Texto* 1: Sukadeva Gosvami said: Then Lord Brahma arrived at Prabhasa along with Lord Siva and his consort, the sages, the Prajapatis and all the demigods, headed by Indra.

Texto* 2-3: The forefathers, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyadharas and great serpents also came, along with the Caranas, Yakshas, Rakshasas, Kinnaras, Apsaras and relatives of Garuda, greatly eager to witness the departure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As they were coming, all these personalities variously chanted and glorified the birth and activities of Lord Sauri [Krishna].

Texto* 4: O King, crowding the sky with their many airplanes, they showered down flowers with great devotion.

Texto 5: Seeing before Him Brahma, the grandfather of the universe, along with the other demigods, who are all His personal and powerful expansions, the Almighty Lord closed His lotus eyes, fixing His mind within Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Texto 6: Without employing the mystic agneyi meditation to burn up His transcendental body, which is the all-attractive resting place of all the worlds and the object of all contemplation and meditation, Lord Krishna entered into His own abode.

Texto 7: As soon as Lord Sri Krishna left the earth, Truth, Religion, Faithfulness, Glory and Beauty immediately followed Him. Kettledrums resounded in the heavens and flowers showered from the sky.

Texto* 8: Most of the demigods and other higher beings led by Brahma could not see Lord Krishna as He was entering His own abode, since He did not reveal His movements. But some of them did catch sight of Him, and they were extremely amazed.

Texto 9: Just as ordinary men cannot ascertain the path of a lightning bolt as it leaves a cloud, the demigods could not trace out the movements of Lord Krishna as He returned to His abode.

Texto 10: A few of the demigods, however -- notably Lord Brahma and Lord Siva -- could ascertain how the Lord's mystic power was working, and thus they became astonished. All the demigods praised the Lord's mystic power and then returned to their own planets.

Texto 11: My dear King, you should understand that the Supreme Lord's appearance and disappearance, which resemble those of embodied conditioned souls, are actually a show enacted by His illusory energy, just like the performance of an actor. After creating this universe He enters into it, plays within it for some time, and at last winds it up. Then the Lord remains situated in His own transcendental glory, having ceased from the functions of cosmic manifestation.

Texto 12: Lord Krishna brought the son of His guru back from the planet of the lord of death in the boy's selfsame body, and as the ultimate giver of protection He saved you also when you were burned by the brahmastra of Asvatthama. He conquered in battle even Lord Siva, who deals death to the agents of death, and He sent the hunter Jara directly to Vaikuntha in his human body. How could such a personality be unable to protect His own Self?

Texto 13: Although Lord Krishna, being the possessor of infinite powers, is the only cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of innumerable living beings, He simply did not desire to keep His body in this world any longer. Thus He revealed the destination of those fixed in the self and demonstrated that this mortal world is of no intrinsic value.

Texto* 14: Anyone who regularly rises early in the morning and carefully chants with devotion the glories of Lord Sri Krishna's transcendental disappearance and His return to His own abode will certainly achieve that same supreme destination.

Texto* 15: As soon as Daruka reached Dvaraka, he threw himself at the feet of Vasudeva and Ugrasena and drenched their feet with his tears, lamenting the loss of Lord Krishna.

Texto* 16-17: Daruka delivered the account of the total destruction of the Vrishnis, and upon hearing this, O Parikshit, the people became deeply distraught in their hearts and stunned with sorrow. Feeling the overwhelming pain of separation from Krishna, they struck their own faces while hurrying to the place where their relatives lay dead.

Texto 18: When Devaki, Rohini and Vasudeva could not find their sons, Krishna and Rama, they lost consciousness out of anguish.

Texto* 19: Tormented by separation from the Lord, His parents gave up their lives at that very spot. My dear Parikshit, the wives of the Yadavas then climbed onto the funeral pyres, embracing their dead husbands.

Texto 20: The wives of Lord Balarama also entered the fire and embraced His body, and Vasudeva's wives entered his fire and embraced his body. The daughters-in-law of Lord Hari entered the funeral fires of their respective husbands, headed by Pradyumna. And Rukmini and the other wives of Lord Krishna -- whose hearts were completely absorbed in Him -- entered His fire.

Texto 21: Arjuna felt great distress over separation from Lord Krishna, his dearmost friend. But he consoled himself by remembering the transcendental words the Lord had sung to him.

Texto* 22: Arjuna then saw to it that the funeral rites were properly carried out for the dead, who had no remaining male family members. He executed the required ceremonies for each of the Yadus, one after another.

Texto 23: As soon as Dvaraka was abandoned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ocean flooded it on all sides, O King, sparing only His palace.

Texto* 24: Lord Madhusudana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is eternally present in Dvaraka. It is the most auspicious of all auspicious places, and merely remembering it destroys all contamination.

