Bhagavata Purana

यन्मन्यसे ध्रुवं लोकं अध्रुवं वा न चोभयम् । सर्वथा न हि शोच्यास्ते स्नेहात् अन्यत्र मोहजात्

What you consider as permanent or impermanent in this world is neither truly so; in any case, they are not to be grieved for, except due to attachment born of delusion.

तस्माज्जह्यङ्‌ग वैक्लव्यं अज्ञानकृतमात्मनः । कथं त्वनाथाः कृपणा वर्तेरंस्ते च मां विना

Therefore, O dear one, give up this weakness of heart, born of ignorance. How could those helpless and pitiable ones survive without me?

कालकर्म गुणाधीनो देहोऽयं पाञ्चभौतिकः । कथमन्यांस्तु गोपायेत् सर्पग्रस्तो यथा परम्

This body, composed of the five elements, is subject to time, action, and the modes of nature. How can one protect others, just as someone seized by a serpent cannot save another?

अहस्तानि सहस्तानां अपदानि चतुष्पदाम् । फल्गूनि तत्र महतां जीवो जीवस्य जीवनम्

The handless are food for the handed, the footless for the four-footed; among all, the weak are the sustenance of the strong—life lives upon life.

तदिदं भगवान् राजन् एक आत्मात्मनां स्वदृक् । अन्तरोऽनन्तरो भाति पश्य तं माययोरुधा

O King, that Supreme Lord, who is the one Self of all selves and perceives Himself by Himself, dwells both within and without; see Him, who appears through the power of His own illusion.

सोऽयमद्य महाराज भगवान् भूतभावनः । कालरूपोऽवतीर्णोऽस्यां अभावाय सुरद्विषाम्

This very Lord, O great King, the creator and sustainer of beings, has now descended in the form of Time, to bring about the destruction of the enemies of the gods.

निष्पादितं देवकृत्यं अवशेषं प्रतीक्षते । तावद् यूयं अवेक्षध्वं भवेद् यावदिहेश्वरः

The divine task has been accomplished; now He awaits what remains to be done. Until then, you all should observe, as long as the Lord remains here.

धृतराष्ट्रः सह भ्रात्रा गान्धार्या च स्वभार्यया । दक्षिणेन हिमवत ऋषीणां आश्रमं गतः

Dhritarashtra, together with his brother and Gandhari his wife, has gone south of the Himalayas to the hermitage of the sages, accompanied by his own wife.

स्रोतोभिः सप्तभिर्या वै स्वर्धुनी सप्तधा व्यधात् । सप्तानां प्रीतये नाना सप्तस्रोतः प्रचक्षते

That river, the celestial Ganga, divided herself into seven streams by seven channels, for the pleasure of the seven sages; thus she is called the river of seven streams.

स्नात्वानुसवनं तस्मिन् हुत्वा चाग्नीन्यथाविधि । अब्भक्ष उपशान्तात्मा स आस्ते विगतैषणः

There, after bathing at the proper times and offering oblations into the fire according to the prescribed rules, he lives on water alone, with a tranquil mind, free from all desires.

जितासनो जितश्वासः प्रत्याहृतषडिन्द्रियः । हरिभावनया ध्वस्तः अजःसत्त्वतमोमलः

Having conquered posture and breath, withdrawn his six senses, and destroyed the impurity of passion and ignorance through meditation on Hari, he has become pure in the mode of goodness.

विज्ञानात्मनि संयोज्य क्षेत्रज्ञे प्रविलाप्य तम् । ब्रह्मण्यात्मानमाधारे घटाम्बरमिवाम्बरे

Merging the mind into knowledge, dissolving the knower of the field into the Self, and placing the Self in Brahman, as space within a pot merges into the sky, he abides.

ध्वस्तमायागुणोदर्को निरुद्धकरणाशयः । निवर्तिताखिलाहार आस्ते स्थाणुरिवाचलः । तस्यान्तरायो मैवाभूः सन्न्यस्ताखिलकर्मणः

With the residue of illusion and its qualities destroyed, with the senses and mind restrained, having given up all food, he remains unmoving like a pillar. Let there be no obstacle for him, who has renounced all actions.

स वा अद्यतनाद् राजन् परतः पञ्चमेऽहनि । कलेवरं हास्यति स्वं तच्च भस्मीभविष्यति

O King, from today, on the fifth day hence, he will abandon his body, and it will be reduced to ashes.

दह्यमानेऽग्निभिर्देहे पत्युः पत्‍नी सहोटजे । बहिः स्थिता पतिं साध्वी तमग्निमनु वेक्ष्यति

As the body of her husband burns in the fire, the faithful wife, together with her brother-in-law, will stand outside, gazing upon her husband as he enters the flames.

विदुरस्तु तदाश्चर्यं निशाम्य कुरुनन्दन । हर्षशोकयुतस्तस्माद् गन्ता तीर्थनिषेवकः

Hearing this astonishing news, O descendant of the Kurus, Vidura, filled with both joy and sorrow, will depart from there to visit holy places.

