39 verses
Sūta said: When Arjuna went to Dvārakā to see his friends and understand the activities and intentions of famous Kṛṣṇa, he did not return for some months. Yudhiṣṭhira saw inauspicious omens at that time.
He saw a fearful change of time, with seasons appearing in the wrong order. He saw sinful men engaged in maintaining themselves by occupations which were characterized by anger, greed and cheating.
Time passed with the sequence of seasons being reversed. Mens livelihood (vārtām) became most sinful.
He saw dealings that were filled with deception, and friendships which were mixed with cheating. There were quarrels between fathers, mothers, friends, brothers, husbands and wives. Seeing the mens sinful qualities filled with greed and the extremely inauspicious symptoms appearing according to time, he spoke to Bhīma.
Kalkanam means quarrels and other conflicts.
1|| 1.14.5 ||
nimittāny atyariṣṭāni kāle tv anugate nṛṇām |
lobhādy-adharma-prakṛtiṁ dṛṣṭvovācānujaṁ nṛpaḥ ||
The cause everywhere is time. His own time having arrived, seeing the nature (prakṛtim) of men, he spoke to Bhīma (anujam).
Yudhiṣṭhira said: I sent Arjuna to Dvārakā because I wanted him to see our friends there and to understand the activities of famous Kṛṣṇa.
O Bhīmasena! Seven months have passed. You younger brother has not yet returned. I do not know the reason at all.
Has the time indicated by Nārada arrived, when the Lord desires to give up his form engaged in pastimes?
Yudhiṣṭhira speaks in this manner about Kṛṣṇas departure to express lamentation for a friend, and not to express the real truth. However Sarasvatī speaks through his mouth, giving another meaning to his words. He desires to establish (sisṛkṣati) his expansion form (ātmanaḥ aḍgam) of Nārāyaṇa above (ut) in Vaikuṇṭha. What type of form has Nārāyaṇa? It is somewhat expressive (ā) of pastimes (krīòām)
From him, by his mercy we have attained wealth, kingdom, wives, life, family, citizens, victory over enemies, and the higher worlds.
Without the absence of Kṛṣṇa, the ill omens would not appear. That is expressed in this verse. Lokāḥ means higher worlds attained by sacrifices.
Lion among men! See the ill omens in the sky, land and bodies indicating fearful situation close at hand which will bewilder our intelligence.
The omens indicate fear (bhayam śaṁsataḥ).
O Bhīma! My left thigh, eye and arm are repeatedly twitching. There is trembling in my heart. Soon these omens will bring misfortune.
Here the bodily omens are described. Actually the trembling of the left side is inauspicious. The plural case is poetic license.
Bhīma! A jackal spitting fire is howling while facing the rising sun. A fearless dog is looking at me and howling.
The omens on the earth are described. A jackal (śivā) facing the rising sun is howling while vomiting fire from his mouth. O Bhīma (aḍga)! A fearless dog looking at me is howling.
O tiger among men! Auspicious animals are circling me counterclockwise and inauspicious animals are circling me clockwise. I see that my horses are crying.
Auspicious animals are ones like the cow. They are going to the left (savyam). Inauspicious animals like the donkey are going clockwise. I see that the horses (vāhān) are crying.
This pigeon, a messenger of death, the owl which is making my mind tremble and the crow desire to empty the universe with their harsh cries.
Pratyulūkaḥ is a type of owl which is an enemy to the other owl, or a crow.
The air is hazy in all direction like a wall. The earth along with the mountains is trembling. There is sudden loud clamor with cloudless thunder.
The grey directions are like a wall. There is tremendous sudden clamor (nirghātaḥ) along with cloudless thunder (stanayitnubhiḥ).
The wind, spreading darkness with dust, blows harshly. And the clouds rain hideously as if spraying blood everywhere.
The wind creates intense (vi) darkness (tamaḥ). The clouds seem to rain blood (asṛk.)
See the sun with weak light fighting with other planets in the sky, 3and see the earth and heavens ablaze with the followers of Śiva along with other beings.
See the blazing earth and heavens (rodasī) with Śivas attendants mixed with other living beings (sa-saḍkulaiḥ).
The male and female rivers, the lakes and the mind of all beings are agitated. Fire does not burn with ghee. What does the future portend?
Again he speaks of the omens on the earth.
The calves do not drink milk and the cows do not give milk. The cows wail with tearful faces and the bulls do not enjoy the fields.
Na duhyanti as a reflexive verb (the cows do not milk themselves) is poetic license. It means that the cows do not give milk.
The deities seem to be weeping, perspiring and moving about. The populated areas, villages, towns, gardens and hermitages are devoid of splendor and bliss. Why are they showing us such suffering?
Daivatāni means deities.
It seems the earth, made inauspicious by these ominous signs, is devoid of the footsteps of the Lord endowed with glorious marks not seen in any one else.
I consider (manye) that the earth is devoid of the feet of the Lord whose marks like the thunderbolt and elephant goad do not exist in other persons (ananya-puruṣa-śrībhiḥ).
O brāhmaṇa! While the king was contemplating the matter with consideration of the ill omens, Arjuna arrived in Hastināpura.
Seeing lusterless Arjuna fallen at his feet, grieving like never before, with downcast face and tears flowing from his lotus eyes, with an agitated heart, Yudhiṣṭhira, remembering what Nārada has said, inquired from Arjuna in the presence of his friends.
Vicchāyam means without luster.
