In the vast ocean of Sanatan Dharma, the appearance of Bhagwan Shree Krishna stands as the most divine and mysterious Leela ever witnessed by humanity. His life was not only an embodiment of wisdom, love, and power, but also the perfect orchestration of divine play, where every act had a profound cosmic and spiritual significance. From the butter thief of Vrindavan to the charioteer in Kurukshetra, Shree Krishna manifested every shade of the Divine Personality of Godhead. But perhaps the most poignant and transformative part of His life was His final message—the moment when God Himself prepared to leave the world.
Swami Mukundananda, through his enlightening discourse, sheds light on this extraordinary phase of Shree Krishna’s life—the final leela, the end of His avatar, and the profound instructions He left behind for His devotees. This blog explores that message, Shree Krishna’s departure, and what it means for us today.
Sudama and the Power of Selfless Love
Before Shree Krishna concluded His divine pastimes, He displayed the heights of divine generosity and love through His friend, Sudama. When Sudama visited Shree Krishna, dressed in tattered clothes and with a humble offering of rice flakes, Shree Krishna welcomed him with a heart overflowing with love. He washed Sudama's feet, embraced him, and gifted him unimaginable wealth—without Sudama even asking.
Yet, Sudama remained unaffected. He said, “This dhoti will only leave my body when my body leaves this world.” He did not accept Shree Krishna’s riches for himself but continued to live in the same modest way. Shree Krishna demonstrated that when love is selfless, He bestows everything—even unasked.
🔗 This aligns with the Bhagavad Gita (9.22):
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जना: पर्युपासते |
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ||
“There are those who always think of Me and engage in exclusive devotion to Me. To them, whose minds are always absorbed in Me, I provide what they lack and preserve what they already possess.”
🔗 Read Bhagavad Gita 9.22
The Solar Eclipse: A Divine Reunion in Kurukshetra
During a solar eclipse, hundreds of thousands gathered at the sacred Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra to bathe—a tradition that continues to this day. The eclipse was more than an astronomical event; it was a cosmic moment charged with spiritual energy.
On this occasion, Shree Krishna, accompanied by His queens and the Yadu dynasty, visited Kurukshetra. But what made the event divine was that Shree Radha, Nand Baba, Yashoda Maiya, and the Gopis also came from Braj after a hundred years of separation.
The reunion was overwhelming. Yashoda embraced Shree Krishna, tears flowing down her face. Nand Baba’s heart swelled with love. The Gopis stood silently, their eyes filled with tears, not of pain, but of divine fulfillment.
Despite the time, their love had not withered. It had deepened. It was a testimony to the spiritual truth: in separation, love becomes purer, deeper, and more divine.
🔗 As the Bhagavad Gita (6.14) states:
प्रशान्तात्मा विगतभीर्ब्रह्मचारिव्रते स्थित: |
मन: संयम्य मच्चित्तो युक्त आसीत मत्पर: ||
“ Thus, with a serene, fearless, and unwavering mind, and staunch in the vow of celibacy, the vigilant yogi should meditate on Me, having Me alone as the supreme goal.”
🔗 Read Bhagavad Gita 6.14
A Cosmic Request: The Devatas Ask Shree Krishna to Return
After the Mahabharat war concluded, the devatas (celestial gods) approached Shree Krishna. They said, “O Lord, Your mission is complete. If You wish, You may return.”
But Shree Krishna replied, “One task remains—my own Yadu dynasty, which has grown proud and powerful. Their arrogance must end, or they will cause chaos on Earth.”
He was not just a divine presence; He was a perfect administrator of cosmic balance.
The Curse That Led to the Fall of the Yadus
During a forest picnic, the Yadus—intoxicated by power and drink—mocked great sages like Durvasa and Atri. They disguised Shree Krishna’s grandson, Samba, as a pregnant woman with a pillow under his clothes, and asked the sages, “What will she deliver—a boy or girl?”
The sages, angered by this insolence, cursed them: “From this stomach will emerge an iron rod that will destroy your entire dynasty.”
The rod appeared. Ugrasena ordered it ground into powder and thrown into the ocean. Yet, the filings returned with the waves, merged with the earth, and from that ground a new grass grew—Eraka grass—infused with that curse.
This is a reminder that no action, especially disrespect towards saints, goes without consequence. Even Shree Krishna’s lineage was not spared when arrogance overshadowed dharma.
