The Disappearance of Lord Krishna

Acharyadeva took leave of proud Shri Krishna and went away toward the Himalayas.

King Parikshit bowed his head and asked softly, "Then what happened, Lord? Does that mean the time for Shri Krishna's departure was near?"

Shukadeva Goswami said, "At that time the Dwapar age was at its very end. The gods of heaven came and requested Shri Krishna. They told him that the moment to end his earthly play was near. O King, now that sorrowful day was coming closer."

Parikshit grew thoughtful. "Acharyadeva, a question is rising in my mind."

"What question, Parikshit?"

"Acharyadeva, I have heard from the sages that the Lord's body is not made of dull matter like our bodies. It is not formed from the five elements—earth, water, fire, air, and sky. Narayan's body is eternal existence, knowledge, and bliss."

"What you said is completely true, O King."

Parikshit continued, "If that body is eternal and cannot be destroyed, then Shri Krishna's death is not possible at all. Then how did he end his earthly play, Acharyadeva?"

Shukadeva smiled with joy. "Well said, well said, Parikshit. True spiritual knowledge has really awakened in your heart, O King. You have caught a glimpse of a great mystery that even learned scholars often cannot understand. Do you know what the Lord has said? My birth and my actions are both divine. One who understands the truth of this divine play attains me after death. I have no doubt at all, Parikshit, that after you leave your body, you will go to the Lord's own abode, O King. No other result is possible for you."

Parikshit folded his hands. "If even a tiny bit of true knowledge has risen in my heart, Lord, it is only by your grace. It would not be possible without the undeserved mercy of the gurus."

"Your humility and modesty are very beautiful, Parikshit," Shukadeva said. "Listen, O King, I will tell you openly. They say Arjuna burned Shri Krishna's body after his death. O King, know for certain that body was only a maya body. The Lord does not always show his full glory to people who turn away from him. He keeps them confused through illusion. This too is one such illusion. Do you know the real truth? Lord Shri Krishna did not die, Parikshit. No, it cannot be so, O King. Just as the sun is always present in the sky, so is the Lord. When people cannot see the sun, they say the sun has set. Yes, O King, in the same way, when the Lord goes out of human sight, when he becomes hidden instead of visible, some ignorant people say that he has died. But that is not so, O King. The Lord has only hidden himself. He still exists. He is eternal. He is beyond the wheel of time, O King."

Parikshit looked up in wonder. "Beyond all this? He is? This is a very deep mystery, Acharyadeva. Please explain it in simple words."

"Good, very good, Parikshit. Then listen."

Shukadeva then described how the Lord spoke with his elder brother.

"Brother, now it is time to end this play," Krishna said. "The words of the devotees must be honored. At the same time, the coming of Kali Yuga is near. By the law of time, room must be given to that age too. Are you ready?"

Balarama replied, "Brother, everyone takes advantage of your kindness. Has Kali Yuga also taken some promise from you?"

Krishna said, "Brother, at Kurukshetra he came secretly to beg mercy from me. 'Lord Narayan, the end of Dwapar is near, but as long as you remain on this earth, I have no power to fully spread my influence in the world of men. Will the wheel of time then stop, O Lord?'"

Then Krishna had answered him, "'No, Kali Yuga, do not worry. The wheel of time will move by its own law. Only after I return to Vaikuntha will you get the chance to fully spread your influence on this earth. I give you my word.'"

Kali Yuga had said, "'Blessed am I, Lord. Glory to you.'"

Balarama listened and then asked, "So this is your plan? Then what will happen to our great Yadu dynasty and this huge city of Dwaraka? Have you forgotten the curse of the sages?"

Krishna replied, "Brother, some young boys of Dwaraka once dressed my son Shamu as a pregnant woman and took him to the sages. They wanted to test the truth of the sages' divine vision. As a result, they received a terrible curse."

The sages had declared, "'So you wished to test how much power we have to tell the future. What did you think? Would we not understand that this person is neither pregnant nor a woman? Your bold act will bring suffering to your whole clan. The iron club this person has hidden under cloth will become the cause of the destruction of the Yadu dynasty. This is our curse.'"

