Part 3: Rama’s visit to Kṛṣṇa

Rāma, who had observed the vow for one hundred years and had gone to heaven, saw Kṛṣṇa, who had gone to the third hell, by clairvoyance. Deluded by affection for his brother, Rāma made a vaikriya-body, went to Kṛṣṇa, embraced Kṛṣṇa, and said:

“I am Rāma, your brother. I have come here from Brahmaloka to rescue you. Tell me what I can do for your comfort.” Saying this, he lifted up Kṛṣṇa with his hand, but he broke into pieces and fell from his hand to the ground and joined together like quicksilver. Rāma, recognized at first from the embrace and then from the pronouncement of his name, was saluted by Kṛṣṇa, who had got up, with great eagerness.

Bala said to him: “Brother, Śrī Nemi said at that time that the pleasure of the senses would end in pain. Now it is present before you. I am not able to take you, chained by karma, to heaven. So I remain near you to give you mental pleasure, Hari.”

Kṛṣṇa said: “O brother, what is the use of your staying here? Even with you here, the hellish-age karma, which was acquired, must be consumed. At that time^[1] joy and depression of enemies and friends took place because of that state of mine which led to pain in hell. So go to Bharata. Show me going in an aerial car, carrying disc, bow, conch, and club, wearing yellow garments, with a Tārkṣya-banner. Show yourself always and everywhere in an aerial car. wearing blue clothes, with a palm-tree banner, carrying a plow and pestle. There should be a rumor among the people, destroying former disrespect, ‘Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are wandering at will, imperishable.’”

Rāma agreed and went to Bharata. After making them just so, he showed the two figures everywhere. He said: “O people! After making auspicious statues of us, worship zealously with the idea that we are exalted deities. For we alone, the makers of origination, permanence, and perishing,^[2] came here from heaven and go to heaven as we like. Dvārakā was made by us and was destroyed by us wishing to go. There is no other Creator nor Destroyer; and we alone bestow heaven.”

From this speech of his, all the people in villages, cities, et cetera made many statues of Kṛṣṇa and Halin and worshipped them. The god gave great prosperity to the makers and worshippers of the statues and all the people everywhere became devoted to them for that reason. The god Rāma executed his brother’s order in this way in Bharata and went back to Brahmaloka, much depressed at his brother’s pain.

And now Jarā’s son went to the Pāṇḍavas, told them about the burning of Dvārakā, et cetera and delivered the kaustubha. At once plunged into grief, weeping, they held Kṛṣṇa’s funeral rites for a year, like brothers. Knowing that they wished to become mendicants, Śrī Nemi sent Muni Dharmaghoṣa, who had four kinds of knowledge, with five hundred munis. After installing Jāreya on the throne, they, accompanied by Draupadī and others, became mendicants at the sage’s side and practiced penance together with special vows.^[3] Bhīma made a vow, “I shall accept food (only) offered on the point of a lance.” But it (his vow) was completed in six months. Knowing the twelve aṅgas, wandering over the earth gradually, eager to bow to Nemi, the five Pāṇḍavas set forth.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

At the time of Nemi’s prediction.

[2]:

The three steps. The more usual terminology is utpāda, dhrauvya, and vigama. See I, p. 209. They were not makers of the three steps. This must be boasting to justify their claims to worship.

[3]:

Abhigraha