Texto* 25: Arjuna took the survivors of the Yadu dynasty -- the women, children and old men -- to Indraprastha, where he installed Vajra as ruler of the Yadus.

Texto* 26: Hearing from Arjuna of the death of their friend, my dear King, your grandfathers established you as the maintainer of the dynasty and left to prepare for their departure from this world.

Texto* 27: A person who with faith engages in chanting the glories of these various pastimes and incarnations of Vishnu, the Lord of lords, will gain liberation from all sins.

Texto* 28: The all-auspicious exploits of the all-attractive incarnations of Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and also the pastimes He performed as a child, are described in this Srimad-Bhagavatam and in other scriptures. Anyone who clearly chants these descriptions of His pastimes will attain transcendental loving service unto Lord Krishna, who is the goal of all perfect sages.Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to the Eleventh Canto, Thirty-first Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "The Disappearance of Lord Sri Krishna."The Eleventh Canto was completed at the New Gokula South American pilgrimage site, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Friday, March 26, 1982.END OF THE ELEVENTH CANTOSB 11 AppendixThe Absolute Nature of the Supreme LordIn his commentary on Text 5, Chapter 30, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura quotes several statements by Sri Uddhava from the Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.2.7-12) that nicely explain the transcendental nature of Lord Krishna's disappearance from this world. The reader is referred to that portion of Srila Prabhupada's Srimad-Bhagavatam for further illumination on this subject.Next, from various Vedic scriptures Visvanatha Cakravarti cites many important verses that clearly establish the absolute, eternal nature of the Personality of Godhead's forms, names, abodes, qualities, pastimes and entourage.Forms: The Gopala-tapani Upanishad (1.38) states, govindam sac-cid-ananda-vigraham vrindavana-sura-bhuraha-talasinam satatam sa-marud-gano 'ham paramaya stutya toshayami: "With transcendental prayers, I and the Maruts are always trying to satisfy Lord Govinda, whose personal form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, and who is sitting amidst the celestial desire trees of Vrindavana."Similarly, in his Vedanta-bhashya Srila Madhvacarya cites the following passage from the sruti: vasudevah sankarshanah pradyumno 'niruddho 'ham matsyah kurmo varaho narasimho vamano ramo ramo ramah krishno buddhah kalkir aham satadhaham sahasradhaham amito 'ham ananto 'ham naivaite jayante naivaite mriyante naisham ajnana-bandho na muktih sarva eva hy ete purna ajara amritah paramah paramanandah. "I am Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. I am Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, the three Ramas [Ramacandra, Parasurama and Balarama], Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. Immeasurable and unlimited, I appear in hundreds and thousands of forms, none of which ever takes birth or dies. These forms of Mine are not bound by ignorance, nor do they have to strive for liberation. They are all complete, free from old age, immortal, supreme and supremely blissful."The Dhyana-bindu Upanishad states, nirdosha-purna-guna-vigraha atma-tantro niscetanatmaka- sarira-gunais ca hinah/ ananda-matra-mukha-pada-saroruhadih: "[The Lord's] personal form possesses complete and faultless transcendental qualities. Indeed, the form of the completely independent Lord is free from all lifeless bodily characteristics. His lotus face and lotus feet consist simply of pure ecstasy."The Vasudeva Upanishad states, sad-rupam advayam brahma madhyady-anta-vivarjitam/ sva-prabham sac-cid-anandam bhaktya janati cavyayam: "[The Lord's] transcendental form is the Absolute Truth, devoid of duality or of middle, beginning or end. It is self-effulgent, eternal and full of knowledge and bliss. Only through devotional service can one understand that form to be infallible."The Brahmanda Purana states, nanda-vraja-jananandi sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah: [Bs. 5.1], "The body of the Lord, who gives ecstasy to the residents of King Nanda's pastures, is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss." The Maha-varaha Purana states, sarve nityah sasvatas ca dehas tasya paratmanah/ hanopadana-rahita naiva prakriti-jah kvacit: "The bodies of that Supreme Soul are all eternal and primeval. Since they are not born of material nature, they are not subject to destruction or creation."The Nrisimha Purana states, yuge yuge vishnur anadi-murtim asthaya sishtam paripati dushta-ha: "In each age, Lord Vishnu assumes His various eternal forms in order to protect those who are civilized [the devotees] and to destroy those who are evil [the demons]." The Brihad-vaishnava-smriti states, yo vetti bhautikam deham krishnasya paramatmanah/ sa sarvasmad bahishkaryah srauta-smarta-vidhanatah/ mukham tasyavalokyapi sa-celah snanam acaret: "If a person thinks the body of the Supreme Soul, Lord Krishna, is made of matter, he should be excluded from all