First Skandha

Chapter 1(1): 23 shlokas

Chapter 1(2): 34 shlokas

Chapter 1(3): 44 shlokas

Chapter 1(4): 33 shlokas

Chapter 1(5): 40 shlokas

Chapter 1(6): 39 shlokas

Chapter 1(7): 58 shlokas

Chapter 1(8): 52 shlokas

Chapter 1(9): 49 shlokas

Chapter 1(10): 36 shlokas

Chapter 1(11): 39 shlokas

Chapter 1(12): 36 shlokas

Chapter 1(13): 60 shlokas

Chapter 1(14): 45 shlokas

Chapter 1(15): 51 shlokas

Chapter 1(16): 37 shlokas

Chapter 1(17): 45 shlokas

Chapter 1(18): 50 shlokas

Chapter 1(19): 40 shlokas

Chapter 1(1)

Creation and everything else ¹ flow from him. Directly, and indirectly, he knows of all the objectives. He rules over himself. He is the one who filled the heart of Brahma, ² the original wise being. The gods are bemused by him. He is like the interaction between energy, water and earth. He is the certain cause behind the three types of creation. ³ He is always his own refuge. He is the one who casts out illusion. He is the absolute truth. We meditate on him. ⁴ This illustrious Bhagavata ⁵ was composed by the great sage. ⁶ It is about supreme dharma and is completely free from deceit. It is for the virtuous who are devoid of envy. Knowledge exists here about true reality and bliss and about uprooting the three kinds of misery. ⁷ What else is needed to obtain the lord? If a person has cleansed his soul and is faithful, through this, he instantly establishes him in his heart. The sacred texts are like trees that yield all the objects of desire and this represents their ripened fruit. It emerged from Shuka’s mouth, with the pulp and juice of amrita. Drink the Bhagavata, the store of juices. O those who possess taste! Savour it repeatedly and become happy on earth.

In Naimisha, the open ground, ⁸ Shounaka and the other rishis assembled to perform a sacrifice that lasted one thousand years, with the objective of attaining the world of heaven. On one occasion, the sages lit a fire and offered the morning oblations. Suta ⁹ was seated. They honoured him and started to ask him about these things. ‘O unblemished one! You have indeed studied the Puranas, the Itihasas, ¹⁰ the Dharmashastras and everything that has been said and have also explained them. The illustrious Badarayana ¹¹ is supreme among those who know about the Vedas. O Suta! There are other sages who possess knowledge about the near and the distant. ¹² O amiable one! Through his ¹³ favours, you know everything about the truth. Preceptors tell their gentle disciples everything, even if it happens to be a secret. O one with a long life! Thus, you have determined what will bring certain benefit to people. Therefore, you should instruct us about this. In this kali yuga, ¹⁴ people generally possess limited lifespans. They are wicked, with evil intelligence, unfortunate and suffering. There are many kinds of diverse rites, with their respective divisions, that deserve to be heard. O virtuous one! Therefore, use your intelligence to distil out their gist. Then tell us fortunate beings, so that our souls are extremely gratified. O Suta! O fortunate one! You know why the illustrious lord of the Satvatas ¹⁵ desired to be born through Devaki and Vasudeva. His descent ¹⁶ was for the benefit and welfare of beings. We are faithful and you should tell us about all the details that have been described. A person may be immersed in this cycle of birth and death and so helpless and distressed that Fear is itself scared of him. However, if he chants his name, he is instantly freed. The waters of the heavenly river ¹⁷ sanctify only when the waters are repeatedly touched and used. O Suta! However, sages who have served at his feet and have purified themselves can instantly sanctify others. ¹⁸ The auspicious deeds of the illustrious one are worshipped through these shlokas. Is there anyone, desiring to purify himself from the blemishes of kali, who does not want to listen to his fame? The gods chant his pervasive deeds. He assumes various forms in sport. Recount those to us, the faithful ones. O intelligent one! Therefore, recount to us the auspicious tale of Hari’s descent. As he wishes, he resorts to his own maya ¹⁹ and engages in his sport. Hearing about his valour in these excellent shlokas, we are never satiated. Those who have a taste for it find it savoury at every step. ²⁰ Indeed, Keshava performed his deeds of valour with Rama. ²¹ The illustrious one is superhuman. But he concealed this by hiding himself in the form of a man. Having known that kali has arrived, we have assembled here, in Vishnu’s ground, to engage in this long sacrifice. There is time to hear about Hari’s account. Kali destroys good qualities in men. It is like an ocean that is extremely difficult to cross and we desire to cross it. The creator has indicated that you are like our helmsman. Krishna, the lord of yoga, has followed the path of the brahman ²² and of dharma and has now departed for his own abode. Tell us. Where else will dharma go for a refuge?’

Chapter 1(2)

When he was respectfully asked by the brahmanas, Romaharshana’s son was delighted. He honoured their words and started to speak.

Suta said, ‘I bow down before the sage who is present in the hearts of all beings. ²³ He left on his exile, without the sacred thread ceremony having been performed. Miserable at being separated from him, Dvaipayana called out, “My son!” Only the trees answered back. I seek refuge in Vyasa’s son, the preceptor of all the sages. Through his own experiences he distilled the single essence of all the sacred texts. It is the lamp of adhyatma. ²⁴ Out of compassion for those who were blind in this cycle of life, he revealed this secret Purana. Jaya should be recited after bowing down to Narayana, Nara, supreme among men, the goddess Sarasvati and Vyasa. ²⁵ O sages! Following virtue, you have asked me about the welfare of the world and also asked me about what Krishna did. Such questions completely please the soul. The supreme dharma for men is in devotion to Adhokshaja. ²⁶ For the soul to be completely pleased, this must be without motive and without interruption. Through the yoga of devotion ²⁷ to the illustrious Vasudeva, non-attachment and knowledge that is without motives are instantly generated. A man may be engaged in his own acts of dharma. However, if these do not generate a liking for Vishvaksena’s ²⁸ accounts, they are nothing more than exertion. Dharma is for liberation. Artha has not been thought of as its objective. It has been said that someone who is devoted to dharma should not use artha for the gratification of kama. Kama should not be used to please the senses, obtaining the bit necessary to sustain life is sufficient. The purpose of life is to ask about the truth. The objective of deeds is nothing but this. Those who know about the truth speak of this as knowledge without duality and this is expressed in words as brahman, paramatman or bhagavan. Devoted sages who possess knowledge and non-attachment faithfully imbibe the sacred texts and behold the atman in their own souls. O best among the brahmanas! Therefore, for men, the best way to satisfy Hari is to properly base themselves on their own dharma, according to the divisions of varna and ashrama. ²⁹ Therefore, single-mindedly, one must hear about the illustrious lord of the Satvatas, praise him, meditate on him and always worship him. Learned and self-controlled ones can use this sword to sever the knots in the bondage of action. Thus, who will not like to hear about his account? O brahmanas! Faithfully serving those who like to hear about Vasudeva’s account is a greater service than frequenting sacred tirthas. ³⁰ The hearing and the recital of Krishna’s deeds is sacred. Krishna is affectionate towards the virtuous. He remains in the hearts of those who wish to hear about his account and wards off all evil. In general, by serving Bhagavata, ³¹ all wickedness is generally destroyed. The excellent shlokas of the Bhagavata result in faithful devotion. One is then pleased and established in the quality of sattva. One is not disturbed by the qualities of rajas or tamas, desire, avarice and other similar sentiments. Hence, one is pleased in one’s mind and follows the yoga of devotion towards the illustrious one. Knowledge of the truth about the illustrious one leads to freedom from attachment. The knots in the heart ³² are severed and all doubts are dispelled. When one sees the lord in one’s atman, all karma is destroyed. That is the reason wise ones always find great delight in devotion to the illustrious Vasudeva, thus pleasing their own selves. Sattva, rajas and tamas are the natural qualities of prakriti. ³³ Though the supreme purusha is actually one, for the sake of the material world, he is united with these qualities and bases himself in forms like Hari, Virinchi and Hara. ³⁴ Indeed, men obtain the best benefit from the quality of sattva. ³⁵ Wood results from the earth, but smoke is superior to wood. The three kinds of fire are superior to the smoke. ³⁶ Similarly, rajas is better than tamas. But because one can realize the brahman through it, sattva is the best. Hence, earlier, all the sages served the illustrious Adhokshaja, who is pure sattva. In this world, those who seek to follow them obtain welfare. Those who desire liberation abandon the terrible forms of the lords of the demons. ³⁷ Free from malice, they worship the peaceful forms of Narayana. Those whose natures have rajas and tamas worship those who are similar in conduct, such as the ancestors, the bhutas and other lords of beings. They do this because they desire prosperity, wealth and offspring. Vasudeva is the supreme form of the Vedas. Vasudeva is the supreme form of sacrifices. Vasudeva is the supreme form of yoga. Vasudeva is the supreme form of rituals. Vasudeva is the supreme form of knowledge. Vasudeva is the supreme form of austerities. Vasudeva is the supreme form of dharma. Vasudeva is the supreme form of all objectives. Using his own maya, at the beginning of this creation, the illustrious lord created the forms of existence and non-existence ³⁸ and the possession of qualities and lack of qualities. ³⁹ He entered into the functioning of these qualities and seemed to assume qualities. In their midst, he seemed to possess attributes. However, he can only be comprehended through self-knowledge. ⁴⁰ He is like fire hidden in wood. Purusha is one. He is the atman of the universe and is the source of all creation. He assumes different forms in beings. ⁴¹ Through his own creation, he enters these forms with attributes of qualities. In subtle form, he is in beings, in their senses and their atmans. He enjoys those attributes in the beings. Thus, the creator of the worlds thought of creatures and the worlds, the gods, the inferior species and men. In his sport, he assumes different kinds of avataras.’

Chapter 1(3)

Suta said, ‘In the beginning, desiring to create the worlds, the illustrious one assumed the form of Purusha. He created sixteen different kalas, ⁴² Mahat ⁴³ and the others. The extensive one was lying down in the waters, in his sleep of yoga. A lotus sprouted from his navel and Brahma, the lord of all the creators of the universe ⁴⁴ was born from this lotus. It is thought that the worlds are spread out, established on his body. The illustrious one’s form is extremely pure, excellent with sattva. Those whose eyes are full of knowledge can see that wonderful form—with thousands of legs, thighs, arms and faces. There are thousands of heads, ears, eyes and noses. There are thousands of glittering diadems, garments and earrings. This is the source of the descents. ⁴⁵ This is the seed without decay. Gods, inferior species and humans are created from the parts and sub-parts of this. At first, the god resorted to creation in the form of the Kumaras. ⁴⁶ They were brahmanas and performed extremely difficult austerities, not deviating from brahmacharya. ⁴⁷ The earth had been taken down to rasatala. ⁴⁸ To ensure welfare, the lord of sacrifices assumed the form of a boar, raised it up from there and established it. The third creation was that of the rishis and he assumed the form of the divine rishi. ⁴⁹ He collated the texts known as the Satvata Tantra. ⁵⁰ If one follows these, the fruits of action do not bind down a person. In the fourth creation, he was born as the twin rishis, Nara and Narayana, sons of Dharma’s wife. ⁵¹ He controlled his senses and performed extremely difficult austerities. In the fifth, his name was Kapila, foremost among the Siddhas. ⁵² He instructed Asuri ⁵³ about the true principles of samkhya. ⁵⁴ Over time, this knowledge has been lost. In the sixth, Anasuya prayed that she might obtain him as Atri’s son. ⁵⁵ He taught Alarka, Prahlada and others about metaphysics. In the seventh, he was born as Yajna, the son of Akuti and Ruchi. ⁵⁶ With Yama and large numbers of other gods, he ruled over the period of Svayambhu. ⁵⁷ In the eighth, Urukrama ⁵⁸ was born as the son of Nabhi and his queen, Meru. He exhibited the path to all the persevering ones and was honoured by all the mendicants. O brahmanas! Worshipped by the rishis, he assumed the ninth form of Prithu. He milked the earth of herbs and other products and made it attractive. ⁵⁹ At the time of Chakshusha Manu, ⁶⁰ when the entire earth was flooded in water, he assumed the form of a fish, ⁶¹ saved Vaivasvata Manu and made him ascend the boat. In his eleventh, when the gods and the asuras were churning the ocean, the lord assumed the form of a tortoise and sustained Mount Mandara on his back. ⁶² In his twelfth, he was in the form of Dhanvantari. ⁶³ In his thirteenth, he assumed the form of a woman, Mohini, making the gods drink and confounding the others. ⁶⁴ The Indra among the daityas ⁶⁵ was extremely energetic. In his fourteenth, he assumed the form of Narasimha and placing him on his thighs, used his talons to rip apart his chest, just as a maker of mats tears reeds. ⁶⁶ In his fifteenth, he assumed the form of a dwarf and went to Bali’s sacrifice. Desiring the world of the gods, he sought the space that could be covered in three strides. ⁶⁷ In the sixteenth descent, he saw that the kings were causing injury to the brahmanas. Enraged, he ⁶⁸ exterminated kshatriyas from the earth twenty-one times. In the seventeenth, he was born as the son of Satyavati and Parashara. ⁶⁹ On seeing that people were limited in intelligence, he classified the Vedas into different branches. Desiring to accomplish the tasks of the gods, he assumed the form of a god among men. ⁷⁰ He restrained the ocean and performed many other acts of valour. In the nineteenth and the twentieth, to remove the burden of the earth, he took birth in the lineage of the Vrishnis as Rama and Krishna. ⁷¹ When kali yuga ensues, to confound the enemies of the gods, he will be born as Jina’s son, in the land of Kikata and will be named Buddha. ⁷² When it is the conjunction of two yugas, kings will generally be like bandits. The lord of the universe will be born as Vishnuyasha’s son and will be named Kalki. ⁷³ Thousands of streams flow from an inexhaustible lake. O brahmanas! Like that, Hari, the store of sattva, has innumerable descents. The rishis, humans, gods, Manu’s immensely energetic sons and the Prajapatis are all said to be born from Hari’s portions. These are the parts and sub-parts of the illustrious Purusha, Krishna himself. Whenever the senses of the worlds are afflicted, they offer protection, from one yuga to another yuga. The births of the illustrious one are mysterious. If a man controls himself and, morning and evening, devotedly chants accounts of the births, he is freed from all miseries. The form of the illustrious one consists of the supreme consciousness of his atman. Using Mahat and other attributes of his soul, he uses the qualities of maya to fashion these forms. Those who are ignorant say that torrents of clouds are created in the sky and the dust of the earth is created by the wind. However, the one with insight can distinguish what is seen. ⁷⁴ Beyond this, there is a form that is not manifest, arranged through the attributes. Since it is like that, it cannot be seen and cannot be heard. This is the jivatman, which is born again. Through self-realization, one can counter the appearance of the gross and the subtle forms, which appear because one is ignorant. When this is countered, one achieves sight of the brahman. When the intelligence becomes accomplished, the taints that result from the goddess of maya subside. Such a learned person becomes accomplished and obtains glory in his greatness. Thus, the wise ones describe the births and the deeds of one who does not act and is not born. Even the Vedas find this lord of the heart to be mysterious. Invincible in his sports, he creates, maintains and destroys the universe, but is not attached to any of this. He controls himself and is inside all living creatures. He only seems to enjoy the six characteristics and the six qualities. ⁷⁵ An unaccomplished person cannot comprehend the movements of an actor. Like that, an ignorant creature cannot use his mind and words to comprehend the accomplished acts of the creator and his names and forms. He cannot be crossed in his valour and he holds a part of the chariot in his hand. ⁷⁶ His maya is unobstructed and pervasive. If a person devotedly serves him at his lotus-scented feet, only then will the person be able to understand the supreme glory of the creator. He is the lord of all the worlds. O illustrious ones! You are fortunate. With all your souls, you have accepted Vasudeva. Therefore, you will no longer suffer from the fierce cycle. ⁷⁷ This is the Purana named Bhagavata and it is full of the brahman. The illustrious rishi composed it in excellent shlokas. It is blessed and is beneficial for the worlds. It brings great welfare. He extracted the essence of all the Vedas and the ancient accounts. Having extracted the essence, he made his son, ⁷⁸ supreme among those who know about the atman, receive it. Surrounded by the supreme rishis, when the great king, Parikshit, was engaged in praya ⁷⁹ on the banks of the Ganga, he ⁸⁰ made him hear it. This Purana has arisen now, in kali yuga, when all learning has been destroyed, after Krishna returned to his own abode. It is like the sun and is full of knowledge about dharma. O brahmanas! When the greatly energetic brahmana rishi recited it, I was there. Through his favours, I attentively learnt it. According to my learning and according to my intelligence, I will make you hear it.’

