srimadbhagavatham-skandha3-chapters 4 and 5

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Chapter4- Uddhava receives instruction from Krishna to go to Badhari.

 

Krishna after the destruction of yadhavas went and sat under a tree on the banks of Sarasvathi river, planning to leave the mortal form and go back to His Supreme abode. Uddhava who was instructed by Him to go to Badhari, being unable to leave His presence came to see Him. The upadesa to Uddhava known as Uddhavagita and the circumstances under which Krishna left this earth are described in detail in skandha11.

 

At that time Maithreya , a close friend of Vyasa, a great devotee and highly evolved, came there of his own accord, which is of course due to the will of the Lord. In his presence the Lord told Uddhava that he knew the innermost desire of Uddhava and .will fulfil that. Krishna said that Uddhava was a vasu in his earlier birth and worshipped the Lord in the sathrayaga performed by other vasus and Brahma. Hence he received the full blessings of Krishna in that janma which was the last. And Krishna gave him the jnana and commanded him to go to Badhari.

 

Uddhava told Vidhura that he went round Krishna and took leave with heavy heart. He said that he wanted not even mukthi but only to serve Krishna.. Vidura asked him for the instruction of the supreme jnana, which he received from the Lord.. But Uddhava said that it is the will of the Lord that only Maithreya should instruct Vidhura. Then Vidhura spent the night with Uddhava talking about the Lord and his leelaas and Uddhava proceeded towards Badarikasrama.

 

Here Parikshith interrupted and asked Suka , how was it that when the whole clan of yadhavas perished Uddhava alone survived. Suka replied that it was the will of the Lord that Udddhava should remain on earth to spread bhakthi and jnana to the world because he was extolled of being His equal by the Lord Himself, `na uddhvao anu api math nyoonaH.'

 

When Uddhava left for badhari, Vidura could not control his grief thinking about the acts of Krishna and His grace towards the like of him and wept at the loss of the world when Krishna left it. Then he went in search of Maithreya to receive the supreme knowledge.

Chapter5- Vidura's questions to Maithreya

 

Vidura requested Maithreya to tell him the story of Krishna which is like the honey gathered by the bees for the welfare of mankind. Maithreya praised Vidura saying that the Lord Himself told him to impart the supreme knowledge to Vidura and hence he is fortunate..

 

Vidura put seven questions to Maithreya.

1.Which is the noble path through which the devotees get enlightened.?

2.How did the lord create this universe beingHimself without a desire?

3.How did He enter into the world to become many?

4.How does He enter the space inside, Hrdhayaakaasa, and rests there action-less?

5.How he manifests as different incarnations for the protection of all beings.

6.How did he create the worlds and their rulers?

7. How does he distinguish the karma of each being?

 

Vidura concluded saying that there is no satisfaction in listening to the stories of Hari, krshnakaThaaSravaNe na thrpthiH sambhavathi.' And it frees the faithful and detached from all sorrows. Maithreya starts speaking, taking up the topic of creation or srshti first.

 

 

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