Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana Book 11 Chapter 31:14-28

Book 11: Chapter 31

Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 11: Chapter 31: Verses 14-28 He who, rising (from his bed) in the morning, sings, with devotion and full of self-control, the story of the aforesaid transcendent voyage of Sri Krsna (to His own divine realm) will attain to the same highest destiny. Returning to Dwaraka and falling at the feet of Vasudeva and Ugrasena (the king of Dwaraka), Daruka (the charioteer of Lord Sri Krsna), (now) bereft of Sri Krsna, bathed their feet with (his) tears. He narrated the story of the wholesale destruction of the Vrsnis,O Pariksit. Grieved at heart to hear of it, the people (of Dwaraka) fainted with grief. Upset at (the news of) their separation from Sri Krsna, they hastened, beating their heads (all the way), to the spot where their kinsmen had been lying (dead). Stricken with grief not to perceive their Sons, Sri Krsna and Balarama, Devaki (Sri Krsna's mother) and Rohini (Balarama's mother) as well as (Their father) Vasudeva lost their consciousness_ Nay, afflicted at their separation from the Lord, they gave up the ghost on that (very) spot. The womenfolk ascended the funeral pile and, hugging each her own husband, entered the fire. The wives of Balarama entered the fire, embracing the (dead) body of Balarama; the wives of Vasudeva followed suit, hugging the latter's body, and the daughters-in-law of Sri Krsna did the same, clasping to their bosom Pradyumna and others (the sons of the Lord). Similarly Rukmini and others, the Spouses of Sri Krsna, entered the fire with their mind fixed on the latter. Distressed at his separation from Sri Krsna, his beloved friend, Arjuna comforted himself with the utterances of Sri Krsna (contained in the Bhagavadgita), full of veracious statements. Arjuna (then) duly caused to be performed in order of seniority (by competent priests) funeral rites for the welfare in the other world of (those of) his kinsmen that had been slain (on the battle-field) and whose progeny (too) had perished (in the war). The ocean drowned in an instant (the city of) Dwaraka, forsaken (as it was) by Sri Krsna, barring, 0 great king, the palace of the Lord, which wipes out all evils (in the forms of sins and calamities) and is the most auspicious of all auspicious things in that Lord Sri Krsna (the Slayer of the demon Madhu) is ever (bodily) present there. Taking (with him) to Indraprastha (the former capital of the Pandavas) the womenfolk, infants and aged men that had survived* the slain, and having settled them, Arjuna crowned as king Vajra (the surviving son of Aniruddha) there. Hearing from (the mouth of) Arjuna of the destruction of their kinsfolk (the Yadus), 0 king, your grandfathers (the Pandavas) all proceeded (in a body) to the Himalaya mountain (on their voyage to the other world), appointing you of course as their successor (on the throne of Hastinapura). The man who celebrates with reverence the aforesaid advent and exploits of Lord Visnu, the adored of the gods (themselves), is completely absolved from all sins. A man recounting as aforesaid the most auspicious infantile and other sports, full of delightful divine feats, of the almighty Lord Sri Krsna (the Dispeller of the agony of His devotees), heard of here (in Srimad Bhagavata) as well as in the other scriptures, bids fair to attain supreme devotion to Sri Krsna, the goal of ascetics of the highest order. Thus ends the thirty-first discourse in Book Eleven of the great and glorious Bhagavata-Purana, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Samhita, composed by Bhagavan Vedavyasa and consisting of eighteen thousand Slokas. END OF BOOK ELEVEN