Srimad Bhagavatam, Volume 3

Oh the brahmins, the Rishi who was born in the family of Angira Muni
thus hearing his son crying gradually opened his eyes and saw a dead
snake on his neck.
Visrijya tam cha paprachha vatsa kasmat hi rodisi
Kena vate apakritam hiti uktah sa nyavedayat.
Visrijya—throwing aside, Tam—that, Cha—also, Paprachha—asked, Vatsa—
my dear son, Kasmst—what for, Hi—certainly, Rodisi-crying, Kena—by
whom, Va—otherwise, Apakritam—misbehaved, Api—either, Iti—Thus,
Uktah—being asked, Sa—the boy, Nyavadavat—informed everything.
He threw away the dead snake from his neck and asked his son why he
was crying who might have done him any harm either and on hearing
this the son explained to him that happened.
The father did not however took the matter of dead snake on his neck very
seriously and he simply threw it away from the place. Actually there was
nothing wrong seriously on the part of Maharaj Parikshit but the foolish son
took it very seriously and being influenced by the Kali he cursed the king to
end a chapter of happy history of the human kind.
Nisamya saptam atadarham narendram
Sa brahmane na atmajam abhyanandat
Aho bata amha mahat adya te Kritam
Alpiyasi droha urur dama dhritah.
Nismaya—after hearing, Saptam—cursed, Atadharham—never to be
condemned, Narendram—unto the King thebest of the human kind, Sa—that,
Brahmanah—Brahmin Rishi, No—not Atamjam—his own son,
Abhyanandat—congratulated, Aho—Alas, Bata—distressing, Amha—sins,
Mahat—great, Adya—to-day, Te—yourself, Kritam—performed, Alpiyasi—
insignificant Drohe—offence, Urur—very great, Dama—punishment,
Dhritah—awarded.
The father Rishi after hearing from the son that the king was cursed
although he is never to be condemned because he is the best of all human
being, did not congratulate his own son but on the contrary began to
repent by saying alas what great sinful act was performed by him (his
son) as he has had awarded heavy punish ment for insignificant offence.
The king is the best of all human being, he is the representative of God and he
is never to be condemned for any of his action. In other words the king can do
no wrong. The king orders for hanging of a culprit son of a Brahmin but for
that reason he does not become liable to be sinful on account of killing a
Brahmin. Even there is something wrong on the part of a king, the king is
never to be condemned as much as a medical practitioner may kill a patient by
mistaken treatment but such killer is never condemned to death. And what to
speak of a good and pious king like Maharaj Parikshit. In the Vedic way of
life the king is trained up to become a Rajarshi or a great saint although a
ruling king. Because it is the king only by whose good government the
citizens can live peacefully and without any fear. The Rajarshis would
manage their kingdom so nicely and piously that the subjects of the king
would respect him as if the Lord Himself. That is the instruction of the Vedas.
The king is called Narendra or the best amongst the human being. How then
the king like Maharaj Parikshit could be condemned by an inexperienced
puffed up son of a Brahmin even though he attained the porwess of a qualified
Brahmin.
The Samik Rishi as he was an experienced good Brahmin did not approve
of the action of his condemned son. He began to lament therefore for all that
his son had done. The king was beyond the jurisdiction of being cursed as a
general rule and what to speak of a good king like Maharaj Parikshit. The
offence of the king was most insignificant and he was condemned to death
was certainly a very great sin on the part of the son of a Brahmin and
therefore the Rishi Samik regretted the whole incidence as follows;—
Na vai nribhir naradevam parakhyam
Sammatum arhasi abipakka buddhe
Yat tejasa durvisahena gupta
Vindanti bhadrani akutobhayah parajash.
Na—never, Vai—as a matter of fact, Nribhir—by any man, Naradevam—un
to humanly God, Parakhyam—who is transcendental, Sammatum—place on
equal footing, Arhasi—deserve, Abipakka—unripe or immature, Buddhe—
intelligence, Sat—by whose, Tejasa—by the prowess, Durvisahena—
unsurpassable, Gupta—protected, Vindanti—enjoys, Bhadrani—all
prosperities, Akutobhayo—completely defended, Prajah—the subjects.
Oh my boy, you are completely immature intelligently and therefore you
have no knowledge that the king who, is the best amongst the human
beings, is as good as the Personality of Godhead and therefore he is never
to be placed on equal footing with other common man. The citizens of the
state do live in all prosperity being protected by him by his unsurpassable
prowess.
