1.

10 DEPARTURE OF LORD KÅÑËA FOR DVÄRAKÄ

CHAPTER BREAKDOWN

Verses 1-6
Saunaka Rsi questions Suta Gosvami about Maharaja Yudhisthira's rule of the kingdom after
the Kuruksetra battle, and Suta Gosvami answers by describing the wonderful world situation
created by Maharaja Yudhisthira's reign.
Verses 7-30
Suta Gosvami then narrates Krsna's departure from Hastinapura to Dvaraka and describes the
expressions of affection by the residents of Hastinapura.
The ladies appreciate their fortune in seeing the Lord and creator of the universe, Krsna, who
is usually only seen by great, pure devotees and who mercifully descends to the material
world in different ages. The ladies describe the glories of the land in which Krsna descends,
as well as the great fortune of the wives of Sri Krsna, who so intimately relate with Him.
Verses 31-36
The Lord accepts the prayers of the ladies and leaves Hastinapura for Dvaraka.
Section Summary: Krsna's leaves Hastinapura for Dvaraka.

Important Topics Discussion

 The conditions of the world during the reign of Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira. (1-6)
 cow used to moisten the grazing ground with milk.(4)
 if the Lord is pleased, every part of nature will be pleased (5)
 Shyness - extra-natural beauty of the fair sex / enhances their beauty and prestige (16)
 Vedic civilization allows very restricted mixing of woman and man (16)
 their sincerity of purpose made them at once pure by virtue of devotion (30)
 becomes master, friend, son husband to fulfill intense love of devotee concerned…(28)
 svakéya, parakéya …(28)
 Lord therefore wants His bona fide representative to rule the world (2)
 autocracy like Yudhiñöhira's by far superior to so-called democracy in which animals are killed
and man less than an animal cast votes for another less-than-animal man (4)
 to produce a new species of humanity at the present moment on the basis of God consciousness
and perfection of human life, the ideology of godly communism, the world has to again follow in
the footsteps of kings like Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira or Parékñit (5)
 devotional service in these three places is magnified (27)
 achieve the same result as obtained during the presence of Lord Çré Kåñëa (27)

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 1.10 DEPARTURE OF LORD KÅÑËA FOR DVÄRAKÄ

Important Questions for memorisation

1. Why Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja could not enjoy the results of his victory? (1)
2. Why was the Battle of Kurukñetra fought? (2)
3. List some aspects of the world situation created by Maharaja Yudhisthira's reign (3-6)
4. Explain how an autocracy like Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira's is superior to a democracy. (4)
5. Why is there is always the strain of cold or hot war between men? (6)
6. Why did the Lord decide to stay Hastinäpura for a few months more? (7)
7. Describe the extra-natural beauty of the fair sex & how it should be utilized. (16)
8. Explain why the talk of the ladies on the roofs of all the houses of Hastinäpura was
more attractive than the hymns of the Vedas. (20)
9. List some of the superhuman acts the Lord performs to prove His supreme right. (25)
10. Explain how Dvärakä is certainly more important than the heavenly planets. (27)
11. Why is a person engaged in the devotional service of the Lord is recommended to live
in Dvärakä, Mathurä or Våndävana? (27)
12. Describe the two classes of devotees of the Lord in the stage of conjugal love. (28)
13. Explain why the Lord accepted the fallen girls under the clutches of Bhaumäsura as
His wives. (30)

Analogies:

1.10.21: When a man is asleep at night, he forgets himself, what he is, what his duty is
and everything of his waking state. But as soon as he awakens from slumber, he
remembers all that he has to do and thus engages himself again in his prescribed
activities. The living beings also remain merged in the body of Mahä-Viñëu during the
period of annihilation, but as soon as there is another creation they arise to take up their
unfinished work.

1.10.25: The material world is created to satisfy the whims of the nitya-baddha, or
everlasting conditioned souls, just as naughty boys are provided with playing cradles.