Balarama said, "But Kanai, that club is no longer in Dwaraka. On your order it was ground down and crushed to pieces and thrown into the sea. Even the small part that remained was also cast into the sea."

Krishna answered, "Then you have heard the news, brother. At the place where it happened, thick forests of eraka grass have grown by the seashore."

"But what of that?"

"You will see when the time comes, brother. And tell me, do you remember Queen Gandhari's curse? After the Kurukshetra war, she became almost mad with grief over the death of her sons. Thinking me to be the cause of all that destruction, she cursed me."

Gandhari had cried, "'Krishna, if you had wished, you could have stopped this terrible war. But you allowed this destruction to happen. You destroyed my family. I am Gandhari, queen of the Kuru line. I curse you. One day, before your own eyes, your family too will be destroyed, Krishna.'"

Krishna had replied gently, "'Mother, you have performed austerities all your life. The words that came from your mouth in the form of a curse are surely fixed by destiny. I know they will happen. Please be calm. Think for a moment. You never blessed your son Duryodhana with victory. Whenever he bowed to you, you always said, "May dharma win." Do you remember those words?'"

Then he said, "'Have you forgotten, Mother? The Pandavas, who stood on the side of dharma, won. And what you have said today also will not fail. I am certain of that.'"

Balarama said, "Krishna, your play is hard to understand. The people of Dwaraka are becoming restless. There are signs of evil all around. As soon as night falls, bad dreams attack them in their sleep. At least do something now to calm them."

Krishna replied, "Brother, this family has no path left now except destruction. Kali Yuga is coming. And Kali means quarrel. They will die fighting among themselves. This is the will of destiny. Still, since you ask, I will give them assurance. Arrange an assembly tomorrow. There I will say what must be said."

"Very well, let it be so."

The next day, in the Sudharma assembly hall, Krishna addressed the leading people of Dwaraka.

"My greetings to all. I see that the leading people of Dwaraka are all present here in this Sudharma assembly hall. So I am speaking to all of you. You know that for some days many evil signs have been appearing in Dwaraka, and fear has entered everyone's heart. So I propose that all of you go at once to Prabhasa and arrange worship of the gods there. There, after bathing in the holy waters of the Saraswati River and fasting, we will worship the gods with many offerings. You know that by serving the gods, serving the Brahmins, and serving the cows, all fear of misfortune goes away. So we will follow that path. The Brahmins of that holy place will recite prayers for the peace and welfare of our Yadu clan. We will give them gifts generously. Do all of you agree with my proposal?"

The people replied, "Yes, yes, this is an excellent proposal. Yes, we agree."

Balarama said, "Well done, well done, Vasudeva. I will arrange boats today itself so that everyone can go together to Prabhasa."

Krishna nodded. "Good, then let it be so. But everyone must be careful about one thing. Otherwise danger is near."

"What thing?" they asked.

"You are going to Prabhasa to serve the gods. No one must drink wine or take part in any low pleasure or entertainment. If anyone does otherwise, then great danger will come. At that time even I will not be able to protect you. Well, will you remember?"

"Certainly, certainly."

"Good. Then today's assembly is over. Greetings to all."

When Shukadeva stopped for a moment, he looked at Parikshit. "What happened, Parikshit? Why does your face look so sad?"

Parikshit answered, "Lord, it seems there is not much time left now. Is that so? The final moment of the Lord's earthly play has truly come."

"Yes, that is so. The destruction of the Yadu dynasty is near, O King."

Parikshit's voice trembled. "Acharyadeva, Shri Krishna's dark and beautiful form is the jewel of his devotees' eyes. If he disappears from the earth, how will the devotees bear that separation? Lord, I have heard from your own mouth that when the gopis of Braja saw Shri Krishna once, they could not turn their eyes away. They would gaze in deep absorption at that wonderful and beautiful face."

"Yes, Parikshit," said Shukadeva. "Many times the gopis became so unsatisfied that they even blamed the Creator. They would say, 'The Creator does not know how to create properly. Instead of giving us millions of eyes, he has given us only two. And even those two eyes blink again and again. O God, can anyone be satisfied seeing Krishna like this?' Do you know, Parikshit? Many times it is not even necessary to see Krishna directly. Simply by hearing descriptions of his beauty, his qualities, and his pastimes, the minds of devotees become so attracted that day and night they can think of nothing but Krishna."

