ततः पुरीं द्वारवतीं प्रविश्य; जनार्दनः पितरं प्राह वाक्यम् ॥
स्त्रियो भवान् रक्षतु नः समग्रा; धनंजयस्यागमनं प्रतीक्षन् ॥
रामो वनान्ते प्रतिपालयन् माम्; आस्ते ऽद्याहं तेन समागमिष्ये ॥
दृष्टं मयेदं निधनं यदूनां; राज्ञां च पूर्वं कुरुपुंगवानाम् ॥
नाहं विना यदुभिर् यादवानां; पुरीम् इमां द्रष्टुम् इहाद्य शक्तः ॥
तपश् चरिष्यामि निबोध तन् मे; रामेण सार्धं वनम् अभ्युपेत्य ॥
इतीदम् उक्त्वा शिरसास्य पादौ; संस्पृश्य कृष्णस् त्वरितो जगाम ॥
tataḥ purīṃ dvāravatīṃ praviśya; janārdanaḥ pitaraṃ prāha vākyam ||
striyo bhavān rakṣatu naḥ samagrā; dhanaṃjayasyāgamanaṃ pratīkṣan ||
rāmo vanānte pratipālayan mām; āste 'dyāhaṃ tena samāgamiṣye ||
dṛṣṭaṃ mayedaṃ nidhanaṃ yadūnāṃ; rājñāṃ ca pūrvaṃ kurupuṃgavānām ||
nāhaṃ vinā yadubhir yādavānāṃ; purīm imāṃ draṣṭum ihādya śaktaḥ ||
tapaś cariṣyāmi nibodha tan me; rāmeṇa sārdhaṃ vanam abhyupetya ||
itīdam uktvā śirasāsya pādau; saṃspṛśya kṛṣṇas tvarito jagāma ||
Then, entering the city of Dvaraka, Janardana spoke these words to his father: "Protect all our women, awaiting the arrival of Dhananjaya. Rama remains at the forest's edge, awaiting me; I shall join him now. I have witnessed this destruction of the Yadavas, and the kings before — the bulls among the Kurus. I cannot bear to look upon this city without the Yadavas. Know from me that I shall perform austerities, going into the forest together with Rama." Having said this and touched his father's feet with his head, Krishna departed swiftly.
9205e9903284 · published Jun 21, 2026, 1:20:00 AM UTC
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Even in His human form, the Lord observes the custom of filial reverence: He touches Vasudeva's feet with His head before departing, thus setting by His own example the standard of devotion to elders that He teaches the world. The words "I cannot bear to look upon this city without the Yadavas" reveal a loving heart grieving for His own, though He knows all things; therein lies the tenderness of His earthly lila. The departure "for the sake of austerity" veils the true mystery — the return to His own abode. The verse teaches that the Lord in His manifestation Himself observes the dharma of reverence toward parents, hallowing it by His own example; and that His grief for His beloved and His departure under the guise of asceticism are features of His lila, in which the Supreme plays the role of a man, concealing beneath human features His incomprehensible greatness.