Second
edition, loaded March 16, 2009
Source
Texts:
The
Yadu Dynasty Retires to Prabhâsa
Text
1
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Then [after Nârada had left] did
lord Brahmâ surrounded by his sons, the gods and the
lords of man, arrive [in Dvârakâ] together
with Lord Bhava
[S'iva], for all living beings the controller
favorable, who was accompanied by a host of ghostly
beings.
S'rî
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said - Lord Brahmâ then
set off for Dvârakâ, accompanied by his own sons
as well as by the demigods and the great Prajâpatis.
Lord S'iva, the bestower of auspiciousness to all living
beings, also went, surrounded by many ghostly creatures.
(Vedabase)
Text
2-4
Indra the
powerful controller and his gods [the Maruts],
the sons of Aditi, the good of clarity [the
Vasus],
the protectors of health [the As'vins],
the artists [the Ribhus],
the descendants of Angirâ,
the expansions of S'iva [the Rudras],
the gods of the intellect [the Vis'vedevas],
and the gods of commerce [the Sâdhyas],
and other demigods; the singers and dancing girls of heaven
[Gandharvas
and Apsaras],
the ones of excel [the Nâgas],
the perfected [Siddhas]
and the venerable [Câranas],
the treasure keepers [Guhyakas],
the seers [the Rishis],
the forefathers [Pitas]
as also the scientists [Vidyâdharas]
and the ones of special talents [the Kinnaras]
all together arrived in Dvârakâ eager to see
Krishna, the Supreme Lord who removes the impurities everywhere
in the universe and who with His transcendental form enchanting
the entire human society spreads His fame throughout all the
worlds.
The
powerful Lord Indra, along with the Maruts, Âdityas,
Vasus, As'vinîs, Ribhus, Angirâs, Rudras,
Vis'vedevas, Sâdhyas, Gandharvas, Apsarâs,
Nâgas, Siddhas, Câranas, Guhyakas, the great
sages and forefathers and the Vidyâdharas and
Kinnaras, arrived at the city of Dvârakâ, hoping
to see Lord Krishna. By His transcendental form, Krishna,
the Supreme Lord, enchanted all human beings and spread His
own fame throughout the worlds. The Lord's glories destroy
all contamination within the universe. (Vedabase)
Text
5
In
that resplendent city rich with a great abundance saw they with
their hungry eyes Lord Krishna who is so wonderful to
behold.
In
that resplendent city of Dvârakâ, rich with all
superior opulences, the demigods beheld with unsatiated eyes
the wonderful form of S'rî Krishna. (Vedabase)
Text6
With
covering Him, the best of the Yadus, with flower garlands
brought from the gardens of heaven praised they Him, the Lord
of the Living Being, expressing themselves in ideas and words
of charm.
The
demigods covered the Supreme Lord of the universe with
flower garlands brought from the gardens of heaven. Then
they praised Him, the best of the Yadu dynasty, with
statements containing charming words and ideas.
(Vedabase)
Text
7
The gods said:
'We with our intelligence, senses, vital air, mind and words
bow down to Your lotus feet, o Lord, which are meditated upon
within the heart by those who united in the love of striving
for liberation from the powerful bondage to karmic
reactions.
The
demigods began to speak: Our dear Lord, advanced mystic
yogis, striving for liberation from the severe bondage of
material work, meditate with great devotion upon Your lotus
feet within their hearts. Dedicating our intelligence,
senses, vital air, mind and power of speech to Your
Lordship, we demigods bow down at Your lotus feet.
(Vedabase)
Text
8
You, who by the
material energy consisting of three modes, protects and
destroys the manifestation with the inconceivable of Yourself,
are situated within the modes of that material nature, but You
are by these modes not entangled in karmic activities at all, o
You Unconquerable One, since You, the Unimpeded and
Unimpeachable One, are always absorbed in Your happiness
[see also B.G. 3:
22].
O
unconquerable Lord, You engage Your illusory energy,
composed of three modes, to unleash, maintain and devastate
the inconceivable manifest cosmos, all within Your own self.