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 Chapter 10
Departure of Lord Kåñëa for Dvärakä

1) Çaunaka Åñi inquires about the rule of Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira, when he was at ease to
enjoy the kingdom because:
 Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja was not inclined to fight for his personal cause
 He just fought for the sake of rightful inheritance, under the guidance of Çré Kåñëa
 But without his cousins he could not enjoy the victory, but he just ruled as a matter of
duty
Suta Goswami replies about the kingdom of Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja(Texts2-6)
2a) Kuru dynasty was exhausted by the bamboo fire of anger
 Analogy: Material world is compared to forest fire (by friction of bamboo bushes)
 Lording over mentality leads to fire of war, destroying unwanted population

2b) Kåñëa was very pleased by reestablishing Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja in his kingdom &
restoring Kuru dynasty
 Lord desires to establish the rule of a devotee, to fulfill the plan of His creation, that is,
to guide people on the path of self-realization

3) Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja ruled with perfect knowledge, free from all misgivings – This was
due to enlightenment by Bhéñmadeva & Lord Kåñëa
 Rulership was based on law of inheritance by first born – Full co-operation between
perfectly religious brothers
 Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja, like demigods for their planets, was an ideal representative of
Kåñëa for the planet earth
 Qualities of an ideal perfect ruler or executive head
o Should be a perfect follower of an infallible authority
o Should have no manufactured ideology with selfish motives
o Should also have full autocratic power to rule
 Not that he is like a puppet with no kingly power

Lesson 3a – The conception of one world state can only be fulfilled if we can follow the
infallible authority. Lesson 3b – Only the perfect and infallible can create a program which
is applicable at every place and can be followed by all in the world

4) Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja’s prosperous kingdom – Regulated rainfall, abundant produce from

the earth, happy cows & profuse quantity of milk
 Basic principle of economic development is centered on land and cows
 King and all the subjects should obey & please the Lord to get regulated rainfalls(Para
1)
o Regulated rainfalls supply ample grains & fruits, and, ample stones & pearls

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  Need to protect innocent animals, especially cows(Para 2)

Lesson 4 – An autocracy like Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira's is by far superior to a so-called

democracy in which animals are killed and a man less than an animal is allowed to cast
votes for another less-than-animal man

 Human beings should use their intelligence to realize the course of nature(the
mother) and indications of almighty father(Para 4)
o Do not live like hogs & dogs

5) Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja’s prosperous kingdom – Rivers, oceans, hills, etc, all paid their tax
quota to Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja
 Because of Lord’s protection, all the properties of the Lord paid their taxes to
Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja

Lesson 5a – The secret to success is to take refuge under the protection of the Supreme
Lord

 Artificial instrumental arrangements, without Lord’s sanction, ultimately leads to

failure
Lesson 5b – Recognize the Lord as the creator and proprietor of everything and use
everything properly, for His pleasure
 Follow in the footsteps of Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja to cleanse man & wipe out
anachronisms, and establish the ideology of Godly communism

6) Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja’s happy subjects – All the subjects were free from mental agonies,
diseases, or excessive heat or cold. This was because Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja had no enemies
 Freedom from enmity also involves “no killing of poor animals”

Lesson 6a This conscious cooperation between man and God and man and nature, as
exemplified by King Yudhiñöhira, can bring about happiness, peace and prosperity in the
world. The attitude of exploiting one another, the custom of the day, will only bring
misery

 Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja was pious and obedient to Lord & sages, & a recognized agent
of the Lord

Lesson 6b Unless one is pious and recognized by the Lord, he cannot make others happy
who are under his care

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 Kåñëa gets ready to depart (Texts 7-8)
7) Kåñëa starts for Dvärakä, after pacifying all the relatives & pleasing His sister Subhadrä
Lesson 7 – The Lord is always pleased to satisfy His devotees in any capacity. Only His
devotees can play the parts of His relatives. The Lord is absolute