Chapter 1(4)

The sages were engaged in that long sacrifice. When Suta said this, Shounaka, the aged and extremely learned leader of the congregation, praised him. He said, ‘O Suta! O immensely fortunate one! O supreme among eloquent ones! O Suta! Tell us the account of the sacred Bhagavata, as spoken by the illustrious Shuka. What urged Krishna, the sage, to compile this samhita? ⁸¹ In what yuga was this done? Where and for what reason? His son was a great yogi, impartial and without any sense of discrimination. ⁸² He was single-minded and had woken up from his sleep. ⁸³ He secreted himself and pretended to be stupid. When he followed his son, the rishi was not naked. On seeing him, out of modesty, the divine maidens covered their bodies with garments. But they had not done this for his son. ⁸⁴ Amazed to see this, the sage asked and they replied, “In you, the sense of difference between a man and a woman exists. But that’s not the case with your son, whose attitude is pure.” When he arrived in Kurujangala, how did the citizens recognize him? ⁸⁵ He arrived and wandered around in Gajasahvya, like one who was mad, dumb and stupid. How did a conversation occur between the rajarshi Pandaveya and the sage, in the course of which, the Satvata text was recited? ⁸⁶ The immensely fortunate one tarried at the house of a householder only for as long as it takes to milk a cow, thereby transforming the place into a tirtha and a hermitage. ⁸⁷ The emperor extended the honour of the Pandu lineage. Disregarding the prosperity of an empire, why did he engage in praya on the banks of the Ganga? For the sake of their own welfare, enemies brought riches and worshipped him, seeking refuge at his feet. The brave one was handsome and young. Why did he give all of this up, including his own life? These are very difficult to cast aside. It is amazing. There are excellent people who are devoted to the world and other people, to the welfare of the worlds and the prosperity of others. They do not live for themselves, but as refuges for others. How could a person like that free himself from his own body? Tell us everything about what has been asked. Other than the Vedas, I think that you are skilled in speaking about all these subjects.’

Suta replied, ‘When dvapara, the third yuga arrived, the yogi was born from Hari’s portion as the son of Parashara and Vasavi. ⁸⁸ On one occasion, when the solar disc had arisen, he touched the sacred waters of the Sarasvati and was seated alone. The rishi knew about the past and the future. He perceived that because of the progression of time, the dharma of the different yugas had got mixed up. From one yuga to another yuga, this is what happens on earth. He perceived a diminished strength in the attributes of everything made up of the elements. There was a lack in faith and spirit. Because of evil intelligence, lifespans became shorter. With his divine insight, the sage perceived the misfortune of people. Infallible in his vision, he thought about what would bring welfare to all the varnas and the ashramas. He saw that the four kinds of sacrificial rites in the Vedas would purify people. Therefore, to continue the sacrifices, he expanded the single Veda into four. The Vedas were divided into four—Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva. The Itihasa and Puranas are said to be the fifth Veda. Paila received the Rig, the wise Jaimini the Sama and Vaishampayana alone became accomplished in the Yajur. The terrible sage, Sumantu, was given Atharva, associated with Angiras. My father, Romaharshana, was given the Itihasa and the Puranas. Those rishis divided their respective Vedas into many different parts. Through their disciples, the disciples of their disciples and further disciples, different branches of the Vedas resulted. The illustrious Vyasa was compassionate towards those who were miserable. Thus, he divided the Vedas so that even men with limited intelligence could sustain them. The sacred texts are not accessible to women, shudras and the worst among the brahmanas. ⁸⁹ There are foolish ones who do not know which beneficial acts ensure welfare in this world. Out of compassion towards them, the sage composed the Bharata account. ⁹⁰ O brahmanas! In this way, with all his soul, he was always engaged in the welfare of all creatures. However, his heart was still not satisfied. His heart was still not satisfied and he was seated alone on the sacred banks of the Sarasvati, debating within himself. The one who knew about dharma said, “Firm in my vows, I have honoured the Vedas, the preceptors and the fire. Avoiding everything unreal, I have accepted those instructions. For the sake of women, shudras and others, I have demonstrated the meaning of the teachings in Bharata, so that they can also see. Despite this, my body and my atman, though immersed in the supreme atman, appear incomplete. The radiance of the excellent brahman cannot be discerned. Is that because I have generally not directed myself towards the dharma of the Bhagavata? It is loved by those who have attained the supreme state and is also loved by Achyuta.” ⁹¹ He was regretting in this way, taking himself to be inferior. At that time, Narada approached Krishna’s ⁹² hermitage, the one mentioned before. Having got to know that he had come, the sage quickly got up. In the proper way, he worshipped Narada, who was worshipped by the gods.’

Chapter 1(5)

Suta said, ‘The extremely learned devarshi ⁹³ seated himself comfortably. With the veena in his hand, he seemed to smile as he spoke to the brahmana rishi.

‘Narada asked, “O son of Parashara! Are you satisfied with yourself and with your body, atman and mind? You have performed the extremely wonderful task of composing Bharata, explaining all the objectives of existence. ⁹⁴ You have successfully obtained answers to everything that you asked. You have sought and studied about the eternal brahman. ⁹⁵ O lord! Despite this, why are you grieving, as if you take yourself to have been unsuccessful?”

‘Vyasa replied, “Everything that you have said is true. Nevertheless, my soul is not satisfied. O one who is fathomless in knowledge! You have been generated from the one who created himself. ⁹⁶ Therefore, I am asking you about the reason for this latent disquiet. You know about everything that is mysterious. You have worshipped the ancient Purusha. ⁹⁷ His mind is the master of the past and the future. Without being attached, he uses his qualities to create and destroy the universe. Like the sun, you wander around in the three worlds. Like the wind, you course inside everything and are a witness to their atmans. I have followed the vows of dharma and have submerged myself in the brahman, the source of cause and effect. Tell me why this has not been sufficient.”

‘Narada said, “You have generally not described the unblemished fame of the illustrious one. Since he has not been satisfied with this, I think the insight has been limited. O supreme among sages! You have described dharma, artha and the others. ⁹⁸ However, Vasudeva’s greatness has not been described in it. Hari sanctifies the universe. Colourful words that do not describe his glory are like a tirtha frequented by crows. Those whose minds dwell in the supreme spirit are like swans and do not find any pleasure there. If the creation of words is not in proper shlokas and is badly structured, as long as it describes the names and fame of the unlimited one, virtuous people hear and sing it. It destroys the sins of people. Action without a desire for the fruit does not dazzle, if it is devoid of attachment to Achyuta. Nor does pure and spotless knowledge. How can action without any reason ⁹⁹ dazzle, if it is not offered to the eternal lord? It remains imperfect. O immensely fortunate one! O illustrious one! O one whose insight is infallible! O one famous for purity! O one who is devoted to the truth! O one who is firm in vows! For the sake of freeing everyone from all bonds, be attentive and remember Urukrama’s deeds. Whatever else you desired to describe, since they were distinct from this, ¹⁰⁰ they assumed uncleansed names and forms. Like a boat that is struck by the wind, an agitated mind can never find a stable place of refuge anywhere. Generally, people are naturally addicted. You have committed a great and reprehensible transgression. For the sake of dharma, you have instructed them in words that speak of dharma. However, they will not pay heed and this will not restrain them. ¹⁰¹ Only an accomplished person who has withdrawn from happiness ¹⁰² is capable of comprehending the lord, whose boundaries are unlimited. They are whirled around by qualities and do not understand their own atmans. Therefore, you must instruct them about the lord’s deeds. If a person abandons his own dharma and worships Hari’s lotus feet, even if he falls down while he is still immature, there is nothing unfavourable that occurs as a consequence. If a person follows his own dharma, but does not worship him, what gain does he obtain? That is the reason a wise person must strive for that which is not obtained by circling above and below. ¹⁰³ Everywhere, any happiness that is obtained follows the subtle progress of time and ends in unhappiness. O dear Vyasa! A person who worships Mukunda ¹⁰⁴ does not have to be born again and go through this cycle. A person who has grasped Mukunda’s lotus feet remembers it again, and savouring it, does not desire to let go again. The illustrious one is this universe, but is also distinct from it. The creation, preservation and destruction of the universe result from him. You know this yourself. Nevertheless, I have given you a small indication. Your insight is without blemish. You know your atman and that you have been born as a portion of the supreme Purusha, the paramatman. Though you are without birth, this has happened for the welfare of the worlds. Therefore, enumerate the arising of the one who is great in powers. Wise ones have determined that the infallible objective of a man’s austerities, learning, sacrifices, recital of hymns, intelligence and charity is the description of his ¹⁰⁵ qualities, through excellent shlokas. O sage! In ancient times, I was born as the son of a servant-maid who attended to those who spoke about the Vedas. As a child, during the rainy season, I was engaged by those yogis to serve them and lived with them. Though I was a boy, I did not possess any kind of fickleness. I was self-controlled and was not interested in playing. I followed and served the sages and spoke little. Though they were impartial vis-à-vis everyone, they took compassion on me. I took the permission of the brahmanas and ate their leftover food, once a day. Through such conduct, my sins were destroyed and my consciousness was purified. At that time, an attraction was generated in me towards this kind of dharma. Through their favours, I heard enchanting accounts about Krishna being sung. O dear Vyasa! As I heard every pada, faith developed in me and I developed a taste for this beloved account. O great sage! As I obtained this taste, my intelligence did not deviate from this beloved account. I realized that existence and non-existence ¹⁰⁶ were all the consequence of my own illusions. I saw in me the brahman, who has been thought of as the supreme. Thus, during the autumn and the rainy seasons, I continuously ¹⁰⁷ and incessantly heard the great-souled sages chant about Hari’s unblemished fame. This created devotion in me and dispelled all rajas and tamas. Though I was a child, I was faithful and self-controlled and followed them. I was devoted and obedient and my sins were destroyed. They were compassionate and kind towards those who were distressed. As they left, they instructed me about the most secret knowledge, uttered by the illustrious one himself. Thereby, I came to comprehend the maya and power of the illustrious creator, Vasudeva. Knowing this, one can reach his feet. O brahmana! It has been determined that this is the medication for the three kinds of misery, ¹⁰⁸ the dedication of all action to the illustrious lord, the brahman. O one who is excellent in vows! Something may cause a disease in creatures. However, when applied as medication, it can also cure the disease. Thus, all the action undertaken by men is the cause of their being in this cycle. ¹⁰⁹ However, when dedicated to the supreme, they are capable of destroying the consequences. ¹¹⁰ In this world, any action that is undertaken for the satisfaction of the illustrious one and any knowledge that is dependent on him has the attributes of bhakti yoga. ¹¹¹ When one constantly undertakes action in accordance with the will of the illustrious one, one accepts Krishna and remembers him, his names and his qualities. O illustrious Vasudeva! I bow down before you. Oum! I bow down before Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Samkarshana. ¹¹² We meditate on you. These are forms only in name. He has no form and these are forms resulting from mantras. A man who sacrifices to the Purusha who warrants all sacrifices is one who is perfect in perception. O brahmana! This is the knowledge I obtained because of what I had done. Because of my devotion to him, Keshava himself bestowed on me the wealth of this knowledge. You are vast in your knowledge and have heard about the lord. Those who desire learning become successful through this. Describe this, for the sake of souls who are repeatedly suffering. There is no other means to be liberated from this misery.”’

Chapter 1(6)

Suta said, ‘The illustrious devarshi became silent, after describing his birth and deeds. However, Vyasa, Satyavati’s son, again asked the brahmana.

‘Vyasa asked, “The mendicants instructed you about that knowledge and departed. At that age in your life, what did you do then? O Svayambhu’s son! What conduct did you follow in your subsequent life? In the course of time, how did you give up the body that you had then obtained? O supreme among gods! Time destroys everything. All this concerns an earlier era. How has your memory not been erased?”

‘Narada replied, “After having instructed me about that knowledge, the mendicants departed. I was at that age in life and I did the following. I was the only son of my mother. She was limited in her intelligence and was a servant. She had no refuge other than her son and she bound me in her affection. Though she desired my welfare, she was not independent and could not think of anything. Like wooden dolls, people are under the subjugation of the lord. Though I disregarded it, ¹¹³ I was a child who was five years old. I dwelt in a brahmana’s family and had no idea about different directions, countries and time. Once, in order to milk a cow, she had gone out in the night. Goaded by destiny, along the path, she touched a snake with her foot and was bitten. The lord desires the welfare of his devotees and I thought that this was one of his favours. ¹¹⁴ I left in the northern direction. I saw prosperous habitations, cities, villages, pastures, mines, fields, valleys, parks, forests and groves there. There were mountains with colourful minerals. There were trees whose branches had been broken by elephants. There were lakes with sparkling water and lotuses, frequented by the gods. There were the beautiful tones of birds, rendered more beautiful by being mixed with the buzzing of bees. I passed through clumps of rushes, bamboo, reeds, kusha grass, cane and caves. Alone, I then reached a vast and desolate forest that was difficult to pass through. It was terrible and fearful because it was the sporting ground of predatory beasts, owls and jackals. My body and senses were exhausted. I was hungry and thirsty. I bathed in a pool in a river. Having touched the water, my fatigue was dispelled. In the forest that was devoid of humans, I sought refuge and seated myself under a pippala. ¹¹⁵ I thought about what I had been taught and used my atman to meditate on the atman. ¹¹⁶ As I meditated on his lotus feet, my consciousness was overwhelmed with devotion. Because of my eagerness, tears rolled down from my eyes and slowly, Hari manifested himself in my heart. O sage! I was overwhelmed by great love and all my limbs were excited and submerged in it. I was immersed in an ocean of bliss and could no longer see both of us. The illustrious one’s form is loved by the mind and dispels all sorrow. When I could no longer see it, I suddenly stood up. I suffered and my mind was distressed. I wished to see him again and fixed my mind in my heart. But though I concentrated, I could not see him. I was dissatisfied and afflicted. While I struggled in that desolate place, the one who cannot be reached through speech addressed me in deep and gentle words, seeking to pacify my grief. ‘Alas! In this life, you do not deserve to see me. It is extremely difficult for imperfect yogis, those not ripened by cleansing their sins, to see me. O unblemished one! Because of your good deeds and because of your desire, you have seen this form of mine once. A virtuous person who desires me, gradually casts aside all the desires of his heart. By serving the virtuous for a short period of time, your intelligence has been firmly fixed on me. After giving up this inferior world, you will go and become my attendant. An intelligence that is fixed in me never perishes. Because of my favours, at the time of the creation and destruction of subjects, your memory will remain.’ The great being, the lord, had no form. The sky was his form. After saying this, he stopped. He is the greatest of the great and had shown me compassion. I bowed my head down and worshipped him. With all my bashfulness destroyed, I recited the name of the infinite one. I remembered his mysterious and auspicious deeds. I no longer possessed any desire, pride or jealousy. Satisfied in my mind, I roamed around the earth and bided my time. ¹¹⁷ O brahmana! Thus, a person whose intelligence is fixed in Krishna is not attached and there is no blemish in his soul. In the course of time, like a flash of lightning, death appeared. As I was united with the pure form of that illustrious one, the body that consisted of the five elements fell down and obtained the fruits of the actions I had undertaken. At the end of the kalpa, the lord withdraws everything into himself and lies down and sleeps on the water. Together with the lord, ¹¹⁸ I also entered his breath. After one thousand yugas, ¹¹⁹ he arose and desired to create again. Marichi and the other rishis, and I, were created out of his breath. ¹²⁰ Not deviating from my vows, I wander in and out of the three worlds. Through the favours of the great Vishnu, my movements are not impeded anywhere. This veena was given to me by the god. ¹²¹ It is ornamented with the sound of the brahman. It vibrates with accounts of Hari. I sing and wander around. His feet are tirthas and his exploits are pleasant to hear. Whenever I sing about his valour, he swiftly shows himself in my heart, as if he has been summoned. There are those whose intelligence is afflicted, they are repeatedly agitated by the objects of the senses. For them, this world is like an ocean and recounting Hari’s exploits is like a boat that can be used to cross this. There are those who are repeatedly struck by desire and avarice and are not pacified by techniques of yoga like self-restraint. For them, serving Mukunda satisfies the soul. O unblemished one! I have told you everything that you asked me about, the mystery of my birth and deeds. I have now satisfied your soul.”’

