Chapter 15 – Ascent of the Pāṇḍavas to Heaven
Sūta said:
1.) Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s friend, Arjuna (also nicknamed as Kṛṣṇa), who had grown lean and thin on account of his separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, was stormed with a number of questions by his (elder) brother, king Yudhiṣṭhira, since his (gloomy) appearance gave rise to many doubts.
2.) His lotus-like face and heart were withering with grief and his brightness gone; and wholly engrossed in the thought of that very Lord, he could not make any answer.
3-4.) Controlling (his tears of grief) with great difficulty and wiping out his eyes by his hands, and being nervous on account of increased affection and eagerness due to his (Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s) disappearance. Remembering Śrī Kṛṣṇa in His roles — as a friend (sakhya), as one bound by affection (maitrī), and especially as a charioteer and companion — [Arjuna] spoke to the king (Yudhiṣṭhira), his elder brother with a voice choked with tears.
Arjuna said:
5.) Oh great king, I have been deceived by Śrī Hari (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), who appeared in the form of a friend and relation to me, and who has now robbed me of my mighty valour (all powers), which was once the wonder even for the gods.
6.) Even a moment’s separation from Him, the world presents an unpleasant (ugly) sight, even as this body is called dead when bereft of life (Soul).
7.) Through His might I was able to, on the occasion of the self-election of a husband by Draupadī (svayaṃvara), I was able to outshine the princes that had assembled at the house of king Drupada, who were all intoxicated with the pride of love to hit the revolving fish (hanging from the roof as a target) after duly fitting the bow with an arrow, and in this way to win the hand of Kṛṣṇa (Draupadī).
8.) Ah! In whose (Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s) presence I quickly defeated Indra along with the other gods, and donated the Khāṇḍava forest to the Fire-god; and got constructed by the demon Maya the assembly-hall, an illusive marvel of architecture (the illusion in the form of wonderful architecture) and kings from (distant) quarters offered tributes at the time of your (Rājasūya) sacrifice.
9.) It was by His might that the revered Bhīmasena (your younger brother), possessing as he does the strength and vigour of ten thousand elephants succeeded in slaying Jarāsandha—who was arrogant enough to set his foot on the heads of vanquished kings—in order to accomplish the Rajasuya sacrifice. It was He who set free a number of princes that had been (made captive and) brought by Jarāsandha (to his capital) for being sacrificed to the god Mahābhairava (the chief of the Pramathas or attendants of Lord Śiva) and who in return brought presents for your sacrifice.
10.) When your wife (Draupadī) fell at His feet with tears rolling down her cheeks (in that assembly hall of the gamblers), and loosing her lovely braid—which, though rendered most sacred and praiseworthy by being sprinkled with holy water during the Rājasūya sacrifice, had been roughly handled by miscreants (like Duḥśāsana and others) in open court—He requited the wrong done to her by widowing their own wives and thereby compelling the latter to lose their hair.
Special Note – Hindu widows keep their hair unbraided and unkempt, and even shave them as a sign of lifelong mourning for their husband.
11.) It was He who saved us from a terrible pitfall contrived by our enemy (Duryodhana) through the sage Durvasa—who took his meals ahead (in the company) of not less than ten thousand pupils (wherever he went)—by going to the forest and accepting a stray remnant of some vegetable stuff (left in Draupadī’s kettle). By His doing so the whole host of students (that had accompanied sage Durvasa), while yet immersed in water (for ablutions and prayers), felt as if all the three worlds had been satiated (and did not feel hungry).
Special Note – During their exile in the forest, the Pandavas were often visited by numerous sages and priests. Providing food for such a large number of guests was a constant challenge. To help them, the Sun God (Surya Dev) had gifted Draupadi the Akshaya Patra, a miraculous vessel that would provide an unlimited supply of food each day until Draupadi herself had eaten.
Duryodhana, consumed by jealousy and wanting to trouble the Pandavas further, hatched a plan. He pleased the irascible sage Durvasa with his service and then requested the sage to visit his cousins, the Pandavas, in the forest along with his large retinue of ten thousand disciples.
