Makaranda Madhukar Anand Mahendale Festshrift

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

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S. J. Noel Sheth
Makaranda
due to too many individuals (vyaktibahulya) since the load could well be from the eternal mountains, etc. which have excessive weight; nor is the burden due to irreligiousness (adharma) on the part of the Yādavas, for the text declares them to be "pious, generous and always at the service of the aged" and "with their minds on Krsna" (11.1.8). Hence the idea that the earth would be crushed by the innumerable Yādavas becoming agitated due to their separation (viraha) from Krsna [if he were to leave the visible world without taking them along with him), is poetically fancied to be a burden to the earth (RR, VD on 11.30.25; see also JG (Ks), RR, VD on 11.1.3). The Yādava race is said to be a burden, even though it is supremely religious (parama-dharmika) (VC on 11.1.3). If those who are [relatively] : indifferent to Krsna cross the darkness (of saṁsāra and avidyā, merely by listening to] his glory sung in beautiful stanzas (as mentioned in 11.1.7], all the more, surely, will this be the case with the Yādavas (JG (Ks), VD on 11.1.5; RR on 11.1.7); hence, it is established that the question of the burden of the earth has to be laid at other peoples' [and not at the Yādavas'] doors (JG (Ks), VD on 11.1.6).
Nevertheless, Krsna decides to remove them so that they may not become sinful, for when the Kali Yuga arrives, the minds of even the good go astray. In fact, by accompanying Krsna, who is about to leave the earth, the goal of their human life (Purusārtha) would be fulfilled all the more. Hence, it is with the idea of conferring grace on them that Krsna destroys the Yādavas. If he were not to protect them in this way, Krsna would be guilty of a fault (MD, VD, VJ on 11.6.30). If they were separated from Krsna, who is about to depart from the world, they would lose their sense of discernment between right and wrong, and thus indulge in mad behaviour (JG (Ks), RR, VD on 11.6.30); they would become proud and destroy the world (VD on 11.6.30), or they would become sorrowful and thus become unbearable to the earth (JG (Ks) on 11.30.25). So Krsna is also doing a favour to the earth by preventing the Yādavas from becoming a burden to the earth in the future. However, at present they are not weighing her down. If anything, the Yādavas are a sort of sweet burden to the earth. VC explains that, even though the earth does not consider the burden of Krsna's religious relatives to be really a load, yet, as her Lord, he must lessen her burden just