||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 72 – The legend of Lord Krishna – The legend of King Pareekshith

Vidura Maithreya Samvadham

Bhagavan speaks “Oh! Bhrama, do not let the exhaustion or weariness take control over you; perform all your tasks with great enthusiasm. I shall reside in you and I will expose the world to you, therefore when you contemplate upon me with intense devotion and dedication, you will foresee me and realize the presence in you, the mind and intellect have originated from me, therefore it has returned to me. Oh! Bhrama, you cannot visualize my presence, like the fires in the wood hidden in it produce fire after the constant friction, all those creations are vested in me.  The Rishis, ascetics, sages and noble souls whose mind and intellect fixed upon supreme Lord, who resides as a soul in them, will not get blemished with the qualities of Rajasik nature/Kama and Krodha, therefore fix your mind and intellect upon me, so that you will not get attached to your creation. Oh! Bhrama, you have understood my all-pervasive nature, the ignorant people who are attached to worldly matters, and ‘I’ consciousness will not realize the presence of me. Oh! Bhrama, you have initiated on the lotus flower from my navel, you have envisioned me as ‘Nirguna Bhramam,’I am pleased with you, Oh! Bhrama, you can proceed with the function of creation, while performing your tasks, if you get attached to it or indulge in those creations, remember my presence as a soul in you, immediately you will be free from afflictions.”

Maitreya speaks “Oh! Vidura, thus the supreme Lord Adi Narayana appointed Lord Bhrama to expand all the creations those were already merged in him,  soon all those creations came to open with the influence of ‘time’.  Oh! Vidura, the illustrious Rishis, and Sages have calculated the time from Thrisarenu originated from Paramanu/we could see several minuscule parts in the sunrays, further the calculation of time was introduced witnessing the time taken the sunrays to travel  through these three minuscule particles, in this way they have introduced, two Paramanu contributes one Anu/electron and proton, three Anu is one Thrisrenu, three Thrisrenu is one Thruti, hundred Thruti is one Veda, three Veda is one Lava, three Lava is one Nimisha, three Nimisha is one Kshana, five Kshana is one Kashta, fifteen Kashta is one Laghu,  fifteen Laghu is one Nazhika,  One Nazhika is one Muhurtha, thirty Muhurtha is one day and night, seven days and night is one Sapthaha, two Sapthaha is one Paksha, eight Prahara is equal to  one day, fifteen days/two sapthaha are called one Paksha, two Paksha contributes one  month,  two months contributes one Rithu, three Ritus are called one Ayanam, two Ayanam/Uththarayanam and Dhakshinayanam  is one Samvathsaram,  one Samvathsaram as one year, three hundred and sixty Samvathsara is a year for the deities, twelve thousand Devavarsha is one Chathuryuga/Manvantharam, and fourteen Manvanthara  is one Kalpa.”

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 71 – The legend of Lord Krishna – The legend of King Pareekshith

