Vidura Approaches Maitreya

By the fault of liquor (maireya) they destroyed each other (mardanam) as the sun was setting (nimlocati).

How could the Lord, compassion to the elevated and fallen souls, witness the killing of his servants, sons, grandsons, persons most dear like Pradyumna, arranged by himself? This verse answers. This was the action (gatim) of māyā. It was a convincing display by which common people would think that the Yādavas were destroyed quickly by killing each other. This māyā belonged to the Lord (svātmā-māyā). That māyā therefore could never bewilder him, since the nature of māyā is that it does not bewilder its controller. Therefore it is said that the Lord saw this action of māyā. The Yādavas such as Pradyumna, eternal associates in his pastimes, actually remained in Dvārakā. The devatās who had entered into various Yādavas separating themselves from those Yādavas, came to Prabhāsa in those separate forms, ate, drank wine and, with the Lord’s permission, returned to Svarga. This is they meaning of the tad-anujñātā, mentioned in the first verse: they took his permission and returned to their abodes in Svarga.

Since Balarāma, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are part of the caturvyūha, they are eternally with the Lord. Padma Purāṇa makes the following statements:

ete hi yādavāḥ sarve madgaṇā eva bhāmini

These Yādavas are all my people, dear lady!

sarvadā mat-priyā devi mat-tulya-guṇa-śālina

They are eternally dear to me and equal in qualities to me, O goddess!

yathā saumitribharatau yathā saḍkarṣaṇādayaḥ

tathā tenaiva jāyante nija-lokad-yadṛcchayā

They appear on earth by their own will from their spiritual planet, as Lakṣmaṇa, Bhārata and Saḍkarsaṇa.

In Hari-vaṁśa Akrura says:

devānāñca hitārthāya vayaṁ prāptā manuṣyatām

For helping the devatās we have appeared as humans on earth.

Because the Yādavas are eternal associates of the Lord, they will never be destroyed. And even the continuing posts of the devatās such as Guha (Kārtikeya) who had entered into Śāmba and others should not be destroyed. Thus the whole mauśala pastime is illusory. Though it is illusory, since it is included in the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, it is accepted by the inconceivable yoga-māyā and is eternal, existing even in the absence of the material creation.1

The Lord spoke to me previously, at Dvārakā. He also remained there in another form (aprakaṭa). The word ca indicates that Uddhava was sent to the Sarasvatī River, where Kṛṣṇa also spoke to him. The reasons for the Lord speaking to him are given. The first reason is that the Lord wanted to remove the suffering of separation of Uddhava, who was surrendered to the Lord (prapannārti-hareṇa). The second reason is that the Lord would relieve the pain in the form of longing (ārti) to hear about bhakti, jñāna, vairāgya and the Lord’s pastimes of those living in Badarikāśrama, who were also surrendered to the Lord, such as the Lord’s portion Nara-nārāyaṇa, by what he would speak to Uddhava, as expressed at the end of this chapter: .

asmāl lokād uparate mayi jñānaṁ mad-āśrayam

arhaty uddhava evāddhā sampraty ātmavatāṁ varaḥ

Now I shall leave the vision of this world, and I see that Uddhava, the foremost of my devotees, is the only one who can be directly entrusted with knowledge about me. SB 3.4.30

Abhipretam (intention) means that though the Lord ordered that he go to Badarikāśrama, Uddhava understood that Kṛṣṇa would not give him up so easily, and thus he followed the Lord. Or it can mean that Uddhava understood Kṛṣṇa’s intention to destroy the dynasty.

Kṛṣṇa is addressed as having no shelter because he is the shelter of all material and spiritual entities. Everything takes shelter of him.

He had his right foot placed over (adhiśritya) his left thigh. His back was leaning against (apāśrita) a young aśvattha tree. The derivation of aśvattha is na śvaḥ tiṣṭhati: what does not last till tomorrow (śvas means tomorrow). This refers to the material world made of five elements, which is temporary. Māyā stands behind the Lord. “May materialistic people not see me!” This is the intention of Kṛṣṇa’s action of leaning against the aśvattha tree. The tree is described as young to indicate that among all the universes, this universe is very small. Tyakta-pippalam means that Lord had given up his pastimes in this world, since the word pippala refers to the material happiness in the śrutis.2

Maitreya is called a close friend of Dvaipāyana because he was like a son to his guru, Parāśara, who was Vyāsadeva’s father. Yadṛcchayā means suddenly.

