Chapter 9

The Passing Away of Bhéñmadeva in the Presence of Lord

Kåñëa
Introduction to chapter 9[PURPORT 1.9.1]
In this Ninth Chapter, as it is willed by Lord Çré Kåñëa, Bhéñmadeva will impart instructions to
King Yudhiñöhira on the subject of occupational duties. Bhéñmadeva will also offer his last
prayer to the Lord on the verge of passing away from this mortal world and thus become
liberated from the bondage of further material engagements. Bhéñmadeva was endowed with
the power of leaving his material body at will, and his lying down on the bed of arrows was
his own choice. This passing away of the great warrior attracted the attention of all the
contemporary elites, and all of them assembled there to show their feelings of love, respect
and affection for the great soul

Päëòavas visit Bhéñmadeva’s Deathbed (Texts 1-4)

 
1) Aggrieved Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja went to the scene of massacre, where Bhéñmadeva was
lying on a bed of arrows
 
2) Associates accompanied – Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja was accompanied by all the brothers &
also Vyäsa, åñis like Dhaumya (learned priest of Päëòavas) & others
 
3a) Kåñëa & Arjuna also accompanied Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja on a chariot
 
3b) Royal appearance of Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja is described – He looked very aristocratic,
like kuvera accompanied by his companions [Guhyakas], just for the pleasure of dying
Bhéñmadeva
 
4) Offering respects to Bhéñmadeva – Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira along with all brothers and also
Lord Kåñëa, bowed down before Bhéñmadeva
• Analogy : Dyeing Bhéñmadeva is compared to a demigod fallen from the sky(Translation)
• Lord, although the Supreme Personality of Godhead, behaved in a humanly custom to
follow the etiquettes as a younger brother

Assembly at Bhéñmadeva’s Deathbed (Texts 5-8)

5) Great souls from all over (the åñis amongst the demigods, brähmaëas and kings) had
assembled – Everyone wanted to witness the great warrior’s impending death
• Åñis –Those who have attained perfection by spiritual achievement
o Anybody can became Åñis & make spiritual achievements, either a king or a
mendicant, e.g. Bhéñmadeva was a Brahmarñi

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6-7) Names of various Åñis who were present there are given

8) Many others were there – Like Çukadeva Gosvämé and other purified souls Kaçyapa and
Äìgirasa and others came with their respective disciples

Bhéñmadeva welcomes the Lord and other visitors (Texts 9-10)

 
9) Bhéñmadeva welcomed them according to time and place – Bhéñmadeva was the best of
the eight vasus and knew perfectly all the religious principles according to time & place
• Expert religionists – They perfectly know the art of principles according to time &
place e.g. Many great äcäryas or preachers
Lesson 9a – There are different climates and situations in different parts of the world, and
if one has to discharge his duties to preach the message of the Lord, he must be expert in
adjusting things in terms of the time and place
• Bhéñmadeva was an expert – Bhéñmadeva was one of the 12 mahäjanas, so he was very
expert in religious principles
• Expertise exhibited – Although he was unfit by physical health, but was quite fit by
his sound mind – therefore he could utter sweet words of welcome with hearty
expressions
Lesson 9b – One can perform one’s duty by physical work, by mind and by words
 
10) Bhéñmadeva worshipped the Lord in full knowledge of His glories
• He knew Lord’s omnipotent nature
o Lord is in His abode & simultaneously all-pervasive
o Lord’s eternal form is manifested by internal potency

Bhéñmadeva pacifies and encourages the Päëòavas (Texts 11-17)

 
11a) Response of the Päëòavas on seeing Bhéñmadeva – They were sitting silently
overtaken by affection for their dying grandfather who had raised them in the absence of their
father
 
11b) Bhéñmadeva congratulated them with deep feelings and tears of ecstasy and felt great
satisfaction on seeing exalted Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja enthroned after many tribulations
 

Link 11 to 12 - Bhéñmadeva, who knew all about the injustices the Päëòavas had suffered,
consoled the grieving Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja
 
12a) Bhéñmadeva sympathizes with the sufferings of Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja because of the
injustices

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12b) Assures complete protection by the brähmaëas, Lord and religious principles –
There
  is no cause of despondency and disappointment
 

Lesson 12 – As long as a person is fully in cooperation with the wishes of the Lord,
guided by the bona fide brähmaëas and Vaiñëavas and strictly following religious
principles, one has no cause for despondency, however trying the circumstances of
 
13) Considers the even doubly lamentable destiny of Kuntédevé – She suffered because of
early widowhood and later because of her son’s actions
 