8) Lord exchanged greetings at all levels – Senior, equals & juniors

 Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja received Lord’s obeisances
Lesson 8 – The Lord takes pleasure when some of His devotees accept Him as less important
in terms of love
 These are all the transcendental pastimes of the Lord

Intensity of Lord’s attractive influence seen (Texts 9-14)

9-10) All the devotees, unable to tolerate separation, nearly fainted
 It shows the power of attraction of the Lord
Lesson 9-10 Attitude of pure devotee – Anyone, who has ever contacted the Lord, by
direct communion or otherwise, can never leave Him for a moment

11-12) Considering the Päëòavas intimate connections, how could they tolerate such
separation from krsna
 Constitutional position of living entity as a servant, is being exploited by the illusory
energy, without any hope of release
 What is the hope for release – Association of devotees elevates one caught up in the
lust, to the transcendental consciousness
 Different phases of lust – Material society, friendship & love
 Benefit of hearing from pure devotees
o Attachment to material enjoyment slackens
o Attachment for hearing about Lord increases
o Analogy: Fire in gun-powder
 Power of attraction towards the Lord’s personal features – Even Self-realised
ätmärämas are attracted, what to talk of intensity of attraction felt by constant
companions like Päëòavas

13) Melting hearts – Hearts were melting on the pot of attraction

 Kåñëa, being the chief of all living beings is naturally attractive
 Revival of this relation is the only way to permanent peace & prosperity

Lesson 13a – Once this relation is slightly revived, the conditioned soul at once
becomes freed from the illusion of material energy and becomes mad after the
association of the Lord

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  Revive this relation – By associating with His Transcendental name, fame, etc

Lesson 13b – Çrémad-Bhägavatam trains the conditioned soul to this stage of perfection by
submissive hearing from the pure devotee

14) Uncontrollable tears – Female relatives struggled to control their tears to avoid any
misfortune
 Ladies had developed affection to Kåñëa, not by direct contact, but by hearing about
Him & His great activities – This indicates the spiritual potency

Lesson 14 – Therefore directly or indirectly anyone who thinks of Kåñëa, talks of Kåñëa or
worships Kåñëa becomes attached to Him

Lord was appropriately honoured (Texts 15-19)

15) Instruments were sounded to honor the Lord
16) Flowers showered – Ladies got up to the top of the palace & showered flowers. They
exhibited shyness & affection
 Shyness is a particular extra-natural beauty of the fair sex(Para 1)
o Pardä system is an ancient system, & not just from Mohammedan era
Lesson 16a – Utilize the shyness as a nature’s gift to check unrestricted mixing, and get
freedom from the clutches of illusion

17) Arjuna takes up the umbrella, made off jewels, etc

Lesson 17 – Gold, jewels, pearls and valuable stones were used in the luxurious royal
ceremonies. They are all nature's gifts and are produced by the hills, oceans, etc., by the
order of the Lord, when man does not waste his valuable time in producing unwanted
things in the name of necessities

18) Uddhava & Sätyaki began to fan the Lord

19) Benedictions were being offered to the Lord – These were neither befitting nor
unbefitting
 Befitting, if Lord is seen as ordinary human, and unbefitting since Lord is Supreme
Absolute
 These benedictions, when applied to Absolute person looses all contradiction &
become transcendental – Everything is applicable to Him

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 Ladies on the rooftops of Hastinäpura talk about the Lord’s Glories
(Texts20-30)
20) Very pleasing talks – Talks of ladies who were absorbed in the Lord’s transcendental
qualities, were more attractive than Vedic hymns (e.g. benedictions offered by brähmaëas in
text 19)
 This is because the goal of Vedic literature is ultimately Supreme personality of
godhead, Çré Kåñëa, who is glorified is various literatures, especially Çrémad-
Bhägavatam
o Anything sung in the praise of the Lord is Çruti-mantra e.g. songs of Öhäkura
Narottama däsa
 Ladies, due to their deep absorption in Lord, developed Vedic wisdom by grace of the
Lord
o There talks were more direct glorifications than those of Vedic hymns, which
were indirect