Though Maitreya is described by Uddhava with many pleasing words, Kṛṣṇa actually spoke to Uddhava, since he had more prema than Maitreya. Thus the words describing Maitreya are in the genitive case, to show less respect to him. Kṛṣṇa glanced, showing (hāsa) his affection (anurāga). Or Kṛṣṇa glanced with smiling and affection.

Veda stands from vedmi (I know). I will give you what is difficult for others to attain (duravāpam anyaiḥ), because you were previously Vasu at a sacrifice in which Brahmā and the Vasus participated. I was worshipped by you with a desire to attain me. Actually this Vasu entered into the nitya-siddha Uddhava. Even though Uddhava is a nitya-siddha, here he is revealed as a sādhana-siddha along with Maitreya to protect the secret of his eternal pastimes. Some say that the eternal Uddhava stayed in Dvārakā and the Uddhava who was Vasu came to the Sarasvatī River.

He pacifies Uddhava. Among many births (bhavānām), this birth, in which (yad) you have attained my mercy, is the last. And also you have seen me in this lonely place (rahaḥ) with pure devotion (viśadānuvṛttyā). This produces good fortune (diṣṭyā). The Lord is about to give up the places of all the jīvas (nṛlokam) and attain Vaikuṇṭha.

Here the Lord describes what he promised to give Uddhava. Adi-sarge means the first day of Brahmā’s life.3 I spoke that knowledge which reveals my pastimes (man-mahimā). This meaning of mahimā is according to Śrīdhara Svāmī. Others say mahimā means glories. The Bhāgavatam refers to the four essential verses.

In this way the Lord respected and spoke to me. Pratīkṣaṇa means consideration. The Lord had previously considered, “No one except Uddhava knows about counseling. He should come to me. This will happen in the future.” If the version is pratikṣaṇa it means at every moment. I was the recipient of his mercy at every moment, or I was the recipient of his mercy after he considered that I should get the instructions. Śucaḥ means tears.

Do you desire to give knowledge of yourself so that I, your servant, can attain sārūpya or liberation from the material world? Certainly not! Among the four goals of dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa which of these is rare for those who worship your lotus feet? And jñāna without these desires will bring about the result of liberation only by worship of your lotus feet. I do not accept these things which are attained automatically, since I am enthusiastically engaged in serving your lotus feet. What use do I have for jñāna?

We servants attain supreme bliss by seeing and remembering your form, qualities and pastimes. Knowledge of these items also is not sufficient, because it is impossible to know completely because of our meager knowledge. Many pastimes are contrary to logic. I am now asking about this in two verses. You are without action yet you perform actions such as lifting Govardhana. Actions of creation of the universe are not included since it is done directly by māyā and the guṇas. You are indirectly involved. Your svarūpa does not contact matter. Thus, when the śrutis describe you as having no action, there is no contradiction if action refers to the creation of the material world. Niṣkalaṁ niṣkriyaṁ śāntaṁ niravadyaṁ nirañjanam: the lord is without parts, without action, peaceful, without fault, and without blemish. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.19) But activities such as lifting Govardhana are performed by your svarūpa. This is a contradiction to your quality of non-action. This is my doubt. Another meaning can be taken here. You are the human form of the supreme Brahman. In human form you perform unlimited spiritual actions. But in the form as Brahman there is no material or spiritual action. This is derived from the conventional meaning of Brahman. One cannot say that Brahman is the svarūpa with no qualities and Bhagavān is the svarūpa with qualities--that there are different Brahmans-- since there are not two Brahmans. Thus there is a doubt. This is expressed in the Sixth Canto.