Lesson 13 – One has to tolerate the sufferings destined by providence without being  
disturbed  
 
 

Link 13 to 14 – Yet one is still left with two questions: How can such misfortune befall
Kåñëa’s devotees? And  how  should  one who has experienced misfortune proceed in His
activities? Bhéñmadev offers a prescription for assimilating and dealing with circumstances that
bring grief (and yes, such circumstances may befall even Kåñëa’s devotees[Unveiling His Lotus Feet]
 
14) Influence of time – Everyone, including the most pious man is under the influence of
inevitable and inconceivable action of time
• Time controls all over the space and all over the planets
• Analogy : Just like clouds are carried by the wind, time controls everything, in fact
even the force of air is controlled by time
 

Lesson 14 – Everyone has to bear the actions and reactions of time as long as one is within
the conditions of the material world. Even the most pious has to suffer the condition of
material nature. But a pious man is faithful to the Lord, for he is guided by the bona fide
brähmaëa and Vaiñëava following the religious principles
 
15a) Wonders and marvels the influence of inevitable time – It is irreversible
 

Link 15a to 15b – Following factors (15b) demonstrates the power of inevitable time
 
15b) Unavoidable reverses in the battlefield in spite of perfect material and spiritual
resources
• Materially two great warriors Arjuna & Bhéñma, and spiritually, presence of son of
dharma, Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja and Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality Of Godhead
Himself

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 • Reverses were seen in spite of power of pious acts, power of personalities, power of
expert management and the power of weapons under the direct supervision of the lord
Kåñëa
 

Link 15 to 16 – Inevitable time represents Lord’s plan

 

16) Lord’s plan is inconceivable – Even great philosophers fail to understand and get
bewildered
Lesson 16 – The best policy is simply to abide by the orders of the Lord without argument
• This dispels the bewilderment of Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja, who is trying to understand
his own past actions and sufferings
• Lord’s plan was to show the conquest of virtue over vice
o Even great warrior like Bhéñmadeva cannot win on the wrong side
 
17) Accept the plan and obey it – Encourages Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja to accept Lord’s
inconceivable plan very happily and follow it without any hesitation; take up the
responsibility of the kingdom
• Lord teaches the world by teaching His devotee
Lesson 17 – A devotee's duty, therefore, is to ungrudgingly accept tribulations from the
Lord as a benediction. Since the Lord is absolute, there is no mundane difference between
the two
 

Glorifies the Position of Kåñëa as Supreme Personality of Godhead

(Texts 18-24)
18a) Bhéñmadeva as an authority glorifies Çré Kåñëa as that inconceivable, original
Personality of Godhead, as mentioned in texts 16-17 – Bhéñmadeva’s statement are accepted
here as the final authority for the following reasons:
• Vedic system of acquiring knowledge is by deductive process – ‘Learn from authority’
o Supporting reference – Ref.Bg.4.2 “evaà paramparä….”
o Argument that ‘Such knowledge is dogmatic’, is refuted as follows:
ƒ Such knowledge is never dogmatic as is conceived by less intelligent
people
ƒ Analogy to support : Mother is an authority to reveal the identity of
father
o Same system of authority is accepted universally – e.g. Common people hear
and believe in scientist (as authority) about moon landing
• Misguided people are led  to  degradation – They believe in one authority, the scientist,
but will reject the authority of the Vedas
 

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18b) He is the first Näräyaëa, the supreme enjoyer
• Bhéñmadeva’s such authoritative statements match with other authorities & Äcäryas
o Sankaräcärya accepts these statement – He says “Näräyaëa is transcendental
Personality of godhead, & beyond material creation”
o Brahmäjé accepts this point in SB 10.14.14
ƒ Kåñëa is the original source of all Näräyaëa manifestations

18c) Lord’s bewildering energies – His (Lord Kåñëa’s) movements amongst human
(e.g.Våñëis) is bewildering for us by His self-created energy
• Two kinds of bewilderment regarding Çré Kåñëa – They are due to the action of two
energies on marginal energy (living entity)
o By internal energetic bewilderment, Kåñëa expands Himself into unlimited
Näräyaëas and accepts transcendental loving service from living entities in the
spiritual world
o By external energetic expansions, He descends among man, animals or
demigods to reestablish their forgotten relationship
• Escaping that bewilderment – Great authorities like Bhéñma, however, escape His
bewilderment by mercy of the Lord

Link 18 to 19 – Who all understand the confidential glories of that Lord? Lord’s
movement and activities as a human being can often be bewildering, e.g. Tribulations and
sufferings of Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja inspite of presence of Lord Kåñëa. One must understand
these glories of the lord by the grace of mahäjanas as mentioned in text 19
 