Suta said, ‘The illustrious Narada spoke in this way to Vasavi’s son. Taking his leave, the sage went away where he wished, stringing his veena. This devarshi is blessed. He sings about the deeds of the one who wields the Sharnga bow. ¹²² He sings and plucks the strings and delights the afflicted universe.’

Chapter 1(7)

Shounaka asked, ‘O Suta! After Narada left, what did the illustrious lord, Badarayana do? He had heard what was desired.’

Suta replied, ‘On the western banks of the Sarasvati, Brahma’s river, there is a hermitage. The rishis refer to it as Shamyaprasa. It is a place that extends sacrifices. Vyasa sat down there, in his hermitage, which was adorned with clumps of badari trees. ¹²³ He touched water and concentrated his mind. He fixed his pure mind properly on bhakti yoga. He saw the complete Purusha and the maya that depended on him. It is because of this that a living being is deluded and the atman comes under the subjugation of the three qualities, though it is actually beyond these and is supreme. It thus suffers hardship because of what it has done. The means for mitigating this hardship are in bhakti yoga to Adhokshaja. Since people do not know this, the learned one composed the Satvata Samhita. By listening to this, a man develops devotion to Krishna, the supreme Purusha. All sorrow, confusion and fear are destroyed. Having composed the Bhagavata Samhita and arranged it, the sage taught it to his son, Shuka, who was fixed on renunciation.’

Shounaka asked, ‘The sage ¹²⁴ was indifferent towards everything and was fixed on renunciation. He had found delight in his own atman. Why did he study this large text?’

Suta replied, ‘There are sages who are free of bondage, finding delight in their own atmans. However, Hari Urukrama possesses such wonderful qualities that they too find delight in him, even though it is without motives. The intelligence of Badarayana’s illustrious son was attracted to Hari’s qualities. He was also always loved by those who were devoted to Vishnu. Hence, he studied this great account. I will now start to describe Krishna’s account by beginning with the birth, deeds and death of the royal sage, Parikshit, and the departure of the sons of Pandu. In the battle, the brave Kouravas and Srinjayas went to the destination meant for heroes. ¹²⁵ Struck by Bhima’s club, the thigh of Dhritarashtra’s son was shattered and he was lamenting. At that time, Drona’s son desired to do what would bring pleasure to his master. Seeing that Krishna’s ¹²⁶ sons were asleep in the night, he severed their heads and brought them as a gift. However, he ¹²⁷ found this disagreeable and condemned the deed. When the mother of the children heard that the sons had been slain, she was severely tormented. Tears started to flow from her eyes and she wept. The one with the diadem ¹²⁸ comforted her and said, “O fortunate one! I will bring you the head of the assassin, the inferior brahmana, ¹²⁹ severing it with arrows released from Gandiva. I will thus wipe away your tears. Having cremated your sons, you can then bathe, while standing on his head.” Achyuta was his friend and charioteer. ¹³⁰ Having comforted his beloved with these sweet and colourful words, the one who wielded a fierce bow donned his armour. The one with the ape on his standard advanced towards his preceptor’s son on his chariot. ¹³¹ From a distance, the slayer of the princes saw him advancing. Anxious in his mind, he fled on his chariot. To save his life, he fled swiftly, just as Arka was scared of Rudra and fled. ¹³² When the brahmana’s son found that his horses were exhausted and there was no other means of saving himself, he thought that he could only save himself with the brahmashira weapon. ¹³³ He touched water, controlled himself and affixed it, even though he did not know how to withdraw it, a danger to his life having presented itself. ¹³⁴ A terrible energy was manifested and enveloped all the directions. Seeing that his life was in danger, Jishnu spoke to Vishnu. ¹³⁵ “O Krishna! O mighty-armed one! O Krishna! O one who grants devotees freedom from fear! For those who are consumed in this cycle of life, you alone are the means of salvation. You are the original Purusha. You are the lord himself, superior to nature. ¹³⁶ Using the power of your consciousness to cast aside maya, you station your atman in absolute bliss. You are he. The intelligence of this world of the living is confounded by maya. For welfare and for dharma and other attributes, ¹³⁷ you use your own valour to destroy it. Desiring to remove the burden of the earth and to ensure the welfare of your devotees who think of nothing but you, you descend in the form of an avatara. This extremely terrible energy is advancing from all the directions. O god of the gods! What is it? Where has it come from? I do not understand it.” The illustrious one replied, “Know this to be the Brahma weapon used by Drona’s son. Even though he does not know how to withdraw it, because a threat to his life presented itself, he has invoked it. Except itself, no other weapon is capable of countering it. You know about this extremely powerful weapon. Therefore, use the energy of your own weapon to counter the energy of this weapon.” ¹³⁸ Hearing the words spoken by the illustrious one, Phalguna, ¹³⁹ the destroyer of enemy heroes, touched water and circumambulated him. ¹⁴⁰ He then invoked his own Brahma weapon against the other Brahma weapon. The energy from both these arrows engulfed each other and mingled. The earth, the firmament and the space between the earth and the firmament were enveloped, as if by the sun and the fire. The energy of both the weapons was seen and it was as if a great burning down of the three worlds was about to take place. All the subjects thought that the fire of destruction that comes at the end of a yuga would burn them down. Witnessing the destruction of the subjects and the devastation of the worlds, and ascertaining Vasudeva’s view, Arjuna withdrew both the weapons. ¹⁴¹ His eyes were coppery red with rage. He advanced towards Goutami’s terrible son ¹⁴² and bound him up with ropes, like an animal. He used his strength to tie up the enemy with ropes and wished to take him to the camp. However, the illustrious one, with eyes like lotuses, spoke to Arjuna. “O Partha! You should not save this brahma-bandhu. Kill him. While the innocent children were asleep, he killed them in the night. A person who knows about dharma does not kill an enemy who is distracted, mad, intoxicated, without a chariot, terrified, or one who seeks refuge. Nor does he kill a child, a woman, or someone who is foolish. If a person preserves his life by taking away the lives of others, he is wicked and devoid of compassion. Killing such a man is better for him too. Otherwise, he will be brought down because of what he does. I heard what you promised Panchali. ¹⁴³ You told the beautiful one that you would bring her the head of the person who killed her sons. O brave one! Therefore, this evil person should be killed. He is an assassin and has slain your relatives. He is the worst of his lineage and has done what is disagreeable to his own master.” Krishna urged Partha, wishing to test his sense of dharma. However, though the grave act of killing his son ¹⁴⁴ had been committed, he did not desire to kill his preceptor’s son. Govinda was his beloved charioteer. He took him ¹⁴⁵ to his own camp and presented him to his beloved, who was lamenting because her sons had been killed. Krishna ¹⁴⁶ saw the preceptor’s son, brought there, bound with ropes like an animal. Because of the contemptible act he had done, his face was cast downwards. Compassionate because of her feminine nature, she bowed down before him. The virtuous one could not tolerate the sight of his having been brought there, bound in this fashion. She said, “Release him. A brahmana is always a preceptor. Release him. You became accomplished in all the weapons through his ¹⁴⁷ favours and learnt how to release, control and withdraw them. You learnt dhanurveda ¹⁴⁸ and its mysteries. In the form of his son, the illustrious Drona is still present. It is because of him ¹⁴⁹ that Kripi, his wife, did not give up her life. O one who knows about dharma! O immensely fortunate one! You should not do anything that is a sin. This one belongs to a lineage that must be constantly honoured, revered and worshipped. Let his mother Goutami, who revered her husband like a divinity, not weep. I am tormented because my children have been killed. Tears are repeatedly flowing down my face. Let her not be like me. If kings do not control themselves and enrage a lineage of brahmanas, their own families are swiftly burnt down, with their relatives, and are afflicted by grief.” O brahmanas! The king who was Dharma’s son ¹⁵⁰ applauded the queen’s words, which were just, compassionate, guileless, impartial and great, and in conformity with dharma. Nakula, Sahadeva, Yuyudhana, ¹⁵¹ Dhananjaya, ¹⁵² Devaki’s illustrious son ¹⁵³ and the other women also agreed. However, the intolerant Bhima said, “It has been said that it is best to kill someone like him. This futile act of killing the children while they were asleep has not served his interests, nor those of his master.” Hearing the words spoken by Bhima and Droupadi, Chaturbhuja ¹⁵⁴ looked towards his friend’s ¹⁵⁵ face and seemed to smile. He said, “A brahma-bandhu must not be killed. An assassin deserves to be killed. Both of these injunctions have been laid down by me and must be carried out. You comforted your beloved and you must make that pledge come true. You must do what is agreeable to Bhimasena, Panchali and me.” Arjuna suddenly understood Hari’s intention. He used his sword to sever the gem that was on the brahmana’s head, along with some locks of hair. ¹⁵⁶ He released the one who was bound with the ropes, who had lost his lustre because of the act of killing the children. Without the gem, he lost his energy and was cast out of the camp. Slaying the physical body of a brahma-bandhu is not recommended. Instead, his head should be shaved, his wealth should be taken away and he should be exiled from that place. With Krishna, ¹⁵⁷ all the Pandavas were afflicted by grief on account of their sons. They performed the funeral rites for their dead relatives.’

Chapter 1(8)

Suta said, ‘They then desired to offer water to their dead relatives. With Krishna ¹⁵⁸ and placing the women at the forefront, they went to the Ganga. Having offered water, all of them grievously lamented again. They bathed in the waters, sanctified by the dust of Hari’s lotus feet. The lord of the Kurus ¹⁵⁹ was seated there, along with his younger brothers, Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, grieving because of her sons, Pritha ¹⁶⁰ and Krishna. ¹⁶¹ Along with the sages, Madhava comforted the ones who were sorrowing because their relatives had been killed. He showed them the reaction that the progress of time has on living beings. Ajatashatru ¹⁶² had got his own kingdom back, which had been taken away from him by the deceitful ones. The wicked ones had been killed. Those who had dared to touch the queen’s hair had diminished their own lifespans. ¹⁶³ Three excellent and well-prepared horse sacrifices had been performed. ¹⁶⁴ His fame and purity had spread in all directions, like that of the one who performed one hundred. ¹⁶⁵ He ¹⁶⁶ took his leave from the sons of Pandu, accompanied by Shini’s son ¹⁶⁷ and Uddhava. He was worshipped by Dvaipayana and the other brahmanas and worshipped them back in return. O brahmana! ¹⁶⁸ Having made up his mind to go to Dvaraka, he ascended his chariot. However, he saw Uttara ¹⁶⁹ rushing towards him, overwhelmed by fear. Uttara said, “Save me. O great yogi! Save me. O god of the gods! O lord of the universe! When people cause each other’s deaths, I do not see anyone other than you who can grant freedom from fear. My lord! O lord! A hot iron arrow is rushing towards me. O protector! If you so desire, let it burn me down. But let it not bring down my embryo.” ¹⁷⁰ The illustrious one, devoted to his devotees, heard her words patiently. He understood that Drona’s son had released the weapon to destroy the last of the Pandavas. O best among sages! ¹⁷¹ On seeing that five arrows were headed in their respective directions, the Pandavas picked up their own weapons. Their souls were on him and on no one else. On seeing that a catastrophe was about to descend on them, the lord wished to protect his own and picked up his sudarshana weapon. ¹⁷² Hari, the lord of yoga, is inside the atmans of all living creatures. For the sake of the descendants of the Kuru lineage, he used his maya to cover the embryo of Virata’s daughter. ¹⁷³ O descendant of the Bhrigu lineage! The brahmashira weapon is invincible and cannot be countered. However, when it faced the Vaishnava energy, it was pacified. Do not think that this is especially wonderful. Achyuta is wonderful in every possible way. He has not been born. Yet, he creates, preserves and destroys everything through his divine maya. They were freed from the energy of Brahma’s weapon. With her sons and Krishna, ¹⁷⁴ the virtuous Pritha addressed Krishna, who was about to depart, in these words. “I bow down before the Purusha. You are the original lord. You are superior to Prakriti. Though you cannot be seen, you are inside and outside all living beings. I am ignorant and you are Adhokshaja, who is without decay. You are concealed behind this curtain of maya. You cannot be discerned by a foolish person like me, just as an actor in a play is not recognized for what he is. You have yourself had to explain bhakti yoga to enlightened ones, sages who have unblemished souls. How can women know you? I bow down to Krishna, Vasudeva, Devaki’s son, Nandagopa’s son ¹⁷⁵ and Govinda. I bow down before the one with the lotus in his navel. I bow down before the one who is adorned in a garland made out of lotuses. I bow down before the one whose eyes are like lotuses. I bow down to you, whose feet are marked by the signs of lotuses. O Hrishikesha! ¹⁷⁶ For a long time, Devaki was imprisoned by the deceitful Kamsa and had to suffer. ¹⁷⁷ O lord! Just as you saved her, you are my protector and have repeatedly saved me and my sons from several difficulties. O Hari! You have protected us from poison, the great fire, sight of flesh-eaters, the wicked ones in the assembly hall, the hardships in the forest, the weapons of maharathas ¹⁷⁸ from one battle to another battle and now, the weapon of Drona’s son. ¹⁷⁹ O preceptor of the universe! Let those dangers occur eternally. In that way, we will see you and will no longer have to go through the cycle of rebirth. You can never be properly approached by a man who is proud of his birth, prosperity, learning and wealth, but can certainly be approached by a person to whom these are nothing. You are the wealth of someone who possesses nothing. I bow down to you. O one who has withdrawn from any attachment to the qualities! O one delighted with your own atman! O peaceful one! O lord of emancipation! I bow down. I think of you as time, the master and the lord, who is without beginning and without end. You roam around impartially in all beings and create dissension in their interactions. ¹⁸⁰ O illustrious one! No one knows what you desire to do. Though you behave as if you are human, you cause perplexity. There is no one you love especially and there is no one you particularly hate. It is the minds of men that take you to be partial. O atman of the universe! You have no birth or deeds. You are without birth and have no deeds to perform. However, you take life in inferior species, as men and rishis, and as aquatic creatures. That causes bewilderment. When you committed a crime, the cowherd lady tied a rope around you. ¹⁸¹ In that state, the tears washed away the black collyrium from your eyes. Your face was cast downwards and seemed to be overcome by fear and thoughts. This puzzled me, because even fear is terrified of you. Some say that you have been born to establish the deeds of Punyashloka and your beloved Yadu, just as a sandalwood tree grows in Mount Malaya. ¹⁸² Though you are not born, others say you took birth because Vasudeva and Devaki sought you, for welfare and to slay the enemies of the gods. Others say that the earth was like an overburdened boat in the ocean and was suffering. The self-born one ¹⁸³ asked you to be born so that this burden might be reduced. There are those who are suffering from ignorance, desire and deeds. Some others say you were born so that such people could hear, remember and worship your deeds. People who hear, sing, continuously chant, remember and take delight in your beneficial deeds, are ones who will soon see your lotus feet that bring an end to this cycle of birth on earth. O lord! You have yourself performed all these beneficial deeds. You are abandoning us well-wishers today, though our lives depend on you. We are devoted to you and all the kings seek to harm us. Other than your lotus feet, we have no refuge. Without being able to see you, what will the names and the forms of the Yadus and the Pandavas be? They will be like senses, without the soul. O wielder of the mace! This place is marked by the impressions of your feet and is radiant because of your signs. It will no longer be as beautiful as it is now. This country is flourishing and prosperous with well-ripened herbs and creepers. The forests, mountains, rivers and oceans are certainly seen to flourish because of you. O lord of the universe! O atman of the universe! O one whose form is the universe! Sever the firm bondage of affection that I have towards my own relatives, the Pandus and the Vrishnis. O lord of the Madhus! ¹⁸⁴ Let my intelligence incessantly be focused on nothing but you. Just as the flows of the Ganga head towards the ocean, let my overflowing affection be directed towards you. O Shri Krishna! O Krishna’s friend! ¹⁸⁵ O bull among the Vrishnis! You are the one who burns down the wicked lineages of the kings. Your valour does not diminish. O Govinda! You descend to destroy the affliction of cows, brahmanas and gods. O lord of yoga! O preceptor of everyone! O illustrious one! I bow down to you.” All of his glory was completely expressed in the sweet padas articulated by Pritha. Vaikuntha ¹⁸⁶ smiled a little, as if deluding with his maya. He accepted what she said. Taking her leave and that of the other women, he entered Gajasahvya. When he prepared to leave for his own city, he was affectionately restrained by the king. ¹⁸⁷ Though he was comforted by Vyasa and the others and by the lord Krishna, the performer of extraordinary deeds, himself, he was afflicted by sorrow and did not comprehend the illustrations from history. The king who was Dharma’s son thought of the death of his well-wishers. O brahmanas! He was overwhelmed by affection and confusion and spoke like an ordinary person. “Alas! Behold the ignorance that exists in the heart of an evil-souled person like me. This body is meant for others, but has destroyed many akshouhinis. ¹⁸⁸ I have killed children, brahmanas, well-wishers, friends, fathers, brothers and preceptors. Even in one hundred million years, I will not be able to free myself from hell. There are words of instruction to the effect that this does not affect a king who is a master of his subjects and kills enemies in a battle full of dharma. But I do not think this applies to me. ¹⁸⁹ I have killed the relatives of women and have reaped the consequences of that deed. I cannot think of any acts done by a householder that can counter this. Mud cannot be cleaned with muddy water. Nor can a sin caused by drinking be cleaned with drink. In that way, even a single act of killing a living being cannot be countered through sacrifices.”’