Unaware of Duryodhana’s malicious intent, Sage Durvasa, along with his thousands of disciples, arrived at the Pandavas’ hermitage without informing them in advance (thinking that Duryodhana would have informed them about the visit). Yudhishthira and his brothers welcomed the revered sage and his followers with due respect. Durvasa and his disciples then went to the river to perform their ablutions before the meal.
Draupadi was in a dire predicament. With the Akshaya Patra empty (as she had eaten for the day), she had no means to feed such a large number of guests. Fearful of Durvasa’s legendary temper and the curse he might inflict if he and his disciples were not properly fed, Draupadi desperately prayed to Lord Krishna for help.
Hearing the heartfelt plea of his devotee, Lord Krishna immediately appeared before Draupadi. Understanding the situation, Krishna asked Draupadi to bring the Akshaya Patra to him. Finding a single grain of rice and a trace of vegetable clinging to the vessel, Krishna ate it with great satisfaction and declared that his hunger was appeased, and therefore the hunger of the entire universe was satisfied.
Miraculously, at that very moment, Sage Durvasa and his disciples, who were still by the river, suddenly felt completely full, as if they had just finished a sumptuous feast. They then left without returning to the hermitage, thus saving the Pandavas from a difficult situation.
12.) Again, it was by His might that I astonished (with my valour) in a single combat Lord Śaṅkara (who holds a trident in His hand) no less than His Spouse, Goddess Girijā (the daughter of Himālaya, the king of the mountains), the former of whom was pleased to impart to me (the secret of using) His own missile (called the Pāśupatāstra), as also did the guardian of every other quarter. Nay, (ascending to heaven) in this very body I shared with the mighty Indra the exalted throne in his court.
13.) While I was staying there (celestial abode), for the destruction of the enemies (of the celestial Gods), the gods along with Indra took shelter of the pair of my arms characterised by the Gāṇḍīva bow. Oh descendant of Ajamīḍha (Yudhiṣṭhira), the exploits were performed (by me by his prowess).
14.) By whose friendship I succeeded with my chariot, in crossing over the limitless ocean in the form of the Kuru army consisting of (warriors gifted with) irresistible power. I have captured the wealth of the enemies and snatched away the highly effulgent jewelled diadems from their heads.
15.) Keeping in front of me (as a charioteer) as I stood face to face with the armies (successively) led by Bhīṣma, Droṇa (our preceptor), Karṇa and Śalya and adorned with the chariots of a host of warrior chiefs, my lord, He stole away by His very look the life-span, the heart as well as the strength and vigour of the great warriors who commanded the various troops.
16.) Just as the missiles of Asuras hurled at Prahlāda did not hurt (him, similarly), the missiles aimed at me by the preceptor (Droṇa), Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Aśvatthāman (the son of Droṇa), Suśarmā, Śalya, Jayadratha (the king of Sindhu), Bālhika and others did not injure me (as I was) dependant on the (power of) his (Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s) arms.
17.) Stupid as I was, I chose for my charioteer the Lord whose lotus-feet are adored by noble souls for exemption from birth and death, and who surrenders to His devotees His very Self. Dazzled by His glory, great chariot-warriors who were arrayed against me could not strike at me even though I stood on the ground, my horses being exhausted.
18.) Oh king, Mādhava’s jokes graced with his dignified sweet smile and his heart-touching words such as ‘Oh son of Pṛthā’, ‘Oh Arjuna’, ‘Oh friend’, ‘Oh descendant of the Kuru family’, breaks my heart when recollected (or thought of).
19.) Due to my association with him in all activities such as sleeping, sitting, wandering, prattling (or boasting) and eating, he was taunted by me, ‘Oh friend, you are really a speaker of the truth’. He tolerated all my faults (like this), just as a friend forgives the comments of a friend or the father, or (the prattling of) the child.