Parikshit said, "Yes, Acharyadeva, many poets in the world write poetry on many subjects. Many songwriters compose many songs. But no poetry gives such sweetness as poetry about Krishna. And is there any song greater than one filled with the sweetness of Krishna's play? That is why I ask, Lord. In Krishna's separation, what will his devotees live by? What will support them?"

Shukadeva replied, "You have asked a very fine question, Parikshit. Then listen. When Krishna is not visibly before our eyes, he stays with his devotees in the form of the holy deity, out of mercy for them. One who thinks the Lord's deity is only a sculpture made of wood, stone, or clay does not receive the Lord's grace, O King. But the devotee who worships the holy deity with deep feeling and devotion sees the Lord reveal himself. The Lord appears before that devotee, speaks with him, plays with him, and even shows loving anger and affection with him."

Parikshit then asked, "The Lord's mercy is endless, Lord. But now Kali Yuga is going on. Very few people have the skill and purity needed for serving the holy deity, Acharyadeva. Those who do not know mantras, worship rules, or pure conduct—how will they serve the Lord? How will they gain Krishna's company?"

"There is a way, Parikshit," Shukadeva said. "In Kali Yuga, the best path of spiritual practice is Krishna's name. The name of the Lord and the Lord himself are one and the same. The Lord has placed all his power within his name, O King. What can the holy name not give a devotee, O King? By the strength of the holy name, all success in spiritual practice becomes possible. Blessed is the one who chants Krishna's name in Kali Yuga, Parikshit. Truly blessed."

"Blessed are you, Lord. You have removed all my fear."

Shukadeva asked, "O King, are you ready now to hear of the Lord's disappearance from the world?"

"Yes, Acharyadeva. Please tell me, what happened next."

"Very well, then listen," said Shukadeva. "After reaching Prabhasa, the Yadavas did not obey Krishna's words. When people live for a long time under the protection of a very powerful hero, their minds often become confused. You know? They begin to think they have the right to do whatever they wish. Then they stop caring even for the Lord who has protected them all this time, O King. And this very misfortune happened to the Yadavas."

Parikshit asked, "Did the Yadavas become involved in some wrongdoing, Acharyadeva?"

"Yes, exactly so. Instead of focusing on worship at Prabhasa, they disobeyed Krishna's command and began drinking liquor. Liquor destroys a person's judgment and makes him almost mad, O King. Drunk with wine, they began fighting among themselves."

Shukadeva then told him how the quarrel began.

"Hey Kritavarma, who is more sinful than you in this world? You call yourself a warrior? You are a coward. I feel disgusted when I see your face."

"Watch your mouth, Sarthaki. Otherwise I will cut off your head with one stroke of my sword."

"Is that so? You will cut off my head? Tell me, do you feel no shame? When our most worshipful Shri Krishna joined the side of the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war, why did you choose Duryodhana's side? Are you a man or a monster?"

"Everyone has the freedom to choose his own side, Sarthaki. And not everyone is a coward like you, who silently does whatever Vasudeva says out of fear of him, understand?"

"Oh, I am a coward? Then what about you attacking the Pandava camp in the middle of the night on the last day of the war with Ashvatthama? You killed sleeping warriors without even giving them a chance to defend themselves. You spared no one—elephants, horses, charioteers, cooks, no one. What wrong had they done?"

"What I did, I did well. Who are you to judge me? Who are you?"

"You burned the Pandava camp and killed so many innocent people, and you feel no shame. And still you say you did well!"

"Hey Sarthaki, did you not cut down the unarmed Bhurishrava by grabbing his hair? And now you preach to me? You are very righteous indeed!"

"Hey, is there no end to your sins? Who whispered into Shatadhanva's ear and had our Satyabhama Devi's father murdered? Wasn't it you? Do you think nobody knows anything?"

"They are sinners. Your courage has grown too much. Today I will send you to the house of death."

"Come then, let us see who sends whom to death."