Chapter 1(9)

Suta said, ‘He ¹⁹⁰ was terrified at having caused harm to all the subjects and wished to understand dharma. He therefore went to the place of destruction, where Devavrata had fallen down. ¹⁹¹ All his brothers followed him on chariots yoked to well-trained horses with golden harnesses. So did the brahmanas, Vyasa, Dhoumya ¹⁹² and the others. O brahmana rishi! The illustrious one ¹⁹³ also followed on a chariot, along with Dhananjaya. The king was as resplendent as Kubera with the guhyakas. ¹⁹⁴ They saw Bhishma lying down on the ground, like a god who had been dislodged from the firmament. The Pandavas and their followers, and the wielder of the chakra, bowed down before him. O excellent one! Desiring to see the bull among the Bharatas, the brahmana rishis, the devarshis and the rajarshis assembled there—Parvata, Narada, Dhoumya, the illustrious Badarayana, Brihadashva, Bharadvaja, Renuka’s son ¹⁹⁵ and his disciples, Vasishtha, Indrapramada, Trita, Gritasmada, Asita, Kakshivat, Goutama, Koushika and Sudarshana. O brahmana! There were other unblemished sages, Brahmarata ¹⁹⁶ and others, Kashyapa, Angiras and others. They arrived there, along with their disciples. The supreme among the Vasus ¹⁹⁷ knew about dharma and knew about what should be done at the right time and place. On seeing that those immensely fortunate ones had assembled, he welcomed and worshipped them. He knew the powers of Krishna, the lord of the universe who is in every heart and who had used his maya to assume this embodied form. On seeing him seated there, he worshipped him. Pandu’s sons were seated there, overwhelmed by their love and affection. Tears flowed down his eyes and he was overwhelmed by his love and affection for them. He said, “Alas! O sons of Dharma! ¹⁹⁸ You have suffered what is unjust. You sought refuge in brahmanas, dharma and Achyuta. You did not deserve to live amidst this hardship. When the atiratha ¹⁹⁹ Pandu departed, my daughter-in-law Pritha’s sons were young. She suffered many hardships on account of you and again suffered them when you grew up. I think all these disagreeable things have been inflicted on you because of destiny, which is like a guardian that has the entire world under its subjugation, just as dense clouds are controlled by the wind. The king is Dharma’s son. Vrikodara wields the club in his hand. Krishna ²⁰⁰ knows about weapons and wields the Gandiva bow, with Krishna as his well-wisher. How could calamity have resulted? O king! No man is capable of knowing what destiny desires. When one tries to ascertain this, even wise people are confounded. O bull among the Bharata lineage! Therefore, everything that has happened is because of destiny. O lord! The subjects are without a protector. Following destiny, be a protector and save them. This illustrious one is the original man, Narayana himself. Confounding the world with his maya, he is secretly roaming around amidst the Vrishnis. O king! The illustrious Shiva, devarshi Narada and the illustrious Kapila know his fame and mysteries and that he is the illustrious lord himself. You think that he is your maternal uncle’s son, ²⁰¹ that he is your beloved friend and the best among well-wishers. Because of affection, he has performed the tasks of an adviser, a messenger and a charioteer. He is in everyone’s atman. He is impartial towards everyone. He has no second and he is without any sense of ego. He does not do anything out of attachment, nor does his intelligence have any partiality. O lord of the earth! However, behold his compassion towards devotees who are devoted to him. Since I am giving up my life, Krishna has himself come here to see me. If a yogi gives up his body when his mind is full of affection and when he meditates, chanting his name with words, he is freed from all desire and action. He is the illustrious god of the gods and he is waiting for me to give up this body. He is smiling pleasantly. His eyes are like the rising sun and are delightful. Chaturbhuja’s face is like a lotus and he is the object of my meditation.” He was lying down on that bed of arrows and Yudhishthira heard him. While the rishis heard, he asked him about many kinds of dharma. He ²⁰² enumerated the varna and ashrama of a person, as determined by his natural traits. He then systematically described the attributes of both non-attachment and attachment. He explicitly described the different divisions and modes of the dharma of donations, the dharma of kings, the dharma of liberation, ²⁰³ the dharma for women and Bhagavata dharma. O sage! He explained the modes for attaining dharma, artha, kama and moksha. The one who knew about the truth also expounded many accounts and Itihasa. Yogis who can die at will desire the time of uttarayana. ²⁰⁴ While he was describing, this time arrived. The one who was the leader of thousands stopped speaking. Freed from attachment, he fixed his mind on the original Purusha. Chaturbhuja Krishna, dazzling in yellow garments, was standing in front of him and he closed his eyes and fixed his sight on him. He was purified and his inauspicious sentiments were destroyed. Through looking at him, the wounds from the weapons and his exhaustion were swiftly removed. His senses were withdrawn and the confusion of his intelligence disappeared. Ready to quit the physical body, he praised Janardana. “Let my intelligence be freed of all thirst and let it be fixed on the illustrious lord who is a bull among the Satvatas. He obtains pleasure from within himself. All creation and destruction flows from him. However, he sometimes playfully unites with Prakriti. ²⁰⁵ He is desired by the three worlds. His complexion is like that of a tamala tree. He wears excellent yellow garments that are like the rays of the sun. His body is etched with sandalwood paste and his face is like a lotus. He is Vijaya’s ²⁰⁶ friend. Let my devotion to him be unparalleled. On the field of battle, the dust raised by the horses made his hair turn grey and it flowed around and decorated his face, together with the perspiration from the exhaustion. My sharp arrows pierced his skin and his armour, but he enjoyed it. Let my atman be in Krishna. He heard his friend’s request and placed the chariot in between the forces of his side and that of the enemy. Placing it there, Partha’s friend took away the lifespans of the enemy soldiers with his glance. Let my devotion be in him. Polluted in his intelligence, standing in front of the leaders of the armies, he ²⁰⁷ was reluctant to kill his own relatives. However, he ²⁰⁸ used knowledge of the atman to dispel that evil intelligence. Let my devotion be fixed on his supreme feet. For the sake of making my pledge come true, he abandoned his own pledge and leapt down from the chariot. Wielding the wheel of a chariot in his hand, he quickly advanced to kill me, like an elephant against a lion, and his upper garment fell down. ²⁰⁹ He was pierced by sharp arrows and his armour was shattered. He was covered by wounds and I was trying to kill him. For the sake of killing me, he advanced angrily. Let the illustrious Mukunda ²¹⁰ be my objective. He protected Vijaya’s chariot like a relative and held the whip and held the reins of the horses. ²¹¹ He was beautiful to behold. I am about to die. Let my devotion be fixed on the illustrious one. In this world, those who are killed after seeing him get their own forms back after death. The cowherd ladies saw his attractive gait, his sports and his sweet smiles and were stricken by love. Mad with infatuation, they mentally sought to copy his extensive movements and merged into his nature. Large numbers of sages and the best among kings assembled at the gathering on the occasion of Yudhishthira’s royal sacrifice. He was a sight to behold and received the honours. He has appeared before my atman. He is without birth. He is in the heart of every living being, whom he has himself created. He can be seen like the sun, which though it is one, appears in different forms. I have been cleansed of all differences and confusion and am meditating on him.” In this way, he merged his atman into the atman of the illustrious Krishna, in thoughts, words, sight and conduct. He ceased to breathe. Everyone understood that Bhishma was completely immersed in the brahman. Like birds, when the day is over, they became silent. The gods and men sounded their drums. Virtuous kings praised him and flowers showered down from the sky. O Bhargava! For some time, Yudhishthira was miserable. After that, he arranged for all the funeral rites to be performed for the dead body. Using all kinds of secret names, the cheerful sages praised Krishna. With Krishna in their hearts, they again returned to their own hermitages. With Krishna, Yudhishthira went to Gajasahvya and comforted his father ²¹² and the ascetic Gandhari. With the permission of his father and with Vasudeva’s sanction, the lord and king followed dharma and ruled over the kingdom of his fathers and grandfathers.’

Chapter 1(10)

Shounaka asked, ‘Yudhishthira was supreme among the upholders of dharma. After killing the murderers who wished to rob him of his inheritance, what did he and his younger brothers do thereafter? What was their conduct? Was their enjoyment restricted?’ ²¹³

Suta replied, ‘The lineage of the Kurus was burnt down, like a clump of bamboos in a fire. Hari, the preserver of creation, seeded it again. ²¹⁴ The lord instated Yudhishthira in his own kingdom and was delighted. He ²¹⁵ heard the words spoken by Bhishma and Achyuta. With his confusion dispelled, his conduct was based on knowledge. He ruled over the earth, extending up to the oceans, like Indra, whose refuge is also the unvanquished one. ²¹⁶ His younger brothers followed him. Parjanya ²¹⁷ showered down as desired and the earth yielded all the objects of desire. The udders of the delighted cows were so swollen with milk that they sprinkled the grazing ground. All the rivers, oceans, mountains, trees, creepers and herbs yielded every seasonal fruit that he ²¹⁸ wished for. The king had no enemies ²¹⁹ and creatures were not subjected to anxiety, disease or hardships caused by destiny, the elements or any other reason. Hari dwelt for some months in Hastinapura, to dispel the sorrow of his well-wishers and to bring pleasure to his sister. ²²⁰ He then took his leave and permission and embraced and honoured him. ²²¹ Embraced and honoured by others, he ascended his chariot. Subhadra, Droupadi, Kunti, Virata’s daughter, ²²² Gandhari, Dhritarashtra, Yuyutsu, Goutama, ²²³ the twins, ²²⁴ Vrikodara, Dhoumya, the women, the daughter of Matsya ²²⁵ and the others could not tolerate the separation from the wielder of the Sharnga bow and were bewildered. A learned person who associates with the virtuous and disassociates from the wicked does not wish to give up listening to his good deeds, even if he has heard about his deeds and fame once. The Parthas ²²⁶ had fixed their minds on him. How could they bear a separation from him? They had seen him, touched him, conversed with him, slept with him, sat down with him and eaten with him. All of them looked at him and their eyes did not blink. Their minds followed him. Tied with bonds of affection, they glanced at him and moved around, here and there. When Devaki’s son emerged from the residence, the women relatives also came out. They held back their overflowing tears of anxiety, since these would be inauspicious. Drums, conch shells, trumpets, veenas, cymbals, cow horns, dhundhuris, ²²⁷ kettledrums, bells and larger drums were sounded. Wishing to see him, the Kuru women ascended to the top of the palace. They looked at Krishna and smiled, shy and affectionate, showering down flowers. Gudakesha ²²⁸ picked up a white umbrella that was adorned with a net of pearls and had a handle made out of jewels. He held it above his beloved friend. Uddhava and Satyaki fanned him with extremely wonderful whisks. As the lord of Madhu advanced, the road was strewn with flowers and was resplendent. Here and there, true benedictions pronounced by the brahmanas were heard. They were appropriate, but also inappropriate, since he didn’t possess attributes, but had himself assumed attributes. ²²⁹ With their intelligence thus engaged, the Indras among the Kouravas and the women of the city conversed about him in excellent shlokas and this was more pleasant to hear than all the sacred texts. “He is certainly the ancient Purusha. He is the single one, whose atman is not manifest. He is the lord who is the soul of the universe and he comes before all the qualities. When all the energy has withdrawn into him, he sleeps during the night. ²³⁰ He is the one who used his valour and maya and urged Prakriti to create living creatures. His atman is without names and forms, but he desired to impart names and forms to them. He is the one who entrusted the creation of the sacred texts. He is the one whose feet the gods, those who have conquered their senses and those who have controlled their breath of life, seek. Those who have unblemished souls and hanker, full of devotion, can see him. There is no one else who is capable of cleansing the spirit. O friends! He is the one whose virtuous deeds have been recited in the mysterious parts of the Vedas by those who speak about secrets. He is the lord who sports and creates, preserves and destroys the universe, without being attached to it. Whenever kings are immersed in tamas and live in adharma, the supreme one uses sattva to assume form. From one yuga to another yuga, to ensure truth, uprightness, compassion, fame and welfare, he assumes different forms. Wonderful is the one who deserves to be praised the most. Wonderful is the lineage of the Yadus. Madhuvana is most sacred. ²³¹ The bull among men and the consort of Shri ²³² was born there and roamed around there, glorifying it. Kushasthali ²³³ is wonderful. It is sacred and famous on earth and has surpassed the glory of the heavenly bodies. The residents there have been favoured by him and can always see him. The lord always looks at them smilingly. There are women whose hands he has accepted in marriage. They must indeed have observed vows, bathed, offered oblations and worshipped properly to have obtained the lord. O friends! They can repeatedly drink the amrita from his lips. Hoping for this, the women of Vraja ²³⁴ repeatedly fainted. There were those who were abducted through viryashulka and obtained through svayamvara, ²³⁵ crushing powerful ones, Chaidya being the most important. They were the mothers of Pradyumna, Samba, Amba and other sons. ²³⁶ There were thousands of others who were abducted after Bhouma had been killed. ²³⁷ Their feminine nature suffered and they were sullied. However, since the lotus-eyed one accepted them, they were sanctified. Their husband never goes away from them. He touches their hearts by bringing them desired objects.” The women of the city spoke about him in such words. Glancing at them and smilingly greeting them, Hari departed. Ajatashatru suspected danger from Madhu’s ²³⁸ enemies. Therefore, out of affection, he arranged an army consisting of the four kinds of forces ²³⁹ for their protection. Afflicted at being separated from him and deep in their affection, the Kouravas followed Shouri ²⁴⁰ for a long distance. However, he made them return and proceeded towards his beloved city. O Bhargava! After passing through Kurujangala, Panchala, Shurasena, the area around the Yamuna, Brahmavarta, Kurukshetra, Matsya, Sarasvata, deserts, barren regions, Souvira and Abhira, they reached Anarta, ²⁴¹ which lies beyond all these. The lord and the mounts were slightly exhausted. Here and there, Hari was worshipped and gifts were brought to him. Whenever the sun went into the ocean, ²⁴² he faced the western direction and stopped for the evening rites.’