20.) O King, now that I am separated from that Supreme Person, my beloved friend and soul’s companion, my heart is empty. Though I protected the Lord on our journey, now I feel vanquished like one defeated by a stronger foe.
21.)The same was the bow; the arrows; the chariot and the steeds were the same; I am the same warrior to whom kings pay every respect. But when devoid of the Lord (Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s power), in a moment, everything became unreal like oblation offered to ashes (instead of to the fire), gifts of a juggler (or ‘donations given to an undeserving Brāhmaṇa’). or seed sown in barren ground.
22-23.) Oh king, in our friend’s capital (Dvārakā) about whom you have enquired, only four or five have remained alive—our friends who, being overwhelmed by the curse of Brāhmaṇas and with minds excited with intoxication by drinking the wine (prepared from the wild rice), slew each other with clenched fists (full of erakā grass) as if (they were) unacquainted with each other.
Special Note – After the Kurukṣetra war, the Yādavas, having grown immensely powerful and arrogant, began to behave frivolously, intoxicated by prosperity and pride. As a divine arrangement to wind up His earthly pastimes, Śrī Kṛṣṇa orchestrated the destruction of His own dynasty, which had fulfilled its role in aiding the divine purpose of dharma.
The Incident of the Curse :
A group of young Yādava boys, including Sāmbha, the son of Jāmbavatī and Śrī Kṛṣṇa, decided to play a prank on a group of visiting ṛṣis (sages)—among them Viśvāmitra, Nārada, and Kaṇva.
They dressed Sāmbha as a pregnant woman, covered him with a cloth, and mockingly asked the sages: “O great sages, this woman is about to give birth. Can you tell us whether the child will be a boy or a girl?”
The sages, seeing through the mockery and understanding the impending divine plan, cursed them in wrath:
“This ‘woman’ will give birth to a mace (iron club), which will become the instrument to destroy your entire dynasty.”
Soon after, Sāmbha indeed gave birth to a mystical iron club. Alarmed, the Yādavas grounded the club into powder and cast it into the sea. But: The powder washed ashore and grew into sharp-bladed grass (erakā). In due time, during a pilgrimage to Prabhāsa-tīrtha, the Yādavas, intoxicated with liquor, began to quarrel. The grass that had grown from the cursed powder became their weapons, and they killed one another in a great fratricidal war. Eventually, the entire Yadu dynasty was destroyed, fulfilling the sages’ curse and Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s divine will.
- Śrī Kṛṣṇa orchestrated the end of His earthly lineage as a divine play (līlā), not as a result of helplessness.
- The curse served as a catalyst in the grand design for concluding His incarnation (avatāra) and withdrawing His pastimes from the earth.
- It illustrates the principle that arrogance born of prosperity can lead to downfall, and that divine will uses even a curse as a tool to fulfill cosmic purposes.
24.) It is definitely due to the design of the great Providence that creatures protect (procreate) or destroy each other.
25-26.) Even as in water (the deep), O king, the larger among the aquatic creatures devour the smaller ones, the stronger consume the weaker and the larger and the stronger ones eat up one another, even so the Lord caused the other powerful princes to be exterminated by the mighty and most powerful Yadus and had the Yadus killed by the Yadus themselves, since they had now grown to be a burden to the earth.
27.) The words spoken by Lord Govinda, filled with relevance to time, place, and purpose, and capable of relieving the heart’s distress, captivates the mind of one who remembers them (such as the essence of Bhagavad Gītā).
Special Note – Expressing the transformative power of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s words, His teachings are not only perfectly aligned with time and circumstance (deśa, kāla, artha), but also soothe the burning miseries of the heart. When remembered, they steal the heart away with divine sweetness. It echoes the essence of Bhagavad Gītā, where Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s words are eternally relevant and healing.
Sūta said:
28.) In this way, the mind (intellect) of Arjuna who was meditating over the lotus-like feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, with very deep affection, became quiet (blissful) and pure (unattached).
