By
BrajSundar Das &
BhajaGovindam Das
Introduction
The topic of Krishna’s departure and the corresponding transcendental discussions between Krishna, Uddhava and Maitreya is a topic of great debate. Understandably, the Uddhava Gita, a profound conversation between Lord Krishna and his intimate devotee, Uddhava, is mistakenly thought to be the very discussion that took place in Prabhasa-ksetra at the scene of Krishna’s departure. However, a careful examination of the Srimad Bhagavatam, particularly Canto 11, reveals that this sacred discussion of the Uddhava Gita occurred in Dvaraka before the Yadu dynasty departed for Prabhasa-ksetra, and an examination of Canto 3 reveals that a second discussion took place at Prabhasa-ksetra which Maitreya Rishi also heard.
The Yadavas Decide to Go to Prabhasa-ksetra
In Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11 Chapter 6, we hear of an elaborate set of prayers offered by Brahma and the demigods to Lord Krishna, requesting the Lord to return to his own abode in the spiritual world. On receiving this request, the Supreme Lord, understanding their heart and desire, affirms that he is ready to wind up his pastimes on the Earth, but just wanted to bring about equilibrium of power within the material world before his own departure.
Using the arrival of many disturbing omens looming over the city of Dvaraka, Krishna encourages the Yadava elders that it would be appropriate to leave the city and proceed towards Prabhasa-ksetra to perform various penances, austerities and sacrifices to please the forefathers and demigods, and resultantly, free the Yadu dynasty of the terrible dangers.
na vastavyam ihāsmābhir
jijīviṣubhir āryakāḥ
prabhāsaṁ su-mahat-puṇyaṁ
yāsyāmo ’dyaiva mā ciram
“My dear respected elders, we must not remain any longer in this place if we wish to keep our lives intact. Let us go this very day to the most pious place Prabhāsa. We have no time to delay.”
SB 11.6.35
Hearing this, the Yadavas follow Lord Krishna’s instructions and prepare to leave for Prabhasa-ksetra:
śrī-śuka uvāca
evaṁ bhagavatādiṣṭā
yādavāḥ kuru-nandana
gantuṁ kṛta-dhiyas tīrthaṁ
syandanān samayūyujan
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O favorite son of the Kurus, thus advised by the Personality of Godhead, the Yādavas made up their minds to go to that holy place, Prabhāsa-kṣetra, and thus yoked their horses to their chariots.”
SB 11.6.39
Uddhava Approaches Krishna Before Leaving Dvaraka
Upon seeing the imminent departure of the Yadavas as inspired by the Supreme Lord, Uddhava, in a submissive and despondent mood approaches Krishna in a secluded place to put forward his heart’s desire and realisation:
śrī-uddhava uvāca
deva-deveśa yogeśa
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana
saṁhṛtyaitat kulaṁ nūnaṁ
lokaṁ santyakṣyate bhavān
vipra-śāpaṁ samartho ’pi
pratyahan na yad īśvaraḥ
“Śrī Uddhava said: O my Lord, O supreme God among all the demigods, real piety is invoked simply by hearing and chanting Your transcendental glories. My Lord, it appears that You will now withdraw Your dynasty, and thus You Yourself will finally give up Your pastimes within this universe. You are the supreme controller and the master of all mystic power. But although You are fully capable of counteracting the brāhmaṇas’ curse against Your dynasty, You are not doing so, and Your disappearance is imminent.“
SB 11.6.42
In the purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada’s disciples share an illuminating passage indicating the realisation Uddhava had prior to the departure for Prabhasa-ksetra:
Having insured the transcendental bliss and liberation of all of His devotees, even those who would be born in the future, Kṛṣṇa decided the time had come for Him to leave this material universe. Uddhava could understand the Lord’s desire and said to Kṛṣṇa, “You have instructed the Yādavas to counteract the brāhmaṇas’ curse by taking bath at Prabhāsakṣetra, but how could mere bathing in a holy place be of greater value than seeing You, the Personality of Godhead, face to face? Since the Yādavas are always seeing Your transcendental form, and since You are the Supreme Lord, what is the use of their taking bath in a so-called holy place? Therefore You obviously have some other purpose. If You actually wanted to counteract the curse, You could simply say, ‘Let this curse not act,’ and the curse would immediately be neutralized. Therefore You must be preparing to leave this universe, and that is why You have not counteracted the curse.”
SB 11.6.42 purport
Here, we very clearly see that Uddhava has approached the Lord in seclusion, anticipating the Lord’s departure before the Yadavas have been annihilated.
In the remaining verses of Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11 Chapter 6, we hear of Uddhava’s magnificent prayer, glorifying the supreme position of Lord Krishna as the Supreme Soul, the greatest of all beings, the one with the most wonderful and loving, yet bewildering pastimes. All of this, due to Uddhava sensing the Lord’s imminent departure, and just to put forth his heartfelt desire:
nāhaṁ tavāṅghri-kamalaṁ
kṣaṇārdham api keśava
tyaktuṁ samutsahe nātha
sva-dhāma naya mām api
“O Lord Keśava, my dear master, I cannot tolerate giving up Your lotus feet even for a fraction of a moment. I urge You to take me along with You to Your own abode.”
SB 11.6.43
This marks the beginning of the remarkable Uddhava Gita, spoken by Lord Krishna to Uddhava before the Yadavas depart for Prabhasa-ksetra:
śrī-śuka uvāca
evaṁ vijñāpito rājan
bhagavān devakī-sutaḥ
ekāntinaṁ priyaṁ bhṛtyam
uddhavaṁ samabhāṣata
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King Parīkṣit, thus addressed, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī, began to reply confidentially to His dear, unalloyed servant Uddhava.”