Uddhav’s Devotion and Shree Krishna’s Final Teachings
When Shree Krishna sensed the end was near, Uddhav, His dear devotee, became anxious. “Lord, how can I live without You?”
Shree Krishna instructed Uddhav to go to Badrikashram, to live in the association of Nar-Narayan Rishi, and engage in deep sadhana.
Before leaving, Shree Krishna imparted the Uddhav Gita, a section of 25 chapters in the Shrimad Bhagavatam, containing His most profound spiritual teachings. He emphasized bhakti yog as the highest path and said:
🔗 Bhagavad Gita (18.66):
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज |
अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ||
“Abandon all varieties of duties and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”
🔗 Read Bhagavad Gita 18.66
The Final Leela: Shree Krishna’s Departure
The Yadus, driven by intoxication and arrogance, soon descended into infighting. They used the cursed Eraka grass in a violent brawl and killed each other. Only a few survived.
Shree Krishna, witnessing this, knew His time had come. He sat under a tree in His final yogic posture. A hunter named Jara, mistaking Shree Krishna’s foot for a deer’s tongue, shot an arrow into His sole. When Jara approached and realized what had happened, he wept and begged for forgiveness.
Shree Krishna, ever compassionate, said, “Do not fear. This was destined. You are the same Bali whom I had shot in my Ram avatar. Today, that karma is repaid.”
🔗 This aligns with Bhagavad Gita (4.8):
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् |
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ||
“To protect the righteous, to annihilate the wicked, and to reestablish the principles of dharma I appear on this earth, age after age.”
🔗 Read Bhagavad Gita 4.8
The Submergence of Dwarka
As Shree Krishna departed, Dwarka began to sink into the ocean. Arjun arrived to rescue the few surviving Yadus and carry them to Hastinapur. The majestic city built by Vishwakarma disappeared beneath the waves—its end signifying the conclusion of the Dwapar Yug.
Swamiji notes that today, archaeological evidence of submerged structures near modern-day Dwarka corroborates the scriptural descriptions from 5,000 years ago.
The Beginning of Kali Yug
With Shree Krishna’s departure, Kali Yug officially began. Maharishi Shukadev described to King Parikshit the nature of this dark age, marked by greed, conflict, and spiritual decline. He said:
“Kings will be thieves, and the people will be tormented by taxes. Truth will diminish, and quarrels will increase.”
Yet Shree Krishna’s teachings remain the guiding light even in the darkest times.
🔗 Bhagavad Gita (10.10):
तेषां सततयुक्तानां भजतां प्रीतिपूर्वकम् |
ददामि बुद्धियोगं तं येन मामुपयान्ति ते ||
“To those whose minds are always united with Me in loving devotion, I give the divine knowledge by which they can attain Me.”
🔗 Read Bhagavad Gita 10.10
Shree Krishna’s Eternal Message for You
In His final teachings, Shree Krishna emphasized:
- Attach your mind to Me, not the world.
- See your Guru as my very form.
- Do bhakti with unwavering love.
- Don’t fear death or sorrow—your soul is eternal.
He said to Uddhav:
“Wherever the mind repeatedly goes, it becomes attached. If you keep thinking of worldly pleasures, your mind will go there. But if you think of Me, your mind will become Mine.”
This is the eternal message: the path of bhakti is the highest, and surrendering to the Lord with love is the supreme goal.
Bhakti in Kali Yug: Our Opportunity
Even though Kali Yuga is an age of darkness, it also brings one blessing: the path of devotion is easiest and most effective now.
🔗 Bhagavad Gita (9.29):
समोऽहं सर्वभूतेषु न मे द्वेष्योऽस्ति न प्रिय: |
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम् ||
“I am equally disposed to all living beings; I am neither inimical nor partial to anyone. But the devotees who worship Me with love reside in Me and I reside in them.”
🔗 Read Bhagavad Gita 9.29
Your Call to Action: Take the First Step Today
If this journey through Shree Krishna’s final leela has stirred your soul, don’t let it end with reading. Let it begin a new chapter in your spiritual life.
✅ Subscribe to Swami Mukundananda’s YouTube Channel
✅ Begin reading the Bhagavad Gita daily—one verse at a time.
Shree Krishna has already given His final message. The question is—are you ready to receive it and live by it?
Jai Shree Krishna!
May His eternal wisdom guide your every breath.
