stayed happily in the Khāṇḍava region, he felt desirous of seeing his father and therefore resolved to take leave.
Kṛṣṇa’s stay with the Pāṇḍavas was of a very happy nature. The reason is given: the Pārthas are full of affection for him. But it is more than a mere friendly relationship – the Pāṇḍavas are aware of Kṛṣṇa’s greatness and honour him as one who deserves honour abundantly (pūjanārho’bhipūjitaḥ). As relatives (cousins) they are on a par with Kṛṣṇa; in the field of wisdom and knowledge of right action they recognize his superior standing and power.
A motive is given for Kṛṣṇa’s departure which ranks higher than his love for the Pāṇḍavas at this moment: his obligation and desire to be with his father Vasudeva. All this may be regarded as a mere formality and in a way it is. But we want to draw attention to the master hand of the poet who, like a skilled diplomat conceiving the wording of a communiqué on a high-level meeting, chooses words with care so as to satisfy listeners, assuring them of the perfectly harmonious nature of Kṛṣṇa’s stay with the Pāṇḍavas.
dharmarājamathāmantrya pṛthāṁ ca pṛthulocanaḥ // 2
vavande caraṇau mūrdhnā jagadvandyaḥ pitṛṣvasuḥ /
sa tayā mūrdhnyūpāghrātaḥ pariṣvaktaśca keśavaḥ // 3
The large-eyed Kṛṣṇa bade farewell to the Dharmarāja and to Pṛthā. He who is adorable to the world, adored with his head the feet of his father’s sister. She kissed Keśava on his head and embraced him.
Kṛṣṇa wishes good-by to Yudhiṣṭhira and Kuntī. His great humility is shown: being himself worthy of worship, he makes praṇāma at the feet of his aunt.
dadarśānantaraṁ kṛṣṇo bhaginīṁ svām mahāyaśaḥ /
tāmupetya hṛṣīkeśaḥ prītyā bāṣpasamanvitaḥ // 4
arthyaṁ tathyaṁ hitaṁ vākyam laghu yuktamanuttamam /
uvāca bhagavānbhadrāṁ subhadrāṁ bhadrabhāṣiṇīm // 5
Then the illustrious Kṛṣṇa Hṛṣīkeśaḥ approached his sister affectionately, his eyes filled with tears, and the blessed Lord spoke meaningful, apt, helpful, brief, appropriate and excellent words to the gentle, gentle-spoken Subhadrā.
The poet makes ample use of the device of alliteration in all these verses, whose beauty gets lost in any translation. Note in verse 1: pārthaiḥ prītisamāyuktaiḥ and pūjanārho’bhipūjitaḥ. In verse 2: pṛthāṁ pṛthulocanaḥ … pītṛśvasuḥ and vavande jagadvandyaḥ. The climax of this beautiful sound play is reached in the last line of verse 5, which is pure music: bhagavānbhadrāṁ subhadrāṁ bhadrabhāsīṇīm.
The poetic device is used here not for the sake of itself as in the alaṁkāra type of Indian classical poetry, but as a colourful means of expressing deep and genuine emotion between an extraordinary brother and sister. Kṛṣṇa has tears in his eyes (bāṣpa-samanvitaḥ), which speaks of his psychic love for his sister. His manifold advice to her is not for the sake of advice; it is only a medium of his love, his wish to speak to her and caress her with words.
tayā svajanagāmīni śrāvito vacanāni saḥ /
saṁpūjitaścāpyasakṛcchirasā cābhivāditaḥ // 6
tāmanujñāpya vārṣṇeyaḥ pratinandya ca bhāminīm /
dadarśānantaraṁ kṛṣṇāṁ dhaumyaṁ cāpi janārdanaḥ // 7
She gave him messages for her relatives and honoured and saluted him with many bows. Then Vārṣṇeya took leave of his beautiful sister, bidding her farewell, and went to see Kṛṣṇā and Dhaumya.
In spite of the emotional atmosphere of the scene Vyāsa’s Sanskrit – it is most probably one of his original texts – remains sober and does not try to convey anything which is not really there. Thus we can go along with the poet, even bear with occasional repetition
The content of this passage: After the affectionate fare-well meeting with his beloved sister, Kṛṣṇa wishes good-by to Draupadī and Dhaumya, the family priest of the Pāṇḍavas.
vavande ca yathānyāyaṁ dhaumyaṁ puruṣasattamaḥ /
draupadīṁ sāntvayitvā ca āmantrya ca janārdanaḥ // 8
bhrātṛnabhyagamaddhīmānpārthena sahito balī /
bhrātṛbhiḥ pañcabhiḥ kṛṣṇo vṛtaḥ śakra ivāmaraiḥ // 9
Janārdana, best of men, duly saluted Dhaumya, and, speaking comforting words to Draupadī, he bade her farewell. Then the wise and mighty Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Pārtha, went to his cousins. Surrounded by the five brothers, Kṛṣṇa stood like Śakra in the midst of the Immortals.
This chapter has been called The Ritual of Departure. It is a ritual indeed, but not a dead ceremony. The outer forms are always a living expression of some genuine inner feeling. We see an art practiced here which is part of classical Indian culture. There is a prescribed procedure, expressed through the word yathānyāyam: according to the etiquette.
Verse 9 is a first climax of the whole scene, with Kṛṣṇa, surrounded by the five Pāṇḍavas, being likened to Indra in the company of the Immortals. Through this comparison the poet gives his characters a touch of the Divine; they are like the very Gods moving on earth.
arcayāmāsa devāṁśca dvijāṁśca yadupuṁgavaḥ /
mālyajapyanamaskārairgandhairuccāvacairapi /
sa kṛtvā sarvakāryāṇi pratasthe tastuṣāṁ varaḥ // 10
svasti vācyārhato viprāndadhipātraphalākṣataiḥ /
vasu pradāya ca tataḥ pradakṣiṇamavartata // 11
The bull of the Yadus worshipped the gods and Brāhmins with garlands, mantras, bows of the head and manifold perfumes. Having finished all these rites, he, first of the steadfast, distributed to those Brāhmins deserving of worship offerings of vessels of curd, fruits and barley-corn; then he circumambulated them.
After having said farewell to those very close to him, Kṛṣṇa turns to the crowds of Brāhmins watching his departure and honours them in various ways. Finally, he makes their pradakṣiṇa, circumambulation, also a classical sacred ritual.
kāñcanaṁ rathamāsthāya tārkṣyaketananamāśugam /
gadācakrāsiśārṅgādyairāyudhaiśca samanvitam // 12
tithāvatha ca nakṣatre muhūrte ca guṇānvite /
prayayau puṇḍarīkākṣaḥ sainyasugrīvavāhanaḥ // 13
Then he ascended his swift golden chariot with the emblem of Garuḍa and furnished with mace, discus, sword, his bow
