace. bhadram They did not want any inauspiciousness.
itisyad bandhavastriyaha So may happen. bandhavastriya, the relatives and the friends. So, everyone was out there to see Krishna.
And it is said that when a person is departing, tears in the eyes of the people who see them out there are sometimes conceived as signs of inauspiciousness. And of course, the person who is leaving sees tears in the eyes of the departing person may also feel sad and they may go with a heavy heart. Of course, we ourselves make the separation from a person who is departing.
But if we really love them, then we want them to be happy. And we don’t want them to be miserable. So naturally, whenever there are tears, they try to check the tears.
And so, although the tears were natural, we human beings also have the capacity, love means not only to express emotions, love also means the capacity to conceal emotions. Both are required. If you just think of love as unrestrained emotionality, then we will not be able to always act in ways that are loving.
A mother loves her child, but if the mother simply acts based on the emotions while taking care of the child, the child wants to put the hand in fire and the child starts crying when the mother doesn’t allow the child to put the hand in fire. The mother says, oh, I just want my child to be happy. And the child will cry if I don’t let the child put the hand in fire.
So therefore, I let the child put the hand in fire. No, that time the emotions are there, the child is doing something mischievous, something dangerous. The mother has to express her love appropriately by disciplining the child.
So the love is expressed at that time through the discipline, not through the facilitation of doing whatever the child wants to do. So here, the love is expressed by the Pandavas and their associates by curbing the tears that were flowing at the thought of Krishna’s imminent departure. Text 15 The various instruments that were being played while Krishna is departing, they are mentioned over here, mudanga, shanka, bheriya.
Mudanga, shanka, of course, you know, bheriya is a brass band troupe, our translators, vina, panava, gomukhaha. Vina is, of course, well-known, Narada Muni plays a vina. Panava is a kind of flute, gomukhaha is another kind of flute.
Dhunduri, a drum, anaka, kettle, kettle drums, ghanta, aadya, bell and aadya, ne dur dundu bhai astatha, and various other kinds of drums, they were also played. So, any kind of momentous event, its significance and its emotion is intensified by the presence of music. You know, when dramas or movies are performed, at significant moments, events, dramatic events are accompanied by appropriate music and that enhances the impact of that moment on the audience.
So, this is not just, this principle is not just for the stage, it is also for life. That when certain important events are happening, just like when two countries start a cricket match, they have their national anthems played before that. That creates a particular kind of ambience that we are playing for our country.
And similarly here, Krishna is departing, they are trained musicians and they are playing the appropriate instruments to convey the appropriate emotion at the time of Krishna’s departure. So, although it’s a sad, agonising moment, still it’s a moment of celebration. Krishna was there for so long and now Krishna is going elsewhere.
So, they are conveying the festivity through the blowing of instruments. Text 16 प्रासाद शिखराराधु शिखराराधु रुधः कुरुनार्यो दिद्रुक्षया वव्रुष्यु कुसुमैं कृष्णम् प्रेमव्रिडास्मितेक्षणः So, Prasad. Prasad refers to the palace.
शिखरा आरूढः So, Shikara is the roof. So, there were palaces. So, there is not just huts or small houses.
The kings lived in palaces and palaces had multiple stories. So, as Krishna started departing, after they had seen him off, the Kuru ladies, कुरुनार्यो, the Kuru ladies, दिद्रुक्षयो, in order to see Krishna eagerly, what happened? They rushed up to the tops of their houses, the terraces, to the balconies, to the roofs, wherever there was place for them to go. शिखरा आरूढः, आरूढः means to climb up.
वव्रुष्यु कुसुमैं कृष्णम् And they started showering flowers on Krishna. A shower of flowers was also mentioned in the previous chapter when Bhishma departed from this world. That came, of course, from the heavens.
Here, showering flowers is a sign of honour and affection and that’s what is being done over here. प्रेमव्रिदा स्मिथ एक्षणः, प्रेमव्रिदा With affection, प्रेमव्रिदा, they were smiling, स्मिथ एक्षणः With their glances, with glances and smiles, shyly, gently, they were very affectionate. Now, affection can also be expressed in different ways.
And sometimes, if we are habituated to cultures where there are very physical and public displays of affection, subtler ways of conveying affection, which are present in more conservative cultures, those subtler ways may not seem like affection. But the capacity to appreciate subtlety often represents a refined consciousness. And those with refined consciousness, even the shy, gentle smiles and subtle expressions of affection are also appreciated, are also understood and appreciated and valued.
So, text 17, सितातपत्रम् जग्राहम् तादामविभोषितम् तत्नदंदं गुडाकेशः प्रियतमस्यः सितातपत्रम् So, आतपत्र is an umbrella, सीत is a cooling umbrella. So, umbrellas can serve different purposes. In rains, they can protect from water.
In summer, they can protect from heat. So, now when Krishna is departing, there are no rains over there. But the sun is there.
So, in order to protect him, there is सितातपत्रम्. There is an umbrella, which is cooling. जग्राह took up.
मुक्तादामविभोषितम् So, the विभोषितम्, it was decorated with मुक्तादाम, with laces and pearls, it was decorated. रत्नदन्डम् गुडाकेश And it had a दन्ड, दन्ड is a handle. दन्ड can mean stick.
Now, the stick which is there in the umbrella, that was the handle for the umbrella. रत्नदन्डम्, so it was a handle made of jewels. So, a great person is offered great respect.