19) Understanding the Lord through proper medium
• Three of the 12 mahäjanas (Lord Çiva, Närada, Kapila) are mentioned who know very
confidentially about the Lord’s glories through direct contact. Otherwise Lord’s
activities can be bewildering as explained in text 18c
• Bhéñmadeva is one of those 12 mahäjanas or pure devotees or Çré Kåñëa, the persons
who know the glories of the Lord in different transcendental loving services
• There are innumerable pure devotees based on innumerable expansions of His plenary
form and their exchange
• Understanding the Lord’s glories – Anubhäva or Lord’s glory is first appreciated by the
devotee in ecstasy and symptoms are further enhanced by steady understanding of
Lord’s glory
• Different examples of understandings of Çré Kåñëa or glories of the Lord
o Mother Yaçodä binding the Lord
o As a chariot driver Lord’s exchange of love with Arjuna
o Exhibition of glories in pastimes of subordination before His devotee
o Çukadeva Gosvämé & kumaras although transcendental, became converted by
another feature of bhäva

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 o Tribulations imposed upon a devotee by the Lord are different from those
caused by vicious actions, and they are another exchange of bhäva between
Lord & devotee
• Access this understanding of Lord’s glories by the grace of these great mahäjanas
 

Link 19 to 20 – Now, Bhéñmadeva as one of the great authorities and mahäjanas,

emphasizes the personality of Kåñëa as supreme personality of godhead and not just a
material relation

20) Do not misunderstand the Lord to be ordinary human – In the course of variety of
exchanges with His pure devotees, Lord remains the supreme

Lesson 20 – Out of His causeless mercy and favor upon His unalloyed devotees, He
performs all kinds of service, but that does not mean that He has changed His position as
the Absolute Person

Further Understanding of the Nature of that Supreme Person (Texts 21-24)

21a) He is the Absolute personality of godhead
• Absolute implies that nothing is different from Him
o He is Kaivalya; there is nothing except Himself
o Everything is manifestation of Lord’s energy and thus He is present everywhere
by His energies
o Analogy : Sun is identified by it’s sun rays
 
21b) Manifests as Super soul – Being the absolute, He is present in everyone’s heart as
Super soul and equally kind to everyone
• Offers the supreme guidance and He is already the chariot driver and counsel of all
living beings
• When He, therefore exhibits Himself as the chariot driver of Arjuna there is no change
His exalted position
Lesson 21b - It is the power of devotional service only that demonstrates Him as the
chariot driver or the messenger
 
21c) Devoid of all material conception of life – He is free from false ego of differentiation.
Therefore whatever He does is free from material inebriety. He is equibalanced
• For Him, there is no supreme or inferior action
• ‘No false ego’ implies that He does not identify Himself with anything different from
Him
• Material conception of ego is equibalanced in Him
• He does not feel, therefore inferior by becoming the chariot driver of His pure devotee

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 Lesson 21c - It is the glory of the pure devotee that only he can bring about service from
the affectionate Lord
 
22) Special inclination towards His devotees – Bhéñmadeva appreciates Lord’s appearance at
his deathbed as a reciprocation for his unflinching servitor ship, although conceptions (as
explained in 21)
• Lord’s reciprocation with unflinching servitor Bhéñma was based on intimate relation
of soul, unlike Arjuna’s whose relationship had an element of bodily relation also

Lesson 22a – Having unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord as one's protector, friend and
master is the natural condition of eternal life. A living entity is so made by the will of the
Almighty that he is most happy when placing himself in a condition of absolute
dependence
   
• Bhéñmadeva recognizes the sweetness of transcendental humor based on bodily
relationships of Arjuna with Kåñëa, therefore, at times, uses the names Pärtha-särathi,
vijaya- sakhe

Lesson 22b – The best way to establish our relation in transcendental sweetness is to
approach Him through His recognized devotees
 

Link 22 to 23 – Text 22 mentions how Lord is inclined to His unflinching devotee and
text 23 mentions the power of bhakti – yoga to release a devotee from material bondage and
reveal the presence of personality of godhead
 
23a) Bhakti-yoga reveals the Lord – This Personality of Godhead, appears in the mind of
the devotee by attentive devotion and meditation, and by chanting of the holy names
• Stage of Samadhi – Cent-percent engagement in Lord’s service by nine-fold processes
offer full concentration of the mind detached from all other subject matters, thus it is
best of yoga (Supporting Ref. Bhagavad-gétä)
 