As the supreme superintendent of mâyâ, You
appear to be situated in the interaction of the modes of
nature; however, You are never affected by material
activities. In fact, You are directly engaged in Your own
eternal, spiritual bliss, and thus You cannot be accused of
any material infection. (Vedabase)
Text
9
O
Worshipable One, the purification of those persons who have a
contaminated consciousness is not as much brought about by
incantations, respecting injunctions, study of the scriptures,
charity, penances and rituals, as by the faithful listening to
the greatest of
souls who situated in goodness have fully matured in Your
transcendental glories [see also 4.29:
36-38].
O
greatest of all, those whose consciousness is polluted by
illusion cannot purify themselves merely by ordinary
worship, study of the Vedas, charity, austerity and ritual
activities. Our Lord, those pure souls who have developed a
powerful transcendental faith in Your glories achieve a
purified state of existence that can never be attained by
those lacking such faith. (Vedabase)
Text
10
May there for
us be the lotus feet, the fire that annihilates our
inauspicious mentality and by the sages desiring the real
benefit is carried in their appeased hearts, the fire that by
the truthful of self-control is carried for gaining a likewise
opulence; it is by worshiping three times a day Your forms
[of soul, ego, mind and intelligence, the
catur-vyûha]
that one reaches beyond the heavens [see also
11.5:
34].
Great
sages, desiring the highest benefit in life, always cherish
Your lotus feet within their hearts, which are melted by
love for You. Similarly, Your self-controlled devotees,
desiring to cross beyond the material kingdom of heaven to
achieve opulence equal to Yours, worship Your lotus feet in
the morning, at noon and in the evening. Thus, they meditate
upon Your Lordship in Your quadruple expansion. Your lotus
feet are just like a blazing fire that burns to ashes all
the inauspicious desires for material sense gratification.
(Vedabase)
Text
11
They [Your
feet] are meditated upon by the ones who, having folded
their hands, pour the ghee into the fire of sacrifice in the
[nirukta]
process of understanding the three Vedas; they are meditated
upon by the yogapracticioners who, inquisitive about Your
[yoga-]mâyâ,
are united in the realization of the True Self and [even
more] perfectly are they worshiped by the elderly,
exemplary devotees [see uttama
and 11.2:
45-47].
Those
about to offer oblations into the fire of sacrifice in
accordance with the Rig, Yajur and Sâma Vedas meditate
on Your lotus feet. Similarly, the practitioners of
transcendental yoga meditate upon Your lotus feet, hoping
for knowledge about Your divine mystic potency, and the most
elevated pure devotees perfectly worship Your lotus feet,
desiring to cross beyond Your illusory potency.
(Vedabase)
Text
12
S'rî,
Your Lordship's consort, is with our withered flower garland
for You, o Almighty One, in this feeling as challenged as a
jealous co-wife because You accept
our offering as being properly brought [see also B.G.
9:
26]; may
there
always be the lotus feet, the fire of the destruction of our
impure desires!
O
almighty Lord, You are so kind to Your servants that You
have accepted the withered flower garland that we have
placed on Your chest. Since the goddess of fortune makes her
abode on Your transcendental chest, she will undoubtedly
become agitated, like a jealous co-wife, upon seeing our
offering also dwelling there. Yet You are so merciful that
You neglect Your eternal consort Lakshmî and accept
our offering as most excellent worship. O merciful Lord, may
Your lotus feet always act as a blazing fire to consume the
inauspicious desires within our hearts. (Vedabase)
Text
13
Your feet that
like a flag decorating a flagpole with three mighty steps
[defeat the possessiveness and bring down the water of the
Ganges] in each of the three worlds [see
8.20]
create fear and fearlessness among the Asuras and the godly
their respective armies. For the saintly are they there for the
attainment of heaven and for the envious are they there for
just the opposite, o Most Powerful One. May these feet, o
Supreme Lord, free us who worship You from our
sins.
O
omnipotent Lord, in Your incarnation as Trivikrama, You
raised Your leg like a flagpole to break the shell of the
universe, allowing the holy Ganges to flow down, like a
banner of victory, in three branches throughout the three
planetary systems. By three mighty steps of Your lotus feet,
Your Lordship captured Bali Mahârâja, along with
his universal kingdom. Your lotus feet inspire fear in the
demons by driving them down to hell and fearlessness among
Your devotees by elevating them to the perfection of
heavenly life. We are sincerely trying to worship You, our
Lord; therefore may Your lotus feet kindly free us from all
of our sinful reactions. (Vedabase)
Text
14
As oxen bound
[by the rope] through the nose do Brahmâ and all
the other embodied beings have their existence, in which they
being controlled by the Time struggle with each other. May the
lotus feet of You, the Supreme Personality in the beyond of
both the material nature ànd the individual person, for
us spread the transcendental fortune [compare
1.13:
42,
6.3:
12].