ceremonies, both of the sruti and the smriti. One who even glances upon such a person's face must immediately take a bath with all his clothes on." The Mahabharata states, na bhuta-sangha-samsthano deho 'sya paramatmanah: "The body of the Supreme Soul is not composed of a combination of material elements." Also from the Mahabharata: amritamso 'mrita-vapuh. "His personal expansions and personal bodies are all immortal."The Srimad-Bhagavatam itself contains many passages attesting to the absolute nature of the Lord's forms. Here are a few: sabdam-brahma dadhad vapuh. "Appearing in Your transcendental form as the Vedas and as the personal feature of the Absolute Truth..." Yat tad vapur bhati vibhushanayudhair avyakta-cid-vyaktam adharayad vibhuh (8.18.12): "That transcendental body which is appearing with its ornaments and weapons has been assumed by the Almighty Lord as the spiritual manifestation of Himself, who is materially unmanifested." Babandha prakritam yatha (10.9.14): "She bound Him up just like an ordinary child." Satya-jnananantananda-matraika-rasa-murtyah (10.13.54): "The vishnu-murtis all had eternal, unlimited forms full of knowledge and bliss and existing beyond the influence of time." Sveccha-mayasya na tu bhuta-mayasya (10.14.2): "His body is composed of His own desire, rather than of material elements." And tvayy eva nitya-sukha-bodha-tanau: "In You, whose body is full of eternal happiness and consciousness..."Names: The Rig Veda states, om asya jananto nama cid viviktan: "If we understand even a little of the glories of His holy name..." The Bhagavatam (10.8.15) contains the following passage: bahuni santi namani rupani ca sutasya te guna-karmanurupani. "For this son of yours there are many forms and names according to His transcendental qualities." That this passage is in the present tense indicates that the Lord's names are absolute and eternal.The Padma Purana states, yat tv anama-rupa evayam bhagavan harir isvarah/ akarteti ca yo vedaih smritibhis cabhidhiyate: "It is the Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari, whom the Vedas and smritis describe as that which has no name or form and which does nothing." The Vasudevadhyatma reconciles the apparent contradiction thus raised: aprasiddhes tad-gunanam anamo 'sau prakirtitah/ aprakritatvad rupasyapy arupo 'sav udiryate/ sambandhena pradhanasya harer nasty eva kartata/ akartaram atah prahuh puranam tam pura vidah. "Because His qualities are generally unknown, He is said to have no name. Because His form is not material, He is said to be formless. And because Lord Hari does nothing in relationship with the material nature, He is said to be inactive."Abodes: The Gopala-tapani Upanishad (2.36) states, tasam madhye sakshad brahma gopala-puri: "Among all these [abodes], the residence of Lord Gopala is directly the Absolute Truth." And the Padma Purana states, nityam me mathuram vidhi purim dvaravatim tatha: "You should know that My cities of Mathura and Dvaraka are both eternal." An alternate reading for this verse is nityam me mathuram vidhi vanam vrindavanam tatha, in which case the translation is "You should know that both My Mathura and My forest of Vrindavana are eternal."Qualities: The Bhagavatam (1.16.29) states, ete canye ca bhagavan nitya yatra maha-gunah/prarthya mahattvam icchadbhir na viyanti sma karhicit: "In Him reside these and many other transcendental qualities, which are eternally present and never to be separated from Him."Pastimes: The Purusha-bodhani Upanishad, of the Pippalada-sakha of the Atharva Veda, states, eko devo nitya-lilanurakto bhakta-vyapi bhakta-hridy antar-atma: "He is the one Supreme Lord, always attached to His eternal pastimes, extending Himself to His devotees, and present as the Supreme Soul within the hearts of His devotees." In the Bhagavatam (10.90.48) we find the verse beginning jayati jana-nivasah, which contains the phrase dorbhir asyann adharmam, "with His arms casting out irreligion." The same verse also states, vraja-pura-vanitanam vardhayan kama-devam, "increasing the lusty desires of the young women of Vrindavana village. " The Bhagavatam (10.29.15) states, kamam krodham bhayam sneham aikyam sauhridam eva va/ nityam harau vidadhato yanti tan-mayatam hi te: "Persons who constantly direct their lust, anger, fear, protective affection, feeling of impersonal oneness or friendship toward Lord Hari are sure to become absorbed in thought of Him." That all these passages employ the present tense indicates that the Lord is eternally enacting His pastimes.Entourage: The Padma Purana states, eta hi yadavah sarve mad-gana eva bhavini/ sarvatha mat-priya devi mat-tulya-guna-salinah: "My dear lady, all these Yadavas are My personal associates. They are in all respects very dear to Me, O goddess, and their characters are equal to Mine."To summarize, we may cite the following verse from the Vedic literature: nityav avatare bhagavan nitya-murtir jagat-patih/ nitya-rupo nitya-gandho nityaisvarya-sukhanubhuh: "In His eternal incarnation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of the universe, exhibits His eternal personal form. His bodily beauty, His fragrance, His opulence and His happiness are also all eternal."