23b) Fate of a devotee while leaving the body – Such yogi is ultimately transferred to the
eternal life free from all fruitive activities and material existence
• Material desires causes miseries – Material existence, full of three-fold miseries, is
produced by material desires only
• Dovetail desires – Bhakti-yoga is an art of dovetailing one’s natural desires in the
service of Lord thus one qualifies to be transferred to spiritual sky

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Link 23 to 24 – Bhéñmadeva was fortunate enough to have the Lord directly in his
presence before he quitted his material body. He therefore desired, that Lord stay before his
vision, in the following verses

24) Bhéñmadeva prays for Lord’s presence in four-handed form before him while he quits his
body
• Bhéñmadeva desired to see his worshipable deity form, four-handed Näräyaëa form of
Kåñëa
• Bhéñmadeva’s humility exhibited – Not feeling sure about his destiny, he wanted to
behold lord’s form at least till the last moment of this life
• Bhéñmadeva had the benediction to die by his free will
• Bhéñmadeva had the highest ambition – To absorb his mind in thinking of the Lord
o Never anxious to go back to Godhead

Lesson 24 – A pure devotee is never very anxious to go back to the kingdom of God. He
entirely depends on the good will of the Lord. He is equally satisfied even if the Lord
desires him to go to hell. The only desire that a pure devotee entertains is that he may
always be in rapt attention with thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord, regardless

Link 24 to 25 – Bhéñmadeva stops his appeal & prayers and Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja accepts
Bhéñmadeva instructions. Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja knew that he must rule the kingdom because
it was Lord’s desire. He then inquired from Bhéñmadeva about the essential principle for ruler
ship
 
Bhéñmadeva instructs Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja on ruler ship(Texts 25-28)
25a) Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja heard Bhéñmadeva in that appealing tone
• This convinced Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja that Bhéñmadeva was very soon passing way
 
25b) Yudhiñöhira Mahäräjaa inquired from Bhéñmadeva in presence of all great åñis, about
the essential principles of various religious duties
• Inspiration behind inquiries – Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja was inspired by Sri Kåñëa to ask
him about such principles
• Inquiry to Bhéñmadeva in presence of great sages – This indicates superiority of
Bhéñmadeva, inspite of being a worldly man
• Although Bhéñmadeva was in a painful state & on deathbed, still he was in a perfect
state for answering

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 Lesson 25b1 – Lord Çré Kåñëa wanted to prove that His pure devotees are always sound in
body and mind by dint of spiritual enlightenment, and thus in any circumstances a
devotee of the Lord is in perfect order to speak of the right way of life
• Lord Kåñëa establishes the glories of His devotee, Bhéñmadeva, by inspiring
Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja to prefer Bhéñmadeva over anyone else, even over Himself, to
solve problematic questions

Lesson 25b2 – The father likes to see the son become more famous than his own self. The
Lord declares very emphatically that worship of His devotee is more valuable than the
worship of the Lord Himself
 
26a) Explained about Varëäçrama– First, Bhéñmadeva defined all the castes and orders in
terms of individual’s qualifications
• Purpose of four castes or four orders – To accelerate the transcendental qualities of the
person to help gradually realize spiritual identity and freedom from a material
bondage
• Nine qualifications suggested for all humans to be called civilized – read purport
• Certain specific qualities recommended for each social order
o Intelligent or Brähmaëa class – controlling senses is the most essential quality
& is the basis of morality
ƒ Learning – Learn under one who is fully engaged in devotional service
ƒ Seriously study SB & BG
ƒ Prohibition – Avoid things forbidden by çästras
ƒ Teaching –Teach by setting an example of good moral life
o Kñatriya class – Especially give charity & never accept charity, unlike modern
administrators
ƒ Studying - Must be well versed in the çästra, but not to take to teaching
profession
ƒ Defence – Never pretend to become non-violent and thereby go to hell
e.g. Arjuna was chastised by Çré Kåñëa
ƒ Personality – Trained in military education, unlike modern leaders who
win by numerical votes
ƒ Should never return home without being hurt by enemy
Lesson 26a – The so-called king of today never visits the war field. He is very much expert
in artificially encouraging the fighting strength in the hope of false national prestige. As
soon as the administrative class is turned into a gang of mercantile and laborer men, the
whole machinery of government becomes polluted

o Vaiçya class (Member of mercantile community) – Especially advised to protect

the cows
ƒ Agriculture & distribution of foodstuffs are the primary duties

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 ƒ Also trained in Vedic knowledge and in giving charity
o Kñatriya vs Vaiçya – Former take charge in protecting citizens, while latter of
protecting animals
o Çüdra class – Less intelligent & have no independence, render service to other
three sections and thus can attain all comforts
ƒ Çüdra should never bank money – They tend to misuse for sinful
activities
ƒ Higher castes should maintain them & keep them satisfied with food &
clothing – Study purport for maintenance of çüdras
Lesson – Wine, women and gambling indicate that the population is degraded to less than
çüdra quality
 