Chapter 1(11)

Suta said, ‘The prosperous region of Anarta was his own. Having arrived there, as if to dispel the sorrow, ²⁴³ he blew on his excellent conch shell. The conch shell was thick and white in the middle and touched by Urukrama’s mouth, became red. As it was blown, it was held in the cup of his hands, which were like lotuses. ²⁴⁴ It was as if a white swan was singing amidst a clump of red lotuses. Its sound generated fear among those who caused fear to the world. On hearing this, all the subjects, who were eager to see their master, arose and advanced. Like a lamp being offered to the sun, they gave him their offerings. He is completely satisfied and finds pleasure in his own atman. He is the one who always finds his own gratification. However, all those well-wishers were like wards before a guardian and a father. Their faces bloomed in delight and they spoke in voices that choked with joy. “O protector! We always bow down before your lotus feet, worshipped by Virinchi, Varinchya and Indra of the gods. ²⁴⁵ You are the supreme benefit for those who desire the supreme. You are the supreme lord and time is powerless before you. O creator of the universe! Be the one who brings us welfare. You are our mother, well-wisher, master and father. You are our virtuous preceptor and supreme divinity. We will become successful by serving you. It is wonderful that we have got you back as a protector. Even the residents of heaven find it extremely difficult to see you. We can now behold your loving, smiling and gentle face and your form, which brings all kinds of good fortune. O lotus-eyed one! Wishing to see your well-wishers, you withdrew to the land of the Kurus and Madhu. ²⁴⁶ O Achyuta! Every moment of that seemed like a crore of years. It is as if our eyes were deprived of the sight of the sun. The subjects spoke these words and he heard them. Affectionate towards his devotees, he distributed the favour of his glance and entered the city. It was protected by the Madhus, Bhojas, Dasharhas, Arhas, Kukuras, Andhakas and Vrishnis. ²⁴⁷ They were like him in valour and it was like Bhogavati, ²⁴⁸ protected by the nagas. ²⁴⁹ Everywhere, there were sacred trees and creepers characterizing all the seasons, and hermitages. There were gardens, groves, pleasure gardens and beautiful ponds with lotuses. There were arches and gates along the roads and the turrets were marked with signs of festivities. There were colourful standards with flags at the top and these sheltered from the heat of the sun. The important roads, smaller roads, markets and squares had been cleaned and sprinkled with fragrant water. Fruits, flowers, unbroken grain ²⁵⁰ and sprouts were strewn around. ²⁵¹ The doors of every house were decorated with pots full of curds, unbroken grain, fruits, sugar cane, and other offerings, and incense and lamps. Hearing that the beloved one was coming, the great-minded Vasudeva, ²⁵² Akrura, ²⁵³ Ugrasena, Rama, ²⁵⁴ extraordinary in his valour, Pradyumna, Charudeshna ²⁵⁵ and Samba, Jambavati’s son, were so happy that they stopped lying down, sitting or eating. Full of respect and love, they happily advanced on their chariots. An Indra among elephants was in front and there were brahmanas with auspicious articles. There was the sound of conch shells and trumpets and the chanting of the brahman. Eager to see him, there were hundreds of excellent courtesans on vehicles. Brilliant earrings dangled from their ears and rendered their foreheads and faces even more beautiful. There were actors, dancers, gandharvas, sutas, magadhas and bandis. ²⁵⁶ In excellent shlokas, they sang about his extraordinary deeds. The illustrious one approached his relatives, the citizens and the other followers. He met all of them and showed them the appropriate honours. He bowed his head down and greeted them. He embraced and touched them with his hand and glanced at them, smilingly. The lord comforted them and granted them the boons they sought, including the shvapakas. ²⁵⁷ Seniors, brahmanas and their wives and aged ones pronounced benedictions over him and he was praised by bandis. He thus entered the city. O brahmana! As Krishna advanced along the royal road, women from the noble families of Dvaraka climbed up to the tops of their mansions, so as to witness the great festivities. The residents of Dvaraka were used to seeing him all the time. Even then, they were not satiated by looking at Achyuta, the abode of beauty. His chest is the abode of Shri. The eyes regard his face as a vessel to drink from. His arms are the guardians of the world. His feet are dappled. ²⁵⁸ There was a white umbrella above his head and he was fanned with whisks. Ahead of him, flowers were showered down along the road. His garments were yellow and he was adorned with a garland of wild flowers. He looked like a dark cloud, adorned by the sun, the moon, a rainbow and lightning. He entered his father’s residence and was embraced by his own mothers. He cheerfully bowed his head down before the seven mothers, of whom, Devaki was the foremost. ²⁵⁹ Because of their affection, milk began to flow from their breasts and the mothers placed their son on their laps. They were senseless with joy and sprinkled him with tears of delight. Thereafter, he entered his own residence, which was filled with all the objects of desire. There were more than sixteen thousand wives in that mansion. The wives saw that their husband had returned home, after being away, and it was as if their minds were filled with a sense of great festivity. They quickly stood up from their couches and their vows, with shyness writ on their eyes and faces. Overwhelmed with love for their husband, they first embraced him through their sons, then through their glances, and finally, they themselves did it. O foremost among the Bhrigu lineage! Though they tried to restrain the tears of joy in their eyes, they were helpless in preventing them. Though he alone was by their side, his feet seemed to be new and newer still. Though fickle, Shri does not desert his feet. Having been at his feet, how can anyone be separated from those feet? Those kings had led to a burden on earth. Those energetic ones had been surrounded by akshouhinis. He had not wielded a weapon. But just as blowing generates a fire, he had created enmity amongst them, making them kill each other. Using his own maya, he descended into this world of men. The illustrious one behaved like an ordinary person, finding pleasure amidst jewels among women. Their unrestrained nature, exciting and pure smiles and bashful glances could have slain Madana ²⁶⁰ and those excellent women could have made him cast aside his bow. However, their guiles were incapable of agitating his senses. Ordinary people think he is attached, just as they are attached. Ignorant men think that, like themselves, he is engaged in pursuits. Such is the divinity of the lord that he is not attached to the qualities of Prakriti. Nor are those virtuous atmans who use their intelligence to seek refuge with him. Those feeble and foolish women thought that he followed them alone. Their minds were such that they did not know about the greatness and divinity of their husband.’

Chapter 1(12)

Shounaka asked, ‘Ashvatthama released the energetic brahmashira and destroyed Uttara’s embryo. However, the lord made it come alive again. How was the immensely intelligent one ²⁶¹ born? What were the great-souled one’s deeds? How did he die? Where did he go after death? We wish to hear this. If you so desire, tell us. We are faithful. Tell us about the knowledge Shuka imparted.’

Suta replied, ‘Dharmaraja ruled and delighted his subjects, like a father. He served at Krishna’s feet and was not attached to any object of desire. His prosperity, sacrifices, subjects, queen, the brothers, the earth, the lordship over Jambudvipa ²⁶² and his fame reached heaven. O brahmanas! What are objects of pleasure, desired by the gods, to someone whose mind is in Mukunda? Like a person who is hungry, the king was only content and happy with that. ²⁶³ O descendant of the Bhrigu lineage! The brave one ²⁶⁴ was in his mother’s womb and was being burnt by the weapon’s energy. At that time, he saw a being advance towards him. He was the size of a thumb and sparkled. He blazed in his golden diadem. Achyuta was dark and excellent to behold. His garments were like lightning. He was handsome and tall, with four hands. His earrings were made out of molten gold. His eyes were as red as blood. The mace in his hand was being repeatedly whirled around in all the directions around him, circling like a meteor. With his own mace, he drove away the energy of the weapon, like the sun dispelling mist. He ²⁶⁵ wondered—“Who is this near me?” Having destroyed it, the illustrious lord Hari, immeasurable in his soul and the protector of dharma, vanished, while the ten-month-old looked on. After this, when auspicious planets arose, Pandu’s descendant was born, progressively imbibed with all the qualities. He was like Pandu in his energy. The king was delighted and had the rites of birth performed. The brahmanas, Dhoumya, Kripa and the others, pronounced auspicious benedictions. The king, who knew about auspicious occasions, gave gold, cattle, land, villages, elephants and the best of horses and food to brahmanas, on the auspicious occasion of an offspring being born. The brahmanas were content and satisfied. They said, “O bull of the Puru lineage! This is Puru’s descendant. This pure one was almost destroyed by invincible destiny. However, he was restored through the favours of Vishnu and the powers of Vishnu. Therefore, he will be known in this world by the name of Vishnurata. ²⁶⁶ O immensely fortunate one! There is no doubt that he will be great and greatly devoted to the illustrious one.” Yudhishthira asked, “O great-souled ones! Will he follow this lineage of royal sages? Will he be pure? O excellent ones! Will his deeds be applauded by the virtuous?” The brahmanas answered, “O Partha! This offspring will be like Ikshvaku, Manu’s son himself. Like Rama, Dasharatha’s son, he will serve brahmanas and be devoted to the truth. Like Shibi, Ushinara’s son, he will be generous and provide refuge to those who seek it. ²⁶⁷ He will extend the fame of his lineage, like Dushyanta’s son, the performer of sacrifices. ²⁶⁸ Like the two Arjunas, ²⁶⁹ he will be a foremost archer. He will be as invincible as the fire and like the ocean, will be impossible to cross. He will be as valiant as the Indra among animals. ²⁷⁰ As a refuge, he will be like the Himalayas. He will be as patient as the earth and as tolerant as his fathers. He will be like his grandfather ²⁷¹ in impartiality and like Girisha ²⁷² in granting favours. Like the god who is Rama’s refuge, ²⁷³ he will be a refuge for all creatures. He will follow Krishna in all the qualities and in greatness. He will be like Rantideva ²⁷⁴ in his generosity. In following dharma, he will be like Yayati. He will be like Bali in perseverance. In his faith towards Krishna, he will be like Prahlada. He will serve the elders and perform many horse sacrifices. He will give birth to royal sages. He will chastise those who follow evil paths. For the sake of ensuring dharma on earth, he will restrain Kali. ²⁷⁵ He will hear about his own death, through Takshaka, sent by the son of a brahmana. ²⁷⁶ He will then free himself from all attachment and seek refuge at Hari’s feet. He will ask about the nature of the atman from the sage who is Vyasa’s son. ²⁷⁷ O king! He will then cast aside all fear and go to the banks of the Ganga.” The brahmanas, who knew about someone who has been born, instructed the king in this way. Having obtained what they deserved, all of them went away to their own respective homes. The lord had said that he would be famous in the world as Parikshit. He meditated on the one he had seen and tested every man in this way. ²⁷⁸ The prince grew up quickly, like the moon during shukla paksha. ²⁷⁹ From one kashtha to another kashtha and from one day to another day, he grew up, looked after by his fathers. ²⁸⁰ At that time, the king ²⁸¹ desired to free himself from the sin of having caused enmity to his relatives and wanted to perform a horse sacrifice. Since there wasn’t enough revenue through taxes, he thought about acquiring the requisite wealth. Urged by Achyuta, his brothers discerned his intentions. They brought a lot of riches from the northern direction. ²⁸² Yudhishthira, Dharma’s son, became prosperous through those riches. Terrified, ²⁸³ he performed three horse sacrifices and dedicated them to Hari. The illustrious one was invited by the king and the brahmanas acted as officiating priests at the king’s sacrifice. Desiring to ensure pleasure to his well-wishers, he ²⁸⁴ stayed there for a few months. O brahmana! Having taken leave of the king, Krishna ²⁸⁵ and the relatives, he then went to Dvaravati with Arjuna, surrounded by the Yadus.’

Chapter 1(13)

Suta said, ‘Having been on a visit to tirthas, Vidura got to know about the atman’s destination from Maitreya. ²⁸⁶ Having thus satisfied his wishes, he went to Hastinapura. In Kousharava’s ²⁸⁷ presence, Kshatta ²⁸⁸ asked questions. However, when devotion towards Govinda was generated in him, he ceased. With his younger brothers, Dhritarashtra, Yuyutsu, suta, ²⁸⁹ Sharadvata ²⁹⁰ and Pritha, Dharma’s son saw that his relative had arrived. O brahmana! Gandhari, Droupadi, Subhadra, Uttara, Kripi, many other women from Pandu’s lineage, and relatives, with their sons and wives, were also there. They approached him with delight, as if life had returned to their bodies. They approached him in the proper way, embracing and greeting him. They were anxious and suffering, separated from him and shed tears of affection. After he had seated himself, the king offered him the signs of respect. He ate and rested and was happily seated on his seat. In the presence of those who heard, the king started to ask him questions.

‘Yudhishthira asked, “Do you remember how we grew up under your shadow and how you protected us? With our mother, you saved us from dangers like poison and fire. How did you maintain yourself when you roamed around the surface of the earth? On this earth, which are the tirthas and kshetras you visited? ²⁹¹ O lord! A devotee like you is himself a tirtha. With the wielder of the mace inside you, you yourself make a tirtha a true tirtha. O father! ²⁹² What about our well-wishers, the relatives of the divinity Krishna? Did you see, or hear about, the Yadavas? Are they happily residing in their own city?”

Suta said, ‘Thus addressed by Dharmaraja, he described everything in due order, as he had experienced it. But he left out the destruction of the Yadu lineage. ²⁹³ He was unable to tolerate anything that was disagreeable to men. That incident was miserable and impossible to behold. It presented itself. Out of pity, he did not state it. He was honoured like a god and brought happiness to everyone. He ensured the welfare of his elder brother ²⁹⁴ and resided there for some time. Yama was cursed that he would be a shudra for one hundred years. ²⁹⁵ During that time, Aryama used the appropriate rod of chastisement on those who committed crimes. ²⁹⁶ Yudhishthira obtained his kingdom and saw his grandson, ²⁹⁷ who would bear the burden of the lineage. With his brothers, who were like guardians of the world, he was delighted in his supreme prosperity. There are those who are maddened, excessively attached to homes and desires of this world. However, time is extremely difficult to cross and creeps in, unnoticed.