You
are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the transcendental
entity who is superior to both material nature and the
enjoyer of nature. May Your lotus feet bestow transcendental
pleasure upon us. All of the great demigods, beginning with
Brahmâ, are embodied living entities. Struggling
painfully with one another under the strict control of Your
time factor, they are just like bulls dragged by ropes tied
through their pierced noses. (Vedabase)
Text
15
You
are the cause of this creation, maintenance and annihilation,
the cause of the unseen, the individual soul and the greater of
the manifest reality. They say that You, this very same
personality, are the factor of time controlling all who appears
as a threefold wheel, that You are the Supreme Personality who
in the form of Time uninterrupted in Your flow effects the
diminution of everything [*].
You
are the cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction
of this universe. As time, You regulate the subtle and
manifest states of material nature and control every living
being. As the threefold wheel of time You diminish all
things by Your imperceptible actions, and thus You are the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Vedabase)
Text
16
The masculine
[of Mahâ-Vishnu] that from You [as father
Time] acquires the potent seed of this creation,
impregnates the greater of matter
[mahat-tattva]. Therefrom generates He whose
semen is never wasted, joined with that same nature from the
Self - just as an ordinary fetus is produced - the golden
primeval egg of the universe endowed with its [seven]
outer layers [see kosha].
My
dear Lord, the original purusha-avatâra,
Mahâ-Vishnu, acquires His creative potency from You.
Thus with infallible energy He impregnates material nature,
producing the mahat-tattva. Then the mahat-tattva, the
amalgamated material energy, endowed with the potency of the
Lord, produces from itself the primeval golden egg of the
universe, which is covered by various layers of material
elements. (Vedabase)
Text
17
With
that are You of everything mobile and stationary the original
Controller, because You Yourself o Master of the Senses, in
Your activities are never affected by the objects of the senses
that manifested because of the operating modes of nature, while
others, acting on their own account, live in fear because of
them [see also B.G. 16:
23-24].
O
Lord, You are the supreme creator of this universe and the
ultimate controller of all moving and nonmoving living
entities. You are Hrishîkes'a, the supreme controller
of all sensory activity, and thus You never become
contaminated or entangled in the course of Your supervision
of the infinite sensory activities within the material
creation. On the other hand, other living entities, even
yogîs and philosophers, are disturbed and frightened
simply by remembering the material objects that they have
supposedly renounced in their pursuit of enlightenment.
(Vedabase)
Text
18
The sixteen
thousand [of Your wives] were so enchanting the moments
when they, showing their feelings with their eyebrows, smiles
and glances, launched the arrows of Cupid. But with their
messages and advances of conjugal love, were they by all their
devices not able to perplex Your senses [see also
1.11:
36].
My
Lord, You are living with sixteen thousand exquisitely
beautiful, aristocratic wives. By their irresistible coy and
smiling glances and by their lovely arching eyebrows, they
send You messages of eager conjugal love. But they are
completely unable to disturb the mind and senses of Your
Lordship. (Vedabase)
Text
19
The full rivers
of Your nectarean topics and the rivers resulting from the
bathing of Your feet are able to destroy all contamination of
the three worlds. Those who strive for purification and want to
find association approach [You therefore] in two ways,
namely by making their ears listen to the stories offered by
the tradition and by bringing their bodies in contact with
[the waters] that flow from Your feet.'
The
nectar-bearing rivers of discussions about You, and also the
holy rivers generated from the bathing of Your lotus feet,
are able to destroy all contamination within the three
worlds. Those who are striving for purification associate
with the holy narrations of Your glories by hearing them
with their ears, and they associate with the holy rivers
flowing from Your lotus feet by physically bathing in them.
(Vedabase)
Text
20
The
honorable son of Vyâsa [S'uka] said: 'Along with
S'iva and the demigods thus praising Govinda, the Lord, offered
he who commands the hundreds [of sages, Brahmâ],
from his position in the sky, his obeisances.