You take birth though you have no birth. Though you are the form of time itself, you flee out of fear of enemies like Jarāsandha and take shelter of a fort in the sea. Though you enjoy in yourself, with thousands of women you are engaged in household life (āśramaḥ), with performance of rites for devatās and Pitṛs. You are attracted to these things though you enjoy in yourself. By enjoying with Rukmiṇī and others you do not destroy your status as self-enjoying, because they are all expansions of yourself. That I know. Therefore I have used the word āśrama. That part is contradictory. The intelligence of wise people is perplexed by such contradiction. It cannot be said that non-action, no birth, being the form of time and being self-enjoyer are the true aspects and that actions, birth, fear and accepting household life are imitations only. Otherwise it would not be said that the intelligence of the wise becomes perplexed. The wise would know these are imitations and not actual, and thus would not be perplexed. It could be said that when the Lord is described as having no activity, material actions are excluded, but not spiritual actions. Then with that knowledge, why should the wise be perplexed? With knowledge that Brahman is without action and Bhagavān is without knowledge, where would be the perplexity? What is implied here is that anyone who says that Kṛṣṇa’s actions are imitations, or that non-action means spiritual action and non-birth means spiritual birth, or that Brahman is non-active and bhagavān is active, and is thus not perplexed in intelligence, is actually not wise.

The Lord himself says na me viduḥ suragaṇāḥ prabhavaṁ no maharṣaya: even the devatās headed by Brahmā and the great sages headed by Vyāsa do not know my excellent (pra) birth (bhavam). (BG 10.2) Bhīṣma also says:

na hy asya karhicid rājan pumān veda vidhitsitam

yad vijijñāsayā yuktā muhyanti kavayo ’pi hi

O King! No one can understand the plan of Kṛṣṇa because even those engaged in reasoning and scripture are bewildered by that inquiry. SB 1.9.16

In various undertaking such as killing Jarāsandha or performing a rājasūya sacrifice, he would definitely call me and ask “Uddhava, tell me what I should do.” He was always aware of everything (sadātma-bodhaḥ) and was complete (akhaṇòa), and not worn out by such things as time (akuṇthita). Though he possessed the samvit-śakti, he was like a fool, asking like a person who does not know. But he was not inattentive to the advice. Being at once ignorant and full of knowledge bewilders the mind indeed (iva). In this verse it is said he was like a fool.

One could explain that this means that he appeared like a fool but was not. Thus this is bewildering, but actually it only seems to be bewildering (iva). Thus there is no incongruity here. However, it would be useless to raise a point in the sentence where the statements are not contradictory, and therefore this type of explanation is rejected.

Therefore I desire knowledge which will eradicate these doubts. This means knowledge which will solve these contradictions that I have just asked, which are unknown to all, and not just that knowledge which you promised to give me as mentioned in verse 13. You spoke that knowledge to Brahmā (kasmai). Or the meaning can be “You did not speak it to anyone.” In that case, O Lord (bhartar), if you are merciful to me, then speak it. If I am qualified to receive it (grahaṇāya kṣamam), speak it, or if I am qualified and it is possible to explain, then explain it. If not, then do not speak it. From this knowledge I will cross the ocean of sorrow (vṛjinam) arising from the destruction of the Yadus and your disappearance which are happening now, and about which I am asking.

He explained this to me, and not to Maitreya. He explained the eternal abodes in Dvārakā and other places, the places of pastimes (sthitim). He spoke about the inconceivable energy by which non-action and action co-exist in the Lord. This was not revealed by Śukadeva, or by Uddhava to Vidura. It was revealed by the Lord himself, to Uddhava alone, and to no one else, because there was not yet an authoritative conclusion on this matter. It is said in Laghu-bhagavatāmṛta:

tat tan na vāstavaṁ cet syāt vidyāṁ buddhi-bhramas tadā |

na syād evety acintyaiva śaktir līlāsu kāraṇam ||

yathā yathā ca tasyecchā sā vyanakti tathā tathā ||

If contradiction was not a fact, then those wise sages would not have been bewildered. Thus the inconceivable energy is the cause of the pastimes of the Lord. Whenever the Lord desires, his inconceivable energy makes its appearance and acts.

I (saḥ), having the path of knowledge of the Lord after studying it from the guru (tīrtha) who was the worshipable Lord (ārādhita-pāda), circumambulating him, I left. I did not see what the Lord did later.

How will you live in pain of separation? At every moment I experience joy from having met him, and sorrow because of separation from him. Going to Badarikāśrama was the order of the Lord.