A deadly fight began between Satyaki and Kritavarma. Satyaki cut off Kritavarma's head. Then Kritavarma's friends rushed forward and surrounded Satyaki from all sides and began beating him. Shri Krishna and Rukmini's son Pradyumna went to help Satyaki. But even that could not save him. Pradyumna was killed by the hands of his own people.

At the death of his dear son, Shri Krishna now showed his anger. He picked up a handful of eraka grass from the seashore. And by the strange power of the sages' words, that bunch of eraka grass at once turned into a huge iron club. Krishna threw that club at Pradyumna's killer. Struck by the club, the man fell to the ground in a moment.

Now the eyes of the gathered crowd turned toward Krishna. They were mad with drink and had lost all sense of right and wrong. Some of them shouted, "Kill this Vasudeva, kill him."

One cried out, "What has Krishna ever done for Dwaraka? Day after day he stayed in Indraprastha with the sons of his aunt. Did he ever think of our welfare?"

Another answered, "What are you saying? Are you so ungrateful? Whoever says one bad word against Krishna, I will tear out his tongue."

"Oh really? Then die. Come, come, fight."

In a moment total destruction broke out. Each of the Yadava heroes grabbed a handful of eraka grass. And in each of their hands appeared an iron club. They began striking each other cruelly. Drunk with wine, brother killed brother. Friend smashed friend's head. Father killed son. In only a short time, the warriors of the great Yadu dynasty destroyed themselves in mutual fighting. And the soil of the holy land of Prabhasa turned red with blood.

With a sad face Shri Krishna walked away from that battlefield. Where was Balarama? Krishna walked along the seashore looking for him.

Parikshit said, "Acharyadeva, from your words it seems that the time had come for Lord Balarama too to leave the earth."

"You have guessed correctly, O King."

Parikshit spoke with emotion. "Lord, from the beginning of Krishna's story I have been hearing about Balarama. In Gokul he was the playmate of child Krishna. In Vrindavan the two brothers played so much together while herding cows. Even when Krishna became the royal lord of Dwaraka, Balarama was still with him. But will these two brothers, eternal companions, now be separated? How can such a scene be endured, Lord?"

Shukadeva answered, "From the true spiritual view, separation between Balarama and Krishna is never possible, O King. This is only a scene in the Lord's human play, O King. Balarama is Krishna's second form. When Krishna rests in deep yogic sleep as Narayan upon the vast waters of dissolution, Balarama becomes Ananta, the great serpent, as his bed. When Krishna appears on earth as Shri Ramachandra, Balarama becomes his shadow-like companion as Lakshman. Krishna and Balarama help each other's divine play age after age, in land after land, Parikshit. Listen calmly."

Then he continued, "Krishna came to a lonely place by the sea and saw Lord Balarama sitting there motionless in deep meditation. His eyes were closed. There was no movement in his body. Balarama was fully absorbed in meditation on the Supreme Soul. Slowly, from Balarama's mouth came forth a huge white serpent king. That serpent had a thousand hoods. He moved toward the sea. Just then the lord of the waters, Varuna, appeared there with a host of serpents."

Varuna bowed and said, "Lord Shesha Nag, please accept my bow. Lord, today your earthly play in the mortal world has ended. I am blessed to witness this scene, Lord."

"Blessings be upon you, Varuna."

Varuna said, "Lord, in your great serpent form you hold this earth upon your hood. Under your shelter we gods safely protect the three worlds."

"So be it."

Then Shesha Nag and his followers disappeared.

Seeing Balarama's withdrawal from the world, Shri Krishna understood that the moment had now come for him too to leave this mortal earth. He left the seashore and went into a forest. In that quiet and lonely forest, Shri Krishna sat beneath the shade of a peepal tree.

Parikshit leaned forward. "And then? What happened next, Lord?"

Shukadeva said, "Do you remember that final piece of the iron club, the one that could not be crushed, Parikshit? After it was thrown into the sea, a large fish swallowed it. Some days later that fish was caught in a fisherman's net. And such is the unchangeable movement of time that a hunter named Jara bought that fish. When he cut it open, he found the piece of iron in its belly. He made the tip of his arrow from it."

Parikshit asked, "Then did that arrowhead become the cause of Shri Krishna ending his earthly play, Acharyadeva?"