Lord Bhrama eulogizes Lord Vishnu “Oh! Bhagavan, I have understood the nature of supreme Purusha with the constant meditation/Upasana and recitation of scriptures, it is impossible to realize your nature as a supreme soul for the Jeeva that are immersed in the worldly matters, bondage, and body consciousness. Oh! Bhagavan, I have understood there is nothing other than you in this Universe.  Oh! Bhagavan, you are the source of the functioning of Indhriyas/Jagratha/state of consciousness, and mind and intellect/sub-conscious, and supreme consciousness/realization of ‘self’.  Oh! Bhagavan, you are void of Thamasik nature, I have realized your presence as supreme soul, but the unfortunate Jeeva refuses to realize it. I shall surrender at the lotus feet of Supreme Lord who symbolizes supreme bliss and independent/free from birth or death, does not require the support of Prakrithi for its existences unlike human, eternal, and changeless.   The Jeeva is dependent on Prakrithi and Purusha on its existence.  Oh! Bhagavan you have supreme radiance, and all-pervasive nature resides as a soul in living beings.  Oh! Bhuvanamangala who is the source of auspiciousness to the Universe, I shall prostrate before you, Oh! Bhagavan, you are attainable to those who contemplate upon you with the practice of constant Upasana/meditation/Shravanam, Keerthanam, Dhyanam/Ananyabhakthi.  You are not attainable for those who are fixed their mind and intellect on material well-being, people, fame, richness, and wealth; they end up in a state of hell of constant miseries and sorrow.  Oh! Bhagavan, whoever listens to the scriptures which describes the splendor of Supreme Lord who resides as a soul in living beings and worship at your lotus feet will not face fears or anxieties.  Oh! Bhagavan, people whoever attached to wealth, people, fame, richness, etc. that has impermanent nature will undergo constant fear and anxieties.  These kinds of people chase for meager happiness, constantly run after to fulfill sensual pleasures and overburden themselves, unwilling to contemplate or meditate upon the Supreme Lord, lead their life like a pauper.  Oh! Bhagavan, whenever I see the Jeeva with their endless desires and attachments towards material well-being and their own people, thereby undergoes the sufferings of poverty, physical and mental ailments, miseries and sorrows, etc. I feel pity for them. Whoever practices meditation and contemplation upon the supreme Lord who resides as a soul will remain untouched by any of these situations in their life.  Oh! Bhagavan, you are the source of the functioning of the Gnana and Karmendhriyas, mind and intellect, without the knowledge of your presence, the Jeeva get attached to the diversified nature of Prakrithi, like an earthen lamp/supreme soul kept inside a mud pot /Jeeva with several holes in it. If they do not elevate their soul from the impermanent Prakrithi, they will carry endless miseries and sorrows in their lives.  Oh! Bhagavan, you permanently reside in the hearts of noble souls who constantly meditate upon you and recite your glories, and get pleased with them and bless them.  Oh! Bhagavan, I shall prostrate before that supreme Lord who resides as a soul in living beings, showering endless mercy upon Jeeva, get pleased with the virtuous soul and permanently showering your compassionate grace upon them.  Oh! Bhagavan, you symbolizes the Universe and its living beings, you are all-pervasive, there is nothing other you in this whole Universe, I shall prostrate before that supreme Lord who represents Lord Bhrama, Lord Vishnu and Lord Mahadeva, the trinities who undertakes the function of creation, preservation, and destruction of Universe and its living beings.  Oh! Bhagavan, you are the savior from the extreme fears and anxieties, the whole world is bow down before you and constantly dependent on you,  Oh! Bhagavan, you are attainable with the performance of intense meditation and austerities, I shall repeatedly prostrate before you. Oh! Bhagavan, Oh! Shriyapathi, who symbolizes all the auspicious, I have chosen to perform the function of creation, hence kindly describe the Shrishtirahasya to me.  Oh! Purusha, Oh! Purana, kindly enlighten me the knowledge of creation, so that I will not get attached to the creation and hurl into endless miseries and sorrows.”

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 70 – The legend of Lord Krishna – The legend of King Pareekshith

Udhdhava speaks “Oh! Vidura, I have received that supreme knowledge from Bhagavan, his all-pervasive nature resides as soul in us. I have completely relieved out of my grief of separation from him. In this way, he elevated my soul from the grief of separation, I have no dearest companion other than him, and it is difficult to achieve a companion like him. I had the fortune to live with the Supreme Lord who resides as a soul in us. I have sincerely served his lotus feet in my all life; therefore I could elevate my soul from miseries and sorrows.” Vidura could not control his grief, he shed tears of extreme agony, could not bear the loss of Krishna and his entire clan, was yearning to meet Bhagavan.  Vidura could not utter a word, tears overflowing through the cheeks cried before Udhdhava finally managed to speak out a few words  “Oh! Udhdhava, you have met that supreme Lord Krishna before leaving the Earth, so that you could elevate your soul from the grief of separation from him. Oh! Udhdhava, I am helpless, kindly enlighten me with that knowledge to remove my grief as well, and kindly impart that superior knowledge to me.”  Udhdhava took hold of the hands of Vidura and speaks “ Oh! Vidura, the compassionate Lord Krishna advised Maharishi Maitreya, and instructed him to advise that greatest knowledge to you as well.  I am keeping that sacred knowledge firm in my heart and traveling to Badarikashrama at the instruction of supreme Lord Krishna.” Vidura bade-farewell to Udhdhava and on that night stayed in the riverbank of Yamuna, he recollected all those conversations with Udhdhava, shed tears in grief remembering the extreme compassion of supreme Lord Krishna. Vidura remembered the kindness of supreme Lord Krishna who has left his mortal coil and before leaving this world instructed Maitreya to impart that supreme knowledge to him to elevate the soul from the grief of separation.  On the next day, he proceeded to meet Maharishi Maitreya who resides on the riverbank of Ganga.

