Radha Krishna - Chapter 4: Vidura Approaches Maitreya

(1) Uddhava said: 'After, with the permission of the brahmins, partaking of the offerings they [the Yadus] drank liquor that spoilt their minds so that they hurt each other with harsh words. (2) At sunset, they who lost their balance of mind because of the faults made in that intoxicated state, saw the destruction with the bamboos [with which they started fighting one another] take place. (3) The Supreme Lord, who from His internal potency foresaw the end, went to the river the Sarasvatî and after sipping water He sat down underneath a tree. (4) The Lord vanquishes the distress of the ones who surrender to Him and thus He who desired the destruction of His family told me: 'You have to go to Badarikâs'rama'. (5) But because I could not tolerate it to be separated from His lotus feet I, against my better knowledge of His wish, followed the Master, oh subduer of the enemy [Vidura]. (6) Then I saw how my Patron and Master, He who does not need to take shelter, lost in thoughts alone sat down at the riverbank to take shelter of the goddess.

(7) Beautiful with His blackish color, of pure goodness and peaceful with His reddish eyes, He could be recognized as having four arms and yellow silken garments [Vishnu]. (8) Resting with His right foot on His thigh against a young banyan tree He who had left His household comforts looked relieved.

(9) At that time [Maitreya,] a great devotee and follower of Krishna Dvaipâyana Vyâsa [Vyâsadeva], a well-wisher and friend traveling the three worlds, on his own accord [also] arrived at that place. (10) Attached to Him the sage bent over in a pleasing attitude and listened with rapt attention while the Lord with kind glances and smiles allowed me to rest and then spoke. (11) The Supreme Lord said: 'I know from within what you in the past desired when the wealthy ones who built this world were making their sacrifices. I grant you that what for the others is so difficult to achieve, oh fortunate one: the association with Me you desire as the ultimate goal of life. (12) This life is of all your incarnations, oh honest one, the fulfillment because you have achieved My mercy now you have seen Me in the seclusion of quitting the worlds of man. This is what you see when one is unflinching in one's devotion [:Vaikunthha, freedom from foolishness]. (13) Long ago, in the beginning of creation, I told Brahmâ on the lotus that came out of My navel about the knowledge of the supreme of My transcendental glories: I explained that what the theists call the Bhâgavatam.'

(14) With His favor of thus addressing me, I, who at each instant was the object of the Supreme Personality His mercy, saw how because of my emotion my hairs stood on end. With my eyes hazy because of wiping my tears, I with folded hands said faltering: (15) 'Oh my Lord, for those who live in respect of Your feet that are so difficult to obtain, it is in this world all a matter of the four goals of life [dharma, artha, kâma and moksha; religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation], but I do not care for them so much oh Great One, I'm rather concerned with serving Your lotus feet. (16) Even though You have no desires You engage in all kinds of activities, even though You are unborn You still take birth, as the controller of eternal Time You take nevertheless shelter of the fortress out of fear for Your enemies and despite of enjoying within Yourself, You lead a household life in the association of women; this bewilders the intelligence of the scholars in this world. (17) You are never divided under the influence of time, yet You, in Your eternal intelligence oh Master, call me in for consultation, as if You would be bewildered. But that is never the case. That boggles my mind, oh Lord. (18) If You deem me fit to receive it, then please, my Lord, tell me - in order for me to overcome worldly misery - in detail about the complete of the knowledge concerning the mystery of the supremely enlightening nature of Your Self, the way You told it the fortunate Brahmâjî.'

(19) Thus being prayed to by me from the core of my heart, He, the lotus-eyed Supreme Lord of the beyond, instructed me on His transcendental situation. (20) Thus I have, to the instruction of the Master, appreciated and studied the knowledge of self-realization, in which I understood the path by respecting His lotus feet. And so I reached, after circumambulating Him, this place with sadness in my heart because of the separation. (21) My best one [Vidura], I am thus in pain without the pleasure of seeing Him. And so I will, as He instructed, go to Badarikâs'rama [in the Himalayas] to enjoy the proper company. (22) There the Supreme Lord as Nârâyana, incarnated in the form of His humanity, and as Nârâ, in the form of a sage amiable to everyone, for a long time was of severe penance for the welfare of all living beings.'

(23) S'rî S'uka said: 'Hearing from Uddhava the unbearable [news] of the annihilation of his friends and relatives, the learned Vidura pacified his rising bereavement by means of transcendental knowledge. (24) As the great devotee of the Lord and best among the Kauravas was leaving, Vidura in confidence submitted the following to this leading personality in the devotional service of Krishna. (25) Vidura said: 'The Lord of Yoga enlightened you on the mystery of the transcendental knowledge of one's own soul - be as good now to expound on it so as to honor Vishnu and the servants who wander in the interest of others.' (26) Uddhava then said: 'Turn to the worshipable sage, the son of Kushâru [Maitreya] who stays nearby. He was directly instructed by the Supreme Lord when He left the mortal world.'

(27) S'rî S'uka said: 'With the overwhelming emotion with which he on the bank of the Sarasvatî river with Vidura discussed the nectar of the qualities of the Lord of the Universe, the night passed in a moment. Thereafter the son of Aupagava went away.'

(28) The king [Parîkchit] asked: 'How could it be that after the destruction that happened to the Vrishni and Bhoja dynasty, the great leader in command among them, the prominent Uddhava, was the only one to remain after the Lord had completed His pastimes as the Master over the three worlds?'

(29) S'rî S'uka said: 'After He by the power of Time had called for the end of His numerous family through the curse of the brahmins and He was about to give up His outer appearance He thought to Himself: (30) 'When I have left this world the knowledge of Myself and My shelter will with Uddhava who is at present the foremost of the devotees be in the right hands. (31) Uddhava is not in the least inferior to Me inasmuch as he is never affected by the material modes. Thus he [rightfully] may remain as the master of the knowledge about Me which he can disseminate in this world.'

(32) After thus having received perfect instructions from the spiritual master and source of all Vedic knowledge of the three worlds he [Uddhava] reached Badarikâs'rama feeling blissfully happy in being absorbed in the Lord. (33) So also Vidura had such an experience when he heard from Uddhava how Krishna, the Supersoul, extraordinarily had assumed a form for His pastimes and most gloriously had engaged with it. (34) His entering a physical body is for the persevering great sages as well as for others a thing most difficult to understand and for people with an animal interest it is simply something mad. (35) And now also Vidura himself oh best among the Kurus, overwhelmed by joy in ecstasy could not help bursting into tears when he thought of how Krishna the Fortunate One had remembered him during the moments He left this earth.

(36) Oh best of the Bharatas, after Vidura thus had passed his days on the bank of the Yamunâ [see 3:1.24], he reached the holy waters of the Ganges where he met sage Maitreya [the son of Mitrâ, his mother].'