॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ चतुर्थोऽध्यायः - ४ ॥
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Discourse IV
As directed by Uddhava, Vidura calls on the sage Maitreya (Preamble)
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उद्धव उवाच ।
अथ ते तदनुज्ञाता भुक्त्वा पीत्वा च वारुणीम् ।
तया विभ्रंशितज्ञाना दुरुक्तैर्मर्म पस्पृशुः ॥ १॥
तेषां मैरेयदोषेण विषमीकृतचेतसाम् ।
निम्लोचति रवावासीद्वेणूनामिव मर्दनम् ॥ २॥
भगवान् स्वात्ममायाया गतिं तामवलोक्य सः ।
सरस्वतीमुपस्पृश्य वृक्षमूलमुपाविशत् ॥ ३॥
अहं चोक्तो भगवता प्रपन्नार्तिहरेण ह ।
बदरीं त्वं प्रयाहीति स्वकुलं सञ्जिहीर्षुणा ॥ ४॥
अथापि तदभिप्रेतं जानन्नहमरिन्दम ।
पृष्ठतोऽन्वगमं भर्तुः पादविश्लेषणाक्षमः ॥ ५॥
अद्राक्षमेकमासीनं विचिन्वन् दयितं पतिम् ।
श्रीनिकेतं सरस्वत्यां कृतकेतमकेतनम् ॥ ६॥
श्यामावदातं विरजं प्रशान्तारुणलोचनम् ।
दोर्भिश्चतुर्भिर्विदितं पीतकौशाम्बरेण च ॥ ७॥
वाम ऊरावधिश्रित्य दक्षिणाङ्घ्रिसरोरुहम् ।
अपाश्रितार्भकाश्वत्थमकृशं त्यक्तपिप्पलम् ॥ ८॥
तस्मिन्महाभागवतो द्वैपायनसुहृत्सखा ।
लोकाननुचरन् सिद्ध आससाद यदृच्छया ॥ ९॥
तस्यानुरक्तस्य मुनेर्मुकुन्दः
प्रमोदभावानतकन्धरस्य ।
आशृण्वतो मामनुरागहास-
समीक्षया विश्रमयन्नुवाच ॥ १०॥
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Uddhava continued : Then, after taking their meals with the permission of those Brāhmaṇas, they drank wine and, having been deprived of their wits by tipsiness, cut one another to the quick by hurling abuses. (1)
Their intellect having been perverted due to the inebriating effect of wine, by sunset they began fighting (to death) among themselves like bamboos rubbing against one another. (2)
Beholding the ways of His own Māyā (deluding potency), the Lord sipped the water from the Saraswati and sat down at the foot of a (peepul) tree (near its bank). (3)
(Before this) when the Lord, who relieves the agony of those who resort to Him for protection, made up His mind to exterminate His race, He told me (even at Dwārakā) to proceed to Badarīvana (the spot where the divine sages Nara and Nārāyaṇa still practise their austere penance). (4)
Although, O vanquisher of foes, I was aware of His intentions, I nevertheless went after Him, unable to bear separation from His feet. (5)
Looking for my beloved lord, I beheld Him, the abode of all splendour, seated all alone on the bank of the Saraswati, although (as a matter of fact) He is shelterless (being the shelter of all). (6)
Possessed of a brilliant swarthy form, which is all Sattva or purity (free from a mixture of Rajas or passion), with reddish yet most gentle eyes, He could be easily distinguished by His four arms and the yellow silk on His person. (7)
Placing His lotus-like right foot on His left thigh, He was reclining against a young Aśwattha (peepul) tree, and was full of joy, even though He had renounced the pleasures of sense. (8)
Meandering through the various worlds, there came by chance at that moment the enlightened sage Maitreya, a great devotee of the Lord and a loving friend and fellow-student of the sage Dwaipāyana (Vedavyāsa). (9)
While that devoted sage stood listening with rapt attention, his head bent low in the ecstasy of delight and emotion, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Bestower of Liberation) spoke to me (as follows), refreshing me by His endearing smiles and affectionate glances. (10) (1-10)
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श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
वेदाहमन्तर्मनसीप्सितं ते
ददामि यत्तद्दुरवापमन्यैः ।
सत्रे पुरा विश्वसृजां वसूनां
मत्सिद्धिकामेन वसो त्वयेष्टः ॥ ११॥
स एष साधो चरमो भवाना-
मासादितस्ते मदनुग्रहो यत् ।
यन्मां नृलोकान् रह उत्सृजन्तं
दिष्ट्या ददृश्वान् विशदानुवृत्त्या ॥ १२॥