"You understand correctly, Parikshit. While Krishna was resting under the peepal tree in that forest, Jara was there chasing a deer. Jara shot his arrow. But what he mistook for the deer's head was actually Krishna's foot. Thinking he had made a successful kill, Jara came running joyfully under the peepal tree. But what was this? This was no deer. This was the jewel of Dwaraka, Vasudeva himself. What a terrible mistake he had made! Crying out in grief, Jara fell at Krishna's feet."

"Lord, what have I done? Alas, alas, I have struck with my arrow Vasudeva, the greatest man in Bharat. Lord, Lord, I do not even have the face to ask forgiveness. Punish me, Lord, punish me, punish me, punish me."

Krishna said kindly, "Do not cry, hunter, do not cry. This was my own plan. You are only an instrument in this event. Will the curse of the sages fail?"

Jara wept and said, "Lord, I have heard the sages say that you are the Supreme God himself. By the sin of hurting you, will I now go fully to hell, Lord? What will become of me?"

"No, Jara, your destination is not hell. It is heaven. You are a helper in my divine play. And as for your people, in the coming Kali Yuga the Sabaras too will become helpers in my service in my holy abode."

Jara asked, "What abode is that, Lord? It is always Brahmins who serve the Lord. Will people of the Sabara tribe ever receive such fortune?"

Krishna said, "That abode is in the eastern part of Bharat. Its name is Shri Kshetra. It has many names—Nilachal, Shankha, and more. In the coming Kali Yuga, I will sit on the jeweled altar of that holy temple with brother Balarama and Subhadra. Then my name will be Purushottam Jagannath. In that temple, along with the Brahmins, the Sabara people too will serve me, child. People will know them as Daitapati."

Jara asked in amazement, "Then in that holy place, Lord, will there be no difference of caste?"

Krishna replied, "In that place, people of all castes will receive my mahaprasad together. There will be no strict rule of touch or untouchability, no rule of leftovers, in that mahaprasad. Brahmins will take that mahaprasad even from the hand of a chandala and touch it to their heads before receiving it."

"Blessed are you, Lord. Blessed is your glory."

After receiving Shri Krishna's assurance, the hunter Jara left in peace.

Meanwhile Krishna's charioteer Daruka was roaming about with his Garud-flagged chariot, searching for him. Now he came to Krishna.

He had already seen terrible sights at Prabhasa. By the sea lay piles of dead bodies. Heaps of sand were stained red with blood. Crying in grief, he searched everywhere.

"O God, I have been searching for the Lord for so long. Where has he gone? Lord, Lord, Vasudeva, where are you, Lord? Can you hear me, Lord? Lord, look, look, I can smell the fragrance of tulsi from the garland on the Lord's neck. Then is the Lord somewhere near here?"

Then Daruka saw something that filled him with silent wonder.

Parikshit asked eagerly, "What did he see, Acharyadeva? Surely some miraculous glory of Krishna, is that not so?"

"You are right, Parikshit," said Shukadeva. "He saw a four-armed divine person sitting under the shade of an ashvattha tree. His body was dark like a blue cloud. In his hands shone the conch, discus, mace, and lotus. His whole body was adorned with beautiful ornaments, and around his neck was a garland of forest flowers. His radiance filled that forest with light. Climbing down from the chariot, the charioteer knelt before that Supreme Lord."

Daruka said, "Lord, I have served you for so long. I have seen many of your divine wonders. But the form you have shown me today has no equal. Lord, you are the God of Vaikuntha. You are now returning there. This I understand."

While Daruka was speaking with Krishna, a wonderful event took place.

Parikshit asked, "O King, what happened, Acharyadeva?"

Shukadeva replied, "The Garud-flagged chariot that Daruka had brought rose into the sky before his very eyes. In no time it disappeared behind the clouds, along with its four horses. Then from the lotus-like hands of Shri Krishna two rays of light came forth and took divine form before him."

One said, "Lord, I am your servant Sudarshan. I bow to you. You brought me from Vaikuntha to the earth to take part in your divine play. I am blessed by this fortune, Lord. What is your order now for your servant, O Lord?"