29-30.) All the impurities of his mind (in the shape of lust, anger and so on) having been wiped out by Devotion that had grown in intensity through contemplation on the feet of Lord Vāsudeva, he now recollected the gospel which, though preached by the Lord in the battle front (Bhagavad Gītā), had been forgotten through mental obscurity occasioned by lapse of time and intense worldly activity.
31.) The veil of Māyā (Nescience) having been withdrawn from him through the realization of Brahma (the absolute), Arjuna transcended the three Guṇas (modes of Prakṛti). His illusion in the shape of (the sense of) duality was fully resolved, his astral body was dissolved and he was finally rid of sorrow and secured immunity from transmigration.
32.) Hearing of the Lord’s departure (for His divine Abode) and the extermination of the race of Yadu, Yudhiṣṭhira, whose mind was now completely set at rest, resolved to ascend (proceed) to heaven.
33.) When Prthā (the mother of the Pāṇḍavas) heard from Yudhiṣṭhira of the destruction of the Yadus and the Lord’s mysterious departure, as told by Arjuna (Dhanañjaya), she fixed her mind with exclusive devotion on Lord Adhokṣaja (Śrī Kṛṣṇa – one who is beyond the reach of the sense-organs) and turned her back (detached herself) on this world consisting of birth and death.
34.) Śrī Kṛṣṇa (who is ever free from birth and death) cast off (in the eyes of the world) the very body with which He had relieved the earth’s burden, just as a thorn (adharma) is removed with another thorn (Dharma).
35.) Like an actor, just as he assumed various forms (bodies) like those of fish and others and gave them up, he abandoned the body through (the instrumentality of) which he removed the load on the earth.
36.) When Śrī Kṛṣṇa whose meritorious legends (stories) are worth hearing, left this earth with his body, on that very day, the Kali (age) which is the cause of irreligious actions in. thoughtless (lit. unawakened) minds, followed.
37.) Finding the spread of a number of irreligious tendencies such as avarice, untruthfulness, crookedness, violence in. houses, towns, the nation, and in his own self, the wise Yudhiṣṭhira decided to go away from the worldly life.
38-39.) At Hastināpura the emperor installed his grandson (Parīkṣit)—who was not only well-disciplined but was his own compeer in virtues—as the sovereign of the ocean girdled earth; while at Mathurā he enthroned Vajra (the son of Aniruddha and the only surviving member of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s family) as the lord of the Śūrasena. Then, having offered a sacrifice to Prajāpati (the divinity presiding over procreation), Yudhiṣṭhira, who had mastered his Self, received the sacred fires into himself (renounced his home and became a recluse).
40-41.) Having given up then and there all his silken garments and gold ornaments like bracelets, and becoming free from all possession, pride and having severed all ties, he sacrificed his speech organ (or offered all sense organs as an oblation to the mind) into the mind, the mind (was merged) into the life-breath, and the life-breath (Prāṇa)into another (viz. apāna). (He then merged) this respiratory vital air (apāna) into (the presiding goddess of) Death and verily the Death unto the aggregation of five elements (body).
42.) Then the silent sage (Yudhiṣṭhira) offered the aggregate of five (elements) into the triad (of the attributes, viz. sattva, rajas and tamas) of Prakṛti or avidyā and sacrificed these three attributes into Nescience (avidyā). (He then) merged everything into the Soul and the (individual) Soul in the immutable Universal Soul (called Brahma).
43-44.) Clad in tree-barks, abstemious in food, desisting from speech, with dishevelled hair, showing himself like a dullard, madman or a goblin, expecting nothing (or without waiting for anyone) he went out (of the palace and the capital) like a deaf incapable of hearing (anything). Meditating about the Supreme Spirit (Brahma) in (his) heart, he entered the northern direction to which other great Souls of the past have proceeded and whence no one returns.
45.) Having seen that subjects all over the world were influenced by Kali, the associate of irreligion, all the (Pāṇḍava) brothers, fully resolved, followed him.
