24. Cutting Off Ties of Affection
atha viśveśa viśvātman viśva-mūrte svakeṣu me sneha-pāśam imaṁ chindhi drḍhaṁ pāṇḍuṣu vrṣṇiṣu
O Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, O personality of the form of the universe, please, therefore, sever my tie of affection for my kinsmen, the Pāṇḍavas and the Vrṣṇis.
— Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.41
A pure devotee of the Lord is ashamed to ask anything in self-interest from the Lord. But the householders are sometimes obliged to ask favors from the Lord, being bound by the tie of family affection. Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī was conscious of this fact, and therefore she prayed to the Lord to cut off the affectionate tie from her own kinsmen, the Pāṇḍavas and the Vrṣṇis. The Pāṇḍavas are her own sons, and the Vrṣṇis are the members of her paternal family. Krṣṇa was equally related to both families. Both the families required the Lord's help because both were dependent devotees of the Lord. Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī wished Śrī Krṣṇa to remain with her sons, the Pāṇḍavas, but by His doing so her paternal
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