Srimad Bhagavatam, Volume 3

different types of birds. The ducks associate with the ducks and the crows
associate with the crows. And the most important function of a devotee is to
have complete attachment for Lord Sri Krishna the father of all other living
beings. As a good son of the father behave friendly with all his other brothers,
so also the devotee of the Lord being good son of the Supreme Father Lord
Krishna, sees all other living beings in relation with the Supreme Father. He
tries to bring back the upstart sons of the father to a saner stage and thus
gradually accepts the Supreme fatherhood of God. Maharaj Parikshit was
certainly going back to home back to Godhead but even if he was not to go
back like that he prayed for a pattern of life which is the most perfect way of
life in the material world. A pure devotee does not desire the company of a
personality as great as Brahma, but he prefers the association of a petty living
being provided such living being is a devotee of the Lord.
Iti sma raja adhyavasaya yuktah
Prachina mulesu kusesu dheerah
Udanmukham dakshina kuta aste
Samudra patnya swa suta nasta bharah.
Iti—thus, Sma—as in the past, Raja—the king, Adhyavasaya—perseverance,
Yuktah—being engaged, Prachina—eastern, Mulesu—on the root, Kusesu—
on seat made of kusa straw, Dheerah—selfcontrolled, Udammukham—facing
the northern side, Dakshina—on the southern, Kula—bank, Aste—situated,
Samudra—the sea, Patnya—wife of (the Ganges) Swa—own, Suta—son,
Nasta—given over, Bharah—the charges of administration.
Maharaj Parikshit was perfectly self controlled and as such thus he
situated himself. He sat down on the seat of straw with roots towards the
east placed on the southern bank of the Ganges, facing himself on the
northern side and previously having given the charge of administration
on his son.
The river Ganges is celebrated to be known as the wife of the sea. The seat of
Kusa straw is considered to be sanctified if the straw is taken out of the earth
complete with root and the root side kept towards eastern direction is
considered to be auspicious. Facing the northern side is still more favourable
for attaining sipritual success. Maharaj Parikshit handed over the charge of
administration to his son before his leaving the home. He was thus fully
equipped for all favourable conditions.
Evam cha tasmin naradevadeve
Prayopaviste divi deva samghah
Prasasya bhumou vyakiran prasunair
Muda muhur dundubhayas cha neduh.
Evam—thus, Cha—and, Tasmin—in that, Naradevadeve—upon the king's,
Prayopaviste—being engaged in fasting to death, Divi—in the sky, Deva—
demigods, Samghah—all of them, Prasasya—having praised the action,
Bhumou—on the earth, Vyakiran—scattered, Prasunair—with flowers,
Muda—in-pleasure, Muhur—continually, Dundubhayas—celestial drums,
Cha—also, Neduh—beaten.
The king Maharaj Parikshit thus being situated on fasting unto death all
the demigods living in the higher planets of the sky praised the action of
the king and in pleasure continually they scattered flowers over the earth
and beaten over the celestial drums.
Even up to the time of Maharaj Parikshit there were interplanetary
communications and the news of Maharaj Parikshit's fasting unto death for
attaining salvation reached the higher planets in the sky where the intelligent
demigods live. The demigods are more luxurious than the human being on the
earth but all of them are obedient to the orders of the Supreme Lord. There is
none in the heavenly planet who is an atheist non-believer. As such any
devotee of the Lord on the surface of the earth is always praised by them and
in the case of Maharaj Parikshit they were greatly delighted and thus
manifested the token of honour by scattering flowers over the earth as well as
by beating the celestial drums. The nature of a pure devotee is that he takes
pleasure in seeing somebody going back to Godhead and they are always
pleased upon a devotee of the Lord so much so that by their Adhidaivic
powers they help the devotees in all respects and by their action like this, the
Lord is pleased upon them. There is an invisible chain of complete cooperation,
between the Lord, the demigods and the devotee of the Lord on the
earth.
Maharsaya vai samapugata yeh
Prasasya sadhu iti anumodamanah
Uchuh prajanugraha seelasara
Yad uttamasloka gunabhirupam.
Maharsaya—the great sages, Vai—as a matter of course, Samupagata—
assembled there, Yeh—those who, Pasasya—by praising Sadhu—quite all
right, Iti—thus, Anumodamanah—all approving; Uchuh—said,
Prajanugraha—doing good to the living being, Seelasara—qualitatively
powerful, Yad—because, Uttamasloka—One who is praised by selected
poems, Gunabhirupam-as beautiful as Godly qualities.
