srimadbhagavatham-skandha3-chapters1to3

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Srimadbhagavatham-skandha3

 

Chapter-1-Vidura meets Uddhava

 

When Krishna went to Hasthinapura as the envoy of Pandavas his words were like nectar to the good people like Bhishma and Vidura but to Duryodhana and others it was unpalatable.and they turned a deaf ear to whatever Krishna said. Then Vidura met his brother Dhrtarashtra and advised him about justice , which passage is well known as the viduraneethi but it was of no avail.

 

Duryodhan angered by Vidura's attitude insulted him in the court calling him names and told him to go and join the Pandavas as he is partial towards them. But Vidura, though he left the kingdom, did not go to Pandavas as he was a jnani and beyond the control of maya and he went on a pilgrimage to the holy places wondering about the play of maya which leads one to ruin. Vidura is referred to in Bhagavatham as kouravapuNyalabDha, the result of the punya of kouravas, meaning that when he left their punya also left them.

 

Vidura was touring around the country visiting all the shrines and holy rivers and he met Uddhava at the end of his travels when the war was over and Krishna had left the earth. He was very happy to see Uddhava who was the great follower of Krishna and the disciple of Brhaspathi and enquired him about the welfare of his people and Krishna.

 

Chapters 2 and 3-Uddhava informs Vidura of Krishna's departure

 

Uddhava thinking about the departure of Krishna became very sad and was not able to answer the question of Vidura. He could not speak because he was so engrossed in the devotion of Krishna all his life. When he was five year old, he was worshipping Krishna as a child's play and was so involved that he did not hear his mother calling him for food. Then after Krishna came to Madhura he became very close to Krishna and stayed with him all his life. So the separation was unbearable to him. Moreover he was all the time engrossed in the thought of Krishna and he could not bring himself out of it even to reply to Vidura. The very mention of Krishna was enough to throw him in ecstasy. Thus Vidura saw him `theevreNabhakthiyogena nimagnaH saaDhu nirvrthaH pulakodbhinnasarvaangomunchan meeladhrSaa SuchaH,' he was completely immersed in the joy of the remembrance of Krishna experiencing horripilation with tears streaming from his eyes.

 

Then slowly coming back to this world he spoke thus:

"My people have lost their luster being swallowed by kalasarpa. They were plunged into darkness when the Sun has set, " meaning the exit of Krishna who was like the Sun of yadhavas. Uddhava said that the yadhavas never understood the worth of Krishna while he was with them like the fish, seeing the reflection of the moon in the water think that he is one of the creatures of the sea Further Uddhava said, " Or what should I say about the Lord who has delighted the world with His presence, which cannot be had except through penance, and now disappeared from us."

 

Uddhava then related the exploits of Krishna during the war, his driving the chariot for Arjuna, causing the destruction of kuru race etc. and also the curse on Yadhavas which led to the destruction of the race.(this is related in the 12th skandha) Uddhava told Vidura that everything happened according to the will of The Lord. `kopithaa rshayaH seo pH bhagavanmathakovidhaaH.' The rshis cursed the yadhavas because they knew the will of the Lord.

 

After the curse the yadhavas went to Prabhasathirtha to do some austerities there and after that they drank wine and became intoxicated and started to quarrel and destroyed each other.