Text 8]
Departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa for Dvārakā
521
always pleased to satisfy His devotees in any capacity. Only His devotees can play the part of His relatives. The Lord is absolute.
TEXT 8
आमन्त्र्य चाभ्यनुज्ञातः परिष्वज्याभिवाद्य तम् । 
    आरुरोह रथं कैश्चित्परिष्वक्तोऽभिवादितः ॥ ८ ॥
āmantrya cābhyanujñātaḥ 
    pariṣvajyābhivādya tam 
    āruroha ratham kaiścit 
    pariṣvakto 'bhivāditaḥ
āmantrya —taking permission;  ca —and;  abhyanujñātaḥ —being permitted;  pariṣvajya —embracing;  abhivādya —bowing down at the feet;  tam —unto Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira;  āruroha —ascended;  ratham —the chariot;  kaiścit —by someone;  pariṣvaktaḥ —being embraced;  abhivāditaḥ —being offered obeisances.
TRANSLATION
Afterwards, when the Lord asked permission to depart and the King gave it, the Lord offered His respects to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira by bowing down at his feet, and the King embraced Him. After this the Lord, being embraced by others and receiving their obeisances, got into His chariot.
PURPORT
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was the elder cousin of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and therefore while departing from him the Lord bowed down at the King's feet and the King embraced Him as a younger brother, although the King knew perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord takes pleasure when some of His devotees accept Him as less important in terms of love. No one is greater than nor equal to the Lord, but He takes pleasure in being treated as younger than His devotees. These are all transcendental pastimes of the Lord. The impersonalist cannot enter into the supernatural roles played by the devotee of the Lord. Thereafter Bhūma and Arjuna embraced the Lord because they were of the same age, but Nakula and Sahadeva bowed down before the Lord because they were younger than Him.