SB 11.6.50
Devotees Depart From Dvaraka
As the Uddhava Gita concludes, Uddhava is seen making a request for an instruction from Krishna so that he may remain attached to Krishna’s lotus feet. As such, by the orders of Krishna, Uddhava makes his way to Badarikasrama:
tatas tam antar hṛdi sanniveśya
gato mahā-bhāgavato viśālām
yathopadiṣṭāṁ jagad-eka-bandhunā
tapaḥ samāsthāya harer agād gatim
“Thereupon, placing the Lord deeply within his heart, the great devotee Uddhava went to Badarikāśrama. By engaging there in austerities, he attained to the Lord’s personal abode, which had been described to him by the only friend of the universe, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself.”
SB 11.29.47
In Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11 Chapter 30, we get insight into the disappearance of the Yadu dynasty. This narration is explained by Sukadeva Goswami off the back of Pariksit’s question on what happens after Uddhava leaves Dvaraka:
śrī-rājovāca
tato mahā-bhāgavata
uddhave nirgate vanam
dvāravatyāṁ kim akarod
bhagavān bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
“King Parīkṣit said: After the great devotee Uddhava left for the forest, what did the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the protector of all living beings, do in the city of Dvārakā?”
SB 11.30.1
This question is followed by a detailed narrative of how the disturbing signs observed in Dvaraka led to the Supreme Lord’s suggestion of leaving Dvaraka and going to Prabhasa-ksetra.
iti sarve samākarṇya
yadu-vṛddhā madhu-dviṣaḥ
tatheti naubhir uttīrya
prabhāsaṁ prayayū rathaiḥ
“Having heard these words from Lord Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of Madhu, the elders of the Yadu dynasty gave their assent, saying, “So be it.” After crossing over the ocean in boats, they proceeded on chariots to Prabhāsa.”
SB 11.30.10
This shows that the Yadavas depart from Dvaraka after the Uddhava Gita is spoken. At Prabhasa, the Yadus, intoxicated and bewildered by the Lord’s illusory potency, violently attack and kill each other. Once the Yadu dynasty is annihilated, Balarama gives up the mortal world by meditating on the Supreme Lord and merging within himself, following which Krishna prepares for his own departure by the shot of the hunter, Jara’s arrow:
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
mā bhair jare tvam uttiṣṭha
kāma eṣa kṛto hi me
yāhi tvaṁ mad-anujñātaḥ
svargaṁ su-kṛtināṁ padam
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Jarā, do not fear. Please get up. What has been done is actually My own desire. With My permission, go now to the abode of the pious, the spiritual world.”
SB 11.30.39
Uddhava Follows Krishna
In Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 3 Chapter 4, we get insight into the travels of Uddhava after he departs from Dvaraka. As Uddhava wraps up his outpour of Krishna’s pastimes to Vidura, the final parts of their conversation reiterate the instruction Uddhava received to go to Badarikasrama:
ahaṁ cokto bhagavatā
prapannārti-hareṇa ha
badarīṁ tvaṁ prayāhīti
sva-kulaṁ sañjihīrṣuṇā
“The Lord is the vanquisher of the distresses of one who is surrendered unto Him. Thus He who desired to destroy His family told me previously to go to Badarikāśrama.”
SB 3.4.4
But Uddhava, unable to bear separation from the Lord, follows Krishna to Prabhasa-ksetra:
tathāpi tad-abhipretaṁ
jānann aham arindama
pṛṣṭhato ’nvagamaṁ bhartuḥ
pāda-viśleṣaṇākṣamaḥ
“Yet in spite of my knowing His desire [to destroy the dynasty], O Arindama [Vidura], I followed Him because it was impossible for me to bear separation from the lotus feet of the master.”
SB 3.4.5
There, he follows Krishna to the spot where he’s about to leave the world:
adrākṣam ekam āsīnaṁ
vicinvan dayitaṁ patim
śrī-niketaṁ sarasvatyāṁ
kṛta-ketam aketanam
“Thus following, I saw my patron and master [Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa] sitting alone and deeply thinking, taking shelter on the bank of the river Sarasvatī although He is the shelter of the goddess of fortune.”
SB 3.4.6
It is at this occasion that the final conversation between Krishna and Uddhava takes place, and it is this dialogue which is heard by Maitreya Muni, a great personality whom Uddhava directs Vidura to hear from:
tasmin mahā-bhāgavato
dvaipāyana-suhṛt-sakhā
lokān anucaran siddha
āsasāda yadṛcchayā
“At that time, after traveling in many parts of the world, Maitreya, a great devotee of the Lord and a friend and well-wisher of the great sage Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa, reached that spot out of his own perfect accord.”
SB 3.4.9
Conclusion
From the texts of the Srimad Bhagavatam, particularly Canto 11 Chapters 6, 29 and 30, and Canto 3 Chapter 4, we can understand that Uddhava had two insightful dialogues with Lord Krishna before his departure. The first is the Uddhava Gita in Dvaraka, prior to the Yadavas going to Prabhasa-ksetra, and where Uddhava was instructed to go to Badarikasrama. The second was when Uddhava followed Krishna to Prabhasa*, which was also heard by Maitreya Muni. This detailed analysis clarifies a common misconception in relation to when the Uddhava Gita was spoken, aligning with the scriptural evidence.
*Prabhasa, also known as Prabhas Patan, is located near the bank of the Hiran River in Saurashtra, Gujarat, India.
Article jointly produced by:
Brajsundar Das, Vrindavan, India (http://vedavarsity.com/)
Bhaja Govindam Das, London, UK (https://www.youtube.com/@bhajagovindamdas)
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