The conversation between Vidura and Maharishi Maitreya begin with an interesting question, Vidura expresses his qualm why the Jeeva relentlessly searching for happiness and performing various Karma, and eventually getting disappointed in search of it.  Maharishi Maitreya explains the greater influence of 'Time' on the deeds and its results, Prakrithi is the collection of diversified objects, and therefore it is difficult to achieve expected results from the constantly changing Prakrithi, this often puts the Jeeva in extreme distress due to the failure in achieving the expected results from the deeds. The Risis and Sages conducted rigorous research on the destructible ‘Prakrithi’ and the ‘Time’.  The fetus on the womb grows in ‘time’ and once it is fully matured it comes out of the mother’s womb.  The age of the infant is determined from the day of birth, in fact, the fetus originated from the Beeja of the father is beyond ‘Time’.  The ‘Time’ is calculated according to the movements of objects, like the movement of Sun revolves around the Earth causes to determine ‘Time’, hence the ‘Timeless’ space fills with the radiance  and darkens by this process. Finally, the Rishis have arrived in a conclusion that all those moving objects/living things and non-living things are subject to ‘Time’ and the eternal soul is not influenced by the ‘Time’.  Thus, the Rishis and Sages addressed the objects that are subject to ‘Time’ as Prakrithi, and the object that is beyond ‘Time’ as Purusha, further, all the destructible nature of Prakrithi was already merged in the supreme Purusha, has appeared with the influence of ‘Maya’. It continues to exist for a particular period of time and ultimately it has to merge with the supreme Purusha.   The Rishis and sages understood all that moving objects undergoes constant transformation and ruin, hence the happiness derived out of those material objects which is subjects to ‘Time’ cannot provide permanent bliss, they strongly recommended the practice of concentration upon the ‘changeless’ Purusha, from the frequently changing material world subject to ‘Time’, they also emphasized the mind and intellect has the immense potentials to get attracted to Prakrithi as well as Purusha. This practice was referred to the life of a ‘tortoise’ that has the capabilities to withdraw its body under the shell and expose it whenever it requires.  The Supreme Lord who resides as the soul is eternal and changeless, protects the Jeeva during the three states of awakening, sleep and dream.  The human body, mind and intellect, and sense organs, functions in the presence of the supreme soul, the body undergoes constant transformation and ruin, mind and intellect keep flowing with the ‘time’, in the changeless presence of supreme soul. All the moving objects are under the influence of ‘time’, on this basis past, present, and future of the objects were analyzed, they also found that the presence of the supreme soul in living beings is the source of realization of the past, present, and future, hence the supreme Lord is beyond ‘time’/Kalatheetha and zone and all those creatures in the Prakrithi are impermanent.

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 69 – The legend of Lord Krishna – The legend of King Pareekshith

Shyamavadhatham Virajam Prashantharuna Lochanam | Dhrobhir Chathurbhirvidhitham Peethakaushambarena Cha || Vama  Uravadhishrithya Dhakshinaghri Saroruham | Apashritharbakashvaththamakrisham Thyaktha Pippalam ||

Udhdhava speaks “Oh! Vidura, I could not forget those glorious moments the supreme Lord Krishna overthrown the wicked demon Kamsa from the throne and killed. Later, Krishna and Balaram went to learn Astra and Shastra under the guidance of Maharishi Sandheepani.  The supreme Lord married to Devi Rukmini and graciously accepted those sixteen thousand and eight women as wives.  The Supreme Lord Krishna has ten children from each wife, in this way he performed various amusements. The supreme Lord caused the greatest battle to reduce the burden of Earth, destroyed the wicked Kauravas, and reinstated Dharma. He returned to his own city Dwaraka, found his own children were unwilling to follow Dharma, humiliated the twice-born, and got cursed from the Vipra. Soon, the entire clan of Yadhava got destroyed at the curse of Vipra.  The Supreme Lord Krishna left the city of Dwaraka with a warning that the city would soon submerge in the water, all of them were followed and some of them have remained in the city of Dwaraka. The people who left the Dwaraka at the instruction of supreme Lord took great pleasure in the intoxicating Varuni, lost their senses, ultimately resulted in the harsh debate, fought each other, like the bamboo forest causes colossal wood fire with its constant friction.  Finally, the entire clan of Krishna was destroyed in that battle. The Supreme Lord Krishna entered in the woods of Prabhasa, took a seat under a peepal tree, Oh! Vidura, I could not bear that separation of Lord Krishna, I sat at his feet and wept bitterly, I begged him to take me to his abode, I expressed my pain of separation and helplessness to live in his absence, I have been with him while sleep, consuming the meal, and performing various amusements, I have devoted my entire life for him, walked with him like a shadow, I have cried out and fallen at his feet.  The Supreme Lord who is attired in majestic yellow silk garment adorned in various precious ornaments, Vanamala, Srivathsa, Kausthubham, Hara, Kireeta, Kankana, Keyoora, Noopura, Katisuthra, sat with a serene smile as always, at that moment there was an illustrious devotee of Lord, a close companion of Dhwaipayana arrived on the woods, it was Maharishi Maitreya who approached the supreme Lord.”

