Srimad Bhagavatam, Volume 3

Srimad Bhagawatam, First Canto, Volume Three
Both the spiritual master and the desciple namely Sri Sukdeva Goswami and
Maharaj Parikshit attained perfection through the medium of Srimad
Bhagwatam. Sukdeva Goswami learnt Srimad Bhagwatam from his father
Vyasdeva but he had no chance to recite it. Before Maharaj Parikshit he
recited Srimad Bhagwatam and answered the questions of Maharaj Pasikshit
unhesitatingly from Srimad Bhagwatam and thus both the master and the
disciple got salvation.
Sri Parikshit uvacha
Aho adya vayam brahman satsevya khatra bandhavah
Kripaya atithirupena bhavadbhis tirthakah kritah.
Sri Parikshit Uvacha—fortunate Maharaj Parikshit said, Aho—Oh God,
Adya—to day, Vayam—we, Brahman—oh the brahmins, Satsevya—eligible
to serve the devotee, Kshatra—the ruler class, Bandhavah—friends,
Kripaya—by your mercy, Atithirupena—in the manner of a great,
Bhavadbhih—by your goodself, tirthakah—qualified for being pilgrimage,
Kritah—done by you.
The fortunate king Parikshit said "Oh the Brahmin, by your mercy only
you have sanctified us as pure as the place of pilgrimage by your presence
here as my guest and thereby we the unworthy royal orders become
eligible for serving the devotee.
Saintly devotee like Sukdeva Goswami generally do not approach the worldly
enjoyers and specially the royal orders. Maharaj Prataprudra was followcr of
Lord Chaitanya but when the king wanted to see the Lord, the Lord refused to
see him because he was a king. For devotee who desires to go back to home
back to Godhead two things are strictly probhibited. They are the worldly
enjoyer and the woman. Therefore, devotees of the standard of Sukdeva
Goswami, is never interested in seeing the king. Maharaj Parikshit was of
course a different case. He was a great devotee although a king and therefore
Sukdeva Goswami, came to see him at his last stage of life. Maharaj Parikshit
out of his devotional humbleness felt himself as unworthy descendant of his
great Kshatriya forefathers although he was as great as his predecessors. The
unworthy sons of the royal orders are called the Khatra bandhavas as much as
the unworthy sons of the Brahmins are called the dwijabandhus or
brahmabandhus. Maharaj Parikshit was very much encouraged by the
presence of Sukdeva Goswami as the king felt himself sanctified by the
presence of the great saint whose presence at any place turns it into a place of
pilgrimage.
Yesam smaranat pumsam sadyah suddhanti vai grihah.
Kim punar darsana sparsa pada soucha asanadibhih.
Yesam—of whom, Smaranat—by remembrance, Pumsam—of a preson,
Sadyah—instantly, Suddhanti—cleanses up, Vai—certainly Grihah—all
houses, Kim—what, Punar—then, Darsana—meeting, Spaitra—touching,
Pada—the feet, Soucha—washing, Asannadibhih—by offering seats etc.
"Simply by remembering you the houses of us instantly become
sanctified. Then what to speak about seeing you, touching you, washing
your holy feet and by offering you seat at one's, home?"
Importance of holy places of pilgrimage is due to the presence of great sages
and saints there. It is said that sinful presons go to the holy places and they
leave out their sins there to accumulate. But the presence of the great saints
disinfect the accumulated sins and thus the holy places continue to remain
sanctified by the grace of the devotees and saints present there. If such saints
appear in the house of worldly people, certainly the accumulated sins of such
worldly enjoyers, become neturalised by such holy presene of great saints.
Therefore, the holy saints actually have no self-interested business with the
householders but the only aim of such saints is to sanctify the houses of the
householders and the house-holders therefore deserve to feel grateful when
such saints and sages appear at their doors. A householder who dishonours
such holy orders of the society is a great offender. It is enjoined therefore, that
a house holder, who does not bow down before a saint at once, must undergo
fasting for the day inorder to neutralise the great offence.
Sannidhyat te mahayogin patakani mahanti api
Sadyo nasyanti Vai punsam Vishnor ivc suretarah.
Sannidhyat—on account of proximity, Te—your, Mahayogin—oh the great
mystic, Patakani—sins, Mahanti—invulnerable, Api—inspite of, Sadyo—
forthwith, Nasyanti—vanquished, Vai—certainly, Punsam—of a person,
Visnor—like the proximity of the Personality of Godhead, Iva—like,
Suretaran—other than the demi-gods.
"As the atheist cannot stay in the presenmce of the Personality of
Godhead so also invulnerable sfns of a person are forthwith vanquished
in the presence of you saints, oh the great mystic."