इत्युक्त्वाथारुहत् स्वर्गं नारदः सहतुम्बुरुः । युधिष्ठिरो वचस्तस्य हृदि कृत्वाजहाच्छुचः

Having spoken thus, Narada, together with Tumburu, ascended to heaven. Yudhishthira, holding his words in his heart, gave up his grief.

किमेतद् अद्‍भुतमिव वासुदेवेऽखिलात्मनि । व्रजस्य सात्मनस्तोकेषु अपूर्वं प्रेम वर्धते

What is this, that seems so wonderful? In Vasudeva, the Soul of all, unprecedented love is increasing among the people of Vraja and their children.

यत्र नैसर्गदुर्वैराः सहासन् नृमृगादयः । मित्राणीवाजितावास द्रुतरुट्तर्षकादिकम्

There, natural enemies such as men and beasts lived together like friends, in that land where the unconquered Lord resided, along with swift deer and other creatures.

( वसंततिलका ) तत्रोद्वहत्पशुपवंशशिशुत्वनाट्यं ब्रह्माद्वयं परमनन्त-मगाधबोधम् । वत्सान् सखीनिव पुरा परितो विचिन्वद् एकं सपाणिकवलं परमेष्ठ्यचष्ट

There, the Supreme, non-dual, infinite Lord, whose knowledge is unfathomable, enacted the childhood pastimes of a cowherd boy, searching for calves and friends as before, holding a morsel of food in His hand, and was beheld by Brahma, the creator.

दृष्ट्वा त्वरेण निजधोरणतोऽवतीर्य पृथ्व्यां वपुः कनकदण्डमिवाभिपात्य । स्पृष्ट्वा चतुर्मुकुट कोटिभिरङ्‌घ्रियुग्मं नत्वा मुदश्रुसुजलैः अकृताभिषेकम्

Seeing Him, he quickly descended from his own vehicle, bowed down on the earth as if casting down a golden staff, touched the Lord's two feet with the crowns of his four heads, and with tears of joy performed an abhisheka.

( अनुष्टुप् ) उत्थायोत्थाय कृष्णस्य चिरस्य पादयोः पतन् । आस्ते महित्वं प्राग्दृष्टं स्मृत्वा स्मृत्वा पुनः पुनः

Rising again and again, he fell at Krishna's feet after a long time, and sat, recalling again and again the greatness he had previously witnessed.

( वंशस्था ) शनैरथोत्थाय विमृज्य लोचने मुकुन्दमुद्वीक्ष्य विनम्रकन्धरः । कृताञ्जलिः प्रश्रयवान्समाहितः सवेपथुर्गद्‍गदयैलतेलया

Then, rising slowly and wiping his eyes, with his neck bowed, he gazed upon Mukunda. With palms joined in reverence, full of humility and composure, he trembled and spoke in a choked, tearful voice.

सूत उवाच । सम्प्रस्थिते द्वारकायां जिष्णौ बन्धुदिदृक्षया । ज्ञातुं च पुण्यश्लोकस्य कृष्णस्य च विचेष्टितम्

Sūta said: When Arjuna had departed for Dvārakā, longing to see his relatives and to learn of the deeds of the illustrious Kṛṣṇa—

व्यतीताः कतिचिन्मासाः तदा नायात् ततोऽर्जुनः । ददर्श घोररूपाणि निमित्तानि कुरूद्वहः

Several months passed, yet Arjuna did not return; then, O best of the Kurus, ominous signs of dreadful appearance were seen.

कालस्य च गतिं रौद्रां विपर्यस्तर्तुधर्मिणः । पापीयसीं नृणां वार्तां क्रोधलोभानृतात्मनाम्

He observed the fierce course of Time, the reversal of natural order, and the worsening conduct of people—driven by anger, greed, and falsehood.

जिह्मप्रायं व्यवहृतं शाठ्यमिश्रं च सौहृदम् । पितृमातृसुहृद्‍भ्रातृ दम्पतीनां च कल्कनम्

Dealings became mostly crooked, friendship tainted with deceit, and quarrels arose among fathers, mothers, friends, brothers, and married couples.

निमित्तान्यत्यरिष्टानि काले तु अनुगते नृणाम् । लोभादि अधर्मप्रकृतिं दृष्ट्वोवाचानुजं नृपः

When such dire omens appeared as Time advanced among people, the king, seeing the rise of greed and unrighteousness, spoke to his younger brother.

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । सम्प्रेषितो द्वारकायां जिष्णुर्बन्धु दिदृक्षया । ज्ञातुं च पुण्यश्लोकस्य कृष्णस्य च विचेष्टितम्

Yudhiṣṭhira said: Arjuna was sent to Dvārakā, longing to see his relatives and to learn of the deeds of the illustrious Kṛṣṇa.