And that is repeated over here, गुडाकेश. So, who was holding this umbrella for Krishna when he was about to depart? That is गुडाकेश, that is Arjuna. प्रियतमस्यह So, he, for him, the lord who was a very close friend and his most beloved, he held up that umbrella for him.
So, in the Bhagavatam, especially in the previous chapter, it was Yudhisthira and Krishna, the interaction has been going on. And certainly, Krishna had affectionate relations with Yudhisthira. But at the same time, there is a very special flavour in the relationship of Krishna with Arjuna.
So, now Arjuna is right next to Krishna. And Arjuna is, of course, Krishna’s very close friend and is Krishna’s equal. So, if Yudhisthira holds an umbrella for Krishna, he is the king and he is the elder to Krishna.
So, Krishna will not be able to, will not like that. So, it’s Arjuna who is his close friend. He takes that umbrella and he goes with Krishna.
So, the very intimate and intense affection between them is conveyed by Arjuna offering this honour to Krishna and rendering this service personally to him. Text 18 So, time and time again, we see the poetic nature of the Bhagavatam here. So, Pathi is one who is travelling on the road.
Madhupathi. So, Pathi, Pathi, that alliteration makes it beautiful poetically. And Madhupathi refers to the Lord of Madhu, that is Krishna.
So, while Arjuna was holding the umbrella, others were also serving him. So, Uddhava, Satyaki, Shaiva, Uddhava and Satyaki are also intimate associates of Krishna. And they started fanning him.
Vyajane paramadbhute, Vyajane. They were fanning him. Paramadbhute, an extremely wonderful fan was there.
Vikiryamana, Kusumayi, Vikiryamana. And then, now, so, as they were being fanned Krishna, he, the chariot on which he was sitting, that had been decorated with scattered flowers, Kusumayi, and he sat on there and directed the chariot. Okay, let us move now.
He was accepting the affection of everyone. At the same time, while accepting the affection, he is also aware of his affectionate relationship with the Dwarkavasis, who have been in separation from him for a long time. And thus, he moves onwards towards the Dwarkavasis.
Text 19. Ashruyantashishya satyas tatratradvijeritah nanurupanurupascha nirgunasya gunatmanah So, Ashru, Ashruyantav, that means were heard. Ashishya, benedictions, benedictions were heard.
So, when a person is departing, good wishes and prayers are offered to that person. And Ashishya satyas, they are true. So, now for Krishna, benedictions were offered.
Tatratradvijeritah, so, vijeritah, spoken by the Brahmanas. Now, it is, the Brahmanas offer benedictions and especially to Kshatriyas, who offered due respect to the Brahmanas. The Brahmanas, according to their social position, were offering blessings to Krishna as he was departing.
nanurupanurupascha, so now, na anurupa anurupa. So, it was neither befitting nor fitting. nirgunasya gunatmanah, nirgunasya, of the lord who is transcendental, being beyond the three modes, in transcendental material qualities, nirgunasya gunatmanah, he was playing the role of a human being.
So, here the Bhagavatam makes the point that, it reminds us that this person, for Anu’s departure, enormous festivities are happening. He is not just a glorious great king. He is the supreme king of all kings.
He is transcendental to all material existence, nirgunasya. But he is gunatmanah, he is apparently, who is apparently acted in the, who is apparently descended to the material world just like other human beings and he is acting like a human being here. But he is transcendental still, nanurupanurupascha.
So, now, if the lord, if he is completely transcendental, then for him, he doesn’t require any benediction. He is the source of all benedictions. So, in that sense, they are not befitting for him.
But he is right now in this world and he is playing a role in this world. And when he plays a role in this world, he plays it well. That means, when he is acting as a kshatriya, when he is playing the role of a kshatriya, he does act like a kshatriya and offers the due deference to the brahmanas.
So, from the transcendental perspective, these benedictions were not appropriate. But from the social or practical perspective, they were appropriate. So, the Bhagavatam leaves it open-ended here.
I think that they were neither befitting nor fitting. Because he was transcendental but he is now manifested in this world. Text 20.
So, here it will be described now how the Kuru ladies offer prayers to glorify the lord who is departing. Anyonyam, among each other. Asita, Sanjalpa.
They were Sanjalpa, they were talking. So, as Krishna was departing, these ladies were talking to each other affectionately about Krishna. Uttam shloka chetasam.
Uttam shloka is the lord who is glorified with choice poetry. Chetasam, their consciousness was observed. Kauravendra purasthrinam.
Kauravendra. So, normally the word Kaurava was used to refer to Durdhana and others. But even the Pandavas were Kurus because they were descended in their dynasty.
So, Kauravendra purasthrinam. So, the ladies of that assembly, they were talking. Sarvasruti manoharaha.
And as they were discussing among each other, what they spoke was Manoharaha was more captivating, more attractive to the mind than even the Shrutis. So, now when the Vedic verses are recited, especially the Samveda verses, they are very sweet and very attractive to the mind. They are Manoharaha.
Here, when the ladies were speaking, they were not reciting the Shruti, but they were talking about the lord who is the ultimate purpose of the Shrutis. And because they were discussing about him, the words that they spoke were so captivating that even the captivating potency, the sweetness of these words superseded, surpassed the sweetness of the Vedic mantras. And as we will see in future verses in our next talk, that not only was their sweetness superseding, but their profundity, their wealth of meaning was also very great.