Bhagavan speaks “Oh! Udhdhava, I shall narrate the highest of the knowledge to you, that is extremely difficult to understand for the ordinary people. If you understand the all-pervasive nature of mine, resides as a soul in living beings, none of the incidents will make your distressed or wretched, I shall narrate that supreme knowledge/Chathusloki Bhagavatham to you, previously it was described to the lotus born Bhrama, Oh! Udhdhava, I have enlightened that supreme knowledge to Lord Bhrama who is seated on the lotus flower that was initiated from my navel.”

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 68 – The legend of Lord Krishna – The legend of King Pareekshith

Udhdhava speaks “Oh! Vidura, Yadhavas did not realize the divinity of the supreme Lord Krishna, while they were completely depending on material well-being.   Whoever understands the highest of the philosophy and the presence of the Supreme Lord as a soul will not get hallucinated.  The supreme Lord assumed the form of a human, with marvelous physique, attractive features adorned in various gem decorated ornaments, and performed various amusements.  He performed various pastimes for the welfare of the Universe and its people, and the purpose of his incarnation was to elevate the soul from the miseries and sorrows of the worldly existence, and reduce the burden of the Earth and reinstate peace. Oh! Vidura, Lord Krishna who is the epitome of beauty, seated on the magnificent throne while the grand ceremonial rites of Rajasuya Yagna, after witnessing that brilliant form of Krishna, I feel that Lord Bhrama did not create a human excels the beauty of that supreme Lord. Oh! Vidura, Vrajeshwaris forgot to perform their household chores after witnessing that magnificent form of Krishna, the beauty of his lustrous eyes and the pleasing smile on lips, they forgot themselves and stood before him like a pillar.  Oh! Vidura, I cannot control my tears, the supreme Lord who has no birth or death, why did he take birth and undergo various hardships in his life? Why did he take birth in that dark prison in Vasudeva’s residence? Oh! Vidura, I still remember his life in Vrindavana, later came to Mathura and killed Kamsa opened that dark prison room where Devi Devaki and Vasudeva was imprisoned so long and called out affectionately for mother, it hurts my heart deeply.  Further, requesting his mother to forgive them in tears, all was a pastime of the Supreme Lord, remembering all those I am not able to understand why did Krishna born on Earth and undergone all those pain and grief? Oh! Vidura, mother Earth got purified herself with the dust from the  lotus feet of that supreme Lord, hasty movements of his eyeballs are enough to make the world gets terrified and kill those demons,  he could put an end to all those wicked demons with his fleeting look. Oh! Vidura, I feel the supreme Lord who is eulogized in the three worlds must have incarnated on the Earth, and performed various amusements to reveal his splendor to Jeeva.  Oh! Vidura, I have no words to describe his compassion, while living in the Gokulam, he liberated the female demon, who fed him with toxic poison on her bosom, he gave the fortune to that demon equivalent to his foster mother Devi Yasodha. I shall surrender to that supreme Lord who is the ocean of mercy, incarnated on the Earth and performed various pastimes for the welfare of its living beings. Oh! Vidura, the supreme Lord Krishna took great care of cows and cowherds of Vraja, he has performed various amorous sports with the young women of cowherds in the Vraja, and I cannot stop remembering all those.”

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 67 – The legend of Lord Krishna – The legend of King Pareekshith

Shuka Bhramam speaks “Oh! Rajan, Udhdhava who sacrificed all his life to serve Krishna, did not marry or settled in his life, was the disciple of Sage Bhrihaspathi.  Vidura met Udhdhava, and they embraced each other, Vidura enquired the welfare of Krishna, Balarama, and their families, he enquired the welfare of Vasudeva and Devi Devaki, he enquired about Pradhyumna and Anirudhdha, Samba, etc. he enquired about the welfare of Emperor Ugrasena, and Akroora, thus Vidura enquired all about Krishna’s clan without giving time to utter a word for Udhdhava. Further, detailed his harsh experiences in the palace of Hastinapura, the conversation between Dhritarashtra ended up in arguments that forced him to abandon the palace forever, conducted spiritual tour to various sacred lands on the Earth, and revealed his yearning to meet Krishna.  Vidura concludes “Oh! Uddhava, kindly describe the welfare of the supreme Lord who is the ultimate asylum of the Jeeva removes all the fears and anxieties of the worldly existence, incarnated as the chief of Yadhava clan and performed various pastimes.”