‘Discerning this, Vidura spoke to Dhritarashtra. “O king! Behold. The fear has arrived. Leave quickly. O lord! In this world, there is no counter to this. This illustrious time has come before all of us. Overcome by this, people have to immediately give up their beloved lives, not to speak of things like riches. Your father, brother, well-wishers and sons have been killed. Age has passed. You yourself have been overcome by old age and are residing in another person’s house. Alas! The desire to remain alive is extremely great in a living being like you. Like a domesticated animal, you are accepting scraps of food flung towards you by Bhima. Fire was applied to them. They were given poison. Their wife was abused. Their dominion and riches were seized. How can you subsist on what they give? Despite this, like a miserable person, you wish to remain alive. Even though you do not desire it, like an old garment, your body will decay. If a person abandons selfish motives, is detached and free from bondage and gives up this body, heading for an unknown destination, he is said to be unperturbed. The best among men is a person who learns on his own or from others, becoming indifferent and realizing the atman. With Hari in his heart, he departs from his residence. Therefore, leave for the northern direction, without letting your relatives know where you have gone. After this, time, which destroys qualities in men, will arrive.” Thus King Ajamidha’s ²⁹⁸ insight of wisdom was awoken by his younger brother, Vidura. Firm, he severed the bonds of affection towards his relatives. As instructed by his brother, he left. When her husband left, Subala’s virtuous daughter, ²⁹⁹ devoted to her husband, followed him to the Himalayas. Unlike those who strike, virtuous and spirited ones find delight in casting aside the rod of chastisement. Ajatashatru performed the morning prayers ³⁰⁰ and offered oblations into the kindled fire. He gave sesamum seed, land and gold to brahmanas. When he entered the house to worship the seniors, he did not see his father and Subala’s daughter.

‘He was anxious in his mind. Sanjaya was seated there and he asked, “O Gavalgana’s son! ³⁰¹ Where is our aged father, who doesn’t possess eyesight? Where is our mother, afflicted by grief on account of her sons? Where has our uncle and well-wisher ³⁰² gone? I am ungrateful and have killed my relatives. As one who has committed a crime, has he suspected me? With his wife, has he submerged himself in the Ganga? After our father, Pandu’s, downfall, all of us were children. We were without protection and faced hardships. These uncles and well-wishers protected us. Where have they gone from here?” Suta ³⁰³ was also afflicted by the separation, unable to see his own master. ³⁰⁴ He was bewildered, overcome by pity and affection. Suffering greatly, he could not reply. He wiped away the tears with his hands and found the steadiness within his own self. Remembering his master’s feet, he replied to Ajatashatru. Sanjaya said, “O delight of the lineage! O mighty-armed one! I do not know what the two fathers ³⁰⁵ have done. Those great-souled ones have deceived me as well.” At that time, the illustrious Narada came there with Tumburu. ³⁰⁶ With his younger brothers, he arose and greeted and worshipped the sage. Yudhishthira said, “O illustrious one! I do not know where my fathers have gone. My mother is afflicted by grief on account of her sons. Where has that ascetic lady gone? O illustrious one! This is very difficult to cross and you are like a helmsman. You can show us the other shore.”

‘The illustrious Narada, supreme among sages, started to speak. “O king! Do not grieve. The entire universe is under the lord’s control. The world and its guardians bear the lord’s burden. He is the one who engages beings and disengages them. Cows are tethered with a string around the noose and bound with ropes. They bear the lord’s burden. They are bound and addressed by different names. A person playing a game engages and disengages the pieces according to his wishes. Like that, the lord plays with humans. Whether you think objects in this world are permanent, impermanent, or both, out of affection that results from delusion, you should not grieve. O dear one! Therefore, give up this lassitude that results from ignorance about your own self. ‘Without me, how will those miserable ones subsist without a protector?’ This body is made out of five elements and is controlled by time, deeds and qualities. It is as if one is being devoured by a snake. How can a person offer protection to another? Those without hands are subsistence for those with hands. ³⁰⁷ Those without feet are subsistence for quadrupeds. ³⁰⁸ Those who are weak are subsistence for those who are strong. One living being is subsistence for another living being. O king! The illustrious one is one and himself holds everything up through his atman. He shines, inside and outside. Behold his maya, resulting in different forms. O great king! The illustrious one, the creator of all beings, has descended in the form of time, to ensure the destruction of the enemies of the gods. He has performed the task of the gods and is waiting for what remains to be done. As long as the lord is in this world, you need to wait and watch. With his brother and his wife, Gandhari, Dhritarashtra has gone to the southern slope of the Himalayas, to the hermitage of the rishis. The place is known as Saptasrota. ³⁰⁹ To please the seven, ³¹⁰ the seven flows of the heavenly river ³¹¹ were divided into seven streams there. There, he will bathe constantly. ³¹² Following the ordinances, he will offer oblations into the fire. He will subsist on water and control his atman. He will free himself from all desire. He will control his posture and control his breath. He will withdraw his six senses. ³¹³ Immersing himself in thoughts of Hari, he will cleanse taints associated with rajas and tamas. He will engage in knowledge about the atman and merge into the supreme. With his atman in the reservoir of the brahman, it is like the space inside a pot merging into broader space. He will destroy the results of all qualities associated with maya. He will stop everything that results from action. He will withdraw from all kinds of food. He will be as immobile as a pillar. He will abandon all action and you should not become an impediment to him. O king! On the fifth day from today, he will give up his body for the hereafter and it will be reduced to ashes. In the cottage, the body of the husband will be burnt down in a fire. ³¹⁴ Standing outside, the virtuous wife will see the fire and follow her husband into the fire. O descendant of the Kuru lineage! Vidura will hear about this wonderful account. Therefore, filled with joy and sorrow, he will go and visit the tirthas.” Having said this, with Tumburu, Narada ascended to heaven. Yudhishthira’s heart accepted his words and he cast aside all sorrow.’

Chapter 1(14)

Suta said, ‘Jishnu went to Dvaraka, wishing to see his friend and relatives and to know what Punyashloka ³¹⁵ Krishna would do. Several months passed, but Arjuna did not return. The extender of the Kuru lineage ³¹⁶ witnessed portents that were terrible in form. The progress of time became terrible and the natural advent of the seasons turned contrary. Men became wicked in conduct and were full of anger, greed and falsehood. Even among well-wishers, transactions were generally characterized by deceit, mixed with fraud. There was dissension between fathers, mothers, well-wishers, brothers, and husband and wife. In the course of time, people became naturally prone to avarice and other kinds of adharma. On witnessing these inauspicious portents, the king spoke to his younger brother. ³¹⁷

‘Yudhishthira said, “Jishnu was sent to Dvaraka because he wished to see his relatives and to find out what Punyashloka Krishna would do. O Bhimasena! Seven months have passed, but your younger brother has not returned. I do not know the true reason for this. Has the time the devarshi ³¹⁸ told us about arrived, when the illustrious one desires to cast aside his body, which he had himself assumed in his pastimes? Our prosperity, kingdom, wives, lineage, subjects, victory over the enemy and the worlds are because of his favours. O tiger among men! Behold the terrible omens in heaven, the earth and our bodies. They are confounding our intelligence and telling us that fear is not very far away. My thigh, eye and arm are repeatedly quivering. ³¹⁹ My heart is trembling. These signify something disagreeable. This female jackal is howling in the direction of the sun and its mouth is vomiting fire. O dear one! Without any fear, this dog is barking at me. O tiger among men! Auspicious animals are passing me on the left, while the others are passing me on the right. On seeing me, my mounts seem to be weeping. This pigeon is a messenger of death. This owl is making my mind tremble. The owl’s rival ³²⁰ is shrieking, as if it wishes to render everything empty. The directions are covered in smoke. The earth, with its mountains, is quaking. O son! ³²¹ There is a great storm, with the sound of thunder. A wind harsh to the touch is blowing. Dust is creating darkness. In every direction, the clouds are showering down blood, creating terror. Behold. The sun has lost its splendour. In the sky, the planets are fighting amongst themselves. The area between heaven and earth seems to be full of large numbers of blazing demons. The calves are not sucking at the udders. The mothers are not yielding milk. With their faces full of tears, the cows are weeping. The bulls are no longer happy in the pastures. The images of the gods seem to be weeping, perspiring and moving. The countryside, villages, cities, gardens, mines and hermitages have lost their prosperity and are cheerless. What futility is it displaying to us? Indeed, because of these great portents, I think that the earth will be robbed of its good fortune and prosperity. It will lose this unique being and the illustrious one’s feet.”’

Suta said, ‘O brahmana! Witnessing these ominous signs, this is what the king thought in his mind. At that time, the one with the ape on his banner ³²² returned from the city of the Yadus. He fell down at his feet and this kind of affliction had never occurred earlier. His face was downcast and tears descended from his lotus eyes. On seeing that his younger brother was like a shadow, the king was anxious in his heart. He remembered what Narada had said. In the midst of the well-wishers, he asked him.

‘Yudhishthira asked, “In the city of the Anartas, are our relatives, Madhus, Bhojas, Dasharhas, Arhas, Satvatas, Andhakas and Vrishnis, residing happily? Is my revered maternal grandfather, Shura, ³²³ well? Is my maternal uncle, Anakadundubhi, ³²⁴ well, along with his younger brothers? His seven wives, our aunts, are sisters. With Devaki as the foremost, are they hale? Are their sons and daughters-in-law well? Are King Ahuka, ³²⁵ whose son was wicked, and his younger brother alive? What about Hridika and his son, Akrura, Jayanta, Gada and Sarana? ³²⁶ Are Shatrujit and the others well? Are Rama and the illustrious lord of the Satvatas well? Is Pradyumna, a maharatha among the Vrishnis, happy? Is the deep and dexterous Aniruddha, the illustrious one’s descendant, growing up? Are Sushena, Charudeshna, Samba, Jambavati’s son, and the other bulls among the foremost of Krishna’s sons well, along with their sons? What about Shouri’s followers, Shrutadeva, Uddhava, Sunanda, Nanda and the others and other foremost bulls among the Satvatas? Are all those who seek refuge in the arms of Rama and Krishna well? Bound to us in affection, do they remember our welfare? The illustrious Govinda is devoted to brahmanas and his devotees. Surrounded by his well-wishers, is he happy in the city, in Sudharma? ³²⁷ For the welfare of the people and the benefit of the earth, the original being has resided in the ocean that is the lineage of the Yadus, along with Ananta’s friend. ³²⁸ He has dwelt in his own city, worshipped by the Yadus, who have been protected by the rod of chastisement exerted by his arms. Like great beings, they have sported in great delight. There were sixteen thousand women, Satya ³²⁹ and the others. Their foremost task was to serve at his feet. In a battle, he defeated the residents of heaven and seized that which the wives of the wielder of the vajra enjoyed. ³³⁰ The foremost among the Yadus sustained their lives on the basis of the rod of chastisement his arms exercised. They could stride in the assembly hall known as Sudharma, deserved by the best among the gods, which had been seized through force. O son! ³³¹ Tell me if you are well. To me, your radiance seems to have lost its energy. O son! Because you resided there for a long time, were you dishonored and ignored? Were you struck by inauspicious sentiments and words? After having taken a pledge, were you unable to give a suppliant what he wished for? Were you unable to give protection to a brahmana, a child, a cow, an aged person, a diseased person, a woman or some other living being who sought refuge? Did you have intercourse with someone you shouldn’t have had intercourse with? Have you shown disrespect to a woman? Along the road, were you defeated by someone who was an equal or an inferior? Have you eaten while ignoring the aged and children who deserved to be fed? Have you committed a reprehensible and unpardonable deed? He was the beloved person in your heart. Do you think that you are without a protector and everything is empty because you are separated from him? There can be no other reason for this dejection.”’

Chapter 1(15)

Suta said, ‘In this way, the king who was his brother speculated, based on many kinds of doubts and spoke to the Krishna ³³² who was Krishna’s friend and was afflicted by grief at being separated from Krishna. His face was dry with grief. Like a plucked lotus, he had lost his radiance. Remembering the lord, he was incapable of saying anything in reply. He controlled his sorrow with great difficulty. He wiped his eyes with his hands. Since the object of his affection was absent, he became increasingly anxious and miserable. He remembered the friend, companion, well-wisher and charioteer. In a voice that choked with tears, he spoke to his elder brother, the king.

‘Arjuna said, “O great king! I have been deceived by Hari, who appeared in the form of a friend. He is the one who has deprived me of my great energy, which astounded even the gods. Separation from him, even for an instant, makes all the worlds unpleasant to see. It is just as a person without the breath of life, who is spoken of as dead. At the forefront of the svayamvara, there were kings who had arrived in Drupada’s house, impossible to crush because of their desire. It is by resorting to him that I robbed them of their energy and was able to strike the fish, stringing my bow and winning Krishna. ³³³ It was because of his presence that I was able to quickly defeat Indra and large numbers of immortals and bestow Khandava on Agni. ³³⁴ I obtained the assembly hall fashioned by Maya, ³³⁵ extraordinary in artisanship because of his maya. That is where kings assembled from all the directions and offered tributes to you. O noble one! It is through his energy that your younger brother ³³⁶ possessed the spirit and valour of ten thousand elephants. For the sake of a great sacrifice, there was one ³³⁷ who placed his feet on the heads of kings. He abducted these kings for a sacrifice to the lord of the pramathas. ³³⁸ He killed him and released them ³³⁹ and they offered tributes to you. On the occasion of the great sacrifice for the consecration, your wife’s hair was braided. That beautiful braid of hair was praiseworthy and was touched and dragged by the deceitful ones in the assembly hall. With tears flowing from her face, she fell down at his ³⁴⁰ feet. It was he who killed them and their women had loosened hair. ³⁴¹ He protected us from an extremely dangerous calamity in the forest. Plotted by the enemy, Durvasa, who should eat first, arrived with ten thousand disciples. ³⁴² He ate the leftover vegetables and the three worlds were satisfied. While their bodies were submerged in the water, they thought that they were also satisfied. It is through his energy that I could surprise the illustrious wielder of the trident ³⁴³ and the daughter of the mountain ³⁴⁴ in an encounter and he gave me his own weapon. ³⁴⁵ I reached the great Indra’s residence in my physical body. I obtained half of his throne and weapons from others. O Ajamidha! While I resided there, the gods used the power of my arms, marked with imprints left by Gandiva, to slay the enemies of the gods. He is the one who made it possible for Indra to find support in me. Today, I am deprived of that supreme Purusha. The army of the Kurus was like an impassable and spirited ocean. It was because of his friendship that I was able to cross it, alone on a chariot. I seized a lot of riches that belonged to the enemy. I robbed them of their energy and seized the bejewelled diadems from their heads. That large array had Bhishma, Karna, the preceptor ³⁴⁶ and Shalya. There were other noble kings in a circle of chariots. O lord! He proceeded ahead of me and through his glance, robbed the leaders among the charioteers of their minds, lifespans and energy. The weapons of the asuras could not touch Nrihari’s servant. ³⁴⁷ In that way, great weapons that were invincible in form were unleashed on me by the preceptor, Bhishma, Karna, Drona’s son, Trigarta, ³⁴⁸ Shalya, Saindhava, ³⁴⁹ Bahlika and others. But they could not harm me. He is the lord who delivered me. It is through evil intelligence that I engaged him as a charioteer. Those who are fortunate worship his lotus feet so that they are not born again. When my mounts were exhausted, I descended from the chariot on to the ground. ³⁵⁰ My mind was distracted and it is through his favours that the enemy could not strike me. O lord of men! His words were generous, adorned with a sweet smile. In sport, he addressed me as, ‘O Partha! O Arjuna! O friend! O descendant of the Kuru lineage!’ That conversation touched my heart. On remembering Madhava’s words, my heart is overwhelmed. We slept, sat, walked, conversed, ate and did other things together. Truly, evil in intelligence, I misbehaved with him. But like a friend unto a friend and a father unto a son, in his great glory and affection, he pardoned all this. O Indra among men! I am now separated from Purushottama. He was my beloved friend and well-wisher and my heart is empty. I was protecting the bodies of Urukrama’s wives. However, like a woman, I was defeated by wicked cowherds. ³⁵¹ I have the same bow and arrows, the same chariot and horses. I am the same charioteer to whom the kings bowed down. But in an instant, without him, all that became useless, like oblations rendered into ashes, the act of a juggler, or sowing seeds on barren land. O king! You asked about our well-wishers in the city of well-wishers. Because of the curse of brahmanas, they slew each other with their fists. Having drunk varuni liquor, their minds were maddened and intoxicated and they did not recognize each other. Only four or five are left. It is almost as if this was a deed done by the illustrious lord. Sometimes, creatures kill each other and sometimes, they protect each other. O king! In the water, large aquatic creatures swallow smaller ones. The large and the strong eat the weak and the feeble. Thus, the lord made strong Yadavas kill others and made the Yadavas kill each other. In the past too, he reduced the burden of the earth in this way. I remember the words spoken to me by Govinda, full of meaning that was appropriate to the time and the place. As I remember them, my torment is extinguished and my mind is enchanted.”’