There the Lord’s aṁśa, Nārāyaṇa, dwells. They give happiness to all (mṛdu) and have performed for a long time (dīrgham) austerity difficult for others (tīvram). They are the protectors of the world (loka-bhāvanau) or the producers of the world.

Vidura heard in this way (iti) from Uddhava the intolerable destruction of his friends. He was pacified by the knowledge arising from reviewing what Uddhava said, starting from SB 3.2.7.

Viśvrambhāt means out of trust. Though Uddhava was younger than himself, Uddhava controlled Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇa-parigrahe), and thus was superior to him (mukhyam). Thus a younger person, superior in bhakti, should be the guru for someone elder. Vidura’s words are the proof of this.

Naḥ (we) here indicates the two of us, Vidura and Maitreya. The plural can be used to express the singular or the dual. The Vaiṣṇavas (viṣṇor bhṛtyāḥ), wander about the earth, acting to make people devotees, giving teachings on bhakti. By mercy they become gurus for the ignorant. Therefore teach me, identifying myself as a servant of the Lord, that knowledge of the Lord.

Thinking within himself, “How can I make Vidura, my elder worthy of respect, my disciple?” Uddhava speaks. “Fortunate one! What I have heard from the mouth of the Lord, as I have explained, is that all of the Lord’s dear Yadus are situated in their respective abodes without giving up their bodies. But if you are asking about the nature of the Lord’s birth and pastimes, then Maitreya should be your guru.”

Certainly (nanu) Maitreya should be worshipped (saṁrādhyaḥ) as guru concerning the nature of the Lord (tattva), acting to make people into devotees (sva-bhṛtyārtha-kṛtaḥ), not I, because he was directly taught by the Lord for teaching this, in front of me (antike).

He remained for the night which passed like a moment. Uddhava is a descendent of Aupagava and is thus called Aupagavi. He left the next morning (tataḥ).

Since even the Lord, master of the three worlds, completely (ā) gave up his pastimes (kṛtim), ended his prakaṭa pastimes, how did Uddhava remain?

Nidhanam upagateṣu vṛṣṇi-bhojeṣv superficially means “When the Vṛṣṇis and Bhojas met destruction.” However the real meaning is when the Vṛṣṇis and Bhojas attained nearness (upa) to Kṛṣṇa, their complete treasure, their all in all (nidhanam). It is not proper that he, even in one portion, should remain alone to experience the pain of separation from Kṛṣṇa. One should not think that he was not a Vṛṣṇis, for it is said, among them, he alone remained. How could he avoid the Lord’s order to go to Badarikāśrama? That is explained here. Though the Lord is the remover of all suffering (hariḥ), he avoided indicating other purposes (ākṛtim) to him. To the gopīs he said tad yāta mā ciraṁ goṣṭhaṁ śuśrūṣadhvaṁ patīn satīḥ: now go back to the cowherd village, without delay, O chaste ladies, and serve your husbands. (SB 10.29.22) If he would have given some hint to the contrary to the gopīs when he gave this order, then Uddhava, most intelligent, would not have gone to Badarikāśrama. He would have stayed with the Lord.

Here is the answer. The contrivance of the brāhmaṇa’s curse was only a pretext for causing the disappearance of the Yadus from the material world. The Lord, whose desire cannot be made useless (amogha) by time, thought of withdrawing his clan by that means. He thought of giving up a body which was spread beyond its limits (sphītam). Though his eternity, knowledge and bliss is confined to his svarūpa, it was now overextended in the sense of being visible to the eyes of the people in the material world.

There is the following rule. sa-viśeṣaṇe vidhi-niṣedhau viśesaṇam upasaṁkrāmataḥ sati viśeṣye bādhe: statements of affirmation and denial change the meaning of their particular descriptive elements if there is a contradiction to the principal subject.4 The word tyaksan should follow this rule, acting as a descriptive, not as the main subject.5 For example one can say, “Caitra was the king. Giving up the body, he burned it.” The body refers to that of his wife who has died, since it is impossible that he die and burn his own body. In the present verse, tyakṣan deham cannot mean that the Lord gave up his body and died, since his body is full of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Thus Mahā-varāha Purāṇa says:

sarve nityāḥ śāśvatāś ca dehās tasya parātmanaḥ

hānopādāna-rahitā naiva prakṛtijāḥ kvacit

paramānanda sandohā jñāna-mātraś ca sarvataḥ

All the forms of the Lord are eternal, appearing constantly within the material world with bodies of Paramātmā, without any destructible elements made of prakṛti.