46.) Knowing in their mind that the lotus-like feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate refuge, they who have well achieved the goals of human life (called puruṣārthas) concentrated their minds on the same.
47-48.) They whose intellect has been specially purified by devotion increased by meditating upon him, and whose minds are concentrated on that Supreme Person called Nārāyaṇa, attained that position which is very difficult to reach by the nonsaints who are attached to objects of sensual pleasures, and being free from sins, attain his abode with their souls free from rajas and tamas.
49.) Vidura too, whose mind was fully controlled and possessed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, cast off his body at Prabhāsa (near Dwārakā); and with his thought fixed on Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he returned to his abode (the realm of Yama) accompanied by the manes, who had called there to take him back.
50.) Then, having known the loss of interest (expectation) of her husbands in her, Draupadī concentrated her mind on Lord Vāsudeva and attained to him.
51.) He who thus faithfully listens to the beneficial and holy (account) of departure of Pāṇḍu’s sons, the beloved ones of the Lord, frequently gets devotion unto Hari (engendered in him) and attains liberation.
Thus ends the fifteenth discourse entitled “Ascent of the Pāṇḍavas to Heaven”, forming part of the story relating to the Naimiśa forest, in Book One of the great and glorious Bhāgavata Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahaṁsa-Saṁhitā (the book of the God-realized souls).
Summarization Of The Entire Chapter :
After Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s departure from this world, Arjuna returns from Dvārakā to Hastināpura. His despondent appearance shocks King Yudhiṣṭhira, who is puzzled by Arjuna’s silence and grief. Emaciated and sorrowful, Arjuna is overwhelmed with grief at having lost his dearest friend, companion, and spiritual anchor—Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Unable to speak immediately, Arjuna fights back tears and composes himself with great effort. Reflecting deeply on his bond with Śrī Kṛṣṇa—as a friend, well-wisher, and charioteer—Arjuna begins to speak, his voice choked with emotion. He tells Yudhiṣṭhira that he feels completely powerless, like a lifeless body, due to his separation from the Lord.
Arjuna laments that all his former strength, valor, and fame—once capable of astounding even the gods—have vanished without Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s presence. He recounts the glorious deeds made possible only by Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s divine support: winning Draupadī’s hand in marriage, defeating mighty kings, constructing a wondrous assembly hall through Maya, and executing the Rājasūya sacrifice where even Indra offered tribute.
He remembers how Bhīma killed Jarāsandha under Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s guidance, thus freeing many imprisoned kings. Arjuna recalls the episode when Śrī Kṛṣṇa saved them from the wrath of sage Durvāsā and his ten thousand disciples with a single morsel of food, demonstrating divine control over the cosmos.
Arjuna continues to recount divine interventions: his reception of divine weapons from Lord Śiva and other gods, his time in the heavens, and the great Mahābhārata war. There too, he says, it was only Śrī Kṛṣṇa who enabled him to defeat mighty warriors like Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa, and Śalya. The enemies’ strength waned simply by Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s glance.
Despite possessing the same bow, arrows, and chariot as before, Arjuna says he now feels helpless and humiliated, having recently failed to protect the wives of the Yādavas on his return journey—demonstrating that without Śrī Kṛṣṇa, even the most powerful become weak.
He recalls the sweet, playful, yet profound interactions he had with Śrī Kṛṣṇa—how the Lord accepted even his casual jokes and comments with grace, like a loving father or friend. Arjuna mourns that now, bereft of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, his heart is empty and defeated.
Arjuna then describes the tragic destruction of the Yādava race. Due to a curse by sages offended by the Yādava youth’s mockery, an iron club emerged, destined to annihilate the dynasty. Śrī Kṛṣṇa allowed this to unfold as part of His divine plan. The Yādavas, drunk and deranged, turned against each other using blades of grass that had sprouted from the cursed club’s remnants. Only a handful of survivors remained.
Reflecting on this, Arjuna affirms that all such events are orchestrated by divine will, just as big fish consume smaller ones in the ocean. The Lord used the Yādavas to eliminate the burden of other mighty kings on earth and then had the Yādavas themselves consumed by mutual destruction.