There are two classes of human beings namely the atheist and the devotee of
the Lord. The devotee of the Lord on account of manifesting godly qualilies,
is called the demigod whereas the atheist is called the demon. The demon
cannot stand in the presence of Vishnu the Personality of Godhead. The
demons are always busy in the matter of vanquishing the Personality of
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Godhead but factually as soon as the Personality of Godhead appears either by
his transcendental Name, Form, Attributes, Pastimes, Paraphernalia and
variegatedness, the unbeliever demon is at once vanquished. It is said by the
common man that a ghost cannot remain as soon as the holy name of the lord
is chanted. The great saints and devotees of the Lord are in the list of his
paraphernalia; and as such, as soon as such saintly devotee is present, the
ghost like sins at once become vanquished. That is the verdict of all vedic
literatures. One is recommended, therefore, to associate with such saintly
devotee only so that the worldly demons and ghosts cannot exert their sinister
influence upon such associates.
Api me bhagawan pritah krishnah pandusuta priyah
Paitri swaseya priti arthantad gotrasya atta bandhavah.
Api—definitely, Me—untome, Bhagawan—the Personality of Godhead,
Pritah—pleased, Krishnah—the Lord, Pandusuta—the sons of king Pandu,
Priyah—dear, Paitri—in relation with farher, Swaseya—the sons of sister,
Priti—satisfaction, Artham—for the matter of, Tat—their, Gotrasya—of the
descendant, Atta—accepted, Bandhavah—as friend.
Lord Krishna the Personality of Godhead who is very dear to sons of
king Pandu; therefore, the Lord just to please his great cousin brothers
has accepted me also as one of those relatives.
A pure and exclusive devotee of the Lord serves his family inserest more
dexterously than others who are too much attached to the illusory family
affairs. Generally people are attached to family matters and the whole
economic empetus of the human society is moving under the influence of
family affection. Such deluded persons have no information that one can
render better service for the family by becoming the devotee of the Lord. The
Lord gives special protection to the members and descendants of a devotee,
even such members of the devotee's family are themselves non-devotees !
Maharaj Prahlad was a great devotee of the Lord but his father Hiranya
Kashipu was a great atheist and declared encmy of the Lord. But inspite of all
these Hiranya Kashipu was awarded salvation on account of his becoming the
father of Maharaj Prahlad. The Lord is so kind that he gives all protection to
the family members of his devotee and as such the devotee has nothing to
bother about his family members even if such family menbers are left aside
for discharging devotional service by the devotee of the Lord. Maharaj
Yudhisthir and brothers were the sons of Kunti the paternal aunt of Lord
Krishna and Maharaj Parikshit admits the patronage of Lord Krishna upon
him on account of his becoming the only grandson of the great Pandavas.
Anyatha te avyaktagater darsanam nah katham nrinam
Nitaram mriyamananam samsiddhasya vaniyasah.
Anyatha—otherwise, Te—your, Avyaktagater—of one whose movements are
not visible, Darsanam—meeting, Nah—for us, Katham—how, Nrinam—of
the people, Nitaram—specifically, Mriyamanan—of those who are about to
die, Samsiddhasya—of one who is all perfect, Vaniyasah—voluntary
appearance.
Otherwise (without being inspired by Lord Krishna) how could you
voluntarily appear here, although you are moving incognito for the
common man and what to speak of us who are on the verge of death.
The great sage Sukdeva Goswami was certainly inspired by Lord Krishna to
appear voluntarily before Maharaj Parikshit the great devotee of the Lord just
to instruct him the teachings of Srimad Bhagwatam. One can achieve the
nucleus of devotional service of the Lord by the mercy of spiritual master and
the Personality of Godhead. The spiritual Master is the manifested
representative of the Lord to achieve the ultimate success. One who is not
authorised by the Lord cannot become the spiritual master. Srila Sukdeva
Goswami is the authorised spiritual master and as such he was inspired dy the
Lord to appear before Maharaj Parikshit just to instruct him the teachings of
Srimad Bhagwatam. One can achieve the ultimate success of going back to
home back to Godhead if he is favoured by the Lord by sending His true
representative. As soon as a true representative of the Lord is met with by a
devotee of the Lord, he is assured a guarantee for going back to Godhead just
after leaving the present body. This, however, depends on the sincerity of the
devotee himself. The Lord is seated at the heart of all living beings; and as
such he knows very well the movements of all individual persons. As soon as
the Lord finds it that a particular soul is very eager to go back to home back
Godhead, the Lord at once sends his bonafide representative to such sincere
devotee. The sincere devotee is thus assured by the Lord for going back to
Godheed. The conclusion is that to get the assistance and help of the bonafide
spiritual master, means to receive the direct help of the Lord Himself.
Atah prichhami sansiddhim yoginam paramam gurum
Purusasya iha yat karyam mriyamnasya sarvatha.
Atah—therefore, Prichhami—beg to enquire, Samsiddhim—the way of
perfection, Yoginam—of the saints, Paramam—the Suprrme, Gurum—the
spiritual master, Purusasya—of a person, Iha—in this life, Yat—what ever,
Karyam—duty, Mriyananasya—of one who is going to die.