21a) Recognizes Kåñëa as the original personality of godhead, who existed, before the
creation was set into action, in His completely spiritual form
 Before creation was set into action – Only Supreme Lord existed
o Creation, as a consequence of Mahä-Viñëu
o Analogy: Seeds of universe develop like seeds of banyan tree
o Mahä-Viñëu is a plenary portion of Kåñëa

21b) Living beings merge into Him, after annihilation

 Two types of annihilation – At the end of Brahmä’s day & at the end of Brahmä’s Life
o Both times, mahat-tattva and jéva-tattva merge into the person of Supreme Lord
and remain asleep till next creation
o This merging does not mean loosing of identity, but it follow suptotthita-nyaya
(awakening from sleep) (Similar ref. in Bg.18-20)

22) Gives the chance to fulfill desires and to reform – Lord repeatedly gives material
names & forms to fulfill the desires of living entity, along with the revealed scriptures to
reform them
 Two types of living entities – Nitya-baddha& Nitya-mukta
o Nitya-baddha are very busy making plans in material world
o By Lord’s will, both plans and plan-makers are subject to
annihilation(Ref.Bg9.7)
 Bhüyaù indicates repeated creation & annihilation, again & again (Ref Bg9.8) – Living
entities are given chance, again & again, to reform
o Living entities are given false names & forms to fulfill their desires
o At the same time revealed scriptures are created to revive their original
consciousness

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 Lesson22 – Carry out the programs of life in terms of Bhagavad-gétä & Çrémad-
Bhägavatam, to get out of clutches of maya

23) Devotional service is the best process for reformation, purification and to experience
Lord’s form – Lord’s transcendental form can be experienced in real nature only by His great
devotees
 Any other yogic process fails to cleans the mind & control the senses, e.g. Viçvämitra
Muni
 Controlling the senses by devotional service is the only & easiest means – Power of
higher engagement(Ref Bg2.59)

24a) Appreciates Krsna’s form as most confidential – Glorifies Lord Kåñëa as the same
Lord whose attractive and confidential activities are described in the confidential parts of the
Vedic literatures
 All Vedic literatures glorify Lord’s greatness, but Çrémad-Bhägavatam deals with His
confidential activities

24b) Aloof from Material world – Same Lord creates, maintains & annihilates but is aloof
from the material world
 Vedanta-sutras & Upanishads mainly distinguish the Lord from the mundane
conception of His existence – This carries the risk of misunderstanding Him as
impersonal

25) Lord descends into the material world – To manifest His supreme power to punish
irresponsible kings, to show mercy to faithful & to perform wonderful activities
 Recognise the Lord’s proprietorship & use only what is assigned by the Lord(Para 1)
 Good king Looks after this proper management of Lord’s will – Such a king must be a
recognized person with full responsibility & knowledge from authority(Para 1)
 Lord descends to restore the normal state of his creation(Para 2)
o Analogy: Material world is like a playing cradle for nitya-baddha jévas
 Lord performs superhuman acts during His descent – Therefore called unparalled or
asamaurdhva (Para 3)

26) Glorifies dynasty and place of descent – Yadu dynasty (where Lord appeared) & Land
of Mathurä (Place of His childhood pastimes)
 Just understanding the transcendental nature of Lord’s birth & activities, assures
libration(RefBg4.9)
o Analogy: Rising & setting of sun, but sun is always shining
 If simply understanding the transcendental nature assures liberation, what to speak of
the glory and destiny of His constant associates – Must be something much more

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27a) Dvärakä more glorious than heavens – Celebrity of earth has defeated the glories of
heavenly planets because of Dvärakä
 Heavenly planets are celebrated for enhanced beauty, enhanced facilities & comforts
& much longer life(about 10,000years)
 Våndävana, Mathurä & Dvärakä, are more important than most famous places in the
universe