26b) Then he systematically, in twofold divisions, described counteraction by detachment
and interaction by attachment
• Varnas are classifications of different occupations and äçrama-dharma indicate gradual
progress on the path of self-realisation
• Purpose of ashram-dharma is to awaken knowledge & detachment
• Study the functioning of different ashrams

27a) He explained about the following also

• Acts of charity – Recognize the proprietorship of the Lord and use all borrowed energy
in His service (Ref.Bg.9.27)
o Analogy – Just like rivers return all borrowed water to the sea
• Raja-dharma or pragmatic activities of a king – Sets up the systems for the material
and spiritual welfare of the citizens
• Activities of salvation – Please study purport
• Duties of women – Please study purport
• Duties of devotees (subject of pleasing the Lord) – Please study purport
 
28) Described occupational duties of different orders and statuses of life, citing instances
from history, for he was himself well acquainted with the truth
• Vedic histories are factual narrations, given for instructive purpose and without
chronological reference
• They may be from different planets or universes
Lesson 28 – We are simply concerned with the instructive lessons of such incidents, even
though they are not in order by our limited range of understanding

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 Bhéñmadeva’s Final Moments(Text 29-43) – He offers prayers(Texts 32-42) to
the Supreme Lord
 
29) Auspicious time of Sun’s changing course into northern hemisphere arrived – A
period often desired by expert mystics
• Expert mystics can die at their desired time and can go to desired planet, as described
in Bg.8.24 – 27
 
30) Bhéñmadeva fully absorbed himself in Çré Kåñëa
• Bhéñmadeva’s previous absorptions (as per translation) – He spoke on different
subject with thousand of meanings, fought on thousand of battlefield & protected of
men
• Sudden change in Bhéñmadeva - Withdraw his mind from everything else, and fixed
his wide-open eyes upon the original Personality of Godhead in four handed form in
yellow garments
o The subject matter which next life (Ref.Bg.8.5-15)
o Bhéñmadeva, being a pure devotee, wanted to see Kåñëa for a long time out of
spontaneous love, without any concern for yogic principles
 
31a) Effects of ‘Pure Meditation on Çré Kåñëa’ – Immediate freedom from all material
inauspiciousness and relief of all bodily pains caused by arrow wounds; thus he attained the
state transcendental to all matter
• Analogy: Kåñëa is like sun, material energy is like darkness
o By absorption in Kåñëa, Bhéñmadeva became completely transcendental to
external sensory activities
• Bhéñmadeva attained transcendence before leaving the body
o Lord, as the provider for all, fulfills the transcendental desires of His great
devotee, Bhéñmadeva
 
31b) Entering the state of deep prayers – Becoming transcendental to all matter,
Bhéñmadeva prayed transcendentally to the Supreme Lord
 
32a) Bhéñmadeva desires to invest his thinking, feeling & willing, which was so long
engaged in different subjects and occupational duties, in the all-powerful Lord Çré Kåñëa.
• Bhéñmadeva desires so, in order to achieve pure devotional service
 
32b) Bhéñmadeva described Supreme Lord as leader of His devotees & all-powerful
• He is the leader of all living entities, and reciprocates according to their mentalities
o As leader of devotees – Lord descends to bestow the boon of devotional service
upon pure devotees
ƒ Pure devotees – Free from all desires, other than Lord’s service;
therefore called sätvatas, e.g. Bhéñmadeva

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 ƒ Lord is the chief among such sätvatas – Unless one is purified of all
desires, Lord does not become the leader
ƒ Lord guides a sincere devotee from within, on the path back to
Godhead (Ref.Bg.10.10)
o As leader of ordinary man – Lord witness the actions & act as a sanctioner and
permitter
ƒ Non-devotee do not care for His instructions, therefore Lord remain
silent in their case
• Lord as All-powerful – Lord descends out of own free will & not forced by conditions
of material nature, therefore He is called ‘vibhu’
 