पुरा मया प्रोक्तमजाय नाभ्ये
पद्मे निषण्णाय ममादिसर्गे ।
ज्ञानं परं मन्महिमावभासं
यत्सूरयो भागवतं वदन्ति ॥ १३॥
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The Lord said : Dwelling within you, I know the desire of your heart and proceed to confer on you that which is difficult for others to attain. In your previous incarnation, when you were a Vasu, (O Uddhava !) you worshipped Me, in the sacrifice jointly performed by the Prajāpatis (the lords of created beings) and the Vasus, with the sole object of attaining Me. (11)
The present is certainly your last incarnation, O saintly Uddhava, since you have earned My grace in this life. You are indeed fortunate in having seen Me on this secluded spot, by virtue of your unalloyed devotion, at a time when I am about to leave this mortal world (and return to My eternal Abode). (12)
(I am going to impart to you) that supreme wisdom, revealing My glory, which the sages call by the name of 'Bhāgavatā' and which I taught to Brahmā (the unborn), who was seated on the lotus that had sprung from My navel, in a former cycle (called the Pādma-Kalpa) at the dawn of creation. (13) (11-13)
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इत्यादृतोक्तः परमस्य पुंसः
प्रतिक्षणानुग्रहभाजनोऽहम् ।
स्नेहोत्थरोमा स्खलिताक्षरस्तं
मुञ्चञ्छुचः प्राञ्जलिराबभाषे ॥ १४॥
को न्वीश ते पादसरोजभाजां
सुदुर्लभोऽर्थेषु चतुर्ष्वपीह ।
तथापि नाहं प्रवृणोमि भूमन्
भवत्पदाम्भोजनिषेवणोत्सुकः ॥ १५॥
कर्माण्यनीहस्य भवोऽभवस्य ते
दुर्गाश्रयोऽथारिभयात्पलायनम् ।
कालात्मनो यत्प्रमदायुताश्रमः
स्वात्मन् रतेः खिद्यति धीर्विदामिह ॥ १६॥
मन्त्रेषु मां वा उपहूय यत्त्व-
मकुण्ठिताखण्डसदात्मबोधः ।
पृच्छेः प्रभो मुग्द्ध इवाप्रमत्तः
तन्नो मनो मोहयतीव देव ॥ १७॥
ज्ञानं परं स्वात्मरहःप्रकाशं
प्रोवाच कस्मै भगवान् समग्रम् ।
अपि क्षमं नो ग्रहणाय भर्तः
वदाञ्जसा यद्वृजिनं तरेम ॥ १८॥
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Thus politely addressed by the Lord, and a recipient of His constant favour. I returned in faltering accents with joined palms, the hair on my body standing erect through affection and tears flowing from my eyes :— (14)
"Which on earth of the four objects (of human pursuit), my lord, is difficult to attain for those who are devoted to Your lotus-feet ? Yet, O Perfect One, I crave for none of these, keen as I am to worship Your lotus-feet. (15)
That You should resort to action, though actionless, should be born, though devoid of birth, should take to Your heels for fear of the enemy and seek shelter in a fortress, even though being the Destroyer of all, and should take to wife (over) ten thousand damsels though delighting in Your own blissful Self, puzzles the mind even of the knowing. (16)
That You, whose knowledge is unimpeded, uninterrupted and ever free from doubt and error, and who are ever awake, should call me in Your deliberations and consult me as an ignorant man would do, perplexes our mind as it were, O glorious Lord ! (17)
Pray, instruct us, my master, in that supreme and integral wisdom which unfolds the mystery of Your Being and which You taught to Brahmā, in case it is fit to be received by us, so that we may easily get over the sorrows (of mundane existence)." (18) (14-18)
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इत्यावेदितहार्दाय मह्यं स भगवान् परः ।
आदिदेशारविन्दाक्ष आत्मनः परमां स्थितिम् ॥ १९॥
स एवमाराधितपादतीर्था-
दधीततत्त्वात्मविबोधमार्गः ।
प्रणम्य पादौ परिवृत्य देव-
मिहागतोऽहं विरहातुरात्मा ॥ २०॥
सोऽहं तद्दर्शनाह्लादवियोगार्तियुतः प्रभो ।
गमिष्ये दयितं तस्य बदर्याश्रममण्डलम् ॥ २१॥
यत्र नारायणो देवो नरश्च भगवान् ऋषिः ।
मृदु तीव्रं तपो दीर्घं तेपाते लोकभावनौ ॥ २२॥