27b) Speciality of Dvärakä – The soul of all living beings, Lord Kåñëa, glances & favors
everyone there with sweet smiles
 Anybody favored by Lord’s smiling glance, never returns to this material world
o From Heavenly kingdom, one has to come back again
 Recommendation to stay in the holy places, which being non-different from the Lord,
offer the same benefit, under guidance of an experienced devotee

28) Considers the fortune of Kåñëa’s wives & the gopés who must have undergone all
religious rites to attain the ultimate perfection
 Purpose of all religious rites – To gradually promote the conditioned soul to
transcendental loving service in one of the 5 rasas & attain one’s svarüpa
 Lord is self-satisfied & all-perfect – Reciprocates in different rasas, just to fulfill the
intense love for His devotees
 Two classes of devotees in mädhurya-rasa – Svakéya(wife) & parakéya(gopés)
 Relations in one’s svarüpa-form are free from any mundane affinity – e.g. Lord’s
kissing with the queens
o Otherwise Çukadeva Gosvämé, a liberated soul & even Lord Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu, a strict renunciant, would not have taken interest

29) Glorifies the queens of Dvärakä, who were kidnapped from svayaàvara, & those who
were taken from Bhaumäsura
 Each queen has 10 sons, total 16,108 queens

30a) Lives of the queens became glorious – These women auspiciously glorified their lives
despite being without individuality & without purity
 All designative disqualification, e.g. being a women, & all material contamination is at
once removed, by sincere surrender unto Lord’s lotus feet
o Analogy: No bodily disqualification of a devotee is considered, just like no
difference between Ganges water & filthy drain water, when amalgamated

Lesson 30a – By engagement in the service of the Lord, the designative disqualifications
are removed, and as pure souls they become eligible to enter into the kingdom of God

30b) Lives of the queens became glorious – Their lives become further glorified, when
Lord become their fully devoted husband, for each one of them

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  Pleased their hearts by valuable presentations e.g. Brought Pärijäta for Satyabhämä
Lesson 30b – If, therefore, anyone desires the Lord to become one's husband, the Lord
fulfills such desires in full

Lord departs and proceeds towards Dwarka (Texts31-36)

31) Lord reciprocates with the ladies of Hastinäpura – He accepted their good greetings (in
the form of such talks), & graced them with His glance

32) Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira arranged four divisions of defense to accompany the Lord – To
counteract enemy, and also out of affection
 Power of natural defense forces is highlighted – Study purport
 Kåñëa, although self-sufficient, accepted the defense measures, to respect the order of
elder cousin, Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja
 As a transcendental pastimes, sometimes Lord puts Himself subordinate to His
devotees’ protection

Lesson32 – The basic principle for all transcendental exchanges between the Lord and His
devotees is exhibited to enjoy a transcendental bliss for which there is no comparison,
even up to the level of brahmänanda
33a) Päëòavas overwhelmed with future thought of separation, followed for a certain
distance
33b) Lord persuaded them to return to their homes, & He proceeded to Dvärakä

34-35) Lord passed through various provinces to reach Dvärakä

 Çréla Prabhupäda does not take much interest in the analogous provinces of those days
& other geological details
 This verse indicates the presence of Kurukñetra since Vedic age

36a) Welcomes offered on the way – Lord was properly welcomed in all provinces with
proper worship & presentations
36b) Lord performed His evening rites very carefully during His journey
 This was all done, to set an example for a common man
 Follow the lord, but do not imitate
o Analogy: Sun can exhaust water from filthiest places but one cannot imitate the
sun

Lesson 36 – It is difficult to decide, when to follow & when not to imitate. Therefore, in
all actions, the experienced guide, the spiritual master, who is the manifested mercy of the
Lord, should always be consulted, and the path of progress will be assured

---------------------------End of Chapter Ten------------------------

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