S'rî
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued - After
Brahmâ, along with Lord S'iva and the other demigods,
thus offered prayers to the Supreme Lord, Govinda, Lord
Brahmâ situated himself in the sky and addressed the
Lord as follows. (Vedabase)
Text
21
S'rî
Brahmâ said: 'O Lord, we requested You previously to
diminish the burden of the earth. O Unlimited Soul, You have
fulfilled that request the way we asked it.
Lord
Brahmâ said - My dear Lord, previously we requested
You to remove the burden of the earth. O unlimited
Personality of Godhead, that request has certainly been
fulfilled. (Vedabase)
Text
22
Having
established the principles of dharma among the pious and among
the seekers of truth is it indeed Your glory by You spread in
all directions, which removes the contamination of all the
worlds.
My
Lord, You have reestablished the principles of religion
among pious men who are always firmly bound to the truth.
You have also distributed Your glories all over the world,
and thus the whole world can be purified by hearing about
You. (Vedabase)
Text
23
Descending
in the Yadu dynasty have You, for the benefit of the universe
assuming a form, with magnanimous deeds performed incomparable
activities.
Descending
into the dynasty of King Yadu, You have manifested Your
unique transcendental form, and for the benefit of the
entire universe You have executed magnanimous transcendental
activities. (Vedabase)
Text
24
O
Lord, those saintly souls who in the age of Kali hear and chant
about Your activities, will easily cross over the darkness
[see also 10.14].
My
dear Lord, those pious and saintly persons who in the age of
Kali hear about Your transcendental activities and also
glorify them will easily cross over the darkness of the age.
(Vedabase)
Text
25
O
Supreme Personality, since Your descent in the Yadu-vams'a have
one hundred and twenty-five autumns passed, o
Master.
O
Supreme Personality of Godhead, O my Lord, You have
descended into the Yadu dynasty, and thus You have spent one
hundred twenty-five autumns with Your devotees.
(Vedabase)
Text
26-27
O You
Foundation of Everything, for You there is no longer an
obligation to the godly, and the remaining part of the dynasty
has virtually been annihilated by this curse of the brahmins
[see 11.1].
Therefore we ask You whether You intend to leave for Your
Supreme Abode and if You please want to continue with us, the
protectors of all worlds and their inhabitants, to protect the
servants of Vaikunthha [of Lord
Vishnu].'
My
dear Lord, there is nothing remaining at this time for Your
Lordship to do on behalf of the demigods. You have already
withdrawn Your dynasty by the curse of the brâhmanas.
O Lord, You are the basis of everything, and if You so
desire, kindly return now to Your own abode in the spiritual
world. At the same time, we humbly beg that You always
protect us. We are Your humble servants, and on Your behalf
we are managing the universal situation. We, along with our
planets and followers, require Your constant protection.
(Vedabase)
Text
28
The
Supreme Lord said: 'I understand what you've said, o controller
of the demigods; in your favor has all the work been done to
remove the burden of the earth.
The
Supreme Lord said: O lord of the demigods, Brahmâ, I
understand your prayers and request. Having removed the
burden of the earth, I have executed everything that was
required on your behalf. (Vedabase)
Text
29
This
very Yadu family has, because it threatened to devour the
entire world in having expanded in its power, courage and
opulence, been checked by Me just as an ocean is by its
shore.
That
very Yâdava dynasty in which I appeared became greatly
magnified in opulence, especially in their physical strength
and courage, to the extent that they threatened to devour
the whole world. Therefore I have stopped them, just as the
shore holds back the great ocean. (Vedabase)
Text
30
If
I were to leave without withdrawing the vast dynasty of overly
proud Yadus, would for that reason the entire world be
destroyed by this flood.
If
I were to leave this world without withdrawing the overly
proud members of the Yadu dynasty, the whole world would be
destroyed by the deluge of their unlimited expansion.
(Vedabase)
Text
31
Right
now has because of the brahmins' curse the annihilation of the
family begun. After that has taken place will I, o sinless
Brahmâ, pay a visit to your abode.'
