O descendant of Bhrigu [Saunaka], after performing funeral rituals for the dead body of Bhismadeva, Maharaja Yudhisthira was momentarily overtaken with grief.
1 Yudhisthira was sorry for the separation of a great soul, and not for the material body which Bhismadeva relinquished.
a. The wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead (Bg. 2.11).
b. Prabhupada describes the relationship between Yudhisthira and Bhismadeva to help us understand Yudhisthira's feeling of separation at Bhismadeva's death.
"But Bhismadeva was always a sincerely sympathetic well-wisher, grandfather, friend and philosopher to Maharaja Yudhisthira, even up to the last moment of his life."
c. Narottama Dasa Thakura's Saparsada-bhagavad-viraha-janita-vilapa
[Lamentation Due to Separation From the Lord and His Associates (from Prarthana)]
1. the Vaishnavas he laments being separated from have qualities headed by
mercy
2 Bhismadeva waited for Yudhisthira's victory to depart this world.
a. He knew because Krishna protects His devotee, Yudhisthira's victory was certain.
3 Generally, the son performs the funeral ceremony.
4 It is a benediction to have highly qualified person perform the funeral ceremony.
a. Qualified sons are putra (delivers from hell) and unqualified are compared to mutra.
b. Ravana was killed by Lord Ramacandra and was destined for hellish life, but by Lord Ramacandra's advice, Vibhisana, Ravana's [pious] brother, performed all the duties prescribed in relation to the dead. Thus Lord Ramacandra was kind to Ravana even after Ravana's death (SB 9.10.29).
c. Gokarna story tells the value of having a pious brother who could save the sinful one.
My translator was Doyal Gauranga Prabhu, a friendly Ukrainian devotee I met in Mayapur last winter. He told me about his preaching in Munich, Germany, after class. It is nice to meet so many people I know here.
I talked to Niranjana Swami. He encouraged me in my plans to preach in America and Eastern Europe, especially in those places where I appear to make a difference and where people appreciate what I have to offer. I gave him a donation of 100 rubles ($4), which is truly insignificant, but a gesture of gratitude. He can use it when he goes to Russia next.
Dhanesvara Prabhu told a funny story how the visiting Radha-Damodara bus party brahmacaris were so hungry they ate the homemade vegetarian dog food he had in his refrigerator, not understanding what it was. They later mentioned that it didn't taste very good and inquired what it was.