He concludes that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s words, especially those spoken on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra (The Bhagavad Gītā), continue to bring solace and clarity even in His physical absence.
Moved by this, Arjuna meditates deeply on the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. His mind becomes purified of grief and delusion. He recollects the teachings of the Gītā that had been obscured by time and worldly engagements. Now free from ignorance, duality, and attachment, Arjuna realizes the eternal truth (Brahma – The Absolute) and attains peace beyond the modes of nature (guṇas).
Upon hearing of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s departure and the Yādava’s massacre, King Yudhiṣṭhira also becomes inwardly silent (as he too feels that without Śrī Kṛṣṇa he has lost everything) and decides to renounce the world. Similarly, their mother Kuntī (Pṛthā) fixes her mind exclusively on Lord Adhokṣaja and turns away from the transitory world.
The Bhāgavata emphasizes that although Śrī Kṛṣṇa is unborn and eternal, He discarded His divine body in the eyes of the world—just as one uses one thorn to remove another (symbolically removing the burden of the earth using the body, and then discarding even that). Like an actor who assumes and leaves roles at will, the Lord withdrew from earthly play (līlā), marking the start of the Kali age.
With the rise of irreligion and moral decay across society, including within himself, Yudhiṣṭhira sees the signs of Kali Yuga’s arrival. He entrusts the throne of Hastināpura to his grandson Parīkṣit, who is virtuous and wise, and installs Vajra, a surviving Yādava, as king in Mathurā.
Having fulfilled his duties, Yudhiṣṭhira performs a symbolic fire sacrifice and renounces royal life. He gives up all possessions, adornments, and pride, beginning the final journey toward liberation, followed by his brothers.
A. The Pain of Separation and the Power of Divine Association
Arjuna’s deep grief over the loss of Śrī Kṛṣṇa shows that even the mightiest heroes are humbled in the absence of divine grace. His strength, fame, and victories all prove empty without the Lord’s presence. This teaches us that:
All worldly accomplishments are insignificant without connection to the Divine.
Just as Arjuna’s might disappeared when Śrī Kṛṣṇa left, our talents and successes are meaningful only when used in service of God.
B. Bhagavad Gītā as the Eternal Light
Even in his sorrow, Arjuna finds solace in the memory of the Gītā. The words of Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoken in the battlefield remain a source of illumination:
Spiritual wisdom is timeless and acts as a guide even when the external presence of the Guru is no longer there.
The remembrance and contemplation of sacred teachings awaken strength and clarity in moments of crisis.
C. Renunciation Born of Fulfilled Duty
Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers renounce the world not out of sorrow or failure but from a deep realization that their worldly mission is complete.
True renunciation arises not from despair, but from inner fulfillment and dispassion (vairāgya).
The Pāṇḍavas had lived righteously and offered all actions to Śrī Kṛṣṇa; now they naturally turned inward to pursue liberation.
D. Impermanence of the World
The destruction of the Yādava dynasty—even though they were the Lord’s kin—reminds us that:
This world is governed by divine law (dharma), not personal relationships.
Even the Lord’s own family was not exempt from destiny. Attachment to the body, status, or lineage is ultimately futile.
E. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s Disappearance as Divine Play (Līlā)
Though the Lord is beyond birth and death, He appears and disappears in the world to enact His divine play. He casts aside even His form, just as an actor drops a costume.
God’s actions are purposeful, yet beyond human reasoning.
To understand them, one must see with the eyes of bhakti (devotion), not logic alone.
F. Signs of Kali Yuga and Inner Readiness
Yudhiṣṭhira perceives the subtle signs of the Kali age within himself and society—loss of virtue, increase of greed, discontent, and confusion.
A spiritually awakened person watches for the shift in inner qualities.
When dharma declines within, one must begin the inward journey, regardless of outer circumstances.