Now
due to the brâhmana's curse, the annihilation of My
family has already begun. O sinless Brahmâ, when this
annihilation is finished and I am enroute to Vaikunthha, I
will pay a small visit to your abode. (Vedabase)
Text
32
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Thus being addressed by the Lord of the World,
fell the selfborn one down at His feet to offer Him his
obeisances together with the different gods and returned the
godhead to his abode.
S'rî
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said - Thus addressed by the
Lord of the universe, the self-born Brahmâ fell down
in obeisances at the lotus feet of the Lord. Surrounded by
all the demigods, the great Brahmâ then returned to
his personal abode. (Vedabase)
Text
33
Following,
when the Supreme Lord observed the development of serious
disturbances in the city of Dvârakâ, spoke He to
the assembled Yadu elders.
Thereafter,
the Personality of Godhead observed that tremendous
disturbances were taking place in the holy city of
Dvârakâ. Thus the Lord spoke to the assembled
senior members of the Yadu dynasty as follows.
(Vedabase)
Text
34
The
Supreme Lord said: 'These indeed very great disturbances
appearing everywhere are a consequence of the curse that was
expressed by the brahmins against our family; it is impossible
to counteract.
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Our dynasty has been
cursed by the brâhmanas. Such a curse is
impossible to counteract, and thus great disturbances are
appearing everywhere around us. (Vedabase)
Text
35
We
should not stay here if we want to continue with our lives,
let's not delay and this very
day go to Prabhâsa, that so very pious place
[**].
My
dear respected elders, we must not remain any longer in this
place if we wish to keep our lives intact. Let us go this
very day to the most pious place Prabhâsa. We have no
time to delay. (Vedabase)
Text
36
The
king of the stars [the moon god] seized by consumption
because of a curse of
Daksha,
once took a bath there and was immediately freed from the
reaction to his sin and resumed the waxing with his
phases.
Once,
the moon was afflicted with consumption because of the curse
of Daksha, but just by taking bath at
Prabhâsa-kshetra, the moon was immediately freed from
his sinful reaction and again resumed the waxing of his
phases. (Vedabase)
Text
37-38
When
we also bathe over there to the satisfaction of the forefathers
and offer different kinds of foodstuff to the demigods and the
venerable ones of learning and as well distribute gifts with
our faith in them as being suitable candidates for the charity,
will we overcome the danger, just as one with boats crosses
over the ocean.'
By
bathing at Prabhâsa-kshetra, by offering sacrifice
there to placate the forefathers and demigods, by feeding
the worshipable brâhmanas with various delicious
foodstuffs and by bestowing opulent gifts upon them as the
most suitable candidates for charity, we will certainly
cross over these terrible dangers through such acts of
charity, just as one can cross over a great ocean in a
suitable boat. (Vedabase)
Text
39
S'rî
S'uka said: 'O child of the Kurus, the Yâdavas, who thus
by the Fortunate One were instructed, made up their minds and
yoked their horses to their chariots to head for the holy
site.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: O favorite son of the Kurus, thus
advised by the Personality of Godhead, the Yâdavas
made up their minds to go to that holy place,
Prabhâsa-kshetra, and thus yoked their horses to their
chariots. (Vedabase)
Text
40-41
O
King, Uddhava [see
also 3.2
and 10.46
& 47],
who as an ever faithful follower of Krishna came to hear what
by the Lord was said, approached, in respect of the fearful
evil omens
[see also 1.14:
2-5], in
private
the Lord of the lords of the entire living universe and
adressed Him with folded hands bowing down his head at His
feet.
My
dear King, Uddhava was a constantly faithful follower of
Lord Krishna. Upon seeing the imminent departure of the
Yâdavas, hearing from them of the Lord's instructions
and taking note of the fearful omens, he approached the
Personality of Godhead in a private place. He bowed down
with his head at the lotus feet of the supreme controller of
the universe and with folded hands addressed Him as follows.
(Vedabase)
Text
42
S'rî
Uddhava said: 'O Lord and God of Gods, o Master of Yoga, o
Piety of Hearing and Singing, withdrawing this family from this
world, You say that, even though You as the all-pervading,
benevolent Controller are capable of revoking the curse of the
brahmins, You're unable to do so!