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When I submitted to Him in these words what was uppermost in my mind, the supreme Lord with lotus-like eyes revealed to me His transcendent character. (19)
Having thus learnt from my worshipful Guru (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) the way of realizing God, who is the only Truth, and bowing to the Lord's feet, I went round Him clockwise as a mark of reverence and came away to this place, distressed at heart due to separation from Him. (20)
Delighted by His sight, but now afflicted by separation from Him, O Vidura, I shall proceed to the sacred spot of Badarikāśrama, His favourite retreat, where the glorious Nārāyaṇa and the worshipful sage Nara are engaged in peaceful yet austere penance extending over a long period (a whole Kalpa) for the good of the world. (21-22) (19-22)
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श्रीशुक उवाच ।
इत्युद्धवादुपाकर्ण्य सुहृदां दुःसहं वधम् ।
ज्ञानेनाशमयत्क्षत्ता शोकमुत्पतितं बुधः ॥ २३॥
स तं महाभागवतं व्रजन्तं कौरवर्षभः ।
विश्रम्भादभ्यधत्तेदं मुख्यं कृष्णपरिग्रहे ॥ २४॥
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Śrī Śuka continued : The enlightened Vidura assuaged by force of wisdom the grief that had burst forth (in his heart) when he heard the unbearable news about the death of his near and dear ones. (23)
When that great devotee (Uddhava), the chief among the servants of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, was about to depart (for Badarikāśrama), Vidura (the foremost among the Kauravas) spoke to him out of love (as follows). (24) (23-24)
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विदुर उवाच ।
ज्ञानं परं स्वात्मरहःप्रकाशं
यदाह योगेश्वर ईश्वरस्ते ।
वक्तुं भवान्नोऽर्हति यद्धि विष्णो-
र्भृत्याः स्वभृत्यार्थकृतश्चरन्ति ॥ २५॥
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Vidura said : Be pleased to impart to us the supreme wisdom which unfolds the secret of the Lord's own essential nature and which the divine Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Master of Yoga, taught to you; for the devotees of Lord Viṣṇu move about (in the world) only in order to accomplish the object of their servants. (25) (25)
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उद्धव उवाच ।
ननु ते तत्त्वसंराध्य ऋषिः कौषारवोऽन्ति मे ।
साक्षाद्भगवताऽऽदिष्टो मर्त्यलोकं जिहासता ॥ २६॥
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Uddhava replied : For the knowledge of that truth you should wait upon the sage Maitreya (son of Kuṣāru), who was personally instructed in this behalf by the Lord in my presence, while He was about to leave this mortal world. (26) (26)
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श्रीशुक उवाच ।
इति सह विदुरेण विश्वमूर्ते-
र्गुणकथया सुधया प्लावितोरुतापः ।
क्षणमिव पुलिने यमस्वसुस्तां
समुषित औपगविर्निशां ततोऽगात् ॥ २७॥
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Śrī Śuka continued : Relieved of his great agony (of separation from the Lord) by the nectar-like talk that he thus had with Vidura on the virtues of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Soul of the universe), Uddhava (the son of Upagu) passed that night as if it were a moment on the bank of the Yamunā (the younger sister of god Yama*) and departed thence (early next morning). (27) (27)
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राजोवाच ।
निधनमुपगतेषु वृष्णिभोजे-
ष्वधिरथयूथपयूथपेषु मुख्यः ।
स तु कथमवशिष्ट उद्धवो य-
द्धरिरपि तत्यज आकृतिं त्र्यधीशः ॥ २८॥