71
Nineteenth Chapter - Appearance of Sukadeva Goswami
All the great sages assembled there, praised the decision of Maharaj
Parikshit and they expressed their approval by saying 'very good'.
Naturally the sages are inclined to do good to the common man as they
are qualitatively powerful like the supreme Lord. As such they were very
much pleased to see Maharaj Parikshit a devotee of the Lord and said
like this.
Natural beauty of a living being is enhanced by rising upto the platform of
devotional service. Maharaj Parikshit was so much absorbed in the matter of
attachment for Lord Krishna and seeing this the great sages assembled there
were too much pleased and they expressed their approval by saying 'very
good'. Such sages are naturally inclined to do good to the common man and
when they see a personality like Maharaj Parikshit advanced in devotional
service, their pleasure knows no bound and they offer all blessings in their
power. Devotional service of the Lord is so auspicious that all demigods,
sages upto the Lord Himself all become pleased with the devotee and
therefore devotee finds everything auspicious for him and all inauspicious
matter becomes extinct from the path of a progressive devotee. Meeting all
the great sages at the time of death, was certainly all auspicious for Maharaj
Parikshit, and as such a devotee like Maharaj Parikshit is blessed even by the
so-called cursing of a Brahmin's boy.
Na va idam rajarshi varya chitram
Bhavatsu krishnam samanuvratesu
Ye adhyasanam rajakirita justam
Sadya juhur bhagawat parswakamah.
Na—neither, Va—like this, Idam—this, Rajarsi—saintly king, Varya—the
chief, Chitram—astonishing, Bhavatsu—unto you all, Krishnam—Lord
Krishna, Samanuvartesu—unto those who are strictly in the line of, Ye—who,
Adhyasanam—seated on the throne, Rajakirita—helmets of kings, Justam—
decorated, Sadya—immediately, Juhur—gave up, Bhagawat—the Personality
of Godhead, Parswakama—desiring to achieve association.
Oh the chief of the saintly kings, for you all the Kings of the Pandu
dynasty, who are all strictly in the line of Lord Sri Krishna, it is not at all
astonishing to give up your throne which is decorated with the helmets of
many kings for the sake of achieving the eternal association of the
Personality of Godhead.
Foolish politicians who hold political administrative posts for sometime, do
think that the temporary post occupied by him is the highest material gain of
his life and therefore they stick up to that post upto the last moment of his life
without knowing it that achievement of liberation as one of the associates of
the Lord in His eternal abode is the highest gain of life. The human life is
meant for achieving this end of life going back to home back to Godhead. The
Lord has assured us in the Bhagwat Geeta more than many times that by
achieving the success of going back to Godhead, in His eternal abode is the
highest achievement of success. Prahlad Maharaj while praying to the Lord
Nrisingah said it as follow. "Oh my Lord I am very much afraid of the
materialistic way of life and I am not the least afraid of your present ghastly
ferocious feature as Nrisinghadeva. This materialistic way of life is something
like grinding stone and thus we are being crushed by the great machine. We
are fallen in this horrible whirlpool of the waves of ups and downs of life and
thus my Lord I pray at your lotus feet to call me back to your eternal abode as
one of your servitors which is the summit liberation of this materialistic way
of life. I have a very bitter experience of materialistic way of life. In
whichever species of life I have taken my birth compelled by the force of
reaction of my own activities, I have very bitterly experienced two things
specially namely separation from my beloved and meeting with what is not
wanted by me. And to counter act them, the remedies which I undertook were
more dangerous than the mischieves themselves. So I am drifted from one
point to the other birth after birth and I pray therefore for giving me a shelter
at your lotus feet."
The Pandava kings who are more than many saints of the world know the
bitter results of materialistic way of life. They are never captivated by the
glare of the imperial throne occupied by them and they seek always the
opportunity of being called by the Lord to associate with Him eternally.
Maharaj Prikshit was worthy grand-son of Maharaj Yudhisthir. Maharaj
Yudhisthir timely gave up the attraction of the imperial throne giving over the
charge of administration to his grand-son and similarly Maharaj Parikshit the
grandson of Maharaj Yudhisthir, gave up the attraction of the imperial throne
timely, giving over the charge of adminstration to his son Janmenjaya. That is
the way of all the kings in the dynasty because they are all strictly in the line
of Lord Krishna. As such the devotees of the Lord are never enchanted by the
glare of materialistic way of life and they live impartially unattached to the
objects of attraction of the false illusory materialistic way of life.
Sarve vayam tavat iha asmeh atha
Kalevaram yavat asou vihaya
Lokam param virajaskam visokam
Yasyati ayam bhagwata pradhanah.