Suta said, ‘Thus, Jishnu thought about Krishna’s lotus feet. Because of his extremely deep affection, his mind became peaceful and clear. He meditated on Vasudeva’s feet and his devotion and intelligence rapidly increased and became unlimited, it having subsided earlier. In the forefront of the battle, the illustrious one had sung of the knowledge. ³⁵² In the course of time and deeds, it had become enveloped in darkness. ³⁵³ But the lord revived it again. He lost his sorrow and attained the brahman. All his doubts about duality were destroyed. He merged and lost all qualities associated with Prakriti. Since he transcended the physical body, he would not be born again. Having heard about the path taken by the illustrious one and about the end of the Yadu lineage, in seclusion, Yudhishthira made up his mind about the path he would himself take. Pritha heard what Dhananjaya had said about the destruction of the Yadus and the destination taken by the illustrious one. She was single-minded in her devotion to the illustrious Adhokshaja. With concentration, she thus withdrew from the material world. A thorn is removed with a thorn. In that way, the one who has no birth gave up the body he used to remove the earth’s burden. He is the one who controlled both equally. ³⁵⁴ Like an actor, he assumed many different forms, a fish and others. ³⁵⁵ He assumed those bodies to relieve the earth of its burdens. The illustrious Mukunda’s deeds are worth hearing about. When he left the earth and his body, on that day, Kali manifested itself. It is the cause of wicked action by those whose intelligence is imperfectly developed. The intelligent Yudhishthira discerned the increasing spread of avarice, falsehood, deceitfulness, violence and adharma in the city, the kingdom and homes and in his own soul. He donned an attire that was appropriate to his departure. In his own kingdom, he instated his grandson, ³⁵⁶ who was like his own self in the possession of excellent qualities. He was instated on the throne in Gajasahvya and became the lord of the earth, up to the frontiers of the ocean. Vajra ³⁵⁷ was instated in Mathura, as the lord of the Shurasenas. Having performed a prajapatya sacrifice, the lord then drank up the fires. ³⁵⁸ He gave up his garments, bracelets and similar things. He gave up all sense of self and ego. He severed all the bonds that remained. He offered his speech into his mind and his mind into prana. ³⁵⁹ He offered apana to death and offered death to panchatva. ³⁶⁰ The sage then offered panchatva into the three ³⁶¹ and into the unity. He offered everything into the atman and the atman into the undecaying brahman. He attired himself in bark and controlled his food. He restrained his speech and his hair was loose. He showed himself in a form that was like that of a dumb or mad person, or a pishacha. ³⁶² He did not expect anything from anyone. Like a person who was deaf, he did not hear. He entered the northern direction, one traversed by great-souled ones earlier. Wherever he went, in his heart, he meditated on the supreme brahman. All his brothers saw that Kali, the friend of adharma, had touched the subjects on earth. They made up their minds to follow him. All of them had performed virtuous deeds. They knew in their inner souls that Vaikuntha’s lotus feet was the objective of everything and they fixed this in their minds. Their intelligence was purified and their devotion increased because of the meditation. They single-mindedly fixed themselves on Narayana’s feet as the destination. They reached a state that is extremely difficult for wicked ones attached to material objects to attain. Their sins were cleansed and they reached a state where they were free from all taints. Vidura also gave up his body in Prabhasa. His consciousness was submerged in Krishna. With the ancestors, he went to his own abode. ³⁶³ Droupadi saw that her husbands were ignoring her. Single-mindedly, she fixed herself on the illustrious Vasudeva and obtained him. This is the account of the departure of Pandu’s sons, loved by the illustrious one. It is sacred and brings good fortune. If a person listens to it faithfully and frequently, he obtains devotion to Hari and success.’

Chapter 1(16)

Suta said, ‘Parikshit was devoted to the extremely illustrious one and ruled the earth in accordance with the teachings of the noble brahmanas. O brahmana! He exhibited the great qualities which had been foretold by learned and accomplished ones at the time of his birth. He married Uttara’s daughter, Iravati. ³⁶⁴ He had four sons, Janamejaya and the others. He made Sharadvata ³⁶⁵ his preceptor and performed three horse sacrifices on the banks of the Ganga, donating a lot of gifts. The gods showed themselves at these. On one occasion, in the course of his conquests, the brave one used his energy to capture Kali. He was a shudra, in the form of a king, and was kicking a cow and a bull with his feet.’

Shounaka asked, ‘In the course of his conquest, why did the king capture Kali? ³⁶⁶ After all, the wicked shudra was in the form of a king and had kicked a cow with his feet. O immensely fortunate one! Is that story connected with accounts about Krishna? Or is it about the virtuous ones who lick the honey from his lotus feet? What is the point of wasting one’s lifespan on other impermanent topics that decay and are not permanent? O best among men! The lifespan is limited and mortal ones desire amrita. Illustrious Death has been invited here for rites connected with the sacrifice of animals. Therefore, no one is going to die as long as Death is here. O illustrious one! That is the reason the supreme rishis have summoned you, so that the world of men can drink the wonderful and immortal words about Hari’s pastimes. The wicked, evil in intelligence, have a lifespan that is evil and limited. Their nights pass in sleeping and their days in futile deeds.’

Suta replied, ‘Parikshit was residing in Kurujangala and heard that Kali had entered his own dominion. This news was unpleasant. The brave one picked up his bow and arrow. He left the city on an ornamented chariot that was yoked to dark horses, with a lion on the standard. He was surrounded by chariots, horses, elephants and foot soldiers. With his own army, he set out on this conquest. He conquered Bhadrashva, Ketumala, Bharata, Uttara Kuru, Kimpurusha and other territories and received tribute. Here and there, he heard the fame of his great-souled ancestors being sung, signifying Krishna’s greatness. He heard about himself being saved from the energy of Ashvatthama’s weapon, about the affection between the Vrishnis and the Parthas and their devotion towards Keshava. He was extremely satisfied at this and his eyes dilated in affection. The great-minded one gave away a large amount of riches, garments and necklaces. The universe bows down before Vishnu and he heard about how he had been a charioteer, a companion, an attendant, a friend, a guard and a follower, out of affection towards the sons of Pandu, praising them and bowing down before them. The king thus became devoted to his lotus feet. He was following the conduct of his ancestors. However, not very far away, an extraordinary event occurred. Hear about it. Dharma was wandering around on a single foot ³⁶⁷ and approached the earth, in the form of a grieving cow. Her face was covered with tears, like a mother separated from her calf and he questioned her. Dharma asked, “O fortunate one! Are you not well? Your face is distressed and pale. I can discern some kind of agony in you. O mother! Are you grieving because your relative is far away? Are you grieving because I have a single foot and have lost my other feet? Do you perceive that you will be devoured by vrishalas? ³⁶⁸ Alas! Have gods and others lost their shares in sacrifices? Are the subjects suffering because Maghavan ³⁶⁹ is not showering down? O earth! Are you grieving because women and children are not protected by men and are afflicted? Is the goddess of speech present in the families of brahmanas who perform perverse deeds? Is it because the foremost of brahmanas now have to serve the families of kings? Is it because the worst of kshatriyas ³⁷⁰ have been touched by Kali and the kingdoms are therefore in disarray? In the world of the living, here and there, people are eagerly engaged in eating, drinking, dressing, bathing and sexual intercourse. ³⁷¹ O mother! O earth! Hari assumes a form and descends to remove the burden of the earth. He has vanished. Are you remembering all that he did and the deeds the liberation is dependent on? O earth! Tell me the cause of your distress. Why are you suffering? Time is the strongest among the strong. O mother! Has it taken away your good fortune, worshipped even by the gods?” The earth replied, “O Dharma! You know everything that you have asked me about. It is because of him ³⁷² that you possessed the four feet which brought happiness to the worlds. O lord! Truth, purity, compassion, patience, renunciation, satisfaction, uprightness, concentration, self-control, austerities, impartiality, tolerance, indifference, learning, knowledge, non-attachment, prosperity, valour, energy, strength, perception, independence, dexterity, beauty, fortitude, ingenuity, gentleness, good conduct, skill, execution, enjoyment, depth, poise, belief, fame, pride and other great qualities always existed in him and never decayed. These are desired by those who aspire for greatness. He was the reservoir of these qualities. He was the abode of Shri. I am grieving because the world is deprived of him and because Kali has cast its wicked glance. I am grieving about myself and about you, supreme among the immortals and about the gods, the ancestors, the rishis, all the virtuous ones, the varnas and the ashramas. Desiring Shri’s sidelong glances, Brahma and the others performed austerities for many days. However, she left her own abode in a grove of lotuses and faithfully and devotedly sought refuge and good fortune at the illustrious one’s feet. My body was ornamented with the prosperous and illustrious one’s feet, with the marks of the lotus, the thunderbolt, the goad and the flag. Thus, I possessed a beauty that surpassed that of the three worlds. However, because I was arrogant, at the end he forsook me. I suffered excessively from the lineages of asura kings. But the self-reliant one destroyed one hundred of their akshouhinis. You also suffered because of your feet. But he assumed a beautiful form in the lineage of the Yadus and used his manliness to relieve you. Who can tolerate separation from Purushottama? His glance is full of love, his smile is beautiful and his conversation is sweet. His gravity and passion conquered the pride of the women of the Madhu lineage. Because I was marked with his footprints, my body hair ³⁷³ stood up in delight.” The earth and Dharma conversed in this fashion. At that time, the royal sage named Parikshit reached Sarasvati, which flowed in an eastern direction.’

Chapter 1(17)

Suta said, ‘There, the king saw the cow and the bull being struck, as if they were without a protector. He saw the Vrishala with a rod in his hand, in the garb of a king. The bull was as white as a white lotus and was passing urine in its fear. Struck by the shudra, it trembled and was suffering, standing on one leg. The cow was milked for dharma. ³⁷⁴ Struck by the shudra’s foot, it was severely distressed. It was separated from its calf and its face was full of tears. It was weak and desired some fodder. He was astride his chariot, with an armour made out of molten gold. Wielding a bow, he asked in a voice that rumbled like thunder. “Who are you? This world is under my protection. You are strong and are using your strength to injure weak ones. You are in the attire of a lord of men, like an actor. But your action is like that of a person who is not a dvija. ³⁷⁵ Who are you? Krishna and the wielder of the Gandiva have gone far away. This is deplorable. In a secluded place, you are striking the innocent. You deserve to be killed. O one who is as white as a white lotus! ³⁷⁶ You have lost your feet and are roaming around on one foot. You are making us grieve. Are you a god in the form of a bull? As long as this land is protected by valiant Indras among the Kouravas, with your exception, tears of sorrow do not fall down on the surface of the ground. O Surabhi’s son! ³⁷⁷ Do not grieve. Let there be no fear on account of the Vrishala. O mother! ³⁷⁸ O fortunate one! Do not weep. I am here to chastise the wicked. O virtuous one! If a king is intoxicated and all the subjects and virtuous ones are terrified in his kingdom, his deeds, lifespan, good fortune and destination ³⁷⁹ are destroyed. It is the supreme dharma of kings to alleviate the afflicted and punish those who cause affliction. Therefore, I will slay this wicked one, who is causing injury to creatures. O four-legged son of Surabhi! Who severed three of your legs? In the kingdom of a king who follows Krishna, let there be no one in this state. O bull! O fortunate one! You are virtuous and innocent. Tell me who disfigured you and tainted the deeds of the Parthas. Those who cause sufferings to innocent creatures face fear from me and everywhere else. ³⁸⁰ By subduing the wicked, the welfare of the virtuous is ensured. If an uncontrolled person causes offence to innocent creatures, I shall tear apart his arms, with the bracelets, even if he happens to be an immortal himself. The supreme dharma for a king is to protect those who follow their own dharma and follow the sacred texts and chastise the others who deviate from the path.”

‘Dharma said, “These words, which dispel the fear of those who are afflicted, are worthy of someone from the Pandava lineage. It is because of their extensive qualities that the illustrious Krishna acted as their messenger and performed other deeds. O bull among men! We do not know the being who caused our hardship. We are confused because different doctrines do not agree. Some who deny duality say that one is the master of one’s atman. ³⁸¹ Others think of destiny. Others mention action. ³⁸² Some others think that nature is the master. ³⁸³ Some have determined that this cannot be decided through reasoning and arguments. O royal sage! That being the case, use your own intelligence to judge.” O supreme among brahmanas! Dharma said this to the emperor, who controlled his mind and replied without any confusion. The king replied, “O one who knows about dharma. You are speaking about dharma. You are Dharma, in the form of a bull. If a person speaks about a place where adharma has been perpetrated, he obtains the same destination. ³⁸⁴ Or indeed, it may be the case that the path of the god’s maya cannot be fathomed. Creatures cannot ascertain this through their intelligence and their words. In krita yuga, austerities, purity, compassion and truth constituted your four feet. Three of them were broken through adharma—arrogance, sexual intercourse and intoxication. O Dharma! You now subsist on your single foot of truth. But adharma in the form of the thriving Kali’s deceit is trying to destroy that too. The great burden of the earth has been removed by the illustrious one and by others. When the prosperous one was present, everything was rendered auspicious because of his footprints. But the virtuous one has been left desolate. The unfortunate one is grieving and shedding tears. Shudras are enjoying her and those who are not devoted to brahmanas are pretending to be kings.” In this way, the maharatha comforted Dharma and the earth. He seized his sharp sword to act against Kali, the cause of adharma.

‘Knowing that he ³⁸⁵ was going to kill him, he abandoned his garb of a king and full of fear, approached him, bowing his head down at his feet. The brave one was compassionate and caring about those who were distressed. He saw that he had fallen down at his feet, seeking refuge. Therefore, he did not kill him. He seemed to smile and said, “I am upholding Gudakesha’s ³⁸⁶ fame. Someone who has joined his hands in supplication need have no fear. However, you are a friend of adharma. Therefore, you should never remain in my dominion. While you were present in the body of a king, there was adharma among the masses—avarice, falsehood, theft, lack of nobility, sinfulness, misfortune, cheating, conflict and arrogance. O friend of adharma! You should not exist in a place like Brahmavarta where there is dharma and truth and those who know about sacrifices perform sacrifices to the lord of sacrifices. The illustrious Hari is worshipped there through sacrifices and he brings welfare to those who perform sacrifices to his different forms, so that their desires are met. Like the wind, his atman is inside and outside mobile and immobile objects.” Thus commanded by Parikshit, Kali started to tremble. He saw that he held an upraised sword, like the wielder of the rod. ³⁸⁷ Kali said, “O supreme emperor! Even if I follow your command, regardless of where I dwell, I will see you there, with a bow and arrows. O supreme among the upholders of dharma! Therefore, you should indicate the best place for me. I will control myself and reside there, abiding by your command.” Thus requested, he indicated four kinds of places for adharma—where there is gambling, where there is drinking, women and slaughterhouses. Requested once again, the lord gave him a place where there is gold. In such a place, falsehood, intoxication, desire, passion and enmity, as the fifth, exist. Uttara’s son indicated these five places as areas Kali could reside in and show its powers of adharma. Therefore, these should never be frequented by a man who desires his own welfare, in particular, by a king who is devoted to dharma and is a preceptor and master of men. He restored the three feet of the bull that had got destroyed—austerities, purity and compassion. He also comforted the earth and ensured its prosperity. Right now, he rules from a throne that is appropriate for a king, after his grandfather, ³⁸⁸ the king, wished to go to the forest and entrusted this to him. The royal sage, Indra among the Kouravas, spreads prosperity now. The immensely fortunate one is extremely famous and is the emperor in Gajasahvya. Such has been the experience of the king who is Abhimanyu’s son. Since he protects the earth, you have been able to consecrate yourselves for this sacrifice.’