The other said, "Lord, please accept the bow of your servant, the Kaumodaki mace. I came to earth only to serve you. What is your command now for your servant, O Lord?"

Krishna said, "O Sudarshan, O Kaumodaki, you are the chief among all my weapons. Because you were with me, the demon forms of my two dear servants Jaya and Vijaya were destroyed forever, and they were freed from the curse. The final moment of my play on earth has come. Return now to Vaikuntha. Wait there for my coming. Take my other weapons with you too."

"As you command, Lord."

Obeying the Lord's order, his weapons, like his chariot, set off through the sky toward Vaikuntha.

Till now Daruka the charioteer had stood speechless in wonder. Now Shri Krishna turned to him and gave him his final command.

"Child Daruka, return to Dwaraka. Go there and tell my relatives that the Yadu dynasty has been destroyed. Tell them that Balarama and I have gone back to the supreme abode. Tell them that when Arjuna comes to take them away, they must go to Indraprastha at once without delay."

Daruka asked, "Lord, memories of you are spread all through Dwaraka. Can they not stay in the city for just a few last days? Must they really leave?"

"Yes, Daruka, this is my command. Varunadeva, lord of the sea, gave me this land for the founding of this city. After I leave the earth, he will gradually take it back. The city of Dwaraka will sink beneath the sea. Therefore they must go to Indraprastha."

Daruka bowed his head. "As you command, Lord. Lord, I have served you all my life, but I never even dreamed I would have to see such terrible events."

Krishna said, "Daruka, all this is the play of Yogamaya according to my will. You too should follow the path of devotion according to my instruction. In that lies your good in this life and the next. Delay no more, child. Return to Dwaraka."

With tears in his eyes, Daruka circled the Lord, bowed to him, and went back to Dwaraka.

Now, understanding that the time had come for the Lord to go to the supreme abode, the gods descended there.

Parikshit asked, "Who came there, Lord?"

"Brahma, Shiva, Indra, all of them came, of course, Parikshit. Grandfather Brahma came, the great god Mahadeva came, Goddess Parvati came, and with them came many gods led by King Indra. Sages and holy men came, the Prajapatis came, and hosts of Gandharvas, Kinnaras, and Apsaras came. Together they all began to sing victory to the Lord. Seeing Brahma and the other gods, Krishna smiled gently, closed his two beautiful lotus-like eyes, and became absorbed in meditation on his own divine self."

Parikshit asked, "Acharyadeva, I have heard that when great yogis leave their bodies, they burn those bodies to ashes in sacred fire. But surely Shri Krishna did not do anything like that?"

"No, Parikshit. Shri Krishna's dark and beautiful body is eternal existence, knowledge, and bliss. It can never decay, O King. The question of that body being burned by fire does not arise at all. That body is the object of meditation for yogis, sages, and devotees. It is eternal. It has no destruction."

"Then how did the Lord disappear, Lord?"

Shukadeva said, "Just as lightning vanishes before one can even blink, in that same way Shri Krishna disappeared in a moment from before the eyes of all the gods. Even the gods could not understand exactly how or by what path he went to Vaikuntha. Then heavenly drums sounded in the sky. Flowers began to rain down. Brahma, Shiva, and the other gods returned to their own worlds in wonder, singing the Lord's glories."

Parikshit said, "Like Shri Krishna's other divine plays, this disappearance also is very wonderful, Acharyadeva."

"Indeed it is, Parikshit. Think, O King. He who brought back his guru's son from the land of death, he who defeated Mahadeva in the battle of Sonitapura—how could a simple hunter's arrow ever cause the Lord's death? Parikshit, do you remember that while you were still in your mother's womb, you saw the four-armed form of that very Lord?"

"Yes, Acharyadeva, I remember. After that I searched for him all my life, but I never found him. And that pain kept me awake many nights."

Shukadeva's voice became tender. "Then think how terrible the pain must have been for those who spent day after day with him."

Parikshit asked, "Lord, Queen Rukmini, Shri Krishna's chief queen—how did she bear the pain of such separation, Acharyadeva?"