Yudhiṣṭhira said: O Arjuna! Are our relatives, the Madhus, Bhojas, Daśārhas, Arhas, Sātvatas, Andhakas and Vṛṣṇīs well in Dvārakā?
Is our respected maternal grandfather Śūra5 well? Are our maternal uncle Vasudeva and his younger brothers well?
Māriṣaḥ means respected.
Are our seven aunts, Vasudevas wives, who are like sisters, headed by Devakī,6 and their sons and their wives well?
Svasāraḥ means mutual, indicating sisters.
How are Ugrasena, evil Kaṁsa, and his younger brother Devaka? How are Hṛdīka and his son Kṛtavarmā, Akrūra, Jayanta, Gada and Sāraṇa?
Āhuka is Ugrasena. His evil son was Kāmsa, who is already dead. He is asking about his (Kaṁsas) soul. Ugrasenas younger brother is Devaka. Hṛdīkas son is Kṛtavarmā. Jayanta, Gada, Sāraṇa7 and Śatrujit (mentioned in the next verse) were brothers (Vasudevas other sons).
How are Śatrujit and others? Is Balarāma, Lord of the Sātvatas well?
Is Pradyumna, the mahāratha among all the Vṛṣṇis happy? Is Aniruddha, fierce in fighting, prospering?
Gambhīra-rayaḥ means fierce in battle.
tathaivānucarāḥ śaureḥ śrutadevoddhavādayaḥ | sunanda-nanda-śīrṣaṇyā ye cānye sātvatarṣabhāḥ api svasty āsate sarve rāma-kṛṣṇa-bhujāśrayāḥ | api smaranti kuśalam asmākaṁ baddha-sauhṛdāḥ || How are Suṣeṇa,8 Cārudeṣṇa,9 Jāmbavatīs son Sāmba, and other prominent sons, and their sons such as Ṛṣabha? How are Śrutadeva, Uddhava and other attendants of Kṛṣṇa? How are the best of the Sātvatas headed by Nanda and Sunanda, protected by the arms of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma? Do your firm friends think of our welfare?
Is Lord Govinda, who is kind to the brāhmaṇas and affectionate to the devotees, happily presiding over the Sudharmā hall surrounded by his friends in the city?
It is not proper at all to ask if Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord is happy. Therefore he asks Is he happy in the assembly hall in Dvārakā?
Is the first person, Kṛṣṇa, with the help of Balarāma, residing happily in the ocean of the Yadu family for giving prema, liberation and prosperity to the people?
Maḍgalāya means for giving prema. Kṣemāya means for giving liberation. Bhavāya means for giving material prosperity. Ananta-sakhaḥ means with the help of Balarāma.
The Yādavas, worshipped even by the devatās, play like the inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭha in their city which is protected by Kṛṣṇas strong arms.
They are worshipped even by the devatās. Mahā-pauruṣikā iva means like the followers of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. Or it can mean like conquerors with great prowess.
Satyabhāmā and the other sixteen thousand queens, by serving his feet as their main activity, (through Kṛṣṇa) defeated in battle the devatās, and took the pārijāta tree which was being enjoyed by Indras wife Śaci.
Defeating the devatās (tridaśān) means defeating through the strength of Kṛṣṇa. Tad-āśiṣaḥ means Pārijāta and other things. Vajrāyudha-vallabha is Śaci.
The fearless Yadu heroes, protected by the strength of his arms, constantly tread with their feet over the Sudharmā assembly hall which was taken by force even though the devatās deserved it.
Bāhu-daṇòābhyudayānujīvinaḥ means they who subsist on the strength of his arms.
Are you healthy? You appear to me to have lost your effulgence. Staying away so long, were you not given proper respect, or were you disrespected by your friends?
In six verses he asks about the welfare of Arjuna who was not speaking. Anāmayam means health. Were you, who were staying there a long time (ciroṣitaḥ), not respected by your friends, or more than that, disrespected by them?
Were you struck by harsh words without affection? Did you fail to give what you had promised to someone who requested from you and then remained silent?
Were you beaten (abhihataḥ) by words without love (abhāvaiḥ)? Did you fail to give what you promised to persons who were wanting (arthibhyaḥ) something with a desire (āśayā) to attain it? And did you remain silent?
Giver of shelter, did you perhaps reject brāhmaṇas, children, cows, elders, invalids and women, and other living beings, who took shelter of you?
Śaraṇopasṛtam means surrendered. Sattvam means living beings.
Did you perhaps approach an unworthy woman or did you approach a woman not properly attired? Were you defeated on the road by inferiors in strength or caste?
There are two sentences in the first line. Asatkrṭām means with contaminated clothing and other items. Asamaiḥ means persons lesser in strength. Nottamaiḥ means by those of inferior caste.
Did you perhaps take your meal without feeding elders and children who should be fed at the same time? Did you perform some horrendous, forbidden act?
Paryabhuṇkthāḥ means Did you eat without feeding others first? Akṣamam means something which should not be done.
Do you consider yourself empty in consciousness because of separation from your most dear friend? There can be no other reason for such devastation.
But I should not have such doubts about you. Remembering the words of Nārada, the following is possible however. You think to yourself, I am devoid of consciousness (hròayena), fainting, because of the absence of my dearest friend at all times. That indeed can be the only cause. Otherwise you should not have affliction in your mind (ruk).
In the fourteenth chapter, Yudhiṣṭhira understands the meaning of the inauspicious signs when he sees Arjuna arrive in distress.
He went to understand Kṛṣṇas activities and his intentions (ca). Some months means seven months. Nimittāni means ill omens.