Shuka Bhramam continues “ Oh! Rajan, Udhdhava after listening to series of questions of Vidura enquiring about the welfare of the supreme Lord Krishna and his clan, kept silent, tears overflowing down the cheeks, find it difficult to utter a word.  Udhdhava could not control his grief due to those rushing memories of Lord Krishna.  He immersed in meditation upon supreme Lord Krishna for a few minutes, his eyes were overflowing with tears, and soon regained the original state, remembered the advice of Krishna, felt his eternal presence as a soul in him, immediately got rid of the grief, looked at Vidura and began to speak “Oh! Vidura, the sun like Krishna has already set, the ‘Time’ like serpent swallowed the beautiful city of Dwaraka. What shall I describe that supreme Lord Krishna? I would say the glory of the Earth has lost, Dwaraka submerged in the ocean, this world has become inauspicious, and the most unfortunate ones are Yadhava, even though they have attained the fortune to be with the Supreme Lord Hari, they could not understand him fully, like the fish misunderstand the mirror image of the moon on the water as one among them, a fish never understands the splendor of the moon.  The Yadhavas who were knowledgeable lived with the supreme Lord, did not understand the eternal truth of the supreme Lord who resides as a soul in living beings.”

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 66 – The legend of Lord Krishna – The legend of King Pareekshith

Shuka Bhramam speaks “Oh! Rajan, Suyodhana, Karna and Dusshasana who have heard the advice of Vidura to King Dhritarashtra was extremely raged, slammed the doors and entered the chamber of King Dhritarashtra, he approached Vidura in extreme fury, disgraced him calling his cause of birth as the son of Dasi, and dependent on them for the meal and shameless etc. Suyodhana mercilessly poured harsh words on Vidura who served them all his life.  Ultimately Vidura was thrown out of the palace; he was all humiliated and hurt.  Dhritarashtra who was listening to the shower of abuses on Vidura, remained silent, watching the boneless act of his own brother, Vidura who is an eminent archer, surprisingly remained unhurt by any of the above, silently retired from the chamber of Dhritarashtra.  Vidura instantly remembered the constructive side of the incident that caused him to stay away from the great battle of Kurukshetra, he felt it was the grace of supreme Lord Krishna upon him.  Oh! Rajan, Vidura who symbolizes the piousness and fortune of Kaurava left them forever. Thus, Vidura who is self-less, highly knowledgeable, amiable, a noble-soul left the Hastinapura. He conducted journeys to various sacred lands on the Earth, always remembering the sacred names of Lord, contemplating upon him, engaged in fruitful conversation with the ascetics who met on his way, walked all over the Earth like an Avadhootha. Vidura arrived on the shores of Prabhasa, met several saintly men and ascetics engaged in pious activities on the Syamanthapanchaka, he heard about the aftermath of the great battle of Kurukshetra and the destruction of entire Kauravas, as the tornado which causes the trees in the woods to ignite forest fire.  He also heard that only the Pandavas remains after the great battle, he left Prabhasa and proceeded journey to the riverbank of Saraswathi. Vidura decided to meet Krishna, walked through the banks of river Yamuna,  while moving along the banks suddenly his eyes fell on Udhdhava who was the closest companion of Lord Krishna.”

Shuka Bhramam continues "Oh! Rajan, Udhdhava is one of the dearest companions of Krishna, supremely intelligent, had a great knowledge in Shastra and Purana, and exceptionally good f0resight as Krishna.  He was completely devoted and sincerely follows Krishna like a shadow.  He used the clothes used by Lord Krishna, he consumed the leftover meal of Krishna, he used the bedspread used by Krishna, was a highly fortunate soul who spends most of his life with Krishna. Vidura witnessed Udhdhava on the shores of Yamuna, shocked to see him in unusual clothing; he was worn on saffron robes instead of yellow silk garments of Krishna. He was holding the sandalwood ‘Padhuka’ of Krishna above his head, Vidura understood Udhdhava must be conducting a spiritual journey."