33) Bhéñmadeva meditates on Lord’s attractive features in the battlefield, and prays for that
form to be the object of his attraction
• Lord’s transcendental body has nothing to do with anything materially created
o He descends by His internal potency
o Such attractive features attracts everyone in the three worlds
• Importance of addressing Lord as ‘vijaya-sakhe’
o Arjuna is called ‘vijaya’ or a conqueror – This was possible due to presence of
Kåñëa
o Kåñëa is called friend of Arjuna(Vijaya-sakhe) – Because He likes to be
addressed conjointly with His devotees
• Bhéñmadeva in the rasa of chivalry meditates on Lord’s form in Battlefield
o His transcendental body with the bluish hue of Tamäla tree
o Glittering yellow dress under sun rays & lotus face decorated with sandalwood
pulp
Lesson 33 – A genuine relation of the living being with the Supreme Lord can take any
form out of the five principal rasas, and it does not make any difference in transcendental
degree to the genuine devotee
 
34) Bhéñmadeva being a devotee in chivalrous condition, fixes up his mind on Kåñëa in the
wounded condition – Flowing hair of Kåñëa turned red due to dust, beads of sweet on His
face, wounds caused by Bhéñmadeva’ arrows
• Lord accepts all service – Lord is the absolute form of eternity, bliss & knowledge. He
graciously accepts transcendental loving service offered in genuine love & affection, in
any of the five principle rasas
o Bhéñmadeva is a devotee in servitude(däsya rasa)
o Analogy : His throwing of arrows is compared to throwing of soft roses
• Bhéñmadeva appears in a mood of repentance for actions against the Lord
o But Lord is all spirit and no material force can kill or harm the spirit
o Lord comes as one of the living entity to bewilder atheist e.g. Rävaëa planned
to kill Rama, or Bhéñmadeva’s arrows piercing Lord Kåñëa bewilders the atheists

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 • Lord’s all-merciful attitude – Lord, neither left Arjuna because of the disturbances
caused by the Bhéñma’s arrows, nor was reluctant to appear before the dying Bhéñma
inspite of being ill-treated
• Analogy by Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura(Para 5) – Wounds are compared to
bites of a fiancee
• Conclusion (Para 5) – Fighting between Lord and Bhéñmadeva was not mundane but
full of transcendental exchange in chivalrous relation(véra rasa)
o Study importance of ‘vibhidyamäna’ – It implies skin being bruised or pierced;
but skin of Lord is non-different from the Lord and Lord enjoys these injuries
Lesson 34 – Because everything in the mundane world is qualitatively mundane, it is full
of inebrieties, whereas in the absolute realm, because everything is of the same absolute
nature, there are varieties of enjoyment without inebriety
 
35a) Bhéñmadeva meditates on Lord’s causeless mercy & affection on His pure devotee –
He becomes the order carrier of His friend’s (Arjuna) command
• Therefore Lord is addressed as Pärtha-särathi (friend of Arjuna)
• Analogy : Father’s pleasure in serving his small child
 

Link 35a to 35b Lord’s relation with Arjuna may indicate His partial nature but it is
clarified in 35b
 
35b) Bhéñmadeva meditates on Lord’s equally distributed mercy – Shortened the life-span
of opposite party by His merciful glance
• All the fighters, even those who died on the opposite side, got salvation, which implies
Lord is all-good
Lesson 35 – The Lord does no wrong in any circumstance because He is absolute, all good
at all times
 
36) Bhéñmadeva meditates on Lord’s speaking Bhagavad-gétä – Lord delivered the
transcendental knowledge to eradicate the ignorance of seemingly polluted Arjuna
• Actual system of fighting – King and commander were to stand in the front of the
armies, and place of fighting was away from civil residential quarters
o Only Bhéñmadeva of civilians – To pay 1/4th of income as taxes to monarch
• Arjuna’s intelligence was polluted, as a plan of the Lord to deliver BG, the science of
‘ätma-vidyayä’
 
37) Bhéñmadeva meditates on Lord’s attacking Bhéñmadeva with the wheel – Lord fulfilled
Bhéñma’s desire (to make Kåñëa lift weapon) and sacrifices His own promise of not lifiting any
weapon
• Analogy – Lord’s attacking was like lion attacking an elephant

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 • Mood of battle of Kurukñetra – Based on military principles along with a sporting spirit
e.g. Duryodhana provoked Bhéñmadeva
• Lord created the situation of Arjuna;s apparent defeat & imminent death, to fulfill
desire of Bhéñmadeva
 
38) Bhéñmadeva aspires for Lord’s personal (not impersonal) feature as His destination –
Especially meditates on Lord’s special favor unto Him, by being wounded by His arrows
• A devotee can please the Lord by playing the part of an enemy – Lord’s actions,
apparently in favor to the apparent enemy, but a great devotee Bhéñmadeva
• Bhéñmadeva’s ultimate desire to reach Kåñëa indicates that their enmity was a part of
their transcendental reciprocation of pure devotion
• Analogy : Kåñëa’s unchecked (even by Arjuna) running toward Bhéñmadeva is
compared to lover going to lover
 