G. The Role of Remembrance and Devotion (Smaraṇa and Bhakti)
As Arjuna recollects the playful and intimate moments with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, his heart is cleansed, and he becomes free of sorrow and ignorance.
Devotional remembrance (smaraṇa) is a powerful spiritual practice.
It purifies the heart, dissolves grief, and restores clarity. Constant remembrance of the Lord brings liberation.
H. Liberation Is a Natural Culmination
The Pāṇḍavas walk away from royal glory, material comfort, and even family ties—not with burden, but with joy and resolve.
When life is lived in alignment with dharma and devotion, renunciation becomes effortless.
Liberation (mokṣa) is not escape but the flowering of a fulfilled life.
Final Insight:
This chapter is not just about historical events—it is a map for spiritual life. It shows us how to live with honor, serve with devotion, endure with surrender, and finally, renounce with grace. The Pāṇḍavas exemplify karma-yoga during their life and jñāna-yoga in their retirement, all underpinned by deep bhakti toward Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Short Questions & Answers :
Q1: What was the main cause of Arjuna’s grief upon his return from Dvārakā?
A: Arjuna was devastated by the disappearance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the annihilation of the Yādava dynasty. He felt spiritually empty and emotionally shattered, realizing that all his strength and valor had departed with the Lord’s physical absence.
Q2: How did Arjuna respond to his powers and strength?
A: Arjuna felt deeply humbled and disillusioned when he realized that all his former strength, heroism, and skill had vanished. He understood that his powers were never truly his own—they had always been present because of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grace. Without the Lord’s presence, he was just an ordinary being, incapable of even defending himself. This realization led him to detach from pride and ego, turning his mind inward toward spiritual truth.
Q3: How did Yudhiṣṭhira interpret Arjuna’s despair and the changes he observed around him?
A: Yudhiṣṭhira understood that Śrī Kṛṣṇa had departed from the world and that the age of Kali had begun. The signs of spiritual decline within and without convinced him that it was time to renounce worldly duties.
Q4: What realization does Arjuna come to upon reflecting on Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes?
A: Arjuna remembers the intimate moments, teachings, and divine play (līlā) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, especially the Bhagavad Gītā. These memories purify his grief and awaken his spiritual wisdom, leading him toward detachment and inner peace.
Q5: What did the Pāṇḍavas decide to do after realizing the end of the Lord’s earthly presence?
A: Understanding that their role on earth was complete, the Pāṇḍavas entrusted the kingdom to Parīkṣit and renounced worldly life. They embarked on their final journey toward liberation (mahāprasthāna), abandoning all attachments.
Q6: What spiritual qualities are highlighted in the Pāṇḍavas’ decision to renounce the world?
A: The Pāṇḍavas exhibit deep vairāgya (dispassion), spiritual maturity, and detachment. Their renunciation is born not of grief, but from spiritual insight, fulfillment of duty, and devotion to God.
Q7: How does the Bhāgavata describe the end of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s manifest presence on earth?
A: The Lord is said to have discarded His mortal form like an actor leaving behind his costume. Though He appeared to have died, in truth, He simply withdrew His līlā, as He is eternal and beyond death.
Q8: What do the signs of Kali Yuga mentioned in this chapter indicate for spiritual seekers?
A: The signs—loss of righteousness, truth, inner peace, and spiritual strength—remind seekers to turn inward and cultivate devotion, wisdom, and detachment. It is a time to strengthen spiritual practice.
Q9: Why did Vidura and Dhṛtarāṣṭra also leave for the forest earlier, and how is it connected?
A: In the previous chapter, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, guided by Vidura, had already renounced the world upon realizing the coming of Kali and the transience of life. Their departure mirrors the larger theme of renunciation seen in this chapter.
Q10: What ultimate message does this chapter convey for aspirants on the spiritual path?
A: The chapter teaches that one should live a life of dharma and devotion, and when the time comes, renounce everything with grace. Remembering God, fulfilling duties selflessly, and turning inward is the true path to liberation.