Chapter 1(18)

Suta said, ‘Through the illustrious Krishna’s favours, whose deeds are extraordinary, though he was burnt by the weapon of Drona’s son, he did not die in his mother’s womb. His life was destroyed because he invoked a brahmana’s rage and because of Takshaka. Despite this, he was not overwhelmed by confusion and fear and surrendered himself to the illustrious one. He knew the status of the one who cannot be conquered ³⁸⁹ and gave up all attachment. Becoming a disciple of Vyasa’s son, ³⁹⁰ he gave up his body in the Ganga. If one is engaged in the immortal account of the one who is spoken about in excellent shlokas, there is no fear, even at the time of death, since one remembers his lotus feet. As long as Abhimanyu’s great and powerful son is the single emperor, till then, Kali’s powers cannot enter anywhere in this world. On the day and the instant the illustrious one left the earth, Kali, whose powers lead to adharma, entered here. Like a bee that extracts the essence, ³⁹¹ the emperor did not hate Kali. He knew that good deeds become successful quickly, while inferior deeds do not, until performed. ³⁹² What can Kali do? It is brave before children and timid before those who are patient and not distracted. Like a wolf, it exists among men who are distracted. I have described to you the sacred account of Parikshit and Vasudeva. That is the account you asked me about. Men who desire their benefit should hear about the illustrious one’s account, Urukrama’s praiseworthy deeds and the qualities and action he resorted to.’

The rishis responded, ‘O Suta! O amiable one! May you live for an eternal number of years, especially because you have spoken about Krishna’s fame. For us mortals, this is like amrita. The outcome of the ritual we have started is uncertain. Because of the fumes, we have ourselves become covered in smoke. You have given us the intoxicating honey from Govinda’s lotus feet. Even for an instant, heaven, or the possibility of no more rebirth, is not comparable with the companionship of someone who is devoted to the illustrious one. What else brings benefit to mortals? His qualities are infinite. Foremost lords of yoga, like Bhava and the one who was born from the lotus ³⁹³ cannot approach his qualities. He is alone the refuge for all great beings. No discriminating person will be satisfied at hearing about his account. You are foremost among those who are devoted to him. He is the only refuge for those who are great. O learned one! The extensive Hari’s conduct is pure and we wish to hear about it. Therefore, tell us. Parikshit, unwavering in his intelligence, was a great devotee and used the knowledge of that account, imparted by Vyasa’s son, to obtain liberation. He obtained the feet of the one who has the Indra among birds ³⁹⁴ on his banner. The account of the Bhagavata, full of the conduct of the infinite one, was told to Parikshit. It is extraordinary and is loved by those who are devoted to yoga. It is supremely pure. Therefore, without concealing anything, tell us.’

Suta said, ‘This is wonderful. By following those who are wise, a person like me, born inferior, has been uplifted beyond his birth. The disqualification of birth is quickly purified if one has a conversation and association with great ones. ³⁹⁵ What need be said about someone who chants the name of someone who is the only refuge for those who are great? The illustrious and infinite one is infinite in his strength. He is known as the infinite one ³⁹⁶ because he possesses all the great qualities. His qualities are unmatched and superior to those of anyone else. Though he doesn’t desire it, prosperity ³⁹⁷ desires the dust of his feet, forgetting others. It is sufficient to state this. The water flowing from the nails of his feet has been collected by Virinchi ³⁹⁸ and used for worship, purifying the universe and Shiva. In this universe, who other than Mukunda can be given the status of the illustrious one? Patient ones who are devoted to him can suddenly cast aside foolish attachment to the body and other things. ³⁹⁹ They thus reach the state of being paramahamsa. ⁴⁰⁰ The natural dharma then is non-violence and tranquility. O those who are like the sun! You have asked me and I will tell you as much as I know. Just as birds rise up into the sky to the best of their strength, learned ones obtain Vishnu to the extent of their capacity. Once, he ⁴⁰¹ raised his bow and was roaming around on a hunt in the forest. Following a deer, he became extremely tired, hungry and thirsty. Unable to see any water, he entered a hermitage. ⁴⁰² He saw a tranquil sage seated there, with his eyes closed. His senses and breath of life were restrained and his intelligence was withdrawn. ⁴⁰³ He was in a state beyond the three, ⁴⁰⁴ unaffected and merged into the brahman. He was covered in dishevelled and matted hair and wore the hide of a ruru antelope. The king’s palate was dry and he asked him for water. He was not offered grass, earth, ⁴⁰⁵ arghya ⁴⁰⁶ or sweet words. He thought that he was being ignored and became angry. O brahmana! The king was afflicted by hunger and thirst. He suddenly felt intolerance and anger towards the brahmana, something that had never happened to him before. There was a lifeless snake. In his rage, as he left, he picked it up with the end of his bow, strung it around the brahmana rishi’s neck and went to his city. “Was he meditating, having controlled his senses, or were his eyes merely closed? Or was he pretending to meditate because he did not wish to engage with an inferior kshatriya?” ⁴⁰⁷ His ⁴⁰⁸ son was extremely energetic, though a child. At that time, he was playing with other children. Hearing that his father had been oppressed by the king, at that place, he said the following. “Alas! The adharma of those who are supposed to protect has become as plump as a crow. This is like a servant acting against his master, or a dog acting against the doorkeeper. Brahmanas have appointed kshatra-bandhus as the guards of houses. In that house, how does a doorkeeper deserve to eat from the same vessel? The illustrious Krishna, the chastiser of those who follow perverse paths, has departed. Therefore, I will protect the rules today. Behold my strength.” The son of the rishi said this to his friends, his eyes coppery red with rage. He touched the waters of the Koushiki ⁴⁰⁹ and released words that were like the vajra. “The one who has caused the injury, the worst of his lineage, has transgressed the rules. Therefore, urged by me, on the seventh day from today, Takshaka will bite him.” The child went to the hermitage and saw his father, with the dead body of the snake around his neck. He was afflicted by grief and wept loudly. O brahmana! Angiras’s descendant heard his son lamenting. He opened his eyes slowly and saw the dead snake around his neck. He hurled it away and asked, “O child! Why are you crying? Who has harmed you?” Thus asked, he ⁴¹⁰ reported what had happened. The Indra among men should not have been cursed. On hearing, the brahmana did not applaud his son. He said, “Alas! Today, you have done something distressing. You have imposed a grave punishment for a small injury. O one whose intelligence is not yet ripe! A king is supreme and should not be equated with other men. His energy is impossible to withstand. Protected by him, subjects are without fear and obtain benefits. O dear one! The one with the chakra in his hand can no longer be seen and in this world, the king is his representative. There are plenty of thieves and he destroys them. If we are not protected by him, in an instant, we will be like sheep without a leader. That is the reason, from today, wickedness will descend on us. Our protector will be destroyed and our riches will be plundered. People will kill and strike each other. People will be like great bandits and steal animals, women and riches. Thus, noble dharma and conduct of the varnas and the ashramas, propounded in the three, ⁴¹¹ will decay among men. They will immerse themselves in artha and kama, like dogs and monkeys, and there will be a mixing up of the varnas. The lord of men is a protector of dharma. He is an emperor and great in his learning. He is a great devotee of the illustrious one himself. He is a royal sage and has performed horse sacrifices. He was hungry, thirsty and distressed. He did not deserve to be cursed.” “O illustrious one! ⁴¹² O one who is in all our atmans! He is a child whose intelligence has not yet ripened. He has committed a crime and harmed your own servant. You should pardon him. Because of your favours, your devotees do not strike back, even if they are abused, cheated, cursed, insulted or struck.” Thus, the great sage repented the harm done by his son. Though he had been injured by the king, he did not think about that injury at all. In general, the virtuous ones in this world are engaged by others to take part in the opposites. ⁴¹³ They resort to the qualities of the atman and are neither distressed, nor delighted.’

Chapter 1(19)

Suta said, ‘The king thought about the reprehensible deed that he had himself done and was distressed in his mind. “Alas! I have acted like an ignoble and inferior person. The brahmana was innocent and his energy is deep. Because of what I have done, it is certain that I have shown contempt for the god. ⁴¹⁴ Fairly soon, there will be a calamity that will be impossible to cross. I desire that I should be freed from my sin, so that I do not commit anything like this again. Let the angry fire of the lineage of the brahmana burn down my kingdom, army, riches and treasury today, so that nothing inauspicious happens to me again and so that my wicked intelligence does not turn against brahmanas, gods and cows again.” As he was thinking in this way, he heard what the sage’s son said, about his death in the form of Takshaka. He was indifferent about Takshaka soon becoming the cause. He thought it was good that this would trigger non-attachment. Therefore, he gave up this world and the next. He determined that these were inferior to what was before him, since he thought that serving at Krishna’s feet was the best. Along the banks of the immortal river, ⁴¹⁵ he seated himself in praya. Which man, who is about to die, will not serve it? Mixed with tulasi ⁴¹⁶ leaves and the dust of Krishna’s feet, its waters are rendered even more beautiful and sanctify both the worlds and Isha. ⁴¹⁷ The descendant of the Pandava lineage decided in this way. He sat down in praya on the banks of the one flowing from Vishnu’s feet. He single-mindedly gave himself up to Mukunda’s feet. He resorted to the vow of sages and freed himself from all attachments.

‘Great-minded sages, capable of purifying the universe, arrived there, with their disciples. Though they themselves purified tirthas, they generally went to regions where there were tirthas. There were Atri, Vasishtha, Chyavana, Sharadvana, Arishtanemi, Bhrigu, Angiras, Parashara, Gadhi’s son, ⁴¹⁸ Rama, ⁴¹⁹ Utathya, Indrapramada, Idhmavahu, Medhatithi, Devala, Arshtishena, Bharadvaja, Goutama, Pippalada, Maitreya, Ourva, Kavasha, Kumbhayoni, Dvaipayana and the illustrious Narada. There were other divine rishis and noble brahmana rishis, noble royal sages, Arunas and others. ⁴²⁰ Many foremost rishis assembled. The king bowed his head down and greeted and worshipped them. When all of them were happily seated, having worshipped them, the king told them about what he desired to do. With his mind detached, he joined his hands in salutation before the ones who were in front of him.

‘The king said, “This is wonderful. I am the most blessed among kings. Our conduct should be to receive the favours of such great ones. The lineages of kings perform reprehensible deeds. ⁴²¹ They are thrust far away, like that which is used to clean the feet of brahmanas. ⁴²² I have been guilty and the lord of this world and the next has come to me in the form of a brahmana’s curse. As a householder, I have always been excessively addicted to material objects. I was attached and the fear that will soon arrive will be the foundation for non-attachment. I have sought refuge and fixed my intelligence on the lord. May the brahmanas and the goddess Ganga accept me in that way. Let the deceitful Takshaka be released by the brahmana. Let it swiftly bite me. Sing the accounts of Vishnu. In whatever form I am born again, let me be attached to the illustrious and infinite one. Let me be associated with those who seek him as a refuge. Wherever I am born, let my association be with those who are great. I bow down to brahmanas.” The persevering and patient king handed over the burden ⁴²³ to his own son. Facing the north, he sat down on a seat of kusha grass, with the tips of the blades facing the eastern direction. He seated himself on the southern bank of the ocean’s wife. ⁴²⁴ When the king, the lord of men, sat down in praya, a large number of gods assembled in the firmament. They praised him and showered down flowers on earth. Delighted, they repeatedly made drums sound. The assembled maharshis praised him. They said this was virtuous and approved. They were good in conduct and wished to bring benefit to subjects. Therefore, they spoke to him about the qualities of the one who is spoken about in excellent shlokas. “O noble and royal sage! This is not extraordinary. You come from a line that is devoted to Krishna. Though seated on thrones and ornamented with the diadems of kings, desiring the association with the illustrious one, all of you have instantly given it up. All of us will remain here until he gives up his physical body and goes to the other world, freed of all taints and grief. He is foremost among those who are devoted to the illustrious one.” Parikshit heard the words of the large number of rishis. The words were not false. They were impartial, deep and sweet as honey. He then wished to hear about Vishnu’s conduct. “All of you have assembled here, from all the worlds. You are like the personified forms of the Vedas, which are above the three worlds. In this world, and in the next world, there is no objective that you desire, with the exception of using your good conduct to do favours to others. That is the reason I am asking you about this. O brahmanas! I trust you. I am asking you what a person who is about to die must do with all one’s soul, out of the various things that need to be done. Please deliberate about what is pure and appropriate.” Detached, Vyasa’s illustrious son was roaming around the earth, as he pleased. No marks could be seen on him. ⁴²⁵ He was content with self-realization. He was surrounded by children and was attired like an avadhuta. ⁴²⁶ He arrived at the spot.

‘He was sixteen years old and his feet, hands, thighs, arms, shoulders, forehead and body were delicate. His eyes were large and beautiful. His nose was prominent and his ears were symmetric. He possessed a beautiful face and eyebrows. His well-formed neck was like a conch shell. His collarbones were covered well. His chest was broad and thick. His navel had a whorl and the folds made his belly handsome. He was naked. ⁴²⁷ His curly hair was dishevelled. His arms were long. His complexion was like that of the best among the immortals. He was dark and always extremely attractive because of his youth and the signs that were on his body. Because of his pleasant smile, women found him to be attractive. Though his radiance was hidden, the sages knew about the signs. The sages rose up from their seats to honour him. Vishnurata ⁴²⁸ bowed his head and entire body down and greeted the guest who had arrived. The ignorant women and children withdrew. ⁴²⁹ Worshipped, he seated himself on an exalted seat. As he deserved, the illustrious greatest of the great was surrounded by large numbers of brahmana rishis, royal sages and divine rishis. He was like the moon, surrounded by a collection of planets, heavenly bodies and stars. Completely at peace, he seated himself. His intelligence was complete. The king, devoted to the illustrious one, approached him. He joined his hands in salutation and bowed his head down in the proper way. Bowing down, he asked in well-articulated words.

‘Parikshit said, “O brahmana! This is wonderful. We are inferior kshatriyas, ⁴³⁰ not worthy enough to serve the virtuous. However, because of the compassion you have shown us in the form of a guest, you have made us like tirthas. Even if men remember you, their houses are instantly sanctified, not to speak of seeing you, touching you, washing your feet and offering you a seat. O great yogi! A sinner cannot remain in the presence of someone who is great. Like enemies of the gods in Vishnu’s presence, the sins of such people are instantly destroyed. The illustrious Krishna, dear to Pandu’s sons, must be pleased. He wishes to please those who are descended from his father’s relatives. Otherwise, how can men like us see you, especially those who are about to die? Your movements cannot be discerned. You have become supremely successful and only show yourself when you want. You are the greatest preceptor of the yogis who have become supremely successful. Therefore, I am asking you about the tasks that a person who is about to die must perform. O lord! What should such men hear, chant, do, remember and worship? Also tell me what should be shunned. O illustrious brahmana! You are never seen to remain in the homes of those who are in the householder stage for longer than it takes to milk a cow.”’

Suta said, ‘The king thus spoke to him and asked in gentle words. Badarayana’s illustrious son, who knew about dharma, replied.’

This ends the First Skandha.