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The king asked : When even the topmost generals of the car-warriors among the Vṛṣṇis and Bhojas had met their end (as a result of the imprecation pronounced by the sages), nay, when Śrī Hari (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) Himself, the Supreme Ruler even of the three lords of the universe, (viz., Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva), had to leave His body (in the eyes of the world), how is it that Uddhava alone, the foremost of those generals, survived ? (28) (28)
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श्रीशुक उवाच ।
ब्रह्मशापापदेशेन कालेनामोघवाञ्छितः ।
संहृत्य स्वकुलं नूनं त्यक्ष्यन् देहमचिन्तयत् ॥ २९॥
अस्माल्लोकादुपरते मयि ज्ञानं मदाश्रयम् ।
अर्हत्युद्धव एवाद्धा सम्प्रत्यात्मवतां वरः ॥ ३०॥
नोद्धवोऽण्वपि मन्न्यूनो यद्गुणैर्नार्दितः प्रभुः ।
अतो मद्वयुनं लोकं ग्राहयन्निह तिष्ठतु ॥ ३१॥
एवं त्रिलोकगुरुणा सन्दिष्टः शब्दयोनिना ।
बदर्याश्रममासाद्य हरिमीजे समाधिना ॥ ३२॥
विदुरोऽप्युद्धवाच्छ्रुत्वा कृष्णस्य परमात्मनः ।
क्रीडयोपात्तदेहस्य कर्माणि श्लाघितानि च ॥ ३३॥
देहन्यासं च तस्यैवं धीराणां धैर्यवर्धनम् ।
अन्येषां दुष्करतरं पशूनां विक्लवात्मनाम् ॥ ३४॥
आत्मानं च कुरुश्रेष्ठ कृष्णेन मनसेक्षितम् ।
ध्यायन् गते भागवते रुरोद प्रेमविह्वलः ॥ ३५॥
कालिन्द्याः कतिभिः सिद्ध अहोभिर्भरतर्षभ ।
प्रापद्यत स्वःसरितं यत्र मित्रासुतो मुनिः ॥ ३६॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां
तृतीयस्कन्धे विदुरोद्धवसंवादे चतुर्थोऽध्यायः ॥ ३.४॥
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Śrī Śuka replied : When Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose desire never remains unfulfilled, had exterminated His own race through the instrumentality of Death, who appeared in the shape of the Brāhmaṇas' execration, and when He was about to cast off His body (in the eyes of the world), He reflected thus:—(29)
"Now, when I shall have departed from this world, Uddhava alone, the foremost among those who have attained Self-Realization, is really qualified to receive the knowledge concerning Me. (30)
Uddhava is in no wise inferior to Me, inasmuch as He has mastered his self and is never perturbed by the objects of sense. So let him remain on earth, imparting to the world the knowledge regarding Me." (31)
Instructed thus by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Preceptor of the three worlds and the Source of the Vedas, Uddhava betook himself to Badarikāśrama and adored Śrī Hari (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) through abstract meditation. (32)
When Vidura heard from Uddhava an account of the praiseworthy doings of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Spirit, who had assumed a human semblance as a mere sport, as well as of the way in which He had quitted His body—which was such as strengthened the resolution of the resolute and was something too hard to accomplish for those who have a feeble mind and therefore as good as beasts—and when, O Parikṣit (the foremost among the Kurus), he remembered that Śrī Kṛṣṇa had thought of him (at the time of His departure), he was overwhelmed with emotion and wept on parting with that great devotee of the Lord. (33—35)
Leaving the bank of the Kālindī (Yamunā), the enlightened Vidura (the foremost of the Bharatas) reached in a few days the bank of the heavenly river (Gaṅgā), where the sage Maitreya (the son of Mitrā) was. (36)
- The deity presiding over the sacred river Yamunā was begotten along with the god Yama by the sun-god. Hence she is spoken of as a sister of Yama. Her hand was later on won by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (vide Śrīmad Bhāgavata X. lviii.17—23).
Thus ends the fourth discourse in Book Three, consisting of a dialogue between Vidura and Uddhava, of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Sarhhitā.
(29-36)
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