Text 34] The Pandavas Retire Timely 813
TRANSLATION

The Supreme Unbern Lord Sri Krsna caused the members of the Yadu
dynasty to relinquish their bodies, and thus He relieved the burden of the
world. This action was like picking out a thorn with a thorn, though both
are the same to the controller.

PURPORT

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur suggests that the rsis like Saunaka
and others who were hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam from Sita Gosvami at
Naimisaranya were not happy to hear about the Yadus’ dying in the
madness of intoxication. To give them relief from this mental agony, Siita
Gosvami assured them that the Lord caused the members of the Yadu
dynasty to relinquish their bodies by which they had to take away the
burden of the world. The Lord and His eternal associates appeared on earth
to help the administrative demigods in eradicating the burden of the world.
He therefore called for some of the confidential demigods to appear in the
Yadu family and serve Him in His great mission. After the mission was
fulfilled, the demigods, by the will of the Lord, relinquished their corporeal
bodies by fighting amongst themselves in the madness of intoxication. The
demigods are accustomed to drinking soma-rasa beverage, and therefore
the drinking of wine and intoxication are not unknown to them. Some-
times they were put into trouble for indulging in intoxication. Once the
sons of Kuvera fell in the wrath of Narada for being intoxicated, but
afterwards they regained their original forms by the grace of the Lord Sri
Krsna. We shall find this story in the Tenth Canto. For the Supreme Lord,
both the asuras and the demigods are equal, but the demigods are obedient
to the Lord, whereas the asuras are not. Therefore, the example of picking
out a thorn by another thorn is quite befitting. One thorn, which causes
pinpricks on the leg of the Lord, is certainly disturbing to the Lord, and
the other thorn, which takes out the disturbing elements, certainly gives
service to the Lord. So although every living being is a part and parcel of
the Lord, still one who is a pinprick of the Lord is called an asura, and one
who is a voluntary servitor of the Lord is called a devatd or demigod. In the
material world the devatds and asuras are always contending, and the
devatas are always saved from the hands of the asuras by the Lord. Both
of them are under the control of the Lord. The world is full of two kinds
of living beings, and the Lord’s mission is always to protect the devatds and
destroy the asuras, whenever there is such need in the world, and to do
good to both of them.