"Then listen," said Shukadeva. "Daruka returned to Dwaraka. Hearing from his mouth the news of the destruction of the Yadu dynasty, cries of grief rose from every house. Arjuna came from Indraprastha and sadly arranged one funeral pyre after another on the seashore. Many women of Dwaraka entered the fire with their husbands."

Then Arjuna spoke to Rukmini and Satyabhama.

"Devi Rukmini, Devi Satyabhama, my heart is breaking from the pain of separation from my friend. Even so, I am holding in my grief and doing what duty demands. What have you both decided? Will you also go with me to Hastinapur like the others?"

Satyabhama answered, "No, brother Arjuna. All her life he kept this Satyabhama full of care and affection. He endured my hundred demands and hundred sulks with a smile. Now without him I will not be able to bear the royal palace of Hastinapur, brother. I have decided that I will go to the forest for austerity."

Arjuna turned to Rukmini. "Sister, will you come with me?"

Rukmini replied, "No. Without him, palace or forest are the same to me. I will find no peace anywhere, Arjuna. Arjuna, please prepare a funeral pyre for me on the seashore, brother. Do not stop me. My husband, my lifelong companion, has gone somewhere, and I too will follow him there."

Arjuna said, "Sister, your descendant Vajra will now become the ruler of the Yadavas. Will you not stay at least to see his coronation?"

"My blessings are with him. All of you let me go peacefully."

Arjuna said sadly, "Sister, I could never love him the way you did, nor will I ever be able to."

Rukmini went to Vaikuntha to join Krishna. Satyabhama went to the forest for austerity. Taking only a few remaining members of Dwaraka with him, Arjuna returned to Indraprastha. There Vajra was consecrated.

Parikshit then asked, "Lord, a question is rising in my mind."

"Tell me, O King, what question?"

"King Yudhishthira was supremely wise. He deeply understood the Vedas and the other scriptures. Did he get any sign that the Lord had returned to Vaikuntha?"

"Yes, certainly he did, O King. Listen then. Many days had passed since Arjuna had gone to Dwaraka to bring news of Shri Krishna. Even today he had not returned. Yudhishthira was sunk in thought. Then one day Bhimasena came and said to him,"

"Have you noticed, brother? For some days crimes in Hastinapur have greatly increased. Theft, robbery, kidnapping, cheating—everything seems to be growing day by day. Brother, the sage Narada had said that Kali Yuga was not far away. Could this be its sign?"

Yudhishthira said, "Yes, Bhima, that is what it seems like. But do you know what worries me even more? As long as Shri Krishna remains on earth, Kali Yuga cannot fully spread its power on the earth. So my heart feels very uneasy, brother."

Bhima stared at him. "What are you saying, brother?"

"These days I cannot sleep properly at night. Last night a few dogs cried in such a sad voice all through the night. Just hearing it pierced my heart."

Bhima said, "So many days have passed since Arjuna went to Dwaraka. Still there is no sign of his return. What has happened, I wonder!"

Yudhishthira continued, "Yesterday I went to the temple. There too I got an evil sign. I saw the Brahmins performing sacrifice, but though they kept pouring ghee again and again, the sacred fire kept going out. Then when I went into the inner shrine, I saw tears flowing down from the eyes of the deity. Who knows what terrible misfortune this points to."

While Yudhishthira and Bhima were speaking, Arjuna arrived there. Yudhishthira noticed that Arjuna bowed to the king as usual, but his face was dry and his eyes were filled with tears.

"Arjuna, why is there such sorrow on your face, brother? Did someone insult you in Dwaraka? Did anyone speak harsh words to you?"

Arjuna answered, "No, brother. Who has the power to insult me in Dwaraka? But Uncle Vasudeva has grown old. Is he well? Devaki and Rohini love us like mothers. Are they all well too? Arjuna, for some days I have been getting very bad signs. Our lifelong friend Krishna—has he not left us?"

Then Arjuna cried out, "Krishna has deceived me, brother. He went to Vaikuntha without taking me with him. O God, it was only because Krishna was with me that I could burn the Khandava forest. Brother, Krishna is no more here today. This glory, this beauty of Indraprastha—none of it pleases me anymore. It feels as if the whole world has become dark. Krishna is gone. Then what is the use of us remaining in this world either?"

