Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.15.32
Nirodha· Winding upUnderstand the Lord’s Transcendental Departure
“Upon hearing of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s returning to His abode, and upon understanding the end of the Yadu dynasty’s earthly manifestation, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira decided to go back home, back to Godhead.”
What the purport teaches
- Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira turned to the instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā and considered returning to Godhead after hearing of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s departure.
- The Lord appears and disappears by His supreme will, not under the laws of nature. Like the sun passing from our sight, His disappearance does not mean that He ceases to exist.
- Understanding the Lord’s appearance and disappearance in truth frees one from birth and death. In the spiritual sky, devotees eternally engage in His loving service without old age or disease.
Try this today
Reread the passage about the Lord’s supreme will and write one sentence explaining how His departure differs from ordinary death.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that Kṛṣṇa’s departure is transcendental change your understanding of it?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.