This is confirmed in Madhva’s commentary in which he quotes śruti:

vāsudevaḥ saḍkarṣaṇaḥ pradumno ’niruddho haṁso matsyaḥ kurmo varāho narasiṁho vāmano rāmo rāmo rāmaḥ kṛṣṇo buddhaḥ kalki rahaṁ

śatadhā’ haṁ sahasradhā ‘ham ito’ aham ananto ‘haṁ naivete jāyante naite mriyante naiṣāṁ bandho na muktiḥ sarve eva hyete pūrṇā ajarā amṛtāḥ paramānandāḥ

I am Vāsudeva, Saḍkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Haṁsa, Matsya ,Kūrma, Varāha, Narasiṁha, Vāmana, Rāma, Paraśurāma, Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa, Buddha, and Kalki. I have hundreds and thousands of forms in this word. I am infinite. These forms are not born nor do they die. They are not conditioned nor do they become liberated. All of them are complete, ageless and deathless, full of the highest bliss.

govindaṁ sac-cidānanda-vigrahaṁ vṛndāvana-sura-bhuruha-talāsīnam

Govinda is an eternal form of knowledge and bliss, seated under a desire tree in Vṛndāvana. Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad

ṛtaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ brahma puruṣaṁ nṛ-keśari-vigraham

The form of man-lion is truly the eternal, supreme Brahman.

Nṛsiṁha-tāpanī Upaniṣad

kṛṣṇa-dyumaṇi nimloce gīrṇeṣv ajagareṇa ha

kiṁ nu naḥ kuśalaṁ brūyāṁ gata-śrīṣu gṛheṣv aham

Since Kṛṣṇa has disappeared like the sun, how can I describe the condition of us, his friends, devoid of splendor, whose houses have been swallowed by the snake of lamentation? SB 3.2.7

pradarśyātapta-tapasām avitṛpta-dṛśāṁ nṛṇām

ādāyāntar adhād yas tu sva-bimbaṁ loka-locanam

The Lord, having shown his form, the center of attraction for all eyes, then took that form and disappeared from the men who had not performed austerities but had attained the Lord’s mercy, and were continually craving a vision of his form. SB 3.2.11

jayati jana-nivāso devakī-janma-vādo

yadu-vara-pariṣat svair dorbhir asyann adharmam

sthira-cara-vṛjina-ghnaḥ su-smita-śrī-mukhena

vraja-pura-vanitānāṁ vardhayan kāma-devam

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa lives eternally among the cowherd men and the Yādavas, and is conclusively both the son of Devakī and Yaśodā. He is the guide of the Yadu dynasty and the cowherd men, and with his mighty arms he kills everything inauspicious, in Vraja, Mathurā and Dvārakā. By his presence he destroys all things inauspicious for all living entities, moving and inert, and the suffering of separation of the inhabitants of Vraja and Dvārakā. His blissful smiling face always increases the desires of the gopīs of Vṛndāvana and women of Mathurā and Dvārakā. He remains eternally in this situation. SB 10.90.48

There are many statements in the śruti and smṛti showing that the Lord has an eternal form. Thus if we take this verse to mean that Kṛṣṇa gave up his body, it does not recognize the contradiction to previous and later statements. Persons who take such a meaning have a demonic mentality and are cheated of the nectar of prema-bhakti. If the reading is nūnam (instead of sphītam), it means certainly (nu) lesser (ūnam), and modifies body (deham). This refers to an aṁśa of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa. When Kṛṣṇa appeared, Nārāyaṇa appeared from Vaikuṇṭha and entered into Kṛṣṇa’s form. Now to have Nārāyaṇa again return to Vaikuṇṭha, he separated (tyakṣan) Nārāyaṇa from his own body. According to the Sandarbha, the phrase means “giving the body of the earth (deham) to the devatās like Brahmā for protecting.”