He continued, "Arjuna, do you remember that wrestling fight with Jarasandha in Magadha? I could not defeat him in any way. Then Govinda tore a blade of grass and gave me a sign. And in the Kurukshetra war too, there is no end to the help he gave me. I know he is Lord Narayan himself. Yet he showed me mercy by becoming the charioteer of this lowly person. Brother, what use is it for us to stay in this world without Krishna?"

Yudhishthira answered, "Yes, Arjuna, you are right. My time to retire has come too. For some days I had already been thinking that I should give the throne of Hastinapur to Parikshit, the son of Abhimanyu, and go away for austerity. He is now worthy to become king. Bhima, no more delay. Arrange for Parikshit's coronation."

Then deep sorrow fell upon the palace of Hastinapur. For thirty-six years the highly righteous King Yudhishthira had protected them with the affection of a father. Today he would give up the duties of kingship and go to the forest.

Parikshit said quietly, "At that time I was very young, Acharyadeva. I did not understand how serious the situation was. I simply obeyed whatever my elders ordered me to do. Still, it seemed to me that before setting out on the great final journey, Grandfather Arjuna had recovered much from that terrible shock of grief. His face was calm and still. Tell me, what was the reason, Lord?"

"You guessed rightly, Parikshit. After making his decision, Arjuna became fully absorbed in thoughts of Krishna. He kept thinking deeply about those priceless teachings that came from Krishna's mouth at the beginning of the Kurukshetra war."

Then Shukadeva repeated the Lord's words:

"O Arjuna, offer your mind to me. Become my devotee. Worship me. Bow down to me. You will surely attain me—there is no doubt in this. My devotee will certainly attain me. This is my promise. Partha, give up all other duties and take refuge in me alone. I will free you from all sin. Friend, do not grieve."

Shukadeva then said, "This is what is called serving the words of the holy guru. Do you understand, O King?"

Parikshit asked, "What does serving the words mean, Lord?"

"Listen. When the guru is physically present before the disciple, then the disciple has the good fortune to serve him directly. This is called service to the body. Do you understand? And when the guru goes out of sight, meaning he is no longer before the eyes, then should service stop, O King? No, not at all. Then the disciple serves the guru's words. The disciple remembers again and again all that the guru taught and all that he said, and tries to live according to that. Well? Is it clear now, O King?"

"Yes, Acharyadeva. Please bless me so that I too may never turn away from serving your words."

"Certainly. You are the descendant of the great soul Arjuna, O King. At the very beginning of the Kurukshetra war, Arjuna surrendered to Krishna as a disciple. That is why Krishna, the guru of the world, became in a special way Arjuna's guru, and we received the Bhagavad Gita. Listen, O King, let me now tell you of Yudhishthira's great final journey."

"Yes, Acharyadeva, please tell me."

Shukadeva said, "Taking leave of all his friends, Yudhishthira gave up his royal robes. He cast aside his kingly clothes. Wearing worn and simple garments, the great king came down into the dust of the road in the dress of a renouncing monk. His journey began northward, toward the Himalayas."

Parikshit asked, "What was he thinking then, Acharyadeva?"

"He was thinking about the one and only Supreme Brahman. The one whom the Upanishads call the Supreme Brahman was none other than his friend Krishna. Thinking of him, Yudhishthira kept walking on his path."

"And his brothers? Queen Draupadi? What did they do?"

Shukadeva answered, "In no situation of life had the brothers ever left Yudhishthira's side. So at the end of life too they followed their elder brother's path. And Queen Draupadi also became their companion, thinking of her friend Krishna. She too set out on the great final journey."

Parikshit asked, "Where did their path end, Lord?"

"Where else? With Krishna, in the supreme abode Vaikuntha. That highest realm where there is no need for sun, moon, fire, or any other light. That supreme world from which devotees never have to return to this world of illusion, O King. There they became engaged in the Lord's eternal service."

Parikshit's voice became soft and full of hope. "Will I too be able to go to that supreme abode, Acharyadeva? Will I too again see Shri Krishna?"

Shukadeva said, "Yes, certainly you will. Shri Krishna, the dearest friend of your soul, is waiting there for you."