Alakshamane naradeva namni
Rathamgapanou ayam amga lokah
Eighteenth Chapter - Maharaj Parikshit Cursed By A Brahmin Boy
63
Tadahi choura prachuro vinamkshati
Arakshamano aviruthavat kshanat.
Alakshamane—being abolished, Naradeva—monarchical, Namni—of the
name, Rathangapanou—the representative of the Lord, Ayam—this, Amga—
oh my boy, Lokah—this world, Tadahi—at once, Choura—thieves,
Prachuro—too much, Vinamkshati—vanquishes, Arakshamano—being not
protected, Aviruthavat—like the lambs, Kshanat—at once.
My dear boy the Lord Who carries the wheel of a chariot is represented
by monarchical regime and this being abolished the whole world becomes
full of thieves who then and there vanquish the unprotected subjects like
the scattered lambs at once.
According to Sreemad Bhagwatam the monarchical regime is the
representative of the Supreme Lord the Personality of Godhead. Actual
responsible government can be established by monarchical regime because
the king is trained up individually about the real political cult in relation with
the qualities of the Lord. The king is said to be the representative of the
Absolute Personality of Godhead because he is trained up to acquire the
qualities of God for protecting the livings beings. The battle of Kurukshetra
was planned by the Lord for establishing the real representative of the Lord as
Maharaj Yudhisthir. An ideal king thoroughly trained up by culture and
devotional service with the martial spirit makes a perfect king and such
personal Monarchy is far better than the so called democracy without any
training and responsibility. The thieves and rogues like many notorious
ministers of the state of modern democracy seek election by malrepresentation
of votes and the successful rogues and thieves like the wolf devoure the
existence of the mass of population like the scattered lambs. One trained up
monarch is far better than hundreds of useless ministrial rogues and it is
hinted herein that by abolision of monarchical regime like that of Maharaj
Parikshit the mass of people becomes open to so many attacks of the age of
Kali and they are never happy in such much advertised form of democracy.
The result of such good kingless administration is described in the following
verses.
Tad adya nah papam upaite anwayam
Yat nasta nathasya basor vilumpakat
Parasparam ghnanti sapanti vrinjate
Pasun striyo arthan puru dasybo janah
Tad—for this reason, Adya—from this day, Nah—upon us, Papam—reaction
of sin, Upaiti—will overtake, Yat—because, Nasta—abolished, Nathasya—of
the monarchy, Vasor—of wealth, Vilumpakat—being plundered,
Parasparam—between one another, Ghnanti—will kill, Sapanti—will do
harm, Vrinjate—will steal, Pasun—animals, Strio—women, Artham—riches,
Puru—greatly, Dasyavo—theives, Janah—the mass of people.
Thus on account of ending monarchical regime and thus people's wealth
being plundered by the rogues and thieves, there will be now great
disruption of social anomalies between one another in the matter of
killing, doing harm, stealing of animals and women and for all these we
shall be responsible for the reaction of sins.
The word Nah ( we) is very much significant in this verse, The sage rightly
takes responsibility of the Brahmin as a community for killing the
monarchical government and thus giving opportunity to the so called
democrats who are generally plunderers of the wealth of the state subjects.
The so called democrats capture the administrative machine without any
responsibilty for the prosperous condition of the citizens. Every one captures
the post for personal gratification and thus instead of one king a number of
irresponsible kings grow up for taxing the citizens. It is foretold herein that in
the absense of good monarchical government every one will be the cause of
disturbance for others in the matter of plundering riches, animals, women and
doing harm to one and another.
Tada arya dharma praviliyate nrinam
Varna ashrama acharayuta strayeemayah
Tato artha kamabhinibesita atmanam
Sunam kapinam iva varnasamkarah
Tada—at that time, Arya—progressive civilization, Dharma—engagement,
praviliyate—becomes systematically vanquished, Nrinam—of the humankind,
Varna—caste, Ashrama—orders of society, Acharayuta—composed with
good manner, Straeemayah—in terms of the vedic injunction, Tato—
thereafter, Artha—economic development, Kamabhinibesita—fully absorbed
in the matter of sense gratification, Atmanam—of men, Sunam—like the
dogs, Kapinam—like the monkeys, Varnasamkarah—unwanted population.
At that time the people in general will be systematically vanquished from
the progressive way of civilization in the matter of qualitative
engagements of castes and the orders of society for good manners in
terms of the Vedic injunctions of the human kind and thus they will be
more attracted by economic development for sense gratification and
unwanted population of the type of dogs and monkeys.