39a) Prays for Lord being the ultimate object of attraction at the time of death –
Bhéñmadeva especially concentrated on Lord’s form as Pärtha-särathi
• Concentration of a yogi(by mechanical process) & concentration of a pure devotee are
not on the same level – Devotee attains Samadhi more easily by constant remembrance
of Lord’s personal feature
• Bhéñmadeva, being a pure devotee & military marshal constantly remember the Lord’s
eternal feature as Pärtha-särathi(Arjuna’s charioteer)
o Analogy : Eternality of lord’s pastimes in all universes is compared to clock
hand moving from one point to another
o Bhéñmadeva relished this form of Pärtha-särathi more than Arjuna
 
39b) Lord’s causeless mercy pointed out – All soldiers who died seeing Kåñëa got their
spiritual-svarüpa, a cent percent spiritual form
• Bhéñmadeva prays for similar desire to get the Lord’s personal association
Lesson 39 – The conclusion is that whoever dies looking on the Personality of Godhead
within or without attains his svarüpa, which is the highest perfection of life
 
40) Meditates on Lord’s relation with the gopés and the exalted devotion of the gopés
• Lord’s relation with the Gopés is even on a more purified level of service, than the
fraternal mood of Arjuna – Gopés have attained qualitative oneness and equal footing
with the Lord
• Gopés equlity with the Lord is not like that of säyujya liberation, but of perfect ecstasy
• Bhéñmadev glorifies Gopés because
o The Lord is satisfied more when His pure devotees are glorified
o Bhéñmadeva, thus aspire for the mercy of Gopés

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41) Bhéñmadeva remember the worship of Lord Kåñëa during Räjasüya sacrifice by
everyone
• Bhéñmadeva feels happy to be able to see the same Lord, whom, all the great leaders
assembled to see during the sacrifice
• Perfect meditation is shown here to be the meditation on Lord’s form, activities, name
& fame (Impersonal meditation is difficult as per BG 12.5)
• Refutation of Anthropomorphism – Lord had always been supreme
o No great man can be declared God after death
o Neither Lord can be considered ordinary human being

42) Bhéñmadeva meditates with full concentration on Lord’s personal form –

Understanding the Absolute Truth to be one, without dualities, and thus Kåñëa to be the
origin of all features, he meditates on the Lord
• Brahman feature, Paramätmä feature, Lord as Pärtha-särathi and as Çyämasundara in
Våndävana, are all the features of same Absolute Truth, Çré Kåñëa – This is the
ultimate realization of Bhéñmadeva

43) Bhéñmadeva attained nirvikalpa-samädhi – Completely merging himself with his mind,
speech, sight & action into Supreme personality of godhead
• Everyone can attain this highest perfection by nine process of devotional service
o All nine are equally potent, only condition is practice under expert devotee
o Hearing is most important, especially BG & SB
• Attain the stage of Bhéñmadeva by taking shelter of sound incarnations of Lord BG &
SB
Lesson 43 – Every man or animal must die at a certain stage of life, but one who dies like
Bhéñmadeva attains perfection, and one who dies forced by the laws of nature dies like an
animal
 
 
Honouring Bhéñmadeva’s Departure and the events thereafter (Text 44-49)
44a) Bhéñmadeva merged into the unlimited eternity of supreme Absolute
• To enter into ‘unlimited eternity’ here implies to enter the original home of living
entity(Para 1)
o Disintegrated living entities are conditioned to struggle under Durgä-çakti
o Three kinds of transcendentalists who fulfill their spiritual urge – Jïänés, yogis,
bhaktas
• Bhéñmadeva entered the abode of Vaikuëöha where Pärtha-särathi eternally resides
(Para 2)
 
44b) Immediate response – Everyone became silent like birds at the end of the day
 

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45) Bhéñmadeva’s departure was shown honor & recognition by men, demigod & royal
order – Flowers were showered from sky, drums were sounded etc
• Bhéñmadeva was known all over the universes – Respected, both by humans &
demigods; he is one of the mahäjanas
 

Lesson 45a – Qualification on a par with the great demigods is possible only on attainment
of spiritual perfection
• Showering of flowers from the heaven is a sign of recognition by the demigods, ot os
not just decoration of dead body
• Body of a fully self-realized soul is spiritualized e.g. Analogy : Iron becoming red-hot
• So-called jayanti ceremonies for ordinary men are condemned
 