When I disappear from this planet with my shower of sweet form, qualities and pastimes, Uddhava will be qualified to know what I know (mad-āśrayam). He is qualified, as my duplicate, to give knowledge to the sages of Badarikāśrama who want to receive knowledge from my mouth and want to see me. Ātmavatām means of those who take me, ātmā, as their master.

This verse describes Uddhava’s qualification as a replica of the Lord. Uddhava is not all (anu) less than me, because (yad) he is not disturbed by the guṇas like sattva. “There are many jīvan-muktas in this world who are undisturbed by the guṇas. Are they not also equal to the Lord?” That is true. Therefore the following is the real meaning. He is not at all pained by spiritual qualities of strength, intelligence knowledge and renunciation. This means that he has the ability to control their effects. This is similar to saying that a person has control over the impulse of lust, or is not pained by lust. It has already been said that he was the chief among the best of the groups of warriors among all the Yadus. Nowhere is there seen such strength as his. Similarly he has other qualities like intelligence which are extraordinary. He is addressed as prabhu because like the Lord he has control over māyā. Vayunam means knowledge.

The Lord is the guru of all three worlds, and is thus the guru for the inhabitants of Badrarikāśrama, through Uddhava. To meet Śrutadeva, Kṛṣṇa went to Mithila. To kill Bāṇāsura and other demons, he went to other places on earth. To take the pārijāta flower he went to Svarga. To bring back the brāhmaṇa’s sons we went to Vaikuṇṭha, and to bring back Devakī’s dead sons, he went to Sutala. He gave the people of these places good fortune by showing them his form and giving teachings. But he did not go to Badarikāśrama. Remembering the eagerness of the sages there, he sent Uddhava there. In some kalpas the Lord himself goes there. In that case, he does not send Uddhava there. Saṁdiṣṭaḥ indicates some message was sent. “Give this message to Nara-nārāyaṇa.” The Lord said that Uddhava was not less than himself. The Lord is described in this verse as the source of the Vedas. This indicates that the Lord knows even what is not to be known in the Vedas. He gave this to Uddhava, and Nara-nārāyaṇa would attain that knowledge from the mouth of Uddhava, who is not less than the Lord. To the recipients of the message, Nara-nārāyaṇa, he sent information. “My manifest pastimes on earth will last 125 years. That is the limit. Now it is finished. I will make these pastimes disappear along with my associates. Going to Prabhāsa and establishing the devatās back in their posts, I, in my portion of Viṣṇu whom Brahmā requested to come, will go to Vaikuṇṭha. Invisible to all, I will come to Badarikāśrama with a portion of Arjuna. Since Uddhava, the chief of my dear devotees, endowed with all of my attractive qualities and similar form, has been assigned to you who long to see my perfect form, he should stay in Badarikāśrama to give knowledge to the world.”

ātmānaṁ ca kuru-śreṣṭha

kṛṣṇena manasekṣitam

dhyāyan gate bhāgavate

ruroda prema-vihvalaḥ

O Parīkṣit! Hearing from Uddhava the glorious activities of Kṛṣṇa, Paramātmā, who has a body for pastimes, and hearing of disappearance of the Yadus which increases the faith of the intelligent and is incomprehensible to unintelligent person who are like animals, Vidura, overcome with love for the Lord, thinking that he was remembered by the Kṛṣṇa, began to weep when Uddhava had departed.

Kṛṣṇa has permanently accepted (upa ātta) a body because of his pastimes. He is dependent on his līlā-śakti. By that śakti his body appears and disappears. By means of this śakti, the bodies of the Yadus (dhīrānām) were offered (nyāsam) to the unmanifest form of Dvārakā. And also hearing about giving up bodies in Prabhāsa (indicated by the word ca), Vidura became firm in heart (dhairya-vardhanam). Or dhairya-vardhanam can mean the disappearance caused him to lose self-control, since vardha means to cut. These disappearances are difficult to understand for others who are not devotees, such as yogīs. The yogīs cannot understand how the Lord can disappear in one place and a giving up his bodies in another place as a show for the common people. Because those people are not devotees they are called animals. Viklavātmanām means those with disturbed minds.

Spending (siddhe) several days near the Yamunā, he went to the Gaḍgā.

Thus ends the commentary on Fourth Chapter of the Third Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.