S'rî
Uddhava said: O my Lord, O supreme God among all the
demigods, real piety is invoked simply by hearing and
chanting Your transcendental glories. My Lord, it appears
that You will now withdraw Your dynasty, and thus You
Yourself will finally give up Your pastimes within this
universe. You are the supreme controller and the master of
all mystic power. But although You are fully capable of
counteracting the brâhmanas' curse against Your
dynasty, You are not doing so, and Your disappearance is
imminent. (Vedabase)
Text
43
I'm
not even capable to tolerate it but for half a moment
to give up on Your
lotus feet, o Kes'ava; please take me along to Your abode o
Master [see also 3.29:
13].
O
Lord Kes'ava, my dear master, I cannot tolerate giving up
Your lotus feet even for a fraction of a moment. I urge You
to take me along with You to Your own abode.
(Vedabase)
Text
44
Your
pastimes supremely auspicious, o Krishna, are nectar to the
human ear. Once they have the taste will people relinquish
their desires for other things.
O
my dear Krishna, Your pastimes are supremely auspicious for
mankind and are an intoxicating beverage for the ears.
Tasting such pastimes, people forget their desires for other
things. (Vedabase)
Text
45
How
can we, who were always devoted to You when we were laying
down, sitting, walking, standing, bathing, recreating and
eating and such, ever abandon You, our dear most
Self?
My
dear Lord, You are the Supreme Soul, and thus You are most
dear to us. We are Your devotees, and how can we possibly
reject You or live without You even for a moment? Whether we
are lying down, sitting, walking, standing, bathing,
enjoying recreation, eating or doing anything else, we are
constantly engaged in Your service. (Vedabase)
Text
46
Eating
the food remnants and adorned with the garlands, fragrances,
garments and ornaments that You enjoyed, will we, Your
servants, for sure conquer the illusory energy.
Simply
by decorating ourselves with the garlands, fragrant oils,
clothes and ornaments that You have already enjoyed, and by
eating the remnants of Your meals, we, Your servants, will
indeed conquer Your illusory energy. (Vedabase)
Text
47
The but in air
clad
sinless members of the renounced order
who as sages of
strict observance keep their seed going upwards, go to the
abode known as Brahman
[see ûrdhva
retah and
also 10.2:
32].
Naked
sages who seriously endeavor in spiritual practice, who have
raised their semen upward, who are peaceful and sinless
members of the renounced order, attain the spiritual abode
called Brahman. (Vedabase)
Text
48-49
We
on the other hand, o Greatest of Yogis, who in this world
wander on the paths of fruitive labor will, along with Your
devotees, cross beyond the hard to conquer darkness by
discussing the topics with which we remember and glorify Your
deeds, words, movements, broad smiles, glances and the amorous
sports You have in imitation of the human world.
O
greatest of mystics, although we are conditioned souls
wandering on the path of fruitive work, we will certainly
cross beyond the darkness of this material world simply by
hearing about Your Lordship in the association of Your
devotees. Thus we are always remembering and glorifying the
wonderful things You do and the wonderful things You say. We
ecstatically recall Your amorous pastimes with Your
confidential conjugal devotees and how You boldly smile and
move about while engaged in such youthful pastimes. My dear
Lord, Your loving pastimes are bewilderingly similar to the
activities of ordinary people within this material world.
(Vedabase)
Text
50
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Thus being informed, o King, spoke the Supreme
Lord, the son of Devakî, privately for a long time with
His dear servant Uddhava.'
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: O King Parîkshit, thus
addressed, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the
son of Devakî, began to reply confidentially to His
dear, unalloyed servant Uddhava. (Vedabase)
*:
Time in three can be regarded as the three types of seasons,
summer winter and spring/autumn or as the three to the order,
the cakra,
of the sun, moon and the stars or the past, the present and the
future and as the time of nature, culture and the psychological
experience [see also tri-kâlika,
5.22:
2,
time-quotes
and B.G. 10:
30
& 33,
11:
32].
**:
Prabhâsa is a famous holy place located near the Veraval
railway station, within the region of Junagarah. At the base of
the same pippala tree under which Lord Krishna was reported to
have reposed there is now a temple. One mile away from the
tree, on the seashore, is the Vîra-prabhañjana
Mathha, and it is said that from this point the hunter
Jarâ fired the arrow which marked the end of His earthly
presence [as described in the last two chapters of this
Canto].