46) Funeral performed – Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja being the eldest, performed funeral
ceremony and felt aggrieved
• Bhéñmadeva was most affectionate grandfather, caretaker, wellwisher, friend &
philosopher – This aggrieved Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja for the loss of great soul, not just
for loosing material body
• Although Bhéñmadeva was a liberated person, funeral ceremony was a necessary duty

47) Great sages glorified Lord Kåñëa with vedic hymns, & then returned to their hermitages,
bearing Lord Kåñëa in their hearts
• Sweet relation between the Lord & the devotee – They always live in the heart of each
other
 
48) Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja, along with Kåñëa, went back to Hastinäpura & consoled his uncle
and aunt, who in great agony were living like ascetics
• Gandhari, although a women, is no less than Bhéñmadeva in character – Followed her
husband cent-percent, lived like an ascetic, tolerated wholesale killing of sons &
grandsons

49) Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja ruled, guided by his uncle and Supreme Lord Kåñëa
• A trained king, like a father or spiritual master, considers the welfare of the citizens
from all angles – social, political, economic & spiritual

Lesson 49 – Monarchy under a trained king like Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira is by far the most
superior form of government, superior to modern republics or governments of the people,
by the people

--------------------------------------End of Chapter Nine-----------------------------------

 

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 1.9 THE PASSING AWAY OF BHÉÑMADEVA IN THE PRESENCE OF LORD
KÅÑËA

Important Questions for memorisation

1. Why did Lord Çré Kåñëa want the Päëòavas to be present at Bhéñmadeva’s death? (3)
2. Summarize Bhéñmadeva’s explanation of the sufferings of the Päëòavas. (11-17)
3. Why did Bhéñmadeva choose to fight against the Päëòavas? (16)
4. List reasons for Kåñëa wanting Bhéñmadeva to instruct Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira. (25)
5. Describe Bhéñmadeva’s relationship with the Lord. (33-34, 38)
6. Explain how Lord enjoyed the wounds created by His great devotee Bhéñmadeva. (34)
7. Why did Kåñëa seemingly break His own promise? (37)
8. Explain how Bhéñmadeva observed Pärtha-särathi with more relish than Arjuna. (39)
9. What was the destination of all those who saw Kåñëa on Battlefield of Kurukñetra?
(39)
10. What destination was achieved by Bhéñmadeva? (44)
11. Why do the votes cast by the mass of people actually have no value? (49)

Analogies:
1.9.17: The popular saying is that a housewife teaches the daughter-in-law by
teaching the daughter. Similarly, the Lord teaches the world by teaching the
devotee.

1.9.34: Çré Bhéñmadeva throwing of sharp arrows at the transcendental body of the
Lord is as good as the worship of another devotee who throws soft roses upon
Him.

1.9.34: the wounds created on the body of the Lord by the sharpened arrows of
Bhéñmadeva were as pleasing to the Lord as the biting of a fiancee who bites the
body of the Lord directed by a strong sense of sex desire. (Çré Viçvanätha
Cakravarté Öhäkura)

1.9.35: By executing the order of a devotee, the Lord becomes pleased, as a father
is pleased to carry out the order of his small child.

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 1.9 THE PASSING AWAY OF BHÉÑMADEVA IN THE PRESENCE OF LORD
KÅÑËA
CHAPTER BREAKDOWN
Verses 1-10
Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira, Kåñëa, and the Päëòavas go to the battlefield where Bhéñmadeva is
lying on a bed of arrows. Many great åñis also arrive, and Bhéñmadeva properly receives them
all, especially Lord Kåñëa, for Bhéñmadeva is aware of His glorious position.

Verses 11-24
Bhéñmadeva enumerates the sufferings the Päëòavas tolerated prior to the battle. He explains
that such things could only have happened due to the actions of eternal time and Kåñëa 's
inconceivable plan. Bhéñmadeva describes the glories and actual position of Kåñëa.
Bhéñmadeva appreciates that Kåñëa has personally come to be present before him at the time
of his death.

Verses 25-28
Bhéñmadeva’s instructions on Varëäçrama–dharma.

Verses 29-34
Bhéñmadeva notices that the auspicious time for his departure has arrived. He thus
withdraws his consciousness from this world and focuses it on Kåñëa.

Verses 35-49
Bhéñmadeva especially fixes his mind on remembering Cri Kåñëa on the battlefield as the
chariot driver of Arjuna. Bhéñmadeva further glorifies Kåñëa’s wonderful reciprocations with
His other devotees. Bhéñmadeva breathes his last. After the great sages and the Päëòavas
depart, Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira begins ruling the kingdom according to the instructions he has
received from Bhéñmadeva.

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