Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana Book 1 Chapter 14:1-15

Book 1: Chapter 14

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Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 1: Chapter 14: Verses 1-15
King Yudhisthira grows apprehensive at the sight of evil omens and Arjuna returns from Dwaraka

Suta continued: Arjuna had left for Dwaraka in order to see his relations (Sri Krsna and others) and to know the doings of Sri Krsna of sacred renown. He, however, did not return from that place even though many months had elapsed. In the meantime Yudhisthira, the illustrious scion of Kuru, saw portents of a fearful nature. Time had taken a dreadful turn, (as was clear from the fact that) the characteristics of the seasons had totally changed. People had taken to sinful ways of living, their heart possessed with anger, greed and falsehood. Their dealings had become crooked; even friendship was marred by deceitfulness; there were quarrels between parents and sons, relations and relations, brothers and brothers, and even between husbands and wives. At the approach of the Kali age the nature of individuals was vitiated by evils like greed and so on, while omens boding the worst type of calamity appeared (in the cosmic nature). Witnessing all this, king Yudhisthira spoke to his younger brother (Bhima) as follows :

Yudhisthira said : "Arjuna was sent to Dwaraka to see our relations (Sri Krsna and others) as well as to find out what Sri Krsna of sacred renown was doing. Although seven months have since elapsed, O Bhimasena, I do not quite understand why your younger brother has not yet returned. May it not be that the time predicted by the celestial sage has arrived, when the Lord intends to cast off the form assumed by Him for the sake of sport-the Lord to whose grace we owe our fortune, our kingdom, our spouses, our life, the continuance of our race, our progeny, our victory over the enemies and our title to the higher worlds. Observe the fearful portents, O tiger among men, in the heavens as well as on the earth as also in our own person, boding some calamity near at hand, that will distract our mind. My left thigh, left eye and left arm, dear brother, are throbbing again and again and my heart quakes every now and then: all these will surely bring some unhappy news. Lo ! the she-jackal, vomitting fire, howls at the rising sun and this dog, dear Bhima, fearlessly bays at me. Good animals (such as the cow) pass by to my left, while other (inauspicious) animals (as the donkey etc.) turn to my right. Nay, I see my horses weeping, O tiger among men. This dove, the harbinger of death, as well as the owl and its enemy, the crow, keeping awake all the night, make my heart shudder with their horrible cries and would have the world converted into a desert. The quarters look smoky; the orbs of the sun and the moon appear with a misty halo encircling them; the earth with the mountains quakes (every now and then); and there are frequent thunder-claps accompanied by violent lightning-strokes, dear brother.

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